Popular questions

You will need to do a pressure test on the cooling system to see if there is coolant leaking from the radiator or the head gasket. The other test is to do a compression test on all the cylinders and...

Hi there. The coolant temperature sensor (CTS) is not working correctly. The sensor is sending a signal that the engine is already warm and when the engine first starts up, it needs more fuel a rich mixture to produce more...

Your Battery Saver Light comes on because your car is seeing a lower than expected battery voltage. When you see the light, your car will turn off certain electrical loads in order to save the battery from being unable to...

Without knowing the reason behind the failure, it is impossible to assess future failures. Is there anything you can do? Yes! For your part, be aware of any recognizable signs that you may have noticed prior to the failure of...

Hello, thank you for writing in. The vehicle is overheating, and the other symptoms are related to it. If it has overheated passed a certain point, there may have been major damage done to the engine. At this point, the...

Hello, thanks for writing in. The computer will go into a failure mode and may not allow the electronic throttle to open if it detects a major computer or sensor fault. There can be many possible failures that will cause...

A faulty mass air sensor can cause rough running due to the injection mapping being improperly set. Unplugging the sensor can, in some cases, cause the rough running to clear up as a fault is set and the engine computer...

There are many sensors on a car that the computer relies to tell it what is happening. Things like engine temperature, air density, elevation above sea level, ambient temperature, etc., are all readings that your cars computer uses to determine...

The front passenger occupant classification system is designed to keep the driver and front passenger safe. Several features work together to accomplish this goal and to give you peace of mind. A seat belt reminder light will come on...

Hello! If there was a loud ticking noise you may have some internal engine damage. But I wouldn't go replacing the lifters just yet. I would recommend checking what is leaking first. If you're doing the upper gasket it is...

It is normal for the security light to come on when turning the key to the on position, as the system goes through a series of checks. Once the light goes off, the vehicle is clear to start. This may...

This vehicle should not be run any at all until it can be diagnosed and repaired. In cases where coolant has been put into the engine, this can damage various engine components such as the bearings, pistons and crankshaft....

Stock wiper blades are pretty generic in terms of quality. Most manufactures choose cost over quality when it comes to wiper blades. If you want a dependable long lasting wiper blade I recommend rain x latitude blades. I've had a...

Hi there. When there is white smoke emitting from the exhaust system, that is a sign of coolant in the exhaust system. Check the coolant level and see if its low. If the coolant is low, then check the engine...

Hello. Try checking underneath the steering column where there should be two torque headed screws that connect the shift lever to the cable. These tend to get loose or even fall out sometimes. There are also bushings in the shifter...

Hello! Thank you for writing in about this problem. This is a fairly common issue with this generation of the Tacoma model. Most of it likely comes down to poor paint prep, thin coating, or contamination when the vehicle was...

Most vehicles have two maintenance schedules to choose from which are normal, and heavy duty. The reason for the heavy duty schedule is for drivers who do a lot of stop-and-go driving, excessive idling (police), driving in dusty conditions, or...

The cooling fans work according to relays that detect temperature and cause them to turn off and on. When these relays are not working properly, this will cause them to come on all the time, not at all or intermittently....

Diagnostic Trouble Codes, such as the two codes that were retrieved at the first shop, cannot be used to "directly" condemn parts. Rather, these Codes are merely clues that are used to inform an actual diagnostic. But, short of an...

Hello. If the caliper will not release from the rotor then the brake line should be cracked open first to see if there is pressure int he hydraulic system that is keeping it locked up. If not then the caliper...

Hello. The squeaky drive belt was the cause of the problem. It has likely failed. The water pump, which is driven by the drive belt, is responsible for the flow of coolant through the cooling system and the heater core....

Hi there. It is possible that this is something that you should be concerned with. It can be low brake fluid or it may be a wheel speed sensor problem. If you have different tires then this will also occur....

Hi and thanks for contacting YourMechanic. Looks like the coolant is coming from the rear freeze plug on the back of the engine. For this issue, I would recommend putting coolant dye in the cooling system and run the engine...