Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for May 27, 2005

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	Help Request	Answers
	1999 Buick Park Avenue 3.8L light on VIN: 1G4CW52K1X car has a "engine coolant low check level" message on,the car has a three wire sensor and shopkey shows two wires,on the car i have gnd,and pos voltage on two of the three wires,if i short the gnd to the other wire it turns off the light, i have replaced the s...	View
	2001 Cadillac DeVille DHS 4.6L accys VIN: 1G6KE57Y81 excuse length of this request, as problem started out with a general symptom and then deteriorated to a specific one. car was left off for grinding brakes. battery was dead next am, key was in ign but was switched off in park. after starting up off booster pac...	View
	1990 Chevrolet C1500 Cheyenne 4.3L Poor Idle Quality, Stall VIN: 2GCEC14ZXL The vehicle stalls on you when you snap the throttle. Then it dies when you are just sitting there. Fuel pressure is within normal range. The vehicle is not throwing any codes.	View
	2002 Chevrolet Corvette 5.7L rack? VIN: 1G1YY22G82 This super fast vette has a shimmy when tipping the wheel above 85mph. Does not do it at any speed below that. Owner likes taking it to open track events so he complains about this all the time. I built the engine and trans so he thinks I can fix this too. Nee...	View
	1993 Chrysler Concorde 3.5L OD pressure sw ckt VIN: 2C3EL56F65 I have this Concorde that sets a code 21 OD pressure swirch circuit. When this happens the vehicle goes into limp mode and will not get out of 2nd gear. There is no pattern to when it will happen, some mornings it will, some it wont. I was going through flow c...	View
	1994 Chrysler LHS 3.5L Fuel Gauge VIN: 2C3HD56F6R Fuel Gauge Drops To Empty,Low Fuel Light Comes On And DTE On Overhead Display Goes To Zero While Driving Or Setting Still.Then It Will Work Properly.Very Annoying While Driving.Any Help Would Be Appriciated.	View
	1997 Chrysler Sebring JXi 2.5L Stall VIN: 3C3EL55H5V Hi: this car is driving us nuts. Stalls once after 3 approx. 3 minutes of run time on a cold start and then will run fine until it cools off again. When it dies we have good fuel pressure, good spark, cam and crank signals appear fine. The coil driver signal f...	View
	1999 Dodge Durango SLT 5.2L tcc VIN: 1B4HS28Y9X Thank you in advance. Transmission guy please help. Vehicle arrived with stacked 2-3 shift and flare 2-3. TCC was working fine, no on-off-on-off. Front band was burned. Pulled trans, went through all, found no other problems. Reinstalled, same shifting problem...	View
	1992 Ford F-250 Custom 7.5L pedal VIN: 2FTHF25G6P Truck has all new brakes from somewhere else. Came to us originally for low pedal and we put in a master cylinder. Worked fine for awhile then pedal went low and soft. Owner had someone else bleed brakes and truck was fine for awhile. Came to us now with low s...	View
	1994 Ford Ranger STX 4.0L Idle speed VIN: 1FTDR15X6R Receiving codes 411 and 412 This vehicle is idling to fast.1130 rpm sound fast,what is the desired idle for these? Also installed vacuum gauge,readings of 19 inches HG. Is that to low? Disconnected and plugged all vacuum related items no change.(Brake booster...	View
	1996 Ford Ranger Splash 2.3L no communication VIN: 1FTCR10A1T This truck came in for a smog inspection (two speed idle). Our ESP bar 97 could not establish communication. We tried Snap On Modis with same result. Truck sat overnight and was able to establish a link with modis, data looked normal no codes and all monitors ...	View
	1997 Ford Aspire 1.3L coolant VIN: KNJLT05H0V Vehicle came in with engine oil in coolant overflow resivoir which we thought was a mistake by a quickey oil change place, 3 months later same problem only this time oil aslo in radiator. Looking at a picture of head gasket surface i see what i believe to be a...	View
	1998 Ford E-250 Econoline 5.4L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1FTNF24LOW Hello everybody Got this Ford that is driving me nutz. The usual code P0171 and P0174 lean bank one and two.Read all the fix data base and tried everything that was sugessted We smoked checked and have not found anything but we replaced the PCV hose and the va...	View
	1999 Ford Econoline Super Duty Custom 5.4L pressures VIN: 1FBSS31L0Y Hello All, This van will not get the low side to normal pressures but the high side is normal. I have changed the TXV at the rear evap and the "o" tube (brownish red) for the front. The pressures do not change with RPM and vent temp is much too warm as reflect...	View
	1993 GMC C3500 Sierra 7.4L Clutch master cylinder VIN: 1GDHC34N3P Clutch master keeps breaking	View
	1999 Isuzu Rodeo LS 3.2L fuel gauge inop. VIN: 4S2CK58W9X hello everyone,this rodeo came in with the fuel gauge fluctuating.i pulled the sending unit,ohmed it and it failed.so i replaced it,with a used unit.i ohmed the used unit,290 ohms on "E" and 90 ohms on "F".put it in the tank and no change gauge still reading "...	View
	1997 Jaguar XK8 4.0L transmission VIN: SAJGX5747V i have torn transmission appart twice and have not found and problems internaly, metal, or burnt clutches. transmission is driving me mad if any one has come accross this problem, i would appreshiate the help	View
	2002 Jaguar S-Type 3.0L dsc light on VIN: AA01L01FM4 Hello ITAN member.this vehicle came in with dsc light on,pulled code c1286.road test ABS OK.Then change brake booster.and configuration but dsc light still on can't clear dtc. thanks for any info in advance. thanks for any and all help supplied.	View
	1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0L 2nd gear VIN: 1J4GZ58S8R Hi guys, Let me first say that I'm not a trans guy. This trans was just rebuilt by a guy that does transmissions at the local Ford dealer. He did this one in his spare time. He could not get the thing to shift so he told the owner that it is probably a wirin...	View
	1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.2L 1-2 shift VIN: 1J4GZ78Y6V this unit work great if you go ahead and accelerate. but this guy is moving to west virginia and the small town he is going to live in. you have to drive slow. this is where he discovered the problem. we rebuilt it the first time back in november 2004.	View
	1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0L No Start VIN: 1J4GW58SXX Could have put flex plate on in wrong position.checked to see if ring was bent and is straight. Need to know if flex plate fits on in differt postions or only goes on one way. checked shop key and hanes manual and no info on how to allign marks if there are an...	View
	1995 Mazda 626 DX 2.0L overdrive VIN: 1YVGE22C7S Hello Mazda Techs: I have this 626 with an inop TCC. The OD light flashes all the time and will not go into overdrive. The transmission bangs into gear from neutral to drive. I have no scanning software for this tranny. Can this problem be corrected or repair ...	View
	2005 Mercedes-Benz VITO 115 CDI 2148CC Excessive Emissions, White Smoke VIN: 6397032301 Hi guys, I had a Mercedes Benz Vito (Crew Cab) owner came back twice for emmission problem (White smoke). We conducted short-test but no code were found. We check the injectors but nothing Unusual and surprisingly this a new vehicle. Could any of you gentleman...	View
	1988 Pontiac Firebird 2.8L No Start VIN: 1G2FS21S7J Hey gang. It's been a while since i've seen one of these.So i guess its jabbing me a little. I have no injector pulse and no ground pulse at coil hense no spark also.On my data stream; RPM is 0. Labscoped pickup in distributor-n.g.So i called a distributor. TH...	View
	1992 Pontiac Bonneville SE 3.8L No Start VIN: 1G2HX53L7N A good friend of mine asked me to take a look at this car to help a lady out. The husband had torn a good bit of the dash apart in hopes of replacing the ing switch. Got in over his head and car is towed to our shop. No "thief" light comes on in dash. Jump s...	View
	2002 Pontiac Bonneville SLE 3.8L gauges, DIC, Remote, HVAC, Radio, windows VIN: 1G2HY54K52 Hi Techs, We got this in for various accessories inop, we found the fuel gauge and oil pressure gauge inop, all windows inop, the DIC shows just dashes. We tried to communicate with the class 2 system with our tech 2 but are unable to communicate with any modu...	View
	1999 Porsche Boxster 2.5L Drivers heated seat VIN: WPOCA2985X Hi Folks I was wondering if some Porsche guys out there could share any experiences with Boxster seat heater issues. Pass side works with red indicater light on till you press switch again and then it turns green. I assume this is normal operation. On drivers ...	View
	1997 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L cam gears VIN: 4S3BG6851V Hi all. We have this Subaru that has shattered both the cam gears on the passenger head. Timing belt is intact, the guide rollers all seem fine, and the cams seem to turn without any excessive drag. I found a posting in the archives for one of these engines wh...	View
	1998 Subaru Forester L 2.5L MIL Lamp on VIN: JF1SF6350W Code p0400 still being set!!! Still having problems with this car (see previous post) and totally lost. Have remove all lines and cleaned. None were plugged. Bpt sensor was faulty. Replaced. No change. Tried know good used egr valve. No change. Solenoid was r... Trouble codes: P0400 (egr flow error)	View
	1991 Toyota Camry 2.5L Charging VIN: JT2VV22FAM This vehicle is out to get me,hope someone can give me a little insight on this problem.In the past 5000 km this vehicle as went threw 3 alternators.Start vehicle cold and vehicle charges fine and the charge light works fine on the bulb check.After vehicle run...	View
	1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 2.0L speedo VIN: 3VWSC29M8X Speedo not working. Customer said there was a speed sensor code so he replaced the speed transmitter on diff. Speed sensor code stll active. I replaced the 3 pin speed sensor under the trans mount and the 2 pin sensor by the torque converter. I tested the ins...	View
	2001 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition 1.8L Poor Idle Quality, Extended cranking VIN: 3VWPD69MX1 This one came in as a stripped belt with all valves bent. Removed head and sent to machine shop for valve replacement etc. and reinstalled with new timing belt, hydraulic tensioner and roller. The problem is most of the time it takes a very long time to start ... Trouble codes: P0172, P0011 (undocumented), P0012 (undocumented)	View
	2001 Volkswagen Jetta GLX 2.8L Module/Pump VIN: 3VWTG69M11 This Jetta keeps setting code, "01276: ABS hydraulic Pump V64 Electrical Problem Intermittent." The car would trip the code when 13mph was attained as the manual says it will with this malfunction. Passed electrical test and data block tests. ie. brake light s...	View
	1998 Volvo V70 GLT 2.4L stumble, irreg. idle VIN: YV1LW5640W Hello all, Having trouble resetting OBD II readiness - Car came in with no running complaints. Just wont pass smog because of monitors not set. Followed Volvo's "tech note 25-19" on reset OBD II.(we did everything exactly as bulletin states)No difference. But ...	View
	1999 Volvo S80 T6 2.8L Misfire VIN: YV1TS909D6 i checked over to see which cylinders were misfiring and found that 1,3, and 4th cylinders were misfiring. i checked for injectors milseconds and it was ok. no faulty injectors. check coils for fire, there was no fire on 1,3,and 4. swich coils around where goo... Trouble codes: P0340	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	1998 Acura SLX Premium 3.5L Hesitation, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: JAEDJ58X0W yes, this was fix. i remove intake found egr tube leed to throtle body inside badly cloged with carbon. clean tube reinstaled intake clear code . driving almost week so far so good. thanks everyone.as some of you suggested there is tube available at the dealer... Trouble codes: P0401 (egr flow insufficent).	7
	1993 Audi 100 2.8L cruise control VIN: WAUAJ84A7P We received just a few replies on this problem, one giving some hints on checking the speed sensor with a graphing meter. Another told of a possible bad solder joint on the printed circuit behind the instrument panel--to no avail in our case. At this point the...	3
	1993 Buick LeSabre Custom 3.8L motormount Thanks for all the info, the stud I was talking about has no inverted torx head unfortunately. I removed the alternator for more room spun on 2 flat 19mm nuts ( not alot of threads on stud )stud turned out problem solved. I appreciate the help!	17
	1997 Buick LeSabre Custom 3.8L Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G4HP52K9V Well this is the one that has left unfixed. I received a lot of good information a lot had thoughts that the problem was fuel. A bad fuel injector, PCM not firing injector or a vacuum leak, checking the O-rings at the PCV valve and injectors. I did switch the ... Trouble codes: 0300 (misfire).	11
	1997 Buick LeSabre Custom 3.8L engine oil pressure VIN: 1G4HP52K7V clearances were incorrect on crank ,timing cover was warped causing a low oil pressure condition at idle (with the smoke machine I built from robert foss (thanks man!!!) I was able to see the oil pump leaking smoke at 1.5 psi).anyway the buick from hell is gon...	17
	1984 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 4.1L power seats VIN: 1G6AW4783E After checking the control switches and the wiring harness from the control switches to the inside of the A pillar as my replies suggested and interviewing both drivers of the car I found that the control switches weren't used right before the car was shut off...	3
	1989 Cadillac DeVille 4.5L climate control panel VIN: 1G6CD5150K thanks alot to all who responded. sorry about the slow fix post. It turns out that I had gotten 2 bad body control modules. It kept losing the bcm to pcm serial data line. The bcm had a crack in the circuit board. We got another bcm and the car has been on the...	7
	1994 Chevrolet K2500 5.7L radiator VIN: 1HCFK29K5R Thanks to every one for responding! All were extremely helpful. As many of you mentioned it was/is a bent frame issue. The frt lft snout is 2' in too far resulting in dynamic stress failure. I'm shipping the vehicle back to the original frame/body shop for a f...	19
	1996 Chevrolet Tahoe 5.7L Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: IGNEC13R4T YEP,YEP,YEP! The Intake gasket was leaking vacuum into cyl #5. As I stated in the update with the pcv unplugged, there was a lot of vacuum at the oil cap. After replacing gasket, all was well. Thanks guys for helping me stay on the basics. THANKS TO ALL WHO ... Trouble codes: P0305.	17
	1996 Chevrolet Corsica 2.2L No Start VIN: 1G1LD554XT Well!!! Thank you so much for the 20 replies. Kelly,John [...] from all included: Leaking fuel pressure regulator,compression readin...	21
	1991 Dodge D250 5.9L Rear Diff, Dana 70 VIN: 1B7KE26C2M we found bad bearing in trans o\d balance drive line and replace u joints sounds good at this time	7
	1993 Dodge B350 5.9L Misfire VIN: 2B5WB35Z1P thanks to all who assisted with this. i pulled the injector rail and watched injector flow. it showed ok. now pressure drop was 4-6 psi. pressure gage now will drop when driven to 25 psi. suspected clogged fuel rail. will drop the tank to replace fuel pump. ha...	16
	1998 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.0L Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: 2B4GP443WR I'll never forget this one. Replaced w/ a salvaged throttlebody to restore to original. Problem still existed. Substituted a good ECM. Same old song & dance.IAC counts would show 0 @ times desired & actual. Went searching for a vacuum leak that didn't exist. B... Trouble codes: 1294 (Target Idle not reached).	6
	1993 Ford E-150 Econoline 5.8L Misfire VIN: 1FDEE14HOP well we finally got this one fixed.thanks to all who replied micheal,rusty,john,david&dave.Dave got us looking in the right direction,when we were looking at the scope pattern watching the pickup signal we saw that random cylindes dwell would go irratic&then b...	5
	1998 Ford E-250 Econoline 4.2L fuel gauge VIN: 1FTNE24Z6W I learned a lot with this 2 fuel vehicle, i did not fix it do to special dealer tools and i went far enought-- a big thanks to all especially mike kost for the many pades of fax manuals, we do a fleet of these so in the futere hope to win round 2, joe cat	4
	2003 Ford Explorer XLT 4.0L 1-2 shift VIN: 1FMDU73K73 Hi Again, first i want to thank all that offered their help. Firstly as was recommended by Mike from Colorado and David from Oklahoma i disconnected the battery and shorted the terminals together to clear all codes. I then went through the relearn procedure wh...	10
	1998 Honda Accord LX 2.3L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1HGCG5649W Most guys said the cat was bad. A few mentioned to replace HO2S first. Customer declined repairs at this time. He will fix in the near future. If the cat doesn't fix it, I will re-post and let you know. Thanks to all. Randy Trouble codes: P0420.	30
	2000 Honda Insight 1.0L Hesitation, Surge, Misfire VIN: JHMZE1356Y Thanks for all of the ideas guys. verify proper valve clearanceO.K. Disconnect EGR valve and road tested, problem still occurs but check engine light did no illuminate. EGR passes all tests when tested manually. Unplug injector and found check engine light sti...	8
	1992 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4.0L security light VIN: 1J4FJ78S0N Thank you to all that responded so quickly.I apologize for not posting the fix quicker...but here lately it seems there just isn't enough hours in the day to get everything done. What ended up disarming it was locking then unlocking the lift gate.I tried the d...	14
	1994 Lincoln Town Car Signature 4.6L hvac contoller VIN: 1LNLM82W3R faulty controller faulty temp sensor (in car temp.) faulty pressure sensor car has not returned yet since problem is intermittent	4
	2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK320 3.2L compressor VIN: WDBLK65G82 car has not returned yet, many told me to hook up a scanner and read codes, i will when it returns. i did get some info on possible bad evap temp sensor. this can be found in the heater/a/c box. near d/s footwell near the gas pedal.this can keep the compressor...	6
	1997 Mercury Grand Marquis GS 4.6L power steering VIN: 2MEMLM75W7 Thanks for all the replies! I received suggestions for a lower ball joint or steering universal joint binding . The front end checked out well on the rack until we disconnected the outer tie rods and found right front lower ball joint binding. The ball joint w...	9
	1998 Mercury Mystique GS 2.0L valve timing VIN: 1MELM653XW Thanks for replys to my questions, GREAT as any tool in my box. Did as everyone said,crank on TDC. put tool in cams,installed belt and tightened, Then tightened both cam gears with tool still in place and turned 2 revs. and it was still in time but could turn ...	8
	1990 Plymouth Laser RS 2.0L No Start, Stall VIN: 4P3CS44U4L This car is fixed! I took the computer apart and found the tell-tale capacitor blown up. I appreciate all the input from all you guys. I never did find any specs on the IAC resistance, so I just went with my general rule of thumb. The iac ohmed out 39.8 ohms o...	8
	1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE 2.4L Hesitation This vehicle was fixed by replacing the ignition module back to the original delco part, (part was originally replaced in an attempt to fix a misfire condition) also the short braided ground strap that bolts to one of the four engine cover bolts and lies under... Trouble codes: P0335, P0341.	5
	1999 Porsche Boxster 2.5L camshaft cover VIN: WPOCA2982X Hello group! I recieved three responses to my request. All mentioned tools for holding The cams suring R&R and if the engine needed to be turned with the cam sovers removed- Damage or timing problems could result without the tools! The resealing proceded wit...	3
	2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara XL-7 2.7L MIL Lamp on VIN: JS3TX92V31 thank you all for your quick responses and help, i will replace the left front o2 sensor, thanks again j.r. Trouble codes: P0135.	11
	1998 Toyota Camry CE 3.0L Unknown VIN: 4T1BF28K7W Thank you all for all the help.The majority of replies were for the rpm sensor on the compressor or related to the rpms in which the clutch was turning.Actually the customer sat down and read all of your replies.He was very impressed with iatn.With the custome...	18
	2001 Toyota Camry CE 2.2L advice please VIN: J342432423 Thanks for all replied.I will give it a go with iridium plugs.	3
	1994 Volkswagen Jetta GL 2.0L Hesitation, Surge, Misfire VIN: 3VWRA81H8R Complete de=carb of intake system and replace MAF. Remove oil 'sponge' from IAC hose to intake manifold and re =set dist. All that did the trick. Vince Thanks to one and all!!	12
	1996 Volkswagen Jetta GL 2.0L No Start, Hesitation, Stall, No power VIN: 3VWWB81H2T First i want to thank all those who took the time to respond, after i sprayed the coil and wires with water and soap and saw arcing and lost spark i replaced Coil, cap, rotor, wires, and plugs, still had the same problem, finally i tried running the car on a m...	7

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