I jumped on the DriverSide bandwagon early in their beta period and was patient while the company sorted out the normal bugs that exist when any company tests their site before officially going live.
Driverside.com offers service schedules for all your cars, recall alerts, message boards and now a free Ask A Mechanic feature.
Looking around the site on our knockabout Ford Fusion, I was thrilled ot see the new feature that lets anyone who registers for free ask an impartial mechanic about a car problem.
Cars, like houses, are one of the those things most consumers seem to wish they knew more about because they’re so integral to our lives yet have strange rules. A free service that answers questions from anyone can only help consumers since the mechanics involved (who have bios on the site) aren’t getting a commssion from your local garage.
Even in beta, this site is worth registering for now.
Posted under Automotive
This post was written by George Bounacos on October 3, 2008
my brother has a 1996 ford mustang GT and the factory installed alarm keeps going off. What can he do to fix it?
How do I disconnect the automatic door lock from the gear selector on a 2007 chevy classic.
chrysler 98, town and country. Dashboard does not light up. Unable to see the mileage, fuel indicator, speedometer etc.
90 camaro rs 3.1L auto-cooling fan on all the time car running. replaced temp sensor,thermo, checked relay, coolant good. car doesnt overheat just dont reach optimum temp. could the ECU be at fault not interp the right temp from the sensor makeing the fan stay on?
I have a 1999 Chrysler Concord LXI. when you have the heat on the engine revs on its own in the stop and park position. The car makes a high pitch sqweeling noise as if the belt was broken and starts to smoke. All belts appear to be okay.. any ideas on what the problem could be?
1998 toyota corolla- electrical
When turning off headlights,then ignition, park and tailights stay on. If I work the turnsignal-headlight-highbeam switch to the brights then backto dim , the park and tail lights will go out.This car also has day time lights,that also will not work unless I work the headlight switch off and on acouple of times, then they come on. When all lights are off and engine is running headlight daytimelight relay clicks and blinks the high beam indicator on dash. Until I play with the switches I can get every thing to work .Could it be a bad switch . thanks Mark
I have a 2001 lincoln and the back dropped i was wondering what it is?
Difficult Starting
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 123,000 miles
Car was always being taken care of - preventive maintenance and etc.
I was on a hilly highway when I could not climb anymore, I almost felt like driving in neutral. I drove it in to a local mechanic they ran it thru a computerized check and it came back with the following codes: P0131, P0300 & P0404. They diagnosed it and reported that they found a hole in the upper plenum. They replaced the “Upper Intake Manifold”, did a complete tune-up (spark plugs & wires, fuel filter & air filter), they also claimed that the fuel pump is bad which is plugging the Catalytic Converter, they replaced both (the Catalytic converter used is not a Delphi part).
It ran fine but I had difficult starting it in the morning or when not used for long period of time (sometimes so bad, that I lost power as soon as I stopped pushing the gas pedal - in park, drive and nuetral), I took it back to them - they claimed that the Fuel Pump is defective and they changed it for me.
Now… The starting issue is better than it was, but I still have a problem starting it in the morning and when not used a period of time - I have to raise the engine (pushing the gas pedal) at the time of starting or it will just not start.
When I left the mechanic the last time they told me that if this will not do it, it might be the fuel injectors… I just put in about $2,200, and I hate to throw good money after bad money. Is there anything else you can suggest?
98 GMC Pickup heat not getting hot. temp gauge not going as high as normal but t-stat is working
IMPORTANT — Do not post your questions here. Please visit http://www.driverside.com
As described in this blog, they have a new service about vehicle repair. We have a blog post about that service.
Did all 1986 toyota pickups come with fuel injection or did some come with carbs?
2004 Cadillac SRX V-8 AWD 75,000 miles; The car starts normally and when put into gear the car stalls. Turning on the headlights or emergency flashers with the car running will also stall the car. Turning on the headlights or emergency flashers with the car off turns on all the dash board indicator lights as if the ignition was in the on position. All other accessories work fine. The check engine light has never come on. The car was towed on Thursday and the condition did not appear at the dealer, but appeared 4 hours later. A new battery was put into the car and the condition did not change.
have a noise in my 96 geo traker..don’t think its the trany,,when i put it in neutral its still making the noise until I stop,,could it be my drive shaft,,maybe u joint,,,thanks don
is there a machine to replace the teflon in worn ball joints
i have a 2003 jeep with 130,000 miles and it has about 2 quarts of water in the oil is thear some kind of sending unit needing replaced or is it a gasket?
is klean logik wiper renew safe for wiper blades
the hood release lever broke on my 99 bravada how can I open the hood?
Magna te 1996 the bolt on the end of the crank shaft is it a left or right hand thread
I’ve got a 1995 Chevy Z71 with a crate 350 in it. I’ve been having problems with a rough idle. It runs fine when you’ve got your foot in it but at an idle its rough. Worse when its cold, alot of times it will even die when its first started. I’ve replaced plugs, wires, cap, rotor, temp sending unit, fuel filter, and its not putting out any codes. Any idea whats going on?
I have a 1988 Olds Cutlass Ciera with a 2.5 in it. About a month and a half ago the SES light came on. I have a tech 1, and it had code 42 (bypass failure). I changed out the ignition module and reset the ecm. When i started it, SES light came back on shortly, this time it had 3 different codes. I think it was 22,32, and 42. Im thinking this computor is funky so.. new ecm. This didnt solve the problem. So after checking the circuits, i found the 5 volt supply from the ecm to the tps, and map sensor had been cut..inside the plastic loom to the bulkhead connector. I have no idea how that happend since it has never been touched. But i souldered the wire back, and reset the ecm, that took care of all the codes. Have been driving it for a month and a half,, no problems,untill yeterday. The SES light came back on. Tech 1 says code 42, bypass failure. Im thinking this cheap module is bad. So i take it back to Oriellys and they check it…they say it tests fine,, they check it 3 times.. not the problem. Now im lost, what else can cause that type of bypass code to set?? Im out of idea’s. Please help.
I have a 2003 F150 4×4 that has started to hesistate on acceleration and on inclines what do you think the problem is?
I have a 99 ford escort and I have a “thumping” type noise coming from the drivers side fr tire. It is not flat. I notice most when I let up off the gas, any ideas?
I have a 1999 chevy blazer and it switches into 4 wheel low and high and 2wheel. The problem occurs when you go into 2wheel it cant witch back into four, The switch is dead. when you shut the car off it goes back to 4 wheel drive high. This shouldnt be happening. I was just wondering what the diangosis would be and by the way the service 4×4 light is on.
I have a 1999 chevy b;azer and it switches into 4 wheel low and high and 2wheel. The problem occurs when you go into 2wheel it cant witch back into four, The switch is dead. when you shut the car off it goes back to 4 wheel drive high. This shouldnt be happening. I was just wondering what the diangosis would be and by the way the service 4×4 light is on.
I have a 2003 chevy venture. After driving for about 2 miles, the temperature in my car goes straight to red, so I stopped the car, and I noticed that the water drained back to the water tank. After turning the radiator cap half way, the air was released and slowly the water went back into the radiator. The thermostat was changed twice and the water pump was also changed. So I took out the thermostat, the car is running fine, but temperature is now lower than it should be 220F. There is no smoke coming out the muffler, there is no anti-freeze in the oil, and there is nothing dripping from underneath the car. What could the problem be? Also, what are the effects of a blown head gasket?
My 08 dodge nitro hesitates upon acceleration for like a second. An when going down the road and you just push the gas pedal down a couple inches and let up it does nothing. Is this natural with a wireless throttle. Is there anything that can make it more responsive?
I just bought a 93 chevy blazer 2 days ago and the oil gauge on it has been dropping since then, what does it mean when my oil pressure drops ??????
I have 1992 toyota pick-up with a 3.0 v6 when im in 1st gear and take off it spittes and spudders and jerkes realy bad but as soon as i get it in 2,3,4,5 it goes away and runnes great i have messed with my timming and got it at 10 degrees top dead center and my flash code on my ecu is a constant flash
I have a 1957 Chev. Bel air and would like to convert the front brakes to disc. Is there a later model chev. that will easily convert to the axles?
The car is a piece of cramp. The alarm goes on and off by its self. the the door lock and and locks by its self when driving. The light flickers while driving. Some time comes on by its self in the garage. The buzz for when a door is not closed keeps going on and off by itself. What is going on? 99 chryler LHS
i have a fiesta zetec 1.25 lx 16v n reg and when i rev it at 3000 revs you hear a noise a tapping or rattling.if i rev under or over 3000 revs it dont make a noise.
I have a 1990 Caprice 5.0 and it will try to start but won’t turn all the way over. I put new plugs , wires , cap and roter. I thought of the timing but I don’t know it looks like its getting to much gas I don’t know and really confused oh and it has enough pressure tho. Can any one help it has inly 100,000 miles the engine is pratically new.
My 1998 dakota V-6 2 wheel dr. auto is stuck in 2nd gear and if I shift manually to low and give it gas, it’s like I’m holding the brake. Any Ideas?
please some one help i dont know **** about cars i just bought a 94 cadillac eldarado with 89,000 miles the question is after driving for about 20 miles i parked at home 30 minuites later i went to start it and i had to turn the key over for like 7 seconds before it finially started and just as it started i heard a pop or minor explosion coming from the engine compartment then as i was driving it started to miss and putt and then the engine shut off in only 3 blocks of driving i took it to the machanic he said it was a intake manifold gasket leak and that i had to replace my intake manifold gasket the symptoms that i described does that sound like it would be a leaky intake manifold gasket??
Brian, 92- toyota , check intake manifold ,it might be carboned up.Had same problem with 91 honda accord. Mark
i am looking at buying a 4runner/pathfinder/QX4 between years 1997-99, with between 130k-160k miles. Is that a smart buy, and if so, could you estimate how much life the car would have left?thanks
My 1996 Toyota Camry is leaking about 1 quart of 50/50 coolant every time I park
my car. My friend added stop leak to my car before it was leaking badly and ever
since then it has had this major leak. My car is not overheating like it used to
but I believe that is because I fill it with coolant EVERY day. This is a lot of
money coming out of my pocket for coolant. It is completely wet by the stem
where the drainage comes out. My water/coolant does not circulate at all. What
is wrong with my car? HELP please!
I have a ‘97 Crysler Concord. It will crank up and idle fine but as soon as you touch the accelerator the engine dies. It will not accelerate. The fuel pump and filters have been checked and are good. The gass thank has been emptied and fresh gass put in. The MAP sensor has been changed and is good. Does anyone know what device might be bad or what malfunction would cause this? I would certinally appericate some help!
Thanks
Danny
P.S. It has a 3.5 liter engine and automatic transmission.
my 1995 acura integra will not start here the story lol
my brother and his friend was messen under the hood when it was on i was play and cd in the car my brother pulled the spark plug off and on 3 times and his friend pulled the air filter off it a aem cold air intake and he puted the spark plug back on and the car slowlly die off and now it will not start i check the spark plugs and cold air intake to make sure everything was nice and tight but it still will not start his car for 6 years now and i finally got and they messen plz help how do i fix it
have a 1990 mustang 5.0 efi….the ”check engine” light flickers on and off.what might be the problem?
1 have a 1990 eclipse and my question is, why is it when a put my car on drive and try to take off it take off really slow at first then it run like theirs nothis wrong with it.
Hi recently i accelerated on my car (VW Jetta 2003 Voltsburg edition) and check engine light came up (sometimes it is flashing, sometimes steady) also there is some vibration when i am standing in the drive position, what could it be?
My van is a 3/4 ton. I have no resistance in the ignation switch.I replaced the switch.Still no acc or resistance.I can jump the van from the starter switch on the fire wall.It will not get out of park.
1998 chevy malibu, v-6
situation:
i was driving on the interstate going about 70mph, and all of a sudden my oil light pops on. three seconds later my car drops down to 55mph, at this point im flooing the gas, i lift my foot from the gas and the car dropped to 45mph. the car continued to drop speed even when i applied presure to the gas again. all while this was happening the breaks would not work,and the steering was almost impossible, the radio cut off and a/c. all this happend over about 8-10 sec. what the problem with my car?
my honda accord 1991 4 door LX does not shift gaers at all but the car sounds perfect while drivable no sign of transmission problems but like a month ago I drove thru a flood at my job what do you think could be the problem I drain it put new oil even Lucas stabilizer just in case it was mixing oil and its still not working
Hi,
I have Accord 07. Recently I noticed water (clear and no smell) dripping under my car. I only had the fan on, not AC. Any ideas what caused this problem? Thanks.
i have a 1998 chevy pickup 1500 when i drive up to 20-25 i let off the gas than i give it alout of gas i hear a clank noise when i hit the pettal and when i let off? its not the u joint its good
Will a 1990 Isuzu Turbo Diesel Engine 3.9L from a 1990 GMC 4000 Forward Electromatic
Fit in a 1988 Gmc W4500 with a manual transmission the existing motor is a 3.9 Turbo Diesel
Thanks
Will a ‘1990 Isuzu Turbo Diesel Engine 3.9L 4BD1T’ from a 1990 GMC 4000 Forward Electromatic
Fit in a 1988 Gmc W4500 with a manual transmission the existing motor is a 3.9 Turbo Diesel
Thanks
2001 chevy impala v6 the problem is that when i turn right the vehicle shakes bad. I changed the hubs balanced the tires tires are ok engine and transmission runs fine.
vehicle shakes when turing right changed the hubs, balanced the wheels, tire are ok the vehicle is a 2001 chevy impala v6
I own a pontiac grand am 1995 the problem is when I start the car it has problems starting, it shuts off, but I restart it and accelerate and it goes. But when I drive it around and get to a stop it shuts off completly. Could you advice me on what the problem could be? thanks!
Can I remove surge tank cap on 2004 C5
corvette when coolant temp gage reads
210 F, without coolant spewing out on fenders and engine compartment?
Can I remove surge tank cap on 2004 C5
corvette when coolant temp gage reads 210 F
without coolant spewing out on fenders and
engine compartment?
can i remove surge tank cap on 2004 c5
corvette when temp gage reads 210 F,
without coolant spewing out on fenders and
engine compartment
I have 1985 Elcamino, problem is the fan motor for the a/c and heat wont go into high speed. The low and medium works fine, any information.