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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah but if you lube them you might lose them, too. I'd be inclined to try a few pieces of tape on the inner tabs (like masking tape) and see what happens-- or even some of that rubber paint. Just guessing here---never tried either one.
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    you prob got a couple of pebbles or sand behind them.
    on another note wy not leave the stupid things of if it annoys you that much.
    oh,but that does not look cool right
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah but if you lube them you might lose them, too. I'd be inclined to try a few pieces of tape on the inner tabs (like masking tape) and see what happens-- or even some of that rubber paint. Just guessing here---never tried either one.
  • wheeler11wheeler11 Member Posts: 1
    Mercury Villager 2000, 3.3 liter, auto, 118, 000 miles.
    Problem - idles at 1500 park or neutral, idles at 1100 in gear. Check engine light is NOT on, so I guess the computer thinks everything is OK.

    How do I correct?

    Note - recently, the throttle was sticking so I cleaned the throttle body at the air intake with throttle body cleaner- carb cleaner. I do not believe that the van was idling fast prior to that, but I am not sure since I am not the regular driver of that vehicle. I have double checked and all the hoses and connections that could have been disconnected when I cleaned the throttle and they all seem to be connected, so I have no idea why it is idling fast and am not sure if the throttle cleaning contributed to the idle problem.
  • diegob4beforediegob4before Member Posts: 3
    There is a sensor that control the idle speed. This sensor is on the Trottle body and the computer controls it, some time there is clog or stuck with carbon, probale when you clean the TB.
    Find the IAC sensor and clean it with Carb. Cleaner and then spreay some WD40.
    Also, the intake manifold has some hloes where the sensor goes.
    Good luck!
  • bishop1586bishop1586 Member Posts: 1
    1984 ford f150 6 cylinder,truck has fuel injection. runs fine when cold, after long driving(30+minutes) in high heat(100+), engine has no power when acceleator is pressed, stalls and is hard to restart, have to feather pedel to keep it running. plugs, distributor, plug wires, battery, alternator, all check good.air filter new, no noticable vacumm leaks. could this be a bad coil? if not, what else should i check. Thank You
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Be careful with cleaning the IAC. My experience on Ranger pickups - the IAC has a valve on one end actuated by an electric solonid on the other end. Do not get carb cleaner into the electrical end, the carb cleaner will eat up the windings and ruin it.

    Just clean the valve end. Clean the ports into the intake manifold. Be careful taking it off so you can re-use the gasket under it.

    The IAC often is a cylindar about the size of a 35mm film container and a little longer, silver on one end and black on the other, with a couple of wires running into it. It is bolted into the intake manifold.
  • okko1okko1 Member Posts: 327
    could be brain box. try pouring cold water on the box and see if changes when it is cooled.
  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    update...took battery to store. tested good. took starter to store. tested good... should have repeat tested it. Put old started back in and thought it was just dirty connections that were now clean. Worked a few times then stopped working again. .. So I just stopped on way home and got a new starter. Problem fixed.
  • jpw5010jpw5010 Member Posts: 1
    2004 Isuzu Rodeo, Automatic- I'd like to know how to empty a full gas tank into container(s)
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    are you planning to relieve people of their gas, and want a easy way of doing that? It won't be me showing you how.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Arghh! So you're saying that you cannot drive the car to burn off most of the gas?

    Well in that case you have two options. Some cars have a drain plug in the bottom of the gas tank but if you have a lot of gas you'd better be darn sure your receiving container is large enough--because it's not easy replacing the drain plug while gas is still pouring out. Gasoline up your sleeve and into your armpits is NOT FUN.

    Another option is to find the exit hose for the gas tank as it proceeds toward the engine. If this hose is flexible, you can sometimes disconnect it in such a way as to be able to clamp it with a vice grip if you find your container is too small for full drainage.

    So get under there have a look and plan a strategy (do your math). And wear rubber gloves and GOGGLES and rubber banks on your sleeves.

    Once drained, pour the gas into a proper gas container for re-use.

    Why exactly do you have to do this?
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    2004 Chevrolet Astro Cargo Van
    4.3 V6 motor
    Auto Trans
    88K miles....

    Not sure how to phrase this question, but I'll do my best.

    Not sure how to phrase this question, but I'll do my best.

    I am looking to see how or if there is a way to program how my vehicle locks/unlocks the doors when it is placed in drive or park, how the lights flash when I hit the lock button on my fob remote and also how the horn sounds when the lock or unlock button on the fob is hit.

    I have figured out how to program new remotes, but I also wonder if there is a way to manage the other settings. I know that on my Impala I just use the radio to set all these settings, but my Astro has the old style (90's style) AM FM head unit. I'm almost postive there is a way to personalize these settings, but I'm not sure how to do it beyond programng the key fobs to work with the vehicle. Anyone out there know how to do this?

    When I found the directions to program the fob remotes, I found them listed for an '01 Silverado. I am pretty sure that anything to do with programing the locks and the key fobs for GM vehciles (especially the trucks) in the late late 90's (98 and up) and also the early 00's before they switched out the old Delco head units to the newer RDS units would work. I just can't find them, although I am pretty sure there is a way to manage these settings, I am not positive and it may not be possible, but I at least want to try.
  • the_big_althe_big_al Member Posts: 1,079
    thx - I didn't even think to look in the owners manual since the directions for programing a new fob weren't in there...
  • ajaksajaks Member Posts: 11
    Can I take the front driveshaft out of my 4.3L--New Process 233, and drive it? Will this work? Will it hurt anything?
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    i dont know what vehicle you got, you'r pretty skimpy with info here.
    but if you got a 4x4 truck,then yes taking the front drive shaft off is OK, jou just have no frontwheel drive.
  • ajaksajaks Member Posts: 11
    Thanks Bison2! You’re the first reply I have ever received on Edmonds (except for a host on another list moving my post to 'file 13' (back page). I was skimpy with the info because I was afraid someone might say to post it somewhere else.

    1993 Jimmy 4WD-- 4.3L-- Hydra-matic 700R-4 tranny-- New Process 233 transfer case.

    I ask the question because I have a grinding sound coming from that area. I don't think it's the tranny but... I'm thinking it's the transfer case but just not sure might be the differential. I've posted the total problem on Edmonds several other places over the last ten months but cannot get a bite.

    Anyway, thanks again bison2! I was about to give up on Edmonds. Maybe this is the list I should be posting to.

    Jack
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    The front hub bearings on that truck have a tendency to fail. And, unfortunately, you have to replace the enitre hub assembly. So I'd take a look at that. You should still hear it after you remove the driveshaft, of course, so give it a shot and see what happens.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    i need help once in awhile too, and this site is almost dead.

    go to http:// www.dieselplace.com/forum/index.php

    far more help to be had there on any thing vehicle related
  • portlandpeepsportlandpeeps Member Posts: 2
    We recently purchased a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Classic, 4.0 L IL6, 79K miles, automatic.
    Quick preface: I am visually impaired and have not driven since 1989. My girlfriend does all the driving. So when she mentioned how cool it was that the oil pressure gauge went from about 27 at idle to about 48 at speed, I was curious. Thinking back to my driving days, I don’t recall such a fluctuation in pressure. Is it acceptable and is it my memory that is the problem?

    Thanks
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Sounds normal to me, about the same as my Wrangler 4.0L.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    also please feel free to use our Answers Department if you don't get responses here. This isn't (as you know) a "real time" board so sometimes you have to wait a few days for an answer. In the Answer Department, you might get a faster response to a one-time quick question.

    http://answers.edmunds.com/AnswerQuestions.aspx?view=answer
  • portlandpeepsportlandpeeps Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the response.
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    Wel Mr_Shiftright, I am waiting for better part of a month now to get some reply on my last post, most people including me like to get a faster reply as they most likely need their vehicle daily.
    i my case i did not agree with I believe it was your reply on my problem with 94 grand am start/stall symptom, because you did not read the post right, and your diagnosis was based on the wrong assumption.
    There after I was ignored completely. Thanks Simon
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    This is a community-sharing enterprise, so everyone does the best they can. One should not assume that anyone is being ignored Maybe we just don't know the answer. It's not easy diagnosing a car by internet, and so both asker and answerer have to join together to do their best. The hosts job here at Edmunds is to guide people to the answers if they can. We aren't mechanical experts, with rare exception. We're just car owners like you!

    There ARE however, some experts that roam around the Answers Department, as I mentioned before.
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    As for fast replies, you get what you pay for.

    As for the Grand Am problem, you need to determine if it is indeed a transmission problem or an engine problem.
    Also, your information is a bit confusing.
    You said that it stalled in Park and Neutral, then only park, not neutral.

    Does it stall when you start it and it is in park, does it stall when you are in gear and put it in park? Does it stall when you put it in gear from Park?
    Which is it?

    I stayed away from that one, because the posts were too confusing to try and make a reasonable educated guess.
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    wel at least we are communicating again,thanks,thanks.
    Describing the symptom made perfect sense to me, but from your side it could be confusing i realize.
    i will try again to explain. At startup engine fires right up,10 or 20 sec later it stalls,this is in park.It starts right up again,this time tranny is in neutral,put it in gear and drive away for 30 to 100 yards,then engine stalls again. start up,this time in neutral,but starts in park just as easy,put in gear and drive again for same distance,engine stalls again or might keep going,3 times is the max it will stall.after that it will run all day with no trouble,until shutdown for lets say 10 min or more,then same problem again, but not always. It will never die coming to a stop at any time,i did not try to shift back and forth between drive and park or neutral to make it stall,It did not cross my mind to do that.
    what ever could be checked is checked out, i start to believe it must be fuel related. The whole fuel system including injectors is tested good,other then that the LP has a tendency to leak back after shut down,not always at the same rate.but will go down to 0 psi.I dont know if this is normal. dealer does not seem to know either, only wanna sell me new car."yea right".
    If air is coming in from somewhere into the fuelrail i like to know where from.there is always fuel present at the test port i installed at the highest point on the supply line just above the engine.
    In former post i wrote down all new parts installed and fuel pressures observed.
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    Sorry if i offended you,it was not intentional. I was made believe that the hosts where reputable mechanics.And I realize that i could have given confusing statements in my posts,altough they made perfect sense to me at the time.
    but good communication also means asking to fill in the blanks if it is not quite clear what is ment by what.

    Again sorry Simon
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No problem! Cars can be very frustrating. No, the hosts are not certified mechanics, although Opatience certainly is. :D
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    Ok, first thing to do is rule out a transmission problem.
    Transmission has been serviced and there is no transmission fault codes (Check engine light on and you have had it scanned?)?
    Next, there is a square, blue, green or brown connector looking straight down on the transmission, just above the trans pan, close to where the bell housing mates with the engine. Unplug it and test drive. Do you still have the symptoms?

    No, then the TCC solenoid is bad.
    Yes, then you need to start on the engine diagnostics.

    Have you had it scanned? If so, what fault codes were there?

    Let's try that and go from there.
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    Only DTC's i found where 13 and after new OS a rich mixture code,cant remember #. I traced that finally to a bad ground,I cleared the codes. this was before current problem.
    There are no mill or DTC's at present.I use a OBD 1&2 scanner.Car is still OBD 1
    i will get back after tcc check .
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    update on symptom: The Grand am [ my doughters] got back from Edmonton to Peace river today and drove flawlessly [480 km] But start/stal symptom has changed since a month ago.
    Tonight I disconnected TCC to rule out torque converter trouble and found. Start /stall problem is still present after disconnect.
    I scanned for DTC's, none found
    symptom now consist out of harder start cold or warm, must be sitting for 30 min to display hard start again. when restart within 20 min start is immidiate.
    if engine treatens to stall,it will do so after about 20-30 sec.if caught on time playing with the trottle pedal will keep it running half the time and no further stalling till next start after shutdown. If the engine did stall,it will fire up right away again and be good from then on. So it did not matter if the car was in park,neutral or gear ,it would stall within the 30 sec mark anyway.
    i also tested the fuel pressure again .engine off key on 42 psi,at idle 35 psi and steady.with engine off pressure wil hold at 35 psi for 15 min before slowly draining of. With supply hose pinched pressure will hold period.

    at startup there is also a strong smell of gas,that leads me to believe NO spark or ??till it finally fires.

    PCM,TPS,MAP,CTS,Sparkplugs,Coils and boots,evap solenoid,OS and OPS have all been replaced about a month ago. CAT and resonator are gone too[ straigt pipe now ]

    what do i do next?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    What did you do about the O2 sensor that was monitoring the output of the catalytic converter? This sensor would be feeding back 'what ??' to the computer, thereby adjusting the fuel mixture in what way? Why did you remove the cat?
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    OS is located on exh manifold, cat had no sensor. reason for removal was to get rid of sluggish running.Kitten was plugged.Was done months prior to recent problem.
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    lol i am also certified :) just been on vacation for the past few weeks
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    Yeah, I'm certifiable. Unfortunately, those guys keep putting that funny coat on me. Makes it tough to eat sometimes and the electric shocks give me headaches. :surprise:

    Oh wait. Certified. Yeah, I got those. ;)
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Just rambling ...

    If one or more injectors is leaking, I would think the fuel pressure would start to drop immedately after shutdown, no matter if supply is 'pinched off' or not. (How do you pinch off hose? All late model hoses I've seen are now hard plastic.) If a cylinders fill up with fuel from a leaky injector, hard starting occurs.

    Fuel pressure regulator (FPR). Here is how you test on a Cadillac. On a Cadillac the FPR if the first thing on the fuel rail. It regulates the pressure passed to the injectors. It also has a vacumn hose on it. Start the car. Pull the vacumn hose off. If ANY fuel leaks out of the connector where the vacumn hose goes, replace the FPR.

    If it leaks, the vacumn line fills up with fuel on shutdown, then it is pulled into intake when you try to restart the car, giving an overly rich condition and hard starting. If you shut down and then quickly restart, if starts ok because it has not had time to get excessive fuel in the line.

    Neither of the above seems to exactly match what you are seeing, but are something the think about. The check on the FPR leaks is very easy to do on a Caddy, not sure about your vehicle.
    Don't know how to check an injector, you probably have to pull them one at a time, turn key on to pressurize the line, and see if it leaks.
  • bison2bison2 Member Posts: 31
    nice theory,but does not apply to me.94 is hardly a late model. supply hose is braided,pliers will pinch it.FPR is good,inj don't leak FPR is on end of fuelrail,same as yours

    Only thing that leaks is the LP checkvalve. Sofar I have not been able to find out if the Fuel system is always to hold pressure after shutdown like overnight or not.

    Factory manual says Fuel press is to be 47 psi, i only get 41. new FPR gets only 38. you go figure
  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    I lost 4th gear 10 months ago. Just did a mileage check and got 22.5 mpg. Car used to get 27 for same type of mixed driving. Now, driving to work at 2300 revs is 60mph. Used to run 69 mph at 1900 revs when had 4th gear. My temp gage runs 185-190 and used to run 180 degrees. Also noticed oil spots and tightened the oil pan bolts. There is still one leak point I can't trace but car has 167k miles.
    I've read some real horror stories about tranny rebuilding so I saw my mileage was still as much as 24 for hwy driving as a 3 speed, and have not decided to do it for now. Car is probably worth $1000 as is and maybe $1300 if I sunk the $1600 for tranny rebuild into it (paint issues).
    Is there any significant harm to the car to keep driving it as a 3 speed and running 400-500 rpm higher. It is a supercharged 3800 in a '96 Riv with TC and ABS. I plan to do oil changes at 4000 miles where I used to go 7000. Anything elso I should watch out for? I like the car fine as is and could only save 57 cents a day if it got 27 mpg.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    It depends on why the tranny doesn't go into 4th. If the problem is an electronic control or solenoid, then other than the additional wear I doubt that it matters with a vehicle of mileage that you have (when it dies, it dies).

    On the other hand, if the transmission problem is a mechanical one where there is a broken part, then you risk complete breakdown of the gearing if the broken part dislodges or moves around and ruins other gears.

    I had a transmission problem couple years ago, where I lost 2nd and Reverse. Drove it less than a mile after that, and then had it towed for repair. When it was taken apart, one of the small pieces of broken drum had moved back and gotten into two other gears, ruining those as well. So I had one original failed part, and then two others caused by the first. (I was at the garage and looked at all the parts). These three parts, and all the labor, cost me (IIRC) about 1600 bucks.

    I could easily understand if there was additional gear damage, that it wouldn't pay to do the repair and you either junk the car or pay to have a reclaimed transmission put in it. On the other hand, you may find that a repair now enables your vehicle to last another couple years. You have successfully run 10 months without additional problems, however. Each situation will be different.

    Good luck.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    Are you sure its not going into 4th? Or is it just not going into overdrive? Could just be the torque converter.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • equalizer3equalizer3 Member Posts: 7
    i was told my pcv was in the rear of my intake and the plenum is there i cant see it. do i have to take the plueum off ? i cant fit my hands in or around the back to replace it. i have the pcv valve.
  • gcraiggcraig Member Posts: 11
    Because of braking vibration I replaced my rotors and brake pads (used high quality ones) about 6 months ago and for a time all was really going well and braking was very smooth, but over time the vibration is increasing - again and is now so bad its causing the front end to shimmy when braking at high speeds. Now its so bad that I'm going to turn my new rotors to smooth it out. Do you think its the calipers ruining the rotors by causing them to overheat? Or, is this a typical design-type error for this vehicle? Or, is it something else? Thanks for any suggestions anyone can give me. PS, I VERY rarely brake hard and try hard to take it easy on these brakes since I've had to do this about 3 times in as many years.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,672
    Did you do the replacement yourself? How were the slide bolts on the calipers? Were they removed, and the rust removed from the inside of the ears on the calipers through which the bolts go but inside the rubber grommet? Were the bolts lubed with silicon?

    My guess is the calipers need to be replaced with nice rebuilt ones. I got rebuilt from Advance Auto for $30 ea.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    A trans shop tested car with computer for 45 minute drive and concluded it was a stripped sheet metal splined sleeve that engages with the shift into 4th gear. He said the converter and solenoids were good and the computer was calling for 4th gear. It does go into lockup in 3rd. They showed me the part that they think failed. The shavings would have been pretty minor based on what they showed me. I can't believe they transmit all the power thru this hollow splined shaft with 1/30 inch teeth. It failed during an attempt to shift up into 4th at 80 mph. I think the engine outlasted the tranny in my case. It's been 10 mos and I put 4000 miles on it since it happened. If I drive it too long, 3rd gear lock-up goes away and revs go up 1-200 and mileage drops again. But that has consistently taken 30 miles to happen.
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    this unit 4T60/4T60E has a common problem of stripping the 4th gear hub/shaft it takes heavy wear during operation replacement hubs with hardened splines are now available aftermarket, but only aftermarket. gm does not offer this item
  • gcraiggcraig Member Posts: 11
    thank you for the advice. I did the work myslef and did not replace the slide bolts - didn't know I was supposed to. I got new calipers last night and noticed my old slide bolts were much dirtier than the new ones but I didn't lubricate the new ones. I'll do so today when I bleen the system better than I was able to do it at 0-dark thirty last night! It definitely stands to reason that the bolts should be cleaned and lubricated each time I get into the brakes. Thanks again! Gary
  • gcraiggcraig Member Posts: 11
    I have 3 questions.
    1) Does anyone know where I can get an ashtray from the front dash of a 98 P.A.? I bought one yers ago and it's broken again (the latch has snapped off. color is unimportant as I can rebuild it but cost is important and I'm looking for a used one from a wrecking yard. Thanks.
    2) My windows are giving me some trouble. The back left one will not roll down all the time. Once in a while it works, then it stops working for months. Luckily it is always in the up position when it stops functioning.
    Also, my passenger side front window rolls dosn fine some times but then it won't roll down all the way when the weather is rainy. It stops about 3/4" fromt he top and will go back up but seems stuck or jammed up somehow.
    3) My driver's side door latch broke inside somewhere. It just went "Click" and it seems that the mechanism has failed inside the door since the handle flips up easily but doesn't engage the latch.

    Thanks for help with any of these three items.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,672
    >that the bolts should be cleaned and lubricated each time

    The ones I got from Advanced already had silicon looking lube heavy on the bolts where they fit into the rubber sleeves.

    If you look at your old calipers before you return them, they may be like mine. The bolts are a little cruddy after years and miles. They can be bought separately and replaced. The rubber sleeves they go into are older and rougher. AND the interior of the ears on the calipers into which the rubber sleeves go are rusted on the inside diameter.

    That rust compresses the volume for the rubber sleeves and the bolts inside of them. This makes it hard for the bolts to slide inside. That rust needs to be removed using something like a brake hone to get the interior of the sleeves back to the right internal diameter. Otherwise the old bolts and older rubber sleeves aren't going to move nicely.

    By the time I would buy parts and do the work, I've got more than $30 of my time, aggravation and dirt. To me replacing the calipers every 80 k miles at second brake change helps.

    New calipers should be smooth to give a hard push and have them move in or out a little. Plus the pistons and seals and boots in them are new. I'll bet the old calipers weren't moveable by hand and that was making them drag. The drag heats rotors. Then when you put on brake the rotors are heating and warping or the pads are heated. I hope the rotors are okay now that you have new calipers.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    I had a similar problem with '96 Riv. Front D/S Caliper Piston froze up from rust and rubbed rotor. mileage fell from 27 to 23. pads were worn out. I bent caliper mount pin taking it apart (had bad manual). put new pins and sleeves and rotor and pads in and problem persisted. New rotor warped and new pad got extensive wear in few weeks. found that new replacement pin was not straight. That still wasn't real problem. Though piston could be moved, I suspected it bad and found entire caliper assy for $31 came with greased pins and sleeves and put it in. problem solved. Protective boot around chrome plated piston was decayed and let salt water get to piston and seal. Passenger side just got new pads, rotor, pins and sleeves. That rubber boot was still good.
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