Barb says: K, so hubby left me with his piece of crap car this morning because his isn’t working again. We just had the tranny fixed a year ago and I’m thinking this is a tranny issue again, but I’m not positive. You get in the car, start it and go to shift gears. Gear shift moves, but doesn’t shift into gear at all. It is a 99 Dodge Intrepid (shifter is the “on the floor” type). What do I do???

Barb it sounds to me like the transmission linkage is loose or has fallen off. What you do is have the hubby check it out or take it to the shop.

Good luck… Dave

Tyler asks:  if my car says it needs premium and I use regular what are the ramifications? If any at all. I have an Acura 3.2 TL

First off Tyler, your engine may begin to “ping” from pre-ignition using a lower octane fuel, which ultimately can cause engine damage.

Secondly, you will not get the same performance from the engine, that being the smoothness and power.

There may be other issues at hand also such as the O2 sensors.

I would use the recommended fuel, which should be easier with the prices falling as they are for now.

Good luck…

Dave

Earl wonders:  Can I replace a leaking “crimped” on factory hose in the factory transmission cooler line with regular hose and clamps or is the pressure in these lines too high? Dealer wants over $100 to replace. Thanks, Earl

Earl, the pressures of an automatic transmission can reach 400 or greater psi. If the dealer mechanic can replace it and charge you 100 bucks, then you should be able to pick up the part at the dealer and replace it yourself for a lot less.

I would recommend doing just that. Purchase the OEM part at the dealer and install yourself.

Good luck…

Dave

Jay says: 1999 Saab 95 I had to hit brakes suddenly and did not take it out of gear right away. I pressed the clutch and no pressure. I found fluid around the driver wheel but found no line leak. The car sat for 2 yrs before this happened

Jay, to find fresh fluid and no leak, check again.

For a vehicle to sit for a couple years and then be driven can be exciting. The clutch master cylinder could have built up a residue in the actual cylinder where the plunger would have normally kept it clean from normal use. When the plunger hits the area with residue, the plunger seal is affected to the point of not sealing anymore. The seals are delicate and do not take much to damage.

You may also want to take a good look at the clutch cylinder. This may also have the same damage. I would replace both, bleed the line and be done with any future problems for awhile.

Your brake master cylinder and wheel cylinders work the same way but are probably more sturdy.

Be careful and good luck…

Dave

Zac asks:  when I turn my car sounds like something metal is dragging but nothing is loose or dragging

Zac, did you get the tool box out from under the hood before you shut it…just joking.

If you have a front wheel drive vehicle it may be the CV (constant velocity) joints being dry and worn to the point of replacement. These are the flex in the front axle of your car.

You may want to also check the front disc brake pads to see what is going on there. Check the wheel wells also and look for signs of dragging. 

Good luck…

Dave

Michael wonders: my wheels squeal loudly when I want to make a left hand turn, I had a flat tire and used fix a flat till the next day, to get to work and then get another tire, it started after that, even after having my tires rotated…and they don’t really do it much in the rain??

Michael it sounds to me like the flat tire for some reason has caused your alignment to go out.

When you make a left hand turn only, is it more difficult to turn the wheel? If so this could mean that some of your front end linkage has gotten bent or reached the point of needing replacement. Depending on if and how far you may have traveled on the flat to be able to pull over.

The rain would cause the tire to slip instead of grip thereby not making noise loud enough for you to hear. 

Good luck…

Dave

Bob tells me: Hi, I bought a 2000 Mazda 626 with 78,000 miles, 4 cylinder. When I bought it, it ran fine & only needed some minor brake repair. I didn’t know the maintenance history, so I wanted to do some preventative maintenance. I had the coolant changed. I also wanted to have the transmission fluid changed. The auto shop recommended it changed every 30,000 miles. I asked if they changed the filter when they did the service & they said no, they use a power flush to change the fluid & that cleans everything. I had that done for about $150.

About 3 days & 150 miles later, the check engine light came on & the transmission was bucking & doing all kinds of weird stuff. I took it back to the shop & they said I need a new transmission & I have to pay for it. When I called different transmission shops around town for quotes, they told me that they never flush a high mileage transmission because flushing will ruin it. They said flushing only works if you do it every 30,000 miles starting when the car is new. They said they drain the fluid & change the filter only. One of the mechanics even asked me if I had it flushed just before it broke down, without knowing that I had done it.

Is it true that flushing a high mileage transmission can damage it? How can flushing hurt a transmission? The transmission ran fine with no symptoms. Thanks for your help, Bob

Bob, it would all depend on the condition of the fluid to begin with, prior to the flushing. Your transmission is at the point where some problems can begin, yet should not really fail yet, depending on any prior maintenance.

If your fluid was smelling burned, then you were already in a bad situation. Opinions vary on whether or not to flush a tranny when it has a few miles on it, but definitely not if the fluid smells burned. This can break cracked O-rings, loosen sludge deposits and move around other debris which may plug small orifices in the transmission ports. Some people believe if the fluid is in good condition then its OK to flush a tranny with 100k miles on it.

In your case I would replace the filter since that was not done, for starters. I would also have the proper fluid put in. You should also have the trouble codes checked to be sure the tranny is the real problem, there will be a code logged in since your “check engine” light is on.

Take it to a different place to do this because I would not trust the first place that you had it flushed because they apparently didn’t notice something prior to the flushing or could have done faulty workmanship.

Best of luck - Dave

Ricky asks:  Dear Dave, Gotta 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Sl I need to know how many ohms should fuel injectors show to be good. Also how should the fuel injectors coil resistance read correctly, 3.1 multi-port fuel injection v6 automatic

Ricky, from the research I have done I find that the stock injectors for the make and model should be right at 12.6 ohms resistance. This correct ohm reading helps the ECM read the injector correctly so the pulse can be delivered. Ohms range from 2 to 16 on various vehicles..

Good luck….

Dave

Alan asks: 1994 Geo Tracker-1.6 litre - repairing a small leak at the distributor case with rtv sealant - when I remove the case,do I have to have the engine at top dead center? Any other advice is welcomed. Thank you

Alan, I really don’t think it is a good idea to repair the distributor case with RTV. A better repair would be to just replace it.

As long as you remember which position it was in you will be OK but to be sure I would get it all at TDC so you don’t have to mess with it twice…

Dave

Al asks:  My car’s front end shakes when I step on the brakes traveling at around 40 to 60 miles an hour

Al, you need to slow down on that washboard road you travel…just kidding.

Sometimes this is a sign that your idler arm is wearing a bit, along with other front end components. It could also be one or both of your brake rotors on your front wheel spindles.

I would have the idler arm checked first, then check for a warped rotor. This would be caused from excessive heat while braking.

Good luck Al…

Dave