Automotive Technicians Technical Discussion and Fixes for Jan 22, 2013

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	Help Request	Answers
	2005 Acura TL 3.2L ABS and TCS VIN: 19UUA66295 Good morning everyone. I have a 2005 Acura TL with an intermittent problem that I'm having a hard time duplicating. When the customer is driving the car, it will intermittently buck/shudder/bang for a short period of time (several seconds), and then the TCS li...	View
	2003 Audi A6 Quattro 2.7L bad heating VIN: WAULD64B93 if vehicle is parked interior will not heat but when you drive heating is normal there are no codes at this moment at all . heater core is working properly with no leaks or issues.	View
	2004 Audi A4 Quattro 1.8L #2 cylinder VIN: WAULC68E24 When we first had the head off we thought we saw evidence of a gasket breach but now we are doubting that. The head was straight so I think we may not have resurfaced it, which I beleive is a must if using the mls gaskets. We have NOT removed the head the seco...	View
	2003 BMW 745Li 4.4L Cuts out VIN: WBAGN63463 Hello, We have this E66 with a complaint of an intermittent "bang" while at steady cruise. The customer describes this as being like someone put the car into park suddenly and briefly. Simultaneous to this, the right side of the iDrive display (navigation) goe...	View
	2004 BMW 545i 4.4L oil pressure VIN: WBANB33514 This car drove into shop with customer stating that a red message was on the dash that said stop driving the car, engine oil pressure. Customer stated the message was intermittant. We removed the oil pressure switch and attached a mechanical gauge, reads zero ...	View
	2002 Buick Regal LS 3.8L Ipc VIN: 2G4WB55K72 Ok i know i have read a post in the last few weeks that was acting just like this buick so this is whats going on starts up fine but quits running when you turn on the left or right turn signals.i mean it shuts off like you turned the key.if you turn on either...	View
	2004 Cadillac SRX 4.6L Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1GYEE63A94 please help car has been back a few times we replaced the engine sometime in nov 29, car keeps coming back to our shop with different codes everytime we replaced engine, throttle body assy., coils, injectors,plugs Trouble codes: P0138, P2135, P0300, P1101, P0101, P0420	View
	1998 Chevrolet Tahoe 5.7L transfer case control module VIN: 3GNEK18R6W Is this clicking noise normal when you turn the key on or off. transfer case works properly in all modes. is there a problem I'm not seeing or is this normal?	View
	2000 Chevrolet Venture 3.4L No Start VIN: 1GNDU03EXY i'm reposting this auto,because you can only update one time. this is now a no start unless mass air flow sensor us unplugged. with it unplugged it starts right up but with high idle. with sensor plugged in it coughs and back fires through intake. has new modu...	View
	2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD 6.6L No Start VIN: 1GCHK29101 Caught in the middle on this one, please let me know if it sounds like I'm whining! The history that I know of with this truck is the customer drove it with bad injectors until the engine was toast. Young kid who just finished the diesel course at the local co...	View
	2005 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 6.6L coolant VIN: 1GCJK33205 This is my personal vehicle and actually have another one in shop right now doing head gaskets. The one doing the head gaskets failed block check and was pushing pressure past the radiator cap after about a week of driving. My truck does NOT fail block check a...	View
	2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Z71 5.3L cooling fans VIN: 1GNFK16Z96 Got a faily new suburban with a lot of miles on it in here today with an overheating condition. I found that the fans are never commanded on once the engine reaches a high temp [it will get to 223 degrees before I shut it off]. I can command each of the 3 rela...	View
	2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LTZ 5.3L variable lifters VIN: 3GNFK12327 after repairs vehicle started right up sounds good , go for test drive low power and check engine light comes on codes p3401 p3425 p3441 p3449 lifters inactive. i am certain the lifters are in the right direction- oil holes facing center of engine . acts like ...	View
	2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ 5.3L ebcm VIN: 1GCEK19J07 hey everyone thanks in advance for this one.. I cannot get communication with this ebcm tryed tech 2 , modis still nothing.. can can comunicate with the fuel pump control module and all the other modules on high speed bus network. both the red and amber color ...	View
	2009 Chevrolet HHR LT 2.2L engine VIN: 3GNCA23B69 Have low comp. in #1 and slightly high in #4. Looked in the repair archives and saw some timing chain issues with this engine. My questions are; Does this sound logical, and is this a "common" failure? This is the first one I've seen. Just looking for some fee...	View
	2009 Chevrolet Express 2500 4.8L Oxygen Sensors VIN: 1GCGG25C49 This van just got a new throttle body because of a TPS code. The lean upstream O2 codes have been there before that repair and were cleared and keep coming back. Are these common for intake manifold leaks? I cannot find a test port for fuel pressure but there ...	View
	2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2.4L Poor Idle Quality, Misfire VIN: 3C4FY4BB21 Hello, I have this PT here that the customer stated was starting rough and would clear up in a few minutes of starting. They took it to the dealer and they tuned it up, and sent it on it's way. The problem was still there. One day the car just would not start,... Trouble codes: P0401 (EGR Valve failure to affect F/A mixture), P0115 (Engine coolant temp circuit high voltage), P0123 (Throttle position sensor voltage high)	View
	1995 Dodge Stratus ES 2.5L No Start VIN: 1B3EJ56H5S Vehicle came in on hook no start installed crankshaft sensor has good compression fuel pressure is good at 50lb psi have spark and injector pulse have replaced distributor as a known high fail item new cap rotor and wires timming is correct will not start also...	View
	2004 Dodge Ram 3500 ST 5.9L No Start, Stall, Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 3D7LU38C84 This one is starting to make my head hurt.Replaced engine in this monster due to #1 piston.Im losing fuel pump signal to relay,Generator field activation,Intermitant fuel and voltage gauges in dash.Cam sensor signal was the last thing to go(I found that discon...	View
	2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 3.3L abs code clearing VIN: 1D4GP24R15 village van came in for abs lite on found code 21 in system. try to clear code can not. can not work ABS pump with solus either. remove battery to check power and ground at CAB connector ground ok NO POWER. checked for power under IPM found 2 broken wires unde...	View
	2008 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT 6.7L Key Switch VIN: 3D7KS28AX8 Hi group. This pickup died and would not restart. Dash doesn't light up, neither do head lights or electric windows. Key switch doesn't work. The TIPM/fuse box has a hole burned in the side. Power is not leaving there to go to the different systems. Since the ...	View
	2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Lariat 5.4L Pcm ? VIN: 1FTNX21LXY Hi all i could use some directions on this ford! this ford is new to the owner there is no history on it.! he bought that truck used according to the customer the truck was running fine for a month or so! now the issue is first start up in the morning the engi...	View
	2001 Ford Ranger XL 2.3L timing VIN: 1FTYR10D81 this one for the ford techs out there the vehicle came for a head job , head was removed now trying to put this thing together. I've got the cams aligned with a plate in the back of the cams,I also put the pin on the side of the block to put the crank in tdc ,...	View
	2002 Ford Windstar SE 3.8L Poor Idle Quality, Misfire VIN: 2FMZA574X2 This vehicle came in with a serious miss and the cust concern was would it leave him stranded. With the scan tool we retrived two codes related to the missfire, 302 and 316. We replaced the spark plugs because they looked so bad and paying special attention to... Trouble codes: P0302 (2 missfire), P0316 (Missfire detected at start up)	View
	2003 Ford Explorer Postal 4.0L No Start, Poor Idle Quality VIN: 1FMZU72K23 Ok so this car originally had a rough idle. We found low compression in one cylinder (apprx 55 psi in one hole onle, the rest were 120). We took valve cover off and found the cam to have badly worn lobes. Removed and replaced cam aswell as the associated rocke...	View
	2004 Ford F-550 Super Duty Lariat 6.0L Poor Idle Quality, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1FDAF57P14 I hope this one can help someone else.This monster had an egr cooler that filled the motor full of antifreeze.Removed engine,Removed cylinder heads dump water out of cylinders and turbo and intake.upgrade oil tubes in oil manifollds and reoring all nessary ite...	View
	2004 Ford F-150 FX4 5.4L Poor Idle Quality, Cuts out, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1FTPX14584 This vehicle died going down the road. I discovered the bank 2 cam phaser had come apart due to sludged up engine and loss of oil to the left head. The cylinder head has been replaced and it has a new camshaft, cam phaser, timing chain guides, tensioners, a ne... Trouble codes: P0022 (Int cam position timing over retarded - bank 2)	View
	2005 Ford Escape XLT 3.0L Shift Interlock VIN: 1FMYU93195 Have an Escape here that the shift interlock will not operate cold.. It's -14C here today and vehicle sat outside all night and sure enough customer concern verified. Just curious if anyone has run into this before. Once vehicle warms up a bit it works fine. I...	View
	2006 Ford Mustang GT 4.6L alternator VIN: 1ZVFT82H76 Hi, We have a 2006 Mustang gt 4.6 3v with an intermittent charging isssue. As we tested the vehicle, no loads at idle it charged at 14.2-14.4 volts. Customer concerned about intermittent battery light with battery being discharged on her way home. Of course Au...	View
	2011 GMC Sierra 3500 HD WT 6.0L Air Bag, Instrument Cluster? VIN: 1GD312CG1B The instrument cluster has been showing a service air bag warning message but the air bag module has not recorded any codes. I was going to look deeper into the issue and check CAN lines etc. but now the truck has started displaying erratic rpms and mph readin...	View
	1993 Honda Civic EX 1.6L idle VIN: 1HGECJAD1P Thanks for looking. THis car has idle issues it started just doing it when the vehicle was cold (first start) after a while it seems to be doing it all the time now cold or hot, at a stoplight/ stopsign its like the gas is being feathered or reved up and down,...	View
	2000 Honda Odyssey EX 3.5L MIL Lamp on VIN: 2HKRL1862Y Hi guys i had this 2000 honda odyssey 1 year a go .problem was i would drive and stall if i kept cranking it would not start but if shut the key off and start it would start fine had a code p1361 and p1366 tdc sensor so i replace the crank and the cam sensor w...	View
	2006 Honda Civic LX 1.8L Under Dash Fuse Box VIN: JHMFD16796 I started checking around and found out that under the dash there is a fusebox the check all the relay and found out that the relay is parmanently closed the i replace the relay then try to connect the battery head and all the light comes up again. I remove th...	View
	2006 Jaguar XKR Victory Edition 4.2L Dsc VIN: SAJDA42B86 I have just recently replaced a steering angle sensor in this car for the second time. In 2011, I replaced it for the first time. My notes indicate that I ran a calibration routine after installing the new sensor. Back then I was using a Jaguar IDS/SDD diagnos...	View
	1994 Lexus LS400 4.0L Excessive Emissions, Hesitation, Cuts out, No power I have this lexus we put both cats on they were plugged and getting red hot took to the exhaust shop to check the rest of the exhaust for being plugged and found no problems after the new cats it is still the same no power and the cats getting red hot fuel pre... Trouble codes: 24 (Intake air), 31 (Mass air flow), 41 (Tps), 47 (Tps sub system)	View
	2004 Mazda 6 S 3.0L Motor This Mazda starts perfectly when above 30 degrees, once temp drops the motor acts like it is seizing up or a low voltage condition, will start the same even if I add a battery pack to aid voltage... Starter draw hits almost 900 amps when this happens... Fresh ...	View
	1999 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor 2.3L No Start VIN: WDBHA24G2X Ok here we go, What's happening is there are 2 coil packs on this engine. They sit on numbers 2 and 4 cyl's, then there are spark plugs wires going from them to #'s 1 and 3 cyl's. The coils fire great on 2 and 4 cyl's, the plugs they sit on, but not out of the...	View
	2002 Nissan Pathfinder SE 3.5L immobilizer VIN: JN8DR09X72 Looking for a tech with the equipment and capability to reprogram the immobilezer in this car.Car is at our shop in the virgin islands on st. john custumer is willing to pay to get you here and fix the issue any help would be greatly apreciated	View
	1995 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.1L No Start VIN: 1G2NE55M8S Please read this whole post as I am all over the place with it, the car has been here over a week and I want to get all the information out here. This car came in customer stated that it would die hot. Upon arrival it did start and ran with a couple dead holes...	View
	2005 Subaru Outback Limited 2.5L threads for head bolts in cylinder block Greetings to all my fellow wrenches in the trenches! I've got a real nuts-and-bolts problem with a 2005 Subaru Outback and hope you can help me out. Once upon a time there was a Subaru with a head gasket leak. I know, sounds implausible, right? Pulled the engi...	View
	2004 Suzuki XL-7 LX 2.7L shifts(random) VIN: JS3TX92V94 last call before being shipped to the dealer! car was brought in for the SES light on, with no symptoms relayed by customer. scanned and found three trans codes(p0797, p0974, p0986), fluid was full and clean. cleared codes and test drove, vehicle would not shi...	View
	2008 Toyota Tacoma 4.0L Oil Pressure VIN: 5TEMU52N68 We have known this truck since new. All of sudden MIL for customer and clattering in engine. VVT codes. Oil pressure test bad as stated above 4-10 PSI warm. Oil filter and oil pan showed no metal. Removed oil cooler at filter, no metal, no restrictions. Inspec...	View
	2007 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 2.5L Engine VIN: 3VWHF71K67 Rough idle with P0300 (00768), P0303 (00771), & P0301 (00769) codes set. Compression test showed #3 cylinder @ 100 psi others at 130. Pulled intake to check for carbon issues as research pointed to but intake valves rather clean. Performed cyl leak-down test a...	View
	2010 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L MIL Lamp on, no power VIN: WVWAA7AJ2A Hello everyone, this is Nic at First Class Automotive in Raleigh NC, we have a 2010 VW golf in the shop from a body shop, car was in an accident and has sat at the body shop for some time, when first brought to us battery was stone dead, replaced battery and c... Trouble codes: P2127, P0108, P0113	View
	1997 Volvo V90 2.9L Cooling Systems VIN: YV1KW960XV Cooling system retains pressure even after sitting overnight-tested for combustion gas in cooling system-passed-I didn't believe the owner until I experienced myself.Everything seems normal-run the engine until hot-shut it off and come in the next day-slowly l...	View
	2001 Volvo V70 2.4L No Start VIN: YV1SW61R41 Vehicle was towed in "no start". After many hours of diag we figured out that the car would start and run only with the cam sensor disconnected. If you plug it back in while running it will quit in about 10 seconds. Steps taken: cam and crank sensors replaced ...	View

Fixes & Summaries for All Makes and Models

	Fix/Summary	Answers
	1999 BMW 740iL 4.4L No Start VIN: WBAGH8332X Sent used ECU, EWS, and key to repair shop. They cleared learned codes and realigned. When we got back plugged everything in and started right up.	7
	2006 BMW 750Li 4.8L engine VIN: WBAHN83546 Hi all. This car though it was scheduled to be beck her on Thursday the 17th has not shown up and Ive not heard from the owner. Thank you all for your help. If there is a change or the car comes in and i repair it i will post. Regards Matthew	21
	1989 Chevrolet K3500 Silverado 7.4L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality, Cuts out VIN: 1GCK34N6KE Sorry for the delay in closing this, I have not fixed this vehicle. I tried all the suggestions, but couldn't find out what was wrong with this thing. It still idles poorly, but off idle it is very powerful. The first place had replaced a bunch of parts, inclu... Trouble codes: 44 (lean exhaust).	16
	2000 Chevrolet Venture 3.4L Stall VIN: 1GNDU03EXY after ign. switch, can sensor. it now won't start unless mass air flow sensor unplugged. Trouble codes: U1040.	21
	2000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L 4wd VIN: 1GCEK19T1Y Well after doing some more cks I started wiggling harnesses and finally got to talk to the module and it said there was an issue with the encoder ckt. I went back to that area and found some pin issues on the connector for the encoder. Scott was on the right t...	16
	2002 Chevrolet Impala 3.4L No Start VIN: 2G1WF52E22 turns out cam and 24x crank sensor fixed this one.frustrating thing was had excellent waveform signals when backprobing at pcm, even though neither one was working at all.with sensors unplugged and checking at pcm connector waveform signal present.fooled us go...	20
	2003 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 6.6L Starting VIN: 1GBJK34183 Well this one was crazy in itself. First thing I did was change the fuel filter yet again from a Wix to the Delco. Five straight days no issue. Left it over the weekend and it fired right up. But as a precaution I disliked the feeling of the ignition so I c...	5
	2005 Chevrolet Colorado Z85 LS 3.5L Hesitation, Surge, Cuts out, Stall, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1GCCS13685 Well , let me start thanking all you guys that replied to my request , you are awesome !! and finally , my colorado is fixed and running like a top again ! Most of you advised to do the rewiring ( which I knew that I was going to do sooner or later ) , so I d... Trouble codes: P060E, P2135.	9
	2006 Chevrolet Impala LT 3.5L converter VIN: 2G1WT58K56 After performing several diagnostics, we recommented to the customer that the transmission be removed to facilitate repair. Customer has not returned with vehicle as of today - I don't believe they can afford the repair.	12
	2007 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 LT 5.3L Rear liftgate Thanks to David from New York for sending me a tsb on some sir codes causing liftgate to become inoperative. New sir module was installed along with both front seat belt tensioners (vehicle had been wrecked) and liftgate now works. As always thanks to all wh...	7
	2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT 4.2L Stall VIN: 1GNDT13S28 Thanks for all the replies, after extensive checking of the wiring and various modules, we replaced the bcm, sent it to dealer for flashing, now everything is working properly. Thanks again. Trouble codes: U1301 (Class 2 communication circuit low voltage), P1630 (Theft learn mode or system volt EPR).	9
	2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie 5.9L Stall, Gas tank VIN: 1B7HC16Z81 Thanks for the replies, the smaller round canister was plugged solid and rectangular one plugged partially. Replaced both canisters and drove vehicle and no more sucking in gas tank.	25
	2004 Dodge Ram 2500 ST 5.7L Excessive Emissions, MIL Lamp on, Rich VIN: 1D7KU28D14 Thanks a lot to everyone who replied. This truck is fixed! One new downstream O2 sensor turned out to be the repair. I appreciate your great explanations; I really didn't properly understand how these Dodge O2 sensors work. As you explained, they are supplied... Trouble codes: P0171 (Bank 1 lean), P0174 (Bank 2 lean).	9
	2001 Ford F-250 Super Duty XL 7.3L improper shifting VIN: 1FTNF20F51 Vehicle is fixed. Rechecked plug on trans okay, code kept coming up open circuit pressure solonoid A. Tested at connector below master cylinder and got reading of 6 ohms for solonoid A. Took a shot at replacing solonoid pack with a used one from another vehicl...	6
	2004 Ford Escape XLT 3.0L Mechanical VIN: 1FMCU93104 Thanks everyone, You were all right on the money. Kind of what I suspected too but just needed some reassurance. excessive exhaust backpressure ahead of the rear bank cat. Customer declined repairs at this time and will probably trade the vehicle. Thanks again...	17
	2005 Ford Focus ZX5 2.0L Mechanical VIN: 3FAFP37N85 Replaced seal again with a factory seal also applying sealant around outer edge of seal. Appears good at this point, thanks for the help	8
	1998 GMC K2500 Sierra SL 7.4L Poor Idle Quality, Misfire VIN: 1GTGK29J3W Hello all thanks for all the info, want to apologize for the update of 150 psi on running compression, must have looked at it wrong or something, engine off compression on bank 2 was cycl. 2 135, 4-140, 6-135, 8-140, running compression cycl 2 was down to 35 p...	13
	1998 Honda Civic LX 1.6L Excessive Emissions, Poor Fuel Economy VIN: 2HGEJ6573W As noted below, MAP is too high on this. Should be approximately .8V at hot idle with the vacuum you have. Your value is about 20 percent too high which is the amount of fuel being pulled by the PCM. We replaced the MAP and everything fell into specs. Tha... Trouble codes: P0172 (Rich).	12
	2000 Honda Accord EX 3.0L Misfire VIN: 1HGCG1650Y Thank you for all your guy's help I was very frustrated on this one I left it alone for the weekend and was in the shop all day monday frist thing this morring i hooked up the old scan tool to monitor data and in VIN. specific the pid pramiter was in voltage s...	39
	2005 Hummer H2 6.0L Ignition Lock Cylinder VIN: 5GRGN22U65 Andrew nailed it: the floor shift mechanism was binding causing incomplete retraction of the collumn solenoid intermittantly. Cleaned & lubricated and all is well. Many thanks to all who replied!	6
	2007 Infiniti G35 X 3.5L Varible assist power steering rack VIN: JNKBV61F97 Again vehicle came in for just a power steering leak at the rack with no assist issues etc. We replaced the rack with a reman and had no assist at idle. We eventually decided to go with a NEW rack from Infinity. Again no assist at idle!! After checking varible...	8
	2004 Jaguar XK8 4.2L No Start VIN: SAJDA42C24 Hey guys, much useful info here, thank you. I took the advice of many of you and pumped a little oil into each cylinder to see if I could restore some compression, and it did not make any change to any cylinder. All of them are still very low and the motor s... Trouble codes: P0193, P0430.	11
	2001 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4.0L Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1J4FF68S31 thanks to all that replied. the problem turned out to be a bad injector that was causing the pcm to shut the driver off.replaced the injector and the misfire is gone . thanks Trouble codes: P0202 (Cyl inj circut).	11
	2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 3.2L fuel gauge VIN: WDBRH64J02 well i took the car to anouther shop that repairs mercedes only for a second opinion. he recoded it w a star scanner and all i can say is it works now. thanks for all the good responses. i wish there were a better response but this is it.	11
	2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 5.5L Mechanical VIN: WDDNG86X17 only one help responce-thanks Anthony, we had one tech moving rear wheels, in neotral and managed to get shaft in-real tight fit though!! thanks again. Brian.	1
	2005 Nissan Altima SE-R 3.5L No Start VIN: 1N4BL11DX5 After several failed programming attempts with a second and third used bcm and a second used ecm, I gave up and ordered a bcm, ecm, key combo from a salvage yard and all works great. I even tried putting the used parts in a working vehicle and taking that car ... Trouble codes: P1614 (Nats malfunction), P1001 (CAN comm).	10
	2003 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.4L Injectors not opening VIN: 1G2NF52E33 Let me start out by saying thank you and sorry for the delay in responce! I have fixed the problem thanks to you all. The customer had neglected the water paump and it was leaking into the a/c compressor which ended up blowing the fuse (#37, something we had o...	25
	2011 Subaru Forester X 2.5L No Start VIN: JF2SHBBC2B thanks to everyone that posted help for this problem, the fix was. we found a service bulletin # 11-100-11r. cam sensor air gap incorrect. repaired at dealer no charge. vehicle starts fine now	9
	1997 Toyota Camry CE 2.2L Dtc: p1780 VIN: 4T1BG22K2V Thank you very guys for all your inputs. I have checked out all circuitry as recommended that connected to the transmission controls. The VERDICT was a defective Neutral Safety Switch. Thanks again Best Regards Wilbert [...] Educator/Trainer.	11

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