Got a Quick, Technical Question?

cookie98

I have a 2001 Buick Lesabre with 65,000 miles on it.
While I am driving suddenly the car will jerk and the volt light will display on the dash. The car will come to a complete stop. Sometimes it will start right back up and then some times I may have to sit for 30 minutes before it starts again.

cooklio

Thanks ...I will have the codes cleared and change the other o2 sensor and get the cat con checked...if it is bad thats another 200 bux..oh well...I have got to get this thing running right...also the factory 02 sensor is around 200 as well,while the universal one is about 65...it is a splice-in type... will that work ok? I havent checked the fuel pressure yet..the car definitely acts like it is not getting enough fuel... I thought the pump would either work, or not work...didnt realize it could be failing to put out enough. thanks again.

cooklio

I have used injector cleaner (seafoam) and cleaned the throttle body with aerosol carb cleaner, but thats it..Havent checked the fuel pressure yet. Hopefully I will be able to get that done this weekend. Thanks.

penizzle

When it comes to sensors, i have had pretty much equal luck with both kinds.

cooklio

Checked the fuel pressure and it was ok....34 with the vacuum hose attached to regulator and 44 without hose attached. Guess that leaves the o2 sensors and cat con. Just wanted to let you know.

mazda626atx

Well the VSS sensor was replaced in Greece and unfortunatley for me , it did not solve the tranny problem. The guy who rebuilt it 6 years and 15K miles ago is having it taken out and sent to his shop. Lets see what he says is wrong.

If I am going to have him rebuild it , how do you go about flushing torque converter, cooling sytem plus external cooler I have installed (HAYDEN).

If I am going to spend all this money I would at least hope to get (OR THE PERSON I SELL IT TO) more than 15k miles out of it.GRRR

pgilbert

I have to replace a water pump as above. The Haynes Manual suggests for my engine, it is necessary to raise the engine using a floor-jack, after removing nuts on the rear engine-mount as well as the right engine-mount bolt. It does appear to be necessary, as the clearance is less than half an inch on the pulley; and even if the 4 bolts holding the pulley are removed, there's likely insufficient clearance to remove the pulley (it's a double pulley, for AC as well).

Before proceeding, I'd be interested in any advice anyone has regarding this procedure. It seems a bit hazardous to unhitch 2 engine mounts, and try to raise the engine appox 4 inches in order to access the pulley on the water pump. I will not be replacing the timing chain as this was done recently.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Paul
88 Corolla LE 4 DR sedan 290000

penizzle

It is nessecary to raise the engine, but it isnt too risky to raise the engine as long as you have a good jack and jack stands.

mazda626atx

Here is a good site for O2 sensors.

https://www.automedicsupply.com/index.php?

There should not be that big a difference in price for comparable sensors. Make sure you are comparing the same ones aside from the connectors. :mad:

jcon539

Hi, I have a 2000 saturn LS, right now I am hearing a rubbing sound when I turn corners, right and left. What can be causing this sound.I have120,000 miles on the car.

cob

Have a 1996 Olds Cutlass with 3.1 v-6 when the key is turned in the ignition starter does not crank. There is no clicking in the solenoid the only sound is a click in the fuse box where the ignition fuses are which both are good. I jumped the small contact on the solenoid to the pos battery terminal and turned the key but nothing happened. The 12v tester showed there was power between the battery and solenoid. When shorting the 2 contacts on the solenoid to each other the starter cranks. I think the solenoid is bad, any other opinions out there? I also notice that the whole time the key is turned in the start position the security light flashes constantly as well as most of the idiot lights stay on. I don't think it is an electrical problem the battery has a charge because the lights all work.

0patience

Use a test light on the small wire to the solenoid.
Then turn the key to crank, the test light should light up.
If it doesn't, then you have a problem from the ignition switch.

Let us know what you find.

cob

Test light did not light up. The light does light up on the ignition switch wire (yellow) under dash when key is turned. Replaced solenoid but only way to get starter to turn is by shorting out solenoid. There is a theft lock switch and a neutral safety switch. The big wire on the solenoid always lights up the test light when key is turned to start. It lights up even if you try to start in drive. I assume the security switch or the neural safety switch do not allow power to the solenoid unless the right key is used and the shifter is in neutral or park. I have checked all the ignition fuses and relays, no bad fuses. Tried leaving the key on for 20 minutes to reset the security code but that did not work either.

0patience

The test light not lighting clears the solenoid as the problem. So you shouldn't have replaced the solenoid.

The security light should light up for about 5 seconds and then go out, does it?

cob

Only $17 lesson so far. Security light stays flashing the whole time key is in ignition whether in start or run posistion.

cob

I bought the anti-theft relay but can't find the old one under the dash. Anyone know where it maybe located?

pgilbert

I have a question (as above) to do with a gasket on a water pump. I recently replaced the water pump on a 1988 Corolla (Engine 4-AF) but discover the gasket did not seat properly and it is losing coolant, contaminating the timing chain. I used silicone both sides of the gasket prior to installation and am wondering if it would have been better not to have done so. It is only a thin paper gasket but perhaps if properly torqued on, it would have provided an effective seal without any silicone. Before silicone was available the gaskets did the job on their own - but maybe they were thicker then and nowadays gaskets are made thin... expecting people always use silicone?? Anyway, I have to redo this installation and want to be sure to get it right; it requires the engine to be disengaged and raised to get at the pump, not a trivial job. Any advice would be appreciated.

Paul

Mr_Shiftright

sometimes the problem is a) not having perfectly clean surfaces, b) a warped surface on a rebuilt water pump or c) overtightening the water pump.

You need to watch silicone on any surface that shares with an oil galley or path. One fat chunk of silicone sucked into a small engine oil galley and your engine could suffer.

I prefer a thin coating of grease on the gasket and that's it.

jneal

I would replace the gasket after carefully cleaning both mounting surfaces and spread a very thin film of grease on both sides of the gasket. Torque the bolts to proper specs and you shouldn't have a leak.
Make sure that you scrape the silicone completly off both surfaces and inspect for nicks etc after cleaning.

I've replaced dozens of pumps using this method and never had a leak that wasn't due to my carelessness

burdawg

I can ditto what others have said. The most common cause of gaskets leaking is not cleaning the all the old gasket off. I guess I'm old school though, I still prefer a thin coat of Permatex sealant over silicones or RTV.

Mr_Shiftright

yes but permatex is SUCH a mess if you have to do the job over. Is there a semi-permatex?

friskyboy1

I got a 92 legend 2dr...I did not know if it overheat or not, but after replacing the radiatior, try to start it up. it will crank but won't start. There's no fuel pressure and no sparks. the oil is brown with no evidenc of coolant in the oil. Is there a relay, sensor, ect.. that control the system that I can check. Any help will do thanks.

pgilbert

Thanks for the input, I'll go with the grease after a thorough cleaning for the new gasket and O-rings. In fact the problem, I think, was not the gasket anyway - it checked out OK when I got the pump off again. The leak probably came from the O-ring where the plate which mates with the waterpump gasket interfaces with the engine block. This plate was just slightly moved when all 7 bolts were removed - so the original O-ring seal (1988) was broken. I had omitted to investigate this part of the assembly. I appreciate your comments re-gasket installation.

ross

I have a 97 Ford F-150 with 100K miles. The brakes need replacing and the rotors are warped. With this many miles I was just going to put new rotors and calipers on it myself. Ford says rotors are $189 each and calipers are $253 each. Auto parts stores are considerably less. Are the Ford parts that much better? I plan on keeping the truck until the wheels fall off.
Thanks. :confuse:

chriso47

Hi, I'm not a mechanic, but my roommate is pretty capable. I have a 98 Accord EX and there seems to be a leak in the brake line under the car cabin, close to the driver seat. There are plastic panels that run the length of the car and you can see some brake fluid dripping there. Taking the bolts off those panels seems to do nothing for getting them off and seeing where exactly the leak is coming from - it doesn't seem to be a large leak, but I'm concerned about it and I want to get it fixed - I'm on a pretty tight budget though and don't want to go to the dealer as the last repair they said I needed was $750 more than an independent shop. Please offer suggestions! Thanks.

suvshopper4

Any particular reason you plan to replace the calipers?

Especially at that cost?

-ss4

ross

Only on past vehicles it was about as cheap as having them rebuilt. I guess I need to price that since replacement is so high.

06mike

Any reason A/C on this car runs intermittent? Light on A/C control panel goes on and off for no particular reason. Temperature, humidity, speed do not seem to affect the situation. One day it works great. The next day I'm looking at the blinking light. Any ideas?

crankshaft

I usually replace the calipers every other brake job.I got tired of replacing pads and dealing with warped rotors after a short time due to a little drag.I would buy aftermarket parts from a good parts store.Why pay dealer prices for nothing.Also pay the extra for rotors made in the USA,those cheap Chinese rotors tend to flake apart where road salt is used.

suvshopper4

I didn't realize that regularly rebuilding or replacing calipers was common.

Is this true of some make of cars more than others, does anyone know?

ross

Thanks. Thats what I had been doing. This is the second brake job. Checked with another dealer and their price was considerably lower. Checked with repair shops and they said that they don't rebuild anymore, they just replace with reman. I am capable of that, so not going to spend the money to have them just replace parts. Second dealer said $260 caliper was for a brand new caliper and reman was $114. Went with that.

crankshaft

When the linings get thin,the caliper piston is extended out.When this happens for a length of time,corosion forms on the piston and bore even though there is a boot covering them.When you force the piston back in the bore when putting on new linings which are now thicker than the old ones,the piston tends to stick and does not retract when the brake pedal is released.You then have too much drag and the rotors tend to warp and linings do not last as long as they should.Also,when I rotate the tiresI take a screw driver and poke out all the rust in the cooling vanes.I have not had a warped rotor in many,many tears.

shannonm

I am having issues with my brakes. In the morning they are fine but by the afternoon the brake pedal goes down further. I can stop my Explorer just fine but again I have to push down farther on my brake pedal. I had my rotors and pads replaced (they needed it) and it did not help my situation. I am taking it to the mechanic on Friday but would like to have an idea of what might be wrong. I have check for a brake fluid leak with no prevail. I am thinking it may be my master cylinder but am not sure. I did the brake pedal test (put it in drive, pushed the brake pedal to see if it would start sinking and it did not). Any thoughts or ideas before I go to the mechanic. It's an 01 Explorer with 91,000 miles.

Thanks

qbrozen

Well, here's a shot in the dark, but I'd personally drain the fluid, replace, and bleed the system. It will only cost a few bucks and an hour or so of your time.

I HAD to replace the brake fluid in my volvo every 30k miles or the pedal would get very soft.

Mr_Shiftright

I'd concur....good suggestion. The brake fluid might be substandard and overheating (boiling actually, forming a gas in the lines) or maybe there is just air in the lines.

If that fails, I would suspect the master cylinder...unless...unless...the rotors were cut rather than replaced and the cut was too much...that will stress the brake calipers.

finechile20

about 2 weeks ago my abs light came on and is still on i tried to brake and i got no brakes, a madcanic said it was my master cylinder which he changed cost 279.00 labor 80.00, soon after when i brake there would be a grinding sound and the brake pedal shakes, he then said i need to change the rear speed sensor cost 125.00 labor 60.00 this still did not help. someone said he should have checked to see if something was shorten out. i got fed up took it to the dealer today dealer reportneeds right front wheel speed sensor also need both front wheel exciter rings and needs to repair short part. i will not even tell u the cost way over 800.00 can someone recommend some one who will fix my isuzu rodeo 1999 in queens village queens new york area. very reasonable. i am a female so the madcanic took advantage of me without even suggesting after the first problem that i take it to the dealer in the first place. thanks

frguerre

The clutch pedal stuck in the down or in position. After pumping the clutch pedal several times, it came back out. It seems to work fine, but may be a little soft. Is there a fluid I should check? Could it be an air lock in the system?
Any help appreciated.
email me at: smartstart@townisp.com
Thanks for your help.

qbrozen

sounds like the slave cylinder may have gotten stuck. It might continue to be ok ... or it might not. If it happens again, before pumping it to break it free, just crawl underneath and see if the slave cylinder is stuck.

frguerre

Thanks! I'll look for the slave cyliner and check that if it happens again. Is this a costly job to get repaired at a shop?

Mr_Shiftright

Not really....put in new slave cylinder, flush hydraulic fluid, add new fluid, bleed system and off you go. Maybe $100--$200? Depends where you live and how much they gouge you for the new part.

shannonm

Well, my brakes got worse before I could flush the brake fluid and it was definitely the master cylinder. It has been replaced and I am good to go.

Thanks for your imput!

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah I was afraid of that, but nothing wrong with trying the simpler things first.

frguerre

Thanks!!

daddioof4

Okay, I have a 2005 Mazda MPV with 16 inch wheels. I want to buy 2 cheap wheels to mount snow tires on. I can't seem to find cheap wheels and I can't find used wheels for an MPV. So my question, Will 16 inch wheels from a Mazda6 or Tribute fit correctly on an MPV?

Mr_Shiftright

You might do some homework on www.tirerack.com. See if an aftermarket wheel is the same stock # for both cars.

daddioof4

Good point! I hadn't thought of that. I was on Tirerack and the cheapest wheel they had listed for an MPV was $91 each. So I went to ebay and saw a bunch of 16 inch wheels for the Mazda6 for $10-50 each. Which got me to thinking.....

qbrozen

why only 2 wheels??

I assume you are planning on just putting snow tires on the front. But, ya know, rear tires can lose traction just like the fronts can. Go around an icy bend and that rearend can come right around on ya.

Don't get me wrong. If you are anywhere south of North Dakota, I am of the opinion that, with FWD, you don't need snow tires at all. A real good set of all-seasons will do ya just fine. But if you need to get snow tires, you really should get them all around. Nothing like uneven traction to cause problems.

daddioof4

Well, i agree having snow tires on all four corners is best, I also agree all seasons are good enough for most winters in Pittsburgh. But with the hills, my wife wants snow tires for going up the hills traction! With ABS and Traction control, most of the rear end run around is eliminated. Especially at the speed my wife drives (slow). Next Big Questions. I use to be able to buy wheels for under $25 (as low as $10 from a junk yard), but now a days, it seems like $100 is the normal. Am I going about this wrong. Has inflation increased the cost 5 times in the past 6-10 years?

qbrozen

With ABS and Traction control, most of the rear end run around is eliminated.

I think you'd be surprised what could happen. The best traction control and ABS systems in the world can't help gain traction when there is no traction to be had.

I'm just saying, I think its a mistake to have better tires up front than in the rear. I'm no physicist, but it seems to me this could actually cause MORE unstable conditions. In other words, I hit a patch of ice and my trusty snow tires keep the front planted but ... uh oh ... there goes that back end.

to answer your question ... i also used to be able to buy steel wheels from the junkyard for cheap. Problem is, junkyards have become scarce (all turned into high-priced housing these days) and more and more cars come with alloys instead of steelies.

i think you had it right the first time looking on Ebay, personally.

momladybugy

2003 Pontiac Montana- Heater blowing cool air, was told have intake manifold gasket leak, repair @ $740. Someone told me to look for product, maybe called "Liquid Glass", possibly a Sodium Silicate solution, to put in radiator to fill the minute holes & help seal the gasket. Is this a good suggestion to try or will it cause more problems? All I have found on it suggest using with older vechiles.