By Phil Arendt
Electronic Devices Plus Rain
Equal Trouble
Question 1I left the sunroof open in my 2006 Audi A6 while it was parked outside. You guessed it, it rained buckets. The interior was soaked. I could kick myself for not remembering to close it. I raised the carpeting and blew a fan under it until it was dry. Now everything is dry.
The trouble is the radio and
air conditioner do not work and there are warning lights on in the dash. What do you think is wrong? T.T., email
Answer 1
Wow. Don’t beat yourself up too much. I know of a person who thought he was pulling
into a flooded parking lot with his Lexus and ended up driving straight into a
deep pond adjacent to the lot entrance completely submerging the SUV with him
in it. Witnesses rescued him. He’s fine but the car has gone to a salvage
yard.
The trouble in your car
likely is caused by a failed multimedia module in the center console. It likely was soaked by the rain and now
needs replacement and programming. Ask
your favorite repair shop to consider this suggestion.
Pay Attention To Odors
Question 2I enjoy your column. Recently, you addressed a hot oil odor from one of your readers. My car had that. When I looked under the hood I found that the shop that did the last oil change forgot to replace the oil cap. Could this be the reason there is an odor in the other reader’s car? P.T., email
Answer 2
You bring up a good point. Certainly leaving the oil cap off could cause
oil to escape. Oil on a hot engine can
produce an oily odor. And certainly a
servicing technician could forget to reinstall the oil cap during an oil change
service. Of course 99.99 percent of the
time a technician will remember to reinstall the cap. All motorists should take a moment to check
under the hood especially when your nose detects something out of the
ordinary. The odor might be the result
of gasoline, transmission, engine oil or coolant leaks. Even an excessively worn drive belt can emit
an odor.
Of course the odor of
gasoline is quite familiar to most motorists as most everyone has pumped
gasoline. Engine oil, transmission and
power steering fluids smell oily.
Engine coolant has a sweet odor.
A slipping drive belt smells similar to rubber.
In the case of the motorist
to whom you refer, after much searching a shop did not find any fluid
leaks. To this day, the source of the
odor remains undetermined.
Broken Bag Impairs A/C
Question 3The air conditioner in my 1996 Jaguar XJ6 quit. I went to a repair shop where they found that all the Freon had leaked. They recharged the system and the air conditioner still did not work. I needed my car so I could not leave it with them to do more diagnostic work.
My shop says everything
including the compressor seems to be working normally. They think there might be a problem in a
receiver that is causing all the trouble.
They said since my car is old their test equipment can’t communicate
with older systems so they are not sure if replacing the receiver will cure the
trouble. What’s your opinion? G.R., email
Answer 3
It’s possible the
receiver/dryer is the cause of the trouble.
An experienced technician can make that determination by checking system
pressures and touching the refrigerant lines for temperature.
Inside the receiver/dryer is
a bag that contains desiccant. Sometimes
the bag breaks and the granules clog the system. To find out the receiver/dryer needs removal
and examination. Replacement might be
the cure.
Many Parts Replaced But No
Repair
Question 4I have a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo with a 3.4-liter motor. It has 132,000 miles. The motor misses badly and the check engine light is on. My shop has checked for trouble codes. They say all the cylinders misfire. They replaced the spark plugs, wires and coils. They tested the cylinder pressure and fuel trims. They also replaced the map and egr sensors. Now they say everything is within specifications but the engine continues to misfire.
I’ve owned the car since it
was new. It’s in great condition and I
follow the factory maintenance schedule to the letter. The only trouble I had with it was in 2005
when something in the fuel pressure system was causing a problem.
Repairs costs are mounting without
a repair. My shop has been repairing our
family vehicles for many years and I trust they know what they are doing. Do you have any suggestions? K.B.G., email
Answer 4
The shop appears to be
guessing what is causing the trouble.
Many parts have been replaced without a successful repair. Be this as it may the misfire could be caused
by a faulty electrical connection such as a poor ground connection. Perhaps the servicing technician should
consider this.
Also, since it’s possible
the fuel pressure regulator was replaced back in 2005 it might be a good idea
to look at it again. Some fuel pressure
regulators were covered by a recall due to leaks. Perhaps this might be something to
investigate, too.
Body Repairs Lead to More
Problems
Question 5My 2006 Infinity M35 was in a minor collision with damage to the driver’s side front fender. I reported the accident to my insurance company. They suggested a preferred body shop. A few days later I drove to the body shop where they wrote an estimate and I scheduled an appointment to have the damage repaired. Last week I took the car in for repair.
Yesterday, I received a call
from the body shop. They requested that I
bring another key to the shop. They said
the car won’t start. I brought my wife’s
key as requested. Later I received a
call from the body shop manager. He said
there is a problem with the keys. The
car would not start. He said the body
repairs are completed but he needs to send the car to a dealership to have the
keys programmed. He said the problem is
not due to the accident and I will have to pay for the repairs.
I contacted my insurance
company. They said the body shop had
contacted them about the trouble. They
said the repairs to the keys are not covered by my policy because they did not
work before the accident. I disputed
their statement because I drove the car over a hundred miles during the week and
a half between the accident and appointment at the body shop. Is it possible to drive my car when the keys do not work? D.L., email
Answer 5
Since you drove the car for
a week plus after the collision something has gone awry at the repair
shop. It’s not possible to start the
vehicle without functioning key fobs.
More than likely during the course of repair the antitheft system has
failed. This might be due to a wiring
issue near the area of collision damage or the control module for the system
has failed or needs programming.
Contact your insurance
company again. Explain that everything
was working normally before the shop began working on the car. They should contact the shop and settle the
dispute.
Additional Action Required
To Move Transmission Shifter
Question 6I have a 2005 Honda Accord. In order to move the transmission from park to drive I have to place a key in the slot by the shifter to move it. Once the shifter is placed in drive or reverse the car operates fine.
What would cause this kind
of trouble? P.R.G., email
Answer 6
There are many causes for
this condition. Obviously, if you are
not firmly planting your foot on the brake pedal before moving the shift lever
it will not budge. If this is not the
trouble, consider taking the car to your favorite shop as there might be
problems in the brake light switch, engine control module, wiring, carbon on
the throttle body or several other issues could cause the condition.
Thank you for all the great
questions. Dr. Gizmo can’t wait to
answer more.
Phil Arendt is a columnist, consultant and A.S.E.-Certified
Master Technician. Readers may send
questions to Dr. Gizmo at P.O. Box 548, Cary, IL. 60013 or e-mail address mailto:drgizmo@hotmail.com. 10/14/2013 ® DR. GIZMO © 1989 - Present