Car Care - Maintenance and Repair

Chevy 3.8L Engine cutout

VBrady9981 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:06:47 GMT

My 2002 Chevy Impala LS 3.8L v-6 engine suddenly shuts off. If I'm going at a low speed, the engine completely shuts off (just like I turned off the key) and needs to be restarted. If I'm at highway speed the engine stumbles for 1 to 3 seconds and recovers. Sometimes when the engine is warm, car will not start immediately but If I wait and retry several times it will start. Anybody run into this problem before?

Thanks in advance!

Someone suggested crankshaft sensor. Anyone replaced one of these? Is it a big job?

Why is my car overheating?

Christie Williams — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:04:29 GMT

A month ago, I noticed that my 2000 Rodeo did not want to take off from a stopped position. I was pressing really hard on the accelerator and it just did not want to go. So, I was on my way to the mechanic when the temperature needle starting going up. It never went all the way over to the H, but about 3/4 of the way over. Then about 1/4 mile from the shop, the speedometer needle and the rpm needle started swinging back and forth and then the engine light came on and the battery light came on. At this point, it was like the car just did not have the energy to go. I pulled into the shop parking lot and when the mechanic came out, it was dead and he had to jump it to get it in the garage. As it turned out, it was the alternator. So the alternator was replaced and while there, I had the a/c recharged.

A week later, someone at work came in and said I was losing antifreeze. I opened the hood and there was this skinny hose that had a tiny pin hole in it and was spraying a fine mist of antifreeze. So I take it to the garage around the corner from work and it was the bypass hose. Had that replaced.

Now this week I noticed that when I am driving in traffic or sitting in the drive thru, my a/c seems to quit cooling. The air being blown out is significantly warmer than when I am driving 45 or faster. So today, while on the highway, the a/c seemed fine, when I got off to drop off a passenger, my a/c stopped cooling. I was turning to get back on the interstate and noticed that the temperature needle was about 3/4 of the way over. I went ahead and got on the highway and it immediately came back down, but I had turned off the a/c so I don't know if it started cooling again or not.

Do you think the 2 recent repairs could be related or is this something totally different? Do you think it is the thermostat sticking? What could it be.

Ford Aerostar - no power - slow acceleration

Mint — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 04:38:43 GMT

Have a ford aerostar van, no power,same slow acceleration no matter how much gas i give it. Over 40 mph, it runs rough. Is it possible there is a bad fuse to the gas pump? Would a bad fuse cause bad gas milage?

K & N Air Filter VS Amsoil Ea Air Filter

The Easy — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:08:53 GMT

Has anyone changed their Air Filter from K & N too Am soil Ea Air Filter and if so what was your experience between the two?

Did you notice any difference with the Amsoil Ea Air Filter over the K & N Air Filter or vice a versa?

I am looking to change from K & N Air Filter too Amsoil Ea Air Filter for the reason that I had to put a NEW AIR SENSOR on my 1999 For Ranger 2.5 4 CYL. , do to the fact that dirt or oil got on it and made it go bad.

As far as performance is, this is what I will have to see which one will gave me the best.

I am hoping that someone has the experience between the two first hand.

Ford would like me to go with the paper air filter.

Maintenance On 1999 Ford Ranger

The Easy — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:17:45 GMT

I have a 1999 Ford Ranger with a 4 cyl. and had to take it into the Ford Shop today for it was not running right, they put a New Timing Belt on it, changing Plugs and Wires.

I would like to know what else needs done to it as far as maintenance, it has 85,000 miles on it.

Does it need the Air ( what ever you call it) cleaned, injectors and the whole system cleaned, please tell me what all needs to be done so I can get it back on the road it tip top sharp?

I also would like to know what is the very best Air Cleaner on the market?

Also does the Tornado really work?

Thermostat Issue?

mmonroe69 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:44:18 GMT

Had a friend look @ my car with me. It was running a little rough and was leaking coolant. The coolant light had been off and on for a few weeks. When I took the car in for an oil change, the technician said that the water level was okay and that it was probably just a sensor error. Anyway, when I opened the cap, there was no water in the resevoir. I put a gallon of water in, and the sensor light went off. I drove with the A/C off and the windows down. Almost cyclical, the engine seemed to be running rough and the belt would squeal. I stopped several times to check the water leverl. The temp gauge inside never rose past the normal. The water level was fine each time I checked. It no longer seemed to be leaking. If so, no where near as much. When I got home, I flushed the radiator. I did not drain the block. I cranked the car, turned the heater on high, and let it get to normal running temp. My friend said that since the water in the resevoir tank didn't ever get hot, that the thermostat was bad. I know only the basics of car care. I do not have the money to take this car to the shop. Any ideas on this?

Pulstar Spark Plugs

Stevmcd — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:06:33 GMT

I have a 96 Mustang GT with a moderate amount of mods. I had an MSD DIS-4 ignition system that was mediocre at best. A local racer said that I should just run a good set of plugs and wires instead. I purchased FRP M12259-R464 plug wires and was going to purchase a set of NGK Iridium plugs but I stumpled across the new Pulstar plug that makes some serious claims about power, torque & economy. Has anyone had any experience with these plugs? Are they worth the price of $25 each?

Easy parking brake repair

automedia — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:12:43 GMT

http://boortz.com/more/funny/redneck_pics_parkingbrake2.html

http://boortz.com/more/funny/redneck_pics_parkingbrake.html

oil changes

ntkfmc — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:04:27 GMT

How much beyond the 3000 mile standard can one go before an oil change? The car is driven short distances less than 10 miles a day under normal conditions.

Just changed the thermostat....

edortizr6 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:21:52 GMT

I have a 99 Nissan Sentra 5 speed manual. I just changed the thermostat and now the car idles just a bit lower and wants to shut off when coming to a stop. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Is synthetic oil worth the extra cost?

racerx — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 19:30:39 GMT

I have read that it lasts quite a bit longer and thus pays for itself. Anyone know how long you can go on synthetic? Any performance improvements?

1994 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTI 3.0 DOHC HELP TIMING

debbiecliff — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:00:43 GMT

I CANNOT FIND A BOOK OR DIAGRAM ON THIS,NEED HELP WITH RE-PLACING THE BELT,IT IS BROKE,WE JUST TURNED THE CAR OFF AND IT WOULD NOT START,AFTER SEVERAL DIFFERENT THING'S TOOK TIMING COVER OFF,BELT IS BROKE INTO.

97 chevrolet silverado

fenrir929 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:01:57 GMT

not too long ago my front left tire has begun bouncing at around 35-40 miles an hour, i'm in the process of replacing the shocks, but should that not be it, any suggestions?

serpentine belt

TonyG — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:39:35 GMT

Does anyone know what I should do about the mount bracket on a 98 chevy impala to remove the serpentine belt? I can't find any info on if the engine is going to drop if I remove it, and don't have anything to put under the engine.

'89 GMC p/u - rusted part

DuhOne — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:49:07 GMT

Have a coolant leak. Don't know what the part is called. Two hoses come from the firewall (heater element), one goes to the upper radiator. The second connects to a pipe which then connects to the top back of the engine block. The connector that holds this pipe in place at the block is squirtinig out fluid from a hole in the connector. This connector is rusted. How do I remove it without damaging the block/pipe that it's connected to. Oh ... and what would the "official" name for this connector be? Thanks for the help!

help... 98 gmc yukon

andres1515 — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:01:08 GMT

i have a 98 gmc yukon and my gears are sliping, but it still runs pretty good, but lately when i exelerate my car feels like it pulls back like if something is cloged up and don't let gas flow properly could that be my fuel pump messing up??? or could that be my fuel injectors??? or if something els??? can anyone help

2003 Cavalier brake noise

chatmoorejr — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:08:07 GMT

My 2003 cavalier just started making some noise which appears to be brake related. This doesn't just happen when I brake, but everytime I turn to the right I can hear a high-pitched squeal, not really loud but still there. I took the wheel off and the pads didn't appear to be to badly worn. Could the caliper piston be sticking slightly? The passenger side wheel didn't turn as easily as the driver side. I am going to take the tire off again and blow things off good and take another look, but any input I can get would be very much appreciated. The car runs and brakes fine, just a new noise, which it didn't have before.

Airbag warning light

automedia — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:48:16 GMT

http://www.mrboffo.com/wdaily.html

If today is not April 3, Find the "Willy n Ethel" comic from that day.

Need Help Been Reaped Off

The Easy — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:31:52 GMT

About 2 years ago I took my Ford Ranger into a GM garage to have a turn-up and flush my transmission, only place in town that I thought that one could trust.

This week I took my FORD RANGER into a FORD GARAGE to have a new timing belt put on and to see why it was not running right, they took the plugs and wire out and they told me that it had AUTO LITE plug in it and the wires were bad, I gave the GM Garage Motorcraft Plug to put in it also they told me that they put new wires on it. They nether put NEW PLUGS OR WIRES on my FORD RANGER, but they charged me for the TURN-UP. Also I have questions about them even changing my Tran mission fluid which now I drought that they did.

There must be some where that I could report them?

Yes it cost me nearly $375.00 to have this work done.

This is not the only thing they have done to me.

My daughter has a 1995 FORD PROBE and the water pump went out on it nearly 2 years ago and I took it to them and they told me that the engine was melted. They cut the plug wires and took the valve cover off to see the damage, which I could not see any damage.

I did not know they cut the plug wires until last September when I had a different engine put into it and a friend of ours told us that they cut the wires, He said it was un-called for. He works at another GM GARAGE in another town. If it was not for him we would not of knew about it.

I confronted the GM GARAGE that cut the plug wires and they said too many people invalid in it now.

Now you see why I belive they need to be reported to someone.

Easy auto air conditioner repair

automedia — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:03:12 GMT

We are a very resourceful bunch down where I live. Here's an easy way to repair your auto air conditioner.

http://boortz.com/more/funny/redneck_pics_carairconditioning.html

1992 Audu 100s

lisaissweet01 — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 14:51:41 GMT

Need help with a 1992 Audi 100s that is in fail safe mode

synthetic motor oil life expectency

khysell — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:38:23 GMT

I have changed my car and truck over to synthetic oil. I have been running them around 10,000 miles between changes or until the oil is just too dirty looking to justify leaving in. I have heard that synthetic oil doesn't lose its viscosity. I know that when I drain regular oil with more than 5000 miles on it, it runs out like water. Synthetic oil, even after 10,000 miles still pours like it did new. Is there any way to measure viscosity to see if it really is still usable?

Auto door lock weirdness

seasiren — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:36:16 GMT

Ok... I'm a girl and not very mechanically inclined... let me admit that right up front.

Here's my problem... I have a 2000 Mercury Sable and all of a sudden the auto door lock in the driver side door makes a HORRIBLE stripping noise when I lock the car with the FOB or the door buttons (manually with the key, of course, there is no noise). It's been doing this for about a month and so far the lock still works.

My question(s):

1. Is it possible that some sort of belt has just slipped off inside the door or is this probably the gears being worn down and slipping (from the noise, it's obvious that something is slipping).

2. How major a repair is this? Anyone have an idea of what it will cost?

3. I saw an article on this site about doing fixing a non-functioning auto lock on an old Mustang and there was a comment that up to the 90s inside the door was a nightmare to access and a mess once you got there. Does that mean it's a little easier for a car circa-2000?

4. Is this something I should ask my game, but not overly skilled, husband to do? Or should I bite the bullet and take it into the shop?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Left side wiper always scratches window glass

geercom — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:34:40 GMT

I put in new blades but every time the new blade ends up making noise against the windshield then scratching the windshield until now the windshield needs replaced.

I'm not getting a new windshield until I have a permanent solution to keep the wiper from making a single mark on it.

What am I doing wrong; or, what all must I do to keep this from happening?

04 Cavalier Clutch pipe

sf_shen12002 — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:54:58 GMT

My 04 Cavalier (manual transmission) is under 24k mileage. The clutch pipe is broken. The part number is 89060003. I find the rubber part of clutch pressed the corner of a wire box. That point is broken. Do you think this is a design problem?