11/16/2012
"Dr.
Gizmo"
By Phil
Arendt
Metal Piece Found On
Driveway Clue To Broken Transmission
Question
1
I
own a 1998 Honda Accord with 189,000 miles.
It looks great and has not given me any trouble since I purchased it in
2000 with 15,000 miles.
Yesterday
when I was about to leave for work I put the transmission in reverse and it
engaged. Then, I heard a clunk and the
car moved about two feet and would not move any further. Also, I heard unusual noises I think from the
transmission. I left the car in the
driveway and a friend drove me to work.
After
work I noticed fluid on the ground. I
rolled the car back and found a round piece of jagged metal that appears to be
aluminum in the puddle. There is a lot
of fluid on the ground.
I
called my repair shop to discuss what I found but they said that they need to
look at the car before they can determine what is wrong and cost of repair. I totally understand
that.
The
car is in great condition. There is no
rust. I have taken great care of it with
oil changes every 3,000 miles. I also
followed the service schedule in my manual.
I believe the transmission needs repair.
Do you think it is worth it?
M.F., email
Answer
1
What
the car is worth to you is a personal matter that only you can determine. I can with reasonable certainty say fixing
the car will cost much less than purchasing a new one or even a two or three
year old used vehicle.
As
for what is wrong, more than likely a shaft or another part broke through the
transmission case. If this is verified
by your repair shop the transmission needs replacement and not repair. A technician would need to remove all the
parts in the transmission and install them in a new case. This is not a proper repair as the parts in
the transmission after all have 189,000 miles of wear. Not all of the parts will work once they are
removed, and there are many.
More
than likely your shop will provide some repair options. One might be to install a low mileage used
unit from a salvage yard if one is available.
Often when a car is in a rear-end collision the transmission is in good
condition. Another option might be to
obtain a salvage yard unit and overhaul it before installing it in your
car. Yet another option might be to
install a remanufactured unit from a reputable company that specializes in
remanufacturing transmissions. This
might be the best option.
Before
making your decision on any of the options, consider the warranty and of course
cost.
Oil
Leak Needs Further Scrutiny
Question
2
My
2007 Audi A4 leaks oil. It has a
4-cylinder engine. At first I noticed a
few drips on my garage floor but after a month there is a large oily stain on
the floor about two feet in diameter.
I
examined the engine and discovered a leak at the rear of the valve cover. In the past I have replaced valve cover
gaskets but it’s been many years. I’m
not afraid to do the work and I have lots of tools so I think I can replace this
gasket.
Is
there anything I should watch out for?
D.J., email
Answer
2
Watch
Out! A meteor might fall from the
heavens and crush your car. On second
thought a meteor smashing your car might be worth big bucks. Anyway, removing the valve cover to replace a
leaky seal is not brain surgery. Since
you have done it the past this should be a task you can handle. However, before you move forward with the
repair, thoroughly clean the area of the leak.
After it is clean wait a day or two to verify the source of the
leak. The cylinder head might be leaking
instead of the valve cover so make sure it is the valve
cover.
If
the head is leaking, let a pro tackle the work.
Troubled
Transmission Fries Control Module
Question
3
The
transmission in my 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 truck with a diesel engine began to shift
erratically and the check engine light turned on in the dash. I checked the transmission fluid and it’s
full. I took it to an auto supply store
where an employee tested the computer.
He found code 1693. He said that
likely the electronic module needs replacing.
Is
this something I can do? H.T.,
email
Answer
3
Sure
you might be able to swap the module but the truck won’t operate correctly
unless you have the equipment to program it.
Additionally, it is possible something failed in the transmission
resulting in a failure of the control module.
The
transmission has electronics within the unit.
If an electrical part shorted the event could damage the electronic
control module resulting in replacement of both units. Better leave this job to a
specialist.
Oil
Pressure Adjusts Valves
Question
4
The
check engine light turned on in my 2007 Cadillac Escalade. My repair shop did some tests and found a
code that indicated a problem in the timing of the camshaft. They explained that oil pressure somehow
controls the timing of the camshaft gears and that for some reason it is low
causing an issue with how the camshaft works.
They said that to find out the cause they must at the very least remove
the oil pan to check the oil pump. I did
not authorize the work.
In
the meantime they changed the oil and poured in heavy oil to compensate for low
oil pressure. They said the engine might
need an overhaul but they won’t know for sure until they look inside
it.
My
vehicle has 110,000 miles. It has a
large 6-liter V-8 engine. I have owned
it since it was new. I have followed the
recommended services in my owner’s book including oil changes when the oil
monitor says it is due.
I’m
upset over the fact my engine might need an overhaul or replacement as suggested
by my garage. Does what my shop says
make sense to you? D.R.,
email
Answer
4
Oil
pressure does indeed have an effect on the movement of the camshaft to
synchronize the opening and closing of the valves with the up and down motion of
the pistons. When oil pressure is not
within specifications the hydraulic pressure necessary to time the movement of
the camshaft is off. As a result, the
valves and pistons are not within timing specifications and the engine does not
perform as designed.
Apparently,
your shop has tested the oil pressure and determined it is low. This might be caused by excessive engine
bearing wear, heavy deposits of sludge in ports in which oil flows or excessive
wear of the oil pump or heavy deposits of sludge in the screen on the oil
pump.
Since
it appears that you rely on the oil monitor to alert you to change the oil this
might not occur for a year depending upon driving habits. If this is true, it is possible deposits in
the engine have caused this issue. Your
next step is to get a second opinion from another repair shop but more than
likely they will suggest an internal examine of the engine which will require
removing the oil pan. Repair indeed
might be to replace the engine.
Transmission
Fails After Panic Stop
Question
5
I
was traveling on the highway in my 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML500 and had to make a
hard sudden stop at 65 mph to avoid a collision that had occurred between three
cars in front of me. My car was not
involved in any way. Once the tangled
mess in front of me was cleared the transmission in my car would not
engage. All I heard was a buzzing sound
under the car.
I
had it towed to the nearest repair shop where a technician found no physical
damage. The wiring and fluid appeared
normal but he did hear buzzing sounds form inside the transmission. He did some tests but his equipment could not
communicate with the module that controls the transmission. He says there is damage inside that causes
the buzzing sound, but his shop does not repair
transmissions.
The
car was towed to a dealership for further diagnosis. As of yet I have not heard from them. What do you think happened? Could a sudden stop cause a transmission to
fail? What do you think is wrong? R., email
Answer
5
Thankfully
you avoided a collision.
More
than likely the troubled transmission is coincidence. Sudden stops do not cause transmission
failure, but apparently inertia caused an excessively worn part to go where it
shouldn’t.
Buzzing
sounds are a clue that there might be a failed hydraulic pump or torque
converter. A technician will likely
remove the transmission pan to check for metal fragments. If he finds numerous ferrous fragments, the
transmission needs major repair or replacement.
Water
Leak Leads To Car and Dealership Problems
Question
6
The
battery in my 2005 Ford Mustang GT was going dead every couple of days. I took it to a shop where a technician found
the headlights were not turning off properly.
He also found water in a junction box on the passenger side. He found a water leak and repaired it. He also replaced the carpet and junction
box.
After
the work the power door locks did not work.
He did many tests and concluded that the box that he purchased from a
dealership was not proper or needs reprogramming but the dealer says it does not
need programming as it just needs to be plugged in. They insist he did something to cause the
trouble. Now he is at a
loss.
I
need the car so I’m driving it until I have time to leave it with him. Do you have any suggestions? L.T., email
Answer
6
Put
your pony out to pasture. All kidding
aside, ask your technician to call another dealership. It’s likely the module he purchased needs
reprogramming despite what he was told by the selling dealer parts
department. Also, he should consider
giving authorization to another dealership to do the reprogramming work if he
does not have the equipment to complete the task.
Thanks
for all of your 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 drgizmo@drgizmo.ws. 11/16/2012 ® DR. GIZMO ©
1989-2012
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