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| I am starting to have a regular little puddle of what appears to be almost clear oil under my 1999 Acura, near the passenger rear wheel. Any idea what that can be? While there are many different oils and fluids in a car, very few are clear and oily; my guess is that you have a brake wheel cylinder leaking brake fluid. As a general rule, you do not want to do that sort of thing yourself. Don't let it deteriorate to the point that your brakes fail altogether! |
Brake Service |
| When I bring my Cadillac into your shop for repairs, what kind of parts do you use? My husband says Cadillac parts are best for a Cadillac. What do you think? What your husband feels is logical and in many cases is true. However, not all of the time... here is why. |
Inventory and Parts |
| I have a 2001 Chrysler Town and County and the brakes sometimes, though not always, squeak when I press on the brake pedal. It is very irritating to my wife; can you fix that? When the use of asbestos in brake linings and pads was prohibited, brake noises became a frequent problem. Not all vehicles make brake noises but many do. Chrysler products seem to be frequent, though the problem is not limited to them. There was a time when brake "chirp" indicated that it was time for new pads or shoes. When you hear brake chirp noises now, that is not always indicative of a problem or that it is time to replace the brakes, though it can be. It is best to have them checked. By replacing brake pads and rotors, noises can be eliminated but the "noise problem fix" may not last more than a few thousand miles before it starts again. Using "soft" pads can sometimes fix the problem but the life of the pad may be only half of that of a metallic pad. Sometimes resurfacing the rotors will help. Although the infrequent or irregular noise is an irritating distraction for you, you may find that the cost versus satisfaction compromise gives way to safety as the primary consideration. To answer your question, yes it can be fixed but how long it stays quiet is perhaps, unknown. |
Brake Service |
| When I am driving my Ford Mustang (2001), I always smell gas; I don't smell it when it is parked. When it was in the original warranty, I took it to the dealer several times and they could not find a leak. Can you? Maybe... Perhaps it is really not a leak at all (sometimes service staff at dealerships do ONLY what you asked of them). It sounds to me like a classic example of an O2 sensor that has failed. An oxygen sensor (O2 - the chemical symbol for oxygen), a part of the main fuel system, actually falls into the sub-category of emission controls on your car. The O2 sensor, (there are several on some cars) is located in the exhaust manifold and detects by way of a constant testing of the gases flowing past it, how much oxygen is present and then by a chemical reaction that produces a voltage, sends a message of that content back to the computer circuit that controls how much fuel is mixed with air in the engine. In other words, this is the trigger for how rich or how lean the exhaust gases are. After getting the message from the O2 sensor, the computer adjusts accordingly. If the O2 sensor is bad (it can cause the computer to "just guess") and keeps calling for more fuel when it really doesn't need it, that could cause the condition you have. (In the more recent technology vehicles, there are also O2 sensors before and after the catalytic converter.) |
Fuel System |
| We just bought a used 2002 Chevy Tahoe with 90,000 miles on it. When we test drove it, we felt it was in pretty good condition, the brakes felt good and seemed to stop fine until I had to make several hard stops with it. Each time we had to stop hard, the brake pedal did not "feel right". It feels like it is slipping or pulsing, maybe ready to give out. Do I need to take this to the Chevy dealer or is this something you can help me with? It still seems to brake and feel OK normally. These are most often "good news - bad news" situations. However, this one may be "good - news - better news"; I would need to look it over to be sure, however. Here is what I mean... The fact that you feel it is working and braking correctly under normal conditions is a good indicator. Many Chevy Tahoes had ABS packages on them, Anti-lock Brake Systems. Under panic stop (hard braking) conditions, they are designed to pulse the brakes (perhaps as frequently as 20 times per second) in order to keep them from locking the wheel and causing a skid condition that might cause you to lose control of the vehicle. The "symptom" you are describing MAY be the confirmation that your brakes are doing EXACTLY what they are supposed to do. This might not really be a problem at all! While this is a wonderful safety feature, very few people really understand what it does and how it works. See if there is a placard or emblem on the vehicle indicating ABS or that an ABS is installed. If so, you probably don't have a difficulty; on the other hand, it is better to be safe than sorry. Since the vehicle is new TO YOU, we would be happy to check it for you. |
Brake Service |
| What is wheel alignment? I have to hold the steering wheel very tightly to keep a straight line. Will alignment help that? Wheel alignment is the process of making sure that the wheels track on the road properly. Tire balancing is also a part of keeping wheels in alignment. When a vehicle is not properly aligned, it can pull to one side of the road or the other and will cause very premature tire wear. Yes, your pulling problem would probably be resolved by an alignment. |
Wheel Alignment |
| I have had family overseas for quite some time. Their vehicle has been sitting unused for about 2 years. They are returning soon. What do I need to do to get it ready for them? The process is probably a lengthy and costly one, starting with getting it to us. The tires may be flat and subsequently dry-rotted. The battery is probably dead. The radiator and cooling system must be drained and flushed, the oil and filter should be changed and the chassis well lubricated. The gas tank and brake fluids should be drained, reservoirs cleaned and serviced. The transmission fluid should be changed. Engine belts and hoses should be checked and probably changed. The fuel system from the tank forward including fuel pump, fuel lines, filters and other components MUST be cleaned and in the case of a carburetor or fuel injectors, will probably need to be rebuilt. All of the system may be contaminated with rust since water tends to be captured in the fuel system. Standing water causes problems. The radiator may need to be replaced if it will not hold pressure. Brake surfaces need to be re-surfaced and perhaps shoes or pads replaced. The vehicle will probably need to be smogged. Once the major and safety issues are resolved, the minor problems are many also. Wiper blades and windshield washers, vacuum hoses, thermostat, engine gaskets, seals, air conditioning, heater cores, oil coolers, paint finish, glass, and electrical connections can all be damaged. For all practical purposes, you can look at our Seasonal Service Guidelines and get an idea of what you minimally need to do. |
General Service Procedure Guidelines |
| In my '97 Chevy S10, the dashboard "Service Engine Soon" light is on. What does that mean? That is a message from the vehicle's diagnostic system letting you know that it has detected a problem. That problem can be minor or major. A diagnostic tool, called a reader, is used to determine what message is actually being sent. The reader gets the message from the vehicle computer in detailed or perhaps less than detailed format, at least giving the technician an idea where the problem lies and how severe it is. Here is some additional information about On Board Diagnostics (OBD and OBD II). |
On Board Diagnostics |
| What is the drive train in a car? That is the all encompassing term for the power transmitting parts of your car, starting with the engine and ending with the wheels. It includes the clutch, torque converter, transmission, transaxle, universal joints, constant velocity (CV) joints, drive shaft, differential and axles, depending on how your car is equipped. The major differences are in manual transmission vehicles and automatic transmission vehicles, and in front wheel drive or rear wheel drive vehicles. Conventional rear drive delivers engine power to the rear wheels through a transmission, drive shaft and finally through the differential. Front wheel drive ties the engine, transmission and driving axle in more or less, one unit. |
General Service Procedure Guidelines |
| The front tires on my 2001 Lexus seem to wear out very quickly? Any suggestions? There can be numerous problems that cause that problem, including the way you drive, turn corners and perhaps the quality of the tires themselves. Here are some of the more common problems that can cause premature tire wear on all cars. Incorrect tire inflation pressure, failure to rotate tires, improper wheel alignment setting (camber and toe), tire imbalance (cupped wear), worn tire rod ends, worn ball joints or suspension bushings, worn shocks or struts, bent control arm or spindle, loose wheel bearings, broken springs or shocks, uneven weight distribution and possibly brakes that are locking due to ABS failure. |
MasterCraft Tires |
| How does my engine work when I start it? That question could take a novel to answer it but in a very simplified way, I can give you an understandable answer that is accurate. During the answer, I do suggest that you follow the links to other informational pages I have written. |
Engine Operations |
| Ask Dave Page 1 | |