Auto Repair Advice Forum Launched!

To further extend the free auto repair advice that we have been offering for nearly two years now we have decided to launch the Autofix Advice Forum.

Previously the advice we have been giving was through a contact form and subsequent emails back and forward, which was working well however I think the forum will offer more information from a wider range of people.

My aim with the forum is to have a number of knowledgeable people on board with us to help answer your questions and of course other forum members will be able to offer their thoughts and opinions as well.

One such person is Bret Youngs who is a motorcycle mechanic, 1st class welder and all round nice guy. Bret also has a back injury and is unable to work and as long as I can keep him interested he will be around to offer his expertise.

The forum is in it’s infancy and looking pretty bare but I will be adding more categories and boards as needed and any feedback you have is more than welcomed.

To post a question on the forum you are required to register first which only takes a few seconds and rest assured that you’re information will be kept strictly private.

If you have an auto repair question that you would like answered or have a spare couple of minutes please head over to the Autofix Forum and let us know what you think.

Regards,

Craig

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11 Users Responded in " Auto Repair Advice Forum Launched! "

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bob said,  

I have 1998 chevy tahoe ,I recently started to have a problem with my anti lock brakes. At any giving moment when im slowing down to a stop (less than 3 miles an hr) or changing from drive to reverse or vice versa I experience my brake pedal pulsating , vibrating and or making a humming noise . I took the car to my mechanic and he told me that my brakes needed to be changed front and back and that i had a stuck calliper pin that just needed some lube to free it up but neither worked . The antilock braking system light is not on and I changed my rotors about 8 months ago .I need your advice cause i dont have the money to keep pumping into this vehicle on misdiagnosed fixes.

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craig said,  

Hi Bob,
From the symptoms you are describing I believe the anti-lock braking system is being ‘triggered’ for some reason at these low speeds. A pulsating or vibrating pedal combined with a humming type brake noise is exactly what you would experience when the anti-lock system is triggered during an emergency stop.
Although I am not familiar with the Chevy Tahoe (I’m an Aussie) I believe that all anti-lock braking systems work on the same principle which is motion sensors attached to each wheel hub and when the vehicle is in motion and one wheel ‘locks up’ the control unit picks up that there is no signal from the stationary(brakes locked) wheel and responds by momentarily reducing the brake fluid pressure to that wheel, which gives you the pulsating brake pedal.
This leads me to think that there is a couple of possible scenario’s with your vehicle. Either one of the motion detector ‘rings’ on one of the hubs has come loose and is not turning at low speed, giving the control unit a false reading, one of the sensors that detect wheel movement may have been damaged at some stage as is not functioning correctly or there is a fault with the control unit itself.(Although usually in this case the warning light on the dash would illuminate)
As far as diagnosing the exact cause is concerned, the first thing I would be doing is removing each wheel and thoroughly checking the condition of the anti-lock ‘ring’ and sensor. You could also trace the wire from each sensor back to the control unit and check for any breaks or damage. Other than that there is not a lot you can do without the right equipment I’m sorry.
If you want to remove the wheels and inspect the sensor units yourself and have a digital camera I would be more than happy to take a look and see if we can spot anything amiss.
Sorry I can’t offer you more help than this.

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jeff la point said,  

i have a acura integra 2000 i need to replace yhe right front head light unit do i need to take off the bumber to fix it

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craig said,  

Hi Jeff,
This is not a vehicle that we see here in Oz so unfortunately I can’t answer your question. I suggest that you try one of the Acura/Honda forums such as http://www.acuraforum.net/ for the correct information.

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jon said,  

hi
i have a 1987 bmw 320i that is making a loud noise in what sounds like the driveline, it gets louder as i go faster and stops at around 3 ks. any ideas? i think its either transmission or rear axle but just want to get some opinions

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Neisha said,  

I have a carburetor Suzuki Esteem. The power steering pump has a single black wire connected to it from the wiring harness.
There is NO motor in the power steering pump which is oil pump and is driven by the engine.
There is NO ECM in carburetor model.
why is this wire provided?
Is this a negative wire just earthed or is this connected to take some feed. In this case is it a positive wire?
What will happen if this wire is NOT connected?
What is its role anyway?
Please do reply
Neisha

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michael said,  

hi i have a manual 91 Mazda 121 bubble and i was wondering how to remove the trans-axle shafts couplers?

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ed said,  

I bought my wife a 2008 toyota hilux with a 4 litre v6 engine (4 speed auto). It had minor front end damage from an accident.

I have removed the cam covers and the sump. I move the crankshaft by 90 degrees one way and 90 degrees the other way and the shaft stops. I have checked the front timing chains top and bottom but it appears there is no object caught up in there.

It appears that the source of the stoppage appears to be at the back of the motor. I don’t want to remove the engine yet. Any ideas? Thanks.

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craig said,  

Hi Ed,
Interesting problem you have there. The first thing that came to mind was crankshaft/camshaft timing i.e. a piston connecting with a valve. Do you know if the timing covers have been off previously or have you checked to see if the crank and cam timing marks are lined up correctly?

Regards,
Craig

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Peter said,  

The forum offers some valuable advice. Keep it up!

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RU$$ELL said,  

Home > TOYOTA > HILUX >

Toyota Prado / Hi-lux
1996-2002 Prado 3.4 Litre V6 DOHC 5VZ FE Engine 2003-2004 Hi Lux 3.4 Litre V6 DOHC 5VZ FE Engine

Note:

* It is recommended that a new timing belt is fitted after removal.
* Valve to piston damage will normally occur if the timing belt has broken.

Warning!

* Double check and confirm the engine code before you start.
* Check the timing marks match with diagrams before you start.

Timing Belt Removal

* Disconnect the battery negative terminal.
* Loosen the bolts on the clutch fan.
* Remove the accessory drive belt.
* Remove the clutch fan.
* Remove the dip stick, dip stick guide and O ring.
* Remove the plug lead clips from the top timing belt cover.
* Remove the top timing belt cover.
* Unplug the camshaft position sensor.
* Remove the fan bracket.
* Remove the crankshaft pulley, a puller may be required.
* Remove the starter wire bracket.
* Remove the lower timing belt cover.
* Remove the timing belt guide.
* Align the timing marks (see diagram) with #1 cylinder at TDC.
* Remove the timing belt tensioner by alternately loosening the retaining bolts.
* Remove the timing belt.

Component Inspection

* Inspect the crankshaft camshaft pulleys for irregular wear and alignment.
* Check the idler pulley seals for signs of leaks, if found, replace the pulley.
* Check the idler pulley for smooth running, if rough, replace the pulley.

Tensioner Checking

* Check the tensioner for leaking oil, a faint trace is OK, any leakage, and the tensioner should be replaced.
* Test the tensioner by holding it firmly in both hands and pushing it against a solid object. If the push rod moves the tensioner should be replaced.
* Measure the protrusion of the push rod, it should be between 10.0mm and 10.8mm, any different and the tensioner should be replaced.

Note: The engine should be cold while installing the timing belt and components.

* Ensure the crankshaft and timing marks are still aligned. (See diagram)
* Align the mark on the belt with the mark on the crankshaft.
* Align the marks on the timing belt with the marks on the camshaft pulleys.
* Install the belt in the following order:
1. Left camshaft pulley.
2. Top idler pulley.
3. Right camshaft pulley.
4. Water pump pulley.
5. Crankshaft timing pulley.
6. Lower idler pulley.
* Use a press to slowly depress the push rod of the tensioner (dust cover removed). Align the holes of the push rod and housing and fit an Allen key to hold it’s position.
* Fit the tensioner (27Nm) and remove the Allen key.
* Rotate the engine twice (by hand) to check the alignment of the crankshaft and camshaft marks. If they do not align, remove the belt and repeat the installation.
* Fit the timing belt guide, facing the cup side outward.
* Refit all components in reverse.

Diagram:
WOULD UPLOAD IF I WAS ABLE TO.

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