Ohio Lemon Law Information

The Ohio Lemon Law applies when, during the first year or 18,000 miles (whichever occurs first) following delivery of the new vehicle: the dealer has attempted to repair the same problem three (3) or more times, with at least the first repair attempt occuring within the 1-year/18,000 mile period, or the dealer has attempted to repair various problems eight (8) or more times, or the dealer has unsucessfully attempted to repair a problem that could have resulted in death or serious injury at least once, or the vehicle has been out of service due to repair attempts by the dealer for a total of 30 or more days. Most automakers participate in some kind of arbitration program. Some of these have been approved by the Attorney General, but others have not. If a program has been approved by the Attorney General, you must go through arbitration before you have the right to file a lawsuit. Contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section to learn which manufacturers have approved arbitration programs. Ohio Lemon Law information from the Attorney General's Office »

Chrysler recalling minivans in 27 states

400,000 vehicles affected by problem with air bag sensors WASHINGTON - DaimlerChrysler is recalling its 2005 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans to fix faulty air bags that may not deploy because of corrosion on the sensors. The recall involves more than 400,000 vehicles sold or registered in states that use large amounts of road salt, the company said Friday. About 270,000 of the vehicles are covered by the recall campaign and another 133,000 with extended warranties are included, DaimlerChrysler spokesman Max Gates said. DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group said in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that brass brushings on the sensors could corrode and crack on the front air bags, allowing water to enter the sensor. States covered by the recall include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas and Alaska. Owners can contact DaimlerChrysler at (800) 853-1403. Resource : The Associated Press.

What does the Check Engine Light Mean?

When the vehicles check engine light comes on and stays solid it is an emissions related problem and can be repaired at your leisure. Now, when the Check Engine Light comes on and is flashing, this is an engine related issue and needs to be repaired ASAP!!!! as it can and will cause permanent damage to the engine. It is a good practise to at least find out what the codes are and then decide if an immediate repair is needed or if it can wait. All Trouble Codes can be found here

Car will not Start ???

Question :

I got a 2002 NEON and all of a sudden the car will not turn over. Just a clicking sound. The speedometer and tach jump up briefly and then go back down. The the odometer switches from showing the car mileage to displaying the word Fuse. After a few seconds the engine indicator light begins flashing. I have checked all the fuses in the car and next to the battery, but it looks like they are good. Any ideas on what is wrong?

Answer :

If it is a one time hard click when you try to start it, then you need to replace the starter. If it is several clicks, then you need to replace the battery. More than likely it is just the battery that is causing all the odd stuff happening on the dash.

Best Online Auto Repair Manuals

I have found the best value is with a subscription to mitchell1. You can purchase a subscription for as little a $16.99 that gives you full access to the same software as the dealers use. It includes Step by Step repair information, full wiring diagrams, Factory recall notifications, Service Bulletins. If you are a Do-It-Yourself kind of person or job want to learn more about your car this is the best deal I have found on the net. JUST CLICK THE MANUAL AT THE TOP OF THIS ARTICLE to Check it out for yourself.

My Coolant Light is On, What should i do ?

The Coolant light illuminates on the dash to let you know your coolant, also known as anti-freeze, is low. There is a level sensor in the coolant overflow tank. So when the coolant level gets low the light will illuminate on the dash.

What you will need to do is check the fluid level once you get where you are going and the vehicle has had a chance to cool down. Also check the radiator level (do not do this when it is hot) . Top off the coolant level in both the radiator and in the overflow tank. Make sure if you are using concentrate to mix it 50/50 with water. Once you have done this you should be ok to drive it to your local auto shop and have the coolant system pressure tested to make certain there are no leaks.

My brakes are squealing, do I need brakes ?

More than likely you do. The only exception is if it only squeals in damp or rainy weather as this is a common occurrence. The best course of action is to have your brakes inspected or inspect them yourself. If your brakes have just started squealing, then you may be able to just replace the brake pads themselves. I recommend replacing the rotors at the same time. If you replace the rotors at the same time, it will prolong the life of the brakes and help prevent unwanted noise caused by two uneven surfaces. The days of having your rotors turned are in the past since the price of rotors have come way down.

Is GM comming back after Toyota beatdown ??

Is GM coming back after Toyota beat down, taking over the majority market share in automobile sales in the US?? Well it looks like GM feels the VOLT is the answer. General Motors is developing a plug-in hybrid technology for its Chevy Volt that is miles ahead of Toyota and Honda. GM plans to blow past the competition with its new technology by 2010. GM has been unleashing the best vehicles it has ever produced. Quality is better than ever. Designs are being lauded. And critics are falling over themselves praising new versions of such previously dullard drives as the Chevy Malibu. Even a Buick,the Enclave SUV (BusinessWeek.com, 8/24/07), is drawing kudos, and GM can't make them fast enough to meet demand. But overall, GM sales are down almost 6% this year, compared with a drop of 2.5% for the industry through the first 10 months of the year. Indeed, some believe the "wow" factor of getting more than 100 mpg could help plug-ins eclipse the popularity of hybrids. GM says the Volt technology will allow consumers to go up to 40 miles on battery power, after which the gas engine kicks on to recharge the battery while the driver continues. If a driver makes several short trips on battery power, the battery can simply be plugged in overnight to recharge. Many drivers could go weeks without gassing up. GM engineers say the Volt and electric car program have "an open purse," meaning that when they need more money, they get it. A123 Systems Chief Executive David Vieau says GM's schedule for 2010 is "a risk" as far as using the nano-phosphate battery, but he believes they'll make it.When Toyota launched its first hybrids, it lost money for a few years on each one until the cost of the technology came down as sales volume went up. But the halo effect of the hybrid more than made up for it. The same internal study at GM that indicates consumers see the automaker as "part of the problem" also showed that the image of the Prius led car buyers to believe that Toyota's trucks and SUVs were about 25% more fuel efficient than they really are. Says GM's Burns: "We didn't understand the marketing benefit to the whole company that a hybrid would have, but Toyota schooled us on that." resource: www.businessweek.com

Should my Gas Mileage Stay the same all Year ?

With today's cars ( 1996 and newer ) the fuel usage is controlled by the engines computer. The computer uses several sensors to decide how much fuel to inject into the engine. The sensors on the engine determine outside air temperature, air flow, engine temperature, and how well the engine is doing its job. So if one of these sensors is not operating correctly, it will effect the fuel mileage.

The outside temperature can change the fuel consumption. If you are driving in a warm climate, take a fuel mileage reading and then drive in a cold climate, you will see a decrease in fuel mileage in the colder temperatures. Why? When the Engine is colder it takes more fuel to burn to get the engine up to normal operating temperatures. In the old days it was called a choke. Now the computer does this for you. So you can expect worse fuel mileage in the winter if it gets cold where you live.

If you live in the same climate year round then you will not see a change in fuel mileage unless you change your driving habits or let someone else drive your car....

2003 f150 Heater is blowing cold air, Why ?

Question :

My 2003 f150 heater is blowing cold air, both heater hoses get hot and the temp gauge is in the normal zone [straight up]

Answer : The most common concern on these trucks is a broken temp blend door. It kinda hard to diagnose, If you were to have the a/c set to max air and on high blower and you turned the temp from cold to hot, you should here a change in how the air flow sounds while the door is moving. You really need to know what its suppose to sound like, if you know someone else with a working truck to compare to.

Make sure the knob is not broken on the temp,knob.. pull that off and look for cracks where is attaches to the shaft.

I suspect the broken door and it requires the whole dash be removed and the heater box cover removed to replace the door. Its a 8 hour job.