95 Chevy G 20 keeps blowing multiable fuses...

My blinkers were working then I had to do them manually and then they started working again then I smelled smoke and they quit altogether. I also lost my brake lights too at the same time. I changed the bulbs and that didn't work, I took it to muffler man and he said I had multiable fuses blown, but didn't know what had caused it to do that. Muffler man changed the fuses and when I picked up the van, I drove for about 30 minutes and they all blew again. Also I have a small hole in the radiator up at the very top side by the corner, can I use a sealant to fix it or do I have to replace it? it's not leaking enough to even hit the ground, but you can see where it's coming fromby the bubbling it does. So I was hoping maybe someone out there may know something about this problem. Thanks a bunch

No Heat in my 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500HD

I have a 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500HD with a 6.0 engine. This morning I Started my truck and let it set for 15 minutes to warm up and defrost the windshield. When I went back out there was no heat at all coming from the defrost or the heater. I drove it around after scraping the windshield and still no heat. It was working fine before, what could it be?

Response:

As long as your coolant level is full, you may have a bad thermostat or a clogged heater core. With the engine running at normal operating temperature, check the heater hoses to see if both sides are hot or if one side is cold. If one side is cold, then you have a clogged heater core and it will need to be replaced. Look for about 8 hours for this job. 

1996 land rover discovery SE7 gone wild

this morning my Land Rover self accelerated to the floor, the car would not stop with application of the brakes, had to take it out of gear to stop. At this point the engine ran to full charge spewing black smoke from the exhaust. Turned the engine off immediately. attempted to restart and nothing happened, pushed the car out of traffic and then it restarted and ran normal. When I put the gear in Drive, nothing happened, same in reverse, etc. the transmission is totally non responsive even as it appears that one thing has nothing to do with the other.


Just called the Land Rover parts and advice center in new England and they tell me that they are without a clue as to both events as they have never heard of a LR doing this.

any ideas as to what happened that made the car go crazy with acceleration, and what if any relation may this have with the transmission not engaging????

Response:
1) Stray radio interference. Someone experimenting with radio gear near by.


2) 1996 Land Rover Discovery Problems

How do I remove the rear brake drums on a 1999 Dodge Ram Van 1500 ?

After removing the wheel and tire, remove the clip from one of the studs. Bang on the drum and try to pull it forward. If it won't move, remove the rubber plug from behind, and adjust your shoes inward, with a brake adj. tool, and then try pulling the drum off.

http://www.freeautomechanic.com/brake-drum-brakes.html

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1997 Chevy Express 1500 350 ci TBI won't start

Our van won't start, just cranks. After changing the air filter I attempted to start it and had just a click. I charged the battery, still just a click. I thought maybe a pulley had frozen up so I sprayed with lubricant. I had a friend beat on the starter and solenoid and it turned over but would not start. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Response:
If it cranks, check your fuel line to make sure gas is getting to the injectors, it sounds as possible fuel starvation.

Check your battery cables at the battery for corrosion. In fact just remove them and clean them real good. Remove negative cable first and when putting them back on, put the positive cable back on battery first!


If this doesn't help, check the cable at the starter to see if the connection is loose.

If that doesn't help, have the battery checked by load testing it, not with a hydrometer.

For it to run you need fuel, compression, and spark. If you have all 3 it should run. However, in cold weather if you dont know the age of your spark plugs, they will fail causing your engine to flood very easily. Even Fuel Injection systems as they spray a small amount of fuel before you crank. Another thing you can try on Cold Hard starts is to turn the key 3 or 4 time before cranking. You should hear the Fuel Pump running for a few seconds, turn the key off and repeat like I said 3 or 4 times. This acts like the old fashioned Choke.
If your not getting Spark, check you Engine Control Module they run $20 and up. Oh, it's under the distributor cap and also controls your Fuel Pump

1996 Saturn-Starting Problem

I have a 1996 Saturn SL1 and suddenly it won't start. It is low on gas so, my first thought was that with the severe cold yesterday had caused gasline freeze. The odd thing though, is that it isn't turning over. I put some gas line antifreeze in it and let it sit. It hasn't started yet but, I haven't tried it yet today. It has a new battery etc. Everything works. he radio, the blower, the lights all have plenty of power so, any ideas as to why it isn't attempting to turn over?


Thank you for any suggestions you may have!
 
Response:
http://www.freeautomechanic.com/nostart.html it seems to be an electrical problem. Before you do anything else make sure the blinkers work at normal pace, sometimes lights and all other electrical equipment work with a low battery, not the blinkers. Also, if the battery is not delivering sufficient power to crank the engine you should hear a ‘clicking’ noise, which is a sure sign of insufficient crank power and the battery needs to be charged and the posts cleaned and make sure they are tight.

Often, when the battery is new and fully charged the battery posts are no tight enough, or have enough corrosion –which is not always visible- to prevent from sending sufficient power to the starter. If this is the case, simply cleaning and retightening of the posts is enough to solve the problem.

If you have plenty of power and none of the above symptoms are present, the most likely alternative is a possible loose connection in the starter system.

1997 Lincoln Town Car rear suspension

just got an almost mint condition 97 Town Car, the rear suspension is almost sitting on the ground and there is a warning light that says "check compressor". There is nothing in the owners manual that talks about this light, if it is the compressor, the shocks or the on/off switch. i have played with the switch with no response and various friends tell me it is just a matter of changing the shocks, the mechanic nearby rapidly said $600. would love some guidance to avoid wasting time and money before I go pick up the car which is two hours away from home


Response:

These came out as an after market accessory about 40 or more years ago. I installed two on friends cars. If you have a volt-ohm meter, you should be able to ring out everything in that circuit. Starting with the fuse, the switch, and the compressor. The ones I installed had 1/8 or 1/4 inch plastic lines from the pump to the rear axle where they teed off towards eack shock. There was also a switch to deflate the system, if memory serves.

Contact the dealer for the locations of these items. I've done a ton of plumbing during the last 40 years, and do not like plastic lines on anything. Could be just an open line.
 
9 out of 10 times it's the switch that connects to the rear axle. In particular it's the pivot connection (like a hinge). However, running this system without air WILL cause the air shocks to become defective. I have had a couple compressors burn out also due to the leveling switch on the rear axle. On Lincolns the pressure relief valve is on the compressor. It also controls the light on your dashboard. There is also a switch on the older compressors to turn them off. You can substitute the compressor with Cadillac Air Ride they are almost identical and found at most salvage yards.
 
The reason that you should turn it off before jacking is so that you do not over pressurize the air chamber when lifted so that the rear of the car is jacked up once you let it off the jacks. Some of these have air shocks while others have air bags inside of the coil springs. Those with the bags are made by Air Inds of Lansing on Terminal Rd. They have the air supplied to them via a 1/8 inch plastic air line and if you must repair that line you cannot use a standard union. It must be for plastic or vinyl line as big trucks use. Use of anything other and your asking for more headaches. Like Ben, I've been there and done that too.

it may act up where it will just not start

We have a problem with our 1995 Oldsmobile Silhouette.And the problem we are having with it is one day it will run good, and the another day it may act up where it will just not start or you can be going down the road and it will stop running. can not figure it out. Like the other night we were coming back from getting arrons( sp?)done and we were at the stop light and it stops on us and we pushed it out of the road. let it sit a good 45 min. then it started up and we went another maybe a block and it stopped again. We had to have it towed home. It then sat here at home for a good 2-3 hr. and my son went to get his dad and it started up and (knock on wood) hasn't acted up so far sents friday night.What could we do for it?

Response:
My first suggestion is to check the fuel filter if the car cranks but will not start, or it just stops running. If the filter is not completely clogged yet and some debris are floating and settle, etc. this is a possibility. Another is a cracked coil cover or coil wire which tend to act up in wet weather.

Fuse box connectors, or any connector likely has a bad connection. The


connector will be discolored and the insulation will show signs of

overheating. IOW look at the wire side of the connector/fuse box.

Has anyone put snow tires on a minivan?

We're considering snow tires for my Honda Odyssey, but wondering if it's worth it. The minivan just seems to need more grip even though we have all-weather tires on there now. Depending on any bells and whistles we get it will cost from $650 to $1,100 with installation - yikes! We've been told it's best to get wheels *and* tires, since it makes changing them not as expensive each time it's done.

I understand you can get two, maybe three, years out of them, but I haven't had this verified. And when you're not using them is it okay to store them in the garage? Or will they deteriorate there with the heat of summer?

Please chime in if you have experience with snow tires (cost, durability, handling, tire brand, etc), especially if you have an Odyssey.

Response:
What part of the country do you live in? How much snow do you get in an average winter? Is your car front or rear wheel drive? I'm near Detroit and the last time I had snow tires was 1961, and will never use them again. Tires will age, and most mfrs will advise between 6-10 years. The are starting to put expiration date. on the now instead of the date they were made.


I haven't heard much about putting snow tires on the front of minivans but it would give you more traction in the snow and mud. But it may affect the handling and stopping of the van. Buying new rims for the tires is the way to go. That would save the cost of remounting them each year. Seems like a regular set of snow tires should work without having to special order some.