Cars and car troubles

[Meistersinger]

I threw a huge screwdriver on the driveway when I was 16. It bounced off the concrete and went thru the sidewall of a customer's tire. It absolutely destroyed the tire and any chance of turning a profit that day. I never threw another tool again
On the other subject,I can guarantee that I could make a sailor blush and teach him some creative combinations of bad words he didn't think could be used together

Believe me, I'm cussing worse than a sailor right now. I have a hole in the flex pipe of my 99 Escort. I bought a new pipe, but can't find anyone to weld it to both the manifold down pipe and the catalytic converter. I took the car out this afternoon, since it was still drive able, and 5 miles from home, the engine blows up. I suspect it's the timing belt, since I step on the gas, and I get nothing. I try to restart it, and while it cranks, it will not turn over. I hear a semi-metallic squealing as it cranks. This sound is the same sound I remember hearing coming out of mom's car when the timing belt broke in her car, as I was driving her to the oncologist for her radiation treatment. To make matters worse, I didn't have AAA, and was charged $55.00 to tow this beast to the nearest garage. The driver told me further it would be $45.00 per day for storage, and after 15 days, the state will be fining me $500.00 and suspension of my license for abandoning my car at his garage. Of course, I'm flat busted, even though I got my disability check last week. Of course, I have the same jackass of a roommate that's blaming me for the incidence, since he now has no way of getting to work, and has lost a chance at another job, since I wasn't home to take him to the lab for his drug test. Does anyone know is a 2.0 liter SOHC Ford engine from a 1999 Escort SE is an interference engine, and is it worth getting repaired.

 

[Nitro]

Believe me, I'm cussing worse than a sailor right now. I have a hole in the flex pipe of my 99 Escort. I bought a new pipe, but can't find anyone to weld it to both the manifold down pipe and the catalytic converter. I took the car out this afternoon, since it was still drive able, and 5 miles from home, the engine blows up. I suspect it's the timing belt, since I step on the gas, and I get nothing. I try to restart it, and while it cranks, it will not turn over. I hear a semi-metallic squealing as it cranks. This sound is the same sound I remember hearing coming out of mom's car when the timing belt broke in her car, as I was driving her to the oncologist for her radiation treatment. To make matters worse, I didn't have AAA, and was charged $55.00 to tow this beast to the nearest garage. The driver told me further it would be $45.00 per day for storage, and after 15 days, the state will be fining me $500.00 and suspension of my license for abandoning my car at his garage. Of course, I'm flat busted, even though I got my disability check last week. Of course, I have the same jackass of a roommate that's blaming me for the incidence, since he now has no way of getting to work, and has lost a chance at another job, since I wasn't home to take him to the lab for his drug test. Does anyone know is a 2.0 liter SOHC Ford engine from a 1999 Escort SE is an interference engine, and is it worth getting repaired.

From what I know,the engine in your car is a non-interference engine. One way to verify a bent valve is to position the camshaft so both valves are closed on the cylinder being tested and apply compressed air thru the sparkplug hole. Listen for a rush of air in the exhaust system and thru the intake with the throttle held open. No loud sound,no bent valve,loud sounds,bent valves. Repeat the procedure on each cylinder. It is much less costly to determine a bent valve and costs you no parts,only labor to diagnose the engine that way. If there are no bent valves,proceed with a belt change. All timing belts have a finite life and it is usually recommended to have them changed every 70,000 miles before they break and leave you stranded or with a huge repair bill. Good luck with it and hope you can find a resolve.

 

[Warwick C]

Sounds like you have an interesting car Meistersinger. Good luck with it. I have a 1983 Citroen Gsa and a couple of spare motors for it.https://www.aspiescentral.com/members/meistersinger.1735/

 

[Meistersinger]

Problem is, my roommate is raising all sorts of hell with me because he no longer has a way to get to work. I'm getting blamed for him losing out on a job offer, because I wasn't home to take him to the lab for a piss test, and getting blamed for him losing his current job because I can no longer take him to work. He's also blaming me for everything else that's been going wrong around here for the past week. Even though the cable modem blew up when Comcast pushed new firmware to it, I got blamed for "messing" up the modem while trying to troubleshoot this issue. I ended up spending money I didn't have on a new cable modem to keep him, and the rest of the housemates happy. I'm just tired of being this jackass's scapegoat. If he keeps up, one of three things are going to happen, I get evicted, he moves elsewhere, or I'm going to take the largest meat cleaver I can find to his head. I've had it with his antics.

 

[Beverly]

Maybe you guys can help me out - my mechanic and both of my body guards have failed to repair my old truck. I like it and, we need it to tow the boat and for getting things the car can't haul.

it is a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado. Most of the time it runs great and, is easy to start but, about once a month it refuses to start at all. If we leave it sit for half an hour, it usually starts but, sometimes we need to repeat that process 2-3 times to get it started.

We have changed the distributor, ignition and fuel pump has been replaced twice since this started. Nothjing fixes it. It is well maintained, gets tune ups and oil changes, lube, etc... on schedule. It's been doing this for the last 18 months and, no one seems to know what the problem is.

 

[Meistersinger]

^^^

Sounds like you have a short in the ignition/electrical system somewhere. I'd take it to a mechanic that specializes in automotive electrical systems (my cousin, for example, who's been doing this kind of work for the last 50 years.)

 

[Meistersinger]

Sounds like you have an interesting car Meistersinger. Good luck with it. I have a 1983 Citroen Gsa and a couple of spare motors for it.https://www.aspiescentral.com/members/meistersinger.1735/

I finally found out what gave with my car. It turns a master fuse blew. The good news: it only cost $15.00 for the part. The bad news: it's going to cost me $350.00 to get my car out of the shop, no thanks to the slime ball tow truck service that my mechanic had to pay off in order to get my car to his shop, plus the 2 days the car was in storage at the operator's shop. My mechanic will not let me have the car back until I pay the full amount. I'm going to try to see if he'll hold a check for 600.00 until I get my next disability check on 3 August. I also need to have my car inspected by the end of July. I have no idea how I'm going to pay for that, as the repair bill will end up chewing up 2/3 of my disability check. It looks I'll be living on the street, since I won't be able to pay my rent, let alone my car insurance, phone bill, etc.

 

[Nitro]

Maybe you guys can help me out - my mechanic and both of my body guards have failed to repair my old truck. I like it and, we need it to tow the boat and for getting things the car can't haul.

it is a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado. Most of the time it runs great and, is easy to start but, about once a month it refuses to start at all. If we leave it sit for half an hour, it usually starts but, sometimes we need to repeat that process 2-3 times to get it started.

We have changed the distributor, ignition and fuel pump has been replaced twice since this started. Nothjing fixes it. It is well maintained, gets tune ups and oil changes, lube, etc... on schedule. It's been doing this for the last 18 months and, no one seems to know what the problem is.

I am going to have to assume that the starter motor cranks the engine when this happens.It requires three things for an engine to run,spark,fuel and compression. We can rule out compression because it does eventually run,which leaves us with two yet unknowns. When it refuses to start,a simple test to determine spark/ignition failure is to remove on spark plug wire and have someone crank it while the wire is placed near something metal on the engine. Do not attempt to hold it with your hand. A bright blue arc a half inch away from the metal part that snaps loudly should indicate enough ignition energy to light the air/fuel mixture in the engine. No spark,no start and ignition diagnostics should be used to determine exactly why,possibly a bad ignition module or a crank sensor that is getting weak,but I hate planting seeds before any testing is done. The fuel pressure test is also quite simple as there should be a pressure test port on the fuel rail to the injectors. When the no start condition occurs,placing a long automatic transmission funnel as a megaphone into the fuel filler will let you hear if the actual fuel pump is even running during the priming phase of the fuel system that occurs for about ten to fifteen seconds when the ignition is switched to the run position. It will be the sound of a motor running with a slight whine as the pressure rises then an abrupt halt. If the sound is present,the wiring is intact and the next test involved removing the plastic cap on the test port schraeder valve to check for pressure by depressing the small pin in the middle of it. A slight trickle will indicate low fuel pressure,something I do not suspect because the pump has been changed out already.
I would first suspect that the spark is at fault here and attempt to determine that when the vehicle won't start.

Your mechanics have been relegated to mere parts changers who are only guessing at what is wrong because they aren't there during the no start condition. You need to be their eyes and ears during the condition so they can get to the bottom of it without costing you a fortune replacing good parts.

 

[Beverly]

It has spark, had my husband check that before he left for work this morning. Fuel/combustion is fine, all of that has been check many times. My first though was vapor lock, acts just like my grandfather's old Pontiac did when it vapor locked and, it did that every time it went up a hill of any length or that was very steep but the truck does it after just sitting there. Most days it only sits parked overnight but, sometimes we don't run it for as long a three days. That doesn't seem to affect it's odd starting problem.

The engine does turn over when it won't start, it gets to right there - a millisecond before it would stay running then dies. Only does it about once a month. The rest of the the time it starts and runs perfectly. Electrical has been check by the repair garage as well as all of the sensors and other electronics.

 

[clg114]

Maybe you guys can help me out - my mechanic and both of my body guards have failed to repair my old truck. I like it and, we need it to tow the boat and for getting things the car can't haul.

it is a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado. Most of the time it runs great and, is easy to start but, about once a month it refuses to start at all. If we leave it sit for half an hour, it usually starts but, sometimes we need to repeat that process 2-3 times to get it started.

We have changed the distributor, ignition and fuel pump has been replaced twice since this started. Nothjing fixes it. It is well maintained, gets tune ups and oil changes, lube, etc... on schedule. It's been doing this for the last 18 months and, no one seems to know what the problem is.

How about the fuel filter? It can cause problems like you described. Fuel injected engines do not vaper lock because of the constant flow of fuel.

 

[Nitro]

The wire for the fuel pump feed needs monitored for fuel pump latching after the startup. Fuel injection systems will store a pressure charge for several days which could explain the short run then the stall,so that should narrow it down, I advise you to use the simple funnel trick to see if the initial prime run works. it will only repeat itself after the key/ignition switch has been turned off for several seconds and there will be no report of that type of failure that will show up on an OBD II diagnostic test. That test will only cost you the price of the funnel if you don't have one.

 

[Nitro]

How about the fuel filter? It can cause problems like you described. Fuel injected engines do not vaper lock because of the constant flow of fuel.

agreed,pressurized systems never vapor lock
Filters do not manifest themselves as intermittent problems as a general rule and would show up as partially clogged by loss of power under heavy throttle application while driving the truck

 

[Beverly]

Thank you Nitro, I'll have Hal check that when he get here today. He is coming to replace the impeller for the water pump on my boat's engine and service the riding mower anyway and, I do have a funnel like that.

 

[Nitro]

A vapor lock occurs when the vapor pressure of the fuel makes the fuel vaporize/boil when the atmospheric pressure is taken away by the vacuum/suction of a mechanical pump. General Motors vehicles and most anything injected has a pusher type pump to move the fuel that is immersed in the fuel tank to eliminate that type of problem

 

[Nitro]

Thank you Nitro, I'll have Hal check that when he get here today. He is coming to replace the impeller for the water pump on my boat's engine and service the riding mower anyway and, I do have a funnel like that.

Like I have always said,K.I.S.S.
Parts changing can get costly when troubleshooting,it is best to properly identify a problem before the shotgun approach

 

[clg114]

agreed,pressurized systems never vapor lock
Filters do not manifest themselves as intermittent problems as a general rule and would show up as partially clogged by loss of power under heavy throttle application while driving the truck

The wire for the fuel pump feed needs monitored for fuel pump latching after the startup. Fuel injection systems will store a pressure charge for several days which could explain the short run then the stall,so that should narrow it down, I advise you to use the simple funnel trick to see if the initial prime run works. it will only repeat itself after the key/ignition switch has been turned off for several seconds and there will be no report of that type of failure that will not show up on an OBD II diagnostic test. That test will only cost you the price of the funnel if you don't have one.View attachment 19331

You may be on to something with the stored fuel pressure idea. GM trucks have a replaceable fuel check valve that is a fuel diode of sorts. It allows fuel to flow in one direction only and holds pressure for a easy next start. I had a GM truck once that had a leaky check valve and it was very hard to start cold. Replacing it took care of the problem.

I had a fuel filter cause a intermittent starting issue once. When the fuel would flow through the filter, it would pick crud and cloge the filter. When the fuel stopped flowing, the crud would settle down in the filter and allow fuel to flow again. Changing the filter fixed the problem. If the filter hasn't been changed, it wont hurt even if it doesn't fix the issue.

 

[clg114]

Like I have always said,K.I.S.S.
Parts changing can get costly when troubleshooting,it is best to properly identify a problem before the shotgun approach

You've got that right. Throwing parts at the problem is never a good idea.

 

[Nitro]

You've got that right. Throwing parts at the problem is never a good idea.

We are not even going to toss the fuel pulsator into the mix yet
The pulsator is a diaphram that smooths the pulses out of the feed line to reduce hammering the vanes in the pump.They fail as well with a breach in the unit that causes them to leak fuel back into the tank instead of pushing it forward to the injectors. I have gone into fuel tanks after a fuel pump was replaced because the mechanic neglected to inspect it before changing the pump

 

[Beverly]

Hal found the problem (we think) - the little plug in the steering column that sends information to the security system was corroded - He said that would cause the problem because the signal telling the truck that the proper key was in the ignition might not get through every time.

We shall see but he says the fuel injection system is fine. I figured it was, that's something my husband would catch. Being a truck driver, he's hyper aware of fuel injection systems. (and turbos after having three blow in one week on him LOL.)

 

[Nitro]

Hal found the problem (we think) - the little plug in the steering column that sends information to the security system was corroded - He said that would cause the problem because the signal telling the truck that the proper key was in the ignition might not get through every time.

We shall see but he says the fuel injection system is fine. I figured it was, that's something my husband would catch. Being a truck driver, he's hyper aware of fuel injection systems. (and turbos after having three blow in one week on him LOL.)

Yeah,passlock anti theft systems will do that. You never told me it had a pellet key.Most of the time,passlock or VATS key ignitions have problems with a tiny wire that breaks at the lock cylinder,so a corroded connector would do the same thing. If the problem persists,take an ohm meter reading across the pellet key and record the reading. Hit an electronics component store and purchase a 1/4 or 1/2 watt resister of a matching value to patch into the wiring harness on the lower part of the steering column to bypass the anti-theft system. If it comes down to that and you need a schematic for the wiring,I can provide it. Good luck with your truck and it appears you have a good guy working with you.