Got a Quick, Technical Question?

alcan · June 2005

Is this any help?:

http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d801156c4.gif

alcan · June 2005

There's no such thing as an airbag sensor "reset", nor is there much info on the internet re SRS system servicing due to liability concerns. An accidental deployment will ruin someone's day. Take it to any SRS qualified shop and have the trouble codes retrieved. Most body shops have staff trained in SRS repairs.

zinn · June 2005

I just bought a pre owned 2004 stratus 4 door. under factory warranty. I took it in because I heard a whirring noise which is very evident at 55-60 mph. also a popping or cracking noise when accelerating from a standing start occurs approx 50% of the time. I road tested the car with the mechanic and he acknowledged all the above. the service manager called me a few days ago and claims the whirring noise is normal and heard on similar 2004 stratus models. I road tested several stratus this weekend and found that to be false.

when I road tested with mechanic he thought the whir was from the transmission.

I am trying to connect with other stratus owners to see if anyone has a similar experience. so far no luck.

any advice would be appreciated. I can't see driving this car around with the whirring noise and hope I'm not stuck without any options or help.

sincerely,

don sandri (zinn) as username

0patience · June 2005

A whirring noise in the transmission is indicative of a pump problem, whether it be air getting into the pump or a lack of fluid in the pump.
As for the popping noise, see the TSB below.

Body/Suspension - Clunk/Pop Sound From Vehicle Front
NUMBER: 23-039-04
GROUP: Body
DATE: September 24, 2004
THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 23-012-03, DATED May 23, 2003, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES. ALL REVISIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED WITH **ASTERISKS** AND INCLUDES AN ADDITIONAL MODEL YEAR.
SUBJECT:
Pop/Clunk Sound From Front Of Vehicle
OVERVIEW:
This bulletin involves installing two rivets in each front shock tower/wheel well area.
MODELS:
2001 - **2005** (JR) Sebring Convertible/Sebring Sedan/Stratus Sedan
SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
Vehicle produces an intermittent front end popping or clunk type sound while driving over road inputs that cause the body to come under a twisting load. This sound may also be produced when in park & idle by turning the steering wheel quickly, 90 degrees, to the left and back to the right.

rhyno1 · June 2005

Ok, update to this problem. The shop replaced the turn signal switch (?), at least I think that's what they called it. A place where all the wires come together. This mainly fixed the problem for about 4 days, except I still had the issue of when the brake pedal was depressed, car off, and I opened the door, the warning buzzer went off. Anyway, after 4 days, all of the original problems re-surfaced, and are currently ongoing.

Any advice very appreciated.

Jeff

rccline · June 2005

Your a life saver!!!!!! thanks
Randy

gkneebone · June 2005

My traction control light comes on and the car shifts violently. lf l shut the car off and restart it, the light goes out and it's OK for a while. l also sometimes feel a buzzing coming from the front right wheel, related?. Any ideas what may be causing this, the car has 85,000 kms.
Thanks Gary

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

Bad wheel sensor? Can you pull codes for this system?

gkneebone · June 2005

Check engine light went out before l could have code read,is there a trick like Dodge to read GM codes, on off, on off....

zinn · June 2005

thanks for the feed back. very much appreciated. the tsb fix was completed and car still pops/cracks. tsb states pop/clunk sound occurs while driving over road inputs that cause the body to come under a twisting load. This sound may also be produced when in park & idle by turning the steering wheel quickly, 90 degrees, to the left and back to the right.

mine occurs only from a standing start and accelerating. the strange thing is my previous 99 stratus made the exact same noise under exact same circumstances. i am wondering if it may be a body desgn flaw..

bolivar · June 2005

Pulling the tank in an old Ford pickup, I found small, square pieces of rubber. This was my dad old farm truck, always fueled in a small town service station.

Only thing I could think of, the inside of the service station gas pump hose was coming apart on the inside and pumping little square pellets into the truck tank.

Of course, if a station has caused fuel problems several different times for you, I would think there would be a lot of people complaints. If you fuel at the same place, I would go in there and ask if they have had compliants about problems with their diesel fuel.

alcan · June 2005

You're welcome. Lots of good info there.

alcan · June 2005

Nope. Since 1996 a scanner or code reader is required. Most common cause of your problem is wheel speed sensor (usually the right front, it's closest to the curb) which is part of the hub/bearing assembly, or it's wiring harness misrouted along the suspension control arm.

tanishalg520 · June 2005

What is the best motor oil to use on a 95 Grand AM

dhski04 · June 2005

I have a 2000 Accord V6 Coupe with about 80k miles on it. I live in Illinois and recently we have had some hot, humid weather (upper 80's) and my car won't start when it has been sitting out in the heat of the day. The problem is predictably tied to the heat of the day. It starts up fine and drives great to work in the morning when it is cool. At lunch, it will not start. I turn the key and it sounds like it is going to fire up but it doesn't. I am positive it is not a battery problem because the crank is really strong. After work around 3:30 or so, I've always been able to start it, but it takes several minutes of trying to start it. Once I get it going, it runs great. (I have noticed a sharp decrease in gas milage, but I think this might be more related to the fact that I've been doing more city driving). I took it to a repair shop and they said they couldn't find anything wrong and that it started for them (not as hot today I don't think). As I said, I can predict when it is not going to start, it isn't an intermittent issue...any ideas?

cornellpinoy · June 2005

This morning, I noticed oil leaking from the EGR valve, below the solenoid assembly. Its a '94 Olds Cutlass Supreme with a 3.1L V6 and 147K miles. This is the first time I've seen anything like this. Can I just replace the gasket(s) or should I buy a new assembly? Is there anything else I should look at and/or replace?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

2001astrolt · June 2005

My 2001 Astro AWD shudders at 50 to 60 mph. It will vibrate from (underneath and back) the seat of my pants and this will last a couple seconds, stop and then happen again. After about 3 or 4 times, and specifically once I am over 55 mph, it stops. Feels a bit like it 'dragging' when it vibrates too - slows down for lack of a better descriptor. Very much like I went over rumble strips or a cattle gate.

Tires are all sized same, wheels balanced, nothing appears out of round (no change to rotate the tires around). No codes. Fresh service to transaxles and tranny.

Suspecting Tourque Converter as it seems to happen at speeds and acceleration rates where the TCC should be locking up. How to confirm? Any other suspects?

Thanks much !

capriracer · June 2005

You might also look at the pinion angle.

gchecksfield · June 2005

I have this code on an 02 Cavalier with 57K on it. My son just bought this car so I have no experience with it. I traded the gas cap w/my 00 Grand Am. The check engine light did not come on for the Grand Am. Makes me think it is not the gas cap. Have not yet had a chance to get the light reset on the Cavalier, but I doubt the cap is the problem. My son has trouble putting gas into the Cavalier. The gas pump shuts off while filling, no matter how slow he goes. Also, the fuel gauge does not work correctly. He ran out of gas immediately after buying the car when the tank read about 1/8 full (same problem on my Grand Am). Also have not gotten the gas gauge to go all the way to full yet. Am wondering if the vent is not working properly, causing the filling problem and the code to set. Is there anyone else who has experienced this code and these symptoms who can give me some help?

getchagoomee · June 2005

I have a question regarding a 1996 Ford Probe SE. The interior fan stopped working, I tested the fan with an external power source and it works, the only thing I can think of is that one of the in-line relays is not working. Can anyone give me any suggestions or ideas on what else to look for? Thanks !!!

dodgekbad · June 2005

Hello,

I have a '98 Explorer, 89k miles that I just bought. I got an oil change this morning where a transaxle leak was brought to my attention by the mechanic. They want $200 and say if it dries out it'll be even more.

1. Should I just wait until the schedules maint. says to take care of this at 120k miles or whatever.

2. Is it as EZ as removing the cover and changing the gasket? How do you put the fluid in though? Thanks

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

Uh...that car doesn't have a transaxle, so we need to find out what's leaking and from where. You need way more info about this. Does he mean front differential on a 4WD system? Or transfer case? Or an actual transmission seal/pan leak? Or rear main engine seal?

surgicaltech · June 2005

I have a 98 windstar that needs a new engine. the mechanic that I took it to said that in the past he has seen the auto insurance pay for half of the engine. DOes anyone know how that is possible?
Please help, $3500.00 for new engine

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

Well normally you'd need an MBI clause in your insurance policy---Mechanical Breakdown Insurance; otherwise, the only other situation I could think of would be if your engine was damaged by flood or theft or some such act that would be covered under your comprehensive insurance. But if you don't have MBI and if the engine just died on its own, I don't see how insurance can pay for it if you don't have that type of coverage.

dodgekbad · June 2005

He showed it to me. That car has 4WD. It's the circular-shaped thing in the middle of the rear axle that's leaking. Although I am looking in the manual, and it appears it's the transfer case. How the heck are you supposed to locate this stuff? I was under there yesterday looking for the drain plug to change the oil and couldn't find it. That is why I brought it to them for the oil change. For 16 bucks - why not?

Anyway, getting back to the case. I think i can check it if I can find it.Thanks

dodgekbad · June 2005

I brought my car to the shop yesterday for tires and a new fuel filter. They said the fuel line was stuck on the filter, and so they had a hard time with it, and gave me a "new fuel line for free." I was there for 7 hours by the way

I was under the car today looking at the transfer box ('98 explorer) and it looks like they just sawed-off about a foot of the fuel line and attached a piece of rubber hose between the filter and old fuel line. Should I go back or what?

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

hell yes. That's mickey mouse. You could tear it right off. That's why they don't use flexible hose under there in the first place.

dodgekbad · June 2005

I called the shop and they're saying it's a "proper repair." And that you can have some flexible hose leading to the fuel filter. I was under there again this morning looking for the transfer case screw - and it is only about 6 in. of flexible hose going to that gas filter. Not to mention I dread the thought of going back there. I was there all day Friday for what was supposed to be 1 - 11/2 hour repair job.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

Okay, here's the argument:

If in fact it used to be an all steel line (this is my assumption from what you said), then my question to the shop is:

"If the Ford engineers wanted an all steel line, how exactly is your flexible line a proper repair"?

It's my presumption that a vehicle capable of off road use would not want flexible fuel lines that could be snagged.

Now if there used to be flex line and they just extended it a bit, well, then maybe it is a proper repair.

marsha7 · June 2005

Back in the days of carburetors, the fuel line that ran up to Rochester carbs on GMs was usually a steel line directly into the carb...it had the "bronze rock" filter that was the poorest excuse for a fuel filter on this planet...it was always wise to throw out the rock (so you don't risk cross threading the aluminum screw that held it in), put in a clear plastic in-line filter, and connect to the steel line with high quality rubber fuel line hose...is there any reason why this is a bad idea now for the car in question? Does it have to be steel just because the factory had it steel? I am assuming quality hose, properly attached (steek worm clamps), junctions protected, hose attached so it won't catch junk on the road...

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

They've still degraded the engineering if they replaced steel with rubber IMO. I wouldn't be happy with it. Rubber hose is Mickey Mouse because it's going to deteriorate. Also this is the main filter and I would expect it's not one of those little thimble thingies you are thinking about. So there' s weight attached. How does it keep from bouncing around?

Even today's hot rodders use sheathed air-tex fuel line if it needs to be flexible.

dodgekbad · June 2005

I know. It appears to be a losing battle, and it will stay that way unless I pay someone else to do it. The rubber hose is being held on by a wire tie of all things. Although, there's enough slack on the wire tie to make the case that it held the filter in place rather than the hose, and it just slipped off. Nevertheless, I have no idea what's holding that filter.

I was under there again checking the transfer box oil level. (It's good at least). The other crook I took it to for an oil change, had me worried about the "transaxle leak" and how it would fry the rear axle if the fluid is dry, unless of course I paid him $200 to change the gasket - crooks.

By the way, do I have to change that fluid at 90k like it says in the manual? What's that stuff supposed to look like dirty? Mine looked pretty clear and felt awful slippery.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

I'm a believer in flushing fluids, yes. If you are keeping the car long term you might consider fluids made by Redline. You can't tell much about a lubricant by its color or feel---it's the chemical composition that counts and the debris that is collected at the bottom of the differential.

dodgekbad · June 2005

There's only one screw in that transfer case and it's for adding / checking the level. It's sort of in the middle of the transfer case. So it's not a drain plug, nor is there one on that thing as far as I know. The point I am making is that debris will be stuck to the bottom no matter what - right? Especially if I just pump it out.

How am I supposed to get that stuff outta there, with no drain plug anyway? Thanks.

markbrant · June 2005

HOT AIR ONLY even though the a/c was serviced and is working. Wondering if the climate control module or the mono valve is the culprate?? Also, defrost vent wont shut down, and nothing in center vents. Mechanic wants to replace climate control mod- without testing it... Is there a way for me to test this unit- or does the problem seem symptomatic of this unit??

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

Well it's a good bet as this is a constant hassle on these cars, now and forever...but maybe you can cut a deal with him that if that doesn't solve the problem then you don't pay for it. Seems to me he could figure out how to bypass just temporarily so that he can verify AC is indeed working. But if the freon is full and the compressor is engaged (geez, I hope he checked THAT much), then he may be right.

markbrant · June 2005

Yes, he confirmed compressor is working fine- lines coming out of AC are cold.. just seems that the heater is staying on.. while the ac is trying to cool!

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

I can't recall which climate control system you have in that car but sure if the heater valve is on, either its own servo, or the electronic device that controls it, is probably bad. The dash control module is supposed to signal the valve servo to shut down and the AC compressor to go on, and then also do all the ducting work (door flaps) through vacuum. So it's a busy little guy.

markbrant · June 2005

It's a self contained servo... Yes, you're probably right, the controler is bad. I'll have it tested and go from there. Thank you for your help! :shades:

max_harvey · June 2005

Hi

Can anyone provide their car response over a range of mph vs rpms. Also their highway mpg would be appreciated.

I believe my car is underperforming (fuel consumption high and seems higher revs)

Cheers

Max

bartzy · June 2005

Hi all,
Here's the problem. My wife will be driving at hwy speed and she'll all of a sudden lose power. I've been doing a little research online and think it might be the crank position sensor. Would I be correct and if I am, where is this part located under the hood? Any info you may have is dearly appreciated.

Thanks
Chad

dodgekbad · June 2005

I brought it back to Firestone, and they're "sticking to their guns." I actually went to Ford right down the road from work, and they said it's bogus. There's 1000s of lbs of pressure, and the filter has to be removed with a special tool and they didn't have it and it's not a proper repair.

So I called Firestone back and they're like "did they even look at it?" And in all fairness they didn't. I even offered to by the fuel line if they just put it in and they said "no." They assure me it's a good repair, and they're not getting involved with my truck again.

So now what should I do? Ford wants $150 for the line - with the labor it's like $450. I asked them for the estimate, so they didn't have dollar signs in there eyes.

jos1 · June 2005

I have a 1998 saturn sl2 , I was driving the car and the engine died , I replace the spark plugs wires and the ignition module towers ,but I still don't have a spark .(code troble P0341 cam location signal error ) could it be the crankshaft position sensor ?

miagarfunckle · June 2005

I have a 1996 Toyota Tercel with nothing other then a/c. It is a 4spd and when the temps outside here in ARIZONA were 75 or so I got 39-40 mpg in mixed driving with my family in the car and use of the a/c about 70% of the time. Now with temps 100+ and the a/c 100% I can only manage about 35-37 or so in mixed driving. How much does extreme heat affect your gas mileage combined with a/c use? I would prefer current Tercel owners feedback but anybody can give me feedback on this.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

Well you could have Ford fix it, save the bill and then sue Firestone in Small Claims Court. I'd take the Ford repair order, hopefully one that has something like "replace repaired fuel line with PROPER one".

Or you could just tell Firestone you are going to do this, go to Small Claims, in three days, in writing-- they should at LEAST refund your money.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2005

Actually I'm surprised your fuel mileage isn't even less. Both hot air and AC will decrease fuel mileage. AC robs you of about 10 HP and hot air about 1 HP for every 10 degree rise in temperature.

So naturally, to make up for this lost HP, you press on the gas more and use more fuel.

You are only losing 10-12%---that's pretty darn good. Count your blessings.

bartzy · June 2005

Anyone? Please?

2001astrolt · June 2005

The pinion angle hey??

What should I look for there? I gather if the van were modified someohow, I might have changed this angle (say with bigger wheels and tires), but that's not the case.

:confuse:

ailmar · June 2005

Is it pretty standard knowledge in the field of mechanics that when doing an oil change, you should NOT re-use the crush washer to prevent damage to the threads as well as not place an oil filter with the use of a wrench but rather with actual hands?
I'm wondering about this because I don't like taking my car to the Honda dealership for regular maintenance but then I wondered that maybe the "Honda recommendations" are not followed by the average mechanic....I don't want to end up with damage to my oil pan.
Please offer any advice. :confuse:

imidazol97 · June 2005

I'd wait for Alcan who is on here sometimes to respond or someone else with knowledge that the sensor is the problem. Otherwise you can waste a lot of money.

I can look in up in my 93 manual for LeSabre/PA. It will take a while to find the books.

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