Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Ask a mechanic.

profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
It seems every so often there is a "car help" related question posted on NS and I thought I could maybe help out people who dont want to make a thread but want to ask a quick question about an issue they are having with their car. I am a mechanic at a higher end german car company so I thought i could maybe give my 2 cents or point you in the right direction to resolving your issue on your own or give you an idea what to tell your mechanic the issue is.

No question is stupid and I will try to help out.
Jan 24 2011 9:57PM
23 3
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
sounds like swaybar bushings to me my friend. Do you hear a slight clunk over speed bumps? It could be control arm bushings as well. Steering racks are not a common failure for mk4 vws. sway bar bushings need to be replace so often it would blow your mind, i would start there. Very cheap to replace if you do it yourself and even if the noise is still there, youre one step ahead of the maintenance game. here is a pic i stole off the net. one of the left is worn out, one of the right is new.

Click for larger image
May 11 2012 10:25PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
for sway bar and coolant flange friends. PM me your VIN if you want some vw manual screen shots.
May 11 2012 10:33PM
0 0
profile picture
ElMexicano
Posts: 639 - Karma: 400
I drive a bmw 325xi 2002 and i read on the first page that its better to run the engine at higher rpms then lower rpms for fuel consumption. Is that only for holding a constant speed or is it better to shift earlier when speeding up instead of later. Also the rpm meter only goes red at like 6k and continues to about 7.5kish, but is it still bad to stay around high 4k low /mid 5k, probably yes but im just inquiring?
May 11 2012 10:57PM
0 0
profile picture
pomme-de-terre
Posts: 3915 - Karma: 703
the faster your engine is turning, the more fuel it is going to burn. if you are trying to conserve fuel when accelerating its best to shift as early as possible without "lugging" your engine, or shifting into too low of a gear too early.


its not necessarily bad for the engine to shift at a higher RPM, but its not good for fuel economy.
May 12 2012 3:13PM
0 0
profile picture
Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,846
I have an '01 Sunfire. Whenever I turn past a certain point I hear a loud creaking/cracking sound. It can be heard outside of the car too. It happens most when I'm in a parking lot, I guess because that's where I'm making sharper turns. It's been doing this since I got it 1.5 years ago. Any ideas on why this is happening an whether I need to fix it or not???
May 12 2012 3:18PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
not true to an extent. The reason there is 7 speed transmissions and such is to keep the car in power band at all times and be at a perfect air fuel mixture to reduce emissions.

Once a engine is in motion at 4k rpm it takes very little to keep the motor turning, it is mostly running itself with little shots of fuel to keep the inertia moving really. The main factor in fuel consumption is engine load, not engine speed.

That being said, its easier on your motor to run at a lower rpm. Less wear on engine internals.
May 12 2012 4:22PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
powersteering tank full? is it just one noise or multiple noises? Could be a cv joint making noises. Could be power steering pump not enjoying itself. Could be sway bar links/ control arm bushings.
May 12 2012 4:24PM
0 0
profile picture
Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,846
Multiple noises, How do I check to see if it's one of those problems you mentioned?
May 12 2012 10:20PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790


the clicking is the cv shaft.
May 14 2012 11:04PM
0 0
profile picture
Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
I need to go pass an emissions test in order to be able to get new license plate stickers. Now, theres a hole in my muffler. the guy told me he cant do the emissions test without fixing the hole. Is this bullshit? Is he just trying to get more money out of me by making me accept to let him fix the hole? Im pretty sure hes bullshitting because the hole has been there for many years now and i got an emissions test done 2 years ago i believe
May 14 2012 11:15PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
here is alberta canada, we are hicks and dont have emissions testing but i know from experience if the hole in the muffler is before the tailpipe where the exhaust sniffer goes in it can effect the readings. If its a hole up further in the system, increased o2 in the reading dilutes all the exhaust and can give false readings.
May 14 2012 11:19PM
0 0
profile picture
Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
Ok, cool. Is there a tape or putty or something that I can get at Canadian Tire that would do the job rather than change the muffler?
May 16 2012 9:44AM
0 0
profile picture
doitbig
Posts: 4818 - Karma: 315
I'm having a nasty issue with an oil leak/cooling system on my 2003 3.2L CTS.

I purchased the car from my grandfather in early 2011 with 32,000 miles as a fun/summer car. He was a lifelong GM electrictian and this was his 14th caddy. Even though he is no longer able to drive (90 years old!!!!), I wanted to keep this car around for his (and my own!) enjoyment. The first couple months were issue free. In comes the leak...

I first notice a tiny leak coming from an area around my coolant resoviour. It was like no fluid I had ever seen before, so I popped the hood and noticed a chocolate milk like substance in the overflow tank. I soon realized the car was a bit low on motor oil when I checked the dipstick and the realization set in that I had oil in my coolant! The dipstick was clean of any coolant, as were the coolant hoses running to the engine. I imediately parked the car in my garage until I had a chance to get it looked at.

I call the dealership, they tell me it's a head gasket and is covered under warrenty (Oh wait, the car is 10 years old? sorry you're SOL). I found this hard to believe with 32k miles. 

The engine ran fine with no issues other then this leak. It was never overheated and I stopped driving it as soon as I saw the milkly coolant.  My mechanic replaced my radiator b/c he thought that was the problem and it was the cheapest solution to try first.  No luck with that.  I'm thinking it's an engine oil cooler with is a small part on the top of the engine that bypasses both coolant and oil.

What do you guys think it could be? Is oil cooler change a possible DIY for someone with a mechanic friend availible for help? Will the whole cooling system need replacement (ie water pump, radiator, lines/hoses)? Any links to a how-to or manual would be greatly aprecaited.

May 16 2012 12:31PM
0 0
profile picture
mynamegus
Posts: 33 - Karma: 12
i drive Grand as well, 2wd will get you most places with under a foot of snow on the road and winter tires. 4wd and your good to go until the hood gets buried haha. they are solid little SUVs, id go for it if the inspection is good.
May 16 2012 3:33PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
sounds like a head gasket. As far as i know, fairly common failure for GM cars. Back flushing a oil cooler will never clean it properly so its smart to have the idea to replace it. The only issue with your plan is the rad is gonna be filled with oil/coolant sludge as well, heater core is going to be packed as well. Waterpump and t-stat should be fine. If it is indeed a headgasket and you replace the cooler before hand, you might be pinned with replacing it again if it does not resolve the issue.

as far as the removal of an oil cooler, they are normally pretty simple but its really dependent on the location. If its an easy to access location, go for it... very straight forward repair. Get replacement gaskets for it if youre doing a replacement aswell. Before you pull off the coolant hoses, run the motor to 90 degrees and pull the lower rad hose and rad plug to drain those puppies to try to get as much coolant out as possible ( at 90 degrees your t stat will be open allowing coolant out of the internals of your engine ). If youre with a mechanic friend, you guys should run a compression test before you make any repairs to confirm the root cause of the failure. If your mechanic friend knows anything, i hope to god he knows how to do a compression test. That can confirm if its indeed a headgasket failure.
May 16 2012 11:26PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
haha, i have no idea. I guess you could try jb weld or exhaust tape. There is actually a tape that is made for exhaust leaks, but ive never had experience with it. I typically repair cars, not hack them together :p
May 16 2012 11:31PM
0 0
profile picture
doitbig
Posts: 4818 - Karma: 315

great info, thanks tronned.  unfortunately the cooler is located under the intake manifold and apparently is a bitch to get to.  don't you think with a head gasket failure i would see some coolant in my oil somewhere?  i dropped the pan last night and oil looked like it was fresh out of the bottle.  The good news about my radiator is the car was only ran while flushing the cooling system (with the new radiator on) so I assume it's fairly clean in there.

i think i'm going to bit the bullet and take it to a shop.  seems like the money i will save will not be worth my time to replace.

May 17 2012 7:22AM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
bump if anyone needs.
May 29 2012 1:53AM
0 0
profile picture
sir_drums_a_lot
Posts: 335 - Karma: 14
I bent my dick in half what do I do?
May 29 2012 2:50AM
0 0
profile picture
blah..
Posts: 534 - Karma: 13
Okay, so I have an exhaust leak on my 99 Subaru outback, and it's after the catalytic converter about a foot before the muffler. It sounds pretty nasty, and when I get under the car and have someone rev it, I can see the smoke coming out in a specific spot. Where it's leaking is right on a mount, and I'm wondering if there's some kind of seal that's gone? Or is the pipe just rusted out at that spot and that's why there's a leak. How big of a deal is it considering it's after the cc meaning it shouldn't fuck with the sensors, right?
Jun 27 2012 11:36AM
0 0
profile picture
TheDers
Posts: 788 - Karma: 164
im thinking about straight piping my new truck. are there any serious problems that can happen if i do it. i have an 03 chevy avalanche
Jun 27 2012 1:02PM
0 0
profile picture
doitbig
Posts: 4818 - Karma: 315
FYI tronned it was the oil cooler. had it swapped out by my local mechanic and the car is running good as new.

butttttt...now i'm having issues with my driver side switch cluster. the battery died and was replaced when the oil cooler was done. driver window won't budge, diver lock is dead, and mirror switch will only control passenger side mirror. i pulled the switch cluster and everything seems clean/intact and poked at a few wires with no avail. I was able to put power on the window regulator and get the window to move. checked all fuses (had to pull the back seat to check a fuse wtf?!) and everything was fine.

any ideas??
Jun 27 2012 1:15PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
if the leak is behind the o2 sensor, it wont effect the way the car drives. Most likely a leak from a weld/hanger. Only way to fix that puppy in to replace that section of exhaust.
Jun 27 2012 7:56PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
it will run like a bag of shit most likely. If you dont have signals from o2 sensors your car will just default to dumping fuel to richen the fuel mixture. You can run straight pipes if you have a ecm flash or stand alone fuel management.
Jun 27 2012 7:58PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
its most likely a break in the wiring harness in the door hinge. Normally the wiring harnesses have a rubber condom of them and are easy to spot, pull the rubber back and look for broken wires in the hinge as its the most common place for a break in wires. If they are in good shape. Take the switch out and keep it plugged in, find a pin or a clothes pin and a multimeter. operate the switch and backprobe into the wire that leads the the switch from behind, look for 12 volts when you have your positive lead in the switch and the ground side of the meter grounded on any unpainted bolt of the car. That will mean that the demand for the window operation is there, and the fault in the wiring is after the switch... if you do not get power to the switch, then its before the switch.

I am willing to bet its a door wiring harness that is cracked in the joint, check there first.

good luck
Jun 27 2012 8:02PM
0 0
profile picture
AlexFromTarget
Posts: 533 - Karma: 59
do you know how i could hook up under glow to my honda ruckus scooter
Jun 27 2012 8:08PM
0 0
profile picture
blah..
Posts: 534 - Karma: 13
Yup, exactly this. Ended up having to remove a section and replace it. Luckily it was only a 16" long section and after paying for the pipe I could just replace it myself. Thanks!
Jul 1 2012 8:42PM
0 0
profile picture
Wheaty214
Posts: 1687 - Karma: 841
I've been trying to figure out what i want to do with my life after high school, how much do you earn a year as a mechanic and how many years of college did you have to become a mechanic? Any classes you would suggest I take the last two years of my high school career?
Jul 1 2012 9:15PM
0 0
profile picture
caucasian_chad
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 3,625
My muffler fell off my car a while back and I haven't bothered to put it back on yet. I always calculate my mileage after each tank of gas, and since i muffler fell off, I've gotten about 2-4 more miles per gallon. I have not significantly changed my driving habits in that time frame. Is this just a coincidence, or is my 97 Subaru Impreza actually more fuel efficient sans muffler?
Jul 2 2012 1:02AM
0 0
profile picture
jibbinc.
Posts: 3355 - Karma: 2,497
1990 honda civic. 1.5l 4cyl. brand new distributer,plugs wiires, water pump, fuel pump, clutch, exhaust. when i press the pedel down past 25% in any gear, there is not much increase in speed, no tourque, no rpm jump, but there is a squeeking sound. sounds like a squeeqy wheel
Jul 2 2012 1:37AM
0 0
profile picture
jibbinc.
Posts: 3355 - Karma: 2,497
sorry for spelling check im on my phone. also idles at 650, dips down with brakes and headlights. starts in the morning at 1.5k and by the time im at work (10 min highway ) its down to 650. oil vanishes usually 1l every 1000k, unless doing mountain trips then every 250. replaced valve cover gasket and spark gaskets. no visual leak under the car, must be leaking/burning when im driving?
Jul 2 2012 1:45AM
0 0
profile picture
smooticus
Posts: 1798 - Karma: 27
I got a mind bender for you, I took my 92 ford escort to the shop as the clutch had been slipping. When I picked it up they told me it was totaled, i drove it home and on the way home the speedo kept jumping up as if my tires were slipping, but they werent. I dont understand how this could be, as i understand it the speedo is reading the actual rotation speed of the tire. Is there any explanation other than the speedo "reader" or whatever being fucky. I kinda feel like the mechanic fucked with my car, he did try and sell me another car in his lot when I picked it up.
Jul 2 2012 2:35AM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
mechanic is a tough life. it wrecks your body in a few different ways, you constantly are hunched or leaned over so it can destroy your back and posture, your wrist are constantly used so carpel tunnel is common and you inhale and touch a fair amount of nasty chemicals. Where i live mechanics are paid based on "flat rate" so a job will be quoted at 5 hours to complete and if you take 2.5 hours to complete that job you still will be paid 5 hours but if it steps over to 7 hours you still will be paid 5 hours. wages for mechanics based on the brand you are working on and what you do at that job. If you are a diagnostic tech most of time your wage will be higher than that of a repair and replace guy. I work at a german car marker so i have perks for being here like factory training and clean work environments and never having to work on rusted up 1980's domestic garbage. as for training, ive done 4 years of technical school that is broken up to 2 - 2.5 months of school every year. I have factory training from my work as well. Once you get good at turning wrenches on cars and knowing the product very well, if you put in 10-11 hours a day you will make over a 100k a year. As for schooling now, i would just take automotive classes if you have them in highschool and find a part time job at a oil change place and see if you like it.
Jul 2 2012 2:44PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
its could be just subliminal driver changed habits in a sense now your car is super loud so you slightly ease on the gas pedal slower to avoid noise. A muffler slightly restricts exhaust so maybe just slightly better flowing exhaust but i suspect the first idea is probably why you are getting slightly better economy.
Jul 2 2012 2:46PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
That is hard to say what is wrong without being in front of the car but if you think about the fundamentals of what a car needs to create power you can start eliminating possible causes. A engine needs air/spark/fuel in order to build power. Does the motor act strange in anyway when you go above 25 % besides a lack of power? Is the timing of the engine off? Is the dist. not timing properly? Is there a restriction on airflow through the intake? Is there a pinched fuel line that cannot supply fuel demand?
Jul 2 2012 2:49PM
0 0
profile picture
PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
About the Cv axles above.

I drive a 98 yota t100. Boots ripped wide open and I'm getting clicking and grinding in tight turns. Hoping to replace this myself but It might not happen before I make another 2.5 hour trip to the beach. Also I will be driving on the beach so sand might get in there.

Whats a worst case scenario for a bad CV axle. Like is there a chance this thing can lock up on the highway and cause a dangerous accident?? Or do they pretty much just roll til they fall apart and then I'll just not have power to it in 4wd or something.

I'll hang up and take my answer off the air. I feel like we're on Car Talk haha.
Jul 2 2012 2:52PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
the change in idle speed is normal. In modern cars with cat converters a guy will try to get the cat to operating temp as fast as possible because the emissions control of the cat only works at operating temp. The easiest way for the car to get into "closed loop" ( operating temp cat ) is to run a high idle that is lean in fuel mixture ( lean mixture of fuel is much hotter than a lambda or rich mixture) so as the car warms up, the idle will drop down to below 1000 rpm. When electrical consumers are turned on in a car that is idling they place additional load on the generator (alternator ) and that in turn places a larger restriction on the serp belt that is running the car which is hooked up to the crankshaft of the car. All cars will have a dip in idle when electical consumers are turned on unless they have a complex voltage regulator module or run a fair amount of pulse width modulation electrical consumers.

as far as the oil leak, that is an internal oil leak most likely piston rings are allowing oil into the combustion chamber from below in the crankcase and oil consumption increases when additional load is placed on the engine which normally means additional oil pressure. It is a costly repair due to the fact it is labour intensive, i would just let it buck until it dies then replace the engine with a wreck yard engine.
Jul 2 2012 2:56PM
0 0
profile picture
TheDude
Posts: 2058 - Karma: 117
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/3052460681.html will the dent in this magna flow affect performnce?
Jul 2 2012 2:56PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
most likely in your car, there is a speedo gear in the case of the transmission that is fucked. They are made from plastic 99 percent of the time and the teeth can strip out eventually. In some cars you can replace just this gear but in some transmissions you need to split the transmission case to replace it.

He may have fucked with your car, but its too hard to tell really or it could have been just a very big stroke of luck it happened after it was in the shop. I have seen some fucked up situations where a customer brings a car in for something else and when it leaves the shop it comes back with a new complaint even though it was never touched, just really luck of the draw. As a matter of fact, one of my coworkers was trying to diagnose a rough running engine in the shop and during a road test the turbocharged blew apart... very hard to explain to a customer why they need 3k worth of work because their car will no longer run after they brought it into a shop.
Jul 2 2012 3:01PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
its fairly sketch, i would not drive with cv joints that are about to fall apart. You think about potentially what could happen and the damages would far outweigh the risk. If the outer axle joint fell apart while driving, the axle rear is still attached to your transmission and will be spinning with no resistance at that point, it will rip apart anything in its path.

If you go to a local part source, you can buy a cheap replacement axle with a core charge. You just pop out the old axle, slap the new one in and return it to get your core charge back. Axle replacement is very straight forward for the most part with no needed special tools, maybe just an oddball socket to get the axle nut off so scope that nut out before you start ripping and tearing because it can be a 12 point socket which most people do not have. If your joints are already click, the joints need replacement so you might as well get an axle so you dont have to deal with the mess of replacing joints and cv boots because the grease fucking sucks to deal with.
Jul 2 2012 3:06PM
0 0
profile picture
Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
I had my air conditioning on while I was driving home from a fly fishing/backpacking trip I was about 4 hours in and my vents started spewing like.. mist or vapor. It smelled like a dead rat too. Whats the deal? I drive a 2000 F-150 btw.
Jul 2 2012 3:08PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
no, not really. but it might rust there easier. Metal is weakened anywhere there is a bend/dent but with that said, i would low ball the dude and use it anyways.
Jul 2 2012 3:09PM
0 0
profile picture
PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
Yes this is what my mechanic recommended as well, just swap in a whole new axle. I have access to a full mechanic tool box as my deceased bro was a full time mechanic and we still have his loaded box.

Does that worst case scenario change at all if I have manual locking hubs in the front??? Like if I unlock my hubs that doesn't affect the inner axle at all does it?? Whole axle is still spinning it just unlocks the hub right.

Damnit I really didn't wanna do this in the next week or so. Guess I'll be calling my mechanic today to place an order. At least he's a family friend and will give me the parts on the cheap.
Jul 2 2012 3:12PM
0 0
profile picture
SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
I would still want to get it fixed proper before taking a long drive on it. I may be wrong, but the axle half-shaft would still be spinning at wheel RPM, just disengaged from the transmission. If the axle joint lets go, you will still have the half of the axle halfshaft that is connected to your wheel free to rip around and tear shit up really badly.

Once you've got the clicking in turns things go downhill pretty quickly.
Jul 2 2012 3:30PM
0 0
profile picture
PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
Well it made the last trip down there no problem, which is why I'm asking. Actually I'm asking because I'm a procrastinating cheapo, but that's neither here nor there.

I'm wondering about the manual lockers because I've heard of offroad dudes snapping front axles then driving home on them in rear wheel only.

Married life is makin ya soft man, 2.5 hours is no where near a long drive in my book ;)
Jul 2 2012 3:41PM
0 0
profile picture
tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
yeah, im not super up to date on locking diffs on 4x4 shit but i imagine it could not be good to put a diff under that much heat on a highway.

if an axle falls apart, it travels at transmission speed and bounces around under the car, so it doesnt matter if you have a front axle fall apart and you run off the rear because the front wheels are still spinning and flopping around an axle shaft.
Jul 2 2012 4:02PM
0 0
profile picture
PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
locking hubs not locking diff. I have to get out and turn the knobs on my wheels when I put it in 4 wheel. Regardless I think that doesn't help me in any way. Thanks for the help though man. I'm calling my mechanic either way. Was just hoping to not have to spend a hundo or two right before my birthday vacation. I slightly need rotors to so I was gonna do those if I had to rip apart the hub anyway.
Jul 2 2012 4:08PM
0 0
profile picture
llambert
Posts: 1005 - Karma: 81
are the tires balanced? and wheels aligned?
thats all i got
Jul 2 2012 5:15PM
0 0
profile picture
jibbinc.
Posts: 3355 - Karma: 2,497
the dist timing is set correctly. not sure about engine timing itself. new aifilter.
how could i check for intake restriction or a pinched fuel line?
Jul 2 2012 11:06PM
0 0
profile picture
TheDude
Posts: 2058 - Karma: 117
right, its stainless steel so i could just coat it with some spray hing and itll prevent corrosion right? my frieds dad said the same thing, so i guess ill hope on that, ty
Jul 3 2012 4:11AM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)