Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Jul 16, 2004

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	Help Request	Answers
	1988 Chevrolet S10 2.8L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out, Stall, Misfire VIN: 1GCCT14R5J i do not do much driveability, especialy on gm. i have this truck and it misses and loaps at idle and wants to die. when driving cuts in and out. the only thing i happend on is: if you unplug the alt. it smooths out and all symptoms are gone and runs good. tri...	View
	1989 Chevrolet Corvette 5.7L No Start VIN: 1G1YY3180K continuing from post on 7/07/04. hot only no start. thank all of you for suggestions. one thing im not sure on is injector ohm readings im getting. cyl 1 10.2 cyl 3 10.8 cyl 5 17.0 cyl 7 16.5 these readings at 70f cyl 1 6.1 cyl 3 8.2 cyl 5 17.0 cyl 7 5.1 th...	View
	1991 Chevrolet K2500 Cheyenne 5.7L Mechanical VIN: 1GCGK24KOM This is a fire truck that has only 7000 miles on it and it came in with the brake light flashing. I did the diagnostic check on the ABS and found the ECU to be bad. I replaced the ECU and noticed that the master cylinder had been leaking so I went ahead and re...	View
	1993 Chevrolet Astro CL 4.3L Hesitation, Cuts out VIN: 1GNEL19W6P Vehicle seems to idle fine and engine runs good, the only problem is when in acceleration above 45 mph, engine boggs down. We have attempted several differant options to no winning. Any help would be greatly appreciated.	View
	1995 Chevrolet Blazer 4.3L lower control arms VIN: 1GNDT13W6S cracking noise. coming from suspensions when coming out from garage with wheels about 30 deagres left or rigth louder on the dip between sidewalk and street[incline] noise there in reverse or forware any help will be appreciated.	View
	2001 Chevrolet S10 4.3L system VIN: 1GCCS14W91 i have an 01 s10 with a brake problem.i am looking for a little help with it.we have replaced the front pads and rotors,installed new shoes and hardware.also replaced the master cylinder because of the customers complaint of a sinking brake pedal.after replace...	View
	1995 Chrysler Sebring LX 2.0L Stall VIN: 4C3AU42Y1S Thanks for your time, My customer has brought this car to me 3 times now and the dealer twice. The symptom is that the car shuts off intermittantly, apparently it restarts immediatly. I have never been able to duplicate the problem. There is no codes and I ha...	View
	1998 Chrysler Town & Country LX 3.8L Cuts out, Stall VIN: 1C4GP54L8W Have a problem with this mini van. This veh Cuts out with the customer after warm up on accelaration after a complete stop. Tried to restart but would not. Cust states he has to wait about 1/2 a miniute before it will restart (Cranks ok).I tried to duplicate p...	View
	1999 Chrysler 300M 3.5L Stall VIN: 2C3HE66G5X Cust. complains that engine will stall at a stop intermittently. Engine will restart right-a-way. Checked for codes, none. Did not find any unussual data at idle or when driving. Could not find any TSB's or a related problem in the post fixes.	View
	1995 Dodge Avenger ES 2.5L No Start VIN: 4B3AU52N2S ATTN CYRYSLER TECHS: 95 AVENGER TOWED IN AS A NO START. CRANKS FINE, NO SPARK OR INJECTOR PULSE. SCANNER INDICATES NO CRANK SIGNAL, CAM SIGNAL PRESENT. CODE 11 SET (NO CRANK REF). PERFORM DIAGNOSTICS ACCORDING TO ALLDATA. SCANNER SENSES ONLY CAM SIGNAL. CONTIN... Trouble codes: 11 (no crank reference signal)	View
	1996 Dodge Neon High Line 2.0L Excessive Emissions, Surge, Cuts out VIN: 1B3ES47C6T Replaced o2 sensor and repaired burned wires for 02.had lean code set. eng. light on and black smoke out of tailpipe. Idle great but cuts out at cruise. Slight surge when going through gears at light throttle. When shifts in overdrive it will jerk you off. No ...	View
	1996 Dodge B1500 5.2L alternator VIN: 2B6HB21Y1T this van has an intermittant no charge condition. the battery will go dead while driving. it only occurs very rarely. always charges within specifications after we charge the battery and relearn the idle strategy. i suspect the problem is in the ecm, but i can...	View
	1980 Fiat 124 Spider 2.0L Stall VIN: 124CS00016 Hello! I don't normally work on Fiats but this has a bosch fuel system do I thought I could get somewherte with it. Can drive around tow just fine but get on the freeway and come off an exit and it will stall at the stop sign. Engine re-starts after a few minu...	View
	1983 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 5.0L No Start VIN: 2FABP43F4D car came in for a no-start,found had good spark, but no voltage to injectors, replaced tps switch, fixed the voltage problem, but motor was flooded, replaced spark plugs and car tries to start, but no-luck, customer stated was driving great, but just wouldn't ...	View
	1996 Ford Windstar GL 3.8L erratic shifting VIN: 2FMDA5142T This problem only seems to occur when the customer operates the vehicle, and it is fully warmed up. We have driven three separate road tests of one hour each, and have detected no faults, or problems whatsoever.We have been unable to verify that this problem e...	View
	2001 Ford Focus LX 2.0L Hesitation, Surge, Cuts out VIN: 3FAFP3132Y Close one start another. Like the other guys in the shop said I must have upset the car gods. This Focus came to me from the dealer !!! When cold the car runs fine. Once ECT hits about 190* the car will fall flat on its face. It will barely accelerate to 20 ...	View
	2000 GMC Sierra 1500 SL 4.8L Misfire VIN: 2GTEK19V9Y Hello everyone. Thanks for taking the time to read this. This truck developed a severe missfire one afternoon. When checked found no's 3, 5 and 7 cylinder with very low compression, (30 psi). Cylinder leakage test blows air into crankcase. Looking into cylinde... Trouble codes: P0300 (Random Missfire), P0305 (Cylinder 5 Missfire), P0307 (Cylinder 7 Missfire)	View
	1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited 5.9L Mechanical VIN: 1J4GZ88225 Hey fellow Techs I have a jeep here that at first was going to be a no brainer. Truck came in no AC blowing warm.Hooked gauges up and found the usual on a jeep low side @80 high side 400+ ok I figured liguid line plugged and we replaced it.Well same thing same...	View
	1996 Lexus LS400 4.0L pwr. steering rack VIN: JT8BH22F8T We have gotten a Lexus that has a hitch in the steering wheel. As you turn the steering wheel all the way to the right, or the left, you feel the slight hitch in your hands. Seems to me to be in the same place everytime, in two or three spots as your turning t...	View
	2002 Lincoln Town Car Executive L 4.6L Brake pedal VIN: 1LNHM84W92 The brakes work great the car stops perfect no pullin at all. The problem comes after you stop and are setting at a stop the pedal difts to the floor or if you let the car set runnig then jump in and take off the pedal needs to be pumped up to stop.Sounded lik...	View
	1993 Mazda 626 LX 2.0L transmission VIN: 1YVGE22A3P Hi guys need some help I rebuilt this transmision about 4 weeks ago and have low line pressure. I have gone through the valve body and pump 2 times can not find anything wrong and still have low pressure. Line pressure 40-50 psi in all gears at idle 25 after a...	View
	1994 Mercedes-Benz C220 2.2L No Start, Cuts out VIN: WDBH22EORF my fellow independent technician i appreciate very much if you can help me with this problem i encountered, i changed the engine of the car and when i finish installed it on the car i tried to start it to make it run the engine to find out if there is somethin...	View
	1997 Mitsubishi Pajero 3500CC Surge, Emissions VIN: V45-440298 Hi this is an import to this country (UK) direct from japan.before we can register it a SVA (single vehicle approval) test must be passed. Part of this test is to hold the throttle at between 2500 and 3000 rpm to check the emmissions.It will not hold steady be...	View
	1994 Nissan Pathfinder LE 3.0L Hesitation VIN: JN8HD17Y7R Have a pathfinder that has me stumped, vehicle has a hesitation on take off, is intermittent, will accelerate normally at times and severly bog out a few tries later. 1st off to check was fuel pressure, 35 to 40 lbs. constant, even when vechile acted up, I the... Trouble codes: 34 (Knock sensor pulse detection)	View
	1994 Nissan Sentra E 1.6L Excessive Emissions VIN: 1N4EB31P3R This car fails the state emission test with high co. It has been to several other shops with alot of parts thrown at it. At a loaded cruise the co is 3-4%, the o2 is 950 mv, the coolant temp is 195, the only part that has not been replaced is the computer. any...	View
	1995 Nissan Maxima GLE 3.0L Stall VIN: JN1CA21D9S Hello, Customer brought this car in a month ago said it was stalling. Had car for 2 days and could not get car to fail. Customer also stated that the car would restart but as soon as it put in gear would stall again, but could hold the accelerator down and it ...	View
	1976 Other European Silver Shado 5.3L hydraulics VIN: EW33453421 Hi, Group, VIN is incorrect because I am posting from home. This Silver Shadow came in with "Low Pressure-2" light on. With steady pressure on brake pedal, "Master Cylinder" light will come on. We found two corroded and leaking lines to the left rear shock ab...	View
	1997 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L Timing belt VIN: 4S3BG685XV Customer drove car for two days/300 or so miles since head gasket job until the timing belt jumped time on both the LH camshafts bending four exhaust valves. I assembled and dissassembled this job myself and nothing was left loose,there is no evidence of scori...	View
	1994 Toyota Camry LE 2.2L Stall VIN: 4T1SK12EZR hi all i have this 94 camry in my bay for the third time,coustomer says car dies at stops 3 times in 5 weeks, we put on cap,rotor,wiers &plugs ,the first time in for maint. could not get car to stall.we drove car about 120 miles in the 3 times it has been in,c...	View
	1996 Toyota Celica ST 1.8L Misfire, skip VIN: JT2DB02T0T This car has a skip/miss,intermittently in the rpm range of approx.2200-3000. Under load or free running is the same. At WOT stall speed of 2000 rpm,it doesn't skip a beat,until approx.2200rpm or slightly more depending on temperature. Jerks quite noticeably w...	View
	2001 Toyota Tacoma DLX 2.4L hydraulic system VIN: JLE545T6F1 Hi folks, I haven't done a lot of diagnosis on this one, just the basics. Frankly, I am leaning towards a booster and master cylinder replacement, but I remember a couple of Fords that had this trouble,and at that time they were using a metering valve that so...	View
	1995 Volvo 850 2.4L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality, Poor Fuel Economy, MIL Lamp on VIN: YV1LS5513S Vehicle runs rough, stalls and has black smoke from tailpipe. check engine light is on. using the A-B pushbutton interface under hood we acquired a code 121, mass airflow sensor. Using ast retreiver we get a code 314, cam position sensor. Seems very strange th... Trouble codes: 121 (Mass air flow senser signal faulty), 314 (cam position sensor signal faulty)	View
	2001 Volvo V70 2.4L Poor Idle Quality, Surge, MIL Lamp on VIN: YV1SW61R72 hello volvo techs- this car made an appearance at my shop last week- stopped in making a high pitched screaming sound from the timing belt/serpentine belt area. Turned key off, re-started, noise was gone. Drove car 3 miles, noise started again (really loud), i... Trouble codes: 150A, 250A	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	1993 Cadillac Seville STS 4.6L shifting VIN: 1G6KY529XP Fixed: Removed valve body and installed bracket Thanks to Ron with trans doc the updated solenoids came without info as to updated bracket and my tech is inexperienced in this unit the screen did come out in between solenoid	6
	1997 Cadillac Catera 3.0L Heater core VIN: WO6VR54R9V This heater core job is not an easy thing. heater core has 2 pipes going to it that have snap on hose connections under wiper area. the trick is to remove steering column to get dash movement, pull dash from the passsenger side, you have to get console out if ...	1
	1990 Chevrolet Lumina 3.1L No Start VIN: 2G1WL54T4L Well I stayed late last nite till it was fixed. It turned out to be the crank sensor.The thing I don't understand is how can a sensor that is open give the same pattern as the new sensor that has 900 ohms??? I measured the wave form with old sensor in, then re...	17
	1996 Chevrolet C1500 Cheyenne 5.7L Poor Idle Quality, MIL Lamp on, Transmission slips VIN: 2GCEC19R5T Well we sent this truck to get the Transmission overhauled. One of the Clutch Pack Drums was broken causing it not to have anything higher than 2nd gear. When we got the truck back and test drove again over night the P0108 code never came back on. So i am figu... Trouble codes: P0108 (MAP Sensor Circuit too high), P1106.	11
	1997 Chevrolet Astro 4.3L all gauges VIN: 1GNDM19W8V The van would not malfunction once it was brought to us, rechecked all connections & attempted our best to make dash fail - with no success. I just dont know how much trust we can put in the aftermarket rebuilders? Hopefully a lot.	5
	1998 Chevrolet Blazer 4.3L Transfer Case VIN: 1GNDT13W1W thanks for your replies.turned out to be tccm.all is fine everyone happy.	3
	1999 Chevrolet Lumina 3.1L Surge VIN: 2G1WL52M1X this one is finally fixed.fix came back around to the 24x crank sensor that we replace with delco.pulled crank pulley back off and saw sensor mounting ears cracked (and yes sensor was torqued to spec).sensor mounting ears had raised area around bolt hole.the s... Trouble codes: P0336.	5
	2000 Chevrolet Express 3500 5.7L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1GCHG35R1Y As it turns out, the problem was an open ground wire from the sensor to the pcm. I replaced the complete wire from the sensor all the way to the pcm, I figured this was much easier than opening up the harness. After the repair, everything worked great. I got a... Trouble codes: P0140 (HO2S B1S2 Insufficient activity).	8
	2001 Chevrolet Blazer LS 4.3L ABS module VIN: 1GNDT13W51 Thanks to all that help on this Blazer. Clean wheel sensor,& electric plug in EBMC, Clear the code, & the code has not return.	4
	1992 Dodge B250 5.2L Rear brake system, RWAL VIN: 2B7JB21Y92 The fix was to replace the proportioning valve as recommended by several members. We had already bled the brakes so moved on to this next step. The truck now stops as designed. Thanks.	6
	1996 Dodge Ram 1500 3.9L No Start, no data VIN: 1B7HC16X4T wed, morning i asked tech if he was confident that circuit testing had covered all the bases, he was as sure as his knowledge and replies to help request would allow him to be, had not finished conversation and the boss was on the intercomm saying the customer...	15
	1998 Dodge Ram 3500 5.9L no first gear VIN: 1B7MF3364W Well ,I finally got back to this old girl, and I took Joseph from New Jersey's advice and took a close look at the gasket between the over drive and the case. Sure enough, the gasket was damaged causing line pressure to the governor. This would explain the thi...	4
	1999 Dodge Grand Caravan ES 3.8L Misfire VIN: 1B4GP74L3X The #2 injector was clogged tight with this rust colored material that you usually see in a clogged fuel filter. We replaced that injector and cleaned out the fuel rail and the rest of the injectors. We had tried 'Motorvacing' the injectors previously, but wit... Trouble codes: P0302 (Misfire Cyl.2).	13
	1996 Eagle Talon TSi 2.0L axle shaft VIN: 4E3AL54F1T Hello, I put a diff case and bearings in this unit and it's fixed. Thanks for the replies. iATN rules.	4
	1994 Ford E-250 Econoline 5.8L No Start VIN: 1FBJS31HOR PCM repaired this van. Thanks for all replies. I filed all replies in a folder for future reference. Michel [...] suggested a PCM problem if the check engine light does not come on with ignition switch. My sincerest appologies for this oversight.	9
	1998 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6L No Start, MIL Lamp on VIN: 2FAFP71W6W the fix for this crown vic was a pcm.it would have no coil or injector pulse when cranking, but if you hit it with starting fluid it would start and idle.it had a ford reman pcm which had been replaced at the dealer for a missfire problem and i suppose it was ...	6
	2000 Ford Ranger XL 4.0L ABS System VIN: 1FTZR15X8Y most of the replies we recieved said to double check wheel speed sensors at the sensor connector with a lab scope, already did that everything looked normal. This truck belonged to a used car dealer and they elected to take it to a [...] dealer to get a new abs...	8
	2001 Ford Ranger Edge 3.0L Mechanical VIN: 1FTZR15U91 Hey, gentlemen thanks for the help and support on this simple issue. We can complicate anything can't we? After I posted this help request, we replaced the booster again with another aftermarket rebuilt booster. We got the same result. I got 9 replies on this ...	9
	2002 Ford Explorer XLS 4.0L fill tude VIN: 969FL4565L Thanks for all you help. I did come up with a cheap solution to fill the thing. Using my scan tool to watch the temperature of the transmission, I used a made up pressure fill tool. If you don't have a fluid exchanger like me. The following is what I did: ...	14
	1996 GMC C1500 Sierra SL 5.0L Brke petal VIN: 1GTEC19M5T Thanks for the feed back. we tested syst by clamping all lines & petal stayed the same. rechecked rear drum adj, ok, we went ahead and replaced booster( could hear a small vac leak with brakes applied). Nothing we did changed brake petal, When i said antiloc...	10
	1990 Honda Accord LX 2.2L No Start VIN: JHMCB7551L Two problems were fixed! As advised by some of the members I tapped on the pgm-fi relay and I was able to get a kick out of the engine. Once started I noted poor running performance, stumble and miss. I scoped the ignition system and found a very weak spark. S... Trouble codes: 9 (no cylinder sensor input).	22
	1990 Honda Accord DX 2.2L ECU fuse VIN: JHMCB7540L Well you bright luminaries, several of you nailed this one. It was a bad alternator, which apparently was overcharging the system. Well done, and many thanks.	7
	1997 Honda Prelude Type SH 2.2L ATTS Unit VIN: JHMBB6150V I have not been able to fix this vehical yet. The customer took the car home and is not driving untill she can save enough money to make the repairs as I have informed her that this repair will be very labor intensive and she is currently unemployed. Thanks fo...	6
	2000 Honda Passport EX 3.2L no power VIN: 4S6CK58WXY Cam timing it is! However it is easier said than done. There was remnants of an old belt that had shredded out in the timing cover area. If that happens you HAVE to follow the procedure in an ISUZU bulletin (IB00-S005). You can't just line up the marks. The ca... Trouble codes: P1311 (ICSS Sec line 1 circuit), P1312 (ICSS Sec line 2 circuit), P0101 (MAF perf).	8
	2000 Land Rover Discovery Series II 4.0L abs VIN: SALTY154XY When this vehicle first came in it had numerous ABS codes which were, to say the least, contradictory. We cleared the codes (Although the lights would not reset) and sent the customer to the dealer to have the free update done. She then returned the vehicle to...	6
	1988 Mazda 626 DX 2.2L Excessive Emissions VIN: JM1GD2221J Thanks for the replies. Steve [...] hit it on the head. Thanks Steve. The new single wire 02 was not getting hot enough to go into closed loop. A good test drive cure it all. Thanks again.	5
	2001 Mazda Protege ES 2.0L Cuts out VIN: JM1BJ22531 thanks to all who repplied. I finally started taking the exhaust off piece by piece and when i got to the underbody converter, the problem went away. Further inspection found that the muffler had some restriction as well (from the converter). The customer deci... Trouble codes: P0302.	7
	1999 Mercedes-Benz ML430 4.3L Unknown VIN: 4JGAB72E4X With the help of 'CHASSIS EAR' microphone set up by Steelman we were able to pin the noise to the transfer case. Removed the transmission / transfer case assembly. Removed the transfer case and disassembled. We noted that the chain had a good bit of slack. We ...	3
	1993 Mercury Grand Marquis LS 4.6L front brakes VIN: 2MELM75W2P Greetings to all,I recieved many replies to check the pushrod going throuth the the booster and to check the booster.I checked the rod and it was fine so I decided to change th ebooster even though it was new.Changing the booster solved the problem.	20
	1993 Mercury Sable LS 3.8L scanner VIN: 1MELM5845P Hi everybody, not many responses on this one. decided to close the file, thanks for checking, dave	4
	1993 Mitsubishi Montero 3.0L Engine This motor will not fit. The block & the heads have different bolting ups. Thanks to all that helped. Great site.	6
	1983 Nissan 280ZX 2.8L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality VIN: JN1HZ04SXD Hello all, WHile the VAF voltage change WAS higher than it should be, the main problem turned out to be a serious corrosion problem on the ECM circuit board which screwed up the ECM's ability to turn off the injectors. After ECM replacement and adjustment ...	3
	2000 Nissan Maxima GLE 3.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: JN1CA31DXY WOW!!! Thank you everyone for the great and quick responses. I am greatful that iATN is out there. I spoke with my costomer and explained to him that it would be best to go to the dealer and have the ecm reprogramed. I also told him it may or may not solve his... Trouble codes: P0420 (Catalyst efficiency low bank 1).	14
	1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais 2.3L Misfire VIN: 1G3NK14AXM The Olds runs fine. 99% of the replies said to replace the coil cover. We installed a oem cover and coils, connectors and springs. Started up without the miss and all is well. Most replies stated that much of the time a real visible problem can not be seen, as...	22
	1983 Other European 400I 4.0L No Start VIN: ZFFEB06000 Well this car is back on the road. As it turned out a msd system was far cheeper fix than the factory unit(easy to come by as well). Thanks to everyone who replyed. Special thanks to Ed [...], who's idea it was to use the msd, starts every time.	3
	1999 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.8L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G2WJ52K4X Well unfortunately this was one I had to let go. I unplugged te MAF sensor and the misfires went away. I ordered a new AC Delco MAF and the misfires came back. I checked the wires in the MAF plug and all connections appeared to be clean and tight. Sorry guys. Trouble codes: P0300 (Random Misfire).	20
	1990 Toyota Corolla 1.6L Stall VIN: 1NXAE97AXM Sorry but no fix this time. I could not get the car to die on me and everything checked out fine I told the customer I could not throw parts at the car and they agreed to wait for the symptons to get worse so I would have somthing to go on. I did get some sugg...	6
	1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5 3.4L transmission VIN: JT3HN86R4T It's fixed and we feel foolish! I stated that the rear axle seals were ok, however my tech informed me that the backing plates were dry from the outside. Further test drives revealed that the back tires were locking up intermittantly. disassembly revealed soak...	7
	1997 Toyota Corolla 1.6L Cuts out, Stall VIN: 1NXBA02E4V turns out the veh . had a previous repair and they had dammaged the crank damper causing the crank sensor to read irratic. changed the damper and sensor . veh ran fine . thanks	2
	1999 Volkswagen Beetle GL 2.0L "Blue" temp indicator VIN: 3VWBC21COX Recieved 9 replies to this problem and ALL were correct. Thanks Guys ! It was the blue 4 pin sending unit..ohm checking it was intermittent thruout the thermal range...Once installed the blue light didnt come on ..85 degrees ambient temp here now..I`m sure it ...	10

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