Car problem diagnosis

Car interior with push start button why a car cranks slowly but wont start

3 Easy to Understand Reasons Why a Car Cranks Slowly but Wont Start

Why a car cranks slowly but won’t start

Car cranks slowly but won’t start? Stay tuned and see just what could be causing this problem.

Possible causes

A bad battery, Bad alternator, Parasitic draw

(1) Bad battery

A bad battery will try and start the car if it still has enough cranking amps left in it. That is why you hear the vehicle struggle to start but won’t start.

How do I know if my car battery is bad?

The only true way to know if your car battery is bad is to get it tested. You can test it yourself with a battery load tester or remove the battery and take it to your local auto parts store and get it tested.

If you have roadside service with AAA or any other road assistance companies they can assist you with this matter. The road assistance service that comes to you has all the tools needed to check your battery to see if it is bad.

What causes car batteries to go bad?

Car batteries go bad for a few reasons. In short the age of the battery, and low performing charging system. But for a better understanding, I source this informative courtesy of battery power.info

The most common cause of premature battery failure…

It is due to a build-up of sulfate on the plates, which interferes with the charging and discharging of the battery. This build-up is accelerated by the following:

  • high temperature — over 70 degrees;
  • discharging the battery below 10.5 volts;
  • storage without charging

The second most common cause of premature failure…

Is loss of electrolyte –(the liquid chemical that causes electricity to flow) –due to overcharging or heat.

The third most common cause of premature failure…

It is undercharging because undercharging accelerates the build-up on the plates.

The fourth most common cause of premature failure…

It is called “old age.” This is a result of the plates shedding material which falls to the bottom of the battery cell and eventually shorts the plates. This shedding of material is accelerated by the build-up mentioned above.

The fifth most common cause of premature failure…

Is excessive vibration. This causes the shedding to occur faster. The Battery Life Saver electronic device can help here because clean plates will shed more slowly.

(2) Bad alternator

A bad alternator will sneak up on you. Before you know it you tray and start your vehicle and there it is, your battery is possibly gone to the point of no return.

What causes car alternators to fail?

Alternators fail for many reasons but the most common reason is due to normal wear and tear.

  1. oil leaking into alternator I.E Power steering fluid and all other fluids
  2. Electrical overload I.E Aftermarket sound system and other electronics

How do I know if my car alternator is bad?

To find out if your alternator is bad this can be done with a few easy to understand the test. First and for most in order to properly test an alternator, you need to have a good battery. VERY IMPORTANT Test the battery first and move to the next step.

The average person does not own a battery test tool. Locate one at your local auto parts store. For the less mechanically inclined person, most local auto parts stores can test the battery and the alternator.

No tool needed- easy to do alternator test

There this easy little test that you can perform that will let you know if the alternator has failed completely.

  1. Start the engine
  2. Locate the battery
  3. Remove the negative  and positive battery cables from the battery

Observe how the vehicle reacts. If the vehicle shuts off the alternator has completely failed. If the vehicle continues to run, the alternator hasn’t completely failed but could be still on its way out. A proper charging system is still recommended.

(3) Parasitic draw

What is a parasitic draw?

In automotive terms, a parasitic drain is an electrical load that draws current from the battery when the ignition is turned off. Some are considered normal, some above normal. Parasitic drain happens in vehicles every day, that is why you can have a fully charged battery get discharged after leaving in a car for an extended amount of time.

An example of part of a vehicle that causes a parasitic draw is a relay staying energized also know as stuck in the on position.

How to find a parasitic draw on a car

The parasitic draw can be really challenging to find if you have never done this before. I must tell you even for a seasoned automotive technician parasitic draw can still be challenging. I sourced this really cool and detailed article on how to find a parasitic draw on any vehicle.

 

 

car gauge reving high after transmission fluid leak when parked

6 Reasons Why You Have a Transmission Fluid Leak When Parked

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There it is staring you in the face after you just go out of the grocery store. You pray its not your car as you get closer to look.  Here comes car trouble. Here are 6 possible reasons why you are seeing red fluid leaking on the floor. First off, transmission fluid is not the only fluid that is red that goes in the cars and trucks.

Possible reasons why red fluid is on the floor

The other fluid that is red that belongs in cars and trucks is also the power steering fluid. Be sure that you check to see where the red fluid is actually leaking from by checking the transmission fluid level, and power steering fluid level.

Transmission fluids are also clear in color and are usually found in Japanese, and European cars.

How to check transmission fluid level

We want to locate the leak so we have to do some basic checks to eliminate the transmission fluid leak. Most cars or truck’s transmission fluid is checked with the engine running.

First, open the hood of the vehicle and locate the transmission dipstick as listed n the picture below.

Possible places transmission fluid could leak from

Some of the newer generation cars and trucks in the past 10 years do not have a dipstick. The way that the transmission fluid is checked is from a hole usually located on the transmission oil pan.

If your vehicle has no dipstick then it will be a good idea to have a professional technician or repair shop to check it for you.

How to check power steering fluid level

First, start the vehicle and locate the power steering reservoir under the hood of the car as seen in the image below.

Places power steering fluid could leak from

  • Power steering reservoir leak
  • Rack and pinion leak
  • Power steering hose leak
  • Power steering pump leak

Pretty easy and straight forward to check the fluid. On the power steering dipstick, you will see minimum and maximum lines.

Where you want to have the power steering level is at the full mark obviously. Do not overfill the transmission fluid or else it will begin to foam the fluid and spill over.

How serious is a transmission leak?

Oh, it’s really bad. If you continue to drive your vehicle with the transmission fluid leak, you risk the chance of running the transmission dry and damaging the transmission. You won’t damage it on the first day that it’s leaking so head to a qualified mechanic or repair shop fast.

Car Ac Only Work on High Speed

OMG! Why Does My Car Ac Only Work on High Speed

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You go to turn on your car’s AC and realized you have only one speed, and that’s the high speed. That leaves you puzzled and the question you ask yourself is why does my car AC only work on high?

This can be so annoying only hearing that fan blow it’s air all over you when it is not needed.

You don’t pay it too much attention because it’s summer and you enjoy the convenience of the burst of cool air. Winter rolls around, and you quickly realize that hot heat in your face is unbearable.

I did this too, so I know first hand. Before you head over to the repair shop this easy to understand article will give you a breath of fresh air, NO PUN INTENDED! Into why your car AC only work on high speed.

Possible Causes

Blower motor resistor

Main Ac switch

Electrical short

what is a blower motor resistor?

Blower motor resistors are used to control the fan speed of automotive blowers motor. The fan speed can be changed either by switching the blower resistor resistance mechanically, or by using the main AC switch, and also electronically by the air conditioning system.

How a blower motor resistor work

The change in resistance then limits the current through the motor, which dictates the speed at which the blower fan works. Blower resistors, being a mechanical component, are prone to wear and are the most common point of failure in a vehicle’s air-conditioning system. This article will focus on mechanical blower resistors, their construction, and troubleshooting.

What’s bad the AC switch or the blower motor resistor?

The majority of the time when dealing with a symptom as such only blowing on high speed is usually a bad blower motor resistor. Very rarely the main AC switch goes bad but, but don’t count it out completely.

I would say replace the blower motor resistor first before. If the blower motor resistor is replaced and the condition still exists, the main AC nob is faulty.

How to replace blower motor resistor

Just about every vehicle have the blower motor resistor in the same location, but every car’s procedure to remove the blower motor resistor is different.

My Car Wobbles When I Accelerate

My Car Wobbles When I Accelerate | Here Are Possible Reasons Why

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When a customer says to me my car wobbles when I accelerate, there are a few possible reasons why this might be happening.

Possible reasons for the car to wobble while accelerating

  1. Worn front end parts I.E Bad wheel bearings 
  2. Separated tire belt  
  3. Bent or out of round rim

How do I know if I have a bad wheel bearing?

First, let us start off by educating you about what a wheel bearing is and what role it plays in a vehicle operation.

A wheel bearing can be found located behind the rotors or brake drum of every vehicle in the front and also the rear.

Wheel bearing in the rear of a vehicle.

Wheel bearing in the front of a vehicle.

The wheel bearings purpose is to allow the wheels to rotate with minimal function, and they also support the vehicle’s weight.

Wheel bearing symptoms

  1. growing noise/Groaning noise
  2. Abnormal tire wear
  3. Wobble while driving
  4. Trouble rolling the car

Risk of driving with a bad wheel bearing

  1. Run the risk of damaging the drive axle if wheel bearing locks up
  2. Run the risk of damaging the transmission if wheel bearing locks up
  3. Run the risk of having a crash, injury, and possible death due to uncontrollable steering from the wheel bearing separation.

How do I know if I have a separated tire belt?

A separated tire belt is dangerous and you should never drive your vehicle if you see signs of separation.

When a tire is separated it bulges on the interior of the tire as in the image below. Separation in a tire can also be found by performing a simple little inspection of the tire.

There are times when a tire is separated and it is not noticeable to the eye. So what you have to do is raise the vehicle of the floor and take your hand and rub it along the tire’s surface and spin the wheel at the same time.

Close your eyes block out everything else and become one with the tire, no seriously no joke. You’ll know the tire is separated trust me.

How to tell if have a bent or out of round rim on your vehicle

The best way to find out if your rim is bent is to take it to a shop that solely specializes in fixing and diagnosing this condition. In a nutshell, they’ll remove all 4 wheels and place them on a machine similar to a wheel balancer and spin the wheels various miles per hour.

How much does it cost to find out if my rims are bent?

It could cost you anywhere from $10-20 per wheel. Most shops will forget about the cost of the diagnosis if you do the job with them.

 

 

driver feeling weird limp mode and failsafe mode symptom

My Car Did Something Weird | What Is Limp Mode and Failsafe Mode?

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what is limp mode or failsafe mode?

Limp mode or engine failsafe mode condition is activated when the vehicle computers recognize that there is a is a problem in the engine or the transmission system.

This safety system is designed to protect the engine and transmission from being damaged during extremely hot temperatures. Once limp mode engages, the engine will only be able to run at very low RPMs and be barely able to move.

Usually, when a car goes into failsafe mode the check engine light is illuminated on the car’s car instrument cluster.

When the check engine light is illuminated it is very important to find out what’s the cause of it. You can either scan your car with an engine code reader yourself or take it to a qualified auto repair shop.

can I drive my car in limp mode?

Driving a car in limp mode or failsafe mode is a highly dangerous thing to do especially if you are trying to thread the needle and make it home.

The short answer to this question is NO, DON’T YOU EVER TRY IT!

Even if you try your hardest to drive the car in failsafe mode, the cars computer won’t allow you to pass a certain speed OR rpm limiting you to only go somewhere around the range of 5 miles per hour.

symptoms of limp mode

  1. Unable to accelerate to speeds over 5 MPH
  2. Unable to accelerate to  RPM over 3500 RPM

How to get a car out of limp mode

sometimes, and I will say this again sometimes you can get a car out of limp mode by using an engine code reader to clear the engine or transmission code that is causing the car to go into failsafe mode.

Be very aware that if you do successfully get the failsafe mode condition to go away, this does not fix your issue, and it may happen again.

what can I damage if I drive in limp mode or failsafe mode?

To continually drive while your car is in failsafe mode spells potential danger to the catalytic converter Another possible thing that can happen is you can overheat the engine by over-revving it while trying to drive it while in limp mode.

 

 

car charger not working

My Car Charger Is Not Working Does My Car Have an Electrical Short?

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Possible Causes

  1. Bad cellular phone charger wire
  2. Bad cellular phone charger base
  3. A blown fuse that supplies power to the cigarette lighter port
  4. Electrical short at the cigarette lighter port

How do I know if it is a cigarette port fuse problem or car charger

This can be quite tricky so what I want you to do is grab a spare good working charger wire and charger base and plug it into the cigarette port. If it doesn’t power up then you have power supply problem to the cigarette lighter port or possible electrical short at the cigarette lighter port.

Car charger fuse replacement location

What you want to do next is look for the fuse panel location. Don’t be too worried this won’t be too technical for you, you can do this test. Some fuse panel location can be found in the interior of the vehicle or under the hood of the vehicle.

If your vehicle still has it’s owners manual, it will show you exactly where the fuse box location is.

There are two ways that you can check the fuse. You can pull it out to see if it is broken at the contacts and look at it or test it with a circuit tester. You can grab a cheap circuit tester at the auto parts store. Here is what a good and bad fuse looks like below.

How to use a circuit tester on a car fuse

Once you find the location of the fuse that gives power to the cigarette lighter port then you can test it to see if it is good. In your case, I hope it’s just a blown fuse because electrical issues can get really messy and frustrated.

First turn the car’s ignition to the on position without starting the car. Connect your circuit tester to a suitable ground. That means find bare metal without paint on it to connect the other end of the circuit tester too. Then go to the location of the fuse that gives power to the cigarette lighter port. Now every fuse has the two metal tabs at the very top. This is what allows power to pass throughout the fuse because it is connected. When the wire inside of the fuse breaks than power is not allowed to pass through and supply power to its source.

The fuse breaking is a safety feature so that electrical fires do not happen. Use the circuit tester to touch the two tabs on at a time. If the circuit tester lights up when you touch one side and the other doesn’t light up when you touch it, the fuse is no good.

Conclusion

Let’s just say you had a blown fuse and you followed all steps above and checked it, and replaced the fuse. If you replace the fuse and it breaks again, then you have an electrical short in your vehicle. It is now time to seek professional technician assistance.

Mass Airflow Sensor Failure Symptoms

4 Mass Airflow Sensor Failure Symptoms You Never Want to Overlook

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Regardless of the specific design be it “hot wire,” “cold wire,” “vane-type,” “laminar” or any other a mass airflow sensor’s job is essentially the same: to tell the computer how much air flows into the engine.

MASS air flow systems are generally similar regardless of the specific type of MAF sensor used since most modes of failure will do the same thing: tell the computer that there’s less air going in than there really is.

Power Loss

Engines typically run at their most powerful and efficient at an air-to-fuel ratio of about 14 parts air to 1 part fuel. Some engines, depending on the specific design and efficiency, may produce a bit more power with more fuel, and get better fuel economy with less fuel, but large variances in air-to-fuel ratio will hurt both.

Power is generally the first thing to suffer from a bad MAF, since leaning the mixture will kill the flame travel through the cylinders and reduce cylinder pressure.

Loss of Fuel Economy

You might think that a leaner air-to-fuel mixture would do nothing but good for fuel economy; after all, the mythical “vapor” carb worked on exactly this principle. But to burn completely, the fuel in your cylinders needs to burn steadily from one end to the other.

Excess air in the cylinders will create gaps between the fuel molecules, inhibiting flame travel and causing a certain amount of the fuel to exit unburned. For this reason, and because of compensation from the computer, a bad MAF sensor will typically cause a noticeable loss in fuel economy.

Stumbling Under Acceleration

When you open the throttle plate, your pistons suck air through the MAF sensor, throttle plate, intake manifold, and intake valves, after which it combines with fuel to make power.

Normally, the MAF sensor would immediately recognize the change in airflow after opening the throttle; however, MAF sensors will often slow down in terms of response time before failing completely. So, the first thing you may notice, even before a loss in net power, will be a slight bog during acceleration.

Knock and Ping

A fuel-rich mixture may seem wasteful because a certain amount of the fuel introduced will end up going out of the exhaust without burning. But, that wasted liquid performs a very important function: namely, to ferry heat out of the combustion chamber.

Lean mixtures will tend to cause overheating in the combustion chamber, which in turn may lead to engine knock, overheating and eventual serious damage to the engine. If you hear anything that sounds remotely like engine knock or notice the temperature needle running high, stop and address the MAF immediately.