Dayton Daily News

Q: Recently I was driving along and looked down to grab a beverage. As I did, I hit the curb at about 30 or 35 mph. I continued on my way and nothing seemed wrong. When I got to my destination, as I tried to open my door, it wouldn’t open. I pushed and as I did, the door bent the fender. How could hitting a curb affect my door? How much will it cost to fix? J.N., e-mail

A: Thirty-five mph is the speed at which crash tests are performed to determine if a car meets government crash safety standards. If you have never seen a test on television, a test vehicle collides with a concrete barrier that causes total destruction of the vehicle. The bottom portion of your car collided with concrete. Definitely your car has suffered damage. In all likelihood, the suspension, steering, sheet metal and probably the frame of the car are damaged.

The cost to repair this all depends on what needs repair. Take your vehicle to a body shop for inspection and an estimate. There could be several thousand dollars of damage.

A/C system tests will find fault

Q: When driving my 1998 Cadillac Eldorado with the air conditioner turned on, for no reason the A/C suddenly blows warm air. If I drive another 15 minutes with warm air blowing, suddenly cold air blows from the vents.

A mechanic checked the system and determined that it has the proper amount of refrigerant. He also checked the computer, but no trouble was found. He is at a loss and suggests that I have the electrical system checked by a specialist. Do you have any suggestions? J.L., e-mail

A: His advice is sound. The system should be checked again. It has self-diagnostic test capabilities. This test should be performed. Also, tests using a specialized scan tool might be necessary. A series of tests following factory diagnostic charts will determine the cause of this malfunction. Maybe recalibrating the system is the cure. A temperature sensor or perhaps a body control module has a fault. There might even be a control rod out of adjustment.

Tests by an experienced ASE-certified technician who holds a certification in heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems should find the cure.

Fuel pump failure is no surprise

Q: The fuel pump in my 1986 Chevrolet Suburban has been replaced three times and it’s acting up again. It never causes problems except when I’m traveling in the mountains or after I’ve been traveling on the highway for a couple of hours. Unless I take the vehicle to a mechanic when the pump is acting up, tests don’t find a problem.

My mechanic has told me that a rattling noise causes the fuel pump to shut down. A symptom is that the engine starves for gas when extra power is needed, such as when I’m driving up a steep grade. What do you think causes the fuel pump to fail so often? P.D., Portsmouth , Va.

A: You aren’t alone. Many Suburban owners have complained about the frequency of fuel pump failure. It’s expected for a fuel pump to fail once, but to have three pumps fail is unusual, albeit that over a 20-year period it wouldn’t be too surprising. However, I have received letters from many Suburban owners with later-model vehicles who also have had to replace the fuel pumps in their vehicles four or more times.

Let’s face it: when the pump fails, it’s a real pain in the neck, especially if it fails far from home stranded on the side of the road. Not only is being stranded some place a huge inconvenience and a safety concern, but the cost of repair hurts, too.

Some of the symptoms you touched on are rattling sounds, squealing noises, loss of engine power, surging and stalling. The symptoms are not the cause of the trouble, but are indications that the pump is failing. When the pump fails, the only thing to do is replace it and keep your fingers crossed it won’t fail again, but deep down inside you might expect it will.

 

Sequential taillights from the past

Q: I have a 1966 Ford Thunderbird with rear sequential turn signals. Unfortunately the rear lights only run through the sequence one time and only the center bulb illuminates.

Could the sequential motor be bad? How can I test it? Any help is appreciated. J.J.S., West St. Paul, Minn.

A:Your vehicle is a little before my time automotive career began but I do recall repairing a few back in the good old days. As I can recall the tail lights are contained in a capsule of three lights. There is a motor that sequentially triggers the lights. There also is a flasher unit under the dash and all of this is connected to the turn signal switch. You might consider purchasing a wiring schematic so you can properly diagnose the trouble.

As I can recall when the lights operated there was a clicking sound from the rear as the motor turned and directed current to the lights. Consider this, with the turn signal activated probe the wiring at the motor with a test light. You should find the motor in the trunk. Check bulbs. Replace failed bulbs as needed. Check the ground connections for corrosion and security for the taillight assemblies and motor. Also, make sure the flasher unit in the dash is functioning. Replace it if needed.

If probing the wires on the motor finds that electrical power is not being delivered to the taillights the unit has a fault.

 

Stalling engine not caused by failed alternator

Q:My 1999 Volkswagen Jetta with an automatic transmission, a 2.0-liter engine and 125,000 miles diesels and stalls when coming to a stop. Sometimes when driving at cruising speed the engine loses some of its power for about 10 seconds and then it returns to normal operation. While these problems are occurring the check engine light does not illuminate and no codes are stored in the computer.

At first I thought that these troubles were caused by bad gasoline. I ran the tank dry added fuel injector cleaner and fuel system drier but the problems persist. I also have replaced the spark plugs, spark plug wires, ignition module, catalytic converter, throttle body, fuel pump and fuel filter.

I’ve also tried eliminating the trouble by disconnecting the knock sensors and airflow sensor. There was no change.

Do you think this could be caused by the alternator? My mechanic says it’s highly unlikely as it is charging within specifications. J.B., Portland, Ore.

A: If the alternator is operating as designed it’s not the cause of the trouble. What might be causing this dilemma is a faulty computer. The fact that the engine control module is not storing trouble codes is an indication there is a fault in the circuit. There may be an internal problem in the computer or perhaps the wiring to the computer has a fault such as a loose or corroded pin in the plug that connects to the computer. You might consider unplugging and then plugging in the unit several times. If the trouble is eliminated after doing this, check the connection for loose pins and corrosion. Repair these problems as needed.

Heat improves fuel economy

Q: I drive my 1999 Ford Taurus SHO with 37,000 miles mostly around town. The fuel economy is about 10 mpg. Mechanics at two different garages have checked over the car but neither has found anything wrong.

To increase fuel economy I have tried fuel additives and replaced the air filter to no avail. Do you have any suggestions? F.W., Riverfalls, Wis.

A: In all my years in this business vehicles have never met the fuel economy standards stated in the fuel economy ratings posted on the Monroney sticker that comes with every car. Your car is no different. The fuel economy rating for your car is somewhere around 16 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. Your car won’t attain these ratings. It’s just a fact of life.

Despite grim reality it’s feasible that the engine is not warming to operating temperature. The engine must reach operating temperature to burn fuel as efficiently as design allows. Make sure that the engine thermostat is functioning properly. If not replace it.

Check the cold tire inflation on a monthly basis. Make sure the engine oil is the weight and grade recommended by the carmaker. It must be fresh and clean. If not, change the oil and filter.

When using the car combine several errands or stops to reduce the number of trips you make. Avoid jack rabbit stops and starts. Accelerate from stops steadily but don’t baby your SHO. Hold a steady speed when cruising. Time stops to avoid fast stops. And lastly, enjoy your car.