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Cars > Past Chats
AAA CAR DOCTOR
JOHN PAUL
8/29/2003 |
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August Chat
General Car Care
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On August 29, 2003 at 2 p.m. . . .
Sig
02:01PM I own a 2000 toyota corolla, yesterday my malfuntion indicator light went on while I was on the highway. I called the dealership and made appointment for Weds. Should I be concerned about driving around with the light on? What type of problem does this light mean?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:04PM sig, If the light is on and not flashing check the gas cap. If the light is flashing don't drive to much you could damage the cat. convertor. Other thing coould be a faulty oxygen sensor or leak in the evaporative system
auntie
02:04PM It's a '94 Tercel, great mechanic says the car is in v. good condition . . . . but it skips and stalls fairly requently. Mechanic can't find problem -- any thoughts?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:07PM auntie, skipping is usually caused by mis-firing spark plugs, faulty wire or a dist. cap problem. Have the repair shop look at these items
bobby
02:09PM John: I have 1 1992 Lincoln towncar, the brake pedal sometimes sticks. Is there a check valve on the power booster that may be stuck or needs to be replaced? Or could it be a return spring on the pedal. The car runs great with no major problems.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:12PM bobby, this is a fairly common problem and may be a faulty brake booster. It could cause the brakes to over heat and should be looked at asap.
frank
02:12PM ...Check engine light appeared on my 97 montero sport suv.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:13PM frank, have a repair shop plug a scanner into the daignotic link. This will help guide the technician to the correct repair. Expect to pay about an hours labor to find out what is wrong
kenny
02:14PM I have a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport and my hood is jammed shut. I've brought it to a mechanic and he suggested I bring it to either an auto body shop or the dealership as he can't get it open. The hood "pull" is frozen and the mechanic couldn't even get at a latch by pulling the grill off. I have not gotten in an accident to cause this. Ever hear of it or know how much it might cost to fix?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:15PM kenny, I agree let a body shop look at it. I have seen it before and it is usually the cable rusts, causing the problem
Oksana
02:17PM I have a Subaru GL 87. Some noise took place and mechanic said that it cannot be fixed, because some problems are with the engine valves. He said the e
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:18PM Oksana, not much you can do, perhaps a used engine may be the cheaper route. The problem is unless the rest of the car is in really good shape, it just isn't worth it.
saturn_sl2_94
02:20PM hi, i have a 94 saturn sl2 with a lazy radiator fan. the car overheat and the fan wont kick on unless i turn on the a/c. any idea how this can be fixed?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:22PM saturn, the cooling fan temperature sensor turns the fan on through the cars computer. It may be a faulty sensor.
GreatFurry1
02:22PM Hi There — I have a pair of Taurus' — (1) 1994 (3.0L) and (1) 1995 (3.8L). Both have about 100K Miles, both are experiencing slipping, chunking, balky transmissions of varying severity. Would a fluid flush or new tranny filter change help any of this?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:23PM Greatfurry1, the fluid flush may do some good and certainly won't hurt. But if they have been slipping for a while the clutches could have become to badly worn
megsmom
02:24PM 2003 Toyota RAV 4. When shifting from park to either drive or reverse, when the wheels start to move, I hear "clunk". Dealer says no big deal.. Your thoughs?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:25PM megsmom, it probably is nothing, but try another one at the dealer to see if it does the same thing. If yours is louder then ask them to fix it.
MARKSTEPDAD
02:26PM I have a 98 VW Jetta with a 5 speed manual transmission. While in reverse, the car slips out of gear especially under strain. The forward gears show no slippage.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:29PM markstepdad, have the shifter checked it could be out of adjustment. If not it is internal in the transmission and will be very expensive. VW put out a technical bulliten 97-05 that indicates a gear in the trans could chip and cause the problem.
nutsnbolts
02:30PM Hello, and thanks for the advice. My question is how does one go about junking an old car that is not running? Can you suggest any junkyards? If any money changes hands, in which direction does it ususally go??? Would it make a difference if I got the car running first ('85 Honda Accord)? Thanks!
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:31PM nutsnbolts, the money usually goes to the yard. If you can get it running and get it there they will usually take it for "free". Junk isn't worth what it use to be
wherizit
02:34PM I have a 1995 Grand Am and the turn signal flashers don't flash sometimes. happens to right and left. the bulbs and fuse look good and i'm thinking i should replace the flasher but where is it and what do i have to do to get to it?? thanks!
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:39PM wherizit, the flasher is located behind the left hand side of dash behind the "knee" panel. Look at all the sockets and bulbs for dirt and rust. a little corrosion could be the problem
tlc
02:40PM I have a 1995 Toyota Celica. It currently makes a groaning noise when I turn to the right. The steering wheel also vibrates a bit at higher speeds....Are these problems related and would a re-alignment do the trick?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:41PM tlc, the alignment won't do it. The vibration is more than likely a tire worn or out of balance. The goan could be a worn strut mount or even a worn ball joint. Have the front suspension checked
joanne
02:41PM My 93 Subaru Legacy just hit 140,000 miles. How important is it to replace the timing belt a second time?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:42PM joanne, just as important as the first time. If it breaks it could be very expensive
dave
02:48PM Good afternoon, I have a '92 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight and the low coolant light keeps coming on (This only occurs after the 2nd start of the day ). The radiator is full, as is the reservoir. Any ideas what the problem may be? Thanks....
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:53PM dave, could be a bad coolant sensor? the sensor in the surge tank could be bad, by why on the second start, is mystery
SWEENDOGY
02:53PM I HAVE AN 03 JETTA with the V6 eng..that calls for premium gas --with higher gas priced in boston--DO i have to use premium?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
02:55PM sweendogy, you have to use premium. If you don't you could cause some damge to the engine. Once in a while you could get away with it but not all the time. Some cars will allow lower octane fuel and the result is less performance and poorer gas milage but not the VW six cylinder
Athena02116
03:01PM Hi All...I just purchased a new Ford Focus ZTS 2003...too little too late research before buying. Do you know if they've ironed out the issues that have been plaguing their 2000-2001 models?
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:03PM Athena02116, If any car should come with a little note saying, some assemby required it is the Focus. The good news is they are getting better all the time and the new ones have a better warranty just in case. Don't worry and enjoy your new car..
G Jetta
03:04PM Dave, I've got a 1996 Jetta that just rolled over 114,500 miles (bought it with 55k on the odometer in May, 2001). I haven't really needed to put too much money into it other than normal maintenance. Couple of problems I DO have, however, are the windows. VW's are notorious for the electric windows locking up or falling into the doors. My back window seized up a little while back and I've been able to get away without having it fixed as it's not used that much. Now, however, my front driver's side window is about to do the same (it's making slight crunching noises on the way up). What's the problem with this? Bad clips? Bad motor? Is it something I could repair myself (I'm pretty handy with cars, but this seems a little intimidating).... Thanks.
G Jetta
03:04PM Oops. I addressed my last message to 'Dave'. Sorry about that JohnPaul
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:05PM G Jetta, take the door panel off and see what is going on inside the door. Usually the rollers on the glass bind up causing the motor to fail.
JohnPaul (Moderator)
03:07PM Todays chat is just about up. You can always email me at jpaul@aaasne.com. Hope everyone has a great holiday. Please drive extra careful now that school is underway
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