Ask the Techman

That might be true. I must never had any problems with Fords. Always get way over 150,000 before passing them on. Never much to fuss about.

Got 105K on mine...it's read the same since I bought it....speedo don't work.

Huh. What's it mean then, when you're stopped on a downhill slope, if you lift your foot partially, the car grinds forward about a half inch at a time, several times a second, making an "rr--rr--rr--rr" sound, with similar feedback from the brake pedal?

It means you better take a wheel off and check the pads. Likewise the rear...and look for wet spots.

Also, bear in mind that while I could probably tell you in a second if I drove it, the likelyhood of that happening is slim...drivablity problems I can only guess at based on my experience...and while it's extensive, get thee to a tech and have him drive it.

This was on a new car, and persisted long after any wet spots would have lasted. It's been gone since the 5k mile service.

Did it have ABS?

No, regular drum/disc (front/rear).

Most odd.

Doesn't seem brake related, somehow...but as I said, I would have to drive the thing.

Even new cars can get air in the brake lines, though.

Problem went away after the 5k service when I told them to take an extra look at the brakes, so it's mostly curiosity at this point, although now that I think about it, a friend of mine's car, an 11 year old Ford Escort (mine's an '07 Corolla) with electrical problems, had the same thing.

Read an ancdote in a tech publication, years ago, about a customer that had this car problem, but every time the tech went to look at it, the problem went away...this went on for several months. The tech finally took a picture of himself and taped it under the hood.

The customer never had the problem again.

I do that when I do computer work. Did you ever see "Brother From Another Planet"? Yeah, pretty much exactly like that.

I'm runnin' out of steam, here...any others?

Ooh! I got one Techman!:

My 1999 Jeep Wrangler is very sluggish, lately. It seems to have "gaps" in acceleration.... as in, it's just not very peppy, anymore. I'll hit the gas and it just sort of sputters...it doesn't leap forward like it used to. I've tried fuel injector cleaner, but I think it might be exhaust-related, as I'd had a manifold problem about 3 years ago, and this feels similar, but without the telltale noise.... I had to have the manifold replaced, and ever since then, about every 8,000 miles or so, one of the fucking bolts keeps coming loose. And it's a bitch to tighten, cuz I don't remember to do it until i'm driving, and I can't really adjust the manifold bolts after a drive because the thing is about a billion degrees..... anyhooooo, i think it's exhaust related, but i don't think it's the manifold. But I really don't know.

I have tightened the bolts, and my poor jeepy is still sluggish. Plus, my gas mileage is extraordinarily shitty, since i started noticing the sluggishness....... I'm really hoping for a DIY sort of option, here, because I don't want to spend a bunch of money on it (which is why I haven't taken it to get diagnosed, up til now). Is there anything you can recommend to a girl armed with her Haynes manual and some meager tools?

Also, is there anything I can do to that damned manifold bolt to keep it from coming loose?

As for the bolts, red Locktite. Any parts store. Coat the threads and reinstall the bolt/s.

As for the sputter, it could be any of several things...cranky throttle position sensor would do it...so would a vacuum leak. Fuel pressure could be down, as like in a fuel pump getting ready to quit. Spark plug age could do it. If fuel additives haven't changed anything, then change the type...injectors partially fouled can cause stuff like that.

I've stated most of the fuel additives out there are mostly alcohol...try either Sea Foam or Lucas Oil Fuel Stabilizer.

Keep an ear to the exhaust...if you hear any sort of hissing under acceleration, replace the exhaust...catalitic converters can get plugged.

Thank you, sir! I just replaced the plugs and wires. My hoses and stuff are pretty old and cruddy and cracked. So I'm thinking vacuum leak. I guess I gotta get 'em replaced.

What is the best way to grease your dipstick?

Cheeky - I had similar symptoms when the catalytic converter on my Wrangler took a shit. The guts came loose and plugged it up. I cured it with a hacksaw and some cheap exhaust tubing about the same length as the converter, but if this turns out to be the problem on yours as well, I recommend you actually replace the converter. But if yours is like mine, there's a sensor in the converter that should trip the "service engine" dash light when there's a problem with the catalyst. Also, a clean air filter and some good fuel injector cleaner can work wonders. I don't know anything about sea foam, but a can of BG 44K and a full tank made my little Jeep noticably happier.


Now, my question. Will an NVG241J t-case bolt up to an AX-15 5-speed without an adapter?

What do you call that part? No, not that one, the long one next to it.
No, the one behind that, sort of catty-corner from the piece that makes that noise when you drive it. Yeah, that one.....I think mine is broken.

Maybe...check the number of splines.

It's a widget...common problem.

Meh, Like Techman said...If I'da wanted a 3/4 ton truck, I'd have gotten a Ford...

...but I wanted a full sized...but not too full sized...pickup that's durable, low maintenance, gets good gas mileage for a V8, good off-road capability, decent enough payload and towing, and a good safety record.

Nothing else on the market even came close.

I know.

Here's a nifty little trick I learned about these TJ Wranglers and the "check engine" light trouble codes:

1) Turn the ignition key to the "On" position three times in succession (i.e., On, Off, On, Off, On), within five seconds

2) The Malfunction Indicator (Check Engine) Lamp will flash the appropriate number of times to indicate the DTC number, with a short pause between the first and second digits (e.g., 2 flashes of the MIL, followed by a short pause, followed by 5 more flashes, indicates error code 25). The appropriate DTC will also be displayed in the odometer window.

[?=A list of trouble codes with explanations]
11* No Crank Reference Signal at PCM No crank reference signal detected during engine cranking
11** Intermittent Loss of CMP or CKP, or Misfire Adaptive Numerator at Limit Intermittent loss of either camshaft or crankshaft position sensor, or CKP sensor target windows have too much variation
12* Battery Disconnect Direct battery input to the PCM was disconnected within the last 50 key-on cycles
13** No Change in MAP From Start to Run No difference recognized between the engine MAP reading and the barometric (atmospheric) pressure reading from start-up
14** MAP Sensor Voltage Too High (or Too Low); or No 5 Volts To MAP Sensor MAP sensor input above the maximum (or below the minimum) acceptable voltage; or 5 Volt output to MAP sensor open
15** No Vehicle Speed Sensor Signal No vehicle speed sensor signal detected during road load conditions
17* Engine Is Cold Too Long Engine did not reach operating temperature within acceptable limits
17** Closed Loop Temp Not Reached Engine does not reach 20ºF within 5 minutes with a vehicle speed signal
21** Left O2 Sensor Shorted to Voltage Left oxygen sensor input voltage maintained above the normal operating range
21** Upstream O2 Sensor Shorted to Ground; or Upstream O2 Sensor Heater Failure; or Upstream O2 Sensor Slow Response Upstream O2 sensor voltage too low, tested after cold start; or Upstream oxygen sensor heating element circuit malfunction; or Upstream oxygen sensor response slower than minimum required switching frequency
21** Downstream O2 Sensor Shorted to Ground; or Downstream O2 Sensor Heater Failure; or Downstream O2 Sensor Shorted to Voltage Downstream O2 sensor voltage too low, tested after cold start; or Downstream oxygen sensor heating element circuit malfunction; or Downstream oxygen sensor input voltage maintained above the normal operating range
22** ECT Sensor Voltage Too High (or Too Low) Engine coolant temperature sensor input above the maximum (or below the minimum) acceptable voltage
23** Intake Air Temp Sensor Voltage Too High (Too Low) Intake air temperature sensor input above the minimum (or below the maximum) acceptable voltage
24** Throttle Position Sensor Voltage High (or Low); or TPS Voltage Does Not Agree With MAP Throttle position sensor input above the maximum (or below the minimum) acceptable voltage; or TPS signal does not correlate to MAP sensor
25** Idle Air Control Motor Circuits; or Target Idle Not Reached An open or shorted condition detected in one or more of the idle air control motor circuits; or Actual idle speed does not equal target idle speed
27** Injector Control Circuit Fuel injector output driver does not respond properly to the control signal
31** EVAP Purge Solenoid Circuit; or EVAP Purge Flow Monitor Failure An open or shorted condition detected in the duty cycle purge solenoid circuit; or Insufficient or excessive vapor flow detected during evaporative emission system operation
33* A/C Clutch Relay Circuit An open or shorted condition detected in the A/C clutch relay circuit
34* Speed Control Solenoid Circuits; or Speed Control Switch Always Low An open or shorted condition detected in the Speed Control vacuum or vent solenoid circuits; or Speed Control input below the minimum acceptable voltage
37* Torque Converter Clutch, No RPM Drop At Lockup Relationship between engine speed and vehicle speed indicates no torque converter clutch engagement (auto trans only)
37** Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid Circuits; or Park/Neutral Switch Failure An open or shorted condition detected in the torque converter part throttle unlock solenoid control circuit (3 speed auto RH transmission only); or Incorrect input state detected for the Park/Neutral switch (auto trans only)
41*** Generator Field Not Switching Properly An open or shorted circuit detected in the generator field control circuit
42* Auto Shutdown Relay Ctrl Circuit; or No ASD Relay Output Voltage at PCM; or Fuel Pump Relay Control Circuit; or Fuel Level Sending Unit Volts Too High (or Too Low); or Fuel Level Unit No Change Over Miles An open or shorted condition detected in the auto shutdown relay circuit; or An open condition detected in the ASD relay output circuit; or An open or shorted condition detected in the fuel pump relay control circuit; or Shorted (or open) circuit between PCM and fuel gauge sending unit; or No movement of fuel level sender detected
43* Ignition Coil #1 Primary Circuit Peak primary circuit current not achieved with maximum dwell time
43** Multiple Cylinder Misfire; or Cylinder #1, or #2, or #3, or #4, or #5, or #6 Misfire Misfire detected in multiple cylinders; or Misfire detected in cylinder #1, or #2, or #3, or #4, or #5, or #6
44** Battery Temp Sensor Voltage Too High (Too Low) Battery temperature sensor input voltage above (below) an acceptable range
46*** Charging System Voltage Too High Battery voltage sense input above target charging during engine operation
47*** Charging System Voltage Too Low Battery voltage sense input below target charging during engine operation. Also, no significant change detected in battery voltage during active test of generator output circuit
51** Fuel System Lean A lean air/fuel mixture has been indicated by an abnormally rich correction factor
52** Fuel System Rich A rich air/fuel mixture has been indicated by an abnormally lean correction factor
53** PCM Failure; or Internal Controller Failure PCM internal fault condition detected
54** No Cam Signal at PCM No camshaft signal detected during engine cranking
55* N/A
Completion of fault code display on the Check Engine Lamp (MIL)
63* PCM Failure EEPROM Write Denied Unsuccessful attempt to write to an EEPROM location by the PCM
64** Catalytic Converter Efficiency Failure Catalyst efficiency below required level
65* Power Steering Switch Failure Power steering high pressure seen at high speed (2.5L only)
72** Catalytic Converter Efficiency Failure Catalyst efficiency below required level
77* S/C Power Relay Circuit Malfunction detected with power feed to speed control servo solenoids
[/?]

About those trouble codes...don't take them as gospel as to what the actual problem is.

Would you say they're better as a starting point than a wild fucking guess?

Hey, that brings up a couple of question I have. I'm sure either Techman or UA can answer them. Please bear with me because I don't know much about tires.

I plan on getting some BFGoodrich T/A's some time in the future...probably when I absolutely have to replace the current Bridgestone Duelers.

So I notice there are a few different kinds. What's the difference between 111T, 111S, and 111T RBL?

Second question. Like I said, right now I'm running Bridgestone Dueler H/T P265/70R16's. Right now I've got a fifth as a spare that has zero miles on it. When I get the new BFGoodriches, it would be a shame to just get rid of a perfectly good tire to replace it with another expensive tire. Assuming I get the same size new tires as the old ones, would there be a problem with just keeping the Bridgestone strictly as a spare?

Only if you don't have a clue what's going on. Computers set several types of codes which break down to two types...hard and soft codes.

Hard codes get set at actual component failures...say you get a speed sensor failure and it sets a code...all fine and dandy...until you replace the sensor and it fails again. A good tech will do a little investigating as to why it failed...and a speed sensor failure code will set if an only the computer doesn't get a signel from it...it could just be a broken wire.

Soft codes get set if the computer gets a set of inputs from the sensors that are out of it's range of parameters. In the old days, this used to set a code that had to be cleared, even when there was nothing wrong. These days, the code will clear itself after the computer doesn't detect a problem after a certain number of starts...usually about 25.

Good rule is to clear what's in there and see what resets.

I'll let someone else field that one...tires as dress accessories are outside of my technical range of interest...if they are the right size, hold air and have good tread, I'm good.

Not dress accessories. I [-]need[/-] okay, want some that are better off road, and from what all I've heard, the BFGoodriches are the hands down best compromise between off road ability/snow and on road driveability/mileage.

The ones I got now will go absolutely anywhere in 4WD. It's just that sometimes I have to put it in 4WD when I shouldn't have to.