The air conditioning compressor adds significant load to the engine. The compressor can be considered a small engine itself. Much in the way pistons compress air and fuel to power the vehicle, the internals of the a/c compressor compress refrigerant...
This problem would need further diagnosis to see if you are losing fuel pressure or spark when the vehicle stalls like it ran out of fuel. You most likely are losing fuel pressure from a bad fuel pump. Have a...
Hi, thanks for writing in. If you have replaced both of the O2 sensors on bank 2, and reset the fail codes, it may still take a certain number of start/run cycles before the ECM (engine computer) decides it's okay...
The question would need to be more specific. When changing out a motor with a used motor is hard enough to get the same year engine to work correct. You want to change out to use a more modern motor...
At key on, without the engine running, warning lights will normally illuminate as a "bulb check". Once the engine starts, if all warning lights turn off, then you are OK and there is nothing amiss. However, if any warning lights...
Hi Mari. Thanks for sending your question to us today. In most cases, a lack of acceleration like you're describing is due to the transmission slipping. Sometimes this is due to dirty transmission fluid while in other cases, it's a...
Yes, it is safe to attach a battery charger to the trunk power lugs. Just make sure nothing metallic can touch both lugs at once to avoid a short, and possible fire. You might consider attaching a "trickle-charger" to the...
P0304 means the engine computer has detected a severe misfire on cylinder 4. This could be due to a bad ignition coil, spark plug, fuel injector, or valve train issue. If the issue is not resolved, further damage to the...
A code scan of your airbag system will reveal why the light is on. Further diagnostic and research will determine which components needs to have a repair. A qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic can assist you in diagnosis...
It sounds like you may have a faulty electronic throttle control unit. The electronic throttle unit opens and closes the throttle blade based upon input from various engine control sensors, including the accelerator pedal. This unit also controls, among other...
Hello, it sounds like you have a wiring problem with your seat. When you move the seat it's most likely causing an open or short in the wiring to the side air bag that is built into the seat. When...
Hello, thanks for writing in. I'd be happy to offer my insight. This can be caused by a lack of power from the engine or a transmission issue. I usually check the computer for any codes first to see if...
Overheating can be caused by a number of things that result in smoke or steam coming from the engine bay. Assuming your engine didn't catch on fire, what you are seeing may be steam; hot fluid escaping and boiling...
Hi Roger. Thanks for writing in today. Typically a loud noise like you are describing is caused by a worn out wheel bearing or a brake rotor that is warped. If the noise gets progressively worse as you increase in...
If the vehicle has an official recall published, this generally mans that the cost will be covered by the manufacturer by reimbursing the dealer for the cost to fix the issue. This normally means the consumer bears no cost to...
There may be 2 issues to deal with here. The inability of the engine to reach "normal operating temperature" (always the center of the gauge), indicates either a weak or failed thermostat, or a failed coolant temperature sending unit/coolant temp...
These codes both indicate a problem with the cam sensor for bank 1, or A, on the passenger's side of the engine. Whether the sensor has failed and no other problems exist would need to be verified. I would recommend...
Hi there - the P0491 and P0492 codes reflect a problem with the secondary air injection pump mechanism - not enough air flow is detected. This problem could be the pump itself (check fuses and relay), the check valve, or...
A faulty transmission range selector switch/sensor could have some negative effects on vehicle performance and consequently the switch should be replaced prior to a diagnostic for the acceleration problem you are describing. After the sensor/switch is replaced, if the acceleration...
Check the transmission fluid and see if its full and clean. If the fluid is original, then I suggest flushing out the fluid and changing the transmission oil filter. If the fluid is good and has been changed, then the...
Hi, thanks for writing in. I wouldn't worry about it. The only purpose of the downstream O2 sensor is to monitor the health of the catalytic converter. You have four O2 sensors. The two upstream sensors monitor fuel mixture (Bank...
Hello. If your vehicle is shaking when accelerating from first gear, and not shifting into overdrive or the higher gears, then there is likely some sort of issue with the transmission. A few things that can cause these symptoms are...
