Hi Mark,
I have a 1999 GMC Jimmy/Envoy. My SES light has begun
coming on, staying on for hours, then going off while driving,
to remain off for a day or two, then come on again.
When it's on, it's on steady, when it goes off it stays
off (no blinking). Sometimes, in the morning at first
start, the light stays on after the startup light check
times out, other times it goes out normally, and stays out
for the entire drive. It seldom, or never(I'm not
positive), comes on while driving. More commonly it
stays on at startup and remains on steadily. This has been
going on for about 6 days now.
A related (I think) set of events is this: Four times
now, at startup, and after the initial warning light display
ends, the gas gage reads empty, the SES is on and 20 or
30 seconds goes by and suddenly all the warning lights blink
on, brightly, then go off, and the gas gage reads correctly,
and all the instruments and lights look normal, except that
the SES is on and stays on.
On 7-5-02 I took the Jimmy to our local closest Chevrolet
dealer, and they read out codes P0740, P0785 and P1860,
which are all transmission codes? Since this happened,
I had them change the transmission fluid and filter, at
52000 miles, and have paid close attention to the transmission.
It sounds and shifts as it always has. The service
tech tested it (?), and thought it was OK. He said
the fluid looked like it always did at that mileage, nothing
unusual.
All these events have occurred since we drove about 170
miles in 97 degree heat just before the forth of July, before
which our Jimmy has never done anything unusual in any way.
If you have time, I'd appreciate any input. Jimmy
is now at the Chevrolet dealers Service Dept and they're
working on it.
Thanks, John
Maybe
a bad ignition switch??????
Mark Salem
Hi Mark,
I mentioned your opinion to the Chevrolet service manager,
and got him to sit in the driver's seat and start the car
with his read out device clipped to the terminal under the
dash. Believe it or not, the car misbehaved perfectly,
and did it's double clutch light show.
When I called him the next day to see what he thought, he
said that he'd talked to Chevrolet and that they'd all decided
that the problem was with the ignition switch. I let
them install a new switch, and the problem went away.
So,
good on ya!! And thanks!
John
THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
It's been over a year that I've been trying to get Chevrolet
to fix my oil consumption problem. Not until I took it in
again and showed them your FAQ-33 on Oil Consumption did
they finally run the necessary tests and turned out they
found the problem!! It's a miracle!!
They
checked the spark plugs and found oil. They replaced the
value guide seals, spark plugs and valve cover gaskets all
under warranty.
Time will tell if the problem has been corrected permanently
but at least for now it is.
Again, I'm sure that if I wouldn't have had your FAQ in
hand, nothing would have been repaired.
Thanks you very much and continued success in your automotive
work!
Marta
I'd
like to thank you for answering
my question a couple weeks ago about my wives 1992 Chevy
Lumina - you told me to unplug the wiring harness on the
transmission to see if the problem went away - and if
it did the torque converter solenoid was bad - you were
right and you saved me alot of $$$ - I had taken the car
to a transmission "specialist" and was told
the clutches and converter were bad and it needed a complete
overhaul - a very expensive one. Then I contacted you,
and solved the problem with a $35.00 part from a dealer
- Thank You very much!
Tom
Dear Mark,
I did not see this covered on your frequently asked questions
so here goes. I am over hauling the 350cid engine
in my 1990 Chevy P/U after 195,000 miles. I no longer
use it as a daily driver so I decided to hot rod it just
a little bit, full length headers, a longer duration camshaft
(218 degrees of duration at 0.050 lift) and a set of older
free flowing heads. It has been absolutely reliable
and I do not want to go back to a carburetor. Some
have said that the engine management system will learn to
compensate for the changes and adjust the fuel accordingly.
Others tell me that I will need to have a new chip programmed
for these changes. Can you tell me which is correct
if either?
Thank you.
Ken
Both are right, except no one know what chip you need until
they see if you need more or less fuel, more or less spark
and timing. You want to shoot for 2.0 CO at cruise and a
slight ping on wide open throttle, tan plugs, good mpgs,
no sulfur smell and 300ppm HC or less on a hot engine
in the summer. That would be sitting on the razor's edge.
Mark Salem
Wow.
I did not expect such a thorough answer. Thanks a
lot. I enjoy your show on KMOX.
Ken
Mark,
I just wanted to write you and express my thanks for your
assistance in helping me find out what the problem was with
my 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager. It was not starting when
it was cold and windy or under 40 to 45 degrees F. But it
would start if it was plugged into the block heater. I have
tried to deal with our local Mopar dealer as well as another
automotive shop. Both have said it is the fuel pump, and
questioned why I wanted the van put on a diagnostic machine,
since it would not tell us anything about the fuel. I bought
a new coolant sensor at your advice and so far so good.
I haven't had to plug it into the heater yet. Your expertise
saved me over $450.00 .
Once again Thank You for your advice and God Bless you and
Our Great Country.
L.P in Wyoming
DEAR
MARK,
I HAVE AN 89 GRAND AM WITH 150K. IT WAS STALLING OUT
ON ME AS I SLOWED TO A RED LIGHT. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT
WHAT WAS WRONG SO I DECIDED TO GO ON THE WEB. I FOUND
YOUR SITE. I FOUND OUT FROM YOUR SITE THAT IT WAS THE SOLENOID
IN THE TRANNY. SO I CALLED THE SHOP IN MY AREA. HE
TOLD ME THAT MOST LIKELY THE TRANNY WAS GOING TO NEED TO
BE REBUILT, IT JUST DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT. SO I WENT
TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO DID THE JOB FOR $225 AND
TOLD ME MY TRANNY WAS OK .
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING SUCH A HELPFUL WEBSITE.
I'VE BEEN RIPPED OFF SO MUCH, BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR SITE I
WONT BE ANYMORE.
THANKS.
Hi,
guys. I'm trying to find the proper technique or the right
tool to replace the hood springs on a 1963 Bonneville convertible
They gave up the ghost at the same second and damned near
tore my back apart when they snapped on the opening lift.
The old girl belonged to my late dad and, for that
reason, I'm trying to restore it.
Anyway,
I finally found two replacement springs and I'd like to
know if there is a special tool or just a big crowbar, blood
and guts to get these things on. They are as stiff as a
half-dollar round pipe.
Appreciate
your suggestions in advance,
Gary, Northridge, CA
Hi Gary,
We stretch
the springs, put nails thru the coils until they are the
right length and install them, then pull the nails out one
by one. Use lots of WD40.
Mark Salem
Hi Mark,
I hope you are still around and hale. I did what you suggested
as wacky as it first sounded. I used my vice to clamp the
springs and a speed handle to insert into the body of the
springs and torque them over. It took ten 6P nails (5 on
each side of the individual springs) to do the trick. Many,
many thanks for a simple method.
Gary, Northridge, Ca.
Subj:
Front End Steering problems
Date: 8/28/01 3:54:31 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Dear Mark,
I just had new ball joints put on, then had 4 new tires
put on, and had the shop do a wheel alignment on my 1991
Pontiac Grand Am 2.5 L.
When I picked up the car I noticed that the steering wheel
was pointing about 10 degrees to the left when I steered
the car straight. I took it back and they indicated they
had forgotten to adjust the steering wheel. They took the
car back into the shop and readjusted the steering wheel.
The steering wheel seemed to be properly adjusted when I
drove away, but then I observed a very strange event. As
soon as I made a left turn, the steering wheel went back
to
10 degrees to the left of center when the car was going
straight. Then when I made a right turn, the steering wheel
returned to straight up when the car was going straight.
The shop says they did everything right and don't what the
problem is.
Can you give my some ideas as to what MAY be causing this
problem?
Thanks for any help you can provide and for your very informative
web site.
Sincerely,
Frank
The rack is loose because the mounting bushing are shot.
Mark Salem
Subj:
Re: Thanks for Front End Steering problem Help
Date: 9/5/01 4:32:05 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Mark,
Thanks for the help on my front end steering problem. I
finally got the car into my regular mechanic, told him the
problem and he concurred with your diagnosis of bad rack
and pinion mounting bushings. He replaced them and it fixed
the problem.
Thanks again for all your help
Frank
Subj:
MASS AIR FLOW 94 EXPLORER
Date: 5/16/01 6:05:33 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Mark, just want to compliment you on your excellent solution
to a "check engine light" situation diagnosed
by a Ford dealer last December as a bad MAF on my '94 Explorer
when I had the O2 sensor replaced. He recommended not replacing
the very expensive MAF and to ignore the light. You
recommended pulling the device and cleaning it with carburetor
cleaner. We just returned from a 2100 mile Florida trip,
and I had no reoccurrence of the "check engine light".
Many thanks for your very helpful and inexpensive tip.
DE
Subj:
window guides
Date: 5/6/01 1:17:18 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Thank you for your speedy reply to my question concerning
the guides for my window on the 90 Olds. The part....was
actually $3.50 at Lou Grubb. (I guessed it was .89 cents
or so). The less expensive ones at Auto-Zone did not work
for some reason. All in all, you saved me a lot of dollars.
Thanks again,
George
Subj: it's
fixed!
Date: 5/8/01 8:29:54 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Hello again, Mark. The little Mercury Bobcat is back to
running on all 4 once again! It was a faulty plug wire which
wasn't staying completely on the plug! At first glance,
it would appear that the wire was on, but it was just sitting
in it's place, barely touching the plug which was causing
the surging. There's one thing that I've learned from this.
Check everything, new or old, to see if everything is indeed
working properly. Just because it's new doesn't mean that
it can't be faulty! Thanks for replying to my message!
Kevin
Subj:
Re: Recommended car maintenance
Date: 4/27/01 1:40:10 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Thanks for your reply and your advice. I went to Auto Repair
Service and they saved me a ton of money!
Subj: KFYI
radio program
Date: 4/19/01 6:24:24 AM US Mountain Standard
Time
Mark, Hi....Glad you decided to leave that station. they
never did appreciate a car repair program anyway. Not sure
they know what they are trying to be at that station, but
I stopped listening to them cause I never could count on
hearing the program I tuned in to listen to. Can you imagine
if TV stations would constantly change the programming or
interrupt it, when they are suppose to be running it. The
viewers would drop them like a hot rock.
Do
not stay off the radio airwaves. Many people in the valley
benefit from your insight and expertise and enjoy their
sat. mornings listening to you on the radio, while they
may be doing odd chores around the house. Mark, hang in
there. You were too good for that damn station anyway.
A loyal fan,
Jim
Subj:
Thank you!
Date: 2/19/01 8:57:30 AM US Mountain Standard
Time
I've been searching all morning to find something, anything,
about why my car smokes only upon startup. You had the most
comprehensive web site, the question and answer part, that
I have seen. I don't have a lot of money and this really
helped me. Keep up the good work... Thanks and good luck
to you.
Kim
Subj:
Flooding problems
Date: 1/24/01 8:40:28 AM US Mountain Standard
Time
Mark,
I want to thank you very much for your car repair FAQs.
They helped me diagnose and quickly repair a problem with
my 91 Caprice. My vehicle lost power and was barely chugging
along at 15 MPH and would flood if you tried to accelerate.
I had had everyone including an ASE certified mechanic tell
me all the different parts I needed to change. Everything
from the MAP to the O2 sensor. The MAP did read a fault,
and the O2 sensor came up rich. I'm guessing the blockage
of the catalytic converter was causing the pressure in the
manifold to increase enough to cause the MAP to read bad.
I read your FAQ, punched two holes in the exhaust and the
pressure difference was amazing. I took off and replaced
the converter and the engine really picked up power... Thanks
again!!!
James
Subj:
Re: Brakes
Date: 12/7/00 5:39:07 AM US Mountain Standard
Time
Mark,
Your awesome! Thanks for getting back to me. It WAS the
fluid level--no one ever told me there was a float in the
reservoir that needed to be covered with fluid! I feel like
such a blond! I took the car to a different mechanic this
time and I think we "bonded" and I have a good
feeling about him, so I told him I would be back.
Thanks again for your response.
D
Date:
12/3/00 9:56:29 PM US Mountain Standard Time
Mark,
I heard
you on KMOX radio show in St. Louis this Saturday. It was
the first time I've ever heard your show and I really enjoyed
it and thought _ "there really is someone out there
that knows cars!" I learned a few tips for my sister's
car problem that she has been having. My father was the
mechanic in the family and now that he has moved away, my
sisters and I don't have any one around to help us with
our car problems. Your web site is an excellent source of
automotive advice for us. Thank you very much and I'll be
listening in on your talk radio show from now on!!
K.
Subj:
Hard starting Jimmy
Mark,
I wanted to let you know that your advice (leaking injector)
was absolutely correct. It took me a while to get the part,
but now my jimmy starts like new and is a pleasure to drive
again. I also wanted to let you know that of several advice
sites I contacted, you were the only one to respond.
Thanks
for your help.
BS
Subj:
Sable Stalls When Cold
Date: 10/3/00 8:46:45 AM US Mountain Standard Time
Replacing
the coolant sensor has fixed this problem! It has been cold
in the morning lately. There hasn't even been any hesitation.
Thanks,
Forrest
Subj:
1986 Suburban
Date: 9/27/00 11:06:14 PM US Mountain
Standard Time
I have never really heard of you or spoken with you but
rather was looking around the internet to find some info
on brake pads. We were experiencing a squeak while braking,
that has now left and instead we have a rather severe pull
to the left. Neither of us know very much about cars and
so didn't know what to replace. Now I have added your site
to our "favorites" in case we have any other questions.
It is nice to have someone offer an explanation of what
is happening without wondering if they are just trying to
rip you off. Thanks again.
MM
In
a message dated 9/21/00 10:57:54 AM US Mountain Standard
Time, KC writes:
I learned
more from that few minutes you talked about overheating
cars (on the radio), than I did talking to 2 other "expert"
mechanics. You are the only one that knew the symptoms and
you never even saw the truck or talked to me!
Subj:
Mark Salem web site
Date: 8/26/00 2:12:57 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Just to let you know, I found the site very easy to get
around! No problems! The reason I am letting you know, is
that I am totally blind. My speech system handled it fine!
Thanks for a speech friendly web site!
DS
Subj:
1991 Hyundai Excell
Date: 8/24/00 8:51:03 PM US Mountain Standard
Time
Thank you so much for helping me pinpoint my problem on
the above vehicle. You hit the nail on the head....if you
remember...when it would warm up or be driven for awhile,
it would cut out and finally stop. With the fuel in line
gage, it proved that the fuel pump was defective. Upon replacement
it is like new again.
Thanks Again.......
MB
