I've got a 2000 VW Lupo 1.4 automatic (essentially a small version of a VW Polo, sold in Europe). It's got 65000miles on it. The car starts up just fine the first time, summer or winter. If you shut off the motor after a short time, 5 or 10 minutes, restarting it can be a problem. If this happens a third time, starting will be even more difficult. If you drive for awhile restarting is no problem, the pattern starts over again. I've replaced the battery, plugs, gas filter, had the distributor looked at. Restarting became marginally better.
View 8 RepliesShortly after I bought my "99 Expedition, the 4x4 light on the dash began flashing. The vehicle is in standard all wheel drive, and had not recently been in 4 wheel. Now, it will go into 4 wheel, light stays steady, the 4 wheel drive is working, but when I disengage it, the light returns flashing when in all wheel drive. In other words, the 4x4 light flashes when in all wheel drive, the light stays on when in 4 wheel drive. I don't think the light should be on unless the 4 wheel drive is on. What do you think could be wrong with the soccer wagon?
View 7 RepliesI bought a one-owner, 50,000 mile Buick Lucerne in February. Yesterday I heard a squeaking noise from the steering wheel/column and it is there today. Does this mean I need to lubricate or replace the lower seal on the steering shaft?
View 2 RepliesI'm looking into purchasing a 2004 Saturn Ion 3 coupe with a CVT transmission. Everything else in the car works great but when I accelerated to 60 mph the rpms jumped to about 4700 and when I let off the gas they dropped to 2500. There was some buzzing from the car during this but nothing I found alarming. The car got to the desired speed just fine but I'm worried that the transmission may have to be replaced. Car passed inspection this month.
View 10 RepliesOn the expressway, I was driving my 2013 Subaru Impreza about 50 mph and had occasion to make a sudden stop. There were no crashes, and traffic started up again immediately - except for me! There I was, in the left lane, and when I depressed the gas pedal the car stayed put. I could hear the engine rev, but the wheels didn't turn. I had to turn the car off and start it again before I could move forward. What could be going on?
View 8 RepliesI drive a 1992 Mazda Protege. Recently had an oil change and put in new air filter. Recently the check engine light has been coming on. Sometimes it will run rough and sputter a bit when the light flips on and then runs normal after the light flips off, sometimes it seems to run fine when the light comes on, but the light does go off and the car runs fine after it has been running for a few minutes. Shortly before I had my air filter and oil changed I did have an incident at a stop light where the car died and did not restart for a full five minutes, at which point it sputtered for a bit and then got me home.
I took into the local mazda service center and dealer (they were the only ones who had the right kind of connector to pull the error of a car this old), and they said the only code coming up was a p69 which indicated a bad thermoswitch. I have already paid for it but the parts won't be in until Saturday. I have until then to cancel the repair and just pay restock and the original diagnostic fees. Should I go through with this repair, or do the symptoms described indicate something else?
When it's cold and the car heats up, you can hear the hood sheetmetal make an 'oil-can' buckle sound. Happens frequently while running in cold weather. It's not the hood itself, but perhaps the metal underneath. It's noticeably loud.
View 2 Replies I have a 2002 Corolla with about 180,000 miles that has been well maintained, but I know very little about cars.
Over the past months, I've noticed the engine noise on acceleration sounds a bit louder than I would expect it to, and it seems to be getting louder over time. It's slow changing, so I'm a little unsure. And occasionally I wonder if I don't hear a sound that shouldn't be there, though I couldn't describe it yet. Mechanic said the acceleration noise is normal at start-up for older cars until they get warm, but this happens even after I've been driving a while. Worth the $100 for an engine checkup?
Also, the A/C doesn't seem to be the strongest and has a high pitch noise when I run it. Normal?
Yesterday my 1995 Toyota Corolla (which runs well otherwise) started making the loudest rumbling exhaust sound I've ever heard whenever I stepped on the gas pedal. It also felt like it had trouble accelerating when I would try to get going after a stop. I took it to a mechanic right away, who says it needs a new catalytic converter and resonator pipe.
My boyfriend says this is a repair he could do. He has done some car repair and worked with a mechanic before, so I am considering trusting him on that, but I don't know what types of repairs he's done before and I know he has never worked on this model. What would you take into consideration whether or not it would be safe to attempt this repair at home?
I have a 2005 Subaru Outback XT with turbo. I have had a strange problem the last two winters and have stumped two mechanics, so far.
At this time of year, it is necessary to warm my car up for a few minutes in the morning. Last winter, when I warmed my car up, I would smell gasoline outside of the car and in the cab. It only happened when it is about 25 degrees or less outside. After about 10-15 minutes, once the car was warm, the smell would go away. I figured smelling gasoline was bad news, so, I took it to my mechanic who said he found a loose clamp in the engine. He tightened it and it fixed the problem. I didn't have any other issues that winter or through the next year.
But, this winter, the problem is back. I have moved, so, I took the car to a new mechanic (recommended by friends) and told him the issue. He said that he found a loose clamp between the engine and the turbo and tightened it. He said other than that, he can't think of anything. Well, that worked for a few days. But, now, the problem is back and with a vengeance. The smell is a bit different. Still like gasoline, but kind of like exhaust, too. And it is strong. I have to open the windows for a few minutes to air the car out before I can drive it. I took it back to the mechanic, but he is stumped and not sure what to do next.
I think my next step is to take it to a Subaru dealer, but with a 10 year old car, I'm hesitant to go that route. Though, I love my car and want it to last AND be safe to drive. What is going on?