By Phil Arendt
One Headlight Slow To Turn On And Off
Question 1The driver’s side headlight in my 2007 Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor takes a couple of seconds longer to turn on than the passenger side headlight. Also, when I turn off the headlights the driver’s side headlight stays on 20 or 30 seconds longer than the passenger side. This has been going on for a couple of years.
A while back I replaced the
driver’s side bulb. That seemed to fix
the issue for about two months.
The car has manually
controlled lights. What’s your
advice? L.M., South Saint Paul, Minn.There’s no problem. Your car is winking. All kidding aside the likely cause of the issue is a poor connection in the circuit to the left headlight. Check the ground connection and terminals within plugs. Tightening a ground or removing corrosion from a ground might be a lasting repair.
It’s also possible a relay
is not functioning as designed or an issue within wiring to a control
module. Before looking into these
possible areas of concern, look for issues in the wiring near the afflicted
headlight.
Willy-Nilly Parts
Replacement Not The Correct Path To Repair
Question 2Hi Doc. I have a 2008 Gran Prix with 108,000 miles. The car will suddenly stop with no warnings. The dash display shows “Starting Disabled Due To Electronic Throttle Control”. If I wait four or five minutes the car will start back up. Sometimes this happens twice a day. Sometimes I can go a week without it happening. I do not get a Check Engine Light.
I took the car to my local
General Motors dealer. They could not
find any codes stored in the system. They
drove it and the problem did not occur. They
did not want to change anything without getting a malfunction code.
I looked on the internet
and found many people with the same problem. Can't specific parts that control the throttle
be replaced? S.L., Johnsburg, ILL.
Answer 2
You likely could find a
shop that would be happy to replace parts using the dartboard repair method but
the odds of repair are low. Certainly
there are several parts that could cause the issue but replacing them one by
one in hopes of repair could cost thousands of your hard earned bucks.
Before going down this
path a technician might consider checking ground connects for security and
corrosion. He or she also might consider
checking plugs for loose, bent or corroded pins.
It will also help a
technician to know the vehicle service history.
All previous repairs are important.
This will provide clues that will help a technician check certain plugs
and ground connections.
Additionally, in some
cases of this trouble the ignition module and crankshaft sensor have been known
to fail without illuminating the check engine light or setting a trouble
code. Having said this, it would not be
wise to replace these parts until other tests are completed.
Upset Over Cost Of
Synthetic Oil Change
Question 3My new 2013 Hyundai requires synthetic oil. I took it to the dealer and was charged $69 for an oil and filter change. I asked what the cost would be if regular oil was used. They said $29. The cost for labor and filter are the same in either case.
At my local auto parts
store the cost differential for a five quart container of all name brand oil is
less than $9. Why I am being charged an
additional $40 for a synthetic product? Am I being ripped off? T.K., Crystal Lake, ILL
Answer 3
It’s customary for a
dealer service representative to submit to you prior to doing any work a
document you must sign before they begin work.
On the document is the cost of maintenance or repair. When you sign the document you are giving
them authorization to do the work. If
they went ahead and did the service without your approval you should speak with
the dealer principal about the issue.
You might receive satisfaction.
If not, submit a complaint with the manufacture and an organization such
as the Better Business Bureau.
However, it looks as
though you gave the thumbs up to change the oil and filter using synthetic
lubricant at an agreed price. You could
have refused the work and taken the vehicle to another repair shop to have the
maintenance performed at a price you think is not a rip-off. It is not a requirement of the factory
warranty for you to have the oil and filter changed by a factory authorized
dealership. However, it is important
that you save receipts for oil change services performed at your dealership or
another servicing facility. Also, it is
important to use a lubricant that meets factory specifications. This will help support your case in an
unfortunate warranty dispute if something should fail.
Wife Squawks About
Squeaky Engine
Question 4I have a 2008 Ford F450 Super Duty Lariat work truck with a 6.4-liter diesel engine and automatic transmission. It has over 200,000 miles and is super clean inside and out. It’s my baby so I take great care of it with all services according to the factory recommendations. It’s never given me a problem.
Recently, my wife began
to hear a squeaking noise from the engine.
She’s really bugging me about it.
It seems to come from the right side.
The noise is high pitched. I
don’t hear it due to work related hearing loss when I was in the military
working on jets. I went to a repair shop
where the mechanic couldn’t hear the noise.
He says he suffers from hearing loss, too. Despite this he doesn’t think the trouble is
serious and might be caused by worn rocker arms.
My wife says the squeaking
is annoying. Do you think the trouble
is in the rocker arms or is there another cause? L.R.M., email Hearing loss is an issue for many technicians due to loud noises in a shop. My wife says that perhaps that’s why I’m deaf in one ear and can’t hear with the other. That being said the squeaking certainly could be caused by excessively worn rocker arms. If you find a technician who verifies the trouble, the cure is to replace all rocker arms. This should quiet the engine and perhaps your better half will ride serenely in comfort.
Trunk Fails To Open Due
To Faulty Switch
Question 5The trunk will not open in my 2008 Infinity G35. I can open it using my key button but it won’t open from the button on the trunk. This happened after the battery died during the holidays when I was not using the car. After the battery was charged the trunk wouldn’t open from the switch.
Since the battery died
is there a module that needs reprogramming?
What else could be wrong? I.J.,
email
More than likely the issue is not caused by a dead battery. Also, since the trunk opens from the key fob the fault is not likely due to an impaired control module. More than likely the problem is caused by a faulty switch at the trunk lid. It’s also possible with holiday shopping and travel a package or suite case may have tugged on trunk wiring to the switch. A technician might find a wiring issue but more than likely the switch has failed. Replacing the switch is the likely cure.
Power Window Operation
Affected By Scrambled Computer Module
Question 6
The battery died in my
2006 Acura TL. After I installed a new one
the driver and front passenger windows closed and opened normally in manual
mode but in automatic mode they go up about half way and then go down. Did I do something to the system when I
replaced the battery? What needs to be
done to correct the problem? K.B., email
Answer 6
You didn’t do anything
wrong. It appears the module that controls
the windows lost some of its memory due to a lack of electrical power. A technician can perform a relearn
procedure. Once this is accomplished the
windows should operate normally in automatic mode.
The system has a safety
feature that prevents the windows from closing when something obstructs window
operation such as a child or pet. When
in automatic mode when you command the window to close if something gets in the
way of the window it rolls down when it contacts an object. It’s designed to help prevent injury. The relearn procedure should return the
system to normal operation in all modes.
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
drgizmo@hotmail.com. 01/06/2014 ® DR. GIZMO © 1989 - Present
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