Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Feb 29, 2004

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Open Help Requests for All Makes and Models

	Help Request	Answers
	1991 Buick Century Custom 3.3L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality, Cuts out VIN: 3G4AH54N3M TPS voltage will change drastically. This old junk belongs to a friend (also old),and customer that I rarley charge for work. he complained that it would at times start to run very bad and then quit. hard to restart and sometimes wonder if it will.the computor...	View
	1998 Chevrolet Blazer 4.3L Battery VIN: 1243MN5699 Help guys ! I need a little backup here. Have a customer with a Delco battery that leaked battery acid through the positive terminal. Weve seen this many times and when cleaning the mess see lots of green corrosion on the terminal lug that comes out of the bat...	View
	2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 6.0L No Start VIN: 1GBHC24U61 Hello techs. I am sick of changing the fuel pump on my service truck. I work for a large construction company and we own a fleet of about 250 GM trucks, anyway we replace a lot of fuel pumps, but mine seems to be the worst. I am changing the fuel pump about ev...	View
	2002 Chevrolet Impala 3.4L radio VIN: 2G1WF55E52 this car is new to our shop,it came in with a inoperative radio.what is strange we unhook the defroster grid or the radio antenna from the back glass it will start to work,even undone the ground side it will start to work.we replced the module because it looke...	View
	1999 Dodge Stratus 2.4L 3rd ratio error VIN: 1B3EJ46X9X hey guys,this stratus stays in 2nd gear when codes are present.looked on scanner the switch batt volts 13-14 v when codes arent present,but as soon as the codes come on the volts go to 0.0v .same three codes come back on.replaced tcm,trans solenoid pack,input ...	View
	2002 Dodge Grand Caravan EX 3.8L 2-3 shift VIN: 2B8GP74L62 Need advise for my customer on what to do, I did not work on this van because it is under the factory warranty. The van had the trans rebuilt and new solonoids, it still slips in 2-3 shift. The van has been back to the deealer 4 times and they tell the custome...	View
	1995 GMC C3500HD 7.4L timing chain This is one of the company's tow trucks, a very tired 95 with a LOT of miles. Stopped while driving and I determined that the plastic gear on the cam had shucked all its teeth. I replaced the timing set and removed the oil pan to clean out the plastic (no debr...	View
	1995 GMC K1500 Suburban 5.7L Poor Idle Quality VIN: 1GFNK16K7S Vehicle idles 700 rpm range with noticable miss in park or neutral. When shifted into drive or reverse idle drops to low 500 rpm and really struggles. Accelerating through 1500 rpm band and into 2nd gear truck runs pretty good. Highway driving nothing noticabl...	View
	2001 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SLT 5.3L Front tires VIN: 1GKFK16T91 This is my in-laws' primary vehicle. I first noticed the tires wearing slightly at 30,000 miles. I had been rotating them on a regular basis prior to that. I rotated at 30,000 and let it go. By 40,000 the tires were worn so badly we had to replace them. I chec...	View
	1987 Honda Accord 2.0L Cuts out This fault is only when cold and choke comes on. Set choke car starts on first turn of key goes to normal fast idle then stalls all in a matter of 10-15 seconds. Re set choke and re start car runs and idles good (approx 1800 rpm ). Try to set off right away an...	View
	1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7L Unknown VIN: 1J4GW68N2X when driving at 60-70mph you will feel something like a gear skipping a tooth or even maybe a misfire.you can feel in under your feet on left side.slow down and it is gone.it almost feels like you are hitting speed bumps in road.started about 1 month ago and i...	View
	1996 Lexus ES300 3.0L Misfire This Lexus came in running horrible. Misfire po302. Removed plugs, all show signs of fouling, but #2 was caked with sludge. Gap was filled. Compression about 150 except #2 was about 125, but thought there was washdown from misfire. Replaced plugs and wires, ch... Trouble codes: P0302	View
	1995 Mazda Millenia 2.5L No Start, Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out, Stall, Misfire VIN: JM1TA2212S i guess my first mistake was not test driving this vehicle,customer complained of a miss after coming back from dealership-she also explained that they recommened a major tune up. so i replaced her plug wires,plugs,cap and rotor.and there was almost no change ...	View
	1988 Mitsubishi Mighty Max Sport 2.6L No Start VIN: JA7F55E4JP This pickup ran fine when it was parked about a year ago. I drained the tank and filled it back up including some fuel treatment. The fuel pump is working fine, but motor will only run when primed. At first I got no fuel delivery, then I started getting the sq...	View
	1996 Nissan Altima GLE 2.4L Failed Smog Check VIN: 1N4BU31D2T Hi ! I would like to answer anyone have this Model DRIVE PATTERN. Because I try to retest the smog check, the OBD II function check say O2S, EGR system and CAT not ready. Thank you.	View
	1992 Pontiac Bonneville SE 3.8L starter VIN: 1G2HZ52L7N Location oif the theft deterrent fuse and the starter enable relay. Any method to test the key pod, and location of the left door switch.	View
	2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GT 3.8L Poor Fuel Economy VIN: 1G2WP52K7Y HELLO EVERYONE. THIS MAY SEEM A MUNDANE QUESTION, BUT THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER ATTAINED ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE FUEL RATING FOR THIS ENGINE. ENGINE PERFORMANCE IS GOOD, BUT FUEL CONSUMPTION, WITH THE VEHICLE DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME...HIGHWAY MILEA...	View
	2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.4L Brakes lock down VIN: IG2NF12E6Y Hi gang,got a customer here w/pontiac G/Am='00 w/abs= when it's driven over 10 miles,brakes begin to lock-down,today he drove a little further;church,etc. + brks.locked solid,had to tow it,the brk's had cooled enough to drive a short distance into bay. I loose...	View
	1991 Toyota Tercel STD 1.5L Mechanical VIN: JT2EL43B7M Cae was towed in after stalling on the road.Found no compression in one cylinder.Upon removing cylinder head found a broken valve had put a hole in the piston.The rebuilt cylinder head was put on 9000 miles ago.The engine was full of oil and coolant.Just wonde...	View
	1995 Toyota Corolla DX 1.8L MIL Lamp on VIN: 2T1AEO9B5S Hi Techs, have a Toyota here that has a hard code 71. It was givin to me after the original tech failed to properly diagnose it. I've read the archives on this baby and most of the fixes pointed to clogged passages. The first test I performed was adding vacuum... Trouble codes: 71 (EGR System Problem)	View
	1997 Volkswagen Golf GL 2.0L Hesitation, Cuts out VIN: 3VWFA81H0W Vehicle was towed in 3 weeks ago, we replaced MAF and all seemed fine for about 1 week car towed back in no start, replaced tcs which was out of range and vehicle started but had no throttle responce, wanted to bog down.If appling pressure to gas pedal slowly ...	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	1996 BMW 328i 2.8L MIL Lamp on VIN: WBACD432XT Thank you to all that replied to my request. Because this vehicle had been in water up to the seats, we suspected some corrosion (and found a bunch). We pulled all relays and replaced the ones we could with used units. This allowed minor things like the dome...	6
	2001 Chevrolet Cavalier 2.2L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G1JC12491 Hi Fellow Techs: In my original post I had neglected to mention that I had already replaced the gas cap. Several replies referred to leaking caps. Not having an evap tester, I found the leak by 1:removing the schraeder valve at the test fitting,(This valve has... Trouble codes: P0442 (EVAP Small Leak Detected).	7
	2002 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 5.3L a/c VIN: 3GNEC13T32 Thanks to all that helped me. We overcharged the system by 3 oz per one respondents recommendation & to error on the side of caution we replaced the low pressure cut out switch. The system functions flawlessly. The chevy dealer lost another customer to the mor...	12
	1996 Dodge Stratus 2.4L monitors won't set VIN: 1B3EJ46X5T well after doing to complete drive cycles i finally got the catalyst to set.i re-testet smog ok passed monitor test , thus i guess only 2 monitors not set can still pass test . the o2 monitor still didn't set usally it is one of the first ones ? hummmm. thank ...	4
	1998 Dodge Ram 2500 8.0L ABS Light VIN: 1B7KC23WWJ Thank you Richard [...]. The Snap on scanner does not have the ability to communicate with 4WAL on this model. Most of the replies said to check the powers and ...	7
	1998 Dodge Dakota 3.9L cooling system VIN: 2B4HT28YOW thanks to all who replied,the machine shop peformed the flow test and ck out good over 20 gallons a minute.installed and refilled and road tested still ran hot heat was fair,let engine cool off and rechecked level.level was low,refilled with about 2 quarts.roa...	8
	1999 Dodge Durango SLT 5.2L front differintial VIN: 1B4HS28Y5X This is fixed I must say Im sorry to those who took there time on this one I search through M.O.D and missed this bulliten # 03-04-099 but after so many of you giving that # I recked and it was there this bulliten has you install a filter in the vent line.Part...	21
	2001 Dodge Dakota 3.9L ball joints VIN: 1B7GG26X21 special thanks to all the techs out there that took time to read my post i had some very good info on the [...] joints and front end parts there is n...	11
	1988 Ford Mustang 5.0L custom application thanks to everyone who replied. i am assembling the vehicle without the e.g.r. system. i have also eliminated the tab, and tad solenoid circuits. i am now sure that the car will run just fine after recieving all of the information from my fellow technicians.	14
	1995 Ford Windstar GL 3.8L No Start VIN: 2FMDA514DS We started with basics again as suggested. Tested all powers to ecm, ok. Tested grounds to ecm, ok. tested all vref of each sensor, bingo! The DPFE was internaly shorted to ground. When I disconnected it the fans quit runing when the key was on, then I had dat...	7
	1996 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4.0L Transfer case VIN: 1FMDU34X8T Sorry for long delay reporting. And it's not fixed and had to send customer off without a fix suggesting they verify the Converter to Flex Plate alignment and look into the Transfer Case too. And we are a little smarter: Several IATN guys suggested we change...	5
	1996 Ford F-250 XL 4.9L Poor Idle Quality, Surge, Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1FTHF25Y2T This help request was probably opened too soon. Returning refreshed the next morning, I tried to find the source of a strange noise coming from the front of the engine. It sounded like a tensioner or bearing in an accessory that squealed and whined at the same... Trouble codes: P0320.	3
	2000 Ford E-350 Econoline 6.8L shifting VIN: 1FDWE35S2Y Well the repair turned out to be electrical related, most everyone confirmed that the highest probabilty was Pcm or Mlps. Well as you see they had both been replaced and knowing that you can have bad new parts we tested the Mlps with another 'known good one' a...	3
	2000 Ford F-350 Super Duty XL 7.3L Electronic VIN: 1FTWW33FOY I did get the pin out using an oring pick.Replace the pin and did get the 4X4 switch to work. Receive 1 reply about water getting in fuse box from Domenic. I did replace the fuse box 5 days later when I lost APS and some of the Instument lights. Thanks Mark	1
	2001 Ford Escape XLS 3.0L No Drive Engagement VIN: 1FMCU0415T Thanks for the replys. They were all good and helpful, but unfortunately we had already covered them and unfortunately were not the problem. The foreward one-way clutch turned out to be bad. The rebuilder said that he had checked it by hand and it felt like it...	4
	2000 GMC Savana 2500 5.7L Stall VIN: 1GTGG25R3Y It was the round connector at the front of the tank beside the purge canister. I started the van the next day and it ran for an hour with no problem so while it was running I lifted it up and went to the connector to wiggle test it and it was hot to the touch....	16
	1993 Honda Accord LX 2.2L No Start, Stall VIN: JHMCB7659P We had to replace the ignition switch and ignitor this fixed our problem.	11
	1998 Land Rover Discovery LE 4.0L tach, abs light VIN: SALJY1243W We received many helpful responses, from alternator problems; to voltage drop checks, bad connections, faulty wiring, etc; to the final fix, which was a slipping alternator pulley. Bob Coswell and Kent [...] pointed us in the right direction with problems they ...	10
	1991 Mazda RX-7 1.3L Stall VIN: JMIFC3527M when i posted this problem i made an error in the mileage it has 44000 on it not 440000 the two replies i received said to replace engine ,have hard time convincing owner to do that it seems more like idle control fault than bad motor if i do figure it out i w...	3
	1998 Mazda Protege DX 1.5L Cylinder Head / Camshafts Greetings fellow Technicians: I was finally able to get back on this vehicle yesterday (02/28/04). It turns out that the Z5 cams swap into the Z501 casting with no problems. I measured the cam journal diameters on both sets of cams (Z5 and Z501) and they wer...	1
	1998 Mercury Mountaineer 5.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: 4M2ZU55P7W Thanks to Stephen, Mike, Scott, Ray, Jerry and Nick and any others i may have missed. i'm posting this as a fix as the mil has not reset but will keep in touch with customer to make sure. i learned some facts on converters that i knew but slipped my mind they ... Trouble codes: P0430 (bank 2 catalyist threshold below normal).	9
	1999 Mercury Sable GS 3.0L air bag VIN: F17TR45TRE It seem that there are slight variances in resistances of air bags from one year to another. from the replies I got it would seem to be safe to say that when buying used air bags by the complete set up from the same car ( both air bags and module) this way you...	5
	1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE 3.3L No Start VIN: 1P4GP44R5T I`m sorry that my closure has taken so long. This car isnot my customer, but another shop who I am helping. Thanksto all who offered help. I believe the reason for no sparkis that we discovered that the end of the camshaft isbroken (#5,#6 cylinders). I am gett...	9
	2000 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 1.9L Hesitation VIN: 3VWSF29M4Y I want to thank this great network-again- especially Kevin from Ca, Angelo from Florida, Dollard from Nova Scotia, and Pete from Va, part of the fix was reinstalling the turbo's air feed hose which was knocked partially off as my bird watcher customer was off ... Trouble codes: P1556 (turbo pressure below min level), 17964 (turbo pressure below min level).	5

(Also Available: All, Asian, Chrysler, European, Ford, GM.)