Got a Quick, Technical Question?

pmscrazy

Will a Differential from a 1985 Chevy S-10,(5-speed trany), work in a 1993 Chevy S-10(Automatic trany)?? :confuse: Thanks, pmscrazy

imidazol97

What volume was the container? 12 ounces? I would just fill the tank to dilute completely and drive and just keep an eye on the engine. I'd keep filling up every 2 or 3 gallons to dilute the additive further. It probably won't have any influence.

js_specials

95 Olds Cutlass Supreme, 3.1 L V6 with cruise controls located on the turn signal stem.

If I put either turn signals on, my turn signals work properly.
If I put my left turn signal on and hit the brakes, my rear brake lights, with the exception of the middle light, go out. The middle light operates properly.
If I put my right turn signal on and hit the brakes, all of my brake lights work properly.
If I turn my lights on, and use either turn signal and hit the brakes, everything works properly.

Any idea what the problem may be?

burdawg

Worn combination switch most likely.

js_specials

Where is the combination switch located? Do I simply replace the turn signal stem or is it someplace else? I appreciate your help on this matter!

burdawg

The combination switch is in the steering column. It's what the stalk that has the turn signal, etc. is connected to.

marsha7

the problem, and it IS hard to believe...

The Goodyear shop that installed my second set of tires, the Regatta2, tried to balance the tires but still had the problem...they thought that 3 of my rims were bent, and then said that the chance of 3 rims bent is highly unlikely, esp since the car rode fine on the OEM tires, the Eagle LS...

They thought that their balance machine may be deficient, as it centered the wheel by inserting a cone in the center, like they all do, but that since the center hole is really designed just for the cap, and not engineered to be a perfect center, they referred me to another Goodyear shop that used a hub with five lug bolts to center the wheel, literally simulating what it is like on the hub...in all my years in the auto industry, I had never seen anything like this, and yet it seems so simple...

I went to the shop Mon morn, and they put my wheels/tires on the machine...3 out of four tires wobbled left to right and were diagnosed defective and out of round...my wheels were perfect...they ordered 8 new Regatta2 tires, just to have some extras around...

Today I went back at 4 pm, and there was a stack of 8 new tires...out of the first 4 they tried, 3 were defective and out of round...it was also stated that while the Regatta2 had been around for a few years, it was only in 15/16 inch versions, they had just expanded the line to 17 inch versions...

After that many defects, we decided to go back to the Eagle LS tires, since they were OEM tires and we know they have been around awhile in that size...

So, three sets of defective, out of round tires, all to one guy, me...I am assuming (?????) that the LS tires will be good...I will know Thur morning...

It is apparent that there is a production run of defects, and it is showing up with me, and probably others...after all, a manufacturer does not know of a defective run from a plant until enough people come back and complain about the product...

I must compliment Goodyear on bending over backwards to make sure I am happy...while we all expect it and know we deserve it, it is nice to see the company stand behind what it sells and continue to order new stuff in until we find something that works...we all know about folks who get blown off if they complain, but the Goodyear franchise stores are taking good care of me...I can recommend them highly...

I think it also helped that when the manager test drove my car last Sat, he felt the steering wheel pulsations and the seat vibrate under his rear between 45-75 mph...at least I am not making this up, and I am not a hypochondriac...

Stay tuned...3 defective sets of out of round tires...the 4th should be the charm...

imidazol97

The centering method for rims has been a problem for decades. Some center holes were machined to be true centers while others weren't.

If you want peace of mind, skip the Goodyear store and get a set of Michelins put on your car. They are rounder, roll rounder under load, and will stay rounder longer through their life.

I've had nothing but Michelins since 1968, with one exception that I bought (Goodyears). My service manager, when diagnosing the stiffness vibration on my 03 LeSabre, talked about replacement tires from Goodyear they had put on a different car and how out of round they were on their Hunter 9700 Road Force balancer.

>a manufacturer does not know of a defective run from a plant

They should be testing the lots of tires as they're being produced. If they're not checking on their production quallity, they're doing the same as the US car makers during the 80s.

I had replaced Firestones on an 89 Century with the FR480 that were original because they were excellent, equal to Michelin in grip for snow and rain. The service tires were out-of-round. After a trip to Ashville, I returned to the store, who didn't even question when I said the tires were out-of-round. They didn't even offer to rebalance or troubleshoot in any way. They knew there were problems with those tires. I had priced Michelins and the FR480s when I bought. They switched me for a set of Michelins and they were perfect.

BTW service tires sent out when the tire is being used for original equipment on cars in my opinion are less than perfect. The perfect ones are going to the manufacturers for installion on new cars. The less-than-perfects go to the consumer. You're getting OEMs; I wish you good luck, but I won't be surprised if you have problems.

Your store could have gotten "ram-tested tires" from the factory which have been road force tested. That's been around for decades as a solution for tire problems. General did it with original tires on my 80 Cutlass.

gitnby

I'm looking to buy a used car that was originally registered in California, but sold eventually to an Illinois owner
I assume that means it was equipped with the special emissions stuff.

Questions?
-how do I tell if that equipment is still on the vehicle?
-does it affect gas mileage, performance, etc?
-can I remove it? Or should I?

bolivar

Many cars sold in the fast several years are emmission certified in all 50 states.

Mr_Shiftright

no you can't legally remove emissions equipment and if you did the car would probably run worse, not better.

sc00bs

The cable was unadjustable. It was sticking in its sheeth. So I just got another one and now the pedal works ( the cable was $80!!! Good grief, the dealership was the only place that I could get one from).

The issue now is that the clutch will not engage or disengage until the pedal is pretty far out from the floor. In otherwords the freeplay is too much (according to the manual it should be much less), but adjustments are not helping the issue (it seems to be the same regardless of the adjustment screw being turned either way, grr).

This makes for an interesting take off from a hill. What a pain in the butt.

Now I have to decided whether I can live with the free play being too much or if I should investigate further. The clutch works, as before it would grind trying to get it into any gear, it slides right into gear with no grinding or resistance.

If I leave it as it is, will it cause any damage to the clutch? Thoughts?

Mr_Shiftright

AS long as it isn't slipping, then it should be fine. But of course, if engagement is at the very tippy top of the pedal travel, sooner or later it is going to slip, as it wears more.

geekocd

Went to the mechanic today to get my new car (used 1992 buick roadmaster limited sedan) checked out. The car's in great condition, but they showed me that one of the rear brake shoes is cracked. The drums are fine although they told me that they were oversized/too big? and probably contributed to the one shoe cracking, and would make the other shoe crack soon. They suggested that I have the cracked shoe, and both the drums, replaced. Since I can't afford that right now, I asked them about how quickly this needed to be done, given that I only drive casually on weekends. They said I'd be fine for awhile longer. So, to sum up, I have two quick questions:

1) am I ok driving for a few months (ideally until january when I get paid) with one rear cracked brake shoe?
2) do my drums really need to be replaced? b/c the brake shoe's cheap, it's the drums that are expensive

Thanks!

imidazol97

I can't address what caused the shoe to crack its braking layer.

They may mean the drums have been turned previously when shoes were replaced. How many miles does the car have on it? Brake shoes on RWD cars last 80K miles? approx?

I'd get a second opinion about the drums having been turned too much and being oversized.

theboze

Wondering if any one can help, I have a 2003 Monte Carlo SS with the 3.8 engine, and when ever I try to put gas in the tank it will only take around a gallon or 2 then back up the filler neck and spit out.It takes a while to try and get gas in it.I guess it has something to do with the evap system but I don't know exactly what.If anyone can help I would appreciate it.

geekocd

Yeah, the car has 77K miles on it so it's about time for the brake shoe to go. I don't mind changing the brake shoe, just wondering if it's something I need to do NOW as opposed to in january, and I will get a 2nd opinion on the drums. Thanks.

alcan

Cracked brake linings are almost always caused by overheating. If the drums are oversized, they're not as efficient a heat sink as they used to be and can cause linings to crack. Could also be that the car was driven with the parking brake on, or a sticky parking brake cable. In any event, driving with known defective brakes isn't a really smart idea.

tcpli

I replaced the spark plugs on my 92 civic last weekend. It started well after I replaced the spark plugs. But it seemed to develop a starting problem: in the morning or the evening after a long sitting, the first start fails, but the second start works. I never had this problem before.

BTW: I had my timing belt, water pump, and tensioner replaced by my local shop the week before. The local shop is supposed to be a "reliable" one.
I also changed engine oil (maxlife 5W30), auto transimssion oil (Honda OEM) last weekend.

qbrozen

it could be a number of things.

Did you replace them personally? Did you gap them correctly? You may want to pull them and double check.

tcpli

Thank you very much for replying. Yes, I changed the spark plugs by myself and gapped the NGK "G-power" plug at the the store with the clerk helping me. I checked the gap at the spot and they seem correct.
This is the plug I installed on my car: http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=NGK&mfrpartnumber=7098&pa- - rttype=960&ptset=A

Would you please make some detailed suggestions for me to check/try out?
Would replacing those plugs with OEM Honda spark plug from my dealer be good starting point?

Thank you again.

Mr_Shiftright

This might be of interest:

http://autorepair.about.com/cs/troubleshooting/l/aa010301a.htm

tcpli

Thanks. The links talks a lot. But I find most possibly that this does not apply because:

"Main Relay Test:

NOTE: If the car starts and continues to run, the main relay is okay."

My car stars and continues to run ok. I just need to start the engine twice every morning and evening.

Thanks again.

Mr_Shiftright

Probably more info than you need, huh? :P

tcpli

I will try another OEM pre-gapped plugs this weekend to see if the problem goes away. I hate myself that I threw my old plugs right away after I installed the new ones. Only if I saved them, I can try my old plugs without buying new ones to see if the plug is the cause.

I just did a search and found Honda seems picky on plugs.

I chose the NGK G-power ZFR5FGP version (1$ more expensive, but not pre-gapped) over the OEM (stock) V-Power ZFR5F-11 version which is pre-gapped.

qbrozen

yeah, see what changing the plugs does for you. My volvo also didn't like non-OEM plugs too much.

06mike

99 Olds Cutlass, 3.1 and the A/C blower motor only turns on at the #3 setting and above. Any ideas? I searched for a blown fuse but can only find one which is called "Hi speed A/C fan". It is OK but I cannot find any fuse which mentions low speed.

bolivar

The fan motor is actually only a 1 speed motor. There is a 'resistor pack' that drops the voltage to the fan, based on the fan speed control, that allows the other lower fan speeds.

This resistor is burned up. It usually is found under the hood, at right rear of motor, on top of the 'ducting' for the heat/AC. The fan motor itself is usually in this ducting.

Find and replace the resistor. When found it probably will look and smell 'burned'. Your lower fan speeds will return.

bmizzac7

Hello first timer needing some help. I blew the fuses under the hood but I have or can change all but the 120V fuse. The fuse cap come right off but the teeth are or appear to be stuck in the box. I bought a new fuse and it definitely does have teeth that stick in the fuse box. How do I remove the teeth that are stuck in the box from the old fuse? I've given this a good yank but all I have done is bend the old teeth. Please help!

ram02

Hello All:
I just bought, tis past June a 1980 Corvette. I'm in process of restoring, but need to know why the Battery light continues to glow (dim) after the car is running? The dash gage reads a good charge, and drops off as nexessary.

Can anyone point me in the right direction of what to look for here? I want to avoid hit or miss repairs.

imidazol97

IIRC when I had a 1981 Skylark and 1980 Cutlass one of them had a charge light that started to glow. I didn't have a gauge on that car and I turned around for home. I believe I found one of the diode trios was "leaky" when I checked. I took my own stuff apart and rebuilt it in those days. The battery was still being charged but a little backward flowing current was turning the light on.

hackjob

I HAVE REPLACED THE COIL,DISTR.WIRES,PLUGS AND STILL NO FIRE???

penizzle

I take it your Jeep has a 6 cylinder. Make sure you instaled the wires properly. You probably out to replace the whole distributer. The only other thing that will solve your problem is the Crakshaft position sensor but since your vehicle ignition is by means of a distributer, you may have one that only controls the fuel injectors.

Mr_Shiftright

Put a volt meter across your battery and rev the engine and see what the voltage reads. I bet it's low.

ram02

Cool, that's the most detailed suggestion I have received yet. I might see if I can have the regulator/alternator unit checked out. I'll let you know what happens, THANKS

hackjob

well i know it's definately not the wires wrong because it broke down in the driveway and i have replaced all this now and it's still no fire.. i always do mine one at a time too.i think i'm going to lean torward the CPS.

penizzle

thats the way to go.

thecblguy

ok have a 2000 beetle that left my wife stranded on the I the other day and need some advice on what to look for to fix it. symptoms: turn key and starter doesnt sound right just get a high pitch whine like it doesnt want to turn over.
Atributes: all electrical is workin i think no power loss
alternator good and starter good. sound like a feul problem to my mechanic over the phone but want to get some insight from the pro before i take it in I appreciate any advice.

P.S. car is not running at all right now cant take it anywhere. :confuse: :sick:

mazda626atx

Qbrozen
I have found a Probe site that shows how to get tranaxle codes without a scanner.

Unfortunately I am in the USA now. I am going to have a friend of mine retrieve the codes. If it turns out to be a solenoid ,are they easy to install? I have heard they come in a complete pack not individually. Are they totally separate from the transmission or inside it ? Pardon my ignorance I only know a little about starter solenoids.

Anyone who knows about auto tranny solenoids feel free to answer also

Thx

Peter

lejjend

When my van is cold the automatic transmission shifts perfect. When it warms up, the shifting is sudden. In other words, when shifting from 1st to 2nd it hits hards with a big thud. Going from 2nd to 3rd gear it hardly noticable. Any ideas. I was also wondering if it could be the transfer case (all wheel drive). Thanks, Chris

toofarmike

I have an electrical problem with my 1967 Dodge D-100 pick-up. It has a slant 6 with automatic, shifter on the dash. The truck will be running fine but will completely shut down when sitting at a light. Nothing at all happens when I turn the key. No lights or accessories as if the battery is disconnected. If I let it sit for 20 minutes it will usually start like nothing is wrong and run for 20 minutes or so and do it again. Also the lights go dim when it is idling and brighten when I give it gas but this happened before the shut down problem started happening. I changed out the starter solenoid and voltage regulator from Shuck’s (I gave you the wrong part) Auto supply without a change. It does not appear to be a lose wire and at first I thought it was the mechanism that stops the truck from starting in gear but the headlights don’t even come on. If I take a screwdriver and bypass the starter solenoid the starter cranks over but will not start the engine (this happened with the old solenoid as well) because there is no other electrical power (no lights of any kind or other accessories) it just runs the starter. I can also hear a strange sound coming from behind the dash when it is running that sounds like the fan is on but it isn’t. The “fan” sound runs faster along with the engine when I give it gas and up the RPMs. The ALT meter shows that it is charging and the battery is not and has not been dead. I have never seen anything like this. Does anyone have a solution?

user777

some main relay, or perhaps the ignition switch?

mazda626atx

JUST A FOLLOW UP
I had a friend of mine pull the codes . It showed at # 452 (VSS) and a # 647 (3rd gear). Getting codes in my car is a different method because its a EEC IV electronics system .
He is no mechanic so I hope he read them correctly. I am ordering the VSS sensor and will proceed from there. I am not very optomistic but at least now I have a direction to go in.

qbrozen

good luck.
just remember that the car is worth very little, so if a major repair is in order, just scrap it.

mazda626atx

Qbrozen,
Cars are worth a lot more in Greece as there are large taxes so thats why I am trying desperately to keep it running. If I have it running well I might be able to sell it for 3K Euros ( $ USD 3900) or more with 58K miles, new tires brakes, atx and no problems.

Plus my wife will destroy any new or newer car I buy anyway LOL

I will buy the VSS here and send it there if Mazda Greece can not get the right part.
I will keep you posted
Thx

qbrozen

oh, i think i remember you telling me that. i forgot.

highroller

I know i should probably put this in the nissan forum but i need help finding the oil sender location for my 06 nissan titan with 18k miles.

Reason is that i need to know why switching oil filters would make my oil pressure readings read higher upon startup. For instance, i had a pureone oil filter and the reading would peak at the midpoint on the gauge at startup. Since switching to two new wix/napa oil filters, i have had higher readings at startup. And, after warming up for awhile by driving for about 10 mins. the readings would go back down to normal at the midpoint range (between low and high mark). I dont really know and cant explain why this would happen because i believe the oil filters shouldn't cause that much of a difference in terms of pressure at startup. I'd also would like to know if this vehicle has a "dummy" oil pressure gauge instead of a real one? Thanks for any inputs.

cooklio

I have a 1996 mazda 626 4 cyl atx with 148k....it has been running awful for about 6 months. Rough idle...almost stalls at red lights...very little power going up the slightest hill...if I let off the gas and step on it again it will take off but kinda jerky at various speeds..but will run 65 or 70 mph if you are patient enough to ease it up to there....i havent tried to run it any faster than that...changed plugs, oil, tanny fluid, distibutor cap, rotor and wires, timing belt and idlers, fuel filter, top o2 sensor, and valve cover gasket....cleaned the MAF. I am so tired of throwing money at this thing. CEO is on and codes are P1130, P1131, P0421 and P0171...I have a code guide, so I know what the codes mean...however that doesnt tell me for sure what the problem may be...just that those items are reading certain data....Please help. I have looked for vacuum leaks but cant find anything obvious.

burdawg

Have you done anything with the fuel injectors or checked the fuel pressure?

penizzle

This is a very common problem on any car. If you havent replaced the other o2 sensors, then you need to do so. New o2 sensors will read the exhaust better and you will get more accurate readings regarding lean fuel mixture, which is 2 of your codes. If you clear codes and then they come back, then you need to check your fuel pressure. This sounds like a classic symptom of a fuel pump, which is the number one replaced part on todays cars.

Now regarding one other ce code. One refered to the catylic converter, which has nothing to do with the fuel system. usually, those produce symptoms like no power. You need to get that checked out as well.

So handle the o2 sensors first. Then check fuel pressure. The fuel pump on your car does have to drop the tank for removal,just for your reference. There is no access panel for it.

Good luck