Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Nov 13, 2004

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	Help Request	Answers
	1994 Chevrolet S10 4.3L 3-2 shift selenoid Hi all, got a real head scratcher here, veh came in a few days ago with the complaint; after driving a few minutes veh takes off in second gear, trans was built at another shop for this problem, also ecm has been replaced 3 times with no effect on the problem...	View
	2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L hvac VIN: 1GCEK19T6Y Hi guys need help. The complaint is always hot no tempature control. initial check found it worked to cold once then it stop working stuck on hot. Followed the trouble three and ended needing to replace hvac controller. found the new controller wouldn't work a...	View
	2003 Chevrolet Express 3500 6.0L instrument cluster VIN: 1GCHG39U43 Hi all. Customer says that when he is driving along the istrument cluster guages etc, all go out then they come back on sometimes one at a time. Ammeter may start to read then speedo starts to work then everything. He also says the radio goes off, sound and di...	View
	1996 Chrysler Sebring JXi 2.5L No Start, Cuts out, Stall VIN: 3C3EL55H4T checked wireing diagrams for bcm pcm and tcm bcm seems the center of everything including gauges if anyone else thinks i am right let me please let me know its a 500 dollar module thanks to all who help Trouble codes: 1695 (ccd bus comunications failure from bcm too pcm), 1698 (ccd bus failure from tcm to pcm)	View
	1994 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9L No Start VIN: 1B7KF26C2R I never worked on a diesel before. I just replaced the fuel filter, filled it with diesel and put it back on. I also replaced the throttle cable and throttle rod. I am getting fuel to the injector pump but nothing at the injector bleed screws. The shutdown sol...	View
	1994 Ford F-350 XL 7.3L hydraulic VIN: 1FDKF38M5R Before and after replacement of these parts this truck continues to have a low brake pedal. It has been bled over and over again using various methods and machine's. But i can not get a good pedal. Yet if i clamp off all flex lines the pedal is as hard as rock...	View
	1996 Ford Contour GL 2.0L Cuts out, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1FALP6530T This trouble code has been very difficult to diag. Due to the lack of repair info. Even ford service manual is very lean on diag info. Of course my 25yr ford tech has never seen this code before. Can duplicate condition every cold start. Car always starts and ... Trouble codes: P0320 (Ignition engine speed input circuit. Two sucsessive erratic Profile ignition pickup pulses occurred.)	View
	1999 Ford Taurus LX 3.0L Hesitation, Stall VIN: 1FAFP52UX1 Hi guys; This Taurus is doing something wierd. After driving 20-40 miles, the CE light comes on, the codes set, it bogs on accel and the transmission will not shift out of 1st gear. The owner says the first time it happened was when he was driving in a very he... Trouble codes: P0102 (MAF high), P0103 (fuel level sensor fault), P0340 (cam signal error), P0460 (fuel level sensor fault), P1100 (MAF intermittent), P1309 (misfire montor fault)	View
	1991 Honda Prelude Si 2.1L engine VIN: JHMBA4172M high pitched squeal only when engine is cold when movimg forward, no squeal in reverse. occurs at low speeds (less than 20kmph) when accelerating and for brief period 10-15 seconds. Occurs only when air temperaturte is less than 10C.	View
	1996 Infiniti I30 3.0L Excessive Emissions, MIL Lamp on VIN: JNKCA2103T new customer, car came in with mil light on code po172 stored[system rich bank1]. looking at freeze frame both fuel trims are above 20%, looking at current data both long term fuel trim are running 16-20, customer has previously replaced all three 0-2 sensors ... Trouble codes: 172 (fuel trim high)	View
	2002 Jaguar X-Type 3.0L rear calapers VIN: SAJEA51C02 Hi jag guys, This is the fist X-Type jag we have had that we have had to do rear brakes on and we have been unable to compress the pistons (actuator type). The car has been sitting on a rack for a week while we have tried to repair this car we even allad jag ...	View
	2001 Kia Sportage 2.0L Hesitation, Misfire, MIL Lamp on, Both Cats Melted VIN: KNDJB72361 Now at 137k ses light is on- front cat melted completely and rear cat started to melt. seem like truck is running very lean- we can not duplicate miss fires- we have driven for over 60 miles and ses light does not come on for us- scan tool shows that all syste... Trouble codes: P0472, P0302, P0303, P0300	View
	1999 Lincoln Navigator 5.4L Limited Slip VIN: 5MLPU28L4X Need some help on this one guys. Limited slip locks up after about 5 miles of driving. complaint is chatter and vibration if wheel is turned and accelerated from a stop.I found a TSB addressing this problem. I informed customer who said that it had been done 2...	View
	1994 Mazda B4000 SE 4.0L Leak into Engine Crankcase VIN: 4F4DR17X5R Hello fellow techs, I have a strange one here. This truck is losing about one quart of trans fluid a week, there are no external leaks. What I found is that somehow the ATF if getting into the crankcase, when I changed the engine oil about fifteen quarts came ...	View
	2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport XLS 3.5L ride VIN: JA4MT31R62 WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE YOU WILL INTERMITTENTLY GET A NOISE LIKE AS IF YOU WERE DRIVING OVER A WASHBOARD, OR LIKE IN SOME STATES WHERE THEY SAW GROOVES IN THE ROAD TO WARN YOU OF A STOP SIGN AHEAD.IT IS MORE CONSISTENT WHEN YOU ARE GOING UP HILL OR UNDER A H...	View
	2001 Nissan Pathfinder XE 3.5L Parking lamps I am in the process of diagnosing the parking lamp circuit but I need to know where the HEADLAMP BATTERY SAVER CONTROL MODULE is located before I can go any further. I checked Mitchell On Demand & Alldata and they both say it is located in the left front kick ...	View
	1997 Pontiac Grand Am SE 2.4L ebcm? VIN: 1G2NE52T7V Isn't always your best customers that wind up with the hardest problems? Customer called me at home last sunday morning, panicking because her abs light and brake light came on when she started her car. I told her to check her fluid and if it was braking ok, t...	View
	1993 Volkswagen EuroVan GL 2.5L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out VIN: WV2KC0701P Van came in because it would quit every 20 miles or so. It was determined that it had no spark when it died.. All grounds were checked and rechecked , used a lab scope on the dist. signal wire and didn't get a tru square wave, the top line looked like an old t...	View
	1993 Volvo 940 2.3L Cuts out VIN: YV1J58701P the car will start with rolling idle but sometimes clear up. the reason why im asking for help is info is limited and dealers are not assisting. engine cold car runs great the hotter it gets the worse it gets. it breaks up under a load 2000 rpm it seems as if ...	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	1997 Audi A4 2.8L sun roof VIN: WAUEA88D7V good morning: i revieved lots of replies on this one, and the consensus was to replace the switch. a couple said to reset it, and i did that, but did not help. replaced the switch yesterday and all is well. thanks for all the help. now i have to figure out t...	9
	1997 Chevrolet K1500 Cheyenne 5.7L engine noise VIN: 1GCEK19R5V Thanks for all our help, Rich from Indiana, Dennis from Iowa, Greg from Ontario pointed me in the right direction with a TSB on piston skirts that are to short. #3 had 8 thou of piston clearance. probalbly the noisy one. I didn,t measure every one but you coul...	11
	2000 Chevrolet Prizm 1.8L Poor Idle Quality, Stall VIN: 1Y1SK5288Y Thanks for the info. My other shop has the vehicle at the moment but they said they scanned the vehicle and got a code for the IAC system. I think when I get it back I'll try cleaning the idle passages. I will get a chance to fix this vehicle eventually since ...	4
	1992 Dodge Stealth 3.0L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality, Misfire, Poor Fuel Economy, 3&6 plugs not firing VIN: JB3BN74K5P I wish to thank all the members that replied, I used all sugjestions. The problem was a failed hydrolic tensioner that caused just enough slack at the timing belt that the drivers side/right cam was off a few teeth,(all other cams aligned). What I learned was ...	11
	1997 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie 5.2L No Start, Stall VIN: 3B7HF13YXV Thanx to all who replied, I disconnected the exhaust & the vehicle started.	12
	1999 Dodge Ram 1500 Van 5.2L Speedometer VIN: 2B7JBZ1Y6X Sorry it took so long to reply with the fix. The problem was repaired by reflashing the 'pinion factor' into the computer. I was unable to do this with my Modis so the owner took it to a Chrysler dealer. I contacted him yesterday and discovered that all is wel...	12
	1993 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6L Hesitation, VIN: 2FALP71W5P Thanks to all that replied. Sorry for the delay in closing. 5 said MAF, 2 said PCV tee. Other suggestions were: leaky injectors, ECT, ECM, EGR, IAC passage, check fuel trims. The tech replaced used MAF with a new MAF. Problem solved.	12
	1995 Ford Explorer XL 4.0L No Start VIN: 1324561425 thank to all who responded, since i do not work on fords the information i got was very helpfull, i foun the location of the delta press sensor, , unpluged it and the vehicle started, internal problem, thanks again	14
	1995 Ford F-150 Eddie Bauer 5.0L overdrive light flashing/speedometer bouncing VIN: 1FTEF15N4S I have not yet worked on this vehicle so I can't post the fix. Several people said the P.S.O.M. behind the cluster are bad so I will check into that when I get to work on this again. Thanks so much for everyones reply!!!	13
	1998 Ford F-150 Lariat 5.4L speedometer VIN: 1FTRF17L3W The problem was the transmission harness (behind r/s cyl head) was too close to exhaust manifold burning insulation off three wires including the speed sensor wire. Thanks to all who replied.	6
	1999 Ford Econoline Super Duty Custom 5.4L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out, Stall VIN: 1FBSS3IL5X I was getting no computer communication due to a computer that just couldn't take an alternator swinging up and down from 19 volts down to zero for long. In other words, a rebuilt computer allowed communication. Only 130 bucks. Dan from Alaska was very helpful...	4
	2002 GMC Envoy SLE 4.2L Starting VIN: 1GKDS13S72 I sent the truck to the dealer for security system programming.	5
	1998 Honda CR-V LX 2.0L Hesitation, MIL Lamp on VIN: JHLRD2846W Thanks to all who responded to this problem. I did check the ground wire at the thermostat housing but it was ok. The fix was a new rebuilt computor. The symptoms were a check engine lite & 1607 code, but more importantly, on cold mornings, the car would not a... Trouble codes: 1607 (Problem in computor).	3
	1999 Honda Accord EX 3.0L SRS -Supplemental Restraint System VIN: 1HGCG2257Y Thanks for all you guys for taking the time to reply. Customer never had a chance to take the car back to the shop. No further contact(moved?) from customer since the compliant. Thinking the SRS light would go away?? Maybe not,huh?	4
	2001 Hyundai Sonata 2.4L No Start VIN: KMHWF25SX1 Fix was installing crank sensor so that vane actually passes thru it! Duh! It can actually be bolted up 'backward' and everything looks great. This is what happens when you rush!.. Still failed to get Vantage to give a waveform though even after I had it run...	7
	1992 Isuzu Rodeo LS 3.1L Cylinder Head VIN: 4S2CG58E1N This vehicle is finally out of our hair. The majority of replies suggested there was debris in the intake, that's exactly what it was. I had personally blown out the intake manifold with compressed air but did not wash out the intake. After posting the help re...	9
	1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.0L Driver information Center VIN: 1J4GZ78S3P Thanks to all who replied and especially to Kerry from Colorado who faxed me test procedures for this system. After testing the switch circuit at the VIC I have come to the conclusion that there is a problem with the mechanism inside the transfer case that act...	3
	1995 Jeep Cherokee Country 4.0L Excessive Emissions VIN: 1J4FT78S7S Many of you suggested the fix. we replace cat with oem new one, and numbers came down to 200. other suggestions were decarbonize the engine real good, check for high compression, reinstall the 195 thermostat, inflate tires to 50 psi, check for manifoild leaks,...	13
	1994 Lexus ES300 3.0L inital take off from rest VIN: JT8GK13TGR Thank you gentlemen for your excellent replies. Apon finally witnessing the symtom, I have come to the conclusion that the problem is internal and not just a solinoid. I noticed that the transmission will not go into drive or reverse at all when the problem oc...	8
	1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS 2.4L Stall VIN: 4A3AX35GXX Thanks to all the techs that replied to my help request. After reading all of the responses, I went back and tested all the outputs readings of the maf sensor, they were all okay. I kept looking for voltage drop from all the grounds concerning the computer, ev...	4
	1995 Pontiac Firebird Formula 5.7L Light Motor VIN: 2G2FV22PXS My student has not brought their car back for me to look at again, we will disconect the alarm system first and try the head lights. I will post message later on the fix, thank you all for your help. Daniel	11
	1999 Pontiac Bonneville SE 3.8L Hesitation, -20 FUEL TRIM VIN: 1G2HX52K5X Hello Fellow Techs, I am closing this post for now, with a semi-fix. I received many replies about how to interpret the negative fuel trim values. I removed the throttle body and did a thorough cleaning of the throttle plates and throttle body itself. This d...	12
	2001 Pontiac Montana 3.4L brakes VIN: 1GMDXBE61D well the problem was that the pistons in the calipers were traveling in to far.so you felt more pedal travel.thanks to all who gave suggestions. down the road she goes.	5
	1994 Saab 9000 Aero 2.3L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Surge, Misfire, Poor Fuel Economy VIN: YS3CN65R0R Awesome job Guys! Alldata showed the cams to be timed with only the marks on the cams themselves & never even mentioned the marks on the sprockets. They also never stated that there needed to be 15 rollers between them (makes sense since they don't seem to k...	11
	2001 Volvo V70 2.4L MIL Lamp on VIN: YV1SW58DO1 Thanks for the info guys... Installed a new air mass meter (new volvo oe has different bosch pn than the one I took off) Once I started the car both fuel trim values were at 0. Over the ten mle test drive I just went on ltft got as high as eight and leveled of... Trouble codes: P1171.	10

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