Auto Repair Articles

QUESTION:

Dash board lites flashed. Tried to reset got an code, don’t know what that means now van will not shift into drive. 1999 Town & Country van Town &Country 3.8L Already Tried:
Drove and stopped- lights wouldn’t come on- it buzzed when I put key in ignition. I got to dealership they put new battery in they said battery was fried. Driving home air and defrost lights flashed. Radio was slow to come on. Drove fine for a day except for flashing lights. Then we tried to put the battery on better and reset the computer but now their is not enough power to put the car in drive and make it go forward.

Answer:

Calibration test may be initiated manually by pressing and holding WASH and REAR WIPER buttons for 5 seconds

before doing the first test.

QUESTION:

In a 1989 Chevy Beretta where is the air conditioning port to put in coolant? 

ANSWER:

I think on this one it is located near the battery and under the air intake box/hose assembly. It is in the thicker of the two a/c lines. So you can follow the thicker line from one end to the other and are guaranteed to find it.

Air Conditioning Troubleshooting and How to Recharge A/C 

keep in mind this is a small port since it requires R-12, It looks like a but bigger than a valve stem cap on the wheel. It is referred to as the low side port and is between the compressor(sometimes located on the compressor itself) and the Evaporator(which is located in the dash and connects through the fire wall on the passenger side)

Question:

2000 grand am. Key won’t come out of ignition. can remove it by pushing button on underside of steering column. Electrical release solenoid beside Ignition  switch is working fine, where is the signal coming from that activates the release? 

Answer:

There are 2 bulletins. One is for making sure the shifter is totally engaged in the park position. If it hangs up and doesn’t go into park, it won’t allow the key to be removed. The other is for a key cylinder that will not rotate back to allow the key removal. This involves drilling a hole in the aluminum housing to drill out the pin that releases the cylinder.

How can I tell if My Car’s alternator is charging ?

There are a couple of ways you can do this. One is by using a multi-meter set to DC Volts. If the meter shows less than 13 Volts it is not charging(this is done with the engine running). Another indication is if the icon on the dash that looks like a battery illuminates then the alternator is not charging. Typically the alternator will produce 13.5 to 14.7 volts. If it does not you will need to replace the alternator. Make sure to check this after installation.

Directions for Testing with a multi-meter

Question:

How is the 1990 Ford Escort ignition key tumblers replaced. I’ve removed the covers & tried to release tumblers by depressing the release pins through both open ports in canting, but tumbler unit won”t pull out in any position. How do I release tumbler assy? 

Answer:

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. If equipped with a tilt steering column, remove the upper extension shroud by unsnapping the shroud from the retaining clip at the 9 o’clock position.
3. Remove the steering column lower shroud.
4. Unplug the warning buzzer electrical connector.
5. With the lock cylinder key, rotate the cylinder to the RUN position.
6. Take a ¹/₈ in. (3.17mm) diameter pin or small wire punch and push on the cylinder retaining pin. The pin is visible through a hole in the mounting surrounding the key cylinder. Push on the pin and withdraw the lock cylinder from the housing.

To install:

Fig. 1: Use a 1/8 in. (3.17mm) diameter pin or small wire punch to push on the lock cylinder retaining pin and remove the cylinder

1. Install the lock cylinder by turning it to the RUN position and depressing the retaining pin. Insert the lock cylinder into the housing. Be sure the lock cylinder is fully seated and aligned in the interlocking washer before turning the key to the OFF position. This action will permit the cylinder retaining pin to extend into the cylinder housing hole.
2. Rotate the lock cylinder, using the lock cylinder key, to ensure correct mechanical operation in all positions.
3. Attach the electrical connector for the key warning buzzer.
4. Install the lower steering column shroud or trim shroud halves.
5. Connect the negative battery cable.
6. Check for proper start in P or N, then make certain the start circuit cannot be actuated in the D and R positions and that the column is locked in the LOCK position.

The Alzheimer’s disease is not one that can be ignored as it affects every one around the affected person and can be emotionally damaging as well as dangerous.  Watching your parents or loved ones with beginning signs of the disease and the denial they portray if you even think it around them can be a lot to deal with.

A hundred years after Alzheimer’s disease was discovered, a cure for the degenerative condition that strips sufferers of their memory and personality remains a dream. The main advances have been in drugs to control symptoms such as agitation and restlessness. Restoring memory and cognitive ability has proved much harder.

The Alzheimer’s Memory Walk is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer’s. There are walks in more than 600 communities. A typical Memory Walk is a 2-3 mile walk held on a weekend morning in the fall.

By teaming up with the Alzheimer’s Association, you can walk with a purpose – and move us closer to a world without Alzheimer’s. Together, we can MOVE a nation. Every 71 seconds, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This year, more than 200,000 people across the nation will be on the MOVE.

Question:

I have a unit to test a/c refrigerant level/pressure and if it needs more or needs other repairs. I need to locate the low side port of the a/c on a 3.5 liter 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue engine to attach the unit. Can you tell me where it is?  Already Tried: Looked under the hood and was not sure if I located it or not. I think it is on the right side of the engine as you look at it in front of the brake lines and a bit lower.

Answer;

The low side fitting is on the accumulator on the right side of the engine compartment(driver side). You should be able to trace the large line at the compressor back to the accumulator assembly.

Air Conditioning Troubleshooting

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Question:

I have a 2002 Hyundai Sonata GL and started smelling a burnt plastic smell then the brake light started coming on and going off, and my dashlights started dimming then lost power all together. Diagnostics were run and were told that my battery was good and that all cylinders were running and that everything looked fine, we cannot figure out what is going on - there is no fluid drippings. Already Tried: Diagnostics on battery, checked under hood, checked battery cables, checked fluids, checked to make sure wasn’t a bag on the muffler, can’t find the starter to see if the cables to the starter were okay though

Answer:

Check the engine drive belt tensioner. It may be sticking and allowing the belt to slip intermittently, this would cause you to lose charge and smell burning.
 

Question:

I have a 99′ Ford Expedition and I was wondering what synthetic motor oil weight would be best for my truck? 

Answer:

The manufacturer recommends 5W30