I was driving when my 1993 Toyota Pickup's brake and battery light came on simultaneously. As far as I could tell, nothing changed in the way the car was handling, nor any smoke, smells, or sounds. I was about an hour from home, so I continued on my way. After about half an hour, the check engine light popped on. I still didn't notice any change in the car.
View 11 RepliesI recently had a new engine and radiator installed in my 1993 toyota pickup. I checked the coolant and oil every day since the install, then drove it 250 miles or so without checking the coolant, and found that all the coolant was gone from the reserve tank, and there was a sludge at the bottom. I don't see any leaks, and the thermometer indicator was normal.
I don't understand where the coolant could have gone, given that it's a totally new motor and new radiator, new hoses. I'm worried about the competence of my mechanic, not noticing a dirty coolant reservoir and maybe messing something else up.
When I turned the key to start my car, I got zero activity from it. No ticking, no lights, nothing. So I tried to do a push start, and the engine wouldn't engage. I took the key out, and suddenly my dome light popped on (though it was dim). I put my key back in and turned it, and dash lights looked normal and at full power, but as soon as I pressed the clutch down and tried to turn the key, everything went dead. I took the key out, put it back in, and turned it, but got nothing.
I pushed my truck up to the top of an incline, and turned the key. All the lights looked normal, so I thought I may be able to push start it. Key was in proper position, clutch was engaged, and gear shift was sitting in first. I got a decent speed, released the clutch... and everything went dead.
I can't decide if it's my starter or my ignition system, though I suppose it could be the wiring, or even something else.
I have a 1990 Toyota pickup. I've been told to always put the brake on when I park. The brake is a hand lever under the dash that I pull out and then to release, I push a button, pull a little and then push. Yesterday I got into the truck and went to release the brake and it was stuck. I had my foot on the brake, and it was in 1st which isn't out of the norm for how I start the truck. I did notice that the handle seemed loose. I eventually got it back in after starting the truck again and putting it into first and trying to pull forward with the brake on. I'm concerned that if I use it again it will stick again and not go back in! What has happened!?
View 5 RepliesI drive my pickup (87 Toyota 4-cylinder carburetor 5-speed Xtracab Deluxe) occasionally. When it's sat for a week or more it takes a few tens of seconds to start. I bought a booster battery. The charging light comes on, but it goes out as soon as the engine starts. I'm used to hard-to-start cars charging for a while after a long start. The voltage coming out of the alternator is okay. The battery is new; the density of the electrolyte is right.
View 19 RepliesA friend is stumped by a problem with his truck, so I thought I might get some insight here. I haven't actually seen the truck, all that follows is from what he described, I'm just the messenger here.
The truck had been running fine on a used engine installed about six months ago. Then he ran it out of gas, it hasn't run properly since. It cranks fine, but won't start. He says it WILL start when spraying starter fluid into the throttle body, but only while the starting fluid is supplied. He also says he disconnected the fuel line somewhere near the engine, cranked the engine, and got good fuel supply (but no fuel pressure gauge reading). He's done some logical things: new fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs and wires. No luck. Figuring that he'd sucked something ugly into the injectors, he decided to replace those with no change (yes, I cautioned him about throwing expensive parts at it with no clear reason).
He reasons that he must be getting spark based on the engine running with starter fluid, and there must be fuel based on his test with the open fuel line, so he thinks it's an electronic problem, presumably the signal to the injectors. This is out of my league...and my friend is a carpenter, not a mechanic. If he could get a scanner would this kind of problem register a code?
My old and often very reliable '93 Subaru's power steering died the other day. I was driving and my engine suddenly started making a deep ticking sound. I pulled over and with it running, popped the hood. The sound was coming from the front of the engine near the visible belts. I decided to keep driving. After about 10 miles that's when the power steering died. Then my battery light and break light came on (which in the past has usually indicated that something is up with the battery or something is drawing from the battery more than it should). THEN I began to smell burnt rubber.
What I want to know is this: my boyfriend says that it's probably the surpentine (sp?) belt or the pump thingy that runs the steering. First, I want to know if I can drive it to the shop or if that is a dangerous thing to do. The steering is really hard but I can still make it work. I'm a grad student and I don't have the money to get a tow, but will will find the money if I have to. Second, is my boyfriend right and will it cost a lot? Again, poor grad student.
The accelerator pedal on my 1993 Nissan pickup occassionally "sticks". Mainly when I'm leaving a (stop-sign/red light, etc) or if I let off pedal (in traffic etc) then push on it again to accelerate. I've changed the throttle cable (had a brand new one from brother in law...still in packing). I took it to Nissan dealership few years ago and they couldn't figure it out, same with a (highly recommended) local shop.
View 7 RepliesMy 93 Caprice is having brake issues. I replaced the master cylinder and bled each of the lines, but the pedal is still spongy and the brake light comes on as the pedal reaches the floor. I'm not sure what in the system to check/replace next.
View 11 RepliesMy tail lights have recently stopped working. When I use blinkers, they are slow, and don't blink if brakes are pressed. The brakes show as a very faint light that cannot be seen in day time. I turned on the hazards to look myself, and they started beeping. I called GMC support and it's too old for them to still know anything about it. I checked the fuses for the rear end and they are both working.
View 19 Replies1999 Pontiac Grand AM SE. I was driving my car last night, at about 45 mph, when all of a sudden, my ABS Warning light and the "Track OFF" light came on simultaneously. I wasn't braking at all. I pulled over, turned the car off, turned it back on, and they dinged on immediately, before I even had a chance to shift the car out of park. I drove carefully home and parked my car overnight. This morning, I drove (about 35 miles away), and both the warning lights remained off for a little over half my trip.
They came on, however, when I was driving about 70 mph on I-95, and I wasn't braking. I even left the ETS on, which I usually turn off to save on gas. I don't understand what is going on. In the past, I have had the ABS warning light come on when I'm practically coasting and actively braking, but turning the car off and back on clears the issue. I've never had the issue where the ABS light comes on and stays on despite turning the car off, and the "Track OFF" light has never come on by itself without me turning the ETS off.
Recently while trying to start my Yukon, my control panel doesn't come on. After the vehicle warms up and I attempt to shut it down and restart the vehicle several times. It comes back on. Also, the light on the shift selector indicator is out. My gas light for low gas, and the ABS light flashes on and off simultaneously . But this goes away after I get the control panel to start working again. The vehicle is running and sounds fine.
View 1 RepliesI've offered to do a basic compression check on a 22R engine, '85 Toyota pickup, which is apparently low on power, won't go above 50 mph. Yes it could be a multitude of things. Chances are it's several of them.
I have not yet heard it run. I'll consider myself lucky if I hear the uneven cadence of running on three cylinders.
My job Tuesday is to screen it for the most obvious things like a clogged air intake or air filter, choke stuck closed, worn spark plugs, etc, and do a simple compression test. I will again try to persuade the owner to take it to the skilled mechanic I've recommended, which he has resisted thus far, even though he's about to set off on a long trip through desolate terrain.
I already suspect low compression based on what the owner has implied, but also wondering about ignition timing and vacuum advance. This is a carbureted engine, so does that mean that it also has a distributor and needs to have the timing set? I have a timing light, but only vaguely remember the procedure...disconnect vacuum line from carb and plug hose leading to distributor? Any marks on the harmonic balancer to align?
Evidently it has a bogus exhaust system too - no cat - making me wonder if there's a problem there. I'm not going to get too deep into this, but if I can at least spot the problem I want to be able to convince the owner that there's a clear explanation, so he'll get it resolved.
We just bought our first Prius about six weeks ago. We purchased a used 2008 model with 83,000 miles. So far we have loved the vehicle. Tonight as we were driving home we noticed that the left headlight was out. I ran some quick tests and determined that the left high beam, low beam, and side marker light were all unresponsive. The left blinker is working fine. I checked the fuses for the left lamp (separate fuses for low and high beam) and all seem to be in good working order. Everything on the right side of the car is working fine.
View 9 RepliesI have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma pickup. I bought it used in the spring of 2009. I drove it for a few months without any problems and one day this problem developed. It won't start on the first attempt. Or it will start and then immediately die. It will take two or three tries to get it running.
I took it in to my mechanic and he couldn't find anything wrong. I got a tune-up anyway and it drove like a champ. Until the next day when the problem came back. This persisted for a few weeks more and then went away.
This last summer it started happening again and continued up through October and went away again. I think the problem seems to happen when it's hot in the summer.
I have a 91 Toyota pickup. Few weeks ago setting in drive through truck quit when I turned on a/c. This happened coup,e times then next time I drove it ran fine. Then it stopped two days in row after driving 20 min. Truck would crank but shut down immediately. Waited few minutes and cranked and drove home no problems. Now truck will only run few min. Before stopping and if I turn on fan or lights the truck stops. Swapped battery from another vehicle but did not fix. Alternator seems to be charging fine, checked with meter output 14.5 volts charging. Checked for codes and no codes.
View 2 RepliesMy 1992 Toyota pickup (138,000 mi) started popping out of first gear today. How big of a problem is this and what needs to be done??
View 4 Replies'91 Toyota 2wd Pickup, 22R-E Engine. 1 yr. ago out of the blue it would start and idle, but if I give it any gas it would die. Shop had trouble figuring it out, then replaced Mass Airflow Sensor; problem re-occurred after once after this repair, but could not be reproduced at shop. 1 yr. later, driving along and engine quits without any warning. Very hard to start, but restarts once, drives about one more block, dies. Unable to restart; engine will crank and catch, but after about 1 second dies. Tried unplugging Mass Airflow Sensor; no change. Left sitting overnight, next morning it starts right up. Problem seems similar to a year ago, though this time it wouldn't start and idle, it would just start and immediately die. In every instance it was rainy/slushy and cold.
View 8 RepliesI have a 1986 Toyota pickup. It's small 2 wheel drive with a stick shift. 6 weeks ago, it started lugging very slightly on hills after I had first started the car (only in the first 5 minutes of driving). Then that stopped, and now it loses power on hills so that I have to keep shifting down and going slower until I'm chugging uphill in 2nd gear at 30 mph. It only happens on long hills with a sustained uphill; smaller ones it keeps speed and power fine.
View 2 RepliesI have 2009 tacoma pickup w/10k After starting fine and driving a few mins. and turning off it will not restart for aleast 10=15 mins. All the instr. lights come on like normal.....but it will not crank nothing? no starter noise ...nothing I contacted my dealer The service guy said (never heard that before)....
View 3 RepliesWhen adjusting valves on a 1986 22RE Toyota engine, the manual says to adjust intake to .008 and exhaust to .011 when the engine is "hot". I was doing some research and it seems to be a somewhat common practice to adjust valves on these engines to .007 intake and .011 exhaust when the engine is cold. The explanation being that the clearances will open up some when the engine warms up or gets to "hot". I always thought the clearances would get tighter as the engine warmed up but my "knowledge" is based on traditional pushrod engines and this is an overhead cam engine. If adjusted cold, will the clearances get smaller or larger when the engine is hot? And is it ok to adjust the valves cold? And how hot is correct amount of hot if I adjust them according to the manual?
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