Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Dec 27, 2011

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	Help Request	Answers
	2004 Audi A4 Quattro Avant 3.0L Lifters VIN: WAUVT68E04 Hey Guys I have a car I married that is giving me some problems. Car came in originally with a blown engine due to the lower oil pan getting tagged. Replaced engine with lower mileage core. Only differance with the swap was that the original engine version was...	View
	2004 Audi A4 Quattro 1.8L power windows VIN: WAULC68EX4 I have this Audi, drivers window will not operate. Other windows operate from master switch but do not operate from there individual switches, child lock not engaged. I have check the measuring blocks for the switches and they all seem to work properly. I inst...	View
	2005 Audi S4 4.2L Battery VIN: WAUXL68E05 Hey all i hope someone can help this audi s4 has a battery drain ! its drawing about .9 to 1.8 amp yes its flactuating up and down! we pulled fuses and fuse # 15 is the cause (when disconected all drain stops).according to all data this fuse send power to ins...	View
	1999 Cadillac Seville SLS 4.6L complete cluster VIN: 1G6KS54Y3X Thank you for your help in advance! This vehicle when started when watching the cluster will cause a full sweep of tach & speedometer, (normal) then message center will start to flash partial words of a message like : oor p : for "door open" is one example. ne...	View
	1994 Chevrolet K1500 5.7L Unknown VIN: 2GCEK19K9R Thanks in advance for your expertise! This is my personal 1994 Chevy K1500. I have been chasing this driveline vibration for over 1 year now. Vibration can be felt in dashboard and steering wheel (like a gravel compactor-not a shimmy). I do not feel it in seat...	View
	2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 8.1L Oil Pressure VIN: 1GCHK23G91 Thanks in advance for any help with this one. Customer requested new oil pump because of oil light coming on at idle when warm. After replacing with a high volumn pump, we were still getting low pressure at idle on dash guage. We removed oil switch and install...	View
	2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4.8L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Surge, Cuts out, Stall when started cold,coolant temp is showing 75 degrees Farenhieght. starts and surges briefly/once or twice then stabilizes.at 700 RPM if you shift into gear idle will drop and kill engine, If it does'nt then it will just surge a few times and die out. I had sca...	View
	2002 Chevrolet Impala 3.4L no start VIN: 2G1WF55E02 we checked the connections at sensor and at bcm c1 terminal b9 c1 term b12 and c2 a3 did drag test all tight.all look clean im thinking another sensor but my dealer says thay never had a bad one.poss bcm? really no good way to test this any farther that i now ...	View
	2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 6.6L engine performa VIN: 1GCHK23102 Check engine light is on. Attempting to smog vehicle. Pulled code P0304-Cyl 4 misfir and code P0325 - Knock sensor circuit. Customer states codes in computer are from previous motor. Cannot clear codes. Used two different scan tools to attempt to clear codes. ...	View
	2006 Chevrolet Impala LT 3.5L theft system VIN: 2G1WT58K56 i replaced the theft deterent module for intermittent (unable to duplicate) starting problems (theft codes were stored in pcm). after replacing tdm and programming with the tech 2 it would not learn the keys. i tried programming several times (and have been s...	View
	1999 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 3.3L Unknown VIN: 2B4GP44R9X Can't put into drive car stalls, most times, I unplugged the TCM it goes into drive and reverse no stalling. scan data for TRS looks good, ohm test for the input and output speed sensors one at 692 ohms the other is 815 ohms, pins # 14 and 52 the 2-4 soleno...	View
	1979 Ford F-250 Ranger 5.0L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Misfire VIN: F26SRED019 Bear with me as I am a young'n and do not have a good back round in carburetors. Vehicle comes in with complaint of running rough when cold, having a misfire feeling, smelling very rich, fouling plugs (black from fuel) and has a supposed hard start when hot. I...	View
	2001 Ford Expedition XLT 5.4L Poor Idle Quality VIN: 1FMRU15L01 i wrote the details on repair history ifeel as if its electrical but what shaked wires conectors etc. i feel like theres somthing in common with the 1-4 cylinders on mode 6 does not show any failing cylinders or coils Trouble codes: P0171	View
	2001 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat 7.3L No start cold VIN: 1FTWW33F61 Will not start cold soak. -5c if plugged in starts no problem. Has clean 15/40 oil and quality filter.	View
	2004 Ford Explorer NBX 4.0L engine VIN: 1FMZU73E34 I have a 2004 explorer that needs an engine the engine i am trying to use is out of 04 ranger.the interchange says they are different but no explanation whats different.other than bolt on parts they look the same.The vin#[...] the engine#5G960-AA f...	View
	2005 Ford F-250 Super Duty King Ranch 6.0L engine VIN: 1FTSW21PX5 This truck came in with a bluish/white smoke problem only when power braking or exiting the fwy,no smoke otherwise.The engine runs good and has a new EGR cooler.Any ideas?	View
	2006 Ford F-350 Super Duty XLT 6.0L Turbo VIN: 1FTWW31P96 Here's a good one for anyone that can help. This vehicle belongs to one of my good customers. It came in for a loud whining noise at idle. I tested & confirmed that the noise was coming from the turbo & was so loud you couldn't stand to be in the cab or anywhe...	View
	2006 Ford Freestar Limited 4.2L Stall VIN: 2FMZA502X6 Van was towed in with a poor running condition when we checked it out we found that the engine runs fine but when it is put into any gear it will just die and when you put it into park or neutral it starts up and runs fine. Seems like the torque converter is l...	View
	2008 Ford Ranger XL 2.3L Air bag VIN: 1FTYR10D78 Ok all thanks again for the help up front. Vehicle cam in for state inspection with air bag light on. Need to get system repaired befor I can pass. Vehicle haas been in a wreck front end pretty bad from what I am told but airbags did not deploy. Codes orginall...	View
	2006 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT 6.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: 2GTEK13N36 Truck came in with intermittent no power. Found codes p2125 p1125. On data the app2 sensor signal drops out intermittently (voltage stays a .9 when app1 goes up), put the vantage pro on the app2 sensor signal and I got wave form like a crank sensor 15ms apart.... Trouble codes: P1125 (TP/APP sensor circuit), P2125 (APP sensor 2 circuit)	View
	2005 Honda Odyssey EX 3.5L Side Door VIN: 5FNRL387X5 The passenger side door slides back and forth very smoothly, but when operated with the automatic button it will close completely and then after 2-3 seconds the door will back up and open slightly. The tracks of the passenger side door have been cleaned and lu...	View
	2003 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.5L Surge, thump noise VIN: KM8SC73EX3 We have 2 strange problems we are chasing. 1st is a thump noise under the car while they are driving. I have never been able to duplicate the exact problem and have driven it with the customer and they cant get it to do it either. She said it just sounds like ...	View
	2002 Isuzu Axiom 3.5L cooling system VIN: 4S2CE58X62 Need some help on this one. This truck gets hot in traffic, idling or on the hiway is ok. Motor Alldatas information is terrible on this car.And I am fighting a lack of info and a system that I am not familiar with. What I know... Radiator looks to be fairly n...	View
	1994 Mazda 626 DX 2.0L No Start VIN: 1YVGE22C9R came in with very hard starting in the morning. Noticed fuel pressure dropping after sitting, replaced fuel pump. Has good spark and injector pulse when not starting. After few attempts, it will start and run fine for the rest of the day unless it sits for lon...	View
	1990 Mercedes-Benz 300SE 3.0L No Start, Poor Idle Quality, Surge VIN: WDBCA24D9L I replace intake gasket, idle will go higher and higher uo to 1600 rpm,dificult to start, this system is new, i 'm lost can you help me please, also when cold hard to start	View
	2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 5.0L Battery VIN: WDBSK75F53 Perform short test for codes, found p20b7-008 increased idle speed due to sbc low voltage, check current and voltage on vehicle/ no control module defective (p1999)in me-sfi 2.8, etc code p2600 voltage supply circuit 87 has under voltage, scb code c249e under ...	View
	1990 Mitsubishi Montero Sport 3.0L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out, Stall, Misfire Checked for vacuum leaks found throttle body gasket missing ,installed new gasket now it will idle and start up when cold. Don't have anyway to scan this. And don't have anyway to check fuel press , when it starts if u let it warm up u can accelerate hold the ...	View
	1990 Nissan 300ZX Turbo 3.0L Bearings. VIN: JN1CZ24A3L Car came in on the hook with a noise. I pulled the motor and poped the oil pan off. Number 3 rod bearing is chewed all to pieces and the thrust bearings are gone. I have never seen one of these engine loose the thrust bearings before so I am posting this quest...	View
	2006 Nissan Altima S 2.5L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1N4AL11D26 Car starts fine, battery test good,replaced crank sensor still sets code po335 Trouble codes: P0335	View
	2003 Pontiac Montana 3.4L performance issue VIN: 1GMDX13E33 stalls when warmed up usually starts right back up but will stall 4-7 in a mile.	View
	2005 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L Dash and firewall area VIN: 5Y2SL63845 This car has a distinctive buzzing noise at the firewall or dash area, loudest at 3000 rpm. Don't really feel any vibration in the car, but can feel some at the same frequency from the engine. The noise is only heard in the car. The motor mounts, cat and exhau...	View
	1996 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L Cylinder 1,3 VIN: 4S3BG6853T Thanks in advance , car had bad oil leaks , pulled engine and resealed all gaskets and seals , installed engine back in car now #1 and 3 are not firing , spark plugs are wet , but we test at least 25kv at the plugs , low vacuum at idle with a slight needle swe...	View
	2002 Subaru Outback L.L. Bean 3.0L No Start, Poor Idle Quality, Stall, Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 4S3BH80622 customer said was driving at speed when vehicle stopped and the diff overtemp light came on	View
	2002 Toyota Prius 1.5L engine I had a prius owner come to us after the last shop he went to failed to offer an accurate diagnosis of low compression, and left the customer with a pinched valve cover gasket and a huge mess. This other shop was diagnosing a misfire on cylinder 4 and replace...	View
	1997 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 2.0L No Start VIN: 3VWSA81H3V Hello, Everyone! I have battery, starter,fuel pump, ecm, crank sensor, hall sensor distributor, maf sensor, tps, checked all ok and have power to them! but only no power at fuel injectors and #18 fuse(fuel pump/ HO2 control module) Any help, please.	View
	1999 Volkswagen Beetle GLS 2.0L Unknown VIN: 3VWCC21C6X Immediately after filling the tank with gas, the vehicle struggles to start. The car will crank over and over and not fire. Problem occurs only after gas is put in.	View
	2002 Volkswagen Beetle GLS 1.9L compressor clutch VIN: 3VWCP21C32 I'll try to make this short. This vehicle came in with a blown up compressor. Compressor, receiver/drier and expansion valve were replaced, with a full system flush. Evac and refill (twice) with 1 lb 10 oz of R 134 (spec is 700 grams). No function. I found an ...	View
	2005 Volkswagen Passat GLS 2.0L Heater Core VIN: WVWAE63B75 We installed a water pump on this car over a year ago and ever since the customer has complained about hearing air in the cooling system through the heater core. Last week the AC system quit working and we had to replace the coolant temp sensor for telling the...	View
	1990 Volvo 740 GLE 2.3L Check Engine Light VIN: YV1FA8944L This car came in for check engine light and failing smog test, i pulled code ( grounding pig tail to # 6) 2-2-4 came up -- which was for coolant temp malfuntion and vehicle is in limp home mode, i ohmed the cts and sure enough it was out of range so i replaced...	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	2003 Audi A4 1.8L Fuel Gauge VIN: WAULC68E03 Its a yes and no on the fix. I found out how to do the gauge sweep and it worked fine. I did find a loose connection at one of the sending units. I corrected the problem and have sent the customer to drive it until the gas gets well below 1/4 tank to see if we...	4
	2005 Audi S4 4.2L Engine Misfire VIN: WAUGL68E05 THANKS ALL FOR THE HELP. IT TURNS OUT THE CLIENT HAD HIS CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER TO SEE IF THEY COULD GOODWILL OR HELP OUT. TALKED TO THE CLIENT LAST WEEK TO FIND OUT THE OUTCOME OF HIS PROBLEM. DEALER NEEDS TO PULL THE ENGINE FOR R&I. DEALER THINKS ITS TIMING...	12
	2008 BMW X5 3.0si 3.0L Misfire VIN: 5UXFE43508 thanks for all the help, we bought a used coil that snaps on plug, misfire gone, car runs good, thanks again everyone Trouble codes: P0304.	16
	2003 Cadillac CTS 3.2L timing VIN: 1G6DM57N73 Thank you all who responded to this post. Number three camshaft was off by 180. the car runs great now.	7
	1997 Chevrolet K3500 6.5L No Start VIN: 1GBJK34F6V I did finally receive a remnan injection pump from SS Diesel supply in New York ( Walt really knows his 6.5 diesels ) installed it and after a lengthy cranking time ( 30 secs at a time ) she lit right off. Setting the TDC offset was a bit tiresome ( very sens... Trouble codes: P0251 (inj pump A rotor / cam problem), P0370 (timing reference A high res problem), P0238 (boost sensor/ circuit open/ high).	16
	2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS 4.2L abs system and srs system VIN: 1GNDS13S34 THANKS FOR EVERYONES HELP, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS THE CULPRIT! I WAS ABLE TO GO IN THROUGH THE TECH 2 AND LOOK AT THE LIGHTS IN THE IPC MODULE AND THEY ALL WERE OFF WHILE THE ABS AND AIRBAG LIGHTS WERE STILL ILLUMINATED. THEN WE ALSO NOTICED SOME LIGHTS WO...	9
	2005 Chevrolet Blazer 4.3L none VIN: 1GNCS18X65 I decided since the air bag sensing module wouldnt communicate with the scanner, thats where I should start. I found the module under the center console and when I saw the module I knew that was the problem. There was road salt and a ton of corrotion around mo... Trouble codes: U1016, U1041, P1626 (theft det. sig. not received in PCM), U1064 (loss comm. with BCM/DIM/SBM in PCM).	11
	2002 Chrysler Town & Country EX 3.8L Poor Idle Quality, Surge, MIL Lamp on VIN: 2C8GP74L92 First, thanks to everyone who took the time to read and reply to my help request. Most all ideas pointed to the tps sensor or a wiring problem. All numbers that I got off the tps looked good but I replaced it anyway as a shot. No difference. Next I pulled back... Trouble codes: P1294 (desired min rpm not reached).	9
	2001 Dodge Ram 2500 8.0L front axle assy VIN: 3B7KF23W71 Well, I'm not done with the repair yet, but it's underway. There should've been another zero in that milage, 180,000 miles. I got back under it, and one of the new hub assy's had failed. But that didn't explain the debris in the oil so I pulled the axles and t...	7
	1995 Ford F-250 XL 7.3L No Start VIN: 1FTHX26F3S Sorry for the delay in closing i thought i did it awhile ago.Anyways the truck starts great if you leave the key on for roughly 7-10 seconds.Even though the light goes out after a couple seconds.The glow gligs and the relay were deffinetly problems along with ... Trouble codes: P0113.	20
	2001 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat 5.4L Cuts out, Stall VIN: 3FTSW30L91 Got a good fix on this one. I did the wht/blu wire grd test and rpm didn't change, the test Brian suggested. I replaced the valve, cleared codes and road tested and all was good. Thanks to everyone. Trouble codes: P0505.	10
	2007 Infiniti G35 X 3.5L compressor VIN: JNKBV61F07 Thanks to those that replied but the info i was hoping for was the operation and diagnosis of a variable compressor(mitchell does not offer much info on this). the customer is returning to the nissan dealer. i will give more info if i hear any more from custom...	4
	2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0L Ecm/Bcm VIN: 1J4G248S9Y i just want to thank everyone who replied.we replaced the pcm with a used unit+had it programed with drb.then had to replace alternator because of blown diodes.have put 50 miles on vehicle so far so good. thanks to all+happy new year!!!	12
	2000 Mazda Protege ES 1.8L Poor Idle Quality VIN: JM1BJ2236Y Thank-you everyone for the help. We tried everything that was suggested to no avail. Customer has decided to live with condition as it doesn't seem to affect performance. Thanks again. Trouble codes: P0507.	7
	1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SL 5.6L Cuts out Sorry but could not fix this problem many of you said the fuel pressure relay is bad. I put in a new one from worldpac and it did not fix the problem. I could jump 30 ad 87 and car would stay running in fact it would stay running as long as the rpm's were abov...	16
	1991 Mercedes-Benz 300E 2.6 2.6L Excessive Emissions, No Start, Poor Idle Quality, Stall VIN: WDBEA26D4M thanks to all that replied. It was the fuel distributor. car runs fine now.I cescked the ECT sensor and also checked the mixyure and I had to reset it after the new fuel distriutor was installed Thanks IATN	11
	2001 Nissan Frontier XE 2.4L Poor Fuel Economy, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1N6DD26S91 O.K, first of all we want to thank all of you who kindly responded to my help request. all responses where of great value and so help-full. any way, we found some small exhaust leaks from ex. manifold, that were big enough to drive the o2 sensor lean at idle, ... Trouble codes: P0171.	14
	2010 Nissan Maxima S 3.5L engine VIN: 1N4AA5AP4A Well after more testing and delibrations and a conversation with our local engine rebuilder the concenses is as Rick mentioned the bottom end of this engine is toast. The recomendation to the customer is to have the engine rebuilt as the rings are likely the r...	5
	1999 Oldsmobile Alero GLS 3.4L Stall, start &stall VIN: 1G3NF52E0X Thanks to all, long story short found water leak from drivers side of windshield. Water was running down A-pillar and dripping into fuse box. Replaced severly corroded fuse box & all is well. We found this becuase we had 8 volts on our comm circuit.	15
	2000 Saturn SL2 1.9L Surge, Cuts out, Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G8ZK5274Y After about a week of racking my brain and exhausting my sources talked to my delco rep who was a tech at a saturn dealer for 15 years. He told me the only direction I can go in is a ground problem. Started removing grounds and cleaning them. Decided to remove... Trouble codes: P0130 (O2 sensor), P0300 (Misfire).	9
	2002 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.0L cam pulleys VIN: JF1GD29622 We ended up doing what William stated with welding a bar to a socket. Worked like a champ. Initially we used a strap wrench and only managed to get one pulley off. These pulleys were held on with the 10mm internal hex bolt. The rt lower cam seal was pushed out...	16
	2007 Toyota RAV4 Sport 3.5L throttle responce VIN: JTMBK32V57 after all the research and alot of phone calls from alot of sources this a concern that there is no fix to it is just normal operation thanks for all the replies	8
	2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 2.0L no power VIN: 3VWPL71K59 Thank you all for some good replies. Most detailed the EGR valve sticking open causing no power. Also some mentioned the intake or cat clogs. We removed the EGR valve and looked inside the opening for any clogging. None found. Also, looking at the valve will n... Trouble codes: P0402.	8

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