Blown Head Gasket

This van's water pump went out and we replaced it before Nov. We also had to replace the idler pulley(?) and serpentine belt shortly after that. Then, the temperature gauge kept jumping to HOT every time you started it. It would sound like something was boiling under the hood. I would shut it off immediately and nothing was ever found leaking or pouring out of it. I haven't started it in awhile. Does you have any ideas? I talked to a couple of people and the first thing they mentioned was the thermostat, but complained that it was allot of work to change in this vehicle.One of my friends also said it could be a blown head gasket. Does this sound like the symptom and how do I repair it. I really need my van fixed. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! ! Thanks, Tammy

RESPONSE: It would have been good practice to replace the thermostat when you changed the water pump. My guess is the thermostat is sticking closed. The boiling noise you hear is probably the coolant returning to the overflow tank. It is usually not that hard of a job to change it. Most anyone with a little Read Entire Article

Rough Idle

OK here we go........2000 Pontiac sunfire gt 2.4 litre engine 180 000 Km Rough idle started suddenly one morning......things ive tried and tested.....changed spark plugs twice replace throttle body gasket replaced intake manifold gasket tried new coils checked engine compression all between 216-222 psi checked engine vacuum not steady but between 14-15" mercury added two cans combustion chamber cleaner no check engine soon light!!!my GM mechanic had it for three hours could not find anything added one can injector cleaner thing i havent checked evap egr catalityc converter fuel pressure engine idles rough only, when it gets above 1500 rpm it disappears but it takes longer than usual to come back to idle speed , all this happens hot or cold....... Hope you can help or suggest............Rick Answer: Your problem you say is below 1500 rpm and that the vehicle runs fine above 1500 rpm. I would say you need to replace the I A C valve (idle air control). The I A C only functions at or below 1500 rpm. This is a common issue with GM engines. If you have replaced the intake manifold gasket , this should be fairly simple for you. Also when you remove the old I A C clean any excessive carbon that may be present. Let me know of your progress.

the battery doesn't seem to drain while left alone and connected still

I did intake gasket on 3.8l 1999 windstar, I hooked up the battery it wasn't able to start the van but had some power left i boosted it let it run then it died out and was like battery was dead? lights came on stronger but still couldn't start it again till boosted. is there an issue with the pcm where it needs to be reset? i removed the wiper cowel where the pcm is. could I have done something there? the battery doesnt seem to drain while left alone and connected still just when I start the van via jumper cables it runs till no more juice to run components i checked everything that I disco'd till i found out the pcm is located under cowel would that also be the cause? the battery and charging system was fine before the intake was removed but I cant seem to see anything wrong, im not sure if its the alt. or bat. i remove battery cable while van is running and the van dies instantly. but i have found a TSB regarding something like this but not quite. not sure if i need to get an alt or battery or have the pcm reset????

Answer:

The problem is not likely the PCM the problem is more likely the alternator or a wiring connector was left off the alternator.

How to troubleshoot my air conditioning?

There are many different ways to go about troubleshooting your car air conditioning system. The best approach is to determine if it is a mechanical failure or electrical failure. Then diagnose the the problem in that manner. For example: If the air conditioning compressor clutch is not engaging it could be caused by no freon, or low freon charge which would be a mechanical failure. Also it could be caused by an electrical problem and no power is getting to the compressor. In order to diagnose the problem follow these steps: Troubleshooting your Air Conditioning System Step by Step

started loosing overdrive, then drive and when we came to a stop

I just put a motor and automatic trans that has 46,000 miles on it in my sons 2003 kia rio. It runs good and was shifting fine but after a few miles we started loosing overdrive, then drive and when we came to a stop and took off again it wouldn't come out of 2nd. We had trouble with the plug on the newer trans that slips over the rod on top of the trans that connects to your shifter inside. It looks like some sort of sensor switch. It wouldn't stay connected when plugged into the wiring harness and kept the car from cranking and seemed to affect the shifting. We switched it with a used one and worked fine at first but then went back to the shifting problem. Does it sound like a tranny problem or is this piece we switched a sensor that affects when the gears change and needs to be replaced with a new one. The guy we got the motor and trans from is pretty trust worthy and will switch the trans out if its a problem.

Starter finally went out. Got the dreaded click when ignition key turned

I have a 1996 Chevy suburban. Starter finally went out. Got the dreaded click when ignition key turned. New starter put in with no problems. Connected the positive lead then when I went to connect the negative lead it sparks and you hear the starter try to engage. no key in the ignition switch. Stater checked out fine again after I took it back to have it checked. pulled the starter relay and it still did the same thing. any ideas?

Answer:

You've got wires crossed, on wrong posts, or touching. the main wire on the starter cannot touch the smaller wires on the solenoid.

where is the camshaft position sensor located on my gm engine? It's a 1997 3100 engine code P0341

where is the camshaft position sensor located on my gm engine? It's a 1997 3100 engine (6 cylinder) I ran a diagnostics and it came out code P0341 which is the camshaft position sensor. I was thinking of replacing the sensor and see if the problem goes away. The problem is that the engine looses power at higher RPMs. This code fault is the only one in the computer. I do not know the physical location of this sensor to replace it. Can you describe exactly where it is on my engine? Answer: It should be located right below the back of the power steering pump on the lower intake manifold. Camshaft Position Sensor Testing

the digital display starts going crazy flickering

I have a 1990 corvette 5.7 with 6 speed,car also has c68 option (electronic climate control). it has 102000 miles on it runs great .the problem is with the key on engine off the digital speedo and hvac controls work great ,until you start the car ,then the digital display starts going crazy flickering,the hvac controls go blank and inoperable . there are no codes coming up from the ccm or ecm ,and no history codes . i have since changed out the hvac head unit ,programmer, and instrument cluster,new battery , new cables, cleaned all grounds listed by alldata ,and nothing has changed . also tried wiggle test and cant seem to make it stop.any help would be great. oh yeah the orange colored back lighting of the cluster and hvac work , they aslo dim with the dimmer switch. Response: have you tried wiggling the key in the ignition when not running to see if the same concern happens?

I have a 1998 Mitsubishi Magna, Auto, which has just started to judder under acceleration. The engine rev's fine, but I set off, the car judders, and lacks power. The problem stops after 15minutes, once everything is warm. Any idea's what it is?

Answer:

There are three things I would like for you to inspect first off. Ensure that the timing is correct and has not jumped, this will cause the judder you mention if it has jumped. Inspect the fuel pressure at the fuel rail. If you have clogged fuel lines and/or fuel filter it will cause a lack of power, especially at start up. Also inspect the vacuum lines and ensure they are free of any cracks, damage or loose connections.

when I am driving or sometimes start the car I hear metalic clicking.

CV Half Shaft

when I am driving or sometimes start the car I hear metallic clicking. It doesn't happen all the time but mostly when I accelerate. It coming from the left side when I am driving and it sounds like its coming from the tire area. Would you point me in the right direction. Answer: It will be a worn cv shaft joint. You can probably hear it under sharp turns.