Auto Repair Articles

I have a 1997 Honda Civic EX, when accelerating, there is a rattle or a sound like cardboard stuck in a fan coming from under the hood,  could this be coming from any of the work i had done?  if not, what could it be?

Answer:

YES !! If the noise was not there to begin with and now it is there. More than likely the timing cover was not installed properly and it is now rubbing. Won’t affect the drive-ability of the vehicle, it will just be noisy. Take it back and politely ask the manager to listen to it as you are concerned. ( remember he is just a person just like you ) If he acts like an ass, then yeah scream and yell, but I think you will find that your mechanic will be more than willing to take care of the issue. If your mechanic is not, it may be time to look for a new one.

2003 Ford Excursion 4×4 6.0 Diesel keeps eating voltage regulators/alternators. Two brand new batteries charge on the charger and hold a charge. (I do have a 350ma parasitic draw while the truck is “sleeping.”) I even purchased a 200 amper from DB Electrical and installed an additional 0-gauge wire from the alternator to the battery. Checked the two alternator leads and soldered extra wire to relieve stress on the connector. No changes. At idle, the regulator side of the wire shows 11.6V. The batteries are barely charging at 11.88V. at 1K-RPM the battery voltage goes up to ~12.5. At 1.5K-RPM and above I get 13.89V maximum, sustained unless the RPM drops. This is repeatable.

Answer:

Sounds to me like you have a large load occurring with the engine running.Possible glow plugs staying on or FICM not coming out of injector preheat stage.I would suggest getting the load tested while engine running with a shunt type charging system tester and see how many amps are being pulled.If it has over 20 – 30 amp consistent load then you will need to determine what is causing the excessive load.A ford ids scanner will be needed to determine if ficm and gpc is operating normally.

You can try to unhook the battery, but that usually opens another can of beans with having to reprogram the radio and all.. OR, you can take it by AutoZone, and have them read the codes for you, and then reset the light. If the light comes back on then you have a problem. Correct the problem and reset/clear the codes with a scantool.

1996 Oldsmobile Achieva, SL, with 101,000 miles on it. I changed out the Instrument Panel because the odometer was not working. Now it seems the computer will not accept the new instrument panel. I think that it needs to have the computer reset or reprogrammed, because the car will run for approximately 10 seconds, then shut off and there doesn’t seem anything else wrong. Please explain how to reset the computer or tell me where I can find out how to reset the computer.

Answer:

When replacing the instrument panel on this model you must perform a relearn to the theft system after the repair has been made. Here is what I would recommend that you try.

Time required, approximately 10 minutes.

1. Insure that the battery is fully charged.
2. Use the scan tool in order to clear the DTCs.
3. Turn the ignition switch from the OFF position to the CRANK position attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle will start and then stall.
4. Leave the ignition switch in the ON position while observing the security indicator.
5. When the security indicator turns off, which can take up to 10 minutes, turn the ignition switch off. Wait 10 seconds.
6. Turn ignition to start, at this point the vehicle should start and run.

I HAVE 2003 CHEVY MALBU AND I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH IT STARTING AT TIME IT WILL START FINE OTHER TIMES I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL ALL THE DASH LIGHTS TO COME ON WE HAVE PUT ANEW IGNATION ON IT AND IT DIDN’T HELP

NO START DIAGNOSTICS

Question:

I keep having my 1997 GMC Savana 6.5liter turbo  van shut down to idle with “Service Throttle Soon” light on the dashboard. What is the problem and about how much will it cost for repair? 

Answer:

Its either the accelerator assembly. the throttle actuator, or one of the circuits between these components and the computer. I do not think you need a computer at this point.

You have to allow an hour of diagnostic time plus parts and replacement labor. I can’t see this cheaper than $300.00

Generally to diagnose this, I apply power to the fuel pump from under the car at the fuel pump wiring harness using a Power Probe while having a fuel pressure gauge hooked up so I can see if it is working. (in 90% of these cases it is the fuel pump and not the relay, this is why I check the pump first). Also, while your under the car and at the fuel pump wiring harness. You can have someone cycle the ignition key and check for power going to the pump from the relay. If you do not see power coming from the relay, then the next step is to check for power going to the relay. If you have power going to the relay by not coming from it(when you cycle the key) then the relay is bad and will need to be replaced.

Reference Link : How to use a Multi-meter

I have a 4.9L motor in a 1992 Ford F-150 4.9 pickup the engine is looping and i can smell gass in the exhaust. I think it is a sensor becouse it just started out of the blue when i parked it. Already Tried: checked plugs and wires and changed

Answer:

The first thing to do would be to Extract the codes which can be done without a scan tool.

Question:

I just bought a 2008 Chevy Silverado 4.8 with a 4 speed transmission. When I come to a complete stop I feel a slight bump about 1 second after the stop. Also when I shift from reverse to drive I get a clanking noise. The dealer said I had to run it for 1-2k miles for everything to mesh. Sounds like bs to me. Is this normal on a 2 wheel drive pick up? 

Answer:

I bought a New Z71 and it did the same thing for me. Also if you have the tow package (locker rear end) it can sometimes be severe to where you think something is smacking the back end with a sledge hammer. This unfortunately is normal. I now have 13K on my truck and it still does this.

Question:

i got a g reg 7 series and got play in stearing and been told i can tighten up the stearing box and it will take the play out is this correct and how do i do it. replaced track rod ends as were worn and eas told that might be the prob

Answer:

Yes you can adjust the steering box if it has play in the box. Or the steering box could be worn out. Gears inside could be worn. To adjust usually on top of box you will find a nut with a adjuster in the middle usually a flat head screw driver would fit. loosen lock nut and then tighten middle till it gets tight then back off about 1/2 to 3/4 turn then retighten lock nut and reck for play or if the steering is too tight. If too tight redo adjustment turn middle adjuster out little more..