Got a Quick, Technical Question?

firpofamily

Ok here is the thing.....My service engine light came on. Got the oil changed, it went off. Then it came back on and did not go off. This is when all the problems started. First it started jerking while we were driving. Thought it need injector cleaner. Helped a little. Then the jerking go worse. Thought the oil was low. It was, but only by a quart. Put that in, did not help. Jerking continued to get worse. Then the acceleration slowed down. The car did not want to accelerate. Once we got passed 40 it was fine. Still a little jerky but fine. Now, I can not accelerate past 25mph, it dies unless I keep my foot on the gas. The gas mileage is beyond horrible and I can barley go in reverse. The exhaust makes a muffle sound and it smells like fuel when the car is running. Oh to top it all of, this has all happened within a 2 week period. Oh yeah, we took it to get a diagnostic test run, they said egr valve or oxegyn sensor. Cleaned the egr valve...NO HELP. Please can someone help me. We are financially strapped right now, so we can not afford to take it to a "lovely" saturn dealership and be dicked around. If we just knew what we wrong we could fix it our self. Or our friend could fix it. :confuse: :mad:

qbrozen

did you replace the oxygen sensor as they suggested?

firpofamily

No we have not done so, do you think that is causing all these problems?

qbrozen

Its quite possible. The oxygen sensor tells the computer what the air/fuel ratio should be at any given time. If it is not sending the correct signal, the computer could be dumping tons of fuel into your engine. This would cause it to run improperly and get horrible mileage, to boot.

slowlylearning

Sorry to hear about the flooding! Just curious if you have figured out the mold/mildew problem? I have a 2000 Chevy Cavalier and when the technicians replaced my spare after a flat, they put it back soaking wet (unbeknownst to me!). A month later, I could smell mold. It's been almost three months and I can't seem to get rid of the mold in the trunk. Any suggestions?

jharding

What do I do when the temperature gauge doesnt work? Or only works sometimes?

user777

and ruining your catalytic convertor...

firpofamily

what do you mean. i am not driving the car anymore. I haven't been. I just need to know how to fix it so I can drive it.

qbrozen

he means that if the air/fuel ratio is so screwed up by the O2 sensor, the mixture is not burning correctly in the engine (demonstrated by it running so poorly), and the resultant pollutants are being dumped out into your catalytic converter.

firpofamily

That is nice.....All i need to know is how do i fix my car? If we know what parts to go buy and what is wrong we can fix it ourself. So i need to buy an O2 sensor and get a new catalytic converter?

qbrozen

All i need to know is how do i fix my car

I'm not sure how many languages I can say it in. The mechanic told you and now I told you.

Oi.

no, just get the O2 sensor to start with. The catalytic is just a possible end result of driving around with a failed O2 sensor. Odds are its fine.

Once again ... O2 sensor... get it, replace it, and I would even go so far as to disconnect the battery for a half hour to reset the computer after replacing the sensor.

user777

Oy mi nisht gut gevorn.

Exactly, if he chooses to continue to run it (possibly) rich he'll be looking at a more expensive repair.

constructguru

I purchased a code reader for a check engine light problem and recived the code 341. My book defines it as "Octane adjust service pin in use" I can't find an explination for it. I've tried all three octanes fuel and even boost, with no success. I have also done some routine service on the vehicle at a mechanics advice to maybe clear up the problem. (plugs, wires, air and fuel filters, O2 sensors) Can you point me in the right direction to fix the problem?

kik1azz

My son's 1985 Buick Century Wagon w/2.5L 4 Cyl, inside the Air Cleaner there's a something that has two vacuum hoses connecting through from the bottiom of the air cleaner. It can be remover so I assume it should be treplaced evry twenty years or so. One side that a hose connects to has a very, very small diameter hole, the other side has a hole approx. 3/16" dia. Any Idea what this is called and should it be replaced... I'm trying to replace anyting & everything cause I cannot figure out why the Air Cleaner fills up with oil. HELP!!!!

Mr_Shiftright

Sounds like a PCV valve.

An air filter fillling up with oil could in fact be the result of "blow-by"---combustion gases get past worn piston rings and form pressure in the crankcase...this "locomotive effect" pumps combustion gases out of any hole it can find. I bet you have a few oil leaks too?

Anyway, the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve is a thumb sized plastic thingie with a little ball and spring inside of it. It usually rattles when you shake it.

Here's a great description of what might be your problem:

http://www.misterfixit.com/blow-by.htm

bolivar

Agree with the PCV info. Bad rings may be causing oil ring blowby with oil ending up in the air cleaner. A dirty PCV valve, or the rubber line to the PCV valve might also cause it.

But the 'thing' inside the air cleaner is a temperature sensitive vacumn control valve. One of the rubber hoses goes to 'engine vacumn', a vacumn source. When the air inside the air cleaner is cold, the control valve opens, allowing vacumn through to the other rubber hose, which goes to a vacumn diaphram that opens a diverter valve in the main air intake of the air cleaner. When opened, this diverter valve pulls air into the air cleaner from around the exhaust manifold - hotter air to allow the motor to run better when cold. There is usually a very flexible metal tube from this valve to a metal housing around part of the exhaust manifold. When the air coming into the air cleaner warms up, the control valve closes, cutting off vacumn to the diverter valve, which then pulls air into the air cleaner directly from 'outside'.

Of course, all the above info might be 'reversed' and wrong. In other words vacumn/no vacumn, open/close valves, etc might be backward depending on how the diverter valve is set up in default mode -open or closed.

But in general, this is what is happening. It allows a carborated motor to warm up, run smoother, etc when started cold by providing heated air from around the exhaust manifold which heats up very quickly after the motor is started. As a motor warms up, the heat from the motor migrates up thru the carb or thru an exhaust bypass passage across the base of the carb. This then has the carb warm, and the heated air is no longer needed as much.

There is a lot of 'balancing' going on in a carb with choke closing, air heating, and carb base warming to get a car to start easily, run immediately, then also run after it is warmed up. In temps from 110 down to zero.

I always hated to see a motor that someone had 'desmogged'. Which usually meant cutting, plugging (with screws, yea a great 'plug', one with threads), or just removing rubber hoses under the hood. What they were doing in many cases was just messing up a car so it would never run smoothly again.

iwantws6

2001 Grand Am. The engine light came on and temp gauge was very low and didnt move at all. I had the code scanned by Auto Zone and a mechanic that said it was the thermostat. By the time I got it to the mechanic the light was off, he added a little coolant and said to bing it back if the light comes on and he'd replac ethe thermostat. The light came back on, we had the part replaced and it was fine for about 10 days, now the light is back on. Any idea whats going on??

eagle16

">link title1996 Q45 approx 145k miles.All servicing done promptly. Last year replaced "knock" sensors which markedly improved acceleration on hills.
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Three months ago mileage dropped suddenly from 21 to 12. No sensor lite or warning. After several cans of injector and fuel cleaner and new air filter went back up to about 16-17 and has stayed there. Shop not sure replacing front oxygen sensors will help.

Would those sensors ordinarily be replaced by now? What should I do? I will try to attach the four 02 wave forms.

mazda626atx

Hi Guys,
I am back in Greece and car is running well thanks to you guys. I noticed an accumulation of oil on the intake manifold right around the shelf and close to where the ignition wires meet. I asked the mechanic and he said that is nothing to worry about.
I checked the oil level and noticed that I was about 200 ml down after 3000 miles and a lot of high speed 80-100 mph driving.Does a anyone think this is anything to be concerned about? I am trying to be very preventative in the maintenance of the car . It has 57 K miles on it and is a 94 4 cyclinder auto.
My merecedes never gathers any soot or oil on it, and I wonder if the mechanic is correct in his assumption that all is well. I have wiped the manifold clean and a little oil reappears.Remember this is Greece and there are a lot of filthy diesels etc spitting out filthy fumes that I am driving behind.
Aside from this car drives fine.
Thx
Peter

Mr_Shiftright

Actually you WANT an engine to use a little oil.

imidazol97

>little oil.

Amen. And some people who claim their car uses no oil at all are actually driving in a way that it's accumulating a small volume of contaminants in the oil that replaces the volume of oil actually being consumed.

The test is that instead of driving primarily in city type driving when they go on a highway trip the contaminants are burned from the oil due to the continual heating and flowing through the hotter areas of the motor and the owner finds the car "uses on in highway driving." In reality it just cleaned up the oil some and they saw the results of their earlier driving pattern and its accumulation of contaminants.

mazda626atx

THX MR Shiftright,
I was concenred about where I see it accumulating on the manifold. Do you think this a leaky gasket or anything, or just healthy burning and incidental grease from fans, radiators etc ?
Peter

Mr_Shiftright

I'm not sure how this oil burning paranoia got stuck in our heads--maybe from the days when clouds of blue smoke spewed out from "beaters" we saw as kids.

mazda626atx

Thank you for that wonderful and reassuring explanation of what goes on in oil comsumption/contamination.
Now my only question is about the small amount that accumulates on the intake manifold shelf by the ignition wires and whether this is any sign of a future problem?Gasket leak etc . I am trying to stay ahead of the maintenance on this car.Again 94 4 banger with 57k miles.
Thx Again
Peter

Mr_Shiftright

Sounds like a valve cover gasket leak, not a big deal.

mazda626atx

Thanks Mr. Shifright,
Thats a relief.I will buy the gasket and wait for it to get worse if and when it does and then replace it
Thx again
Peter

crankshaft

I have an 87 F150 with a 4sp. manual transmission.I need to find an acceptable refill gear oil(GL4).I was told modern gear oil will attack the bronze or "yellow" parts.I cannot find a GL4 only gear oil.I have some Mobil 1 GL5 synthetic gear oil,will this work?I would appreciate any other suggestions.

smokey75

Anybody know an accurate method to determine with what force your lugnuts were installed? Will using a torque wrench & gradually increasing the torque setting until the lugnuts move work?

hlj7

I would like to know the difference.What are the functions?
I have a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder and may need one.Are they expensive?

imidazol97

Yes. I just check the reading on the torque wrench when they start to turn off. I am especially interested that they are evenly torqued on the same wheel along wtih are they in the proper torque range.

smokey75

And unfortunately there is no way to know if they tightened each nut gradually as opposed to going straight for full torque while others are loose.

imidazol97

Probably not. I usually ask for them to use a torque wrench instead of their speed stick. I usually bring the car home and loosen the bolts on each wheel and retighten properly (I jack up each wheel).

I believe that when they are tightened by running one up and then going in a circle is when you get uneven torques when I undo them.

Sears has been especially bad. NTB was excellent, but they were closed after Sears bought them because another area Sears auto store was struggling. I tried them but never again.

heatherk

I have a 98 metro that had a valve job,pistons changed and the battery replaced. It is now locking the doors by itself and it does not have power locks. The driver side front running light is dim. The car will run great and not die but will not re-start for about 30 min. until it cools down after being shut off. It has been in the shop for 5 months and it has many pros stumped. The computer checks out fine so it's something telling the computer not to pulse the injectors when re-starting the warm engine. Everything the mechanic disconnected and touched during the initial repair checks out fine. I suggested a priest. HELP!!!

craigh30

I have a ? to ask, my truck is running hot I installed a new fan clutch & a new thermostst the truck temp gauge is just a little past the half way mark "next to hot" my ? is if I was to take out my thermostst how much damage would I cause in other words would taking out the thermostat hurt anything on my motor?

newrepairman

I have a 1998 GMC Jimmy with 148K miles. It start clicking from under the dash. It sound like the turn signals are always on. I have replaced the multifunction unit thinking it was bad but no luck. I have noticed that when I step on the brakes the clicking does stop. Do I have a bad sensor in my brakes? How do I find out what is causing the problem? I went to the auto store and I had no error codes in the computer.

1racefan

What would one look for when inspecting a wheel bearing to determine if it is faulty? In this case, the suspect bearing is on a rear wheel with a drum brake assembly.

sevart

Why am I getting a check engine light with insufficient catalyst code for one bank only, after I put in a OBD2 Magnaflow catalytic onverter in my 2004 Toyota Tundra.

sandman46

Came on again for the 5th time last Friday and it's at the Nissan dealer since Monday morning..Bet they'll be replacing the 4th coil finally. Got the Service Manager involved now, as it doesn't look good that the problem is still there after 4 times in their shop.
Have been trying lots of rentals though thru Enterprise on the dealers dime. Swapped out a Galant today and got a V6 Sonata. Nice ride actually!

The Sandman

posaccord

hi i new to your page and all but i got a 92 honda accord lx, and i just replaced the alternator, plugs and wires, radiator, distrubtor... and now when i drive for more then 5 or so mins the "sports gear" light begins to blink and bogs down the whole car... its a a automatic and its like it doesnt wana down shift. plz help if u need to know anything else to help out email me @ twiztedkiller@yahoo.com
thanks

sandman46

Picked up the Sentra on Saturday and they replaced the Mass Air Flow Sensor and they swore that would fix the problem. Sunday morning it starts rough but finally settles down, ditto for this morning. Left work & it's real rough again. Within 5 minutes, the dreaded service light is back on, so back to the dealership I go. With 1 week left of warranty, 3 years, I just want this car fixed. Really wanna move on to another car already.
Civics down here in South Florida are gone within 2 days at most dealerships, yet that's really the only car I'd really want right now. I think the Volvo S40 is a bit pricey for what one gets & the reliability issue bothers me. Also, the mileage ain't that great.
The wife doesn't want me to spend the $ on anything and just keep the Sentra. Seems like every hour or so she comes up with reasons why I should wait. Now she's pissed because eventhough she chose her Mazda 3s, it wasn't what she really wanted. I guess the logic here is I shouldn't get what I really want or I should take her Mazda.
Women...sheesh! She can't understand us car lovers and the pleasure we get from going to dealerships and seeing all the new models.

The Sandman

camaroron6769

if u havent replaced the PCV valve yet, that will probally fix your problem. when crankcase pressure builds, oil can fill the airbox.

camaroron6769

anybody ever had a problem with an ford anti-theft system? The car will start for 2 sec. then dies. The anti-theft light flashes very fast.

camaroron6769

check the wiring comming from the battery. you wil find a small ground wire with a plug connector about 10 in. from the battery. this ground wire is for the main realy under the fan shroud. unplug this connector and inspect it for corrosion and heat. this is 95% lickley to be your problem. you may have trouble unplugging the wire if the plastis has melted alittle

s3light

PLEASE CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME?
I HAVE A 1990 ACURA INTEGRA ON THE CONSOLE THERE IS A S3 LIGHT THAT BLINKS AND THE CAR WILL NOT CRANK. IT WILL SPIN OVER BUT WILL NOT CRANK. HAD COMPUTER TESTED AND NOT THE PROBLEM. SOMETIMES WHEN IT DOES CRANK THE S3 JUST BLINKS . A REPLY WILL BE VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU

DENISE

asfarley

I just bought a 1990 Nissan Sentra 5 spd, and I am hearing a clunking sound, usually when I make a left turn, and when I drive over a rough road, pot hole or train tracks. The shocks seem okay when I bounce the car, so I am wondering what the likely problem is and how inexpensively I can repair it, as I am obviously poor, thus a 1990 Nissan Sentra is what I bought when my last car died a week ago.

sevart

I recently put an OBD2 Magnaflow catalytic onverter in my 2004 Toyota Tundra. When I finished I got a code of insufficient catalyst in one bank. Thinking it would solve the problem,I removed the Magnaflow catalytic converters and replaced it with the Toyota catalytic converters. But the insufficient catalyst code keeps coming on for the one bank, even though the oxygen sensor looks good on the scan tool and the cat appears to be good judging by the sensor. Entire exhaust system is leak free. Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

mccarthydp

2000 Volvo C70 Convertible Low Pressure Turbo, 43k miles; Been trying to find out why the car will lose about 300 RPM and slight loss of power erratically while cruising. I've been reading about the Torque Converter and think that might be the problem. Took it to Volvo and $100 later they said that it was simply carbon buildup and recommended a throttle service and PCV system cleaning. Any ideas??? Thanks!

cmatt2

My wife parked the car the other night and everything seemed fine.The next morning she could not get the transmission out of PARK.I unlocked it using a key in the release slot.It shifted fine thru all the gears,but when I put it back into PARK it locked up again.
Any help would be appreciated.
THANKS,
MATT

Mr_Shiftright

Must be the brake pedal switch or a defective lock-out solenoid.

cmatt2

Thanks for the imfo.Where is the brake switch and solenoid located?How would I check these items out?
THANKS,
MATT