Got a Quick, Technical Question?

Mr_Shiftright

I have no idea on that car, sorry. Each car is different.

richard7

I had a new timing belt put on my 2000 Eclipse 4,000 miles ago, at 84,000 miles. He said the old tensioner was fine. Last night, the car rolled to a stop after shutting down. Per the mechanic, it "jump timed" as I was rolling down the highway at 75 mph. Now they tell me they will have to do exploratory surgery to look at the valves. What is jump time? Any idea what happened or if the mechanic just didn't put on the new belt correctly? Will there be any way to prove he was negligent? Thanks.

crankshaft

You have an "interference" engine which means it is possible for the pistons to stike the valves if the belt snaps.If it just jumps a few teeth you may have lucked out.This should never have happened.Oil leaking onto the belt might damage it enough to jump.A compression test will tell you if valves are bent but the belt timing would have to be resolved to do this.

richard7

Thanks crankshaft. I do know that the belt did not break. When you say it never should have happened, do you mean that the mechanic may have not installed it properly? I'm trying to prepare for the "it's not my fault, or something else caused it" statement from the mechanic. Someone else told me that we would have "felt" the pistons and valves striking when it stopped, yet the car simply shut down and quietly cruised to a stop.

qbrozen

well, no, i don't think it should happen if everything is done properly.

richard7

Pretty much hopeless now. Mechanic #2 told me that there is a bunch of bent valves in the car. Now back to Mechanic #1. Grrr.

crankshaft

The first belt lasted some 84 k miles.The new one only 4k.Something was wrong.I am not sure if your engine has an automatic belt tensioner or not but if the belt was tensioned too tight or the tensioner has problems, that might damage the teeth of the belt.A toothed timing belt requires little tension and too much damages it.I would sure like to see the belt he put on.Maybe it wasn't changed.I remember seeing an escort which had an engine fire,all the rubber was burned off the timing belt.I couldn't believe the the amount of steel cords remaining from that belt.Pretty darn durable.

acelady

what kind of key are you using? Does it have a transponder from the factory?

It may be as simple as the wrong type of after-market key!

Think simple first and then go complex.

maggauci

if my positive cable is old would
that make the computer send more gas i put new plugs cap and rotor
and wires and it runs so rough and lots of black smoke from the muffler, firing order is fine, could the egr be bad? or the convertor, i tapped the convertor, sounds a little hollow, and muffler too...
tailpipe..please help

MATTHEW A. GAUCI

crankshaft

I had an 86 t.b.you need to check for any codes set by the computer.Autozone will do this for you for free and go from there.If your engine cranks ok then there is nothing wrong with your positive cable.It will not cause your engine to run the way it is.When my engine ran too rich,I found the map sensor to be bad but many other items can do it also.

bossladyark

i have a '01 Ford Mustang coupe v-6. Sometimes the windshield wipers won't work, and when that happens the door locks won't at the same time. Now sometimes when i turn on the blinker, the inside dome light blinks opposite of the sound of the blinker ticking.

cmatt2

I have a 1999 Ford f-150XL pickup-v-6,5 speed.The brakes work fine on dry pavement,but if the roads are wet the rear brakes lock up and pull badly.Any help appreciared.
THANKS,
MATT

bolivar

Is this just on the 'first' brake in the mornings after setting overnight. Overnight on a wet, rainy night?

If so, this is a usual Ford trick. The rear drum brakes rust up very quickly and will 'grab' for the first stop.

On my Ranger, I just aways 'rode' the brake for about 100 feet when first starting off. This knocks off the rust and heats up the drums and they will not grab.

elizia

i ran out of gas in 2000 mercury sable got some gas drove about a mile car cut off want start

qbrozen

you probably sucked up crud from the bottom of the tank and clogged your fuel filter. At least you can HOPE that's all it is.

burdawg

How much gas did you put in? Fill up, a few gallons or only one gallon or so?

shannonm

First of all, I'm not sure if I am posting on the correct board. My apologies if I am.

I have a 92 Dodge Spirit and I do not know what is wrong with it. When I accelerate from a complete stop the front end vibrates. It almost like the front tires are slipping or someone thought my transmission is slipping. It only does it when I start from a complete stop. If I baby it and take off slowly it will not do it. I had it in the shop and they could not get the car to have the problem. They checked out the transmission and said that the fluid was good .. not burnt ... clean. They did say an engine mount was broke and that it needed a good tune up (which it did). They said it was possible the engine mount was giving me the vibration but without feeling the problem themselves they could not say it for sure. I read on the internet and found that engine mounts could cause vibration so I went ahead and had them fix it. Well, as you can imagine, the day after picking it up I am still having the same problem

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

I am hoping it is not the transmission because the car is not worth a new one and I am not wanting to buy another car right now.

Thanks for any help you can provide

elizia

about 9 gallons.

bolivar

You possibly burned up the fuel pump. The fuel pump is probably in the bottom of the fuel tank, and uses the gasoline to cool the electrical pump. It had one last pump in it, then the windings gave out.

Someone needs to test the fuel pressure. At least, turn the key to ON, not START. Listen for the fuel pump to start up. You might need a helper to stand by the rear of the car near the tank to listen for the pump. You usually can hear the pump run.

When the key is turned on, the pump, if it is working, will run for only 2 or 3 seconds. The system is then pressurized, and a pressure sensor cuts the pump off.

But, after sitting for a while, the pump should run when you turn the key to ON. If the pump cannot be heard running, this is more evidence it pump has failed.

burdawg

I have to second what bolivar said. That would be my next step also.

imidazol97

A neighbor just had the pump burn out on 97 Monte Carlo at 45K mi.

I helped him trouble shoot it. A web note had said that tapping on the bottom of the tank - I used a rubber mallet- often will make a bad pump start up. It did, but would never run the car for more than 10 seconds at most. So we dropped the tank and replaced the pump. $400 for pump-GM at reduced price at dealer. Another neighbor with lots of shade tree mechanic experience said not to use an aftermarket. Luckily this tank only had a few gallons of gas in it so it wasn't as heavy to lower.

The car had sat with minimal fuel in it and had been driven low most of the time. It had been his dad's car and he died shortly after purchasing the car.

bebrat

Have been trying to get a 92 grand am diagnosed with little result. Car idles at 2000 to 2500 when started and drops to about 1100 when running. If you turn off car and restart, it goes back to 2500 even though its warm. Also the car shifts into overdrive at 30MPH. Could this be the MAF sensor and can it be tested?

bolivar

Wild guess on the idle - on a car this old, the throttle plate is gunked up and needs to be cleaned.

You have to remove the big, usually black intake tube into the upper intake manifold. Then you see a big butterfly valve in there. It probably is gunked up and should be cleaned. It will take a good quality carb cleaner, your toothbrush, and some rags or paper towels.

Spray, scrub/brush, wipe, repeat. Get the 'back' side of the valve also. Get the area where the valve seats when closed. Spray, scrub/brush, wipe, repeat.

Yes, if you can locate and remove the MAF, at this age it could probably also stand a cleaning. DO NOT USE CARB CLEANER!. Buy 'electrical' cleaner. A MAF has very small fragile wire/wires in it. BE CAREFUL. Squirt electrical cleaner on the wires only. DO NOT TOUCH THEM!

Oh, yes. Buy a new toothbrush.

(Ha! I love that joke! I love it when I tell people how to clean a throttle plate! Ha!)
((No, I don't get out much...))

But first - check that the floor mat isn't rolled up over the accelerator. And anything else is binding the throttle linkage.

1racefan

Hello,
When replacing a TPS (I am asking in general, but in this case it is for an '02 Hyundai Elantra), is it simply a matter of unplugging the old one, and hooking up the new one? From the looks of it, it looks like you would just unhook the wiring harness that goes from the TPS to the ECM, then unbolt the TPS from the throttle body, then bolt on the new TPS, and lastly rehook the wiring harness.

My question is if anyone here has replaced a TPS in the past, does it typically require any kind of a software reboot, or is it simply a matter of swapping out the part? The car has no error code or anything to reset, I have just been told that the TPS is the culprit of my problem.

crankshaft

Don't laugh at the last sentence,it happened to me.I cleaned my throttle body only to find it was the floor mat.

crankshaft

I have replaced many fords and once on my dodge.first,look at your new one.if the mounting holes are slotted,you nay have to adjust it before you tighten it down.if you have round holes,no problem.when you get the old one off pay attention to the throttle shaft.there is usually a roll pin going thru the shaft.you must rotate the tps slightly to properly "engage"the tps onto the throttle shaft.its an easy swap and you do not have to "reboot"anything.

amiliv

I've asked about this in another forum too, but this might be the better place.

After my car ('93 Sentra) was sitting in garage for 3 weeks, the brakes seemed to be stuck. When I moved gear lever from "P" to either "R" or "D", the car simply wouldn't move. It looked like the brakes were stuck. After pressing on accelerator pedal a few times, the car finally moved (with loud "bang" sound from the wheels). It looks like the brekes are working now, but I'm kind of concerned is there a possibility something was damaged in the process of getting brakes unstuck forcefully. I'm planning to get the brakes checked out by mechanic, however also wanted to ask couple of questions about this on the forum. Anybody had any similar experience? Should I expect the same problem each time I'm not using the car for several weeks? Is there some better way to unstuck the brakes other than forcing it? Anything I can do before leaving car parked for extended periods of time (several weeks or more) to avoid the problem from repeating? Anything I can do to check if something is damaged?

marsha7

your parking brake was applied too firmly and that the cable and other brake parts are rusted???...that might cause sticking...may need to lubricate/replace brake cable and pull off rear brakes (drum or rotors???) and see if anything is rusted badly...something as far back as 1993 may have drum brakes on the rear, and those parts may just be rusted from age...

OTOH, if you have disc brakes, if the calipers are rusted or frozen, thay may cause the problem and may require rebuild or replace...

Unless you KNOW what you are doing, I would take it to a shop for checkout...nothing is more important than reliable stopping power...:):):):):)

amiliv

Thanks for the reply.

I have a small typo in my original post, it's 03 Sentra, not 93. So "only" 3 years old. Last time brakes were checked out, sometime last winter, the technitian estimated pads will be good at least for another two or three years. The car has drums on the rear. The parking/emergency brake was not applied (the car was parked in garage, on level surface), and the weather was relatively warm (so there couldn't be any freezing).

There was no rust on the front brakes when I left it parked, however some rust (not much) formed during 3 weeks it was sitting in the garage (something I expected and experienced with other cars too).

crankky

Trying to diagnose a strange problem with the brakes on my 2001 Windstar. When the pedal is depressed, we hear a sound from under the dash board that kind of sounds like something rubber being twisted or compressed, sqeaking. This isn't the pads or shoes. Definitely inside the car. I have the Ford Extended warranty and the deal replaced the brake booster last week. However, that didnt' make any difference at all. They tried to tell me that it's normal but it didn't do it when we bought the car and only started in the last 18 months or so.

It's worse when the weather is warm and when it gets bad, the brake pedal gets hard to press.

Could this be the master cylinder?

96olds

my girlfriend cutlass keeps overheating and the low coolant light keeps coming on and turning off. the coolant is fine - no leaks - but is filthy. the car isnt throwind any heat either. she just had the intake gasket/thermostat replace six months ago - ever since it still ran a little on the warm side and now you cant drive it more than 5 minutes. I just had the same problem with my 96 cutlass and had the engine replaced and new intake gasket put in and it runs fine. any ideas what might be wrong with her car - intake, head, bad sensor, water pump, cracked block??? any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks :lemon:

repair747

1994 Olds 88 LSS. Intermittently, turning key results in dash lights on as normal, but nothing else -- no crank, no solenoid click, etc. Headlights and dash lights do NOT dim when placing ignition switch to start position. Failure to crank problem self corrects -- sometimes in 5 minutes, sometimes 30 minutes, at which time engine starts immediately. No known cause and effect. Might work perfectly for several days, then have temporary "no crank" problem on 50% of start attempts the next day. New battery, new battery cable, new ignition switch, new starter solenoid have not solved the problem. Then took to Pontiac dealer. He had for 3 days ... no fix since could not get problem to occur and persist long enough to diagnois. So, back to trying myself :confuse:

GM Power schematic 4-41 shows "starter enable relay" as input to Pass Key Decoder Module. I wonder if that relay might be problem. Comments? Better ideas? Where is that enable relay located, what does it look like, how access?

imidazol97

When you put the key in without turning to crank, just turn it to on. See if the security light is showing on the dash. It should be in test mode and steady like all the other lights. If it's flashing the key resistor chip isn't reading right.

When you turn to crank three times and the security chip isn't being read by the two contacts inside the key cylinder, the car is locked for 3-4 minutes. That means a thief can have the key shapes and make another key, but they have to guess which of the 20 or so resistors is in the key; they can't make 20 keys and test each, because the delay makes it inconvenient to test, wait, test, wait.

burdawg

IS there a bushing or something that the pedal arm rides in? If so, see if a little WD40 will free it up....

burdawg

What condition is the radiator in? Is it original? If it's clogged, there's your problem (very likely if it's original).

Mr_Shiftright

A "fast" overheat like that suggests a severe clog in the cooling system somewhere or a blown head gasket or cracked head. Having no heat in the car suggests a complete lack of water circulation, so that leans me toward suggesting a cooling issue. The only other time you'd get no heat in the car would be very low coolant level.

The filthy coolant suggests either a clogged radiator or head gasket issue OR...another possibility...a cracked radiator internally allowing transmission fluid to enter the coolant, also clogging things up completely.

bud_foxx44

I Have a 2003 Honda Pilot and lately I have been hearing a clicking noise near the steering area. The noise is similar to the click when you turn the wipers on. It doesn't do it all the time but it does have my concern.

user777

you should do some experimentation.

if your wheel is adjustable up/down like my ODY and Accord, I would try re-adjusting the wheel height.

if you hear the sound, i would verify it isn't your keys in the ignition banging against the column or dash.

i would check to see if adjusting the High/Low and turn signals do anything.

if you can reliably get the noise, ask someone else to drive as you listen from the passenger seat. sound localization can be tricky and often changing your position in the cabin results in new clues to the source of the sound.

good luck

akangl

my 1997 saturn sl1 automatic has oil in the coolant. have checked for bad head gasket and cracked head. cannot find the cause. can you help?

repair747

Thanks for your comment, imidazol97. I don't think key is the problem. The security light is on steady (no blink) both when car starts normally and when in "failure mode". Any other thoughts?

96olds

when checking the coolant when the car was cold - the resevoir showed at the perfect level - however when u popped the radiator cap the fluid was down below the neck of the radiator and was sort of a redish brown gritty liquid. when she took it in for a power flush they said it was too messed up and they wouldnt even attempt it. now she took it to the dealership and had it pressure tested and they said its either the head or a cracked block. it doesnt really seem like a clog or like the water pump is bad - it seems to be getting proper circulation. since its an older car - but it only has about 100,000 miles, what would be the best thing to do - check for the internal radiator leak by replacing the radiator before moving on to the head gasket and block?? or would it be better just to buy a low mile used engine? also, since the car was repaired just six months ago for the same symptoms and they replaced the intake gasket - should we try to get the dealership to cover part of the cost ?

Mr_Shiftright

Yes I think the dealer definitely needs to get involved in this repair given that they just worked on the car for a similar issue.

96olds

Thanks for all your input, you have been very helpful.

Mr_Shiftright

You're welcome. I think one thing to avoid is letting another shop TOUCH this car before you complain to the dealer. Once another's hands are in it, the dealer is off the hook.

rache

My 95 cutlass supreme is overheating. A couple days ago the low coolant light came on. The next time I drove it, it didn't come on. I was driving the next day and it got really hot so I put coolant in it. It's still overheating. It cools down when you turn the heater on full blast. Someone said the thermostat may be sticking....Is that it and if so, where is the thermostat at?

imidazol97

Did you put coolant into the radiator cap or does this car hava coolant reservoir that's a nonpressured tank to put coolant into?

If the coolant is low in the radiator, you need to find the reason? Leak somewhere?

The thermostat is where the radiator hose goes to the top of the engine. It will usually be held on by two bolts. The seal around the thermostat may be a rubber seal or maybe a gasket between the thermostat cover that comes off with two bolts or both. The motor needs to be cool and some of the coolant will overflow if you don't drain a lilttle out of the radiator before opening the thermostat housing.

What kind of driving were you doing when the overheating occurred? The electric fans that help cool the radiator when the temperature goes up and when the air conditioning is turned on may not be working...

rache

We put in the radiator cap. I haven't noticed it leaking.I was in-town-driving when it overheated. And I know one of the fans doesn't work, but it hasn't since I bought the car and I 've never had this problem.

birrupa2

My '91 Legend Coupe with 180,000 miles has been diagnosed by my acura-specialist mechanic as having a leaking head gasket. That is causing the coolant drops I am seeing--now perhaps a quart in 300 miles. He says this is an epidemic among high mileage legends of the '91-'95 generation. Have others heard of this? Have others heard of a miracle fix like a pour-in stop-leak that will seal the leak, but not the tiny cooling tubes in the radiator? (The two good mechanics I spoke to said there is no such product, but a friend came across "Thermo-seal" in the net...) The alternative I am told is a $2,000 head/gasket job. I can't justify it, though I love the car. HELP if you can. Thanks John Morgan
Replies to this message:

Mr_Shiftright

Any stop leak would be a strictly temporary measure of short duration. Well, sorry to hear of your problem but at 180K, you got good service out of the car. That's about any car's normal life expectancy.

crankshaft

My 87 Cougar has 61k miles w/the 3.8 V6.The engine runs too hot all the time.Especially during city driving.Turn on the air and the temperature will creep up to the "H".It runs a little cooler on the freeway.I changed the thermostat and made sure the fins were clear.That did not help.I am suspecting the fan clutch.The radiator appears clean inside,however I do see some minor calcium deposits around a couple water tubes.Does anyone have any suggestions?