Ask the Auto Doctor

[Jack]

nicole wrote:

i have a 1996 chevy blazer 4 door 4x4 and we are having problems with it it olny goes 5 miles an hour and we have taken it to the transmission garage they said they couldn't find any thing wrong with it and when they had to on the mechine thats tells whats wrong with it it said it was misfire #3 and need a mass air flow sensor o2 sensors and a s3 what ever that is we have done the tune up we have actulley done 2 with in 8 months on it but it stiils say it needs done we change the o2 sensors befor we took it to the garage and still came up that we just took it to another garage to put the mass air flow sensor in it and still nothing they put a used on in it when we thought it was a new one they didn't tell us my grandpa and his neighbour looked at it and the garage that put the mass air flow sensor said it was are transmission and needed tuned up again i was like we have had 2 tune ups with in 7 months it can't be that so we don't know what to do the wanted to charge me 450.oo to do a tune up that is carzy and 1500 for a transmission ir they any recalls on anything for my blazer and could you think of anything that it would be thank you

Check your catalitic converter. if it is stuffed, no power. Also exhaust.

[angel]

I have a 03 mini cooper s. having trouble with the power steering. I replaced the fuse and made sure the fluid was full but the steering is still REALLY stiff. HELP!

[SD GONSALVES]

I have a 89 Chevy S10 Blazer. The hot air blows into the car when moving only. Switches are off. Switches work,hot air comes out on all. What is the problem?

[Auto Doc]

angel wrote:

I have a 03 mini cooper s. having trouble with the power steering. I replaced the fuse and made sure the fluid was full but the steering is still REALLY stiff. HELP!

Your belt to your steering pump might be loose, or your pump is bad.

[Auto Doc]

Wenis wrote:

OMG where the hell is Doc, milkin the cows or what?
Maybe he's fixin all the neighbors cars now that it's nice out.

I am a farmer with my dad and we r busy.

[Auto Doc]

STRETCH wrote:

please explain the difference in the gas mileage of the 2003 Ford Ranger XTL and the 2008 Ford Ranger XTL? Why is the milegage so different

The ford company and others just say they r better but they r worthless in arodynamics

[Ted]

I own a 2003 Explorer and for the lasst couple of months, my engine light will come on and eventually go off. I had it checked and they said the oxygen sensor in bank # 1 was bad. I changed that and also the one in bank #2. At the same time I changed the air filter. Things were okay for about the next 500 miles or so and now the light comes on at times and will stay on for a day or two and then go out again.
In the mean time the same thing is happening with the ABS light--comes on , goes off etc.
I am also experiencing the fact that sometimes my speed control will can be activated and sometimes it can't. The last thing is the door open light comes on as you start the car but will eventually go out.. The shop gave me a $1,100 estimate to take care of the srevice engine light but I felt quite sure that changing spark plugs, wires, hoses etc will not correct what I think is wrong.. It seems to me it is more electrical or computer related but don't know how to locate and fix without getting taken advantage of.
Thanks

[Mike]

Wow, I have actually been to Lindsborg. Nice little town. Anyway, here's my question.

92 S10, 4.3L V6, 83000 miles. Burns absolutely no oil. Had a water pump and distributor replaced last September, which was the first and only major work I've ever had done on it. I cranked it up this morning, about a mile into my drive, at low residential street speed, I noticed an audible "ticking." Not real loud, but loud enough to be noticeable. The best way I can describe the sound is like the ticking of a watch. At first I thought it was the sound your tire makes when there's a pebble stuck in the tread, but I soon isolated it to the engine area. You can hear it at idle, and ticking is faster with acceleration, but is less audible, and you can barely hear it at highway speed. It also seems to go away when the engine is "coasting," ie, foot is off the accelerator. My destination was only a couple of miles away, where it sat for several hours. When I started it again, the clicking was there on startup, but by the time I got home it was much less audible.

Oil level is fine, all gauges are in the normal zone. When i got home I opened the hood, but the noise was so faint I couldn't be sure it was there at all, much less isolate where it was coming from. A couple of ideas were something in the valves or maybe a bad pulley bearing somewhere. And then I've been reading about the Fan clutch that a lot of Chevy's seem to have trouble with. Believe it or not they have a bunch of engine sounds on youtube, and it didn't sound like piston slap, rod knock, or anything else on there. Like I said, kind of like a watch ticking.

With the holiday, it's at least three days until I can get it looked at, so I'm wondering if I should just let it sit or if it would be okay to drive it. At this stage I'm a bit paranoid--I'm not ready to buy a new vehicle with oil prices the way they are. This has been a great little truck, and I want to baby it along as far as I can. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[vicki Phoenix AZ]

My 1995 buick park avenue has a strange odor. I have been running the a/c and notice a smell (not gasoline, but a gaseous smell) like too much could get you high. I smell it mainly outside the car. A mechanic put in a new gasket on the oil pan and no leaks on showing. I had thought the smell may have been coming from an oil leak running down on something hot, however, it does not smell like hot oil. It runs great and all appears fine, but the smell is unexplainable.
Can anyone help?

[mark]

i have a 2002 subaru outback wagon.. when i turn sharply and slowly either way, a loud thumping/clicking noise is heard in the front and center of the car. my mechanic thought it was the drive shaft and replaced it, but it still makes the noise. i need to drive from california to idaho tomorrow. any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. thanks. mark

[Auto Doc]

Mike wrote:

Wow, I have actually been to Lindsborg. Nice little town. Anyway, here's my question.
92 S10, 4.3L V6, 83000 miles. Burns absolutely no oil. Had a water pump and distributor replaced last September, which was the first and only major work I've ever had done on it. I cranked it up this morning, about a mile into my drive, at low residential street speed, I noticed an audible "ticking." Not real loud, but loud enough to be noticeable. The best way I can describe the sound is like the ticking of a watch. At first I thought it was the sound your tire makes when there's a pebble stuck in the tread, but I soon isolated it to the engine area. You can hear it at idle, and ticking is faster with acceleration, but is less audible, and you can barely hear it at highway speed. It also seems to go away when the engine is "coasting," ie, foot is off the accelerator. My destination was only a couple of miles away, where it sat for several hours. When I started it again, the clicking was there on startup, but by the time I got home it was much less audible.
Oil level is fine, all gauges are in the normal zone. When i got home I opened the hood, but the noise was so faint I couldn't be sure it was there at all, much less isolate where it was coming from. A couple of ideas were something in the valves or maybe a bad pulley bearing somewhere. And then I've been reading about the Fan clutch that a lot of Chevy's seem to have trouble with. Believe it or not they have a bunch of engine sounds on youtube, and it didn't sound like piston slap, rod knock, or anything else on there. Like I said, kind of like a watch ticking.
With the holiday, it's at least three days until I can get it looked at, so I'm wondering if I should just let it sit or if it would be okay to drive it. At this stage I'm a bit paranoid--I'm not ready to buy a new vehicle with oil prices the way they are. This has been a great little truck, and I want to baby it along as far as I can. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

yeah, there are many things it could be. Most likely it is safe to drive if the ticking is faint..I have many ideas of waht the noise could be... your water pump could be bad again, but most likely not. The fan clutch usually doesnt make a ticking noise when it is bad, it makes a screeching noice. With only 80,000 miles, i dont think it's anything in the engine. Just drive it as long as you have to but try to get it fixed as fast as you can!

[Auto Doc]

mark wrote:

i have a 2002 subaru outback wagon.. when i turn sharply and slowly either way, a loud thumping/clicking noise is heard in the front and center of the car. my mechanic thought it was the drive shaft and replaced it, but it still makes the noise. i need to drive from california to idaho tomorrow. any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. thanks. mark

Is it all wheel drive? it could be the u-joints, but those arent in the center of your vehicle. It could be a bad differential, but I cant help you with much more. thanks. I can say next time you take it to fix have the mechanic ride with you and hear the noise for himself.

[Auto Doc]

vicki Phoenix AZ wrote:

My 1995 buick park avenue has a strange odor. I have been running the a/c and notice a smell (not gasoline, but a gaseous smell) like too much could get you high. I smell it mainly outside the car. A mechanic put in a new gasket on the oil pan and no leaks on showing. I had thought the smell may have been coming from an oil leak running down on something hot, however, it does not smell like hot oil. It runs great and all appears fine, but the smell is unexplainable.
Can anyone help?

It might and most likely is your air conditioning pump going bad, or the hoses are leaking somewhere. the hoses containg a nitrogen gas that makes the air cold, and that might be your smell. Hope i helped!

[Auto Doc]

Mike wrote:

Wow, I have actually been to Lindsborg. Nice little town. Anyway, here's my question.
92 S10, 4.3L V6, 83000 miles. Burns absolutely no oil. Had a water pump and distributor replaced last September, which was the first and only major work I've ever had done on it. I cranked it up this morning, about a mile into my drive, at low residential street speed, I noticed an audible "ticking." Not real loud, but loud enough to be noticeable. The best way I can describe the sound is like the ticking of a watch. At first I thought it was the sound your tire makes when there's a pebble stuck in the tread, but I soon isolated it to the engine area. You can hear it at idle, and ticking is faster with acceleration, but is less audible, and you can barely hear it at highway speed. It also seems to go away when the engine is "coasting," ie, foot is off the accelerator. My destination was only a couple of miles away, where it sat for several hours. When I started it again, the clicking was there on startup, but by the time I got home it was much less audible.
Oil level is fine, all gauges are in the normal zone. When i got home I opened the hood, but the noise was so faint I couldn't be sure it was there at all, much less isolate where it was coming from. A couple of ideas were something in the valves or maybe a bad pulley bearing somewhere. And then I've been reading about the Fan clutch that a lot of Chevy's seem to have trouble with. Believe it or not they have a bunch of engine sounds on youtube, and it didn't sound like piston slap, rod knock, or anything else on there. Like I said, kind of like a watch ticking.
With the holiday, it's at least three days until I can get it looked at, so I'm wondering if I should just let it sit or if it would be okay to drive it. At this stage I'm a bit paranoid--I'm not ready to buy a new vehicle with oil prices the way they are. This has been a great little truck, and I want to baby it along as far as I can. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Thanks, about Lindsborg, i dont live in it but i go to school there. Oh, im 17. suprising huh. I haven't been to where u live, but it is really nice there!

[Joe Portsmouth NH]

My wifes 02 Durango during summer months(the warmer and more humid the worse it gets)at an idle the RPM'S will role 200 to 400 up and down sometimes cases a stall out when coming to a stop.We have changed the idle air control valve and there are no sensor problems on scan.We have run dry gas and fuel injector cleaner thru periodically no change and at all other driving states other than idle the car runs beautifully.Any ideas?

[Al Garza]

I have a 93 Chevy Blazer and the motor is locking up but when you take the spark plugs out it will turn over.What could it be

[Wenis]

Al,

In most cases it's called hydro lock, but thats antifreeze in the cylinders and you'd know that by now, it usually happens like this, your buddy stands there over the fender and watches as you turn the engine over with the spark plugs out, when the engines crankes your buddy gets a face full of antifreeze.

Now you didn't say anything about that happening so I assume the cylinders are dry.

Maybe a weak starter motor, bad battery, connections something like that, what happens when you try to turn it over with the plugs in?
Does it spin over at all, turn over slow, not at all or what?

[Kerri]

Lemon??? I just bought 97 blazer with 4.3L engine ran fine on xway home some 80 miles, stopped 10 miles from home and shut engine off, started fine but then it stalled 3 times with 0 (zero) oil pressure on rest of way home. Any ideas why it would do this???

[Wenis]

Um, Buyer Beware?

I don't have enough info, you drove it with no oil pressure? any engine noise while driving?

If there was no engine tick or knocking then it's possible the oil sender is bad, If theres noise you have three days to return it, you'll have to check your state laws first though.

[Kerri]

The oil pressure dropped to zero and then it immediately stalled out, I didn't drive it with no pressure. How expensive is it to replace the oil sender and/or the oil pressure relay?