Popular questions

Hello, thank you for writing in. Electrical issues like this can be tricky. The first thing you should try is starting the vehicle with another battery. Pull a known good battery from another vehicle, and try it in your car...

Engine misfires can be caused by many different problems, but there are a few suspects that occur more than others. Generally, misfires are caused by either a spark or fuel issue or in cases, a combination of both. Spark related...

Two systems in the column need to work for the engine to start. The ignition switch, and the anti-theft system. Your car has some version of the Passlock anti-theft. The ignition switch reads a specific resistance of your key and...

There could be an electrical wiring issue with the cooling fan from the cooling fan to the cooling switch / sensor or the thermostat could be sticking on causing the fans to blow harder as the engine may overheat until...

Greetings, I'm sorry to hear about your sister. A rough idle may be caused by many different things such as low fuel pressure, low voltage to the fuel injectors, dirty fuel injectors, a vacuum leak, a faulty Oxygen sensor or...

Also known as a dynamics sensor - this is located on the floor panel transmission tunnel under the center floor console (or if equipped with a bench seat, under the front center seat section) next to the Occupant Restraint Controller....

That type of very rough running, sputtering, no power is commonly caused by problems with the ignition system. The fuel system also needs to be checked to eliminate a fuel control problem as the source of this issue. Cam timing...

Typically, valve covers are re-usable as long as the covers are not bent, dented, distorted, cracked, or otherwise leaky. The best practice is to thoroughly clean the cover so that you can carefully inspect it. BEFORE removing the cover, try...

Erratic engine speed is often referred to as "surging" or "hunting". The causes include a faulty idle air control valve or circuit (IAC), a faulty ECM (not common), faults in the fuel pump control circuit, defective spark plug(s) or ignition...

If your car is equipped with fog lights, you can use them to provide better visibility when driving in foggy, misty and rainy conditions. These are secondary lights that are tied to your primary headlight system, but aren’t technically part...

Your car will test all the light circuits when you start the car and will let you know when there is a problem. Your low beam headlight is out due to a bad bulb and I would recommend replacing both...

The EGR valve is designed to allow the flow of exhaust gases into the intake manifold in controlled amounts. When you start the engine, the valve comes alive and waits in a closed position, blocking the flow of exhaust gases....

Hello and thank you for contacting YourMechanic. Yes, experience will greatly help out a lot when it comes to taking Automotive Service Excellent tests (ASE). When it comes to taking ASE tests, you need to think about the procedures and...

Hi there. Check the battery on the vehicle and make sure that it has enough voltage to start the vehicle. If the vehicle is cranking up and it sounds as it is about to start but it does not start,...

There is nothing more frustrating than your air conditioner giving out on you when trying to stay cool. The first step is to take is to have a mechanic come out to check your refrigerant with special gauges designed to...

Hello, thank you for writing in. The black oil is definitely a problem. The dirty oil is not able to lubricate and guide the components which it is responsible for. This does not typically cause the engine to stall but...

Hi there - there are 2 failures in particular that are likely candidates at your mileage level - a failed timing belt, and a fuel pump malfunction. If you don't hear the fuel pump run for a few seconds when...

Most of the time, bad smells indicate leaks. Oil, coolant, or brake fluid can leak onto hot surfaces and cause some really potent eye burning type smells. But in your case, I'm suspicious of the brakes. If you have a...

Failure of one or more of the wheel speed sensors will cause all of these conditions to happen all at once. The wheel speed sensors and the DSC control unit will need to be checked and fault codes read out...

This may indicate a failing speed sensor. The transmission speed sensor is a magnetic sensor that provides information related to the speed of the input and output shafts in the transmission, allowing the transmission to shift smoothly. The sensor counts...

Normal idle speed for your vehicle, once the engine is warm, should be around 750 RPM (roughly). Two thousand RPM is significantly out of range high, even for a cold engine. The occurrence of this high idle speed might be...

Located inside of the fuel tank is a fuel pump that requires amperage to operate. This pump can have an electrical failure that causes it to use more amps than the system is set up for. The fuel pump over...

If you have a new, fully charged battery, and the starting system still does not function, there are actually only a relatively limited number of causes. Broadly, either the starter motor/solenoid assembly is faulty or the electrical circuit supplying the...

Hello, thank you for writing in. There is a reset procedure for the throttle body for Nissan. It will include cycling the key "On" (not to start) for 2 seconds, and off for 10 seconds. Repeat this three times. Leave...

Your car has a lot of advanced features. One of those is the Belt-Minder® system. Basically, it’s designed to track seat belt use in your car and alert you to potential problems, keeping you and your passengers safer. The Belt-Minder®...