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Comments

  • wight1wight1 Member Posts: 218
    I have a problem with my wife's 1994 Olds Cutlass Ciera instrument gauges. For several months now, the temperature gauge has been reading about 20 to 30 degrees warmer than it used to. This started sometime after I had the engine coolant changed at the dealership. And no, the increased temperature gauge reading has nothing to do with the fact that we are in the summer season. The guage never used to go above maybe 200 degrees even in the summer, and now it reads 220 to 230 all the time. The guage also reads erratically sometimes, i.e. it fluctuates up and down when driving and idling. At idle, it goes up quickly, but then drops back down very quickly as soon as you hit the accelerator. Also, I occasionally get the same kind of wild fluctuation in the fuel gauge, and sometimes the radio will not come on unless you turn the power switch off and on several times in succession.

    I originally thought the temp. gauge problem might have been caused by the incorrect mixture of engine coolant installed by the dealer, since the temp. gauge problem started right after the coolant was changed. But with the fuel gauge and radio problem also occuring at the same time, all of this smells like a bad instrument panel ground to me. Do you have any thoughts on this?
  • aftershock1aftershock1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 94 Dodge Stealth with 66K miles. It ran great until 2 weeks ago. I turned the engine off for a couple of minutes one day and then it wouldn't start. After getting it jumped off, I drove about 10 miles to get the battery checked. Every time I had to let to let off of the gas, it would die. I had the battery and alternator checked. They replaced the battery and said the alternator checked out ok. After replacing the battery, the car was still dying when I first started it. After the car ran for a few minutes, it would idle OK as long as the AC was running. This happened every time I started it. I have taken it to 2 different garages and they haven't been able to find the problem. They performed computer diagnostics but they didn't come up with anything. The 2nd place I took it to adjusted the idle and it ran ok for 2 weeks. Today the same problems started all over again. Any suggestions?
  • hulagirlhulagirl Member Posts: 39
    Thanks for the reply about extended warranty, but where should I watch for the article - here in Edmunds or in newspapers???
  • roper122roper122 Member Posts: 1
    how can i identify the engine type for my 86 ford bronco the vin number is 1fmdu15n9gla88583
  • snoble3snoble3 Member Posts: 1
    I have a '92 Taurus wagon with 209,000 miles on it. Haven't had any major trouble but recently the interior courtesy lights (1 dome, 1 ea. driver and passenger door, and 1 near drivers feet) refused to go off. Does this sound like the courtesy illumination actuator module or an individual door switch? Incidently I am waiting for my 2001 Honda Odyssey to arrive. Thanks.
  • sonnyjrsonnyjr Member Posts: 1
    My dealer said I need a new modulator valve for a cost of about $900. The diagnosis showed that, too. He said doesn't affect my regular brakes. Could I just cover the light with tape or how do I disconnect the light. Bothers me driving at night. How hard is it to install this valve and does someone have rebuilds less than the 595 new cost? Thanks
  • mogul1mogul1 Member Posts: 2
    I am looking for anyone that might have a schematic of the vacuum hose setup to the throttle body on a 1991 dodge daytona es 2.5L
    any help is greatly appreciated
  • mogul1mogul1 Member Posts: 2
    quickest way to get all details on that vin is call your insurance company with it.

    gregg
  • illinoisillinois Member Posts: 4
    Hello --

    My 95 Ford Windstar (3.8L V6) had the head gaskets replaced 4/1999, and the transmission replaced with a rebuilt one (including a steel forward clutch piston) in 6/2000.

    Seems like the repair work was done well by the Ford dealership.

    Given that, how long would you expect these repairs to last?

    Thanks,
    Ed
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    I have never heard that before from any of the technicians I have worked with over the years, although they do recommend replacing the voltage regulator when replacing the alternator. Now having a four year old battery brings up the question of a possible battery failure waiting to happen, but then again it could go another couple of years. If the battery has been tested and the voltage is lower than 10 volts, under load, then I would recommend replacing it as that is the standard for replacement. You should see 12 volts charge static, or no load, and 10 volts or more under load. A load on a battery would be, for example, starting the vehicle, test equipment can duplicate this and determine if the battery is defective.
  • jpatesjpates Member Posts: 4
    I just bought a new 2001 VW Jetta (wonderful car)
    but I noticed driving home from the dealer that
    the cruise control turned off once while driving over a bridge with a small bump. Is this normal? Can cruise be adjusted to stay on better?
  • vera4vera4 Member Posts: 1
    I bought the most wonderful 1999 cabernet red Mercury Mystique GS with only 12,000 miles on it from a local Ford dealer 2 weeks ago. I had been dreaming about it for nearly two years and studied it on edmunds. I love everything about it and just was starting to feel comfortable in it when today the rear end of an enormous rig crashed into the passenger side of the car so that the car was pushed up against the sidewalk and then over the curb. The passenger windows were all smashed and the doors can't be opened. I am lucky to be alive. In 45 years of driving I have never been involved in an accident and this one was caused by the rig driver. My question is about the appraisal process. The police here in San Francisco where I live, claim they don't write reports, so I made the report to my insurance company and it is sending an appraiser. Can anyone advise me under what circumstances a car is considered a total-loss for insurance purposes. This is the first car I bought in 20 years (I traded in a 1979 Mustang) and I don't want one that is pasted together with replacement parts in a body shop. I wanted this nearly new car. I am told that if the frame is wrecked the car never will be the same, or drive the same and of course if I ever wanted to trade it or sell it, I would have to say it was in a wreck. Any advice (or consolation) is appreciated
  • dianejoandianejoan Member Posts: 1
    I JUST BROUGHT (1 MONTH AGO) A 95' BUICK LESABRE WITH 55K ON IT. NO PROBLEMS, LOVE THE CAR! BUT I NOTICED RIGHT OFF THE BAT THAT IT HAS A RATHER LOUD NOISE COMING FROM AREA OF BACK SEAT. IT SOUNDS LIKE A MOTOR NOISE. A REAR PASSENGER ALSO MENTIONED THE LOUD NOISE. I BELIEVE IT MAY BE THE FUEL PUMP MOTOR. WHICH BRAND PUMP SHOULD I BUY TO REPLACE THIS NOISY ONE WITH? THANKS FOR HELP.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    My background is as a service advisor and not a technician, but I would assume if these concerns all started in the same time frame they may be related. If you could get the wiring diagrams for the vehicle you could see if those items you mentioned are on the same circuit. If they are not on the same circuit then you have more than one concern, also see if there are any other components using the same circuit. Often all of the gauges are on the same circuit and hence all of them should be acting up, if it was a common ground like you had mentioned. Sometimes when get a cooling system flushed that has not been done for awhile the coolant temperature sensor seems to have a shorter life afterward, something about cleaning out all of that gunk in the system. I hope this helps.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    The first question I would ask is who is looking at your vehicle? If you are not having luck getting it repaired through the aftermarket, try a Dodge dealer. What you could have is an intermittent failure which can be hard to diagnose, for example, an alternator that is only charging intermittently. How about a possible loose ground for the charging system that is only making contact intermittently? I would bring it back to one of the places that you spent money with and have them recheck the vehicle again. Maybe they are not doing a jiggle test, I know, you are laughing thinking, he's kidding, right? Nope, that is a real term used for wiggling/jiggling the wiring while testing an electrical circuit to check for loose connections.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Sorry, I thought the story would be online sooner and I could come back in a day or so with the link. Without further ado, here it is:http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/editorial/features/extended.warranties/index.html
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    The eighth digit in your VIN is the engine code, which for your engine is "n". I don't know that what engine that code relates to off the top of my head, but maybe you try the reference section of your local library to check some of the automotive reference books that have this type of information. Mitchell or Chilton books, I believe would have this listed.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    As you mentioned, it could be any of the door switches or the relay that controls that circuit. I would think that the door switches would be easier to test first, as those relays are usually buried under the dash, somewhere. The Ford shop manual would be very helpful in diagnosing and finding the relay. Congratulations on your new Honda Odyssey, one of our own editors recently purchased one for his ever-growing family and has been very happy with it.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Check with the dealer about the possibility of a remanufactured unit to save some money. If Buick does not have one available then you may want to check for a used part from a salvage yard and see what the dealer would charge to install it. If you ever needed to have ABS and it was not working, you could be very sorry if you were involved in an accident. You life is surely worth more than the cost of such an important repair. I am not sure of the labor involved in replacement of the valve, you could consult the reference section of your local library for a repair manual that lists the replacement procedure, make note if it requires any special tools. From that you should be able to determine if you can perform this repair yourself. If so, make copies to take with you.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Check with your local library in the reference section. Some auto parts stores also have a reference section available for use. Lastly you could check with your local dealer, but they usually don't let the public have access to their library of manufacturer Shop Manuals, but you never know until you ask.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    I have found over the years working in the service industry that vehicle longevity is directly proportional to the maintenance performed. Higher line cars do not necessarily last longer because they are that much better built, but I believe it is more because of the fact that their owners maintain them better. The owners look at the money they spent on the vehicle as an investment and maintain the vehicle based on that philosophy. Just my 2 cents, based on my experience as a service advisor.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Cruise controls are designed to be turned off by several methods, but not by going over a bump in the road. Usually a cruise control system can be turned off by depressing the brake pedal, or in cars with manual transmissions, the clutch pedal, and you always have the on/off switch for the whole system. Make an appointment with your serving dealer to look at the system, but try to make mental notes on how big the bump has to be to disengage the cruise. Also, do you have to turn the system back on again after it knocks you out or can you just use the resume button to get back to your cruising speed? If "the" bump is close to the dealer, make a note that the technician should be able to duplicate the concern over that particular bump. Any and all information is helpful to the technician, especially if the concern is intermittent.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Our own Erin Mahoney has written two articles covering this very subject. Check them out at:

    http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/editorial/features/dealing_w_insurance/dealing_w_insurance.html

    http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/editorial/features/total.your.vehicle/index.html

    Both of these excellent articles should answer many of your questions. I am sorry your vehicle was damaged so badly, but happy to hear you came out in good shape. Modern vehicles do a much better of of protecting passengers in accidents, so be thankful you were not in your old 1979 Mustang.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    You could be correct as that is the general area where a fuel pump would be mounted. Often the fuel pump will start to become noisy just before failure, other times they just get noiser over time and keep on pumping. I have a strong preference toward the manufacturer brand of parts, but that is a more personal issue. I base my preference on my years in the service industry. If you decide to use an aftermarket brand of part, check around for the best price and warranty. Most warranties will not cover the labor involved if the part does fail while under warranty, so ask about this. I am pretty sure the Buick parts would cover both the part and the labor if it is installed by a Buick dealer.
  • hulagirlhulagirl Member Posts: 39
    Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much)
    Aloha
  • pressonpresson Member Posts: 1
    I have the opportunity to buy a 90 year old man's 2000 Grand Cherokee Jeep 4WD Laredo with only 4000 miles. The problem is, he pulled in front of a car was smashed in the front passenger side causing $7,000 worth of damages.
    All has been fixed and when I saw the vehicle it looked like new and drove like new. There is some brown dust on the aluminum wheels which they told me was normal dust from the brakes. The owners are very good people I know but still I want to make sure there is nothing I am over looking. They gave me the insurance estimate for the repairs which included cover, front bumper, headlamp assembly, and aim, panel headlamp mt., fog lamp, crsmbr, rad pnl lower, radiator, condenser, front side member, reinf. side rail, front fender, clading, shield front, housing, frt shock abs, pan, engine oil, gasket, front wheel, one wheel center front, knuckle steering, upper arm control, lower arm control, shock absorber, front axle assembly, mldg, roker panel, front door outer panel repair and refinish, front door cladding, front dor plate, A/C charge and Freon and 4-wheel alignment.

    That is quite a hit but the car 2000 Sienna Jeep looks like new and drives nice.

    What should I be looking for before I buy? They have put around 1500 miles on the vehicle since it was repaired and have found nothing wrong. Do you think that is sufficient?

    The price is adjusted for sale, I believe, because of the fact is was wrecked. The sticker shows it at $32,185 and they are asking $24,000 firm.

    I would appreciate your opinion.

    PressOn
  • ngozonngozon Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1994 land cruiser with a built in radio with model no. 57403. I want to upgrade the system by adding original in-dash cd players.

    Can you help me find one that will match the current radio and maintain the "original" theme of the car.
  • hawgyhawgy Member Posts: 1
    Could you tell me if I can use an Explorer bottom end intake and bolt the top part of my GT intake?
    I have heard that the bottom end of a 5.0 Explorer intake is very good for induction properties.
    Also where is the location to tap into the fuel system to check for fuel psi.and to bleed off the system?
  • wilcoxwilcox Member Posts: 582
    What are the symptoms associated with a cracked or broken motor mount? Will there be any slight vibration at a range of rpm?
    Thanks in advance for your response Neil...
  • rpate1rpate1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1992 Dodge Stealth r/t all wheel drive, it has two postions tour and sports, These struts are very expensive. can I use a regular strut that fits a stealth
  • bmwmombmwmom Member Posts: 1
    I was recently involved in a freak road hazzard accident with my 2000 BMW 528i. I had to swerve to miss a soccer ball size piece of concrete that had fallen off a construction truck---needless to say the body of my car was not damaged, but the 'rock' did slide under the car (with great force) and cut a hole in the transmission pan. My greater concern is that the side door airbags deployed! My speed was about 20-40 MPH, the 'rock' did not hit the actual side of the door, but did bang the bottom of the car. Several friends have said they don't understand how this happened (defective airbags?) since there was no side impact. Exactly where are the door airbag 'sensors'; is this the proper response for the airbags? I'm not getting clear signals from the BMW bodyshop. Thought, please.
  • jmilanjmilan Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Gti i.8 Turbo. 2,000 miles into owning the car the gearbox seems to make a light jingling noise when moving. When stationary adn you bring the shift across left or right you can hear the same noise as if it is something loose in the coupling. The dealer (who is awfull) has advised me that this is the Turbo wastegate. Sound like BS to me? Anybody else have the same probelm?

    Joey
  • sthpw5sthpw5 Member Posts: 1
    I have a '95 Pathfinder SE. I have 106,680 miles. I have recently encountered a problem with the inside ligths/door open dash indicator flickering on and off. When I turn right only or going over bumps the inside lights flicker. As of lately they stay on for the entire trip. Even sometimes after I get out of the vehicle. Which causes me to shut doors and hope that they turn off. I can pull in and out on the bottom right-hand side of the tailgate and it seems to spark this reaction in the lights. I am taking to a local Nissan dealership tomorrow. Any ideas or helpful hints before I give them all my money???
    ;Jason
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    My background is as a service advisor, so I really have no body shop experience. My recommendation would be to have an independent facility look over the vehicle for an impartial analysis of the condition of the vehicle and the repair work performed.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Your best bet would be your Land Rover dealer for an exact match of your current radio with the addition of a CD player or changer. Your radio could be CD ready which means the manufacturer designed it with a remote mounted CD changer in mind. Of course, you will pay a premium price, but I don't think you'll be as happy with an aftermarket unit from the sound of your message.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    You have several symptoms that can be used to determine if you have defective motor mounts. You may have excessive vibration transmitted into the cabin, due to the fact that the mounts have sagged and the engine is making contact with the frame. Often you can get noises on acceleration that can be heard as a "clunk". Other methods require either a service lift to visually inspect or a professional technician to inspect and/or perform measurements.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Check with some of the aftermarket equipment manufacturers for replacement struts. Possible suppliers you may want to check with are Bilstein, GAB, Edelbrock, KYB, Monroe, or any other shock/strut manufacturers.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    I would check with another body shop that caters to BMW vehicles or check with the service department for some answers. Worse case is that you can call BMW direct to get some of your questions answered, a phone should be listed in one of the owner manuals that came with the vehicle.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    A wastegate should not rattle either from my experience of owning many turbocharged vehicles. I would recommend taking the vehicle to another VW dealer for inspection. Try to be able to tell them very detailed information such as when does it rattle, a certain rpm or at idle? All the time or intermittent? Does outside temperature or temperature of the engine effect it? Any and all information is helpful to the technician in diagnosing the concern.
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    Sounds like either a short or a loose ground wire. It may not be as bad as you think since it occurs so frequently. Intermittent concerns are the worst to diagnose but the more often they occur the easier they are to locate.
  • litaslitas Member Posts: 1
    Help!!! I left a deposit of $500 on my Visa Card on a used car one evening. I got home and carefully looked over the contract and found the dealer had doubled the registration fees. I called first thing the next morning to try to cancel the contract - enough fluky things had happened that I just did not feel comfortable with them.

    They refused to return my deposit. The contract does say non-refundable on it, but I always thought there was a 3 day cancellation "out" in New Jersey.

    What can I do? Thanks from someone who is totally stressed out...
  • neil_chiriconeil_chirico Member Posts: 58
    First thing to do is call your credit card company and tell them what has occurred and ask them to reverse any payments. If they can not then I would pursue it through either the dealerships owner or a government agency for the state of New Jersey that handles such matters.
  • neoninoneonino Member Posts: 1
    Am looking for a complete throttle body assembly for a 92 Jeep Eagle Summit, 1.8 litre,
    Need to match up number - ACN50 104
    1 X 16
    this is the number on the current one on the vehicle, any help or leads would be most
    appreciated. Live in southern Cal. area.

    Nino
  • rsidlorsidlo Member Posts: 1
    Is it considered normal for the engine to consume a quart of oil in approximately 1000 miles ? The dealer and the manufacturer thinks so.I purchased a new 1999 Cadillac Concours in May 00 (left over)
    I consider myself a typical driver,but haven't had a car in years to use oil at that rate!Does any other production auto with a similar horsepower engine perform like this?The Cadillac customer relations were very responsive ,but I have difficulty finding this condition acceptable
  • crankkycrankky Member Posts: 45
    Hey y'all,

    I recently bought a 98 Millenia base (premium
    pkg.) that will need its 30k service soon.

    I called the local Mazda dealer and was quoted
    $340. A reputable independant shop was about
    $300.
    However, he mentioned a couple of things that I
    probably will pass on (air filter, I can do that;
    rotate tires, not needed, just put new ones on
    last
    week).

    By they way, when I got the dealer to pare his list down to just what the owners manual says (basically replace plugs and inspect everything else), it turned out to be $100 (he said they charge $7 each!!! for plugs).

    Do those sound like resonable prices? Any reason
    why I should go to the dealer for this?

    Also, the owners manual indicates that a lot of
    the items are to be "inspected". However, both
    shops said that they would replace all fluids and
    filters as part of this service. So, what is
    actually necessary? Am I being scr$%#wed?

    Thanks!
  • ngozonngozon Member Posts: 2
    thanks for all the help. My car is a toyota Land Cruiser so i suppose that you meant Toyota dealer.

    I did call the dealer already and they quoted a price for the original cd player at US$ 444 and for the separate cd changer at US$ 560. I would rather get the single CD player which is dashbaord mountable. The initial quote is a bit too pricey for me.

    any additional thoughts?
  • beagle3sixbeagle3six Member Posts: 1
    Why is there no TMV listed for the 2001 X's yet? Are they in such demand that dealers are getting MSRP or greater? I've noticed that there aren't many on the lots and also that there weren't many 2000s left at the changeover .... Also, when (if ever) will they incorporate the supercharged version of the V6 (as they did with the Frontier)?
  • concerned02ownconcerned02own Member Posts: 1
    I'm a college student and am interested in purchasing my first car. I can only afford a car with payments under $250 a month and would like something bigger that my Saturn SC coupe. I was interested in the Ford Escort or the Mazda Protege. Do you have any car reccomendations or where to go to get the best car for the money?
  • needhelpnowneedhelpnow Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1991 Honda Civic. It has about 130,000 miles on it. I bought it in July of 1999. Over the last 15mos I have spent over $1500.00 on repairs, maintenance, brake work, and other work primarily on the engine. I looked at this monetary figure and it feels like it is a lot for the amount of time I have had the car. Another issue is that it still needs a new battery, possibly a service such as fuel injection or radiator, and the governor piece of the transmission may need replacing. Is the amount
    I have spent already, and the potential upcoming cost, indicating that this car is not worth keeping and that it is time to look at the possibility of selling my used car? Or is my repair figure actually quite reasonable?

    needhelpnow
  • bonnie_rickbonnie_rick Member Posts: 115
    that data depends on the purchasing info we receive about that vehicle. For more regarding that, you can write to manager@edmunds.com or check out the Xterra topics in the SUV Conference!

    Bonnie Rick
    Conferences Manager, Edmunds.com Town Hall
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