Q: Brake pedal difficult to press - 1993 Oldsmobile 98

Get a Toyota Corolla (https://www.yourmechanic.com/scheduled-maintenance/toyota-corolla/) or Camry (https://www.yourmechanic.com/scheduled-maintenance/toyota-camry/). Just don't buy a hybrid car. I'm against hybrid cars of any particular make because they are so high-tech, and when they break, they can cost a fortune. You can buy a...

Hello. A few things I would check are the throttle body (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-throttle-body), the idle air control valve (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-idle-control-valve), and the vacuum hoses. A dirty throttle body or idle air control valve can cause the idle to fluctuate. I would also...

Hi there, thank you for writing in about your 1997 Jaguar XJ6. The poor mileage and a rough idle is potentially due to a bad coolant temperature sensor (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/coolant-temperature-switch-sensor-replacement) or a broken wire to this sensor (the coolant temp sensor...

Hello. If the transmission is on the vehicle it has to be diagnosed. Although there are a lot of parts in a transmission, conceptually it is actually pretty simply. There are electronic control circuits, electrically actuated solenoids, and hydraulically actuated...

Hello there, thank you for asking about your 1992 Mazda MX-3. This may be caused by a variety of problems such as a vacuum leak or potentially a faulty idle air control valve. The high idle suggests that there may...

Hi, thanks for your question. You should check the MAP sensor (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-manifold-absolute-pressure-sensor-map-sensor) first to see if it is reading the correct altitude for your location. Sometimes the sensor will read that you are at 10000 feet when you are at...

Hi there. The code P0420 (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/p0420-obd-ii-trouble-code-catalyst-system-efficiency-below-threshold-bank-1-by-jamahl-walker) means that the catalytic converter is below threshold and cannot burn off any emissions in the exhaust stream. The O2 sensors have pickup this fault and put the engine into limp mode. As for...

For the idle condition, check the (IAC) Idle Air Control Valve (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/idle-control-valve-replacement) and see if its plugged up. You can take it off and clean it and then put it back on. If the idle continues to be irreratic, then...

Hi there - there are a couple of possibilities for this problem. Worst case is that during the ignition modification, the tachometer was somehow shorted, and is not non-functional. More likely is a lack of the proper "trigger" path from...