Auto Repair Articles

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!

Some 2004-07 Prius hybrids may produce an annoying squeaking sound when the brake pedal is applied or released. Toyota says the noise is most audible when the key is in the Ready mode with the vehicle not moving. It seems that a defective brake actuator assembly is the likely culprit.

Before condemning the actuator, however, try bleeding the brake system. If the noise goes away, you’re done with the fix. If the noise remains after getting out that last belch of air, replace the brake actuator with an upgraded unit, Part No. 44500-47090.

Question:

1990 Honda Prelude Air Conditioning Problem-        The a/c will work idling for quite a while then when it does quit working the compressor clutch will not engage and the red warning light comes on. I’ve tested and it is not energizing the compressor relays. The fans work, it is full of freon, the compressor clutch is not slipping, and I replaced the belts. I wanted to replace the compressor control unit but the part has been discontinued and i need to figure out if that is what it is so i can look in a salvage yard to find the part. Any suggestions on what the problem could be other than the compressor control unit? Could it be the sensor in the compressor, and if so do i have to evacuate the system to replace it? Is there any way to get diagnostic literature on the system?

Answer:

Look at the a/c cycling switch as a cause of failure. A/C Diagnostics

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.

With gas prices over $4.00 a gallon and no sign of the cost coming down anytime soon, many drivers are looking at the hybrid and thinking it may be the answer to there problem. The thinking behind the hybrid is great but for today’s consumers I would recommend against the purchase for several reasons. Right now today, the hybrids do not get much better fuel mileage than your normal economy gas getter and the cost of the hybrid is much higher, meaning you will have to wait 5 years before you actually start saving money. Another reason to avoid the hybrid is the fact that it is all new technology. New isn’t always better. In the case of the hybrids, car company’s are working on producing there 3rd generation of them already, which means the first 2 generations were not that good and will be difficult and expensive to parts and repairs. I recommend waiting for the cost to come down, and it will. Also wait for the technology to work out the bugs. Once the prices become fair and the bugs are worked out, these new hybrids will be a more excepted purchase.

Look for 3 new hybrids from Honda , 2 New Hybrids from Toyota and eventually GM will get it together and put the Volt on the market for purchase(probably around 2010).