Springfield

Okay - now that a solid 10 + weeks has passed, and the car is no longer reliable, I am trying to replace the starter.

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you Mark. I haven't been very active in ES for a week or so.

There has to be a way to get the starter out without removing the intake manifold. The "how-to" you supplied says that there is a coolant elbow going to the intake you have to remove to gain access to the top bolt. Also the fan has to come out as well.

Keep on trying. First thing is to locate the bolts and then after that, find the easiest way to remove them.

It's a 97 Buick LeSabre.....inherited it from my Dad when he died, in case you'r wondering why I drive such a car.

I never wonder why anyone drives the car that they do. No explanation needed.

You should go back to the shop though and tell them it's squeaking. That should be covered by they warranty that you have for both parts and labor. There is no reason you should have to drive a car with squeaky brakes when you just paid for all that money for them. You shouldn't be charged a dime to correct your problem either.

I had all my brakes fixed at a place that I was suspicious of their work to begin with, and the reason i went there is because I had a credit card for their shop, and didn't have the cash, so I had them do my brakes.

Within a couple weeks, my brakes squeal every once in a while, when I apply them. Is this a clue they didn't do the work right ? And if so, what is the problem ?

It's not really a clue that they didn't do the work correctly, I'd say it's more of a clue that they used inferior parts. Inexpensive (cheap) brake pads will work as advertised (read: they will stop your car) but can make noise just because of the composition of the pads. It could also be a sign that they didn't lubricate caliper slides or replace brake hardware also.

What kind of car do you have Mick?

she is the only one that's able to calm him down and ride him

"Someone would totally get sued if this commercial was made today" Thread.

Nice expansion Springfields

I was interrupted by a daughters friends car overheating...wtf ..I look like a greasemonkey?:chair:....Women:insane:

Thanks. It's one of those long winded posts that I would be damned if I lost somehow. That said, I doubt anyone will read all of it.

As far as the greasemonkey comment... well yeah, it's the price we pay. When was the last time you asked your doctor friend to diagnose and repair you for a discounted rate? Just wondering.

do you still work at a mechanic? I would love for you to fix my family's car.

Yeah, I still work at an auto shop. I honestly didn't start this thread to solicit any business. If you are located in MD, coming all the way to Springfield for auto service is a long way to go. I'm sure you could find somebody just as good as myself that could offer a quality service much closer to home.

If you did come to my shop, I wouldn't be working on your car. I am not an auto technician, I am a service advisor (like I explained in the OP). I get paid to know about these things and relate them to people without actually touching a car (although I do get my hands dirty whenever I can). Now, the mechanics that work for me are great, but I can't take credit for their hard work.

If you would like some help from me though, send me a PM. I'll do all I can for anybody here on ES.

What fluids should I check (and how often) and replace to prevent over heating?

I'll expand a little bit on the whole antifreeze thing that twa mentioned.

Antifreeze and coolant are the same exact thing. I just want to clarify that right now because sometimes I will refer to it as antifreeze sometimes and coolant others. Many people in the auto business do it. I find though, that sometimes, it will confuse people. They call it both antifreeze and coolant because it serves two purposes. It keeps the engine block from freezing up in winter and from overheating in the summer. The coolant/antifreeze has nothing to do with your air conditioning at all, neither does the thermostat. People often confuse the coolant/antifreeze and thermostat for things related to air conditioning, it's an entirely different system.

Now a brief history of coolant/antifreeze. When I got into this business and for many years before that, there was only one type of coolant. It was green and was a glycol (I think) based coolant. It used chemicals and was very earth unfriendly. It smelled sweet and attracted small animals such as cats and children to eat it, often causing harm. Sometime in the early to mid 90's, the automakers developed a long life coolant. The long life coolant is organic based, not as bad for the environment and longer lasting (none of them are permanent). The first long life coolant was orange and was used in GM vehicles. In my opinion, it cost them a lot of money because of unexpected failures (that's just my opinion though). Now, almost every automaker has it's own long life coolant.

Just a few:

Orange - DexCool, GM's trademark coolant

Red and pink - Toyota antifreeze

Pink - BMW and VW antifreeze

Blue - Honda antifreeze

Yellow - Ford antifreeze

Clear or yellow - Universal coolant (can be used in all makes and models)

Now, how an automotive cooling system works. As you may have guessed, and engine creates heat through friction and combustion. The cooling system is used to take that heat and maintain an optimal temperature in the engine.

There is coolant that runs through the engine, through the radiator hoses and through the radiator. When you start your car the engine and coolant are cold (or ambient temperature rather). The engine will warm up and the coolant in the engine will warm up with it. The coolant will warm up to a temperature high enough to open the thermostat. Once the thermostat is open coolant flows into the radiator so that the radiator can take all of that heat and let it escape into the surrounding area. While the heat from the coolant is being dissipated at the radiator there is more coolant that is taking heat from the engine. It cycles back and forth, to and from the radiator to maintain a specific temperature in the engine.

Now, you may ask, why coolant? Why not water? Coolant has a higher boiling point than water. It also has a lower freeze point than water. Also, it has rust inhibitors and corrosion protectors that will keep the cooling system, and thus the engine, in good condition internally. That said, approximately 50% of a good coolant mixture contains water.

All of that said, the question remains, when should I check my coolant?

You shouldn't have to. The cooling system is a closed system. It shouldn't consume anything. It shouldn't boil so there will not be any loss of coolant. It is sealed at all times.

Now the coolant should be checked periodically. Leaks can happen. I'd check the coolant once every oil change unless I suspected a problem. If I thought there was a coolant leak, I'd check it very often (once a week or more) until it was repaired.

Engine air filter. How often should this be replaced?

Every 15,000 miles. Sometimes more often.

My saturn belches a blue cloud of smoke in the mornings...

or after a good 7+ hours of sitting still.

Is it DIY fixable?

Probably not.

The blue smoke is oil being burned. It's rather common in the older Saturns. You could try an oil additive the next time you change your oil, but I doubt it would help. Something that is specifically designed to target piston rings and valve seals such as BG RF7 would be the best chance you have.

Also, if you haven't changed the oil in your car in something like 5,000 miles, I'd recommend you do so now.

1999 Toyota 4 Runner-approx 135k miles.

Way back I posted about a weird noise in the stearing area. Tried the stearing fluid, didn't work. Then in March I slid into a fire hydrant (posted a thread and pics). I didn't really drive it, maybe once to the store until I got it fixed. They "fixed" the front wheel bearing and joint and did the alignment. The mechanic said my alignment won't go 100% straight, and might have a bent frame. But the noise when I turn is still there.

ideas?

I'll add that they said the struts were fine (someone locally thought it was that). It only makes the noise when I turn- sorta grinding, but also the stearing wheel feels tight.

Did they check for damage to the power steering system after you hit the hydrant? It's possible that a power steering line could be crimped and not flowing the necessary amount. This would cause noise from the power steering when you turn the wheel because the fluid isn't circulating like it should.

Can't remember if I told you guys, twa and SS, but I dropped almost $1600 into my blazer.

It needed a new starter, fuel pump/filter, and I had an intake gasket leaking coolant that I've known about but I decided to go ahead and drop my tax money on it before it got too bad.

I should be good to go now for a while :fingersx:

Good. $1600 isn't too bad of a deal for all of that work either. Let's hope that is the last of the work you will need for a long while.

Good points, but ironic since you start your reply with "It sounds like it was their fault. "

Based on his particular situation, it sounded like it was their fault.

The rest of the statement was a general thought I had because he mentioned the phrase "It wasn't my fault". I just felt the need to explain that it usually isn't the car owner's fault.

I forgot to update about the wife's sebring convertible, that I was sure had a blown head gasket. After consulting with a service place called "Mostly Mopars" the owner told me that those motors rarely blow head gaskets and that he was certain it was a blown water pump that, because it's under the timing cover, dumps water right into the oil pan :nutkick: and the that the lifter that I thought I heard clatering was a rod knocking. Needless to say I didn't pour the blue devil gasket sealer in it. I sold the car as is for $2000 to a young ambicious mechanic.

:rotflmao:

I've never seen a Mopar that didn't blow a head gasket. That includes the one that I owned until about a year ago.

Either way, I'm glad that you got to unload your car to a good young schmuck (er, I mean, ambitious mechanic).

2000 kia sephia...I don't know the specifics but I assume that they were trying to press out the hub using the knuckle as a brace. I've seen the part and it was a clean break at the points where the brake caliper connects. it was nearly impossible for them to say it was my fault given the say it was broken.

It sounds like it was their fault. I'm glad that they admitted so. I'm hoping that they will take care of it for you. A good respectable shop would. Just remember, mistakes happen. It's an inconvenience for you but there are shops out there that could have tried to spin it another way. If anything, it shows good about the shop for admitting their mistake and not charging you a dime for their mistake.

I just thought I'd point something else out because of the wording that you used. This is just a general statement, nothing against you at all.

When it comes to auto repairs, it usually isn't the car owner fault. A vast majority of the time, it's the car's fault. Sometimes, something will break (or be damaged, lack of a better catch all word) during repair, usually that isn't the technician's fault either. While people do make mistakes and things can be broken by mistake during repair, I feel that people are very quick to jump to the conclusion that the technician (and by definition, shop) are at fault.

I hear this statement here quite a bit in my business. Important part in bold for clarity. Again, this is a catch all statement that has nothing to do with Leonard Washington's situation.

it was nearly impossible for them to say it was my fault given the say it was broken.

It isn't your (general car owner) fault. It hardly ever is. Even if the part broke because of extenuating circumstances, it still isn't your fault. May you still have to pay for it? Yes. Did you directly lead to a part breaking? Definitely not.

I hear statements like the one above many, many times. The simple fact of the matter is that cars break. It isn't the car owner's fault that it broke, it just happened. In most cases, there isn't a damn thing that they could have done to prevent it either.

Yeah. I took it in to the dealership and they hooked it up and said that #5 cylinder had a history of misfiring. Interesting since the truck has about 75,000 on it and those things should last until about 100,000. That and a few others are saying "Now wait a minute." Thought about just changing the wires and plugs myself,but before I go out and spend a bunch of money,I want to be sure what it is.

Not so fast... the spark plugs are platinum tipped, yes. However, I see many, many times where platinum tipped spark plugs don't last until 100K as advertised. There are a number of things from dirty air filter to short trip driving to heavy carbon build up that can cause platinum tipped spark plugs to have a shortened life. I'd have to say that most platinum plugs don't last up to 100K.

What the hell. None of the mechanics here can figure this one out. At about 2200 to 2700 rpms,(no matter what gear),there is a stutter...a hesitation if you will in the engine. Nothing horrible. No lights come on and the truck keeps moving. Hasn't gotten worse. Happens somewhat regularly.

I'd look at the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system for the source of this problem. If you don't have a check engine light stating that there is a problem with the EGR system, it could possibly be a build up of carbon in the passages.

Now while the truck is in 4 wheel drive,(last used that back in April),there is a very noticeable shake. Whole truck seems to just shake once and then keeps on going. I've been told O2 sensor,misfire in #5 cylinder,(Ford Ranger V6. Biggest V6 available for this model),4wheel drive,hell even a problem with the cruise control,(which I don't use all that often). Weird.

If this problem only happens in 4WD, I'd look to the front differential or transfer case first. I'd change the fluid on both of those units. If it only happens in 4WD, it sounds to me like some sort of driveline chatter. Make sure that the correct fluids are used in both units when they are refilled.

Could be a spark plug issue as well. It could be many things. I'd start with the obvious first though. You may want to check and make sure you have the same brand and model of tires as well. Tires with differing tread designs can cause an issue on 4WD vehicles.

I'm assuming that you have two different problems as I split them up above. Just making sure.

An update on my car situation...I took it to a major auto repair facility. They did their analysis and concluded that one of my wheel bearings was bad. However while they were attempting to separate the hub to get to the bearings, they broke my steering knuckle. :doh: They claim it is a dealer only part and now my car has to sit in their shop until they can locate it. :chair:

What kind of car was it again?

Also, it isn't unheard of for the bearing to wear into the steering knuckle or become frozen on the steering knuckle. If they admit that they broke it by accident, then that is good, at least they are being honest with you. It sucks that it happened but at least they didn't try and "take you on a ride".

It's very common for Ford Explorers to need knuckles, hubs and bearings when the bearings go bad. They become almost impossible to separate and often break the knuckles when trying to do so. Like I said, very common.

is it hurting my engine badly? like i said I can replace it in about a week but I dont want to hurt the truck either.

A week probably won't make a huge difference at all. Every case is different though. It's hard for me to say.

I was looking up prices for oxygen sensors for your truck last night. I forgot to mention, they are remarkably cheap. Something like 30-50 bucks should cover the cost of the part.

Good luck with it.

I'd offer you some more help right now but I've got to shower before me and Mondizz take off for the Outer Banks for the weekend. It's a long drive ahead of us. I needed to get my ES fix.

And Mike... It can be very bad for your engine depending on how the oxygen sensor has failed. If it's causing the truck to run super lean, it will burn up the catalytic converter and possibly intake/exhaust valves over a period of time.

If you oxygen sensor truly is bad, have it replaced. You'll thank me later.

ok,

how bad is this for my engine? i can get it done myself but it wont be for a minute...

and how can i get my truck to get better gas mileage? i have a 22 gallon tank and get about 300 miles per tank. i have changed the plugs, wires and air cleaner but what else can i do?

You can start by replacing that bad oxygen sensor.

Seriously though. They oxygen sensor reads the oxygen content of the exhaust so that the computer knows how rich (more gas) or lean (less gas) the car is running. If the oxygen sensor is reading the oxygen content incorrectly, it could cause your truck to run too rich and thus wasting gas. You'll probably notice a performance difference as well once your truck has the proper air fuel mixture going to the cylinders.

so is this going to be on the top or underneath of the engine? left side? right side?

i dont know too much about engines honestly which is why i was just trying to get a big overview pic of it.

thanks for the help too man..youre a gentleman and a scholar.

I've been trying to find a good picture of your particular car, it's been hard. I believe that the sensor will be underneath the car where the two exhaust pipes that come off the engine merge. Look for something in the exhaust that resembles the sensor in those pictures.

If it's not there, it will be in the exhaust manifold (left or right, I'm not sure) where they come out of the engine.

This is a picture of a Toyota Prius exhaust, it's the best I can do right now so it will have to work. Down at the bottom of the picture there is an oxygen sensor plugged into the exhaust, right after the catalytic converter. It's the thing with the wire coming off of it and the blue connector (to the left).

This is a close up picture of an oxygen sensor installed in the pipe.

This is a picture looking into the exhaust towards the oxygen sensor. You can see the sensing device inside the exhaust and the rest of the oxygen sensor outside of the exhaust.

you mean where all the spark plug wires go? i just changed that out not too long ago along with the rotor to it.

No, the spark plug wires go between the distributor cap and the spark plugs. Those have nothing to do with the exhaust.

Hold on a second, I'll try and pull up a picture for you.

*looking up catalytic converter*

OK, don't worry about the catalytic converter. Just look for a spark plug looking thing that has wires coming off of it that plugs into the exhaust towards the front of the car. Could be visible if you pop the hood or you may have to look underneath. They are easy to replace as long as it isn't rusted into the exhaust.