Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
[quote=”jefferyb304″ post=195533]Hi. Im mostly an ETCG fan because I don’t know much about vehicles. I find Eric and others mechanics great educators.
I can do easy stuff like change a fuse or install a new battery ect. But that’s it on car repair. I can change filters and change a flat also.
First off I’d like to say we had a mechanic do all the work.
We have a 2011 Toyota Tacoma that has had FOUR power steering pump failures in around 2 months. Last time they said rack and pinion messed up. Got that changed along with a new pump. We will soon be getting the mechanic to look into failure number four.
Is there any components that can cause power steering pump failures ?
Keep in mind, I’m quite a novice.
Thanks ![/quote]The intermediate steering shaft on these vehicles fails prematurely and makes turning the wheel quite difficult either left or right. This should have been the subject of a recall years ago. If yours has not been replaced yet it is probably due.
Whether this is contributing in any way to failure of the PS pump I don’t know. Ask Toyota as they know all about the ISS failures in Tacomas.Such numerous failures of the pump is very odd especially if all the PS lines were cleared of fluid together with any debris and the system filled with new fluid.
The Jeeps of that vintage are known for developing cracks in both the inlet manifold and in the exhaust manifolds.
1. You have not mentioned if the power steering (PS) fluid level has been dropping and you have to keep topping it up. If you are topping it up, and there is no sign of an external PS fluid leak, then there will be an internal leak in the system which will affect PS performance.
2. If you are experiencing heavy steering and hence poor PS assistance in all conditions (ie. assistance does not improve after driving for a while) the most likely cause is either:
a. The PS pump is weak and needs to be replaced because it cannot build up sufficient pressure; or
b. A piston seal inside the PS rack mechanism has failed and pressure cannot be maintained with the leaking seal.3. You mentioned the steering has started to pull to the left recently. This could be a wheel alignment issue and in that event a fresh wheel alignment would fix the issue. However it could also be a problem with the PS rack mechanism and this is probably more likely the case given that you have other issues with the PS system. If you find the steering pulls to one side while driving the vehicle it might be due to a leaky spool valve in the PS rack that is routing pressure to one side of the PS rack.
4. You have not said how many miles are on your Mazda. However, there are no cheap fixes for these issues and based on these symptoms you may need to have both the PS rack replaced and , if the PS pump is actually failing, the PS pump replaced also. Replacing the PS rack will be expensive.
5. I cannot tell you what the likely under bonnet noise is because it could be from numerous sources, including inside the engine, and you have not indicated where the noise is originating from.
6. If I were you I would be looking to update the vehicle and get into a better one in good condition, with good service records and with less than 60000 miles. A 2004 is an old car now and you will probably need to keep throwing money at it to keep it on the road especially with all the wear and tear that comes with higher mileages.
[quote=”mroktober17″ post=194918]I have a 2010 Acura TL and currently has 125,xxx miles. The car is always on synthetic oil unless my dealership tried to cheat and use regular motor oil even I paid for synthetic. Since the car has that much mileage already, I started to have the oil change done at 3000 instead of manufacturer’s recommended interval. It can be expensive but was that a smart move or not?[/quote]
No road car engine ever suffered from running on clean oil.
It’s up to you how more frequently than the manufacturer minimums you choose to do oil changes. Even after 3000 kms on the best synthetic oil, the oil will normally look pretty black when it’s drained.
Manufacturer minimum oil change intervals are based on optimal driving conditions and usage, that hardly any vehicle experiences, as well as maintenance cost considerations. If you read the small print you will usually see that the manufacturers recommend more frequent oil changes in less than optimal conditions (which applies to most of us) such as a vehicle used most of the time in city driving conditions or a vehicle that is doing a lot of short runs and so on.
If you want to do oil changes at 5000 miles or 6 months whichever comes first on your car then that is fine on a fully synthetic oil. If you are concerned about which oil the service center you use is putting in the engine, buy the oil and give it to them to use when you present the car.
I do 3000 mile oil and oil filter changes on my cars also because of the type of use the cars get and amount of time time the oil is sitting in the engine. I see what comes out because I normally do the work myself.
More frequent oil changes than the specified manufacturer book intervals not only optimizes engine wear protection, it also prevents the build up of damaging oil sludge in the engine which will certainly occur with minimum manufacturer recommended mileage intervals for oil changes. There are also other considerations other than typical engine wear. For example the oil pump is critical to the lubrication of the engine but it must constantly pick up unfiltered oil through the oil screen, into the pump’s pick up tube and then through the pump. Frequent oil changes keeps the screen cleaner, the oil pick up tube clear and wear on the pump mechanism itself is minimized with cleaner oil. Furthermore you won’t suffer with a stuck oil pressure relief valve because you are not pumping dirty oil through the pump.
Another example. GM LS V8 engines commonly suffer from failed hydraulic lifters. This is an expensive problem that not only requires a full set of new lifters to be fitted when there is a failure in one or more but usually a new camshaft as well because of damage to the camshaft. One factor that contributes significantly to lifter failure, sometimes at very moderate mileages, is insufficient oil changes and certainly, in the case of these engines, following manufacturer mileage intervals on oil change intervals will pretty much guarantee the LS V8 engine will suffer hydraulic lifter failure.[quote=”Abopo” post=194908]
What I’ve done so far is, quadruple check all my work to make sure I hadn’t left any connections un-made, put in a brand new set of ngks, and finally replaced all eight o rings on the injectors themselves.
If anybody has any ideas, I would be very thankful.[/quote]
You should never clean injectors with carb cleaner. The last person I know who did this ruined his injectors and is now up for a new set. (Yes I know. A few people have done this and have been lucky enough to get away with it for a period of time at least.) I fully expect you have damaged the injectors now.
This is why you don’t use CC and I am quoting from an article on the subject……………..
*** “Never clean clogged injectors with carburetor cleaner because the carburetor cleaner can and will damage filter baskets and other sensitive parts.”
*** “Never try and clean your dirty or clogged fuel injectors by blowing high pressure compressed air or aerosol cleaners such as brake cleaner etc. directly into them because it will cause damage to the filter baskets and cause debris to get stuck between the pintle valve and housing, causing the pintle valve to become stuck.”
*** “Always handle your injectors with the utmost care and never drop them because it can cause internal damage, damage to the pintel caps and on some injectors it can even cause the pintle valve tips to get damaged or break off.”
There are numerous Mazda models from that year – some with power steering issues. . Which one do you have? Mazda 3?
No indication in your post of what engine has this serpentine belt noise.
1. Don’t put any kind of lubricant on the belt which will just aide it to slip. Any kind of serpentine belt dressings that are available won’t permanently rid the noise either, just disguise it for a short while.
2. If the belt is good quality then the belt noise may be due to a slightly misaligned pulley or a loss of belt tension from the tensioner pulley (allowing slippage) or it may just be due to moisture being absorbed by the belt which will evaporate as the belt heats up.
Check the belt when the vehicle has been standing overnight to ensure there is no fluid leak from anywhere that can run onto the belt.
3. Dayco has a range of low noise belts. You might look at one of those if everything else checks out on the vehicle.[quote=”JBNYY7″ post=194709]Some engine specs on my 2008 hyundai Santa Fe GLS 2.7l ,engine# G6EA 7A 914949 (stamped on block),Are not listed in the owner manual. The specifications I’m looking for are: Type basket( or barrel) cam followers,HYDRAULIC OR SHIM TYPE( not technically lifters) DOHC, HORSE POWER (POSSIBLY 185,BUT NOT CONFIRMED) THE ENGINE, SUPPOSEDLY 3RD GENERATION “D” WITH ADDED FEATURE OF CONTINUOUS VARIABLE VALVE TIMING. Went on Hyundai’s website to ask consumer affairs to research the engine specs & E-mailed me back to make an appointment for the info with a local dealer. I don’t want to pay some rep on line just to inform me of what i think could have been put in the owners manual. Any way ,I would appreciate if someone knows the specs that I’ve listed. THANK YOU[/quote]
If you go to one of the larger Hyundai owner’s forums there will be someone there that should be able to help you with the info you want on the engine.
The oil leak could be coming from a spot much higher on the engine. Gravity pulls it down and it picks up grime on the way. So check the perimeter of the valve cover on the top of the engine because oil leaks from a failing valve cover gasket are common.
[quote=”panda29″ post=194687]I own a used 2003 Toyota Solara SE, 4 cylinder. It is the first car that I have ever owned, so I am quite unknowledgeable when it comes to its mechanical components. I would also like to add that it already had the check engine light on when I purchased the car.
I took it to the mechanic for the first time for a maintenance check and was recommended to replace some parts and that it would be a two week process. I followed their recommendations and went back the week after for some of the replacements:
-valve cover gasket
-(4)spark plug
– serpentine belts
– axle shaft
– (4) suspension struts
– belt tension pulleyAfter leaving and driving it around for a while I noticed that when I go over bumps, dips, and make turns I would hear a creaking/cranking sound coming from the front end of the car. I explained it to the mechanics over the phone and was told they would take a look when I come to get the next few parts replaced. I also noticed that I still had the check engine light on. I believe they mentioned once the spark plugs or the engine mount gets replaced the light would go away (honestly I do not remember very well).
A week later I came back to get the following replaced:
– Power steering pump
– power steering hose
– Engine mountThe mechanics also checked on the sound that I was hearing and apparently because of the new struts, I now needed to get new sway bar links for the car. Once that is replaced, I wouldn’t have that problem anymore. I felt a bit frustrated and annoyed that I wasn’t told about this before, but due to my lack of knowledge on auto parts, all I could do was accept the explanation (wether it’s true or not) but decided to not get the parts yet until I try to do more research on it.
After leaving the mechanics I noticed that the check engine light was finally off, which made me happy, but my car began to have a strong vibration when ever I press on the breaks or leave the car idle. The vibration was definitely coming from the front and going to the steering wheel. Also, a couple of days later the check engine light came back on.
I went back to the mechanics to have them check the issue. They had to restart something which, sadly, I do not recall what it was, but it was supposed to make the vibration and check engine light go away after I drive the car for a while.
Its been a few days now and the vibration calmed down significantly-though it is still there- but the check engine light is still on.
I was hoping if someone could explain to me what is going on with my car.
I would like to know if what they said about the sway bar link and the sound on my car was true and it was not something they did on purpose to get more money out of me. Is it common that once you get new struts on your car, you also need new sway bar link to stop the noise?
What caused the vibration and is there always going to be a vibration due to some part replacements and owning an old car?
What could possibly be the reason the engine light to go off and come back on again?[/quote]1. It’s an old car with probably 100000 or more miles on it so mechanical parts wear and need to be replaced.
2. I would not go back to that workshop. They don’t sound very competent.
3. The Sway Bar Links.
If there was no noise from the front suspension components before the front struts were changed (such as you suddenly have now) then it is most unlikely that the noise you have now is from worn sway bar links. More than likely the new noise you have is from a sloppy new front strut installation where the components have not be correctly tightened up and there is movement.
I would have changed the sway bar links in any case when the new front struts were fitted as they are not an expensive item, do wear, and you have to unbolt one end of the link from the front strut before you can remove the strut in any event. The other end of the link is bolted to the sway bar and it can be easily removed and replaced and only takes a few minutes, especially when the strut is removed.
It is possible the sway bar links are the old originals but unless you know the history of the car it is also possible that they were replaced previously and are still quite serviceable. The workshop should have checked the sway bar links for soundness when they were removing the front struts in any event. They should also have checked the rubber bushings that fit over the sway bar where the bar is bolted to the frame of the car because these also deteriorate with use and need to be replaced eventually.
The sway bar links have a small encased ball joint on each end which enables them to swivel . If worn and in need of replacement the ball joint will move up and down in it’s casing producing a clicking noise. This can easily be tested on the car but this component should have been checked at the time the front struts were being replaced.
I would have a suspension specialist check over the front suspension for you to determine where the new noise is coming from. I would not let the workshop that changed the struts do any more suspension work on your car because there should be no new noise coming from the front suspension after the replacement of the old struts.
4. Check Engine Light (CEL)
If the CEL is still on then they never correctly diagnosed the cause of the engine problem which is just sloppy and incompetent. They probably just cleared the CEL with their scan tool when they finished work on the car. But if you don’t identify and rectify the cause or causes, the CEL will always come back on.
It sounds from what you report that you have an engine vibration at idle or when the engine speed is slow which was not present previous to work being done on the car. If this is the case it would appear to be an engine misfire in one or more cylinders that is causing the engine vibration because a misfire will also normally generate a CEL.
When the CEL appears you will normally have the computer generate fault codes . These codes are retrieved by connecting a scan tool to the car to check which engine fault codes are being generated by the computer to aide diagnosis.
If we knew what fault codes were being generated by the car’s computer we could tell you the possible causes that would need to be investigated. But we don’t. A CEL and an engine vibration following the spark plug replacement is not much to go on.
5. I would take the car somewhere else because these guys you are using don’t sound very capable. To address the CEL and the engine vibration (which is also new apparently since the engine vibration was not occurring prior to your having the spark plugs changed) you need to get a scan tool onto the car to check for fault codes. I would not be surprised if these guys you used screwed up on the spark plug replacement either. You will probably get a better diagnosis of the engine issues if you take the car to a Toyota service center even though it may cost you more. They will also have better diagnostic equipment to check your engine than many independent workshops will have.
[quote=”westcoast” post=194663]Hi everybody!
I just picked up a 2007 Lexus ES 350 with 77 thousand miles on it. One owner, little old lady who bought it new, drove it around town and had all the regular maintenance done on it at the dealership.
The car has a “sealed transmission” which is new to me and supposedly does not require the fluid to be changed on a regular basis. Anyway, I am thinking about asking my mechanic to go ahead and change the fluid but I wanted to get some feedback here and see what everybody thinks? Lots of contradictory information out there on other forums/websites.
Thanks![/quote]
“Sealed transmissions” are common but you can have the fluid drained and replaced in that 2007 ES350 vehicle.
There is a specific procedure to be used and I would only go to the Lexus dealer or to a Lexus specialist to have this done or you will wind up with a crap job and probably the transmission under filled. You will only do this once so it is worth paying the money to have it done properly by people who know what they are doing. You cannot get all the old fluid out through the drain plug either as some will be trapped in the transmission.
All sounds a very ignition related issue from what you have said and also sounds like the engine is on the verge of misfiring when under load.
So you found 2 oil soaked coils. In any event with the issues you have I would have replaced all the coils on that engine.
2. If not done yet I would be checking the condition of wiring and alternator performance.
3. Given the age and likely high mileage on that car , if also not done yet, I would be checking the performance of each fuel injector.Lifter failure is a common problem on LS engines.
To replace the lifters the cylinder heads have to be removed and you will need new gaskets and head bolts. But almost certainly you are going to have to replace the camshaft with a new one because of likely camshaft lobe damage cause by the failed lifters.
If you have a lot of metal deposits floating around in the oil this will damage the oil pump and can also damage the engine’s main bearings. A lifter can also fall apart and cause more damage. You don’t want to be running the engine at all once lifter issues appear. For a replacement of lifters and camshaft alone in that engine will be over $1000 and if you get a quote they will likely indicate that the total cost will depend on what other damage is discovered once they start dismantling the top end and check it all out.In those LS V8 engines lifters need replacing every 65000 miles before they fail (which is inevitable) and cause more damage. Also insufficient oil and filter changes will hasten lifter failure in LS V8 engines. So you want to be changing oil and filter no less than every 6-7000 miles at least.
Having the jacks sitting on plywood is unsafe and I would not be working under the car with that set up. But it’s your life.
It will cost more but you need large concrete paving slabs in that size or larger that will also be much thicker (about 2 inches) as the base for the jacks if you have to use jacks. You can use compacted sand to level the concrete slabs. `I would much rather have the car supported on its wheels though.
I would not be trying to remove and refit a transmission from under the vehicle like that -especially not an auto trans. That is madness and you will probably injure yourself. Have a professional do it properly in a garage on a lift which will cost a lot less than medical bills if you hurt yourself. If you can’t afford to have the transmission changed by a professional then save some money and have them do it later.