Electronic throttle controls have become ubiquitous on new vehicles. The days of the simple throttle cable are going away. Follow this Real Fix to see how a Chevrolet Cruze with an erratic throttle and a code P2135 was diagnosed and the problem that was found and corrected.
Diesel engines can be sensitive to fuel quality even though they employ several filters to remove water and other contaminants. But one contaminant in particular is harder to handle. SureTrack community member kenscssvc had a Ford F350 Super Duty diesel in the shop that was hard to start and ran bad when running. They posed their question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member powerstroketech1 and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
Modern turbocharged engines provide a lot of power to their owners but can be quite complicated. When you have an issue with lack of power, don’t forget the basics that apply to all engines. SureTrack community member bmaples had a Ford F150 3.5L EcoBoost in the shop that just didn’t have the power it should. They posed their question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member CBriggs and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
We’re constantly being urged to do updates. Updates on our phones, our computers, even our TVs. Even your car needs updates at times. Some newer cars automatically get updates over the air but older ones don’t. SureTrack community member alltune had a Jeep Compass in their shop that couldn’t pass inspection because the fuel monitor wouldn’t set. 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.
Intermittent noises are hard to reproduce and therefore hard to track down, especially if they only happen while driving. SureTrack community member Jeffytune had a Cadillac Escalade in the shop that would sometimes make a loud buzzing noise after driving over a bump or dip. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community members ericsautomotive and jbsprintcar, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
Mechanics hate it when they fix a vehicle for one problem and a new unrelated one shows up. SureTrack community member SpidellChris had a Ford Econoline in their shop that they replaced the transmission and fuel tank and after putting it back together had a throttle issue. 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.
Electrical systems are very finicky when it comes to connections and grounding. SureTrack community member Ourfamilygarage had a Chevrolet Silverado in their shop that had the airbag light on and no communication with the module. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member Dmckemie12 and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.
Correct fuel and air ratios are the key to any engine running properly. Many factors can mess up this ratio and cause problems but even with them correct, you can still have issues that seem like that is the cause. SureTrack community member locustpoint had a Chevrolet HHR Turbo in their shop that was running poorly and smoking and the car had been parked for four years. 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.
Most mechanics want to resist the urge to just swap parts when presented with a diagnostic code and instead do the diagnostic work to find the actual cause. SureTrack community member locustpoint had a PT Cruiser in their shop that was pulsing when driving and had a code P0339 for the crankshaft sensor. Testing showed the sensor to be good. 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.
When a customer brings you their car but leaves out a critical detail, either on purpose or not, it can wreak havoc on your diagnosis. SureTrack community member DYERDAD had a Pontiac Bonneville in their shop that was running poorly and they checked everything that could have been the obvious cause. What they didn’t know from the customer could have saved a lot of time and frustration. 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.