My battery light came on while driving home and now it won't start

QUESTION:

I have a 1997 Chevy Monte Carlo and my battery light came on while driving home and now it won't start. It drove home fine even with the battery light on. The next morning i went out to start it and nothing. What could it be?

ANSWER:

Generally when the alternator starts to fail a Battery light will illuminate on the dash board. This means the battery is no longer being charged , this does not mean the battery has a problem.

Testing : Using a multi-meter set to DC volts, connect the positive and negative leads to the same on the battery with the car's engine running. You should see from 13.2 - 14.7 volts. If you see less than this and confirm it is the same when the engine is running or not, then you know the alternator is not charging.

was told that I have a "leak" at the right hand corner in the rear of the engine

QUESTION:

I have a 2001 Caddy DTS and was told that I have a "leak" at the right hand corner in the rear of the engine..The car has never overheated and it has 84000 miles on it....I have seen the "low coolant" light come on and the coolant was in fact low....Is there a "quick fix" like stop leak or what? I do see coolant on the ground and I have noticed a "small" shift in the temp gage going toward an increase in temp.

ANSWER:

If the leak is so small that you do not see any fluid on the ground after it sets then there is a product that you can add to the coolant system that will take care of this issue. This magical product is called "Bar's Stop Leak", it has been around for years and has served automotive mechanic's well. You can purchase it at just about any auto parts store. Follow as directed on the label. You can try this product with a 50/50 chance that it will take care of the issue. You have only the purchase price of the product to loose at this point. If it does not take care of the issue, then you will need to have the engine coolant system pressure tested, the exact location of the leak diagnosed and the proper repair made.

Reference : Engine Overheating

Jaguar convertible with dead battery. Can't get trunk open.

QUESTION:

1997 Jaguar convertible with dead battery. Can't get trunk open. How do I charge the battery? The battery(which is dead) is in the trunk not under the hood. There is no key slot in the trunk and the remote won't work. It is a Jaguar 1997 XK8 convertible.

ANSWER:

Pop the hood, and connect a battery charger to the vehicle. There are cables that attach to the battery and run to the engine compartment and they connect to a terminal that will have a red cover over it. There should be a red plastic cover off to the side, pull off the cover and connect the positive terminal here. and connect the negative terminal to an all metal portion of the engine. Let it charge for at least 15 minutes and then you should be able to open the trunk. This procedure is also listed in your owners manual that is usually located in the glove box.

2006 Mazda five is a tire eater--apparently others have this problem

QUESTION:

Our 2006 Mazda five is a tire eater--apparently others have this problem with inside tire wear--tires last 10,000 miles or less and get dangerous. Is there a fix and is Mazda willing to deal with this problem? Already Tried: Multiple trips to dealer for fixes and tires--none seem to work.

ANSWER:

As of today, There is no recall for this issue. There are only 2 recalls for the 2006 Mazda5. 1) Recall ID # 05V412000 - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM 2) Recall ID # 06V463000 - LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH The tire issue is not covered at this point by keep all your recipes for any tires you do buy so that if or when then do have a recall on this issue, you will be able to get your money back. Make sure you are having your tires rotated at there proper interval and have receipts for this as well. If this car was bought used, you may need to have a 4 wheel alignment done.

Where is the Coolant Level Sensor located ? My radiator low light intermittently comes on and goes off

QUESTION:

I have a 1998 Mercury Mystique GS. Where is the Coolant Level Sensor located ? My radiator low light intermittently comes on and goes off within 2 minutes of starting up and driving. I've checked the coolant level and it is full, temperature gage is normal, no antifreeze leaks under the car. I'm thinking I have a bad sensor. How expensive is it to replace? Today, driving to work it stayed on constantly - about a 20 mile commute. Already Tried: Checked coolant level, it was full. Topped off coolant level and slightly overfilled it. Checked for hose leaks - none. Checked under car for leaks - none. Replaced upper radiator hose a year ago so am not worried about circulation problem. Temperature gage is normal and engine doesn't run hot.

ANSWER:

The Coolant level Sensor is located in the overflow tank. Look for the electrical wires and there it is. You may just be able to add some coolant to the overflow tank to take care of the issue. It does not read the radiator level, just the overflow level. If you need to have it replaced, it should cost under $100.00 parts and labor.

When the fluid in the cooling system heats up, it expands, causing the pressure to build up. The cap is the only place where this pressure can escape, so the setting of the spring on the cap determines the maximum pressure in the cooling system. When the pressure reaches 15 psi, the pressure pushes the valve open, allowing coolant to escape from the cooling system. This coolant flows through the overflow tube into the bottom of the overflow tank. This arrangement keeps air out of the system. When the radiator cools back down, a vacuum is created in the cooling system that pulls open another spring loaded valve, sucking water back in from the bottom of the overflow tank to replace the water that was expelled.

What GM crank and rods can you use to make a stroker

QUESTION:

What GM crank and rods can you use to make a stroker out of a 350 or a 327, use to know all the tricks but have been out of racing tooooooooooooo long or just getting old timers

ANSWER:

350 block or Large Journal 327 Block. You can install a 400 crank and rods with 400 pistons and this gives you a 373 Stroker, or bore it .30 and you get a 383 or bore it .60 and you get a 388 Stroker. If you use a large journal 327 block you will need to grind a small bit off the bottom of the cylinder so the crank does not catch. Many of the old school racers used the 327 large journal block because the cylinder walls are thicker making it stronger. If you have it internally balanced you can use the 350 balancer and flywheel (no one will know unless they take the bottom apart.

broke the key off in the ignition. How do we get the key out?

Question: My husband has a 1998 Mercury Mystique. He broke the key off in the ignition. How do we get the key out? We only had the one key. In locked position Answer: Unfortunately there are not a lot of options here. You cannot get to the backside to push the key out without removing the lock cylinder, and you cannot remove the lock cylinder with it in the 'locked' position without damaging it. One option is to use a powerful magnet, and hope the key clings to the magnet and slides out. Also, You can try banging on the steering column...sounds funny but it has worked in the past! If not, you're going to have to either tow it to a repair shop, or have a locksmith come out and drill out your lock cylinder and install a new one.

My car will not start every time

Question:

I have a 1994 Chevy S-10 with a 2.2L engine. It will not start every time I try. It does nothing when I turn the Key, the lights on the dash come on but nothing else. But, if I keep trying it will eventually crank over and start. What could be the problem?

Answer:

This is actually a classic description of a failed/failing starter assembly. What happens is on the inside of the starter there are contact points called"brushes". These contact points are what deliver electricity to the "armature"(the rotating part) and cause it to turn. When these brushes where down far enough then the cap the electricity has to jump becomes to great and makes it difficult to jump the gap.

The fix for this issue would be to have the starter replaced. The part runs about $75.00 for a remanufactured starter and around $125.00 for a new one with about an hour for labor.

Neutral - The Forgotten Gear

SAVE MONEY WITH BETTER FUEL MILEAGE

I years past we, as drivers, have relied on the "Over-Drive" gear to get us the peak fuel mileage we desired. It is true that in highway driving, Over-drive is the best gear to have your vehicle in to achieve this goal. But when it comes to city driving, Neutral can be the friend your best friend. My daily driver is a 1989 Chevrolet Corvette that has around 65,000 miles on it. It is a 6 speed manual shift. The Corvette has a 350 ci. tune port fuel injection V8 engine, and is stock. I do keep the oil changed regular and replace plugs every other year. The vehicle is equipped from the factory with a shift light that gives you the best points to shift at to achieve the best fuel mileage and also has a digital "instant average fuel mileage" meter. I had been getting around 22 mpg with my normal driving habits. Recently with the inflated fuel pricing I started paying closer attention to the shift light and my fuel mileage increased to 24 mpg. After a few fill ups and still getting 24 mpg I almost became obsessed with the fuel mileage. Being a mechanic and owning my own shop, not to mention my education in the field, i wanted to come up with a way to increase my fuel mileage further. And the most efficient way, was to continue shifting when the shift light suggests and pop the gear selector into neutral and coast as often as it permits. Yes, every down hill can be achieved with neutral (still maintaining the speed limit with in 5 mph) and my fuel mileage jumped to 26 mpg. It may not seem like much but every bit helps. I enjoy seeing the look on peoples faces when I tell them that my big V8 Corvette gets 26 mpg in the city! And I would be willing to bet that your fuel mileage can improve also by not forgetting about Neutral and the best thing is, it has no additional cost and doesn't have to be added. It has been there for years but sadly overlooked.

Air Conditioner Not Working - Troubleshooting

Air Conditioning System Diagram

HOW IT WORKS: Freon is compressed and flows through the condenser where it is cooled into a liquid. The freon passes through the receiver/dryer to remove moisture. Once the freon leaves and enters the expansion valve/orifice tube The high pressure liquid becomes a vapor and is extremely cold as it passes through the evaporator and on to the compressor to repeat the cycle. HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT IT : Check for Compressor Clutch Engagement - Turn the air conditioner to the "on" position and set controls to the coldest setting. Start the engine and allow to idle. Then open the hood and inspect the clutch at the front of the compressor, is it turning? "engaged" if so, the system has enough refrigerant to activate. If the system is low on refrigerant it will not work properly. In this case an air conditioner recharge kit is needed to recharge the system. If the compressor clutch is not turning proceed to next step.