Reflashing Job Takes a Different Turn
He goes on to explain that it is a 2002 PT Cruiser, and it starts overheating whenever he runs the A/C and sits in traffic. He traced it down to the fan relay and replaced it with a new one. Apparently that solution didn’t work, so he was trying to bypass the relay to get it to turn on the fan, and smoke started coming out of the computer. So he got a used [computer] and put it in but it still wouldn’t start. He said D.J. said it needed to be flashed and that I could do that. He added, “I could bring it to you, as I already have it loaded on a trailer.”
Lexus’ RX Series: What’s Its Future?
The Lexus brand has been around for two decades now. Toyota saw that Honda had a good thing going with Acura so Toyota jumped into the luxury market and moved into first place with European-type designs, good product and new ideas. This crossover segment, as it was first called, was a smaller SUV that used a car platform (uni-body) and a four-wheel-drive (4WD) system with higher ground clearance than a conventional car.
Deal with High Current and Intermittent Failures
Tips for troubleshooting intermittent failures and no-starts
What is your knee-jerk reaction when a vehicle rolls into your bay with the following concern: intermittent no-start? Personally, I usually like to know the make and model of the vehicle so I can tag it with a pattern-case failure (and I will revisit this point a little later), but this can often lead me to dangerous and time-wasting conclusions.
F-150 Throttle’s Sensor Goes Amuck
Seemingly subtle variances in signals from sensors can trigger major changes in fuel and emission controls. Such was the case in my most-recent adventure into solving a drivability problem for a friend who owns a shop across town from me. This fellow doesn’t give up on problem jobs and sends cars to the dealer only for absolutely necessary things such as programming of computers. When we discussed the problem he was having with this 2004 Ford F-150 5.4 engine, it sounded like a problem that wouldn’t be too difficult to resolve.
Serviceability Report: Hyundai Sonata
In this article, we will examine the 2006 Sonata versus the 2011. It should also be noted that Hyundai has cooperated with the National Automotive Service Task Force in a thoughtful way. Hyundai and its other company, Kia, are the only car companies that post all their service information on their Web sites for free. Every wiring diagram, technical-service bulletin, body manual, you name it. Hyundai and Kia have shown, in this way, support for aftermarket shops like no other company.
What is ‘Fretting Corrosion’?
You may have heard the term fretting corrosion recently and wondered what is going on with this odd-sounding phrase. Fretting is defined by Merriam-Webster as “to pass away the time,” but it also means “to gnaw, chew or corrode,” and it is the second definition that can cause technicians to spend too much time experiencing the first. Fretting corrosion can cause time-consuming intermittent failures in a myriad of vehicle systems, and it can be difficult to find.
Grand Am No-Start Presents Challenge
I haven’t thought about that dream for a long time. Then I found myself working on this ’93 Pontiac Grand Am no-start. It’s a 3.3-liter V-6. It has the characteristic look of a car that has been saved for slow times, judging from the rusty belt (Figure 1).
Serviceability Report: Nissan Altima
In 1993, Nissan discontinued its much-criticized Stanza, replacing it with the U.S.-made Altima, which, like the Stanza, is a compact car. The very first Altima rolled off the assembly line June 15, 1992, as a 1993 model. All Altimas were built in Smyrna, Tenn., until June 2004, when Nissan’s Canton, Miss., plant began producing additional Altimas to meet high demand.
Those Pesky Lean-Condition Codes
This particular vehicle gave us two codes: P0171 and P0174. It is important to note that neither of the codes was current; they appeared only under “Memory Codes.” In a situation like this, I look at freeze-frame data, and we had the following data snapshot from when the code set: vehicle speed, 38 mph; coolant temperature, 189°F; long-term fuel trim for both engine banks was at 14% and 17%; engine speed, 1,803 rpm (Figure 2).
Car Gets New Life After Revamped DME System
The car sitting in front of my bay was towed in last night for a no-start problem. Looking at it gives me that “Here-I-go-again” feeling. The chalky paint is oxidized from infrared overexposure. A greenish hue of lichens blankets the exposed upper surfaces. The tags have been expired for two years. Disturbed ants crawl along the inner fender seam, originating from a bra that covers the front of the vehicle. There are no leaves or maple seeds in the cowl vents, so I assume it might have been residing in an apartment complex (covered parking) or perhaps a subdivision.
Serviceability Report: Volvo S40
In the summer of 1995, the first S40 was built in a Dutch factory that originally produced the DAF (Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek). This was a joint venture among the Dutch government, Volvo and Mitsubishi. In 1999, Ford Motor Co. – the world’s most-profitable carmaker at that time – bought the automobile operations of Swedish-based Volvo for $6.45 billion. This is a figure slightly less than Ford’s 1998 profits of $6.57 billion. As of this writing, Volvo is for sale and may end up in the hands of the Chinese automotive company Geely – so Ford can get back to basics.
Getting Down to Business
I have been in this business a long time, and I still relish the feeling when I find the fault and fix the car. The root cause is the critter I’m always on the prowl for, and I will use any weapon I can find to bag that beast. That often means extra hours and every resource in my shop; however, I have been fortunate lately to catch some interesting issues fairly quickly by using the correct tool. Following are some situations I’ve encountered recently. Which tool would you use to correct them?
