My 2002 Ford Expedition Air Bag Light is on and Flashing Code 42

I have a 2002 Ford Expedition with the Air Bag Light on flashing 4 times then 2 times over and over. I tried turning off my car and restarting it but the light keeps coming back on and keeps flashing. I keep thinking my airbag is going to go off and it scares me. What should I do?

Response:
First off, anytime the airbag light is on the airbag system is turned off and will not deploy the airbag even if you get in a crash. You will need to have a mechanic scan the system and diagnose the problem and have it fixed. The most common issue on this particular vehicle is the the drivers side front airbag sensor becoming corroded. Cleaning the connections and or replacing the sensor is usually needed.

Coolant Leak in 2001 Sunfire

Hello! HELP PLEASE!!!!! I have a 2001 Sunfire and my coolant keeps leaking out, I put some Coolant in it yesterday in Michigan City Indiana, and got home and the low coolant light came back on. Anyone, have an ideal what the problem could be? Im praying its not a big issue, so any help will be greatly appreaciated..

Response:
1) Check your hoses for a leak if that don't get it maybe you have a small crack in your radiator

2) Check for leaks under the car. Could be caused by a hose leak, bad water pump or radiator. If you don't see any leaks check your oil dipstick, if it is a milky or gray shade it could be a cracked head or head gasket which is bad. The milky or gray shade means the coolant is leaking into your engine and mixing with the oil.

3) I used "Bars stop leak" on mine last year around this time. Worked like a charm, haven't had a problem since. I drive a 1993 Saturn SC2.

4) take it to any auto shop and ask if they can give it a presure test, it should cost little or nothing

5) Google "Dexcool". Thats the red coolant that GM started using around 95 or 96. After reading the horror stories, decide if you still want to keep the car. This stuff will eat gaskets and metal engine parts to the point where you will eventually have to replace the engine. A friend with a late 90's Caddy spent 2 grand to replace the heads, and a month later 5 grand for a new engine. The car was only two years old. Another friend with 2 Chevy vans, a 96 and an 02 spent 800 bux to have the cooling systems 'super flushed' and an intake gasket on the 96 replaced. A month later he blew the engine on the 96. I checked the oil level and it was 4 inches past full. The coolant leaked into the oil pan. A month later he had to replace the lifters on the 02. Don't remember the cost on that one.

I just ain't worth it.

94 Olds Delta 88, 3.8L V-6 serpentine belt replacement

My 94 Olds Delta 88, 3.8L V-6 is on a belt chewing tantrum. The old serpentine drive belt was several years old with cracks across the belt ribs. Well, it separated apart, splitting completely along the ribs last week. I replaced the belt with a new belt from O'reilly auto parts, "Master Pro" brand. I installed the new serpentine belt, making sure that the pulleys were clean of any old belt debris and according to OEM belt routing diagram. I have taken the same belt off/on this engine many times in the past so I am very familiar with the belt routing.
Now after several days of using the car for 25-50 miles. I heard clunking sounds and after raising the hood, the new belt has chewed the inner side up and nipped off a 12" long thin piece, like one rib wide.
Since the belt is shaved, it is now riding out of line from one pulley to another.
What is the cause of this belt chewing? I checked/double checked to make sure the new belt was routed and seated in the pulleys correctly.
All pulleys appeared to me ok, rotating well with no (in/out)end play.
The only other thing that I noticed was it put some holes in the under hood insulation padding and the top covering, cloth, I think was hanging down where IT POSSIBLY could have been caught in the serpentine belt, would that throw the belt off line and caused the belt damage/shave?
One other thing I will note is the engine harmonic balancer has a slight wobble but it has had that for quite a long time.
Please give me some advice on correcting this belt monster. I wouldn't want to buy a $40 better belt only to have it eaten too.

Response:
Check your Belt Tensioner out. It sounds as if it is worn out and out of line. These are available at most parts stores for around $50 and have 2 plastic inserts for the water jacket and Heater Hoses. Also most people don't look at them just the pulley. If you can see any of the internal spring, it's worn out.

2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee Brake Noise

My brakes make a horrible a screeching noise with light pressure on the brake. They’ve been inspected several times and I ‘m told my brakes are fine. I’m told the thickness of the brake pads is fine. They’ve blown off “dust” which didn’t improve anything. I’m told they can cut the rotor but you can only get one cut from a rotor. I can have new brakes installed but if I’m told my brakes are fine…why would I have new ones put on? I’m at a loss on how to remedy this situation. This is a new vehicle. Brake noise started at 8,000 miles. It’s a 2009 JEEP Grand Cherokee.

Response:
from a safety and function stand point, there is no need to replace the brakes. The brakes will perform properly.

You can have the brakes cleaned multiple times but unless you have the pads and rotors replaced, the noise will return over time.

I would ...read the entire brake article

Ford: F-150 delivers the mpg buyers want

Even with gasoline prices stable and below $3 a gallon, pickup buyers want good fuel economy, Doug Scott says.

"Fuel economy is the No. 1 unmet need" for owners of full-sized pickups, said Scott, Ford Motor Co. truck group marketing manager, at a media event last week.

Citing Ford research, he said 70 percent want better fuel economy and about a third of those say they would change brands for a "significant improvement" in mpg.

Ford is replacing the F-150's entire engine lineup for the 2011 model year. A V-6 will be standard. Also available: two V-8s and an EcoBoost V-6 with turbocharging and direction injection.

Ford says the new lineup will be 20 percent more fuel efficient than the current lineup of three V-8s. Currently, the standard engine is a 4.6-liter V-8 that gets 19 mpg on the highway.

Ford has not released EPA mileage figures for the new engine lineup.

Fuel economy is more important to buyers now than it was before the 2008 price spike, Scott said. And Ford still believes gasoline will jump to $4 to $4.50 a gallon in 2013 or 2014, he said.

Gasoline peaked at a national average of $4.05 a gallon in July 2008. Last week, it was $2.74.

Dealers can order 2011 models in October. Sales of vehicles with three of the four engines begin in December. The EcoBoost engine will be available in the first quarter of 2011.

THE F-150'S NEW ENGINE LINEUP
• 3.7-liter V-6, standard
• 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6
• 5.0-liter V-8
• 6.2-liter V-8
Source: Ford Motor Co.

VW may add small car or SUV to U.S. plant

TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan -- Volkswagen may build a small car or an SUV at its new U.S. plant in Tennessee, in addition to the mid-sized sedan that goes into production there next year.

VW is considering options for the plant's second product even before it has begun building its first, Tom Loafman, the company's purchasing director, said here last week at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars.

Loafman also said the plant's large Chattanooga site is in the running for a new engine plant Volkswagen hopes to build in North America. The engine plant also could go to a separate greenfield site or to VW's production complex in Puebla, Mexico, he said.

The engine plant would supply the Chattanooga and Puebla plants.

Volkswagen is counting on its $1 billion Chattanooga venture to bring down the costs of its U.S. products and give it capacity to reach 800,000 VW brand sales in the United States by 2018. Last year it sold 213,454 VW brand vehicles.

Volkswagen expects the new mid-sized sedan to compete more directly against high-volume family sedans such as the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

"We haven't been able to compete well in that segment," Loafman said.

VW's strategy calls for Chattanooga to turn out cars at a much lower cost than mid-sized Passats imported from Europe. While the Passat reaches U.S. consumers at a price of about $27,000, the rival Accord sells for below $20,000.

The price difference is partly the result of a dollar-euro exchange rate that pushes the U.S. price higher. That has prompted Loafman and his staff to source much of the new vehicle's content in North America.

Loafman said that the sedan is about 63 percent U.S.-sourced so far and that a fifth of the suppliers in the project are new to Volkswagen.

Free New Car Price Quotes and Advice on buying a New Car

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