Q & A #51 With The Auto Specialist
Q & A #51 With The Auto Specialist
Welcome back to the Auto Specialist. Recently, I came across a news item about the Ford Motor Company that I found interesting. The New York Times reported that one of their key executives, Alan R. Mulally, had created a plan to take Ford back to the top of the auto industry. Few would argue that the company has a long way to go. But, it was Mulally’s plan that caught my attention.
At a press conference for the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, he unveiled the vehicle that would pave the way for Ford to reclaim their dominance. That vehicle? The Ford Focus. That’s a far cry from the muscle cars on which the company once staked their claim. If you own a Focus, you know firsthand they’re no fun to work on.
Let’s get to today’s segment. We’re going to help Tom with his Infiniti’s alternator. We’re also going to give Brian a hand diagnosing a bad head gasket. Finally, we’ll give Dawn the bad news about the blue smoke coming from her exhaust pipe. Let’s jump in.
Question: I’m driving a 2000 Infiniti QX4 with 114,000 miles. About a month ago, I noticed the battery light came on the dash. There’s a small repair garage by my house, so I had the mechanics run some tests. The problem turned out to be the alternator. So far, so good. I had the shop replace the alternator and things were fine for awhile. Well, last Tuesday, the battery light popped on again. I went back to the same shop and had them take another look. They can’t find any faults for the battery light and said it’s probably the alternator again.
I don’t know much about cars, but why would the first replacement alternator go out so quickly? Any ideas?
Answer: Thanks for your question, Tom. I’ll bet the alternator that the mechanic put in the first time was a budget model. This is something that happens a lot. Mechanics will often recommend a used component in order to save a little money. The problem is, a lot of used parts are unstable. They fail quickly. If you’re going to use them, make sure they’re OEM certified.
By the way, if the problem is not the alternator (and I’m assuming it is), then ask the mechanic to check the powertrain control module.
Question: I own a 2003 Honda Accord with around 81,000 miles. Over the last few weeks, my car has been having trouble accelerating. Once I get it to 65 mph, it runs fine. But, from takeoff up to about 40 mph, it keeps sputtering. Also, it idles really roughly when I’m stopped at red lights. The guy that does maintenance work on my car couldn’t find the problem. Do this sound familiar to you?
Answer: Thanks for writing, Brian. From what you described, it sounds like coolant is leaking into the cylinders. If the coolant gets into the combustion chamber, your car can start misfiring at lower speeds. You wouldn’t necessarily experience a misfire at higher speeds if the amount of coolant is small.
The trick is to find the leak. I’ll bet it’s the head gasket, so have your mechanic start there.
Question: I have a 1999 Acura Integra with 107,000 miles on it. Over the holidays, I was driving to my parents’ house when I suddenly lost power and saw blue smoke starting to pour out of my tailpipe. I had my Integra towed to an auto repair shop near my house. The mechanics checked it out and said that one of my pistons and its exhaust valve had holes in them. Can you explain to me what happened to my car?
Answer: Thanks for your question, Dawn. If your piston and the exhaust valve have holes in them, I’m going to guess the cause is related to spark knock. One of the root causes of spark knock (also called detonation) is an air-fuel mixture that is too lean. A lean mix throws off the combustion process. To start, I recommend checking your fuel injectors for clogs. You might also want to check the oxygen sensor.
That’s it for this installment of the Auto Specialist. I’d like to thank Tom, Brian, and Dawn for sending in their questions. Be sure to come back for the next segment when we’ll go through a new batch of automotive problems. Until then, drive safely.
