Got a Quick, Technical Question?

beccaa

I have a 2001 monte carlo ss. My problem is that the engine shuts off when I am driving. The rpm revs a little, makes a god awful high pitched noise and then it just dies. I have taken it in to get looked at and the mechanic had it for a week and couldn't figure it out. It happens every other time I drive it. When it shuts off the battery light comes on and the power steering goes out. I have to pull over (hit the gravel) and shut it off. Sometimes it will take up to 10 minutes of starting for it to come back on. It just turns over. Along with that awesome problem, sometimes I'll drive a couple miles, shut it off and cant get it to turn over. I'll wait 15 minutes and it will fire up like nothing has happened. Everything else on the car runs great, but we cannot figure out what this problem is. If anyone has come across something like this, let me know!!! thank you

codered

its all power steering the thing is fine till you drive it "about 3 of 4 mins"..sounds and feels like it going to blow up.turn key off it will back out of the resevoir cap..put new pump and hoses and no fix....i dont know what to do now...should have went with the chevy & not dodge..

kiawah

Take off the serpentine belt, and turn all of the accessories by hand to see if they all turn smoothly, or something has a bad set of bearings.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes maybe a bad idler pulley bearing!

04cad

Chevrolet Classic (malibu) 2004 2.2 four cylinder Auto Trans. 56,xxx miles Problem: bought the car without remote key fobs. Is there an easy way to tell if the car has the remote receiver all I need is to buy some fobs and have them programmed? Thanks

kiawah

The only person who is going to be able to configure the security on the new key fobs for you (assuming they can), will be the dealership. They'll have to look your VIN number up to get the security code.

So if it were me, I'd just schedule an appointment to buy a keyfob (or two) and have them configure them.

If it can't be done for your car they'll tell you that at no charge.

Don't waste a lot of time trying to figure it out, just assume success and schedule an appointment.

04cad

Thanks for the reply, I bought one from ebay after checking the link that showed remote unlock was a standard feature that year. Key Fob and shipping $15.00 from ebay, $80.00 at the dealer, $60.00 to program either way at the dealer, I am told it is about a 60 second deal to program :confuse: . I also found out today that you can have a key that will start and run your car, but won't unlock the doors New key - $5.00 to search code with VIN and $4.25 for key and to cut - unlocking and starting and running the car, priceless! I have been told some locksmiths have the capability of programming the Fobs.

edigeo

sorry guys ...maybe i'm on the wrong page...but i have a problem with my car...cx7 mazda...is blowing white smoke from exhaust.the car is by the dealer from 2 weeks already,and they can't find the problem...does anybody have any idea? thanks!

kiawah

blown headgasket, have them do a compression check on all the cylinders

qbrozen

if it IS a blown head gasket and the dealer did not figure it out the first day, I would have the car flatbedded to a different dealer ASAP!

It HAS to be something else. Just HAS to be.

Mr_Shiftright

sometimes it depends on the testing method. Coolant can burn through a very small crack in the cylinder head as well, or even a defective cylinder bore. There are various methods for each type of internal coolant leak. I prefer to pressurize the cooling system first and then remove the spark plugs and look for coolant deposits on the plugs themselves. Probably a compression test is the least reliable method. It won't pick up a very small leak. A Cylinder Leakdown test might pick up a cylinder head crack. The dealer can also test for combustion gases in the radiator coolant.

qbrozen

yeah, but again, if the dealer didn't do these things on DAY 1, then I would run away from that shop as fast as possible! I mean, what the heck could you POSSIBLY be doing for 2 weeks to a car throwing white smoke if you WEREN'T testing for coolant getting into the cylinders?

I mean, we aren't pros, yet all of us know, just from a little post in a forum, what to test for first.

Mr_Shiftright

Obviously the dealer is lazy.

qbrozen

personally, i'm thinking we're wrong and its not that simple. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking because I don't want to believe "professionals" are that bad at their jobs.

oregonboy

what the heck could you POSSIBLY be doing for 2 weeks to a car throwing white smoke if you WEREN'T testing for coolant getting into the cylinders?

I very much doubt that the dealer's service department has spent more than a small% of the 2 weeks actually working on the problem. C&D once ran an editorial (I think it was Pat Bedard) about "The Wall Job"

Basically, the shop parks the problem vehicle next to a wall for a week or so. Maybe the problem (or the customer) will just go away. Not that I'm saying that this is the case here, but it is a possibility.

Is there a loaner car? Perhaps there is little incentive to work on a problem warranty claim when there are other customers with easier (more profitable) business.

Cynically yours,
james

Mr_Shiftright

I just don't see how any certified professional mechanic could not solve this issue or at least localize it. Sometimes you get to "YES" by going through all the "NOs". He/she may have been ordered off the job by the service manager...aka..."give it the sunshine treatment and see what happens".

kiawah

I suspect they already know that they are going to have to tear the engine apart, but are either getting approvals or 3rd/4th/5th opinions......and not ready to tell the car owner yet.

Mr_Shiftright

Maybe they torqued the heads and are crossing their fingers. An engine tear down is a whole service bay tied up for days sometimes.

0patience

There are several easy tests to see if coolant is going thru the cylinders.
A year and engine size would tell me more, but testing for exhaust gases in the coolant may help.
A compression test, checking for signs of coolant in the cylinders. Signs of coolant in the oil.

Now that we covered coolant, something that the shop may be missing (we would need far more info to make a guess), would be a problem with fuel. Over fueling and fuel contamination come to mind.
Or another possibility (without knowing the year and engine, this is another guess) is that if it has the coolant passage in the throttle body, like most others, then it is possible that coolant is leaking from the throttle body gasket.

If it is a V-6, the intake gasket could also be leaking into the cylinders through the intake ports.

Need to know what tests were performed and what the results were.
The original poster also never made mention of using coolant, so that would have to be clarified too.

stickguy

well, it is a Mazda CX-7 with 5K on it, so it is a 2007 with a 2.3L turbo 4.

I would be extremely unhappy if I had to have the engine on my new car completely taken apart at the dealership. I would have little faith that they would get it back together as good as new (or better, in this case).

I would agitate to have them swap in a new engine, but that could be an uphill battle! Maybe a 7 year 100K ESP would do the trick..

And just one more reason to lease.

0patience

Sorry, I should have known it was a 4 cylinder and a 2007, but the crystal ball wasn't very clear on that, so I sent it out to be polished. :sick:

What have they checked so far and what was the result?

Is the only symptom the white exhaust smoke or is it idling rough and driving poorly?

I have to assume that the check engine light is on (my crystal ball is fuzzy on that), if it is, what codes did they say it was giving them.

If it is coolant going through the exhaust, then it should also show on the Oxygen sensors.
Have they checked the fuel pressure and confirmed it wasn't an overfueling problem?
Have they pulled the intake tube to see if the throttle body is wet with signs of coolant?

I would be extremely unhappy if I had to have the engine on my new car completely taken apart at the dealership. I would have little faith that they would get it back together as good as new (or better, in this case).

Unfortunately, you have little say in this part. If the dealer is warranting the vehicle, then it is the manufacturer's call on how they repair it.
They can either repair, rebuild or replace the engine.
It is at their discretion. The problem is, they have to locate the cause first and it sounds like they aren't very experienced nor having much success.

We're trying to help, but need more info.

edigeo

the first day they checked the antifreeze. It was no leak, then they checked the spurks plugs, nothing,then they called mazda hotline repair center..they've been told to chance the oil and to upgrade the oil filter with something different, and they did.They test the car on a ride NO SMOKE, but by the time they put the car back to service it start blowing white smoke again After many days been on the phone with customer service,and the dealer, they send some guy from another state ,like a technical engineer,that guy took the engine apart and he cleaned the whole engine .when the job was done they took the car second time to a ride,,,the guy from service told me for 20-30 miles no smoke,again, they put the car back into garage,the car started to blow smoke from exhaust again...3 days ago the service called another person from mazda tech ,another gay came and he took the turbo out to clean again,but he decided to just replace that with a new one, so , next monday they suppose to get the turbo and tu put it in the car, maybe it will work, at this point I'm pissed about all sittuation,when I called them they said to change the whole engine it takes a lot of discution with the corporate and in the meanwhile I pay for a car which is by the dealer,about having a new car from them OUT OF QUESTION.PLEASE MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN FIND WHAT IS WRONG! thanks

dakota6479

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, 5.2L V8, Autmatic tranny, 119000 miles - When accelerating from a dead stop, you hear a whine. It seems to be coming from either the tranny or the transfer case. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? :confuse:

Mr_Shiftright

Well the fact that the car repeatedly will not smoke until warmed up still makes me suspect a head gasket leak or throttle body leak or....OR...some way coolant is entering the combustion process. The warming up of the engine and raising of coolant temperature could create the pressure necessary to start the injection of coolant into the combustion chamber at some point. If the leak is small, you'll get smoke without a large loss of coolant.

Of course, one should be able to smell the white smoke for the tell-tale scent of coolant.

qbrozen

I'm with you now. This latest description makes me think it may be a cracked head. The only way they can tell is if they remove it and pressure test it. doesn't sound like they've done that.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes you can pressure test the head (one always suspects this with a turbo engine anyway). I mean sooner or later they will have to act on this.

moverfelt

2000 Dodge Conversion van.
6 cyl 3.9 litre
Auto trans
70K miles

The blower for the heater and AC stopped working. All fuses are good and there doesnt seem to be any problem in the switches. I'm not sure where the blower unit is.

moverfelt

2000 Dodge truck. 3.9L V6 with Auto Trans. 70K miles.
When at a stop sign then accelerating the truck hesitates and sputters almost killing the engine. I can hear popping sound coming from the floor board like mini backfires. Then the truck will regain power and run fine until I stop/start again. Any help app.

mysticsoul

hey there all..

I'm new to this forum, have a
2001 Hyundai Elantra,4dr sedan, 4Cylinder 2.0L, Auto, 80K

how to replace the windshield-washer motor

I'll be grateful if anyone could help me with this, the windshield washer doesnt work anymore, I had a look at it, its not the water being empty, or the pipes being clogged, so I think its the windshield-washer motor, cause I dont hear the motor sound anymore, any idea where the motor is located or how do I access it? short on money so i'll have to fix it myself.

Thanx

Mr_Shiftright

This is a duplicate post and your question was already answered here:

Finding the Windshield Washer Motor

bob5114

I can't find the location of the power window relay in my Kia Sportage 01. I have checked every relay I couold locate under the dash...no luck.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Mr_Shiftright

go to the dealer's parts department and ask them for help since you may need to replace the relay and you need to know its location.

suvshopper4

Has the air filter been replaced lately?
Could be starving for air, most noticeable on acceleration.
Happened to me on an older Dodge van.

Hope this helps.

-ss4

gbrinson

I have a 2000 Lincoln Navigator from Canada and I need to have the odometer converted to miles from Kilometers. Any idea where I can get this done in the Los Angeles area?

gbrinson

I have a 2000 Lincoln Navigator from Canada and I need to have the odometer converted to miles from Kilometers. Any idea where I can get this done in the Los Angeles area? I called a local Ford/Lincoln dealer and he thought I was smoking crack. He had no idea.

kmeraz

Hello,
We have a 2003 Toyota Sienna, 6 cylinder, Auto with about 120K. We have had a variety of problems this summer ranging from the gas cap needing to be replaced to valves and sensors needing to be replaced...several related to the fuel system.
ANYHOW, today while in the car with my husband and 3 kids we were overcome with the smell of fuel and our gas line had ruptured. The gas line from the tank to the engine and we apparently had gas spewing in the engine. The mechanic says it looks as though a hole was caused by vibrations of the vehicle and a nearby clip on the gas line.
Does this make any sense?
Do fuel lines rupture like this?
I'm at the mercy of my dealership, how should I approach this issue with them? It seems VERY serious to me.

stickguy

you certainly drive a lot!

Fuel lines can break. IMO, it is very rare, especially on a newer car.

The good news is, it shold be an easy fix. Just take off the lod line and put on a new one. That of course assumes it didn't catch on fire!

Funny thing is, last weekend I stopped at a convenience store, and noticed a strong gas smell (they don't have pumps either). Finally realized there was a Lexus RX300 with a puddle leaking underneath it, where the smell seemed to be coming from.

I happened to stop at the same place yesterday, and I think parked in that spot. You could still smell the reek of the gas, and see a stain.

I had a fuel line go many years ago on an old Opel I had. It was a rubber line in the engine compartment. I think that would have been a fireball if the car had been hot (I had just started it and was leaving a parking lot), which given how big a piece of crap it was, might have been a good thing. But, a quick tow and a few bucks later, it ran again.

96850glt

First, a shoutout to 0patience and qbrozen. Thanks for your inputs. After a second cleaning of the MAF sensor, and a through cleaning of the PCV valve and hoses, the car still ran rough. I broke down and paid Portland Volvo $225 for a new MAF sensor. Car runs fine now. qbrozen, thanks for the PCV tip. While it was not the cause, it did need cleaning, and I found the flame trap missing. The parts guy told me of a Volvo TSB which called for removing the flame trap. However, that TSB was superceded by another one which called re-installing the flame trap, which he gave me for free. Nice to know.

qbrozen

glad you got it sorted out.

flame trap! ah, yes, i forgot about that. It was done away with on the S70, but I remember reading about it quite a bit.

04cad

Turns out the only locksmith in my town with the Tech 2 tool wanted $60.00 to program one or two fobs, the dealership said if they could do it on the lot with the Tech 2 tool - no charge, if it had to come inside - $38.00 for program one or two fobs. Had the dealer do it today.

doug4321

I just bought a 2005 Honda Accord EXL V6 Coupe,auto trans.Why does Honda run a single exhaust pipe to the rear of the car and then branch it off to two exhaust tips?This does nothing to improve performance,gas mileage or relieve exhaust back pressure.What happened to the days of true dual exhausts?I traded an 04 Grand Prix GTP(supercharged)for this Accord and they did the same thing with the exhaust system.Inguiring minds want to know!!!.

toomanyfumes

I don't know but cost must have something to do with it. Need two mufflers, cat cons, pipes, etc. Most people will never look under their car and just think the two pipes are cool.

thakur

I parked my Honda accord 2003 model in parking lot and water went inside this as it is raining heavily.After that I drove it for 2miles but after that it stop.I leave the car in service station but till now they didn't identify the problem.Can some one suggest what can be the problem with car

jipster

You leave the windows open?

04cad

Look in your owners manual or go online and try to find the owners manual at the Lincoln area of this forum, it could be a matter of pushing the right button(s) to get it to change. A lot of American cars will do eithr metric or American by just pushing a button. Good luck!

04cad

Sounds reasonable to me on a car with 120K on it. Should be a pretty easy fix. Good luck!

doug4321

toomanyfumes,
You are probably right,though I would pay extra for a true dual exhaust system.Back in the day I had Chevy 409,427 Ram Charger,Tri-Power 60 Chevy,etc.all with true dual exhausts.These cars had no back pressure problems and performed.Thanks for your input.
Doug4321

04cad

Anyone have a short description of removal and replacement procedure for a steering rack on a 1998 Malibu LS V6 auto trans, 150,000 miles. How would your rate the degree of difficulty for a fairly talented do it yourselfer? Any hints or tricks to make it easier? I have the dreaded tight spot when turning right or left, other than that one spot it works fine. Thanks in advance.

0patience

http://www.discountsteering.com/addtocart/1998_Chevrolet/Malibu/Power_Steering_R- - ack/80-00240.html

With a lift and good shop to work out of, the job takes about 3 hours. Someone doing it in their garage should figure at least the day to do it, figuring in rusted/stuck bolts, things that may not go to well and things like that.

If you want my opinion, I don't even do those repairs anymore.

REMOVE OR DISCONNECT
Siphon power steering fluid from reservoir.
Raise vehicle.
Left front tire.
Lower pinch bolt on intermediate shaft assembly and push shaft up towards steering column.
Remove tie rods from knuckles.
Steering gear bolts.
Transmission mount to Crossmember bolt.
Remove rear Crossmember to body bolts to provide clearance to remove power steering pipe/hoses.
Loosen front Crossmember bolts.
Power steering pipes from steering gear.
Steering gear through left wheel opening.
INSTALL OR CONNECT
Steering gear through left wheel opening.
Power steering pipes to steering gear.
Tighten front Crossmember bolts.
Install rear Crossmember to body bolts.
Transmission mount to Crossmember bolt.
Steering gear bolts.
Install tie rods to knuckles.
Lower pinch bolt on intermediate shaft assembly.
Left front tire.
Lower vehicle.
Fill reservoir with power steering fluid and bleed air from system.
Inspect for leaks.

Mr_Shiftright

Thanks for the helpful post. I would agree, based on what you posted...an unpleasant job but mostly nut and bolt work rather than rocket science. I think a persistent DIY-er could do it but you'll need perhaps a little more than basic tools in a fishing tackle box. At least one of those turkey forks, a breaker bar, good jack stands and the usual buckets and funnels.