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Cars > Past Chats
AAA CAR DOCTOR
JOHN PAUL
07/29/2004 |
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July Chat
Problems under
the hood?
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On July 29, 2004 at 1 p.m. . . .
Moderator
01:00PM John Paul is ready to take your questions.
stopper
01:03PM I OWN A 2004 MITSUBISHI ENDEAVOR,PURCHASED IN FEB.HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SO FAR!!!! HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS VEHICLE?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:06PM Stopper, I have heard only positive things. Time will tell how this vehicle holds up. Mitsu in general is having some problems financially but the vehicles are pretty middle of the road quality wise
cgladys
01:07PM What do you know about the GEM car?
cgladys
01:07PM Any word on repair costs on the Prius? Do they need frequent repairs?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:10PM The prius is still a little to new to know about actual repair costs. As they get more popular the big expense of the battery should come down. As far as autual repairs I have talked to several people with various levels of milage and all report no problems. As for the GEM , it really is a glorified golf cart. Its top speed is 30 mph. I drove one two years ago on MV and it was fine for that but unless you live in a gated community it really does fit its classification of Neighborhood Electric Vehicle
Adam
01:12PM JohnPaul, i have a 2003 hyundai elantra gt. when driving on the highway, usually at higher speeds (above 60), the front end vibrates and wobbles. and if i have to brake at the higher speed (off ramp, etc), the wobbling becomes more apparent. i've gotten new tires, new front rotos and an alignment. what else is there? cv joints? thank you
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:14PM Adam if it is vibration I would still suspect a balance issue--with out braking. find a shop that uses the Hunter Road Force balancer, it does a great job of find a curing vibration. Sullivan Tire here in New England uses it. If it is more when braking make sure that the rotors have been trued up properly
bw
01:14PM Adamn, Get a new mechanic. Also, check to see if your rims are warped.
Adam
01:21PM yes, i think a new mechanic is definitely in order. although, i have had the tires balanced and rotated -- regularly -- so could it still be the rims? wouldn't it basically have to be all 4 that were warped if that were the case?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:22PM Adam try the road force balaning, On my pesonal car the dealer had it twice to fix a vibration and never did. The tire store fixed it on the first try using the Road force machine
pc
01:22PM I have a 95 toyota 4runner — the rear windshield has always given me a problem. Most recently I've had to replace the motor and now it has problems going up and down on its own..I need to use my hands to assist it. I've taken a portion of the rear tailgate apart but cannot get into the serious "guts" of the tialgate. Any suggestion ?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:25PM pc, alldata.com list a TSB about the wiper motor operation. Send me your email address (send to jpaul@aaasne.com) and I'll send you some additional info
er
01:25PM 1997 Isuzu Rodeo, rear seems to bottom out over bumps (single loud bang), 4 new shocks, dealer sees no problems. Any ideas? Leaf springs?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:28PM er, Springs are more than likely the problem. If the rubber bumper over the axle is damaged replace that and the springs. You may be able to find the actual ride height and see how much the vehicle has sagged
SPARKIE
01:28PM my 98 chevy lumina flunked the emissions test .is this usually an expensive fix??
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:30PM sparkie, could be a little or a lot. An hour of diagnostic time may give you an indication of costs. Was the car fully warmed up?
lancer
01:30PM Hi, JohnPaul. I recently purchased a '98 Volvo S70. This is my first turbo car, and I plan to run synthetic oil...do you have any experience with brands such as Amsoil, Royal Purple, et. al, and do they really offer extra protection versus mainstream brands like Mobil 1? Thanks
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:32PM Lancer, I'm using Royal Purple in both my car and my wifes. I think it made a real difference during cold winter starts. Is it better than the others--who knows-they think so but so doesn't Amsoil
SAAB93
01:32PM I bought used a 1999 saab 93 last October. The dealer replaced two tires with new ones on the front that were exactly the same as the two that were left. 10 months later the rear tires are wearing uneven. Had an 4 wheel alignment done. Any ideas why the tires continue to wear uneven
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:35PM SAAB 93 could still be an alignment problem, have you rotated the tires in the past 10 months, usually every six months is a good idea. Watch the tire pressure and look for out of balance and worn parts
hd
01:35PM I have a 2000 Honda Civic. A few months ago I had my front brakes done. The mechanic stated only new brake pads were needed and he installed them. Less than a week later, I noticed a knocking sound each time I eased on the brakes (ex. stopping at a red light). I brought the car back and the mechanic stated the pads had too much medal in them and the problem was fixed. It's been 2 months and the sound is back. Any suggestions? I plan to try a new mechanic.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:37PM hd, the new shop may be a good idea. Perhaps they left of the pad shims. Take a technician for a ride tell them your story and then let them suggest the proper repair.
kms
01:37PM I have a 99 Mercury Mystique, I have noticed that when driving on the highway — when I take my foot off the gas and glide, the rpm do not seem to drop — the engine sounds like it is racing. Any suggestions?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:38PM KMS have the shop check for a faulty idle air control motor. This could be hanging up causing the continued high idle
SPARKIE
01:38PM yes it was driven for 20 miles before the test.. has 60 k miles on it
er
01:38PM Sincere thanks, John Paul.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:41PM Sparkie, have the computer sytem checked and show the tech the readout from the inspection report this will help with the repair. Old spark plugs could be the problem. Preventive maintenence solves many inspection problems
Dale Jr.
01:41PM I was wondering if you knew anything about fire suppression systems for cars??
SAAB93
01:41PM second question.........could it be the shocks?????
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:42PM Saab93 could be,but that should come up in the check of the suspension
bill
01:42PM Hi John: My younger son is a new driver and i was thinking of getting a book that addresses basic and practical issues like simple maintenance and what to do when something goes wring. I'm a car geek and tend to talk over his head. Do you have any suggestions?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:43PM bill nothing like spending soem quality time under the hood on a saturday morning. If you send me an emal with your address I'll send you the AAA guide to auto repair My email is jpaul@aaasne.com
JeepTex
01:44PM I'm getting a ratteling noise on the right side of my Jeep unless I'm braking. I've checked the wheel cover and anything a know-nothing like me can do. I think I need new front pads, but does the rattling sound like it might be related?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:45PM JeepTex, could be pads rattling. If the noise goes away when braking get the brakes done
kms
01:46PM Thank you, when I brought it to a shop, I was told that they didn't find or hear anything!
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:46PM KMS, Unless they drove with a "scanner" installed they may not catch it
bill
01:47PM Hi John: I have a "01 Saab 9-3 with 63k on the odo. Ever since the 60k service the check engine light seems to come on whene it's very humid, like yesterday. I was going to the dealer today but it went out. It's been doing this for a month. Any suggestions?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:49PM bill, You won't know until it is checked. the good news is the code that caused the light to come on is stored in the cars memory
Ryan
01:49PM John, the rear wiper on my 2000 Saturn Wagon works fine in regular and fast speeds, but does not complete a full back-and-forth wipe when it's on any of the intermittent speeds. Do you think this has something to do with the motors, a switch, or something else electrical? Thanks in advance.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:54PM Ryan sounds like a switch problem, but it needs to be tested. Saturn has a specific flow chart for diagnostic to repair even this
99jeep
01:54PM My 99 grand cherokee is constantly having trans. problems. A loud humming noise comes from the rear, the last time this happened they had to change some bearings I think. Are these cars known to have trans. problems?
stphnhrln
01:54PM I have 99 taurus and when I turn it makes a awful noise. the power steering fluid level is fine. any suggestions. just started yesterday
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:56PM 99jeep, Could very well be especially if you use different suize tires. you can damage a transfer case. The rear diff could also be the problem
JohnPaul (Moderator)
01:59PM stphnhrln, very likely a faulty power steeering pump. Don't forget to check the belt. the pump is about $150.00 and the labor a little more than an hour
toycorolla93
01:59PM Hi Paul, My 93 standard transmission Toyota Corolla has this problem that began about 4-5 months ago. When I start the car in first gear it goes forward, but as soon as I start to let up on the clutch the car bucks and jerks until I put it in second gear. When the car is completly warmed up and I've been driving it for a while it's fine. This happens most significantly when I start the car after it has been sitting for a few days. Do you have any thoughts? Thank you!
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:03PM toyotacorolla, hummmmmm, have a compete check of the ignition system done. It could be a faulty coil or even a fuel filter issue. A good shop will test the ignition then the fuel system for both fuel pressure and volume
stphnhrln
02:04PM Thanks, is this something that can wait until monday to be fixed or is it very critical
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:07PM stphnhrln, I wold have someone look at it to at least make sure the wheels arn't going to fall off!!!.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:08PM My time is up. You can always email your questions to jpaul@aaasne.com and listen to the Car Doctor radio perogram on WJDA am1300 and WESX am1230 Saturday from 9-11:00am
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