nipper

well first off you need the proper normenclature you didnt use the word "thingie" once nipper

things that can happen with a cel light dead vss sensor (no awd) bad o2 sensor bad cat bad cam sensor bad crank sensor Ignoring a flashing CEL light is bad, and the tape wont let you see that Blanket statements are bad. Its just not a good thing to apply to tape to another car since it is "unsolvable" on your car. Also i would find another shop. Computer tools and scans are NOT the solution, they are just a tool. Too many shops rely soley on the ecy trouble codes, and thats not what they are there for, they are a diagnostic tool. If they havent done a real time reading while driving the car thats another thing that should be done. Also anywhere with an emissions test if you have a CEL on, or tape over the light its an immediate failure. So what works for you in your location is not a good idea for others. nipper

The greese or lube on the needle gets really thick when cold, and it may have some dirt in it. My 1987GL would do it too untill the inside of the car warmed up. As somone who would calibrate gauges for a living, the tach in a car is rather delicate, especially where the shaft is for the needle (being electronic) One of two things is happening, either its the lube, or the coil that moves the needle is getting weak. Either way its very hard to fix. Three drops of lube is probably 2.80 drops too many. nipper

For this your going to need the factory manual i think. Even i would need the manual in front of me to know what the lash is. nipper

Autozone will read it for free (as will many autoparts stores). I have a funny feeling since you arent sure how to read the CEL your DIY skills may be challanged The person who said black tape NEVER do that, period. That CEL is telling you things that are wrong with the car that can kill the converter, or affect the AWD, or any other major repair. The days of ignoring a CEL are long gone unless you want to kil the car. At your mileage im going to bet your getting a cat inneffeciency code, which means you will need a front o2 sensor. The spedo is a common problem in that year car, and the contacts in the head need to be cleaned. Do a search here you will find out how. nipper

OK people should not be doing this if they dont have a basic idea of what switches are and how they work. http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/switch.htm double pole double throw switch. Two indenpendt circuits on one switch. You can wire it so when one side breaks the circuit, the other side makes another circuit. nipper

Technically it has already failed at that point. nipper

Your making a poor assumption. There is no detergent in antifreeze. You can change fluid 30 times and the gunk will still be there unless you run dawn through the radiator. Was the 3000 rpm under load or the car parked? nipper

details please nipper

My old boss with his smug corvettes (he had one for every season) and over powered rear wheel drive benze couldnt get up one of the mjor hoills here on Longisland in winter. Its a very expensive area, so all the powerful RWD cars couldnt climb it (4 lanes 50mph speed limit). Every winter i would laugh my rump roast off as my humble subaru never had an issue. nipper

Someone has to be the bait for the radar trap nipper

Too many people rely on the electronics to get them out of trouble (i hate traction control for that reason). The weakest point in the machine/road connection is the tires, and in snow you need snow tires, its that simple. besides always good to see good ol fasioned mechanics beat out wizbang electronics. nipper

Its also for driving on a donut spare. nipper

I had cupping on aquatreads, but that happened because when i had brake work done, they put the tires on backwards. I was pissed. When you have directional tires, anytime the car is serviced, make sure the tires are all going the right way, and you will never have cupping (assuming you dont blow a strut). nipper

P.S. Never use a chemical flush on anything internal in the drivetrain, especially after high mileage (not including fuel injectors). Fresh fluid is all the flush you need to get rid of gunk. Anything stronger can kill the drivetrain or make it leak like a seive. nipper

Did you have the radiator cleaned after the HG was replaced. Oil plus antifreeze make goo and clogs the radiator. this is not an uncommon problem, depending upon how badly the HG leaked and for how long. nipper

If its a gasket leak, then stopleak will help. If its the weephole, there is nothing that can be done. If two are leaking and the repairs were done at the same place, i would suspect the technician doing the job. You really have to work hard to ruin a waterpump upon install on these cars. Have you had a timing belt replaced recently? If yes, was it a OE belt they used? nipper

SInce we are on the subject .... Blu needs new struts, so i want to gain some lift (1997 OBW) and get new springs. I'm not greedy, i want 1-3" inches (also easier on my back) any suggestions? nipper

There are aftermarket systems that do this. There is a dog clutch on the driveshaft at the rear axle, and one on one of the front driv shafts. Its about 1000.00 per item. http://www.remcotowing.com/axle_dtl.asp nipper

The torque bind is a silly question, its like asking if the car suffers from flat tires. Torque bind was engineered out after 1997 1/2. Any AWD car can get torque bind at any time due to poor maintanence or by driving on a flat or mismatched tires. Odd how you never asked abouty head Gaskets, but yet asked about TB, when the HG issue is far more common. nipper

What is he going to use it for? If hes going to use it alot, i would go with Briggs and Strtaton every time. If he is goin gto use it as an emergency back-up generatorild go with honda. Keep in mind how engines are tested. Ther are designed to run 300hrs at full load. For a car this is not a problem, as full load means wide open throttle and full weight (rare to see this). On a generator if its not sized right, you can be running at full load constanty. The trick is to go around the house and and add up all the power demands of what he wants to run. I have a 5000 watt Briggs and straton Gen set on a 3000 watt house (wasnt that much more to go bigger). Its a bit of a bear to start, but once its going i have a fully powered house. Mine is also hard wired into the house. So the first few questions are what is he going to use it for, what is he running, and how is he going to connect things to it. nipper

Look under the car on the passenger side you should see the hose. You can either shoot some compressed air up the hose, or use some thin wire to clear it out. Dont use anything super stiff to avoid damage. nipper

You need to find a really good shop, who doesnt just rely on ECU trouble codes. You need to find one with an engine analyzer to scope the engine and see whats going on. nipper

hrmmm API (American Petroleum Institue http://www.api.org/) and SAE (Society Of Automotive Engineers www.sae.org) are not goverment agencies that set the standards. The tranny flush is true for trannies from the 1980's or earlier, and does not apply anymore. Many many many people have had high mileage flushes on this list, and they do not cause the trannies to leak. In the old days the tranies had many internal parts, seals, and a different material. Oddly i have yet to see anyshop refuse to do a flush. When I had mine done at 186,000 miles the onlyn thing they made note of was that I came into the shop with Torque bind. ALmost all fule has some sort of fuel injector cleaner already in it. I have yet to see anyone properly clean an injector. The best injector cleaning is done at service shops. To check injector condition, a technician connects a fuel pressure gauge, momentarily energizes the fuel pump, and then operates each injector. The drop in pressure for each injector is measured. If they are all close or equal, everything is good. If there is a difference, the injectors need cleaning. This is an "injector flush". To clean the injectors, the technician will disconnect the fuel injector lines from the rest of the system at the engine and connect another tank, containing concentrated cleaning solution, to the engine. He will then operate the engine for several minutes on the concentrated cleaner solution. This usually cleans the injectors and also cleans carbon off the back side of the intake valves to allow the air-fuel mixture to enter the cylinders better. nipper (btw i am a member of both SAE and API)

http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?p=26063#post26063 how too nipper