Got a Quick, Technical Question?

burdawg

I don't see how the heater not working is a symptom of an intake manifold leak, unless the coolant is so low that's causing it. In that case you should have other symptoms also. Anyway, those stop leak products are only temporary fixes if they work at all. Usually the leak will return, and probably at the worst time.

penizzle

Hello all,

Our 93 Camry Le 2.2 4cyl with 286,000 miles it driving us nuts. The problem is that whenever the car is placed in drive or reverse and you aren't moving, it vibrates bad, unless you increase the rpm's a little, but even if you rev the engine, it vibrates more than it used to. This is my dad's car and he is an ex mechanic and know pretty much aljl things about cars. He thinks that it might be the balance shafts in the engine, but this car has so many miles, i dont think it's worth it. The engine has never been replaced or had major work done. We know that it isn't misfiring or running rough.

Here is all of the repairs we have done to try to fix the problem : motor and tranny mounts, plug replacement, all fluids replaced(not for the prob. but just maintenence), and we put a bottle of gum out fuel system cleaner in, all to no avail.

This car is amazing. In its 13 year and 300,00 mile history, the only repairs we have done, all recent, were drive axles, water pump, radiator, a couple of batteries, front exhaust pipe, and battery cable clamps.

So what do you guys think??? THis is my car in 5 months and i dont want to give it up.

Thanks,
Brad

momladybugy

Thanks for the info. All I know is that the mechanic said that it was a gallon low on water & he filled that up. Now, we are getting hot air, but he said he doesn't know how fast it is leaking & that will determine how long it will keep staying hot. He said that it looked like the manifold had been leaking for a good while. Before we took it in, Air was blowing, but it was cool. If you turn the temp dial from hot to cold & then back to hot, you get heat for about 30-45 seconds. One day, it gave heat all day, the next, it was cool again after allowing van to run for 20 minutes in driveway. Any help would be appreciated so that I will know what exactly to say when we take it back in. Honestly, I have no clue & would hate to get railroaded out of $750.00. Thanks!

momladybugy

Opps, forgot to ask, When you say should have other symptoms if that was the case, what should I look for? Thanks!

Mr_Shiftright

water in your engine oil.

burdawg

Is it visibly leaking coolant on the ground? Does the engine run hot?
A leaky manifold doesn't always mean coolant is in the oil, but it can.
Since you have already had is looked at, and it was very low on coolant (1 gallon is a lot to be low) then it's probably been diagnosed correctly and the only real repair is to have the manifold repaired.
If the coolant is very low then the heat can be as you described. The coolant level is below the level needed to effectively keep the coolant from circulating through the core.
Is it a 3.4 Liter engine?

momladybugy

Yes it is a 3.4L. Occasionally this summer I noticed when I would pull out of the driveway that there was a little, I assumed water, where I was parked. I thought a little was normal when you were running the air conditioner? Didn't really think about it, probably should have. The fluid was only there when the car had recently been running, not just like sitting all day or over night. The mechanic didn't say there was any problem with coolant in the oil... yet. I am assuming that if it had not been caught, that could have been an issue. The engine has not been running hot. This was all of a sudden when the cold weather hit that I noticed any problems.
I saw on several internet sites that it is not normal to have problems with the manifold until around 90 to 100K miles? Is that true? We have just over 37K. Warranty just ran out about 2 months ago. Also, saw info about GM using DexCool on 1999-2003 models that could play a part in the manifold problems occuring sooner. I do know that the mechanic said that he will flush it all out well after the repairs, but I know that is standard with that type of repair. Thanks for your info. It has helped clarify some!

imidazol97

>He said that it looked like the manifold had been leaking for a good while.

Goiing by that wording..., it sounds like a leak where coolant is going to the outside of the motor since the mechanic said "looked like."

If that's the case, the coolant level will just get lower and lower. The heater is probably the highest point in the water system and that's where the air accumulates so no heat.

Where you had water spots on the pavement, was that an orange brown color? It would leave a color on the concrete for a while. If there wasn't a color, it was air conditioning drip. That would show up afteer the car had been driven with the air conditiioner on and then parked.

Do not add any sealers. That's especially true if you might have the system worked on. All those will do is clog up the heater's tiny passages. GM has a sealant that's organic in pellets that are added when the system is refilled. They're available at GM parts counters. I add two every time I change my antifreeze at home-every two years.

I would look for a second opinion.

ray80

This is a very common problem on 96-03 3.x GM engines. The gasket itself is the trouble, not DEX-COOL. There is a new one available that should not crack. I believe it usually starts as an external leak and you may very well be able to see some wetness below the gasket ( I think the coolant tends to evaporate but wet looking deposit, maybe oil may be left).

burdawg

Yes, when I had this problem on my 99 Grand Am it started very slow, with no apparent sign except the coolant being low in the resevoir. It was leaking on the top of the manifold and would evaporate before dripping on the ground. Of course it finally worsened to the point that it just leaked constantly and was obvious where it was coming from.

lle672

My 1993 Geo Prizm almost ran out of gas the other day and ever since it hasnt run right. It almost seems like it is only running on 3 cylinders and then my check engine light came on. I checked the light and it gave me a code 25. What could this be? Im at a loss here. :mad: Please help!

penizzle

It sounds like your fuel pump is damaged due to running low on fuel. That makes the fuel pump overheat and it damages it. Check your fuel pump pressure to see if that is the case.

Code 25 means that there is a lean fuel mixture, so i'm almost positive your fuel pump is bad.

I know how to replace the pump on your model, so if you decide to replace it your self, i'll give you some steps. It's actually easy.

jj_accord

On my brother's 94 Dynasty, the rear driver side door will not shut in cold weather. During summer, there's no problems but in winter the latch inside the door won't move. My brother isn't the best for keeping up with maintenance and I was going to spray the latch with white lithium. Anything else or better I should do?

Thanks.

mechaniklutz

This began with an intermittent problem with digital dash going "blank", then returning to normal.
Then, some kind of relay got stuck, whenever the outside temp dropped to around freezing, and the electronic locks would go on/off all night until the battery went dead.
Solved that by pulling the negative terminal each night before bed. Next day she'd start fine.
No problems (even with the neg terminal connected) all this past summer.
We got home after a short trip last week (1st day of cold weather). No mechanical problems.
But, got up the next day and it wouldn't start. Not a click, not a sound. Thought it was the battery, so I replaced it with a brand new one, but to no avail.
In fact nothing much works now but the H&L beam headlights.
I've checked every fuse I can find, under the hood, and in the dash. Only a couple of them have "fire"...
Inside: Only the Rear Defog (all others = no signal)
Under Hood (on Driver-side/right of batt): Anti-skid; Grill Trail; and H Lamps (all others = no signal)

I'm at a total loss. Don't even know what else to check, since I'm not much of an auto electrician.

Is there a "main fuse / relay" that would allow for some of these points to get batt power, and not others in the same bank of fuses?
If so, where/what is it?; how do I check it?; how do I replace it?
I'm desperate...thanks in advance!

lle672

I would rather fix it myself if possible, so I'll give it a try. Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Also, all of a sudden (yesterday), my air bag light came on and wont go off...does this have anything to do with the initial problem or do i just have a POS on my hands. Let me know! Thanks. :lemon:

richardson

Does anybody know why car companies are now putting the battery inside a box?

tonymacc

Did you ever find the cause of this problem?
Thanks Tony
tonymacchiaroli@yahoo.com

wtd44

I have noticed that my vehicles with boxed batteries seem to have essentially no corrosives or other contaminants showing up on the case, and the posts seem to stay clear as well. This is not proof of cause and effect, but it suggests that those boxes really protect and preserve the battery.

richardson

I have a friend with a 5 year old jeep with a battery in a box and he says the same thing. His battery is perfectly clean. He wonders if the box is made out of some special materials that contains special properties.

penizzle

The airbag light doesn't relate to that. Anyway, the first step is to get your car as low on gas as possible, whether by driving it down or siphoning it out into a suitable container. After that, remove your back seat butt cushion. All you usually have to do is pull it up. After that, you will see a oval shaped cover with screws holding it down. Remove them and pu;; the cover off and you will see the fuel pump cover. Remove all tubing and electrical connectors and undo the bolts holding the fuel pump in the tank. Pull the assembly out of the tank, trying not to bang the gas guage float with it. By the way, plug your nose for this because the smell of gas will be very strong. Roll down windows or something. After the assembly is out of the tank, you will see the pump and filter at the bottom. Disconnect any other electrical conncections or such from the pump, and work it and the filter off. Install the new pump with the new strainer on it, put it all back together, and you are done. After your ready to strt the car, do the following. Turn your key to the ON position, wait a few seconds, turn the key OFF then do that a couple of more times, then you can start the car, but it may take a while to start. Not to worry.

Good luck

ricketts22

where do you change the supercharger oil on a supercharged 3800, in this case on a 98 regal? (where on the engine, not "duh, at the buick dealership")

imidazol97

Hi. Welcome to Edmunds.
I found this set of steps that should apply to your supercharger on the net.

Supercharger Oil Flush/Change

This procedure is for Series I (92-95), and the procedure is the same for the 96-03 M90, other than the location of the plug.
Go to the Pontiac dealer and buy 2 bottles of Supercharger Oil P/N 10953513. If you're not going to flush the cone, one bottle will be more than enough.
Pull the smaller of the two covers off the blower, on the pulley end of the supercharger (passenger side of the engine compartment). You'll see a small plug (1/4" NPT if you know your plumbing sizes) out of the nose cone assembly (you'll need an allen wrench). You don't want it hot, but make sure it's warm. Wipe any debris or dirt off the nose cone in and around the plug before removal.
Put a Jack under the Front A-arm or sub-frame on the driver's side and raise it. This will force the oil towards the pulley end of the nose cone and make it easier to suck out.
Get 2 large syringes from your local drug dealer or farm/feed supply, and some 1/4" tubing from the auto parts store. A foot will do for each syringe. Press the tubing onto the end of each syringe, and use one to
suction the oil out through the fill hole.
Refill it with a clean syringe and tubing, not a funnel, cuz you have to see when the oil reaches the bottom edge of the threads.
Re-install the 1/4" NPT plug in the nose cone assembly. If you're flushing (reccommended), start the car and let it run for a minute or two, and repeat step 4, always using one syringe to empty, and the other to fill. The last time you fill it, let it off the jack (level car) before
filling it.
Re-install the wire harness cover.

flheat

Where is horn relay located on a 1990 Lumina 3.1?
TKS

punkeye

Help@ I am the owner of a recently acquired 1996 saab 900 se turbo. It was involved in a minor front end collision. The radiator doesn't hold water and the intercooler is damaged. If I wanted to do the repair work, I was told these two parts have to be removed from underneath; not like the domestics where they are pulled out from the top. Or else you have to remove the whole front end the get the parts out. Is this true or just another case of someone not knowing their stuff? Also if I had to move(drive it) a distance of about 15 miles, would operating it without benefit of cooling system damage the engine if I didn't exceed 30 mph?

qbrozen

i can't help ya with how they are removed, but I can tell you NOT to drive it that distance without the benefit of a radiator. The speed doesn't matter. You can overheat a car sitting at idle, driving 5 mph, or 50 mph. And without a radiator, it will happen QUICKLY. Just have it towed and save yourself a fried engine or head.

wtd44

You might go online and look in the Mitchell manual for help on disassembly and reassembly. I suppose Saab is covered in that manual, but I don't know for sure. Good luck.

punkeye

Thanks for the help. I don't know boola about cars but I intend to learn.

ddecker5

Last night, the "low brake fluid" indicator light came on. We have a 2002 Chevy Venture. I was going to add fluid, but the level looked ok, and I don't know how to get to the reservoir.
Should I add fluid, or take the van to a dealer?

Thanks

Dennis

qbrozen

if the fluid really isn't low, then it may be a bad sensor. Could mean a trip to the dealer.

Usually there are 2 lines on a brake fluid resevoir, so just make sure you are looking at the correct one.

british_rover

If I remember right on the Venture the reservoir is buried under the cowl well back by the firewall. It is very hard to see and even harder to add fluid to. You will need a long, narrow and CLEAN funnel. Go buy a new one don't use one that has had any oil based products in it.

ddecker5

My wife had her foot on the brake when she started the van, and the light went off. Has anyone seen this before?

ray80

Hhmm I hate to be talking apples and oranges, but was it quite cold when it happened, and was she pressing brake when it happened (and light went out when she took her foot off)?

eyesrglazed

I was just changing the oil in my car a while ago, and while replacing the oil fill cap, the brittle, 10 year old EGR vaccuum supply hose on the transducer solenoid snapped. I am wondering (I'm not really that great with cars) just how drivable the car is with this hose being broken?

eyesrglazed

Never mind. I found out what had to be replaced, and pieced it together.

nbpt100

The ABS is randomly kicking in while braking under normal conditions on dry roads. It is more likely to happen when turning left while braking.

It must be sensing a significant speed difference between the wheels.

I pulled the fuse to the pump it was so annoying.

The cables going to the wheel sensors look ok.

Any ideas?

96 Dodge Intrepid.

qbrozen

well, one of those sensors could be bad, or it could be the abs module itself.

vcheng

Check the wheel sensor rings themselves for damage ie missing teeth.

odannyboy

I have no clue as to where to look for this question. Can anyone tell me if the rims of a1993 olds achieva are interchangeable with a 1999 cavalier? Thanks. Dan

3fan4evr

Anybody know the minimum disc thickness for the front rotors on a 1993 Honda Civic, 1.5L, 4 dr Lx? I can't find a stamping/casting on them that would indicate this.
Thanks!

done37

Discard thickness according to Raybestos is .748

Don

3fan4evr

Thnx the the reply. I'm surprised that even after 13 yrs and 210,000 miles the disc are still good, retaining a min thickness of 0.780.

Mike

smokey75

I have a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder with 83,000 miles. I've always greased the one and only fitting on the front driveshaft (4wd) at the interval that's recommended but it has never seemed like it took any grease. It almost seems like it just squirts out around the fitting.
1) Are there different types of fittings and could my grease gun have the wrong one?
2) If I haven't been greasing it what damage could this do & what symptoms might it cause?
3) How much grease should you give it on a regular basis and if I haven't been getting any grease in how much should I give it now.
4) Is it typical for grease in a grease gun to seperate and a yellow liquid to leak out of the grease gun? Thanks...

Mr_Shiftright

The fitting might be gummed up. You can either unscrew it and clean it out or there is a tool that clears the fitting...but that seems like a lot of trouble for one fitting.

Probably this fitting is for the driveshaft to slide on a spline. Hard to say what, if any damage might occur, but if you could get a small deep socket and remove that fitting and install a new one, that would probably solve your problem.

These are called "zerk" fittings I believe.



Here's where you can buy a zerk fitting cleaning tool:

Zerk Cleaning Tool

smokey75

So there's only the one kind of zerk fitting?

Mr_Shiftright

Nope, there are lots of varieties, but with cars and truck I think about a dozen variations.

Here's a place where you can download pix and specs for all common zerks:

http://www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com/template.asp?pagename=grftg

nbpt100

One would think that is the problem. I was told by a tech if a sensor was bad the ABS light would be on. I am skeptical but it may be true in most but not all cases.

The ABS light does not come on.

cherokeeaddict

I just happen to be in Advance auto today,picking tranny fluid up for a dodge ram,same deal ATF-4.$3.19 a quart.If you have an Advance near you,I'd give them a look.

cherokeeaddict

The truck originally had a problem with the front brakes not releasing,it cooked the pads,calipers,etc.I figured it due to a worn brake hose that collapsed.I have since replaced EVERYTHING.the calipers,outer brake hoses,steel lines,T hose,and steel line leading up to the proportioning valve.After bleeding the brakes out,i have found same problem,i can't turn the rotors without loosening the bleeder.Could it be that the heat build-up in the fluid has swollen the plungers in the master cylinder,keeping the brakes applied?I have also checked inside and made sure the pedal had come all the way back up.

crankshaft

The fact that the brakes release after opening the bleeder indicates the problem to be upstream from the calipers.If all hoses have been replaced,I would suspect the master cylinder.When the brakes are locked up,I would disconnect the line off the master cylinder.If the brakes release,replace the master cylinder.If they do not,look for a problem with the proportioning block or an obstruction in the steel lines.You did not mention if both sides are seizing.

blazer_man

I recently rebuilt my small block Chevy engine, and replaced the crank with a used turned crank from a local machine shop. Now the dipstick hits the crank when fully seated. Is it possible that I got a stroker crank by mistake, and if so would it require a shorter dipstick tube?