It's winter, it's cold, and even in Dallas area, the overall humidity is very low.
Low humidity does not allow a static charge to be siphoned off into the atmosphere. It stays on your body.
You said you have cloth interior. This is the major problem. Whatever the cloth, it seems to be a great generator of static. And just sliding into the car seems to build up enough to make your hair stand up.
Getting into a delicate area, but one thing you haven't tried is changing your clothing. I'm not sure, but I think 100% cotton would have a smaller capabiity to generate static. And, your 'undies' are most probably not cotton. (There, I said it.) The interior is probably some kind of nylon or polyester, and your clothing is polyester or nylon. Silk would be even worse, I think. Sliding these materials aganist one another, in a low humidity situation, guarantees a static build up. Leather interior would probably reduce it, but I would think it would cost thousands to put an all leather interior in the car. And leather also generates some static - not nearly as much at the synthetic cloth materials, but still some.
I think olden high school science teachers would use a silk or nylon cloth rubbed aganist a hard rubber ball to generate sparks off his fingers to demo static electrity in a classroom. You are basically doing the same thing.
Look for something metal that is tied into the frame of the car. Maybe the sunshade hinge is metal. Handbrake. And touch this as you are sliding out of the car. This should move the charge into the car and off your body. But finding an actual metal item in a modern car that ties back to the frame (ground) could be tough.
When it warms up in the summer and you have those 90% humidity days, your problem will vanish.
I recently purchased a 1 owner 1993 honda accord automatic 4cylinder,now when i put the shifter in reverse all it does is make a grinding noise and it wont go backwards but all gears shift driving it just no reverse, if it needs a transmission does anyone know what years and models will interchange ? Thank you,
i must admit i have this same issue. i go to the dealership and they tell me it was ok and everything is fine. but wat i found out from a different diagnosic is this monte carlo has a security defense that allows the car to turn on drive and wen idles it turns off. allows u to turn it on the first time with ease. but on the next startup sequentually will turn off the fuel pump and as the car goes into "cardiac arrest the power steering will turn off. do u have a security light on??? if so chek dis out
Those are lean codes, this means more oxygen in the combustion chamber than fuel. the absemce of fuel or to much ait. Items to check follows: fuel pressure, fuel flow(volumn), mass air flow sensor, vac leaks-hose off-intake leaks internal or external,PCV valve ,crankcase vent hose off, restricted injectors (cleaning or replacement)O2 sensors, thier should be 4 of those,maybe three. Scanman
I know I will forget some obvious things here likely, but I'll step in and get you started and others can chime in.
- all lights replaced - i wonder if the starter could handle 12 volt? Only for brief starts if so...very brief - coil? - is there a volt gauge? - obviously it will go - amp ga should be fine - generator? again not sure but i think windings would be more aggressive for 12 volt - voltage regulator - other gauges, temp - don't forget all the light bulbs everywhere, ga backlighting, turn signal indicators if it has them.. - I wonder if a porcelain resistor pack could handle the heater blower motor?
Should get you started..You'll enjoy having brighter bulbs and fast starts. Are those the only two reasons to do it? I guess you want to add a stereo and charge cell phones but there are other less complicated options if that was your only reason.
You'll need to rewind or replace the generator and the regulator, and you'll need to buy a ballast resistor for the coil. You'd probably get away with leaving the starter motor 6V. And of course the bulbs, and protecting the instruments.
I have a Black 420 SEL 1987 with about 160,000 miles on it. It has not been driven much. Its starting to have problems, with leaks in the main seal, and small oil leaks. I'm wanting to get rid of it. What's my options? What is something like this worth?
I'll be honest with you on this--it's going to be a tough car to unload at any price.
How's the cosmetic portion of the car? Paint, body, interior? If the car looks great and runs badly, it'll sell a lot faster than the other way around.
If it's rough around the edges, I'd consider donating and taking a tax write-off and be done with it.
Ballpark figure? If someone offered you $3000 today, I'd take it--and that's for a pretty decent looking car.
Have to agree here. Old Benz' are most probably money pits. You need to find the right person that loves the car and can afford the upkeep or is able to do it themselves. That's a small pool of buyers and getting smaller every day. A couple pictures of the inside and outside would help.
Hi, we are buying a used car. We like this Lexus 2008 ES350 but it comes with unusual problems. The front brake pads were replaced at 3600 miles and there was emission inspection failure at 7700 miles which resulted in engine oil cooler lines replacement and body computer/module reprogram.
Can you please let me know what could cause these problems at such a low mileage and what kind of unusual problems we should expect in the future? I appreciate your help very much!
Well that's why car companies have warranties, because they know that a certain percentage of new automobiles are going to have teething problems.
But, having said that, unless a car were either very rare or priced very competitively, there's no reason to start out with a car that burped a lot when it was born.
I found mentioned problems from carfax report. Therefore, I went to the dealership in the morning and met used car dept. service manager (Not service dept. manager) for further explanation. (The car was serviced at the very dealership that we are purchasing from.) According to him, in terms of front brake issue, it was actually rotor defect, not the brake itself, so it was replaced. In terms of emission inspection failure, it was not actually emission problem but the battery caused it like it was emission issue so the battery was replaced. This is 2008 model and the mileage is below 12000.
The price of the car is pretty good and we do not really want to shop around any more. There are a few months of original warranty left but we do not have budget to have it certified for more warranty.
I am sorry for asking this one more time! With extra information that I provided and manager's explanation, do you think the problems maybe less severe and would you change your mind and buy this car? I appreciate your feedback in advance!
"7700 miles which resulted in engine oil cooler lines replacement and body computer/module reprogram."
You seem intent on wanting to buy this vehicle. How are you reconciling to this previous post of yours?
Problems with engine oil cooler lines, would imply they may have been crimped and clogged, or leaking. Oil problems could cause engine bearing problems, which would be extremely expensive to repair.
A reflash of the computer might not concern me too much, if I knew it was for a legitimate reason and explainable. The problem is, you don't know what the original reported problem was, which would have caused the solution of a computer reflash to be done. They may have reflashed the computer in an attempt to resolve some problem, but may not have actually solved the problem.
A rotor issue at that low mileage, would suggest to me that someone has done some very hard braking with the vehicle, causing the brakes to overheat and the rotor to warp. A little suspect to me, and if it was the ONLY suspect thing, I might overlook it since I could put all new rotors/calipers/brakes on the vehicle if had to.
A vehicle with that low mileage, to me is suspect. Why would an owner turn in a vehicle with that low mileage, taking such a big financial hit? I suspect it might be that they're fed up with trying to resolve some series of problems, or it could be that the vehicle is fine and the owner lost job and fell on hard times and had to unload it. You don't know.
To me, it just has an odor about it (something just doesn't smell right about this deal), and why take a chance? There are so many other vehicles out there, no reason to put myself at financial risk and inconvenience that I'd have to spend a number of visits back to the dealership and checkbook withdrawals to try and fix problems.
Go visit one of the legal forums, and read those that talk about buying used vehicles 'as-is', and wishing there were some lemon laws, finding problems that they are stuck with and absolutely fed up.
If you want to still pursue this vehicle, pay to take it to an independent repair/inspection facility, and have them check it over for you. If the dealership isn't willing to let you do that BEFORE signing and purchasing, definitely RUN. Never buy ANY used vehicle, without an independent 3rd party professional inspection.
Hi, I have a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan with 90k on it. There is a shudder in the transmission. The gas mileage has dropped down from 21 to 16 mpg. It happens when shifting from 2nd to 3rd or from 3rd to 4th at a slow acceleration. Runs good with a heavy foot on the gas.
Someone told me it was the torque converter. I think it is the solinoid shifting in and out of gear??? Any advise other than a tranny rebuild? Uncle Hank
Have you ever changed the tranny fluid? It sounds like it may be too late, but worth a try.
It is unfortunate that so many owners neglect to have their transmission serviced. Yes, the manufacturers tend to NOT suggest changing it in their service schedule, but it is not a good idea, IMHO.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I hope you got this figured out, I am sure you did. But just in case & for future people looking to solve this problem I wanted to post an answer. I had to search the internet for quite a while before I found the Remote Control Superstore online. They sell this key chain. You may or may not have to go some where to have them program it to your vehicle. The key chain is $30 and programming the key chain should only be about $25.
My question relates to the Stop/Start systems in some of the newer cars, especially hybrids, and engine wear. Isn't engine wear much greater in the first seconds, or maybe fractions of a second, after an engine is started? I'm talking about the period required to get the oil from the crankcase up to the moving parts, for lubrication. It's my understanding that during this brief period the amount of wear is far higher than once the engine has started, and all the moving parts of the engine are well lubricated.
If that's true, then wouldn't an engine that's stopped and restarted hundreds or thousands of extra times each year incur excessive wear? If not, why not?
Probably because the oil film remains on vital parts during the short interval between stop and the next start. You probably have experienced how the reading on your dipstick right after you shut the engine down is lower than it might be 5 minutes later.
I have the LS model 3.5 ltr 6 cyl auto trans with 119k miles. Suddenly this a.m. there is no response to ignition key at all. No door locks, no gauges, no dash lights, and of course, no start. No indication any juice is getting to starter, no "last bit of juice in battery" type sounds. Recently bad leakage of water into overhead light switch box and down onto central shift console. Has been leaking for years but maybe there is now a short? Past years have had transmission trouble which includes electrical problem (I think) I run out of gas all the time now because I can only buy a gallon at a time, car has been famous for starting immediately every time. I have no money to get it towed or worked on, please help me trouble shoot as much as I can so that I can save $. How can I tell if a fuse is blown? What wires should I check visually? what tests can I do with a voltage meter? I have a new VOLTECTOR model V-11A that I don't feel comfortable using without instruction. I know there are a million sensors and safety stops on this car that I couldn't possibly anticipate, so there's no sense in my going at it blind. I used yo work on my 60's VW and MBZ so I should be able to fwllow what you tell me.
As a place to start, you need to check the voltage of your battery under the hood. On your volt meter (digital?) put black lead into COMM socket, (simply the grd or negative socket, symbol shown here: http://www.webanswers.com/post-images/0/09/5BFFA304-16D6-F396-A1EBEABF218989B9.p- - ng see #3 Red lead goes to VµmA socket. Then click it to DCV area, usually to the left of OFF at about 10:00 hours. Choose the 20 v position. At your battery simply touch red lead to pos terminal on battery, also red connector area and is the biggest dia compared to the neg terminal. Then put black lead on neg terminal, black connector area, smaller post, and then read voltage. A properly charged 12 v battery should read between 12.3 to 12.7 volts. The battery could act like your symptoms (as if everything is totally dead, if it were to be around 10.5 volts or less.
The leak could certainly cause resistance between any two terminals (pos and neg) that are powered when the key is off and drain the battery the longer the car has been shut off or if the resistance (short) got bad could drain the battery very fast.
There are other tests we could have you do checking for amperage draw, but is more complicated, but still not difficult (just a lot of typing). Let's first see what your voltage findings are. If it is low, then pull the fuse for the roof leak, but keep in mind it may also/or be at the shifter (or somewhere else entirely and hence an amp draw test would reveal) which may or may not affect car drivability.
Second thing would be visual check of battery cables, both of them. The cables might be eaten up inside the insulation, so pull back the ends and grab them to see if there is still copper inside. Also, pull both cables from the battery and clean the connectors and battery posts. If you can see where the negative cable (black) is grounded, see if it has a good connection.
Follow the red, positive cable to its first connection and see if this is also tight. Be careful, the red cable is 'hot' and if you short this to the frame, you will get sparks. (Unless you pull the negative cable, this kills the entire system.) Putting your meter's red cable here and the black cable to the frame will show you the voltage at any point.
Looking for advice from the experts on the best measures to be taken to help ensure that when you remove diesel injectors, glowplugs, and gasoline eng'd sparkplugs from aluminum heads, that they come out clean instead of the aluminum threads from the head, coming out with them. The longer they have been in there, the greater the chance and because of the $everity of the situation if this happens, I'm hoping to learn the best tips out there.
Using the best tools is a given. I have never known a penetrating fluid to yet get past the washer seal on a spark plug, have you? The tapping is a good idea however I find that the 'shock' vibration seems to lost or camouflaged by the extension on your best 6 point socket. The longer the extension the less vibration gets to the plug I find. And as you know, some of them are way down in there. I try to use the largest diameter, shortest extension I can get away with.
Do you use a hot or cold engine? Have you ever experimented with cold aerosol electronics toolbox gas to super chill the area if you can get in there at all? (possible on a VW diesel if replacing glowplugs, but not so possible on most sparkplugs).
I have used heat and cold to work on removing bushings from motorcycle castings, but not on cars. It seems unlikely that a penetrant would work on a spark plug, you're right but given that a spark plug "works" a lot hot and cold on a running car in daily use, I'm thinking that might not be an issue. I have never experienced a spark plug in an aluminum head that wouldn't come out. I mean, if it were a 40 year old engine and the plug has been in all that time, well, who knows what horrors one might face.
I prefer to do everything on a cold engine of course.
Thanks for confirming the cold. Also, about the sparkplug being rare to have that happen. As it turns out I haven't had to replace plugs in 20 years, but on one occasion I would have been faced with it in a used car I bought that had never had the plugs out due to low miles over many years, and I ended up dealing it before I risked the plugs. I had heard stories but maybe they were sensationalized by the sounds of things. Of course there are the other issues of a plug breaking in certain vehicles that have that known trait (and also certain brand plugs in many vehicles)
I have a friend who was quite diligent when he replaced his glowplugs on a VW diesel. Yet still, one of them came out with the threads. He had a bad feeling about it right away of course, but if the plug is dead and you need to replace it, what can you do at that point? I suggested to him that another time, that as soon as you get any movement, try to dab the penetrating oil to it while tapping and do that over the course of a few days if you have that option, before continuing to remove it any more. Then it gives the oil a chance to work and get in there and increase your odds of a successful removal. That scenario is usually not the case in most shops of course.
I might be faced with this myself next month, not sure yet, so thought I would put it out there.
The only time I've heard of this happening, as happened to your friend, is when a) heat is used on a steel part inserted into an aluminum part or b) when someone previously installed the plug incorrectly. I suppose it is entirely possible that the factory can mis-thread a plug on the way in, also.
You can't "strip" any bolt or plug on the way out--it has to have been put in wrong...but when steel is threaded into aluminum, it can "grab" some of the aluminum on the way out, that's true.
Agreed with Shifty here. I've changed a lot of sparkplugs in aluminum heads with absolutely no drama, ever. I don't see this as a major issue, if the question is theoretical in nature.
I have had problems personally, but it is, as you suggest, related to someone else doing something wrong, like crossthreading it when they installed it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
you could expect more problems removing aluminum cylinder heads, which can bind on the studs--I've had to devise special pullers for that back when I used to pull cylinder heads off cars (when the earth was still cooling) :P
I have a 88 Cadillac Eldorado and keep getting a ECM 26 code (Shorted Throttle Signal Switch). I replaced the throttle position sensor, and when that didnt work I replaced the pigtail connector to the TPS because it was in bad shape.... but I'm still getting the code, even after I clear it out of memory. Where should I go from here?
You should consult chart C-1 ECM replacement check. If you don't have this diagnostic checklist, you can subscribe to ALL DATA DIY (www.alldatadiy.com) for $26 for the entire year, and you can access all types of repairs for your car.
The C-1 chart is available from ALL DATA using the following sequence when you log onto and punch in '88 Eldo:
Powertrain Management > Computers and Control Systems> Engine Control Module > Testing and Inspection > Component Tests and General Diagnostics > Chart C-1 ECM Replacement Check
If you don't want to do that, e-mail me (click on my name) and I'll send you the chart. It's too long to post here.
6. 2007 Ford Focus SES Hatchback (manual)- 62,285- $10,779
I don't want to make a bad decision, and would LOVE input on what car I should buy. The main things I am looking for are reliability, safety, fuel economy, and cost (my budget is $11,000).
Also, what is a reasonable price for me to offer on each car when I start the negotiations?
You don't have Hyundai Sonata listed... I would wait until I found one of these cars. I have a 2009 and Love it. I think Kia might be made by Hyundai??? But check into this yourself.
The only good deal in the list is the Fusion at the top. It is priced about $2500 over wholesale. The Kia is 2nd at about $3k over. All the others are right around $4k over. And, interestingly, the Fusion and Kia are the 2 with the lowest miles. Nothing here is anything more than an appliance. So for those reasons alone, those two would be my choices.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I'd offer them 10K for the Fusion, and come up to 10.5K, as long as it's in good condition overall. You would do better buying from a private party, but you need to know what your doing more. Get a carfax for anything prior to considering it. Many dealers will provide one for you now, if they won't then I suspect they're hiding something. I don't like Kia Optima's, but that would be my 2nd choice of these also. The rest are on the heavy side for mileage.
If the fusion is in good condition and no bad history, they aren't going to move much off that $12k, if any at all. They probably have $9500-$10k in it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Comments
You've been working in the area of spark.
Try making sure you have fuel deliver, correct flow and pressure, as suggested.
Should also do a compression test on each cylinder, to make sure your base mechanicals are okay.
Low humidity does not allow a static charge to be siphoned off into the atmosphere. It stays on your body.
You said you have cloth interior. This is the major problem. Whatever the cloth, it seems to be a great generator of static. And just sliding into the car seems to build up enough to make your hair stand up.
Getting into a delicate area, but one thing you haven't tried is changing your clothing. I'm not sure, but I think 100% cotton would have a smaller capabiity to generate static. And, your 'undies' are most probably not cotton. (There, I said it.) The interior is probably some kind of nylon or polyester, and your clothing is polyester or nylon. Silk would be even worse, I think. Sliding these materials aganist one another, in a low humidity situation, guarantees a static build up. Leather interior would probably reduce it, but I would think it would cost thousands to put an all leather interior in the car. And leather also generates some static - not nearly as much at the synthetic cloth materials, but still some.
I think olden high school science teachers would use a silk or nylon cloth rubbed aganist a hard rubber ball to generate sparks off his fingers to demo static electrity in a classroom. You are basically doing the same thing.
Look for something metal that is tied into the frame of the car. Maybe the sunshade hinge is metal. Handbrake. And touch this as you are sliding out of the car. This should move the charge into the car and off your body. But finding an actual metal item in a modern car that ties back to the frame (ground) could be tough.
When it warms up in the summer and you have those 90% humidity days, your problem will vanish.
Think the seller knew? Did you pay to have the vehicle inspected before purchasing 'as-is'?
- all lights replaced
- i wonder if the starter could handle 12 volt? Only for brief starts if so...very brief
- coil?
- is there a volt gauge? - obviously it will go - amp ga should be fine
- generator? again not sure but i think windings would be more aggressive for 12 volt
- voltage regulator
- other gauges, temp - don't forget all the light bulbs everywhere, ga backlighting, turn signal indicators if it has them..
- I wonder if a porcelain resistor pack could handle the heater blower motor?
Should get you started..You'll enjoy having brighter bulbs and fast starts. Are those the only two reasons to do it? I guess you want to add a stereo and charge cell phones but there are other less complicated options if that was your only reason.
I think you'll end up effectively ripping everything out and custom building new.
So much for "all original"
How's the cosmetic portion of the car? Paint, body, interior? If the car looks great and runs badly, it'll sell a lot faster than the other way around.
If it's rough around the edges, I'd consider donating and taking a tax write-off and be done with it.
Ballpark figure? If someone offered you $3000 today, I'd take it--and that's for a pretty decent looking car.
Can you please let me know what could cause these problems at such a low mileage and what kind of unusual problems we should expect in the future? I appreciate your help very much!
But, having said that, unless a car were either very rare or priced very competitively, there's no reason to start out with a car that burped a lot when it was born.
I found mentioned problems from carfax report. Therefore, I went to the dealership in the morning and met used car dept. service manager (Not service dept. manager) for further explanation. (The car was serviced at the very dealership that we are purchasing from.) According to him, in terms of front brake issue, it was actually rotor defect, not the brake itself, so it was replaced. In terms of emission inspection failure, it was not actually emission problem but the battery caused it like it was emission issue so the battery was replaced. This is 2008 model and the mileage is below 12000.
The price of the car is pretty good and we do not really want to shop around any more. There are a few months of original warranty left but we do not have budget to have it certified for more warranty.
I am sorry for asking this one more time! With extra information that I provided and manager's explanation, do you think the problems maybe less severe and would you change your mind and buy this car? I appreciate your feedback in advance!
You seem intent on wanting to buy this vehicle. How are you reconciling to this previous post of yours?
Problems with engine oil cooler lines, would imply they may have been crimped and clogged, or leaking. Oil problems could cause engine bearing problems, which would be extremely expensive to repair.
A reflash of the computer might not concern me too much, if I knew it was for a legitimate reason and explainable. The problem is, you don't know what the original reported problem was, which would have caused the solution of a computer reflash to be done. They may have reflashed the computer in an attempt to resolve some problem, but may not have actually solved the problem.
A rotor issue at that low mileage, would suggest to me that someone has done some very hard braking with the vehicle, causing the brakes to overheat and the rotor to warp. A little suspect to me, and if it was the ONLY suspect thing, I might overlook it since I could put all new rotors/calipers/brakes on the vehicle if had to.
A vehicle with that low mileage, to me is suspect. Why would an owner turn in a vehicle with that low mileage, taking such a big financial hit? I suspect it might be that they're fed up with trying to resolve some series of problems, or it could be that the vehicle is fine and the owner lost job and fell on hard times and had to unload it. You don't know.
To me, it just has an odor about it (something just doesn't smell right about this deal), and why take a chance? There are so many other vehicles out there, no reason to put myself at financial risk and inconvenience that I'd have to spend a number of visits back to the dealership and checkbook withdrawals to try and fix problems.
Go visit one of the legal forums, and read those that talk about buying used vehicles 'as-is', and wishing there were some lemon laws, finding problems that they are stuck with and absolutely fed up.
If you want to still pursue this vehicle, pay to take it to an independent repair/inspection facility, and have them check it over for you. If the dealership isn't willing to let you do that BEFORE signing and purchasing, definitely RUN. Never buy ANY used vehicle, without an independent 3rd party professional inspection.
Someone told me it was the torque converter. I think it is the solinoid shifting in and out of gear???
Any advise other than a tranny rebuild?
Uncle Hank
Thanks for your help, UncleHank
It is unfortunate that so many owners neglect to have their transmission serviced. Yes, the manufacturers tend to NOT suggest changing it in their service schedule, but it is not a good idea, IMHO.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
If that's true, then wouldn't an engine that's stopped and restarted hundreds or thousands of extra times each year incur excessive wear? If not, why not?
Recently bad leakage of water into overhead light switch box and down onto central shift console. Has been leaking for years but maybe there is now a short? Past years have had transmission trouble which includes electrical problem (I think) I run out of gas all the time
now because I can only buy a gallon at a time, car has been famous for starting immediately every time.
I have no money to get it towed or worked on, please help me trouble shoot as much as I can so that I can save $. How can I tell if a fuse is blown? What wires should I check visually?
what tests can I do with a voltage meter? I have a new VOLTECTOR model V-11A that I don't feel comfortable using without instruction.
I know there are a million sensors and safety stops on this car that I couldn't possibly anticipate, so there's no sense in my going at it blind. I used yo work on my 60's VW and MBZ
so I should be able to fwllow what you tell me.
Thanks so much!!!
kreid
http://www.webanswers.com/post-images/0/09/5BFFA304-16D6-F396-A1EBEABF218989B9.p- - ng see #3
Red lead goes to VµmA socket.
Then click it to DCV area, usually to the left of OFF at about 10:00 hours. Choose the 20 v position. At your battery simply touch red lead to pos terminal on battery, also red connector area and is the biggest dia compared to the neg terminal. Then put black lead on neg terminal, black connector area, smaller post, and then read voltage. A properly charged 12 v battery should read between 12.3 to 12.7 volts. The battery could act like your symptoms (as if everything is totally dead, if it were to be around 10.5 volts or less.
The leak could certainly cause resistance between any two terminals (pos and neg) that are powered when the key is off and drain the battery the longer the car has been shut off or if the resistance (short) got bad could drain the battery very fast.
There are other tests we could have you do checking for amperage draw, but is more complicated, but still not difficult (just a lot of typing). Let's first see what your voltage findings are. If it is low, then pull the fuse for the roof leak, but keep in mind it may also/or be at the shifter (or somewhere else entirely and hence an amp draw test would reveal) which may or may not affect car drivability.
Sam
Follow the red, positive cable to its first connection and see if this is also tight. Be careful, the red cable is 'hot' and if you short this to the frame, you will get sparks. (Unless you pull the negative cable, this kills the entire system.) Putting your meter's red cable here and the black cable to the frame will show you the voltage at any point.
Thanks,
Sam
DO NOT USE HEAT or you'll be sorry.
Once out, you can use a never-seize compound when re-inserting these parts.
The tapping is a good idea however I find that the 'shock' vibration seems to lost or camouflaged by the extension on your best 6 point socket. The longer the extension the less vibration gets to the plug I find. And as you know, some of them are way down in there. I try to use the largest diameter, shortest extension I can get away with.
Do you use a hot or cold engine? Have you ever experimented with cold aerosol electronics toolbox gas to super chill the area if you can get in there at all? (possible on a VW diesel if replacing glowplugs, but not so possible on most sparkplugs).
Sam
I prefer to do everything on a cold engine of course.
I have a friend who was quite diligent when he replaced his glowplugs on a VW diesel. Yet still, one of them came out with the threads. He had a bad feeling about it right away of course, but if the plug is dead and you need to replace it, what can you do at that point? I suggested to him that another time, that as soon as you get any movement, try to dab the penetrating oil to it while tapping and do that over the course of a few days if you have that option, before continuing to remove it any more. Then it gives the oil a chance to work and get in there and increase your odds of a successful removal. That scenario is usually not the case in most shops of course.
I might be faced with this myself next month, not sure yet, so thought I would put it out there.
Thanks,
Sam
You can't "strip" any bolt or plug on the way out--it has to have been put in wrong...but when steel is threaded into aluminum, it can "grab" some of the aluminum on the way out, that's true.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I replaced the throttle position sensor, and when that didnt work I replaced the pigtail connector to the TPS because it was in bad shape....
but I'm still getting the code, even after I clear it out of memory.
Where should I go from here?
The C-1 chart is available from ALL DATA using the following sequence when you log onto and punch in '88 Eldo:
Powertrain Management > Computers and Control Systems> Engine Control Module > Testing and Inspection > Component Tests and General Diagnostics > Chart C-1 ECM Replacement Check
If you don't want to do that, e-mail me (click on my name) and I'll send you the chart. It's too long to post here.
I'm shopping for a new car, and am completely lost. Based on what is available at dealerships in my area, the top contenders are:
1. 2007 Ford Fusion sedan- 27,476 miles- list price $11,995
2. 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5 S sedan- 62,163 miles- $11,973
3. 2008 Ford Focus SE sedan- 75,255 miles- $10,500
4. 2007 Nissan Versa SL Hatchback- 62,906 miles- $10,189
5. 2008 Kia Optima LX sedan- 37,117- $10,995
6. 2007 Ford Focus SES Hatchback (manual)- 62,285- $10,779
I don't want to make a bad decision, and would LOVE input on what car I should buy. The main things I am looking for are reliability, safety, fuel economy, and cost (my budget is $11,000).
Also, what is a reasonable price for me to offer on each car when I start the negotiations?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I don't like Kia Optima's, but that would be my 2nd choice of these also. The rest are on the heavy side for mileage.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S