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

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

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

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

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

Austin: Enjoyed reading your e-books and seeing your approach to customer questions. Honest and forthright.

I have a fairly simple question: 1992 Chevy Silverado Pick up, 156.000 mi, quotes from my local independent mechanic for all brakes and muffler work was $2500+ depending on complications involved with an older truck. Decided to forge ahead with DIY efforts.

Replaced both front brakes and rotors (my son and I), everything went well. Considering doing the rear brakes and have lots of good advice on the web. It seems like it is complicated enough that I may run into problems and still need to take the truck to my local mechanic (who I have used for years and is terrific).

Question: Is replacing rear drum brakes and shoes likely to get me into trouble that will result in taking the truck to my mechanic anyway?

Thanks for your recommendations.

Bob

Hey there Bob,

Thanks for the email….and for checking your insurance rates.

The rear brakes can be a little tricky to get adjusted correctly without having them too tight and burn up your new brake shoes. That $2500 quote is WAYYYYYYYY to high.

I would charge you about $500 for the 4 wheel brake job (additional $150 if you need to replace the brake rotors instead of machining them smooth again) and about $525 for an aftermarket catalytic converter and muffler and pipes. You can get the muffler work done at a muffler shop and use aftermarket parts (not GM) and save a ton of cash.

I don’t see how the total repair could be more than $1300 on the high side.

Brake work is the most profitable repair in the shop….and I would suspect these guys really wanted to profit from you. As you probably found out if you bought the parts from your local auto supply….aftermarket brake parts are cheap!

I would buy the rear brake shoes, wheel cylinders and any rear axle seals depending on which type of axle you have and IF you need to remove the axles to get the drums off…..if you do, you need to replace the rear axle seals as well. If you have just a standard half ton, chances are you will not need the seals or have to remove the axles to get the drums off.

Buy your own parts and see if you can find a mechanic who will install them for you AND let you watch him, so you can do it next time. I would bet you could find someone to do this for about $150 in labor plus some brake fluid to bleed the brakes. Pay special attention to how they adjust the rear adjusters and which brake shoe goes in front and which one goes in back.

I think its like riding a bike…once you do it once, its pretty easy.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

I currently own a 2000 Chevy full size van that started giving me some problems. For starters, my speedometer stopped working. When that happened, it seemed that whenever I approach roughly 30-35 mph the van wants to shift but won’t and it feels like it may stall out. My battery has been living the short life lately.

We’ve already replaced the air filter, fuel filter, epr valve, some sensor, and none of these things have worked or even helped. Do you have any opinion on what might be causing my van malfunctions? Any suggestion would be wonderfully appreciated.

Hi there,

I would first take a look at your vehicle speed

sensor located towards the back of the transmission…and should have a two wire connector. If you want to take a wild guess….then buy the sensor and replace it, but remember this is just my off the top of my head guess.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Tags: rebuilt transmission, transmission, transmission mechanic, transmission repair

Hello again this is Donald and I was wondering if you could possibly help me out with this question I have a 1997 Monte Carlo with the 3100 V6 motor in it and I have been getting shit for gas milage lately and when the car starts in the morning it starts fine but when you warm it up and shut it off and leave it sit for about an hour and then go to start it again it wont start and stay running unless you push the accelorator to the floor to let the enging breathe.

I think it is getting to much gas and when it does start you can smell gas so today i took the vacum line off of the fuel pressure regulator and smelled it and it smells like gas and i dont think it is supposed to so i was wondering if maybe the fuel pressure regulotor was going bad in it what do you think and can you please tell me if it is hard to change.

Can anyone do it and if i need any special tools to go with it i have been getting about 22 mpg and should get like 29 hwy mpg right. Please email me back as soon as possible when you get this message.

Thanks Donald

Hey there Donald,

I think I would have your throttle body and idle speed control motor cleaned first and see what that does. If those items are dirty, they will cause rough idle, dying at idle, and slow/extended start complaints.

Also worn out spark plugs, spark plug wires, a weak fuel pump and a dirty fuel filter could also cause your complaint….but I don’t think you have a fuel pressure regulator problem from what you mentioned.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

When I picked up my car (1996 Chevy Lumina) from my mechanics shop, the VOLTS light came on immediately. The shop was closed and will not reopen until a week from Monday, and I desperately need my car and have little money.

The repair that was done: The EGR valve was cleaned out so the check engine light would go off. I was told the valve was packed (like cement). Is it possible the mechanic didn’t reconnect something that is now making the VOLTS light come on?

Are there easy things I can ask a mechanic to check so my car is driveable? My car book says not to drive the car with the VOLTS light on — right?

Thank you so much…I am quite upset.

CE

Hi CE,

I would first check all the fuses, and then I would check the battery cable connections and the alternator connections, then test the alternator.

That Volts light is ON because the computer is not seeing any electrical output from the alternator. You hopefully just have a bad fuse (there could be a fuse box under your hood as well as inside the vehicle) and not a bad alternator.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

I have a 1996 Chevy Blazer with a 4.3L. It all of a sudden started stalling out at idle or when I’m at a stop light. I also hear like a hissing noise when I push the brake.

This noise is coming from under the dash inside the truck. I believe this is making the truck idle rough and stall out. As each day goes by its getting worse. Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Rollie

Hi there Rollie,

It sounds like you have a bad vacuum brake power booster, or the check valve or hose going to the booster has a hole in it causing a vacuum leak. Make sure the rubber vacuum hose is plugged into the brake booster and there are no leaks in the hose.

They usually offer a rebuilt brake booster without the master cylinder, so you can just remove and replace the booster without having to re-bleed the brake lines.

You can also buy a booster from a junk yard, but I would use YOUR existing master cylinder not the one that has been sitting up in the junk yard for years..

Here is a picture of what the items I mentioned look like under the hood

Blessings,
Austin Davis