Got a Quick, Technical Question?

Mr_Shiftright

Usually your symptoms and your method of starting hot, indicate a car with a too rich fuel mixture being injected into a warm engine. Is your choke staying on too long? Could there be some leakage of fuel into the combustion chamber while the car sits after being warmed up?

jipster

Thanks for the input guys. I agree with you both. Why change it more than manufacturers recommendation? Though I have also read from many people who say they change trans. fluids at 30k... for longer service and peace of mind. The thing is there is no recommended service interval for the transmission fluid in my Mazda MPV. So, theroritically I could put 600,000 miles (or more) on the thing and still not need a trans fluid change per Mazda. The vans only got 25k miles, so I still have at least 5k miles till I decide which way to go.

user777

you know "trust but verify"...

does your AT have a dipstick for checking the ATF? if so, you can get some indication of the need to replace the ATF by its color and any contaminants as seen on a white paper towel.

google.

i drive 2 hondas. i think the recommendation is 60K, but i have the fluid changed at 30K. i have had one dealership and one independant both say 30K, and if you google on the web, you'll find other's recommending 30K.

i can only tell you that when i had my accord's ATF changed at 30K, the shifting of the AT was notably better.

dirkdoesdirt

Sorry, 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. With electronic climate control.

mhjeep

I have a hose (small about 3.8" diameter) coming off what I think is the front differential of my jeep. It connected to the differential, but no longer connected to anything on the other end. #1 what is this hose/line? #2 To what is it supposed to be connected? #3 Does this disconnected hose present a safety or serious operating problem?

mikeysc

I am trying to replace the inner tie rods on my mazda mpv 2wd van.
The rods have threads on both sides. The outers install on one side and the other side threads into the rack and pinion shaft.
I can't get the inner tie rod from either side to break loose for my life.
Am I missing something?
help please!

bolivar

It's probably just a vent hose. It probably should just run 'upwards', to get above any water you might run through, then bend down to help keep dirt out of it. The diff must have a vent otherwise the heat would increase pressure and blow out seals.

burdawg

Bolivar hit it right on the head. It usually is held up under the body by a clip.

mhjeep

Hey - great. Thanks so much for the answer. That makes sense.

mhjeep

Super help. I'll see if I can hunt down that clip. Thanks again.

grant2

My jack slipped when changing my tire. The front side of the passenger part of the car came down on top of a tire, causing damage to the panel. I eventually fixed the jack and replaced the tire, but am now concerned about a scraping noise from that area, when I drive. The disc did come to the ground. Any idea what the scraping noise can be. There's no visible pieces of metal scraping. Could some thing from disc be broken?

wizem

The ABS light has come on 3 times in the past month, but goes off after the ignition is shut off. Yesterday I was slowing down 5 - 10 MPH when I heard a noise and brief vibration like running over a large piece of angle iron. At the same time the brake pedal pushed up (pulsed) hard against my foot. No problem braking after that. No further noise pulsing or ABS light Any ideas what this might be. Calipers rotors and pads were done 2- 3000 mi. ago

burdawg

Did the sheet metal backing plate behind the rotor get bent or warped?

jagxjrportfoli

Hello, I'm not too maintenance savvy so I am looking for some advice. I'm currently in the market for a new car and have pretty much narrowed it down to the VW Rabbit and GTI. Being a performance junkie, I'd really like to have the GTI but I've heard that VW turbo engines have a poor reliablilty record. Is this true and do turbo or supercharged engines tend to require more care than normally aspirated ones? Also, I have heard that VW frequently scores below average in reliability surveys. Any information/advice would be much appreciated.

user777

have you considered or driven a Honda Civic Si? once upon a time i had a jetta gli which i loved driving (and kids liked stealing). good visability, road dynamics, power. nothing like what you're considering today though.

now i'm older and a honda fan. i wonder how the two vehicles compared up to someone like yourself. the GTI looks pretty torquey, but it's heavier than the honda by about 1 passenger. but seriously, honda vtech engines and honda reliability - i'm a fan.

bogmonster

Anybody know off hand the torque setting for title car with a 6 cyl 3800 series sedan. I'm trying to avoid buying the whole book just to find out this info. Have to take off motor mount to replace the engine belt. :mad:

imidazol97

If you've got the same motor mound as in my 1998 H-body 3800 NA, you take off the right wheel, lift slightly to support motor if needed, take off the outer lock nut, use a torx socket to take out the stud, remove the sleeve which the torx stud goes through, and that leaves an opening for the belt to be removed.

I have not done it... but I have bought the torx bit. It's an E-10, but I may ahve the wrong size so verify.

Unless your setup is different, you do not need to remove motor mounts. You remove only the sleeve on a minor component of a three-point support braket.

Take a close look first. My dealer did it in about 15 minutes with dead time in there. They had done it before of course.

bogmonster

Thanks, I take a close look.

tfmust

My local gas station put diesel in my new Focus before I got to make my first payment. I was getting 31 mpg the first 2 tanks and now I'm getting 22 mpg.I've used the dealership for repairs for many years but they said they couldn't tell me anything about possible problems down the road.They did admit my warranty is compromised due to contaminated fuel.Does anyone have any info on the possible longterm effects?

user777

given the design of the filler handles and piping, i don't know how they accomplished that.

so they admit to messing up your car, but won't buy it off you so you can get a new one? i mean, they have insurance right?

Mr_Shiftright

You'd best get an attorney if, in fact, you really are being denied warranty. Your gas station is probably liable for at least the diminution in value of your car.

On the other hand, your car might be okay. Mishaps like this happen and if you catch it in time, there's no reason to suspect permanent damage. Problem is, there's a big ???? over the whole thing.

How someone takes the BIG GREEN HANDLE with the funny sized nozzle and pumps it into a Focus....well, that's talent.

mfreehill

i have excessive exhaust blow by coming from one side. what to check first?

raphiedaman69

my oxygen sensor is bad and since i don't know anything about cars can anyone tell me where it is on a 2000 pontiac sunfire

lisalu

I have a inline 6 cycle (190K miles) that is leaking oil from head gasket with no overheating issues or coolant loss. A mechanic mentioned "stretch bolts" are used in the head which may be causing the oil leak. Can the bolts be replaced and retorqued without doing a complete head job?
Has anyone ever done this successfully? Or is the mechanic stretched??? TIA

dudester7

I have a 1996 Toyota Corolla (1.8liter engine) We just had new belts installed and the power steering belt squeaks when turning the wheel hard in either direction. With the hood open you can see the belt start to slow down when it squeals. When the car warms up it goes away. (we've had this problem for a year now. With the new belt it seems to have gotten worse. I tried tightening the belt and I don't want to tighten it any more for fear of damaging the pump. Has anyone else had this problem? We just got the car a year ago amd it currently has 120k on it. :confuse:

smokey75

If you just had them installed they probably need tightened. It seems like I have to take my car back & have them tighten them every time. Also happens when it gets cold & the belts have more slack.

Mr_Shiftright

You could re-torque the head, sure...no harm done. Replacing the bolts one by one is risky, I wouldn't try that.

BELTS--try another brand of belt.

lisaissweet01

I have a 92 Audi 100...the #14 fuse keeps blowing causing it to go into safty mode. Could someone please help???

bfenn

My car has a garetts T25 Turbo and a heavy duty clutch on it. It is 3 years old. Whenever I floor it(or really get on) the gas, around 3.5 rpm where the turbo kicks in, my car briefly looses power in a big THUD that shakes the car. It does it in 2, 3, and 4th the most. Does anyone have an idea if its the clutch or turbo?

raphiedaman69

so my oxygen sensor is bad on my 2000 pontiac sunfire. so does anyone know where its located, its the stock 1, so i'm thinking its not the one on my exhaust. anyone?

qbrozen

Hmmm... I'm thinking turbo. Maybe a bad bearing, for instance. So when it gets spinning, the bearing is resisting, which prevents the turbo from spinning properly (loss of power) and shakes the car.

Mr_Shiftright

yeah I'd say turbo, too...maybe your wastegate is dumping prematurely.

edouble1

What are the chances of the O2 sensors threads seizing on a 240K mile lexus engine? Trying to replace them, and these things(2) will not come loose! How much will a penetrant, such as PB Blaster, possibly help?

qbrozen

penetrants help ALOT! Especially on exhaust bolts. I use just good ole WD40 myself. Soak that sucker excessively and let it sit overnight. Soak it again if you have to after that.

Mr_Shiftright

yep, gbrozen is right....patience, patience is the key here.

edouble1

If I do infact end up striping them, what is the best method of recovery? 1)New manifold. 2)Heli-coil insert 3) weld a nut with the same thread over the old opening?

Thanks for the previous tip. I definetally don't want to rush. It's my wifes car, and she's out of town. They are soaking as I type....and will continue to soak through the night.

bolivar

If you are going to soak, over do it.

Saturate some cloth, cotton balls, etc and duct tape it around the item, then let it set for a day or so.

Mr_Shiftright

If you can do it safely you can also apply heat. Can you get a box wrench or socket around it...DON'T use an open end wrench!

gregman

Maybe too late but my '95 Bonneville 3800 Series II has a spacer in the passenger side motor mount. You just remove 1 bolt and the spacer that the bolt passes through and you can slip in your serpentine belt. The spacer can be a little bit of a tight fit to reinstall but it's well worth it to avoid all this engine jacking etc. etc. Good luck and remember which way the belt came off!

edouble1

As in "propane torch" heat? Apply the flame directly to the sensor or around the sensor on the manifold....or both? Thanks again, everyone!

jefany4

i have a 89 cherokee inline 6/4.0 engine.........its very hard starting,seems to have no power on accel(by the way its a 5speed manual)! i have to ride the clutch and gas to get anywhere...........very depressing! ive run lucas fuel injector in the gas to clean the injectors and still it seems to wanna stall and has no power.
any advice would help alot!..........is their a way to bypass the egr valve? or atleast check to see if it is the cause of my nightmare? its just a work car but im used to driving it! im not a mechanic so please keep it simple.....thanks

Mr_Shiftright

No not to the sensor, but around it. You have to be very careful of gas fumes and igniting any flammable material or wires or hoses....I'd block off surrounding areas with tinfoil and have an extinguisher handy. Tapping around the soaked area with a ballpen hammer might help.

bmorreale

Ok, so my sportage died while driving down the road...the timing belt broke, finally got that fixed. I just did a test drive on it and it has absolutely no balls, before it had some very little ones, but now it has none. I couldn't make it up a dinky [non-permissible content removed] hill. It sounds like it's misfiring like hell. I didn't change the spark plugs or anything. I'm almost positive i alligned the timing marks perfectly. I'm getting very frusturated with this pos. Pleas HELP!!!!!!!

Mr_Shiftright

Better check the marks again. Sounds like you're off, sorry to say. You have all the symptoms. Maybe it got loose and slipped a cog or ???

explorerx4

a few months ago, there was a case of diesel being put in the 'regular' gas storage tank at a convenience store. a lot of cars got messed up, but the station owner agreed to fix them(must have had insurance).

Mr_Shiftright

I think diesel in a gas car is better than gas in a diesel car, but neither one is a great idea.

user777

shifty, i thought it was supposed to be mechanically impossible to make that mistake? i mean, i thought the size of the filler neck hole and the size of a proper deisel fuel pump nozzle were supposed to be incompatible.

i can't imagine the wrong fuel in either vehicle either way would be a good thing.

one would think at a minimum, replacement of the fuel filter and plugs in a gas vehicle that took on diesel by mistake would be required (after draining the tank). i don't think you'd want to keep burning the stuff once the mistake was realized..

Mr_Shiftright

As Mother Nature once said to science: "you create the remotest possibility of error, and I will provide the fool to do it".

bmorreale

ya, that's what i was afraid of...I'ma check it today or tomorrow. thanks

Mr_Shiftright

Well don't be discouraged. Trained mechanics make this very same mistake sometimes....and maybe it's something else...but you have to check this first.