Reader Question

I HAVE A 1996 CHEVY LUMINA V6 IT STALLS AFTER I DRIVE IT FOR AWHILE.. USUALLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO 100RPMS OR LESS AND WHEN I STOP. SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT COILS BUT WHEN I WENT TO CHECK PRICES THERE WHERE SO MANY. CAN U GIVE ME SOME HELP PLEASE? THANKS JODY

Hello there Jody,

The very first thing I would do is clean your throttle body and idle air control motor. You can get just about any repair shop and most fast lube places to do this for you, usually while you wait. Its cheap and easy to do and should be part of your regular maintenance routine anyway.

A dirty throttle body can cause slow starts with extended cranking, rough irratic idle speed and dying at slow speeds and stops. The engine will usually start back up with little problem. A problem with the coil or ignition module will usually not allow the engine to restart until those parts have had time to cool down….about 30 minutes. here is a some what related article

Engine Dies At Slow Speeds or at Stop Signs

Keep me posted.

–
Blessings, Austin Davis

Reader Question

Hello,

I recently replaced the rear brake shoes on my 2005 Chevy Silverado 1500 and now i am getting a horrible sqealing sound out of them. The squealing happens a few feet before the truck comes to a stop and for a long time after I have released the brakes.

I contacted a GM dealer and spoke with a technician and he claimed there was nothing I could do, that it was the shoes vibrating against the drum in turn causing the squealing. Is this true or is he B.S-ing me? I didnt turn the drums when I replaced the shoes, do you think that could be the problem? Would buying a new pair of drums solve my problem? Please help!
Jake

Hey there Jake,

You should always turn the drums when installing new brake shoes, so I would definitely recommend you remove them and send them to your local auto parts store so they can turn them for you. I doubt you need to replace them, just have them refinished….”turned”. You really should always install new wheel cylinders when you do a drum brake job as well.

I would highly suspect an installation error though causing this noise. Once you remove the drums, looks closely to see if you can see where anything was rubbing. Check the self adjusters to make sure they are not stuck, or not set correctly and the rear brakes are out of adjustment. When do it yourself’er do a drum brake job they usually get the self adjusters installed wrong, install the brake shoes backwards…there is a primary shoe and a secondary shoe, or get one of the brake springs installed wrong.

Look at the wear one the brake shoe itself and it should show you where the shoe is coming in contact with the drum, it should be fairly even. If in doubt, have your auto parts store show you which shoe is the primary shoe and which shoe goes on first.

You should also be able to turn the rear wheels by hand once you get the vehicle off the ground, if not you have the brakes adjusted too tight or there is a problem with the self adjusters etc. etc.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Reader Question

I have a 1996 Chevy Suburban 6.5 diesel 4×4…I will just tell u issue im having now… When u drive the truck it shifts normal but after about 15 mins or so of driving, shifting becomes harder. after say 25-30 mins of driving, If i make a stop at a light or something, when i take off, it will drive but will not shift at all…

Thank you for your time.

David

Howdy David,

It does sound like you have an internal transmission issue…and will probably require an overhaul or replacement.

Check the transmission fluid level first and top off as needed. normally I would not recommend you change the internal transmission filter….but it sounds like you are out of options anyway, so you might as well spend a little money and replace the internal filter and install clean fluid. this can sometimes make a worn out transmission WORSE, but I dont think it is going to hurt you much in this situation.

If you are on a tight budget and willing to take a little risk…you can buy a used transmission from a junk yard in your area and have your local mechanic install it for you. they usually offer an extended warranty for a small fee.

You might also want to call your local GM dealer PARTS department and see what they get for a GM rebuilt transmission, I think they offer them for this model. Might cost a tad more than getting yours rebuilt BUT you get a nation wide GM warranty and not all the hassle of dealing with a local transmission shop….which can be a REAL pain!

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Reader Question

Hi Mr. Davis…
I have a quick question. My mechanic said that I need to remove the timing chain to install a water pump on a 1998 Chevy Cavalier. It’s a 4 cylinder, 2.2 engine (I think).

He said it has to be taken out and then put back in (extra work… extra $$) to install the water pump.
Can you please let me know if this is right or do you think I’m being scammed just because I’m a woman?
Thanks for your quick and honest response!!!!
-Jennifer

Hi there Jennifer,

To the best of my recollection your engine does have a metal timing chain and not a rubber timing belt like most Japanese vehicles use. Usually if there is a rubber timing belt the water pump is driven by that belt, so if you replace the timing belt it is a good idea to replace the water pump…and vice versus.

With a metal timing chain engine, you usually do not replace the chain periodically like you would a rubber timing belt and the water pump is usually not driven by the chain, so you can replace the water pump without having to remove the timing chain. I honestly do not remember ever having to remove the timing chain on a Cavalier to replace the water pump, but some year models do differ from others and some repair times can differ greatly among year models of the same vehicle.

I don’t have a repair manual for your exact vehicle handy to me at the moment, so I would HIGHLY suggest you call 2 more repair shops and get an estimate from them for replacing the water pump. I would also HIGHLY recommend you take the vehicle to another shop for a second opinion on a faulty water pump to begin with.

If you are leaking coolant/antifreeze you need to have a “cooling system pressure test” performed, which just about any repair shop or quick lube place can do for you while you wait. If this mechanic is wrong with his repair procedure he might also be wrong with his diagnosis.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Reader Question

Had a shop replace the spark plugs in 2005 Monte Carlo. Two days later the check engine light came on and was running rough, they checked it out and found they had put the wrong plugs in.

They put the old plugs in but the check engine light still would not go out, their computer said it was the number 4 plug wire and the number 1 plug. I just took the car into the dealership and they told me that it was the number 4 and number 1 injectors clogged.

My question is: Is it possible that the first shop messed something up that caused the injectors to go bad? This was not a problem prior to them working on my car.

Thank you

Tina

Hello Tina,

I dont think the first shop is to blame, but I do find it unusual that you have two clogged injectors….that is rare, at least in my high volume repair shop. I would have guessed you had a spark plug or spark plug problem, but not a clogged injector problem.

You can have your injectors cleaned….and hopefully if the dealership is correct with their diagnosis you wont need to have anything else done. You might want to ask the dealership to replace your fuel filter as well just as preventive maintenance.

Blessings,

Austin Davis