Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Apr 25, 2012

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	Help Request	Answers
	1999 Buick Century Custom 3.1L valve train VIN: 2G4WS52M3X customer stated engine click noise but will go away when accelerating. visual inspection of engine seen new intake gaskets. looking in engine through oil cap seen very little oil flow, and interior of engine was abnormally clean. removed oil pump drive manuall...	View
	2003 Buick Park Avenue Ultra 3.8L Vtd VIN: 1G4CU54143 Hi group the customer drove the car to the restautant parked it for diner! later it would not start. He bought a battery from me, installed it still no start. I found a couple codes with no info on it in all data or indentifix!!.p1652 kam u1255 generic loss of...	View
	2006 Cadillac SRX 3.6L Mechanical VIN: 1GYEE63746 Engine came in about a month ago for a PS leak and I notice SES was on with a P0008 Bank 1 cam performance. Scoped it and found bank 1 sync was off when compared to bank 2. Engine is very noisy and pulling belts made no difference, so I believe its chains. Cam...	View
	1994 Chevrolet C3500 Cheyenne 6.5L High Pressure Injection pump VIN: 1GBKC34F0R I hope that someone can help me...I have not worked on any of these motors before. I have a 1994 Chevrolet 6.5L Turbo Diesel, the vehicle was brought to me not running and the only info that I got from the owner is that he bought it at a auction not running. S...	View
	1999 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban 5.7L Compressor VIN: 3GNFK16R3X Thanks for the help. I need another set of eyes on this. Suburban came in A/C inop, System was flat (empty). Customer stated "someone put 8 cans in, on my vacation to try and stop a leak". well i found o-ring gasket under combo hose to compressor blown out and...	View
	2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4.3L Misfire VIN: 1GCEC14W41 All cyls showintermittant misfire, very low count. #4 is the only one that will misfire when hard accel, downshift,rpms over 4000, trans upshifts then #4 begins to misfire and will continue until decel and reapply throttle, misfire stops. We can duplicate ever... Trouble codes: P0300	View
	2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT 4.2L starter VIN: 1GNET16S82 This Trailblazer has had repeated Ign. switch failures and someone butchered up the housing that holds the lock cylinder. (looks like they used a chisel and die grinder to change the lock clyinder) I know that this Intermittent no start is caused by the common...	View
	2004 Chevrolet Colorado LS 3.5L abs code VIN: 1GCDS136X4 A few weeks ago we had a 2004 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 come into our facility with a C0035 and a C0220 codes preset. The customer said the ABS light would come and go at random. We had tested the left front bearing and found the sensor to be faulty. We had repla...	View
	2005 Chevrolet Uplander LT 3.5L battery VIN: 1GNDV33L45 has a intermentent dead battery. every time the van has come in for this complant and we check draw after 30 minutes wil drop to .019 volts. i have read online that a lot of owners of uplanders have this same problem. it does have problems with power sliding d...	View
	2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS 2.4L No Start, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G1AM15BX6 Hello all. I have this unusual issue with this vehicle. The original engine did crank, but had no compression. I ordered a used engine from a junk yard, and saw that originally the vehicle had a oil cooler, but the motor they sent me did not. Cause I wanted to... Trouble codes: P0107 (MAP or BARO Pressure Signal Low), P2119 (Throttle Closed Position Performance), P0335 (CKP Sensor A Circuit Problem), P0651 (5 VOLT Refrence 2 Circuit)	View
	1996 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9L fuse box VIN: 3B7KF23C7T engine fuse #9 fuse keeps blowing intermittantly. Customer states that when he was off loading his boat, engine died and he found fuse 9 blown. replaced fuse, truck ran for a week or two then bloew fuse agian. He repeated this process for the next few months r...	View
	1998 Dodge Dakota 3.9L Cuts out, Stall VIN: 1B7GL22X3W Thanks for taking the time to read this post. This truck came in to have an intermittent stalling problem diagnosed. The customer states that it dies randomly under all conditions. I havent been able to get it to die while driving it but I have been able to ge... Trouble codes: P0351	View
	2002 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 5.9L security VIN: 1D7HU18Z42 see abouve	View
	2002 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 4.7L Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 3B7HU18N32 Hi everyone, I have this Dodge truck that came in about 4 months ago with SES on, Had P0302 then, pulled plug and tested coil at that time, both ok, checked fuel pressure, ok, cleared code and let customer have back to see if it would come back right away, did... Trouble codes: P0302 (Cylinder 2 missfire)	View
	2005 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT 5.9L No Start VIN: 3D7MS48C35 Hey guys, I need your opinion. I got this 05 Ram with a 5.9 Cummins that came in on the hook for a crank no start. Basic testing revealed no fuel getting to CP3 pump. Current dtc P0628 lift pump circuit low voltage. At the lift pump relay, when jumped the pump... Trouble codes: P0628 (Lift pump circuit low voltage)	View
	1995 Ford Escort LX 1.9L clutch VIN: 1FASP15J7S clutch engages as soon as peddle is lifted.it is hard to get in and out of gear.engine has to be shut off to get into 1st gear or reverse,it is slightly better if you pump the clutch peddle several times but still engages at bottom of peddle.customer says this...	View
	2000 Ford F-150 Lariat 5.4L rear brake lights VIN: 1FTRX17L7Y no brake lights tested switch seems to be ok although no wiring diagram for this vehicle at this time. all other lights operating properly but no rear and third light when applying brake	View
	2003 Ford F-350 Super Duty XLT 6.0L Hesitation VIN: 1FTWW33P93 Hoping for a little knowledge. Got a 2003 (early built) 6.0 powerstroke, well maintaineded truck. Extrmely low power cold, lots of whitish smoke. Came in with p0132b, VGT turbo stuck, p0401, EGR operation. Pulled EGR valve, kinda carboned up, not the worst I'v... Trouble codes: P0132	View
	2004 Ford Thunderbird 3.9L wheel speed inputs VIN: 1FAHP60A84 This vehicle will turn on the ABS and Trac light when you start the car before putting it in gear or even moving. The brake doesn't even have to be depressed for this to happen. The codes are C1145, C1234, C1236 (wheel speed inputs) and intermittently a P2106 ...	View
	2004 Ford Ranger Edge 4.0L Poor Idle Quality, Misfire VIN: 1FTYR44E64 This truck came in with a rough idle complaint that has been occuring for two weeks. I scanned for codes and none found. When I checked mode six I found misfires stored for cylinders four and five. I pulled all the plugs and they all looked acceptable. Went ah...	View
	2007 Ford F-350 Super Duty XLT 6.0L cooling system VIN: 1FTWX30P07 This truck drove into our shop sounding fine.Customer said he smelled fuel.Upon inspection we found the degas bottle overflowing with fuel also DTC p2290 low ICP,any ideas before we take a wrong turn?Thanks for any help--	View
	1991 Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign 4.0L Hazards (4 ways) VIN: SAJHY174XM This is my personal car, just bought it to replace my last XJ6 that encountered a deer on the highway,, I bought it had to repair ignition tumbler, and install new battery, as soon as the battery is hooked back up,, the Hazards start flashing, get in lock unlo...	View
	2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0L gauges VIN: 1J4GW48S71 Gauges in cluster don't work. Idiot lights and all other systems work normal on car. All fuses good. Solus not able to operate gauges on Jeep. That is to say that there isn,t software in the tool for testing. Customer tried substituing BCM,Cluster,and replaced...	View
	1996 Lexus LS400 4.0L A/C System VIN: JT8BH22F1T Driving down highway the ambient temp guage on display on the dash went to -22 degrees ac quit working and it started blowing hot then later on the temp was showing 74 degrees and the ac work correctly until it went to -22 replaced front Ambient temp sensor st...	View
	1999 Lexus GS300 3.0L 1st- 2nd shift. VIN: JT8BD68S3X I road tested when problem first occured. When placed in drive it has normal feel. On light and normal acceleration when the problem is there, the shift is VERY hard! It also will linger/not shift at times. Doesn't matter ammount of throttle input. This proble...	View
	1997 Mercedes-Benz C280 2.8L Poor Idle Quality, Cuts out, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: WDBHA28E9V customer brought the car to us not running, had no compression across the board. customer decided not to repair so we aquired the car. tore the head off an had it machined (was warped) an a valve job was done. after installation of the head had no fuel pressur... Trouble codes: P0341, P1580	View
	2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Kompressor 2.3L Coolant fan VIN: WDBKK49F02 This car came to me with the temp. sensor already replaced. The temperature gauge , reading on the scanner and the actual temperature all correlate and are correct. All heating system and air conditioning systems are turned off yet the coolant fan runs full bl...	View
	2005 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG 5.5L idraulic pump VIN: WDBPJ74J95 Hello everyone, this 05 CL55 AMG have a vibration/muffled noise coming from the hydraulic pump.It can be felt thru the gear shift, and has a humming sound, not a metallic sound like a damaged pump. The pump vibrates loud when you put on the stethoscope on it. ...	View
	2006 Nissan Altima S 2.5L bcm VIN: 1N4AL11D26 Just trying to program another key have one customer wanted two.Got the dealer to cut key after got copy of customer lic and reg card.Gave them the bcm number but would not get me the 4 pin digit.Can someone get the pin code the bcm # 020D1 conversion pin numb...	View
	2003 Other European Daily 3.0L park and dash lights VIN: ZCFC50A000 Hi The park and dashboard lights are not working, Please help (wiring & component locator ...etc - many thanks). The park light fuses do not get B+ at all. When I supply B+ to either of the park light fuses, the lights (park and dash) come on. When I supply ...	View
	1966 Pontiac GTO 6.4L tach VIN: 242676P344 need wiring info for tach in rally pac cluster. thank you.	View
	1997 Saab 900 S 2.3L 5th bow VIN: YS3DD75B9V This soft top won't go down as the 5th bow jams on the tonneau hinges. I am using an ISAT scan tool to communicate (TechII doesn't have all the commands for this) and it works well but I can't reprogram the top because it jams every time. If the 5th bow is rai...	View
	1995 Saturn SL1 1.9L Radiator Fan VIN: 1G8ZH5284S Car came in with no ac and cooling fans wired strait to power(running all the time). Customer wanted to have ac and the fan working properly. Ac system was empty so charge it up. I connected the fans propertly to it original connector and ac works fine compres...	View
	2005 Smart Fortwo .8L No Start VIN: WMEAJ00F25 Working on 2005 Smart Fortwo 0.8L Diesel. Car drove in with bad sounding engine, compression test reviled 70, 300, 300 psi in cylinders. Send cylinder head away to get fixed, had burnt intake valve on cyl 3. Reinstalled. Everything seem great, timing etc..., ...	View
	1997 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L Noise VIN: 4S3BG6855V This is my own car. It has a buzzing rattle in the passenger side rear door. It only does it over 55mph, and pulling up hill. Let off the gas, goes away. Never over bumps, rough road. Highway pulling is the only vibration that sets it off. I have driven it wit...	View
	2001 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 2.0L Hesitation VIN: 3VWSK69M51 good afternoon all,thank you in advance for any and all help,vehicle was brought in last night with a lack of power complaint,test drove car,car ran great,above codes were stored,replaced ign coil(cracked housing) and wires(misfire when watered down)this morni... Trouble codes: P0343 (cam position sensor A circuit high input B1), P0351 (ign coil A primary/secondary circuit), P0354 (malfuction), P0420 (cat efficiency bank 1)	View
	2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 2.5L ignition lock cylinder VIN: 3VWSF71K76 Good afternoon. I just had this 06 VW Jetta arrive on a hook. The ignition key will not go into the ignition lock cylinder. It will not even start to go in. How should I approach this problem? Alldata indicates that to remove the lock cylinder, the key must ...	View
	2007 Volkswagen Beetle 2.5 2.5L convertible top VIN: 3VWRF31Y57 top operates intermittently. when inop, scanner will not communicate with auto roof or central convenience. after sitting for a while everything works and I can communicate with CC and auto roof. I get codes 01330, 00928,00932,00933. Has anyone seen this befor...	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	2003 BMW 325xi 2.5L pass. side HID VIN: WBAEU33423 I swaped the bulbs and noticed that if I turned them on 2x after a failure they worked . I told the customer that I could replace the transformer but they decided to wait and see and as of last week they are still working . thanks to all who helped , it is a c...	3
	2003 BMW M3 3.2L Mil VIN: WBSBR93413 Thanks to all that offered help. What I found is the battery cable positive has a pyrotechnic end that will blow off in the event that the air bags are deployed. I followed the 2 small black wires which power that up back to their connector under the trunk lin...	4
	2006 BMW 550i 4.8L ARS Dynamic Drive VIN: WBANB53546 I am going to close this one for now. The vehicle has not had a problem since I touched it, I suspect it was a poor connection at the valve block, that I disturbed when I was checking voltage. The valve block is in a dirty area. (Right front inner fender behin...	4
	2004 Cadillac SRX 4.6L Surge, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1GYDE63A64 First Thank you for all the replies, even though there was only a few. The last time the car was in, we soldered the TBI connector wiring, and inspected all other wiring. The customer is trying to get the wiring harness from the OE engine. We have not heard fr... Trouble codes: P0013 (exhaust camshaft position actuator solenoid control circuit bank 1 passed), P2119, P0122, P0223, P2135, P2176.	4
	2006 Chevrolet Impala LS 3.5L Does not engage in any gear VIN: 2G1WB55K16 After getting a few replys stating that I should still have 3rd and reverse even if its an electrical problem I gave the customer the option of tearing into it or replacing it. The customer choose to just replace it with a used unit. Swapped in a used unit w...	22
	2006 Chevrolet Malibu SS 3.9L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G1ZW63126 The customer never came back so no gnews is good gnews. As stated before I replaced the filler neck. The plastic cap at the end was broken. If someone reads this be wary...if you pressure test it like I did you might find the vent valve staying closed. I t... Trouble codes: P0442 (evap small leak).	9
	2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 WT 5.3L power door lock VIN: 3GCEK13368 Thanks for all the replies, most said the lock actuators had high failures, and that is what was wrong. New actuators and it works perfect. I used a NOID lite from an old assortment to check power to the lock actuators, the terminals are very small. Supposedly...	15
	2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited 2.4L won't stay engaged VIN: 3C8FY68B23 there were seven replies and most asked about the brake switch or the clockspring. One asked me to monitor thr the vehicle speed sensor and one said to change the cruise control switch. I checked all of these replies and came up with nothing, although they w...	7
	2001 Dodge Dakota 3.9L 4wd VIN: 1B7GG26X71 Thank you for your suggestions. Turns out the new module was not a working part. Although it did actually wake up and work once or twice. We took the vehicle to a freind who just got a new Snap On Scan tool with all the bells and whisles and was able to comun...	2
	2002 Dodge Intrepid SE 2.7L Block VIN: 2B3HD46R32 Thanks to those who responded. This was a strange one. It turns out the engine block, which apparently was remanufactured, had been re-machined at the water pump mount area, and in doing so created space around the water pump drain holes with a short channel l...	4
	2004 Dodge Ram 2500 ST 5.9L Unknown VIN: 3D7KA28C64 Thanks to all that replied, the noise as some suggested sounds like it is coming from the high pressure pump, truck runs well so we will not be doing any repairs at this time.	11
	2005 Dodge Dakota SLT 4.7L Transfer case motor VIN: 1D7HW48N25 Thanks For all the advise. I replaced the transmission select motor with a remanufactured assembly, car has been gone for a week now with no complaints. consider this one fixed	7
	1990 Ford F-250 Custom 7.3L Surge VIN: 1FTHX26MXL Hi and Thanks for all the replies, many of you mentioned air in the fuel lines and that is what's happening. We have not pulled the tank but we know the problem is in the rear tank, for that is when it has this problem, not on the front tank. The customer is l...	14
	1999 Ford E-350 Econoline 7.3L Unknown VIN: 1FDSE30F6X Morning to all you techs out there,I appreciate all the info and some Really good tips.now hear the fix for the day the engine harnness sheld gnd And a few inj wires for the left bank had melted in to each other causing the Short to gnd...lessons learned.T...	8
	2003 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat 5.4L auto hubs VIN: 1FTSX31LX3 Well you guys did it again. Danny, Randy, Henry, and Richard where right on. I had vacuum tested both sides in the past and they passed. This time the left side failed. New seals in both sides did the trick. Many thanks to all. Brad	15
	2003 Ford Expedition XLT 4.6L Vent temperatures Going to call this one fixed.Been on the road for over 2 weeks with several days obove 100 degrees and no complaints from the customer. Apparently when my tech replaced the compressor kit he didn't flush the evaporator very well or not at all.No longer works f...	15
	2005 Ford F-350 Super Duty XL 6.0L Delayed Forward VIN: 1FTWF31P25 The main problem ended up being the manual valve and the shift cam assembly. The original manual valve was aluminum and the end cap was slightly bent. The shift cam assy. was also loose and worn. I replaced both and it's been gone for 10 days and works perfect...	4
	2005 Ford Focus ZX4 2.0L Stall VIN: 1FAFP34N65 She finally brought this car back today ( wed 25th ). Replaced PCV hose, and yes it was split, . You can not feel it - the split - fron any place you put your fingers because they put a rubber protection on the outside of it. This did fix it . Thanks to tho...	5
	2006 Ford F-350 Super Duty XL 6.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1FDWF34P06 Thanks to those that replied. Reading the replies made the guys think more about the actual circuit and wiring. Joe from Utah suggested switching the glow plug wiring in the connector at the module and see if the problem moved to another glow plug. Well; the g... Trouble codes: P0674.	5
	2006 Ford Fusion SE 2.3L Compressor VIN: 3FAFP07Z66 Sorry for the delay in closing this but the owner has been out of town and hasn't been able to return the vehicle to me for further examination. The good news is that the problem is becoming more frequent so I'm hopeful that the issue can be located (the last ...	8
	2007 Ford Mustang 4.0L tpm VIN: 1ZVFT84N57 ok there was lots of great info in the posts especially leonardo. i managed to clear all the codes exept for the tpm one, the trunk lamp was out and important, according to mitchell, the top must be in full down before the test is done or the top codes will a...	11
	1990 GMC Safari 4.3L Stall VIN: 1GTCM15Z8L thanks again to all the replies after alot of testing i ended up finding a weak coil. the coil ohmed out good but intermitenly would drop out. so the fix was a distributor and a coil.	17
	2004 Jaguar Vanden Plas 4.2L suspension VIN: SAJWA74C04 It's fixed.. Many thanks to all who replied.. my error was in assuming the fender lip height is the same all around..it's not..the front air springs were leaking and leaked to the same height as the rear.. following your replies we made nozzels for the front s...	4
	2001 Mazda Protege DX 1.6L Hesitation, Stall VIN: JM1BJ22211 Thanks for all your help, all of you comments were positive, and and helpful. End result owner decided not to do anything more at present time. Trouble codes: P0171 (Fuel Trim low), P1170 (Front HO2S - no inversion).	11
	1996 Mercury Villager GS 3.0L harsh shift VIN: 4M2DV11W9T Like I said in my update, my manuals lied. The resistor was inside the left inner fender. I got a new one from Nissan and it works perfect. Thanks for the replies.	3
	1997 Mercury Tracer LS 2.0L Unknown VIN: 1MELM13P7V I'd like to thank every one that contributed to my problem. I was told by one that I need to go back to the basic's with this one and I new this, and decided to put on a timing belt and when I took it apart I found peices of the belt on the bottom and felt goo...	9
	2006 Pontiac Torrent 3.4L MIL Lamp on VIN: 2CKDL63F76 Thanks to all who replied!! Replaced TAC part of trottle body but first checked for water intrusion behind kick panel found nothing. I guess carwash was just a coincidence?? Trouble codes: P1125 (App sensor problem), P1238 (App sensor coraolation).	6
	2007 Pontiac Solstice 2.4L Electronic VIN: 1G2MB35B27 Absolute lack of information from GM. After lots of research, we determined that the torque signal from the ecm must be created by the ecm using various other signals. It is not clear what signals are used, however according to other forums, it must use the ...	8
	2003 Saab 9-3 Linear 2.0L MIL Lamp on VIN: YS3FB45S33 In the end, my computer wasn't giving me a code. I had to close the hood and refer the customer to the dealer. They found code T8 p0101 again with the tech 2 (which I don't have, I use the modis) a small hole was found in the intake pipe from the Turbo to the ... Trouble codes: P0101 (maf).	9
	1997 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L Cooling system Well it was a combination of problems on this subie. First was the thermostat which was stuck closed. Second was an air pocket in the block which was taken care of with an airlift tool and lastly the fans were inop. Both fuses were blown. The sub fan fuse was ...	18
	2002 Toyota Camry LE 3.0L Surge VIN: 4T1BF30KX2 WE STARTED BY SENDING TO THE DEALER FOR THE LATEST AND GREATEST CALIBRATION AND SINCE THEN, WE DO NOT FEEL THE HESITATION ANYMORE, BUT THE EGR TEMP STILL READS OVER 500 DEGREES ON A COLD ENGINE WITH KOEO. COULD BE A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM WITH AFTERMARKET SCA...	8
	2004 Toyota Matrix XRS 1.8L high idle VIN: 2T1KY38E54 ok so it was not the mass air flow sensor, unplugging it brought the idle down when restarted off course, but had nothing to do with the high idle...The problem was in the throttle body it was letting to much air in around the throttle plate, first i taped up ... Trouble codes: P0505.	3
	2004 Toyota Sienna LE 3.3L Electronic VIN: 5TDZA23C74 the fix was replacing the ac controller assembly. difficult to know for sure if signal from button or if body ecu was not sending through serial data to ecm. button on controller felt different, did not seem to push smoothly. replaced controller assembly and a...	4
	2006 Toyota Camry XLE 2.4L key fobs VIN: 4T1BE32K56 Thanks for the replies, so, it is safe to say that the door lock ecu is without a doubt the fix. However, my mom has decided to go ahead and get rid of the car and get a new one, due to several other minor issues coming up with her car in addition to this one....	4
	1999 Volkswagen Beetle GL 2.0L speedometer VIN: 3VWBA21CXX Thanks for the help. The customer hasn't yet authorized repairs. However after learning of different sensors for cluster and trans all makes more sense. The drive gear for the cluster was indeed cracked. After removing the sensor using a scope, we rotate...	5
	2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T 2.5L MIL Lamp on VIN: YV1CZ59H74 THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP THIS ONE IS FIXED WE REPLACED ALL COILS AND SPARK PIUGS AND DID A INJECTOR FLUSH WITH FACTORY PARTS Trouble codes: 3503 (Misfire 2 cylender), 3513 (Misfire 3 cylender).	5

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