Q & A #54 With The Auto Specialist
Thanks for joining me again for the latest segment of the Auto Specialist. Last week, I had mentioned reading up on Toyota’s accelerator pedal problem. The publicity uproar has since died down a bit and I’m sure the company is happy to be out of the limelight (for now). From what I’ve read, repairs will be completed on all dealer inventories by late February. Meanwhile, Toyota is preparing to offer new customers longer warranties and better incentives in a bid to quell their concerns and win public support. Time will tell whether it works.
Today, we have a full schedule with three new automotive problems to diagnose. We’ll help Tom figure out why his Diamante’s engine is losing oil pressure. We’ll also help troubleshoot Julie’s misfire problem before turning our attention to Jonathan’s fuel injectors.
Let’s get started.
Question: I have a 1997 Mitsubishi Diamante with 142,000 miles on it. My engine has been acting up lately and the oil pressure warning light came on my dash a few days ago. I haven’t had a chance to take it into the shop yet, but I’ve been hearing some odd noises under the hood while driving. Do you have any idea why my car is losing pressure? And how long do I have before the loss of pressure causes major problems? I’ve been looking through your archives for the answer, but haven’t stumbled across it yet. Any advice you can give me would be appreciated.
Answer: Thanks for sending in your question, Tom. A loss in oil pressure can be caused by one of several things. The most common culprit I’ve seen are worn rod bearings in the engine. They can wear down over time, which widens the space between them and the crankshaft journals. When that space grows wider, you’ll lose pressure.
The problem can also involve the gears inside the housing of your oil pump, your pressure release valve, or a blocked oil filter. It’s impossible to tell which component is causing the pressure drop without doing some tests. Regarding your second question, have the problem checked by a mechanic as soon as you can. Don’t wait or your engine can become damaged.
Question: I drive a 2001 Nissan Altima with 115,600 miles. Since last December, my car has been missing when I accelerate. When I first noticed the problem, it only happened occasionally so I didn’t think much about it. But, over the past couple of months, the engine has been missing more frequently. It’s now doing it on surface streets (it used to only do it when I was getting on the freeway). Can you tell me why my car is having this problem? Thanks.
Answer: Thanks for writing in, Julie. Without taking a look under the hood, it’s difficult for me to tell what is causing the misfire. Here’s what I suggest. Take your Altima to your mechanic and ask him to pull any codes from the computer. If there are no codes, replace the spark plugs, filters (fuel and air), and oxygen sensor. There’s a good chance that will solve the problem. If it doesn’t, let me know.
Question: I’m driving a 2003 Honda Civic with just over 97,000 miles. I just got back from the dealership and they told me three of my fuel injectors are blocked up. They offered to replace the entire set of four, of course, but it’s expensive. So, I wanted to run this by you. Do fuel injectors usually go out this early?
Answer: Thanks for your question, Jonathan. Yes, fuel injectors can definitely become clogged by 97,000 miles. In fact, they usually fail sooner (around 80,000 miles), so you can consider yourself lucky to have gotten this far without replacing them. Incidentally, one of the factors that causes them to clog prematurely is cheap gasoline. Low-cost fuels usually lack the detergents necessary to prevent olefins from clogging the nozzle.
That’s it for today’s installment. I’d like to thank Tom, Julie, and Jonathan for letting us help them solve their car issues. Join me next time when we dig into a new batch. I’ve seen the queue and we have some interesting automotive problems coming up. Until then, drive safely.
