Posts Tagged ‘ Diagnosis ’

I got this CarMD vehicle health system kit off of Amazon.com for a few bucks under a hundred dollars. I saw an advertisement for it in my Men’s Fitness magazine and thought it would be good to help diagnose problems with our cars. This way I could keep the repair shops honest and not...
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I have had to fix a few radiator leaks in my day (a lot actually as I used to be a Chrysler mechanic in the 80′s and 90′s when Chrysler was well known for making the worst vehicles on the road – and the best vehicles for us mechanics because they were always needing...
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This may not fix all of the oil burning problems you may see in a Toyota Camry, but it certainly will fix most of them. The problem is first uncovered by a burning oil smell. It gets worse as the car is run more. So, for long trips and highway driving it will smell...
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I have a 1997 Honda Accord with over 180,000 miles on it (I have to say over because the odometer stopped working last year in December when it read 180,000 miles and so I don’t know the true mileage on it but it is clearly over 180,000 and maybe even a tad over 200,000...
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Sunroofs are a lot of fun on a hot or breezy day. Oh to have the feel of wind blowing through your hair. The problem is that sunroofs are notorious for leaking and ruining your headliner and leaving your carpets wet and smelly of mildew or mold. Who wants to get in their car...
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Most every car you find on the road today is made with clear, plastic headlight lenses. You will not see glass headlights on cars made since the early 1990′s. This is because glass headlights break easily in car accidents and the glass shatters everywhere. The auto industry found plastic headlights to be better constructed...
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This is probably the most common problem or complaint I have seen from customers in our service area – vibration while braking. You clearly can’t miss it and it can be really bad in some cases. It’s like a thud, thud, thud that occurs every time you press the brake pedal. This thud or...
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This may sound stupid, but just because it sounds like the squealing is coming from the serpentine belt doesn’t mean that it really is. The squealing you may be hearing could also be coming from a bad water pump, the alternator, the air compressor and even the belt tensioner pulley. Any of these items...
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advertising It seems to me that I am seeing a lot of problems with the braking systems on the Ford 500. Lately that is pretty much what 80% or more of the Ford 500′s that we have coming in here for service have – a serious braking problem and rear wheel noise. Their rotors...
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advertising Tire pressure is one of those things that most of us take for granted. We just go out and drive our vehicles and really never pay much attention to our tires unless we notice one is flat or severely low on air. But did you know that you actually need to be a...
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advertising If you happen to own a first generation Oldsmobile Aurora (1995-1999 and in my pinion the best looking Auroras made)then I am sure by now you have probably had to replace a battery or dealt with some electrical issues. Not to say the Oldsmobile Aurora is a bad car because it definitely isn’t....
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If you have a 1996 or similar year and model Ford Contour they all have one similar problem that by now you should have run into – the alternator dies. It is a multiple part fix, however. Replacing or rebuilding the alternator will not complete the fix. Besides I do not recommend rebuilding the...
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If you are either a backyard mechanic, a newby (beginner) learning the ropes or trying to install a car stereo for the first time or even an experienced master mechanic, the Haynes Techbook Automotive Electrical Manual is a must. I bought one of these how to/technical manuals for $5 off Amazon.com and I am...
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This is the hottest time of the summer. Here in Alanta, Georgia the temperatures have been reaching as high as 98 degrees and with the humidity the heat index easily reaches 105 to 112 degrees – for those that don’t understand the heat index, that means it feels like it is 105 to 111...
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I own a 1997 Ford Crown Vic (Victoria) and it is definitely a great running car that I’ve had for many years and put a lot of miles on (274,000 to be exact). It does have a few glitches every now and then though. One of the most annoying ones is when my turn...
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If you own a Ford Taurus like me then you have probably run into a interior lighting problem like I did. You know, when you close the door after turning off your car and the interior lights just decide to stay on all night. No matter what you do with locking, unlocking, or even...
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I have been a mechanic for many years and retired in 2007 right before the big recession hit. I decided to spend more time with my family (when I was working at the dealership I worked long hours and came home too tired to play with my boys). So, I just up and retired....
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I own a 2009 Honda CRV and since the day I bought it I have found that there was an annoying smell of burning rubber or something like that coming from the wheel well areas on the right side of the vehicle. The smell is strongest from under the right rear wheel well and...
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If you drive an older car then I am sure you have probably heard its belt squeak at some point in time. You probably just put up with it until it became unbearable and then had the squeaky belt or belts (some cars have more then one belt) replaced. You might also have found...
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Changing your cars air filter may sound benign and simple, but it is often overlooked, forgotten and even bypassed. Being that I am a auto mechanic I have seen just about everything one can imagine when it comes to cars and car repair, but one thing that bothers me and that I see all...
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