Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Jul 23, 2012

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	Help Request	Answers
	2003 Audi A6 Quattro 3.0L Steering VIN: WAULT64B43 Help Audi Techs! We just finished a timing belt job on this car- had to push it out and maneuver it into a parking stall for a couple of days waiting for parts. Now when the vehicle is started it is pushing power steering fluid out of the vent hole in the rese...	View
	2004 BMW 745i 4.4L Dynamic Drive, All Lights On Dash VIN: WBAGL63514 This vehicle has a charging problem i think. While driving after vehicle warms up dynamic drive than the transmission safe mode will come on than all dash lights and display on dash will go out and then come back in.	View
	2006 Cadillac SRX 3.6L Timning chains VIN: 1GYEE637X6 I'm getting ready to do timing chains on this Cadillac and I don't have any of the timing chain specialty tools. According to OTC, the part # is a 6686 but i'ts not available to the after market till nov 29th. Can I use anything else to align these marks. Has ...	View
	2003 Chevrolet Malibu 3.1L Accessories VIN: 1G1ND52J23 hi guys i have 2003 chevy malibu customer state after 1 hr of drivingwith a/c system on engine rpm 1500 i replaced iac valve and clean the throttle body check for vacuum leaks none replaced tps check out wiring any idea guys thank you	View
	2004 Chevrolet Cavalier 2.2L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1G1JC52F34 The car came in with the service engine light on. With a trouble code P0455.This should be simple and straight forward " right ". About 40,000 miles ago it had the same code , after doing our test with our EVAP smoke machine we determined the vent was bad so w... Trouble codes: P0455 (EVAP large leak)	View
	2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS 4.2L Spark knock at idle VIN: 1GNES16S15 when hot(210`)spark knock can be heard at idle in gear only,If we add small spray of carb cleaner niose stops instantly but returns when you stop spraing carb cleaner.We have cleaned combustion chamber(motor vac)also pressure flushed injectors,and added 5 gal....	View
	2009 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LTZ 6.6L Temp gauge VIN: 1GCHK63659 Truck came in with temp gauge maxed out, thought is might be a bad stepper motor but I could command the gauge to all positions with my scan tool. With the CTS unplugged I get 189 degrees on my dash and on my scan tool, with it plugged in it reads 289 on scan ...	View
	2007 Chrysler 300 C 5.7L Oil pressure VIN: 2C3KA63H47 I have a Chrysler 300 with very low oil pressure when hot. We saw the TSB about reprogramming the PCM but when we put a mechanical gauge the pressure was actually only 2 -4 psi So we replaced the oil pump (mitchell's labor times were way off BTW)after replacin...	View
	1972 Dodge Challenger 5.6L engine Test drove vehicle and heard some backfiring through the intake,misfiring, falling on its face accelerating from a stop. Did a cranking compression test and proved all cylinders were equal - manual gauge read 105. Engine vacuum was 9 inhg. Checked timing and i...	View
	1990 Dodge Dakota 3.9L fuel VIN: 1B7GG26X6L OK, I think I know what's going on with this thing, but could use a bit of direction. The customer has "parts replaced" everything they could trying to fix this fuel/electrical problem, and finally surrendered it to me :-) The truck's normal problem would be t...	View
	2002 Dodge Caravan SE 3.3L shifting VIN: 1B4GP253X2 this van has a n issue with the transmission,when it gets driven at high speed and you slow down,as soon as you start moving forward it makes a whinning noise and it does not shift,now if you turn off the engine the trasmission acts like nothing happen,it shif...	View
	2004 Dodge Ram 1500 ST 4.7L Poor Fuel Economy VIN: 1D7HU18N24 unable to reset monitors scanner tell me it is close loop, but when i check temp. still too cold no check engine light drove truck 60 mi, any suggestions thanks for your help	View
	2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie 6.7L cooling system VIN: 3D7KS28A37 6.7 cummins diesel with a fully loaded trailer intermittant higher coolant temp. I have driven this vehicle(without load) and watched coolant temp on dash and with scan tool- temps range from 200-212 pretty much all the time- taxing the engine in lower gear wi...	View
	1994 Ford F-250 XL 5.8L Poor Idle Quality, Surge VIN: 1FTHF25H8R I have a tough one and inadequate diagnostic tools. Truck brought in with intermediate rough idle idle hunts upwards of 3500 rpm and will taper off. It has stalled only twice with me. Have tried cold starts to check for vacuum leaks and none apparent also prob...	View
	1998 Ford Escort ZX2 Hot Coupe 2.0L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: 3FAKP1133W Vehicle doesnt run right. Cuts out and wont idle with cam sensor plugged in. If you disconnect the sensor car will run better at idle but not 100% across the rpm range. We have put 2 different cam sensors , checked the wiring and replaced the pcm and have the ... Trouble codes: P0340 (Camshaft sensor circuit malfunction)	View
	1999 Ford F-150 Lariat 5.4L shift in and out VIN: 1FTRX18L6X This vehicle feels like it is jerking in and out of gear when you come to a stop (does not start until it warms up about 5 minutes)then hard jerk on first acceleration. Afterwards shifts ok until you come to a stop again and symptoms return. Thanks in advance ...	View
	2003 Ford Expedition XLT 5.4L Fuel Trim VIN: 1FMFU16L83 This expedition is my personal rig. The problem here is that the long term,bank 1, fuel trim is running +10 - +15 lean. The other fuel trims are 0 - 5 percent. There is plenty of power and response. When the throttle is opened,the trim drops closer to 0,then b...	View
	2005 Ford F-550 Super Duty Lariat 6.0L Poor Idle Quality, hard to start VIN: 1FDAF56P75 Upon hearing the drivers description of the low boost pressure, we delivered truck and started our research. The next day it was towed to us with a crank no start concern. We notice the oil pressure guage in the truck would not register during cranking so we t...	View
	2006 Ford F-150 XLT 5.4L inside temp VIN: 1FTPW12596 customer complaint a/c does notcool at low speeds or idle during test drive at highway speed a/c worked great at lower speeds and at idle the temp rose approximitly 25 degrees pressures on guages looked good ... i understand this should be a simple repair but ...	View
	1997 GMC K2500 Sierra SL 6.5L boost VIN: 1GTGK29F7V Ok p0236 is the code. While i was relocating the (black, new in 2010) pmd i notaced there was no resistor chip inside there the harness plugs in, should there be one ? Also the truck shows 14 lbs of boost at idle and goes up to 18 at full throttle. I might be ...	View
	2003 GMC Safari 4.3L Front evaporator VIN: 1GKDM19X33 The front evaporator output is always about 8 degrees warmer than the rear, and both are warmer than we expect to see. We have checked the blend door operation and it is OK. The evaporator temperature at the accumulator is only about 60 degrees. We have change...	View
	2007 GMC Yukon Denali 6.2L Odometer VIN: 1GKFK638X7 Thanks in advance for any help! IPC message display and odometer are inoperative. No codes and everything else in the ipc works correctly(guages and bulbs). No codes present or prior history available. Any suggestions would be appreciated before I play swaptro...	View
	2008 GMC Envoy SLT 4.2L tractions lights come on VIN: 1GKDS13S28 Need some help with this one guys. Traction and service lights come on interm. Pulled codes and found c0455 set. Not to uncommon. Steering position showed erratic on scan tool so we replaced sensor. cleared code and roadtested. Alls great. Roadtested again and...	View
	2008 Honda Accord EX 2.4L VTC Actuator VIN: 1HGCP26828 Vehicle came in with a cold start rattling noise from valve train, after searching TSB's found that the VTC Actuator is the root cause. After removing the camshaft and the VTC Actuator, The new Actuator locked while trying to seat onto the camshaft. I have tri...	View
	1996 Land Rover Range Rover HSE 4.6L oxygen sensor VIN: SALPV1444T oxygen sensor get oil fouled. What is mostly found? car has 155000 miles. rings,valve guides and seals,or both.	View
	2000 Lexus RX300 3.0L No Start VIN: JT6GF10U2Y After the engine an trany work car left running great it came back a week later engine had stalled and it would not start,replace the two cam sensors(had a code for cam senmsor #1)truck run fine for anothe week it had stalled again,this timethe only thing it i...	View
	1990 Lincoln Mark VII LSC 5.0L Hydraulic Booster VIN: 1LNCM93E8L This vehicle was brought into the shop for a loss of power brake assist. If you drive the car normally, the brakes work great. If you pump the brake pedal 2 or 3 times and try to stop you lose assist. The problem was first noticed by my customer in heavy traff...	View
	2002 Lincoln LS 3.9L Misfire VIN: 1LNHM87A52 i have a lincoln ls with a 3.9 that i cannot figure out,im having an exstream miss under load,when vehicle first come in it would not get out of its own way, i checked fuel pressure and it was low so i replaced pump and filter.it gave it alot more power but i ...	View
	2003 Mazda 6 i 2.3L alternator VIN: 1YVFP80C23 first off thanks to everyone who takes the time to help us out. we are on our 4th alt for the car and the last one was rebuilt by our builder. cust stated that when he used the sunroof this time is when the alt light came on and hasnt went out since car is pre...	View
	2007 Mazda 3 S 2.3L Electronic VIN: JM1BK34317 Hi guys i have this mazda 3 would loss communication with the tcm code .and trans would go in limp mode .for a second . I check tcm .power .ground can get ti to happen in shop.any help .thank you guys	View
	1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic 3.2L a/c VIN: WDBJF82H5X vehicle came with a/c not blowing cool performed recharge and found that after vehicle ran for a few miles that it would get warmer so expansion valve was replaced and system was recharged still having same problem seems that the clutch is not engaging as ofte...	View
	2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 Guard 5.0L speed sensor VIN: WDBNG75J7Y Alright we got this s500 in here and the transmission will not work when warm. I have the code for the speed sensor failure or transmission slippage. We replaced the speed sensors in April and didn't see any signs of hydraulic fluid traveling up the wiring and...	View
	2002 Mercedes-Benz S500 5.0L engine running VIN: WDBNG75J62 Customer states that the car is stalling out when driving. Current stored faults: P203b - fault or function monitor in electronic accelerator P2004-8 - hot film mass air flow sensor short to ground Have replaced cheap crank sensor with OE sensor, have check...	View
	2002 Mercedes-Benz G500 5.0L transmission VIN: WDCYR49E32 this vehicle's engine was running rough. after we scanned it we replaced coil number 6 for a misfire and we performed a complete tune up (spark plugs - wires set, air filter, fuel filter, clean out of throttle plate.) engine is now running smooth/ when the own...	View
	2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK500 5.0L EIS is not unlock VIN: WDBTK75J55 Hi MB Gurus, We really need help here,after order new key,EIS & ESL key still not turn. We did double check the VIN of all parts. Die orange key did downloaded the DAS data correctly. The red LED stays on for 8 sec. then went out. The only one thing we've note...	View
	2003 Mercury Sable LS 3.0L Charging VIN: 1MEFM55S03 Hey fellow Techs. I have what I thought was going to be a pretty cut and dry problem but of course not or I wouldn't be here, right?. Anyway this came to me with an intermittent charging problem. The customer has one of those lights for the lighter plug to tel...	View
	1986 Nissan D21 SE 3.0L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Stall, Starts, no idle VIN: JN6HD15H2G I am at my witts end with this truck. I appreciate any help you can give me. I must say that this truck is a real pile o crap! It looks like it has had very little maitenance and has been run hard and abused for many years. It has a ton of miles on it but it d...	View
	2003 Nissan Pathfinder SE 3.5L No Start, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: JN8DR09Y73 First, Occasionally, 1 out of 10 times this vehicle will not start when cranking either cold or hot. I checked fuel pressure and it is in spec and range is good running or cranking. When it does start it will idle fine after clearing fuel from cylinders. When ... Trouble codes: P1110 (Bank 1 intake cam advanced.)	View
	2005 Nissan 350Z Grand Touring 3.5L Lack of power VIN: JN1AZ36AX5 Thanks in advance, customer brought his vehicle inbecasue he could not get into gear. Deterined it was pressure plate issue, removed trans and it appeared he had been having fun. Was told by the supplier of the flywheel it could be machined so we did clutch wo... Trouble codes: P0011, P0021	View
	2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT 3.4L Cooling Fans VIN: 1G2NW12E1Y This Grand Am's radiator fans (dual) run all the time, even with the key off. They run until the battery is dead. Replaced the three fan relays, checked all fuses. Both fans run at Low and at High speeds, the problem is they never turn off. With the key off an...	View
	2002 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.1L speedometer/tach VIN: 1G2WK52J02 The customer stated the vehicle's speedo will slightly vary with the cruise control on at approximatly 60 mph,ive noted it doing this going from 60 to rougly 65. The customer did stated that the tach (engine speed will slightly vary as well in addition to it a...	View
	2000 Saab 9-5 2.3t 2.3L Noise VIN: YS3ED58E0Y Thanks in advance. I have this 2000 saab that came in with an obvious turbo noise. Sounds like a rattle under boost. We replaced the tubo with a garret reman and the noise went away for a couple weeks. I should tell you that the turbo we replaced was 15 months...	View
	2001 Saab 9-5 2.3t 2.3L Radio VIN: YS3ED55E31 Hello, I have a 2001 Saab 9-5 that we are trying to install a used radio in. The original radio is completely inop. I have never tried to marry and divorceusing a Saab radio using the TECH II before , so this procedure is new to me. It is my understanding tha...	View
	2003 Saturn L300 3.0L 1st shift VIN: 32R34T45Y3 Hi ! i been doing some reserh on this problem and im at my dead end. Pls help . The car runs great on cold but after a few miles at a complete stop. As soon i hit the gas ill vibrate just a little . At firs it seem like a transmission mount but no chek and lik...	View
	2008 Saturn Vue XE 3.5L extended crank VIN: 3GSDL43NX8 vehicle came in with extended crank and occasional misfire; tested fuel pressure at test port and observed pressure drop from specified value koeo. Assumed check valve (part of fpm) was bad so replaced fuel pump module. Upon restart after replacement, same res...	View
	2006 Subaru Forester X 2.5L MIL Lamp on VIN: JF1SG63696 Vehicle was in for cel tested and found codes for evap small leak and vent valve shorted. Tested further and found vent valve was shorted (.2 ohms across it). We replaced canister assembly and it comes with the new valve. Retested and new valve has 28.4 ohms a... Trouble codes: P0448 (Evap emission vent solenoid shorted)	View
	2001 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8L Starts And Stalls VIN: 3VWSC29M71 This vehicle sits for a 6-8 hour peroid and will start then stall imediately,you can not press accelerator to keep it running.I've towed it into the shop and start and runs perfectly! The check engine light is on and we cant scan to ECM or any modules.There is...	View
	2001 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8L Starter VIN: WVWAC63BX1 The customer kept on trying to start the car when the battery was dead he says it was making clicking now it will make no sound other then relay clicking.. The starter is getting 12 volt whenever you put a jump box to it but the signal wire on the starter has...	View
	2006 Volkswagen Beetle TDI 1.9L drive belt VIN: 3VWRR31C16 vehicle came in needing timing belt service and noisy belt, sgueals when turning and growls at idle [...] later came back with same noises KOER the tensioner rapidly moves back and forth to which it looks blurry warrantied the tensioner which was a dealer p...	View
	2000 Volvo V70 X/C AWD 2.4L No Start VIN: YV1LZ56D5Y Hello everyone, i have a volvo here clearly im missing something need some help,well here goes car got towed in customer called asked how much to replace fuel pump cause needed a pump gave them a price and customer said do it, shop was very busy car sat two we...	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	2000 BMW X5 4.4i 4.4L Unknown VIN: WBAFB3352Y thank you to every one for there input thermostat solved the problem and found that resevoire was leaking down onto abs module and shorting that out as well	12
	2001 BMW X5 3.0i 3.0L Hesitation, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: WBAFA53581 Hello everyone, this clunker is finally fixed. The tech that put in the engine left the ground strap lose in the middle of no where. This caused the can to go down on and off. The more we worked on the worse it keep getting.From running rich, stalling at times... Trouble codes: 146 (range check voltage supply pedal sensor 2 hard code), 149 (motor throttle feedback and air mass signal inplausible hard).	4
	2002 Chevrolet Express 2500 4.3L Lack of power VIN: 1GCGG25W52 Once again thankyou all for your time and responses. This one is fixed it was a bad torque converter. Not sure why it backed timing down so far?? I got fixated on the timing thing. Before changing the converter I took it for a good test drive (tech did before)...	29
	2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LTZ 6.0L brakes, steering VIN: 1GCHK23K38 Well, as i figured, it was a bad hydroboost, thanks to all who replied with the same idea i had. Replaced the boost and fired it up and all is well.	13
	2001 Chrysler Sebring LXi 3.0L belt VIN: 4C3AG52H21 Sorry this took so long. Finally got customer back in. What we found was that the crank pulley was walking on the rubber. It did not look bad to the naked eye but comparing it to a new one we could see it had moved slightly. Removed pulley and I was able to pu...	8
	2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 3.3L shifter lock out VIN: 2D8HN44H58 Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I did end up fixing this vehicle. I believe there were two problems. I replaced the shifter assembly with a previously enjoyed part and the new shifter was significantly smoother in operation but the lockout would stil...	16
	1992 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4.0L 3-2 Downshift VIN: 1FMDU34X0N Many suggestions came in which all were logical. Replace Govenor, Modulator, Servo, and we did other work that did not fix the problem. We ended up replacing the case and replacing lip seals and sealing rings. Trans seems to work to customer satifaction now. T...	5
	1998 Ford Windstar GL 3.8L No Start, Cuts out, Stall, Misfire VIN: 2FMDA5144W Thanks for the help Found a corroded ground wire in the harness leading from pump replaced wire and runs fine. Trouble codes: P0232 (Secondary fuel circuit high voltage).	11
	2002 Ford F-250 Super Duty Lariat 7.3L Scope Info VIN: 1FTNW21F92 Thank you to everyone who followed this posting. This truck is fixed and working properly. A new APP assembly was installed and no more intermittent idling problem. I will post before and after scope images of what I was seeing and why I was making such a big ...	7
	2003 Ford Windstar SEL 3.8L Drive VIN: 2FMDA56403 well once i removed the pan as was suggested i do, the fluid was found to be really really burnt, even though it was ok on the dipstick. i found only one piece of debris that was revealling, about a 1/2 inch steel sliver. i am also told there are updates that ...	8
	2007 Ford Expedition XLT 5.4L Misfire VIN: 1FMFU15547 O.K., y'all, got it fixed. I replaced the compressor. I had a friend run it on his IDS and he thought it was a shorted field coil on the compressor clutch, I ran out of time and patience before I had a chance to scope it. The compressor worked fine and the clu... Trouble codes: P0300.	13
	2011 Ford E-350 Super Duty XL 5.4L Safety VIN: 1FBSS3BL9B Thanks for the responses. We have discovered while searching for this module that it came from the factory less Parking Assist feature. The vin did show that is was equipped according to the dealer. The company in which this vehicle belongs to brought a second...	3
	1993 Honda Accord 10th Anniversary 2.2L Mechanical VIN: 1HGCB7695P I appreciate all replies unfortunately customer declined repairs	21
	2004 Honda CR-V EX 2.4L Door locks ? VIN: JHLRD78814 I would like to thank everbody for the replies, they helped get my head around this one. What happened was customer turned of the dome light switch off maually, so I never saw the light on, but the door switch was broken causing the door module to stay on and ...	7
	2003 Land Rover Range Rover HSE 4.4L air suspension VIN: SALLMAMA33 Thanks everyone for your inputs, after scanning the car using Carman, Launch and Autologic we were not getting a definitive diagnosis so we ran scan using Autologic this showed that at times the compressor operating pressure was remaing static and that when ...	5
	2005 Land Rover Range Rover HSE 4.4L mirror VIN: SALME11455 customer finaly returned today,did hard reset and all was well.after 3 restarts problem returned,so we replaced battery,reset steering angle sensor and ride hight.cleared codes in all modules and all is well.thanks to all who replied,ANY TIME ROVER ACTS STUPID...	8
	2007 Land Rover LR3 SE 4.4L Ride Level Control VIN: SALAE254X7 Well it's time to close this. Customer scheduled twice to bring vehicle back for compressor replacement and cancelled both times. I'm confident that a compressor will fix it. Most recommended replacing the relay as well which I intend to do if/when he return...	5
	1999 Mazda 626 LX 2.5L Stall As one of the posters stated, there seems to be an interchange issue with the 99 to the 2002 engine. Scoping the engine did not produce any real information, as there is no 'known good' CMP/CKP synch images available that I could find so it was very difficult...	3
	1999 Mercury Cougar 2.5L temp guage VIN: 1ZWFT61L5X the cluster that wassent to us was bad ... the car lot decided to wholesale car	4
	2000 Nissan Maxima GLE 3.0L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Surge, Cuts out, Stall, Poor Fuel Economy, MIL Lamp on VIN: JN1CA31D2Y thanks for all the replies, i decided to wait untill Napa got me a replacement air flow sensor for their first one (that did nothing at all and the package had been opened).This one ran great , over 4 volts under load,like a new car and a lot cheaper . Everyon...	10
	2002 Nissan Frontier 2.4L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1N6DD26S32 THE CUSTOMER TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE ERG PORT'S CLEANED. THIS SOLOVED THE PROBLEM. THANK'S TO ALL , YOU ALL HAD THE CORRECT ANSWERS. THANK' G.T. Trouble codes: P0402.	4
	2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 2.0L gauges, immobilizer VIN: 3VWSK69M25 Hi there. I was not able to look at this vehicle again before the date that I was advised to close the help request. The replies that I got were very helpful. The first thing that I would have done is a capacitor discharge- disconnect the battery and join the ...	7
	2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 1.9L a/c system VIN: 3VWST71K96 BAD Compressor!!! Previous new VW unit went bad in 14 mo. Thanks to all who replied	8
	2000 Volvo S70 GLT SE 2.4L Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out, MIL Lamp on VIN: YV1LS56D7Y Well thanks to the replyes I was able to focus on what was wrong and started looking at the throtle body under the intake and found that the air tube was not all the way in leaking air.I set it back in all the way and put a clamp to it.that took care of the ro... Trouble codes: P0327, P0332, P1238, P1618, P0014, P0722.	8

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