Archive for November, 2009

Posted on November 23, 2009 - by Richard

Save Money on 1998 Olds Intrigue Door Parts

To save money on 1998 Olds Intrigue door parts, I used this common technique which are used by some folks here in Calgary. Last week, got a call from a student who has a problem with his power window on this 1998 Olds Intrigue. The window is stuck 2 inches away from the top and won’t come down. Clicking the door switch button, you can hear a faint noise in the door panel. He asked for my help because his budget is limited and don’t want the cost to escalate.

I want this kid to save money on this 1998 Olds Intrigue door parts repair so I agreed. Checking my software, there were 5 screws holding the door panel: one at the door handle lever and 2 at the arm rest including one which won’t show until the arm rest is removed. Two other screws were located at the bottom and the door panel can be pulled out after unplugging all the wiring terminals.

When the door panel was removed, I found the power window motor casing with twisted cable inside which prevents it from turning. One of the 2 cables from the motor hooked up to the regulator is broken. This regulator is where the glass window moves up and down. The motor and cable together with the regulator is sold as an assembly and the total parts cost is about $422 USD as per my laptop software.

My head began spinning on how to save money on 1998 Olds Intrigue door parts?

Here is what I did:

Called up the student and asked him to get the parts from the salvage yard. Took him about a day because he could not find a ride but he got the whole assembly for a whopping $20. He just saved himself $400 for his effort. Put it back and the power window on this 1998 Olds Intrigue is now working.

Shown here are some pictures of 1998 Olds Intrigue power window assembly and the locations of the hidden door panel screws. It is easy to save money on 1998 Olds Intrigue door parts if there is a good salvage yard in your city.

Tip to save money on 1998 Olds Intrigue door parts:

Before ripping your door panel, make sure you have the right info on how to remove the door panel trim. Sometimes, you can easily break a plastic part that is expensive to replace. ATS can give you that info for any vehicle model if you are a member.

Thanks!

Posted on November 8, 2009 - by Richard

1999 Chevy Venture Scanner Won’t Work

Symptoms:

1999 Chevy Venture scanner won’t work when I scanned it 2 weeks ago. The engine ran good all the time and there’s no performance problem. The vehicle driver reported that sometimes, the power door locks would activate by themselves while driving.

Diagnostics for Chevy Venture won’t work:

I would start checking this 1999 Chevy Venture scanner won’t work problem by tracing the engine ground wires. This can be done by getting hold of the vehicle engine wiring diagram. From my experience, a major source of this scanner communication issue comes from corroded ground wiring connections to the ecm (engine computer) terminals. This can be tested by wiggling the engine compartment harness wires especially the ecm ground wires. Voltage measurement is done while the engine is running and measuring the ground voltage with ecm housing connected/disconnected and comparing the results. When measuring the ground voltage, it should read not higher than 0.250 volt where the positive lead of the voltmeter is connected to the ground wire. As always, the negative lead of the voltmeter is connected to the battery negative terminal of the vehicle. Remember to use a digital voltmeter when testing ground voltage reading to get accurate results.

Shown here is a Utube video I made for Chevy Venture won’t work:

Tip for 1999 Chevy Venture scanner won’t work:

With door locks activating by themselves, the BCM module should be disconnected and if the scanner communication is restored, the BCM module is defective. On some engine computer system, a shorted BCM module/wirings will disrupt the ecm operation. A quick pin voltage reading of the data bus terminal pins at the ecm terminal can also be used to test if the BCM is at fault. Normal voltage reading is about 2.5 volt when BCM is connected. If the latter is disconnected and the voltage reading became normal or 2.5 volt, the BCM module is confirmed defective. Please contact ATS for the exact BCM voltage specifications.

Note:

Whenever connecting or disconnecting BCM or ecm modules, always disconnect the battery negative terminal to prevent damage to the ecm and it’s components.

Thanks!

Posted on November 6, 2009 - by Richard

Another Salvage Yard Tip: Fix 1999 Ford Explorer Won’t Start

How do you Fix 1999 Ford Explorer won’t start? The engine is a 4.0L and has a lot of miles. A mechanic friend had been checking this truck with a weird symptoms:

1.) It won’t start and stay running unless you remove the mass sensor. It then runs but has a rough idle

2.) When scanned for codes, has a fault code P0300 or random misfire.

Diagnostics to fix 1999 Ford Explorer won’t start:

We started the troubleshooting by wiggling the mass sensor wires with engine running. Hope to see any rpm change because some other garages reported a short to the mass sensor circuit. No rpm change.

Removed the vacuum hose off the brake booster cylinder so that we can measure the engine vacuum pressure reading. I wanted to establish if the the fix for this 1999 Ford Explorer won’t start is caused by an engine vacuum leak. These were our findings:

Vacuum needle does not oscilliate which to me means the cylinder head and compression chamber is OK.

Vacuum reading sat at 6 inched Hg at idle which is way below normal of 17-20 inches hg.

Solution to the Fix 1999 Ford Explorer won’t start:

Using a bottled water with a spray mist, we spray on top of the engine manifold of while idling. When the spray was directed at the top upper manifold on the driver side, rpm changed accompanied by a hissing sound. Removed the egr DPFE valve to get a closer look, we found a big crack on the side of the upper intake manifold. The crack was caused by heat made by the egr tube beside it.

Quick tips on Fix 1999 Ford Explorer Won’t Start:

1.) The parts cost to Fix 1999 Ford Explorer won’t start is almost the cost of the truck itself if you call the Ford dealer. However, in a short trip to the salvage yard, we found the parts and bought them at almost 1/10th of the cost. You can do it if you pull the part yourself. Some used parts store store will charge 50 to 75 percent if you buy it from the counter. And if you do the job yourself, you can really do it really cheap.
2.) No money? No problem…Put a glue to seal the intake manifold crack and it should be good for a few months!

Thanks!

Posted on November 4, 2009 - by Richard

Saving on Car Recycled Parts

Save money on car recycled parts when you have a breakdown. In this time of hard economic times, using car recycled parts is a good option. Lots of vehicles are being re-cycled in the salvage yard and a great selection of CHEAP used parts can be bought from them.

Two weeks ago, I clipped the side mirror of my kid’s 95 Geo Metro after she got her newer 2001 Honda Civic. I was working on my basement renovation when the drywall I was moving hit the side mirror. The new one was roughly about $100-$200 from the dealer and checking with a couple of auto salvage yard, they were asking between $65-$75 for a used one.

Here is where car recycled parts is better if you go to a salvage yard that allows you to get it yourself. For a $1 fee, you can go inside the salvage yard with your tools and find the used part you need.

Tip for car recycled parts:

You can save your time for searching the yard by getting a computer print out of car recycled parts inventory. It will give you the different car models where the part is common and available instead of looking only for your specific vehicle. I paid another $1 for this but sure helped me find the part I need quickly.

After half an hour, the car recycled parts I need was found and removed which I paid about $14 instead of the $65 or $75 had I gotten it from a used parts salvage yard counter. This is another example of saving money in your vehicle if you want your driving cost down. shown on top is the side mirror I bought after I got it installed in my kid’s 95 Geo Metro.

Note on buying car recycled parts from the salvage yard:

You need some basic tools and instructions to remove the used part from the salvage yard. You can get that FREE information from your public library or direct from me if you are a member of ATS. Membership is particularly helpful if working with difficult to access and expensive car recycled parts.

Thanks!

Posted on November 3, 2009 - by Richard

Saving Money on Vehicle Repairs

One way in saving money on vehicle repairs is getting involved in your own vehicle’s maintenance ELECTRONICALLY. This is the single most economical way to take control of your transportation expenses. The old way of doing the oil change, tires, tune, headlights, wipers yourself as lots of diy enthusiasts have suggested in the past are NOT enough! In saving money on vehicle repairs tips, what  I am giving you here is almost revolutionary because it forces you to upgrade your brains, literally!

I have seen these techniques myself and really worked to get saving money on vehicle repairs. It involves using your laptop, desk computer and lately these media darling devices such as your iphones and blackberries where surfing the net and reaching out with vehicle technical help is now a BREEZE. You can basically communicate with a lot of experts by email using your electronic gadgets.

This is the best technique I use to save money on vehicle repairs:

Browse your local classifieds ONLINE for vehicle parts, services and technical information.

Got a problem on your car because one garage just gave you a killer estimates? No worries! If you can describe the vehicle problem, you can search it in the Internet by using your computer and media devices. No technical skill to do this vehicle engine repair? No problem too! If you browse some of the popular online classifieds such as Craiglist or other sources in the Internet, a free lance mechanic will call you and explain the best way in saving money on vehicle repairs.

This global recession has revolutionized how things are done because communicating with everyone is extremely easy. As a matter of fact, any vehicle problem you have, you can fix it quickly and cheaply by:

Posting it in the Internet by giving the description, car type, model and engine size.

Remember: Just like using your Google, use “keywords” to search anything by describing your vehicle problem. Example, you can basically go to Utube and find the technical information you need for your vehicle. Now, besides knowing it online by reading text, you can watch it as a movie and learn it before your eyes. This is fantastic because it will sky rocket your learning curve. Watch this video I made last weekend just before Halloween. I made it after a guy contacted me about his GM minivan would not start in a shopping mall parking lot the day before. An hour later, got it going and the man was happy because he did not have to pay towing and outrageous hourly rates by garages. And the best part is, I did it infront of him and showed him how easy it is done using simple electronic scanner and tools! Check this out:

Forget about what you read in the past…Got an iphone? blackberry? You can start saving money on vehicle repairs if you have the right information!

Thanks!