Car Blog

HOW TO MAKE CAR BUYING ENJOYABLE / While Protecting Your Investment The purpose for writing this book is to educate consumers on how to protect themselves when making a purchase for automobiles and other major purchases. How to negotiate finance rates, as well as price. The reader will have the benefit of my 34-years in the retail business as a top professional and General Sales Manager.

Question: I have a problem. - 86 Celebrity 2.5L Car will crank but not start.  While swapping battery and connecting positive cable first I heard a popping sound by the right firewall. I finished hooking up the battery and tried to start the car: 1. Car would crank but won't start 2.  Checked for spark wth timing light - no start 3. tried to pull codes (with paper clip) old fashion type - light would not flash 4. radio fuse blew, all others ok 5. Could it be the computer? If not what could it be? 6. Is there a way out can check the computer - or just buy one from a junk yard" Answer: It could be the computer, or a fusible link in the wiring harness.  A fusible link is basically an inline fuse, that is not replacable.  You would have to find the link in the harnas and replace it.  Sometimes there are fuses/relays in the engine compartment also, but that is more common on foreign cars.  To really diagnose the issue, you need a multi-meter, and a good repair manual with wiring schematics.  You need to see if the computer is getting power, and test some of the outputs to see if it's working. You can buy computers out of a junkyard, and this may be an easy way to diagnose your problem without spending too much time or money. (depending on the cost of the computer)  I would think you should be able to get the computer from a junkyard for less than $150.  Check out www.car-part.com to search junkyard inventories. Kevin

Kevin, Question: First off, you have a great blog. Very informative and useful. I own a 1982 Corvette with a 5.7L(350 cu) V8. Is this an interference Engine? My timing chain broke, and I'm wondering if there will be valve or cylinder damage. Thank you very much, David Answer: From my knowledge the stock 350 is not an interference engine, so you should be ok. If you were at very high rpms or have an aftermarket cam shaft, then all bets are off. A higher lift cam could cause the valves to hit the pistons. Also if you have a set of high compression pistons in the car, same outcome. The good news is that it's fairly easy to change the timing chain on the SBC and you should be able to do it in a day and fire it up to see if there was any damage. This will save you the hassle of taking the intake and heads off to inspect for valve/piston damage. Good Luck, Kevin Update... Kevin, Thanks for your answer to my last question. I have another question. My car is a 1982 corvette with a 5.7L V8. My car started with a timing problem. It would idle, but stall when I tried to drive it. I replaced the fuel filters and retimed the distributor. Everything was fine for 2 days, but suddenly it refuesed to start. It won't even turnover. It just cranks. I have replaced the ignition coil and module in the distributor. The car is getting plenty of fuel. Also, the spark looks "weak." It just has a small orange spark. I have been told that a HEI should have a good strong spark. The only idea i have left is the timing chain, but to change that I am supposed to remove the oil pain, steering linkage, water pump, etc. Do you have any ideas what might be my problem? David ---------------------------------------------- Take the distributor cap off, and crank the engine... see if the rotor is spinning, if it's not then the timing chain is the problem. More than likely the chain skipped a tooth, and when you readjusted the timing, it ran for a little bit until it skipped again. If the rotor is turning, then I would recheck the timing. The engine won't fire, but you can still spin it over with the started and get a reading. If it's off again, I would still suspect the timing chain, it just has not fully snapped. If the timing is ok, then I would check spark again, check the power wire to the coil for loose connections. If nothing shows up with those checks, then it's time to check vacuum leaks, fuel issues (fuel pump, float level, or sensors) I can't remember if the 82 had a carb or had that goofy crossfire fuel injection ! Good Luck, Kevin ---------------------------------------------- Kevin, I haven't seen you post this on your blog, but I thought I'd let you know what I found out.  The timing chain did slip. And the 1982 corvette had the crossfire fuel injection.  However, MY 1982 'vette has a holley 4 barrel and an edelbrock intake manifold.  I bought the car as a project car, and I"m having a lot of fun. You're blog is awesome and you do great work.  Keep it up! David

Question: I had a water pump and hoses replaced on a 1995 Chevy G30 van, the morning after I got it back I noticed a small 2" spot of a yellowish-green oily fluid on the driveway. Thought it might be some residual antifreeze driping off the engine. By the next day I noticed my A/C seemed to not be getting as cold as usual and 2 days later it started cycling of and on, by the next day it would not cycle the the A/C on at all and was not cooling at all. I took back to the service department and the said they found refrigerant leaking from the A/C Compressor High Pressure Cutout Switch and replaced it. When I was talking to the tech doing the repairs and explained that I just had the water pump and hoses replaced and questioned if the switch could have been damaged then he seemed to think that it could have happened. When I went to get the car and told the service manager my story he stated that there was no possible way that they could have caused the leak in the switch. He said it was just a coincidence that the leak started when it did. I was just wondering what your opinion was. If you have ever heard of a A/C Compressor High Pressure Cutout Switch just start leaking on its own before. Thank you for your time any comments. Answer: Rick, The tech was probably being honest with you, the service manager was trying to keep his commission on the switch replacement !  Yes, the switch was most likely damaged when the pump and hoses were replaced.  Most likely the AC compressor would have to be removed to change the water pump so there is the chance of damaging the sensor.  Even if the compressor did not have to be removed, there is a change a wrench or other tool stuck the switch and damaged it. Kevin P.S.  P.S.  If you want to learn more about your A/C System, check out www.autoACsystems.com

Question: Brown speckles began appearing all over my white yukon. The dealer said rail dust, fix with claybar treatment, $300 thank you! The spots started to come back within 2 weeks. The GM dealer now does a tap dance and with lot of BS. Who can I take this vehicle too to find out what is really happening to this paint job. No other cars where I park this car are similarily afflicted. Thanks Answer: I am guessing you are in the mid-atlantic region. I too have seen the little black spots on my car. My spots looked like little balls of tar and you can scratch the tops of the ball off, but a small spot still remains which is hard to remove? Is this what you are seeing? If it is, you problem is not rail dust, but Artillery Fungus ! Yes I said fungus. In the mid-atlantic region there has been a real problem with this little known fungus which shoots a sticky liquid from it's insides up to a couple of feet away. The wind can then carry them even further. They grow in rotting wood and mulch. It may not be from your place of business, but rather from your house, or even the gas station you may visit every morning for coffee. (if they have mulch around) For more information, Dr. Donald D. Davis of Penn State is currently doing research on this annoying fungus http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/d/d/ddd2/ My method of removing the spores is this... I wash the car first, then use bug and tar remover with a 100% cotton towel, as to not scratch the paint. This works well with spores that have not been on the vehicle for a long time. Older spores need to be removed with a clay bar, as your dealer did the first time. You can purchase a clay bar kit in most auto parts stores, under the Mothers brand. A word of caution with the clay bar, keep folding it over, exposing new clay, to prevent built up dirt from scratching your paint. It's a great way to clean your car, but if not used properly, it becomes like sand paper. I have also had limited success with latex paint remover sold under the M-22 label, but I do not believe this is sold anymore. To prevent the spores from coming back, you can try to re-mulch the area that you park next to, or replace the mulch with stones as I did at my business. Good Luck, Kevin