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.

mounted under the hood by the radiator.

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.

Question:

have a 98 acura integra when i turn my car bucks and makes like a hitting noise and feels like its slipping when i turn with hitting the gas but when i push the clutch in i can turn and stuff and it doesnt make noise at all some one told me it was my cv joints in my axle so i put 2 new axles on and it still does it but when i go straight its fine nothing happens can you tell me what it can be 

Answer;

Make sure the axles provided are for your correct model, if the engine has been swapped make sure theyre sitting in correctly and that the cv nut it tight, and torqued to factory spec, around (134lb.ft) for most models, the problem could be anything so you have to rule out certain things, youve already replaced cvs but those would make a popping sound even with youre foot on or off the clutch.

Sounds to me like either your diff inside of youre transmission is bad, loose or damaged mainshaft(does it do it left or right, certain speeds), its not making the sound when you disengage the clutch because youre pulling load away from the trans.

Question:

after changing timing belt and water pump on ’03 civic, my wife didn’t enter anti theft code in radio. Car ran fine, now two days later engine lite came on. car wont go over 3000 rpms. she tried relearn procedure but doesn’t help. tried entering anti theft code and relearn process of 3000 rpm for 15 min, idle for 5 mins. Engine light on, engine runs good, temp OK, rev limits at 3000 rpm.

Answer:

What Code is the light giving you?

Could be a number of things.. AutoZone will scan the codes for you for free, then you can come back to post it here. It will look like P0123 or similar.

Question:

My 1994 Acura Integra does not crank when I turn the key; however it does start using compression starting. When I turn the key I get a noise that seems to come from the left hand side of the dash. I suspect the starter relay or solenoid. The ABS light stayed on after compression starting. When attempting to key start the radio went part way through it”s start up and then kept failing to complete, just cycled through.

Answer:

On the starter there is a small and large wire. You need a test light. Ground one end of the light and place the other on the small wire (only the small wire). Have someone try to start the vehicle. If the light lights up the starter is bad. If not you have to start at the neutral safety switch, then the relay.

Question:

Which do you think is better, I don’t care about brand just want your opinion, considered diesel but the cost of that is just as bad as regular

Answer:

tough call, I personally like cars that run on E85 but now am seeing stuff in the news about production of E85, so who knows they are cheaper to drive because the cost of that type of gas is cheaper than regular, but Hybrid’s get better gas mileage. I personally was looking at both hybrid vehicles as well as E85 ones, I’d say Chevy Monte Carlo or Impala if you want E85 or like Toyota Camry Hybrid or Prius if you want a Hybrid, or maybe even the Civic Hybrid.

For now the Hybrids are on there 3rd generation (design) so I think I will wait a bit longer to see if they can get the bugs worked out and hopefully get the prices down a bit!

Question:

I have a 2008 Honda Accord 3.5 V6 w AT. I feel the VCM engaging and disengaging. There is a sickening surging sensation – a hybrid like torque feel that is incessant, particularly at highway speeds with cruise control on. What gives? Honda denies any problem – “operating within normal tolerances” Is there a widespread problem with VCM? 
 

Answer:

I’ve recently had a few 08′s with this problem. If the dealer uses the HDS scan tool and goes into the power-train side of the computer they can scan for updates and install the latest software patch and that should fix the problem. Also I would reset and follow the crank sensor calibration procedure to ensure the problem goes away. It’s worked so far for me to do those two things to fix it. 

Question:

I have a 1998 Honda Civic HX and every time after a stop it stutters when moving off. Any idea what causes that problems it has 209,000 miles

Answer:

There are several things it could be. The first thing to check is the state of tune the engine is in. Have you tuned it up lately. It could be that simple. The second place to look is the fuel pressure, and fuel filter. Have the fuel pressure tested to see if it is up to specs, and change out the fuel filter too. Then I would like you to check for vacuum leaks, these can cause lots of problems. It would also be a good idea to run some fuel injector cleaner through the fuel system, because dirty injectors could contribute to this problem.

Do you see a yellow check engine light on your dash. Sometimes they say check engine, or service soon. This is your on board diagnostic system. This system diagnoses problems and stores it as a code. This trouble code will often tell you what is malfunctioning on your engine. You don’t have to go to a dealer or a shop to have these codes read. There is a little known secret that most larger auto parts stores will read these codes for you for no charge. It helps them to sell parts, and to build customer loyalty.

If all of this does not fix the issue, then you need to look at your MAP sensor. This device can cause the symptoms you are having. You need to go through the basics I described before you get to this sensor.

Have to hand it to Honda — the company promised its zero-emissions vehicle, the FCX Clarity, would be available this summer, and they technically beat that deadline by about a week. The future-y sedan, which is powered by hydrogen fuel cells, is now available in limited quantities (only a few dozen this year, which were quickly snapped up by SoCal celebs) in Southern California and costs $600 a month to lease. Buying it outright isn’t an option, apparently.

That’s just as well, since there are hydrogen fuel stations in only three cities in California right now. Fuel-cell technology is clearly still in the early part of the early-adopter phase, but with Honda making its move maybe we’ll start to see more of them. However, Honda’s production schedule of 200 units over the next three years is fairly unambitious (surely the hydrogen fuel stations will be able to handle more than that). And it would be nice if they started mixing up the design of these things — this fuel-cell car design from GM looks pretty much cribbed from the FCX.