ShopConnection
Buying a 20 year old car has its risks so it’s wise to have them inspected first. If you don’t you may be surprised by immediate problems. SureTrack community member patriot tech had a 2001 Audi A4 in the shop that wouldn’t start and the new owners knew nothing about the car. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member Richard_C and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
When you have a blinking warning light but no symptoms or codes, and usual testing doesn’t find the cause, what do you do? SureTrack community member MIKEMCCOYS had a BMW 325Ci with a blinking ABS light but no codes and the ABS working. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member Richard_C and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
When you ride a horse, your “throttle control” is pretty simple either using the reins or your heels. Throttle control on vehicles used to be simple as well, a cable or linkage attached to the foot pedal on one end and the carburetor or throttle body on the other. But now we have throttle controls that are electronic and not physically connected to the engine. This can make it more complicated to diagnose a throttle control issue. Follow this Real Fix to see how a code P1516 on a Chevrolet Silverado was diagnosed and the problem corrected.
Electrical issues be a challenge at times, even on a relatively simple system. When you introduce control modules into the mix it can get even more complicated. SureTrack community member tchrono had a Nissan Frontier pickup in the shop with power windows that didn’t work. After testing on their own they were stumped. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member DAG1365 and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
In the “good ole days”, the gas pedal was physically connected to the carburetor or throttle body. Now most vehicles connect the throttle pedal through the wiring and throttle control issues can require a lot of testing. Follow this Real Fix to see how codes P2110 and P2118 on a 2016 Jeep Patriot were diagnosed to find the components causing the issue.
When you have a gas gauge that doesn’t work and your testing leads you to an obvious cause and that doesn’t actually fix it, what do you do? You contact your fellow techs through the SureTrack Community for help. SureTrack community member bmaples had a Ford F150 pickup in the shop where testing showed the fuel sender to be defective but that didn’t fix the gauge reading empty. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member DAG1365 and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
Sometimes a customer thinks they know what’s wrong with their vehicle when they bring it into your shop, but that can just be a distraction. SureTrack community member bmaples had a Chevrolet Silverado in the shop where the customer thought they had an EVAP leak but it was something else. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member Ericsautomotive and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
Once again summer is coming and driver’s want their air conditioning working, and they’re bringing them in for repair. SureTrack community member BradysHayden had a Dodge Caliber in the shop where the air conditioner wouldn’t come on. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member Richard_C and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
Timing is everything, in life and engine operation. SureTrack community member Jeffytune had a low mileage 2006 Hummer H3 in the shop that they had to rebuild the cylinder head but then was setting a code for timing after reassembly. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member CampsallsAuto and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
Older convertible vehicles can be prone to vibrations but when you also have brake pulsing, it may not just be the flexible body causing the issue. SureTrack community member wilhiteauto had an older Audi Cabriolet in the shop that had brake pulsation and a shimmy at highway speeds. The replaced all the brakes but still had the issue. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member DAG1365 and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.