Popular questions

This may be a sign of warped brake rotors. As you may know, when you press on your brake pedal, this activates a hydraulic pressure which forces small pistons inside your brake calipers to push the brake pads against the...

Hi Kendra, Your idle air control valve as you may know monitors air intake as it enters the engine while the computer uses this info to make adjustments to the air/fuel ratio. When this is dirty or not working properly,...

Like the Check Engine Light, the glow plug light on late model diesels can come on to indicate a problem in the engine control system. Even when the light is out, there should be a trouble code stored in the...

Just like with motor oils, different operating environments require different characteristics of different grease products. For example, some characteristics of the grease to consider are the temperature tolerance and the "shear" qualities. Do tolerances get tighter with operating temperatures? What...

It would be difficult to determine the exact cause of this issue without physically inspecting the vehicle. However, I can recommend that if it is possible for you, I would replace the engine with another new or rebuilt engine and...

This problem is most likely caused by worn strut bearings. This component supports the weight of the vehicle at each front wheel, but also has to allowing turning of the wheels. When worn, the bearings tend to make noises when...

Hi there. Remove the water pump to the vehicle and clean it off. On the pump you will see a part number which would be the number for a retail parts store to cross reference. When having a parts store...

If your manual says to change the oil at 8000 miles then this is the official manufacturer recommendation. You have the choice to change the oil and filter sooner, but you will still need to monitor the oil level every...

The accelerator pedal position sensor is a common failure item as well the the throttle position sensor in the throttle body assembly. Either sensor can cause similar performance concerns. The cause of these problems usually result in a diagnostic code...

Danny. We appreciate you contacting us and asking questions - but this issue with your Dakota is something that we really can't "guess" at what might be normal or is wrong with your Dakota. Any responsible mechanic would insist on...

Hello. Keys can get stuck in the ignition in several ways. These causes can be electrical or mechanical. If mechanical, the key may be bent. The ignition cylinder can also get dirt and debris stuck inside of it causing a...

Hello - you don't mention a power interruption to the vehicle (such as changing the battery), but it sounds as though the battery may have been disconnected, and the steering angle sensor (part of the EPS system) needs to be...

Hi there. The 1 - 2 shift accumulator spring has broken and needs replace in the transmission. To do this, drop the transmission oil pan and oil. On the back right side of the transmission on the inside you will...

Your vehicle has a recall for the alternator cable shorting on the power steering line after the insulation gets rubbed through. The recall is for inspecting and replacing the alternator and alternator wiring. The recommendation I have is to contact...

It sounds like you may have overheated the engine or a head and intake gasket blew out. This would account for the white smoke from the tail pipe. The loss of brakes was most likely due to the engine's loss...

It is more likely to be a transmission related issue. You might want to also check and see if the brake, or emergency brake, at the suspect wheel position is sticking. If so, that could account for the symptom you...

The 3.5 l motor in this vehicle is an interference motor and if your timing belt has jumped timing then you may have bent a valve in the engine causing the loss of power. A timing belt does not just...

Hi John. When your engine is turned on, the immobilizer light should briefly turn on. This lets you know that the security system is working; if the immobilizer light does not briefly come on, the system is not functioning properly....

Hi There, What you are describing sounds like potentially a faulty transmission control solenoid. As you know, automatic transmissions use pressurized hydraulic fluid to change gears. Every time a gear change is required, the car's computer activates a transmission solenoid,...

With the high miles on the vehicle, the first thing I would check would be to get to the crankshaft pulley with the proper tool and attempt to turn the engine over by hand. If the engine is very hard...

This is a difficult set of symptoms to diagnose without more detail, however it sounds like you may have an electrical short somewhere causing the gauges and switches to fail. I would suggest having an expert from YourMechanic come to...

There are several components that can cause these types of symptoms. Issues that cause poor performance and shaking can be fuel, air, spark, electronic, or mechanical problems. The good news is that the Check Engine Light has come on. This...

I would imagine that the camera is supposed to be mounted to the rear view mirror as a dash cam. Dash cams are good in the event that you are involved in an automobile accident or if someone attempts to...

Hello. If the bolt is gone then it either broke or loosened. If it simply fell out then the bracket is fine. I usually check the bracket hole to make sure that the threads are still there. If the threads...