Hi,

I was checking your website and its great how you are helping out people like myself with common automotive problems.

I need your expert opinion about an overheating problem I am having with my car.

Car: Honda Civic 1996
Motor Miles: 130,000

Problem: The car does not overheat in normal driving conditions. But with the air conditioner turned on, when I am pushing the motor to more than 5000rpms, the needle starts creeping upwards from the half way mark and then comes down again when I settle down to between 3-3500rpms. Also while driving uphill, the car starts overheating and I have to turn the air conditioner off so that the temperature settles down. While driving on highways or in stop and go traffic there is no overheating problem.

There are no coolant leaks, no signs of head gasket failure, water pump and thermostat were replaced last year when I was replacing the timing belt. Radiator fins look fine from the outside and are not clogged. Radiator fan’s airflow is normal as well and it turns off and on at the right interval.

The lower radiator hose has a slight bulge at the part where it connects to the thermostat. I think it needs replacement, but I don’t think that is causing any overheating issues. I got my valves and timing adjusted from the Honda dealership, thinking that it might be a timing related issue. But that didn’t solve the problem.

Now the only thing that I can think of is a clogged radiator core. I would appreciate it if you could give your expert opinion on the above problem.

Sorry for the long email, I wanted to be accurate with the problem description so as to give you a better picture of the problem. I appreciate your feedback on the same.

Regards
Naeem

Hello Naeem,

I would be highly suspect of a restricted radiator that needs to be replaced……….not flushed, flushing will not remove the rust and mineral deposits at the bottom of the radiator. You can buy a fairly inexpensively from your local auto supply rather than the Honda dealer.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

I got my oil changed last night.. and as I was driving away the oil light came on and then my whole engine died… the owner came to check on it and the mechanic had forgot to put oil in my car! They have said they will fix the problem but I was just wondering is the whole engine shot? What would you do in this situation?
Thank you
Connie

Hello Connie,

I have seen this happen twice, and both times the engine was toast. How do you know if the engine is damaged? If you hear anything knocking or clicking inside the engine area with the hood up and engine running, smoke out the tailpipe, lack of power or sluggishness etc. etc. I would be HIGHLY suspect of internal engine damage.

You could have gotten lucky since the computer system shut the engine down once it realized there was no oil pressure. Fill the engine with oil and take it for a test drive and see what happens. At any rate, the mechanic is liable, and hopefully will either call his insurance company and file a claim or pay for the repairs out of his own pocket.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Austin,

I made a mistake. I had the transmission fluid changed in my 2000 Ford Explorer XLT w/4.0L V6 and automatic transmission and now the transmission is slipping badly. Since I have been to your site today (which I found through Google and I see that you are in Houston as well), I have read your advise on high mileage transmissions that have not been serviced not to change the fluid at all.

Your reasoning for not changing the fluid makes perfect sense to me as a mechanical engineer. I should have left well enough alone. My vehicle was operating fine before but with the high miles that it has I wanted to perform preventive maintenance and changing the fluid was not something that seemed counterintuitive until I read your advise just now.

My question, and this is taking a long shot, is there any way the grittiness can be returned to the transmission to remediate the loss of friction with the new fluid? In other words, could shaving-sized metal pieces (The idea sounds crazy I know) be put back into the new fluid to restore friction?

Asking this question makes me think of the Bar’s Leaks radiator repair fluid which has metal shavings. And actually, since I’ve started writing this email, I’ve visited the Bar’s Leaks website and it appears they make a transmission repair fluid. They don’t say specifically how it works but knowing how the radiator fluid works I think I can make the assumption. Would this fluid help and would you recommend it?

Thank you,

Stephen

Yo Steven,

Wish I had better news for you man…..but its time to buy a transmission or another vehicle. If you like this vehicle and want to keep it another few years, I would HIGHLY suggest you buy a rebuilt transmission from your local Ford dealer and have your local mechanic install it. It will cost a bit more than getting yours overhauled, but you will get a nationwide warranty and it will be installed in a day.

If you just want to get it running and sell it, you might want to start calling junk yards and find a used one and get your local mechanic to install it for you. You can sometimes buy an extended warranty from the junk yard…if you care to.

I have not seen or used any type of fluid additive that will return the transmission back to its pre-flush state…..sorry!

I sold my shop years ago and now am just working on line, other wise I would like the job.

Call Tommie Vaughn Ford parts department and ask for Sal or Craig Cook, and tell them Austin from Master Auto Service said to give you the best price possible for a rebuilt AER Ford transmission.

You can also sell this vehicle “as is” on craigslist and use that money you would have spent on a nice down payment on a used vehicle.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

My 1998 for Taurus idles a bit then shut off. it has also cut off at stop lights and stop sighs. the check engine light has been on for a while but I did nothing because my husband left the gas cap off before and it came on and the ford technician said that was the cause and said I could unhook the battery cables and it would go back off.

I did this and it went off but came back on. Also this started happening when I let my daughter drive the car and she put fuel in the car and said she experienced the problem I described and then went to advanced auto and they told her to put some fuel injection treatment/cleaner which she did. . what could be the problem.

Hi there,

I would first have your local mechanic or a fast lube place clean your throttle body and idle control motor and see what happens. Here is more about it on my blog

Car dies at stops

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Hello,

I have an 2002 Kia Optima and my driver said window has a crunchy noise when I move it down and it won’t go down very far??? They are power windows.

Genesis

Hello Genesis,

you most likely either have one of the following:

1. The window glass itself is not properly in the track (glass might be loose or sag inward more than the passenger side does)
2. The window “Regulator” is cracked or broken and will need to be replaced. The regulator basically holds the glass in place as it moved up and down. Its flemsy, plastic and with 7 years of age I would not be surprised if it has broken.

either way, the interior door panel has to come off for inspection, so make sure your mechanic is capable of doing that kind of work….most small shops sub out window glass regulator installations, so ask who they use. Look under “auto window glass” in your phone book or websearch, you might find a mobile company that comes to your work to do the repairs.

Regulator is only available at the dealership, so you will have to go there anyway if that is what is wrong, you might want to ask the service department how much they charge to do the installation so you can compare.

We would charge $150 in labor plus the part

hope that helps

Blessings,
Austin Davis
http://www.trustmymechanic.com
http://www.myhonestmechanic.com

My name is Debbie, I am fifteen years old and there is a van that was offered to me for “free”. The transmission is broken, but everything else is fine. I need to pay for the transmission to be fixed. It is a 2003 Ford Windstar. I would like to know if it would be possible to fix it and how much it would cost to get it repaired.

Thank You,
Debbie

Hi there Debbie,

The BEST way to approach this would be to see if your local Ford dealer parts department offers a rebuilt “AER Rebuilt Transmission” for this vehicle, if they do that would be my highest recommendation. You will pay a little more for it rather than having your current transmission overhauled BUT you will get a Ford warranty guaranteed at any Ford dealer in the US and I have had the best luck with their rebuilt transmissions rather than the local transmission shop.

You buy the part from the parts department and have your local mechanic, or any repair shop install it for you. I would charge you about $575 to install it and take 1-2 days…..a transmission shop will keep your car for 4-5 days to overhaul your transmission and the warranty you get is only good at their shop, so if you are out of town….you are on your own.

This repair is going to cost a lot of money….like $2200-2500, BUT if you are sure the rest of the vehicle is ok, you will probably get your money back when you go to sell it one day. If you are not sure about the rest of teh vehicle, you might want to spend that money on a down payment on a new or 2 year old used vehicle that still has a warranty.

Last alternative, buy a used transmission from a junk yard and have your mechanic install it, this is risky because you don’t know the condition of the transmission BUT sometimes the junk yard will sell you a warranty.

Best of luck!

–
Blessings,
Austin Davis
http://www.trustmymechanic.com
http://www.myhonestmechanic.com

Hi Austin,

I’m a student in the market for a reliable, cheap car to get me from home to work and back. I have been offered a 1991 Eclipse (manual) with a rebuilt engine (90,000 miles) by a local mechanic for $2500. On a test drive, when I accelerated heavily and pushed the car, the engine suddenly jerked and the car lurched and the “check engine” light came on.

This happened about three times, everytime after I pushed the car (once in third, twice in fifth). I returned the car and the mechanic thinks its an electrical problem that cuts out the engine, but something he can fix. I dont know if I should trust this guy, or if I should trust a car with a replaced engine. Im a first time buyer with no idea what Im doing. What are your thoughts?

Thanks a lot,

Dhruv

Hi there Dhruv,

I would steer clear of this car, its too old, has a known problem, and if the mechanic really knew what the problem was he would have already repaired it….unless it costs BIG bucks! If you can afford $185 a month for a car note, I would HIGHLY suggest you visit your local KIA dealership and see if they have an 08 Rio or an 09 Kia Rio you can test drive. You also might check to see if there is an 07 Rio on their used car lot.

These cars are great for first time car buyers, they are roomy, plenty of power, very fuel effiecient, and economical with a super warranty. As a student you can not afford costly breakdowns, and I would rather pay $180 a month for a NEW car with no chance of breakdowns than an older car you know you are going to have to put big money into.

Kia usually offers first time car buyer and college student discounts, and with your $2,000 downpayment it should get the monthly payment at the $180 or lower level and you will have a brand new car. NEVER pay sticker price, which you can usually deduct $3000-5000 from the sticker price, so dont worry what the sticker says on the car, its a total lie.

You can probably get a new 09 Rio for $11,500 with electric windows and locks and auto trans and a/c. Play hardball!!!! Buying a new car is not easy, its a total con game. I usually make a super low ball offer and then tell them I am leaving and they can call my cell if they change their minds and accept the price.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Hey there,

I Have a 1999 Buick Century, it has about 200,000 miles on it. I took it to a shop to get my Manifold Intake Gasket Fixed, and I Told them about my car having this jerking sensation. They said they would look at it but they never said a thing to me about it so I continued driving it, the jerking became worse until the car wouldn’t go any higher that 30 miles an hour.

Turns out I had a leak in my transmission, and I had been driving it without any oil. So I had someone rebuilt my transmission, the car now runs but The jerking is back, it has trouble shifting from 1st into 2nd gear. At about the 20mph mark the car kind of jerks like someone has a rope tied to the back of the car and is trying to pull me backwards.

Its not a strong jerk and it only pulls once, but it is always right at the 20mph, all of the other gears shift perfectly. I can’t seem to get a hold of the guy who fixed it. But I was wondering if you could be so nice as to tell me what could be wrong.

Do you think he could have not rebuilt the transmission right? Do you think If I got a transmission oil change it would help? When the guy gave me the car back he said I would need a transmission oil change in a month. I Spent a lot of money to get my transmission rebuilt and I don’t have much money left so if it is a serious problem do you know a simple and/or inexpensive way I could stop the jerking?

Thanks

Crystal

Hey there Crystal,

I dont think changing the transmission fluid will have anything to do with this…..the fluid should be brand new. He suggested you change the fluid in a month just encase there are any metal shavings or any other dirt or debris that is still floating around inside the transmission from the repair.

I would think you could have a transmission adjustment problem, that any transmission shop can help adjust for you, or you might have an engine problem like a bad spark plug wire causing an engine missfire….which can feel like a transmission problem.

I would find another transmission shop and have one of the employees go for a ride around the block with you so they feel this problem. Hopefully this is just an adjustment issue which can be easily corrected.

Follow Up Question

Okay I will let you know what the transmission people say. Im a little worried to drive it though, you don’t think it will die before I can get it somewhere do you? And if it does do you have a quick remedy I can use to atleast get it to the shop? Ive heard trans-x works well for transmissions.

Hello Again Crystal

Im afraid I cant really offer anything else….but DO NOT use ANY kind of additive in this transmission, they wont help, and you will void what ever warranty you have. I do highly suggest you have the transmission fluid LEVEL checked and topped off with transmission fluid as needed.

I have a 1999 Nissan Sentra GXE with 109,000 miles on it. It has a dial odometer and tripometer. Yesterday, they both froze. Most people would think this is a blessing (stop mileage counting) (LOL), but I would like to fix it.

I guess what my question to you is what are the possible problems?
The user manual doesn’t say much. I don’t have a Chiltons of Haynes book. I checked to see if it was a fuse (in the fuse box, there is one marked “meter”.

I changed this, with no avail. btw-the manual gives no help here).
Due to tampering, I’m sure it’s complicated, I just want to fix it. I can’t tell how many miles I’m going, and I use the vehicle for business purposes.

Thanks for any help.
David

Hello David,

I am not real sure if this vehicle is using a VSS, Vehicle Speed Sensor to get the data for the speedometer, or if it has an old fashioned speedo cable……I would call the Nissan dealership PARTS department and ask them. I would suspect either a bad VSS, or broken speedo cable.

There could be something wrong inside the speedometer “head” the part you look at in the dash, and if so you might be better off price wise to call a junk yard in your area and buy a used speedo head that is close to your current mileage and pay your local mechanic to install it for you.

Most major cities will have a speedometer shop that specializes in stuff like this, so you might want to check your phone book or look online in your area. The VSS is not too difficult to install (for your mechanic) if you want to take a guess at it before you buy a used speedometer head.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Follow up

I forgot to mention that the Speedometer (and everything else on the dash) is still working correctly. I don’t know if that changes your opinion.
Thanks! David

Hey David

Tthat does not change things…..actually reinforces my guesses.

keep me posted as to what you find out will ya?

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Follow up

I also notices a “ticking” noise from behind the dashboard this morning. Can that narrow it down to the “head”?
Thanks. David

David,

Yes, that would make me very suspect of an internal problem with the speedometer head. If you buy a used one, you want to buy the whole “instrument panel cluster” that is everything in the dash….gauges, speedo, etc. etc.

It just snaps into place, and you can snap in the new “used one”, just make darn sure you compare them carefully and they match 100%. I would guess a used one to be about $100 or so and maybe $75-100 to install it?

If you call around to a speedometer shop, you need the speedometer head repaired. Its probably cheaper to buy a used cluster from a junk yard….just my guess.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Reader Follow Up

Hey Austin, I wanted to give you an update. I decided to buy a new speedo head from Nissan, instead of trying to get one from a junkyard. It was about $130. Not too bad.

We replaced it, very easy. My best friend (and cousin) is a mechanic (specializes in Mini and BMW) did it at his shop. He just charged me lunch (and some beer from my brewery).
Thanks for all your advice.
-DG

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