Auto Repair Articles

WASHINGTON – General Motors Corp. is recalling 1.5 million vehicles because of potential engine fires.

GM says there have been no reports of any fires or injuries.

Some of the recalled vehicles are no longer in production. The recall includes the 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, the 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1997-2003 Buick Regal, and the 1998-2003 Chevrolet Lumina, Monte Carlo and Impala.

It involves vehicles with a 3.8-liter V6 engine. The government says drops of oil could fall into the exhaust system and cause a fire in the engine.

GM spokesman Kerry Christopher says it was a precautionary measure for consumers.

Question:

I have a 1992 GMC Sierra with a 5.7 liter engine that started acting up while driving down the interstate. It was running fine, and all of a sudden began sputtering and “popping”, and losing power. I was down to around 1/4 tank of gas, so I stopped and filled the tank. I thought it might be bad gas (water), so I went to a parts house and bought some “Heet” and some Chemtool brand fuel system cleaner and added it to the tank. It has done “some good” at driving speed, but still “chugs” when idling. I also changed the spark plugs, which did not make much difference. Can you give me some hints as to what the problem may be? My next step is to pull and check the distributor cap and rotor for damage, carbon, etc.
 

Answer:

There are so many different things that can cause this unfortunate situation, but eliminating some of them may help you narrow it down.

Checking the distributor cap for corrosion/burnt etc is good place to start.

Then test fuel pressure. Needs to be around 16 psi for TBI. Make sure it does not drop when accelerating. If not, replace the fuel pump and filter.

Then I would check, replace the ignition module (not expensive) as they tend to fail/break down often.

On a rare occasion the coil can start to break down and cause the same thing. Call around on this one and you can pick one up for around $16.00.

Worse case scenario, it could be a clogged converter and they are expensive for this model vehicle because of its size. You can test the back pressure with a gauge that screws into the O2 Sensor port and you should see no more than 1.5 psi

I have a 1994 Chevy s-10 and my battery light came on. Does this mean I need a new battery and how do I know if my alternator is bad?

Answer:

The battery is most likely fine. The battery light comes on to let you know it is no longer being charged. This is generally an indication of a failing alternator.

Testing : Using a multi-meter set to DC volts, connect the positive and negative leads to the same on the battery with the car’s engine running. You should see from 13.2 - 14.7 volts. If you see less than this and confirm it is the same when the engine is running or not, then you know the alternator is not charging.

Complete Alternator Troubleshooting