Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Dec 26, 2007

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	Help Request	Answers
	2002 Cadillac Escalade 6.0L chmsl VIN: 1GYEK63NX2 Half of the center high mount stop lamp is inop. It is pricey, $260 retail. Has anyone ever taken one apart and repaired it, like , say, a poor solder joint? Any other ideas? Is a coworkers vehicle, just trying to save him some cash. Thanks	View
	1986 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom 5.7L No MIL Lamp VIN: 1G8EK18LXG No MIL lamp operation along with no communication to ECM. I have verified powers and grounds to lamp driver module and ECM. The lamp driver module keeps burning up. Another shop worked on this before me. The check engine lamp in the socket is a 921. I believe ...	View
	1990 Chevrolet S10 2.5L Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1GCCS14E3L Hi, and thanks for any help you can give me in advance. This truck was towed to me from Houston TX as a no start. The history of this truck is that it has been sitting since last March when the customer had a new head gasket put on it, he drove it after that r... Trouble codes: 42 (electronic spark control est)	View
	1996 Chevrolet Astro 4.3L Misfire VIN: 1GNDM19W6T Hey guys i have a 96 chevy astro with 177402 miles on it and it appears to be in good condiction. the customer had a major tune up back in 8/8/07 by a shop that is now out of business and asked if i would look at it. the van now has an engine miss. I inspected... Trouble codes: P0300	View
	1997 Chevrolet Cavalier 2.2L Engine Spark Like Knock VIN: 1G1JC1249V After changing engine with 1998 2.2L from s-10 used short block only all other parts from original 2.2 out of this Cavalier. At idle has loud spark like knock, Hold off of idle and no noise what so ever. When comes down to idle if you step on gas quickley make...	View
	1997 Chevrolet K2500 5.7L Hesitation, Cuts out VIN: 1GCGK24R9V The customer complaint is that it will intermittently cut out, hesitate, then it will keep going like normal. This happens all in about 2 seconds. I have duplicated it several times, but I didn't have my test equipment hooked up once and when I did, it acted u...	View
	2005 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 LT 5.3L Differential VIN: 3GNEK12Z25 If anybody has ever had this problem please e-mail.	View
	2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS 3.5L ignition system VIN: 1G1ZT52815 the car will not crank. When the battery is hooked the radio and shift indicator stay lit all the time. the single wire to the starter does not have any power to it the wire looks good. If you jump the starter the car will start and run. My ob2 scanner will no...	View
	1999 Chrysler Concorde LXi 3.2L Stall VIN: 2C3HD46J4X the problem here has got me completely stumped!!! the car has been brought to my shop 7 times and to the chrysler dealership 12 times. there are no codes present ever and no mil's are ever on...all systems are in perfect working order. at no time did it malfun...	View
	2005 Chrysler Pacifica Touring 3.5L ABS light VIN: 2C4GF68435 Happy Holidays IATN techs. This Pacifica hit a dog kennel in the road one night. Body shop brought in for the air charge(ruined condensor) and ABS light on. Computer shows no codes, all tests passed. (using genisys scan tool). Measured wheel speed sensor resis...	View
	1997 Dodge Grand Caravan ES 3.8L No Start VIN: 1B4GP54L6V looked over valve job to see pinch wire somewhere for injector circuit 2 and none found. found ecm driver for injector 2 bad so installed used ecm, now car starts and dies. i'm guessing bcm and ecm security code is not same its acting like this., how do you pr... Trouble codes: P0202	View
	2001 Dodge Ram 3500 5.9L Hesitation VIN: 1B7MF33651 this truck was sent to us from orther repair shop. we donot do much diesel repair but was good customer. truck wiil start and run fine but when put in drive will not go over 20 mph . it almost seems like going into a limp mode. can"t find much on code 1693. al... Trouble codes: 1693.	View
	2002 Dodge Durango Sport 4.7L Electronic VIN: 1BHS38NX2F Well I have a Dodge Durango here thats got some issues. Last summer this vehicle was stuck in 4x4 which we replaced the encoder motor and the switch the system was operating after that per my tech ,we are friends with the owner . Now what this thing was doing ...	View
	2004 Dodge Durango SLT 5.7L interior lights VIN: 1D4HB48N34 customer stated interior lights stay on all the time. verified complaint. once door is opened interior lights go on and stay on even when you start the car and drive. once you stop, they will eventually time out and go out until next time any door is opened. c...	View
	1995 Ford Taurus GL 3.8L No Start VIN: 1FALPS347S i have this 95 taurus towed in yesterday with 80,000 miles on it . the dist. rotor was broken but after replacing , the engine cranks over hard like a jump timing chain. i check the chain slack by watch the rotor as i turn the engine back and forth by hand. it...	View
	2000 Ford Taurus SE 2-Valve 3.0L heater VIN: 1FAFP5521Y Hi, This car came in 3 months ago with a no heat (80 degrees out of the vent.)complaint. The impeller on the water pump was corroded and it was replaced and the heater core was flushed. It had more heat, but still was too low. It was about 105 degrees at idle ...	View
	2000 Ford Windstar LX 3.8L Poor Idle Quality, Misfire, Poor Fuel Economy VIN: 2FM7A5141Y this vechicle has a misfire in the number 2 cylinder - no rpm drop when #2 injector is unplugged- ltft is 29% on bank 1 - the injector passes flow test and compression is 175 psi - cylinder has a new plug and coil and wires pass the st25 spark test and noid li...	View
	2000 Ford Windstar LX 3.8L stereo VIN: 2FMZA5144Y Stereo system inop,found no power to harness except for dash light circuit,cant find a clear wiriing diagram for colors of power feed wires,tested all fuses all are ok.Does appear that at some time in the past dash work has been performed.	View
	2000 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6L No compression on left bank VIN: 2FAFP71W9Y This vehicle came on the tow truck for no start condition. Turned the ignition key & felt like low compression. Checked right bank = 85-90 PSI on middle cylinder. Checked left bank = 0 compression on first 3 cylinders. Looked down in side the spark plug holes ...	View
	2001 Ford Explorer XLS 4.0L pressure control solinoid VIN: 1FMZU72E42 Hello, and thank you for reading this. I need help on this one. This truck came in with a transmission o/d flashing when put into drive. It will shift but shifts very hard. Code 796 is for pressure solinoid c. The test wants you to run the bench test function ...	View
	2001 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L intake valves VIN: 1FMRU17L71 This truck came in on the hook as a no start, had spark and good fuel pressure. Motor turned over like it was out of time or low compression. No signs of overheating and customer said no problems up till time they parked the truck the nite before the next morn...	View
	2003 Ford Explorer XLT 4.6L pump VIN: 1FMZU63W63 i just replaced engine on this vehicle. had absolutely no problems on the install at all. when i started the motor after priming the oil system using the starter the tranny made a bad loud sucking sound and i turned it off. when i restarted the motor the trann...	View
	2004 Ford Freestar SEL 4.2L no gears VIN: 2FMZA52244 Customer brought this 04 freestar in with tranny problem. I hookup my IDS scan tool no codes & soleniods work the fuses are good the range sensors workin an we got a input speed senor reading. But you can shift it in forward or rev. an it feels like netral. th...	View
	2004 Ford Focus LX 2.0L Hesitation, Cuts out, Stall, MIL Lamp on I am posting this from home so I may not have all the info I need but here is most of what has been plauging me since Friday. I read the post from an older focus with similar (but not all) the same symptoms that had ground issues so cleaning grounds is where ... Trouble codes: P0068	View
	2000 GMC C6500 7.4L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1GDJ7H1D5Y I have installed a GM reman engine in this truck, and it starts and runs great, but after a short drive it runs terrible at the next stop sign, then comes out of it and runs great again. my snapon scanner is not equipped for heavy trucks, but is reading a code... Trouble codes: P0336 (ckp sensor out of range)	View
	1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0L No Start VIN: 1J4FJ67S4W It's not a crank sensor... no start, no amp or fuel gaudge, no MIL. I have un-plugged all of the following sensors, crank, cam, map, tps, both O2S, IAT, ECT, speed sensor, a/c pressure, purge sol., all 6 injectors, trans controller, I've even removed the orang...	View
	1994 Lexus GS300 3.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: JT8JS47E6R this vehicle is setting a code 41 (tps) intermittently. complaint is mil on with no driveability problem. scoped tps signal and ctp signal reading fine. had snap-on graphing scanner hooked up and noticed that once in awhile, erratically i would have a number o... Trouble codes: 41 (throttle position sensor circuit)	View
	2003 Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG Kompressor 5.5L Mechanical VIN: WDBNG74563 hi all. we have a amg s55 that has a vibration between 2000 - 2500 rpms. does it while driving, in park and with the belts removed. was wondering if someone has seen this how to verify repair w/out spending $600 on a new harmonic. thank you for any info.	View
	1988 Nissan Sentra E 1.6L No Start VIN: JN1PB21STJ Customer had vehicle towed in. Complaint was he drove car to work and when he went to leave, car wouldn't start. I have no injector pulse, no spark, no fuel pump coming on. Before it came to my shop, customer installed ignition coil, used distributor, and igni...	View
	2000 Subaru Outback Limited 2.5L Poor Idle Quality, HI IDLE VIN: 4S3BH6865Y Well people heres what we have,when car is started after it sits all nite the idle speed sits at about 3k,it gradually comes down to where it should be as it warms up.Occasionally a code p1507 will set more often not.The idle speed motor assly has been replace... Trouble codes: P1507 (idle control system malfunction)	View
	1995 Toyota Corolla DX 1.8L ignition switch VIN: JT2AE09B0S Hi my fellow techs, i have come across a very unusual problem for me at least. the ignition switch (tumbler) is jammed in off position. I cannot turn it at all. the customer swears he parked for the night and he could not turn it the next morning. and the car ...	View
	2004 Toyota Sequoia SR5 4.7L No Start VIN: 5TDBT44A94 Failed to start after battery went dead. Crank/no start. No sign of jumper cables connected wrong polarity. No stored codes. I suspect some kind of electronic key fault but have no info and no dealer in area to send it to.	View
	1999 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 1.9L MIL Lamp on VIN: 3VWRF81H3X Hello all! I have a P0380 code for Glow plug circuit A failure that keeps illuminating CEL light after startup. Glow plugs have been replaced, Glow plug relay has been replaced as well. When disconnecting wiring connector to glow plugs and coolant temp. sensor... Trouble codes: P0380 (Glow plug heater circuit A malfunction)	View
	1983 Volvo 244 DL 2.3L No Start VIN: YV1AX8856D Car was towed in for no start. No spark present. It did not have power to pick up, I traced wiring and all is good. Installed new ignition module. Now I have power to pick up. The wave form is just wavey. Two pick ups later, still just small waves and no spark...	View
	2001 Volvo S40 1.9L MIL Lamp on VIN: YV1VS29561 Vehicle presented for emissions inspection with check engine light on. Scanned system and found P0133 and thought that the upstream O2 sensor was malfunctioning. Replaced with Volvo sensor. Reset computer and test drove to reset counters. Preliminary P0133 pop... Trouble codes: P0133 (B1S1 O2 sensor slow reaction/response)	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	1999 Audi A6 2.8L oil pressure VIN: WAUBA34BXN Thanks evryone for your e-mails and help. After pulling my hair out for awhile I decidedas suggested by a few of you to re-check the pump. I removed the lower pan and found sludge and build-up in the pickup screen of the oil pump,I then removed the pump as sug...	11
	2001 Audi A4 Quattro 2.8L heater core VIN: WAUDH68D71 We were not comfortable flushing unless customer would authorize replacement of core should we run into trouble. He did not.	6
	2002 Audi Allroad Quattro 2.7L air suspension VIN: WA1YD64B22 Thanks for the suggestions guys. There is no need to do anything special to lift the all-roads. The problem turned out to be the pressure relief vavle (which is part of the pump assembly) was releasing system pressure rather that filling it. So replacing the...	3
	2000 Cadillac Seville STS 4.6L power window VIN: 1G6KY5494Y Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all.Unfortunately I was not able to repair this car.General consensus is to replace the master switch assembly,but without a tech 2 we are not positive and at a ticket price of $250.00 I don't need one on my shelf as an ...	17
	1997 Chevrolet Blazer 4.3L heater core VIN: 1GNDT13W3V Well, it was the heater core. I made sure there was flow from the intake wchich many of you said and there was plenty. I pretty much knew that since both heater hoses were hot, as I stated in my request. I even cut the core open and found solder coving the tub...	64
	1998 Chevrolet C2500 Cheyenne 5.0L cooler VIN: 1GCFC29M66 Thanks for the help everyone. The trans pressure was normal, about 22 psi. I think I have been dealing with inferior radiators. I did install an aftermarket cooler and so far so good.	26
	1999 Chevrolet K3500 6.5L cruise control VIN: 4TGB162066 No we have not completed this fix yet. Alex from gerogia said replace the driver module which we did. It did fix the cruise control but now has other problems which did not have before. In the begining it would set code 1216 which would stop the cruise from wo...	12
	2000 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 5.3L Battery VIN: 1GNEK13T9Y Thanks To All, I Had Lots Of Help On This One. It Turned Out I Had 2 Drains On The Battery. The Major Drain Was The Radio Amp. I Pulled The Amp Fuse In The Under Hood Fuse Box. This Left A 145ma Drain. The Third Brake Light Was Not Working So We Disconnected...	33
	2001 Chevrolet Blazer LS 4.3L unlock w/key VIN: 1GNCS13W01 Sublet repair to Chevy dealer. Found open wire between BCM and LF door latch.repaired wire.problem fixed.no key fobs required.no reflash required.	6
	2004 Chevrolet Aveo 1.6L intake? VIN: KL1TD62604 Well let me just say thank you all, and hope everyones holiday was good. I did find combustion gases in cooling system and also found coolant in oil, after cleaning plugs, got running and nothing but white smoke out exhaust, and the oil turned into chocolate ...	4
	2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SS 6.0L direct drum VIN: 1GTEC14X85 Thanks for all the information.The 4l80e direct drum worked perfectly.The 4l80e drum also holds 6 frictions compared to 5 on the 400 drum.Thanks again.	6
	1993 Dodge Grand Caravan LE 3.3L alternator VIN: 1B4GH54R4P Thanks everyone. It was the alternator. Even though it had been tested ok, when we disassembled it, the brushes and shaft were so worn it's amazing it ever charged. Due to shaft wear, we replaced the alternator. Thanks again.	18
	2002 Dodge Neon 2.0L Heater Core VIN: 12MRE37765 Thank all of you who sent me the info. Job went good and got it out in 1 day, well almost, I'll fill the AC back up today. I appreciate all the E-mails with specific info, It made me feel alot more comfortable when tearing it apart. Sorry Conroy, I was scared ...	8
	2002 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 4.7L heat VIN: 3D7HU18N22 the info I receved was helpful and had a lot of good tips. I replaced the t stat and water pump ,I also flushed the radiator and heater core . The problem still remained msent the truck to dodge and they flushed the heater core with no fix . at this time the t...	10
	2003 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 4.7L Unknown VIN: 1D7HU18N43 THANKS TO THE 4 REPLIES I GOT FROM JOHN PAUL ANDY BUT THE RESPONSE I GOT FROM JEFF WAS THE CORRECT ANSWER I FLUSHED THE HEATER CORE OUT & I GOT GOOD HEAT OUT OF BOTH VENTS THANK YOU JEFF & OTHER MEMBERS MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR	4
	2005 Dodge Caravan SXT 3.3L Fuel and Temp Guage VIN: 1D4GP25R65 I cleaned the ground cable under the battery tray, it was very rusted. I sent customer on his way, that was approx 2 weeks ago and not heard anything since. Hopefully that fixed it. Thanks to all that replied.	6
	1997 Ford F-250 5.4L ride control VIN: 1TFTFX28L6 Thanks for all the help, The other fuse and relay cked out, and the motor would run when direct wired with a fused jumper (out of the circuit), The search was still on and I got a pin out chart from mitchell to further the search and when I pulled the module c...	4
	1998 Ford F-150 Lariat 4.6L right head VIN: 2FTZX18W1W Thanks again for all the replies. We agree he payes for the parts and I'll cover most of the labor. I did'nt finish the job yet but I'll give y'all an update when I finish it. James from Indiana stated;This is why Ford updated their oil applications charts to ...	24
	1999 Ford F-250 Super Duty Lariat 6.8L Misfire VIN: 1FTNX21SXX Well the truck has not missfired since it left. customer has been back for his oil change and stated that it's not missfired yet. We swapped the motorcraft plug from #6 to #1 the coil from #6 to #8 an d the Injector from #6 to #7, ran another motorvac for 60 m...	13
	1999 Ford Windstar LX 3.8L cyl. #3 VIN: 2FMDA5145X Happy new year techs. The windstar drove away last week and has not had a problem. Almost all you guys suggested the intake and plenum gaskets. That made sense because the water pooling on the intake would the leak down thru the bad gaskets. How ever I thi...	18
	2001 Ford Mustang GT 4.6L Cuts out VIN: 1FAFP45X11 Thanks for all replies. Cleared codes and took vehicle on a very long road test. Code never reset and could not duplicate the customers complaint. Checked fuel and ignition and found no problems. Most replies from this and other sources have said something abo... Trouble codes: P1288.	5
	2003 Ford Ranger Edge 3.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1FTYR44VX3 Thanks to everyone that replied to this problem. After checking all the sensors and finding that they were all good, it came down to being the pcm. Evedently had intermittent bad connection for baro and maf. Even thou o2 sensors were switching properly pcm sai... Trouble codes: P0172, P0175.	20
	2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0L No Start VIN: 1FMYU93113 Thank you to all who replied. All information was helpful the problem was the converters. Jay, Kent, Brian, and John were all correct in saying the problem lies with the converter (s). Vehicle runs with front upstream o2 removed. Put o2 back in and remove exha...	6
	2003 Ford Ranger Edge 4.0L cv joint VIN: 1FTZR45E33 Got a lot of good responses on this one. Some folks thought I was taking apart only the inner joint, some thought the outer was same as the inner...but most of you got it right: I had to take the inner joint apart, which was much easier than the outer. This en...	18
	2002 Honda CR-V LX 2.4L Lighting VIN: JHLRD78452 Thanks to all who replied to my post about flickering lights on the 02 CRV. Most of the replies stated that replacing the alternator would take care of the problem. A couple stated that it was the diode trio and I think one questioned the battery. I haven't...	8
	1997 Infiniti I30 3.0L Cranks hard at times VIN: JNKCA21D2V First I tried to clean up the bracket & install star washers on ground cale to engine.(Could not strech cable enough to connect directly to block)Same problem ! So we sold the cust. a factory Infinity rebuilt starter ( sounds just like a bad starter)due to ...	8
	1994 Jaguar XJS 4.0L Cruise control VIN: SAJNX2732R The 4 replies sent were not tested as the car owner retrieved his car during the period while the replies were trickling in as he needed it for transportation in wet weather (his other car is an MGA roadster which is unsuitable in the rain) and hasn't brought...	4
	2000 Jaguar Vanden Plas 4.0L No Start VIN: SAJDA24C3Y Thanks to all that replied. What I found was damaged shift cable. The cable had somehow been slightly pinched causing it to be slightly out of adjustment.The shifter was stiff to move but never thought it was contributing to my problem. There are two circuits ...	5
	2003 Jaguar X-Type 3.0L Headlamp VIN: SAJEA51D93 I was surprised that I got only 3 replies on this one. Nobody had access to a trouble tree. I guess that Jaguar has no troubleshooting help on this system other than the wiring diagram. The replies all said to check fuses, then start swapping parts, (bulb,...	5
	1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.0L bcm VIN: 1J4GZ78S6W Hello everybody that responded to my request. I'm going to call this one fixed since I haven't heard back from the customer as far as him still having the problem. I did alittle tail chasing here due to the fact my first replacement BCM had the same problem ...	8
	1998 Jeep Cherokee Classic 4.0L No Start VIN: 1J4FJ68SXW I HAD THE ECU SENT OUT AND LOOKED AT ALSO REFLASHED THE ECU STARTED RIGHT UP. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP!! Trouble codes: 1694 (mfr controlled computer output ckt).	11
	2000 Mazda 626 ES 2.5L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1YVGF22F2Y Many thanks to all that responded. Jerry from Washington, Gene from Missouri, Clyde from North Carolina and Glen from New Jersey all hit it on the head. Ports behind throttle body were partially restricted. I cleaned them out, all moniters ran and vehicle pass... Trouble codes: P0400.	6
	2001 Mercedes-Benz C240 2.6L trans module fuse VIN: WDBRF61J21 The only bummer with this fix is I cannot say with any certainty what it was exactly that made this car go from no start to driveable. I did perform the repair/update on the trans harness, but it still didn't work after that. It just suddenly started working a...	6
	2004 Mercury Monterey 4.2L head lights VIN: 2MROA20274 Thank you to all who replied. I had some responses to check the smart juntion box, and that did fix the problem.	5
	1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 3.0L Cuts out VIN: JA3AN74KXS I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO REPLIED.THE WASTEGATE SOLENOID WAS BAD AND WE FOUND A SMALL CRACK IN A TUBE WHEN WE SMOKED IT,AGIAN THANKS TO EVERYONE.	3
	1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera 3.1L radio VIN: 1G3AJ55M2S thanks for the great replies the radio issue was quite strange. i removed the radio from dash and installed a 10 amp circuit breaker and in a second some smoke came from the front interior, instantly i shut off the radio and then removed it and looked for sign...	7
	1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette Premiere 3.4L draw VIN: 1GHDX03E3X Thanks for the replies. couldnt believe how long it takes for all the modules to go to sleep on this thing. I hooked up a amp meter between the positive cable and the battery after about 1/2 hour all draws were gone . I replaced the battery and never had a pro...	9
	1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass GL 3.1L lifters VIN: 1G3NB52M7W I would like to thank everyone for their help, especially james from indiana he hit it right. The measurements of the shims and part number he sent me helped alot in fixing the problem. I just replaced the shims on the rocker arms. And that solved the problem.	17
	2005 Pontiac G6 GT 3.5L Hesitation, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G2ZH528X5 AFTER OPENING WIRING HARNESS UP AND SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND SEVERAL WIGGLE TESTS FOUND BROKEN WIRE INSIDE THE INSALATION AT CONNECTOR J-2 PIN 53 THIS IS A ORANGE WIRE CAUSE OF BROKEN WIRE WAS FROM THE IMPACK TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR FROM THE WRECK IT STRECHED IT T... Trouble codes: P1125 (p2120- throttle pedal position sen sw d ckt), P2120 (throttle pedal position sen sw d ckt), P2125 (sw e ckt), P2138 (sw d/e correlation).	3
	1998 Subaru Forester 2.5L horn VIN: JFLSF6354W Found black wires taped to harness, both grounds. Connected one to SRS socket to read codes. Replaced rolling conncetor at steering wheel.	11

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