Car had trouble starting, then turned off at stop or low
Discussion
Recently I had trouble with my 2001 Daewoo Matiz (AT).
The car seemed to go into limp mode when I came down a hill and stopped. When I proceeded to go, the engine revs up but very little power (I was still able to drive, just very low speeds but the engine revs up like I'm supposed to go faster but no power/speed gains).
Some people thought it was clutch failing but then since it was AT, the next suggestion was possibly low transmission fluid.
I went to the shop, mechanic guy saw my engine oil was low so he topped it off and said something about possible engine issue and this will only allow it to drive a little longer but may have problems again soon (not in my native language so I barely understood what he said).
I drove the car just fine again for about another week. Car was fine yesterday when I came home. This morning when I went to turn the ignition, it had trouble starting up. It would try for a few seconds but no engine start up. I'd repeat this a couple more times and finally it started but barely. I drove it around very slowly (10-20 km/h) around town but when I slowed down or came to a stop at a turn, the engine sputtered out and shut off. I was able to turn it back on but only made it to a curb and I sat there idling for about another minute before the engine sputtered off again on its own even while sitting idling.
I looked up an article online and found these possible problems when an engine shuts off when slowing down at very low speeds or at a stop (because it seemed to drive fine as long as I was driving and not slowing down).
"Common reasons for this to happen:
Malfunctioning transmission: In a car with an automatic transmission, the torque converter takes the place of the manual clutch and is responsible for transmitting power. If the torque converter is broken, or if there is a low fluid level in the transmission, the converter will not do its job, and the car will be unable to maintain power at low speeds, which causes the engine to shut off. A defective TCS or torque converter solenoid can also cause this issue.
Low fuel pressure, dirty or defective fuel injectors, or broken fuel pump: The fuel pump is responsible for transferring fuel from the tank to the engine. A malfunctioning fuel pump can result in low fuel pressure, which means that there is an inconsistent stream of fuel to the engine. At high speeds this doesn’t matter as much, but at low speeds a temporary pause in the fuel stream is enough to kill the engine. The fuel injectors are responsible for spraying a measured amount of fuel that is ignited by the spark plugs at the proper time. Injectors can become clogged or dirty over time resulting in erratic spray or no spray at all.
Bad oxygen sensor or mass flow sensor: The oxygen sensors and mass flow sensor determine how much oxygen is entering the fuel stream, and helps the vehicle adjust the air-to-fuel ratio. If there is too much or too little oxygen, your vehicle will not have optimal power. Just like with low fuel pressure, the car will continue to operate at driving speeds, but this suboptimal power won’t be able to fuel the vehicle as it slows down.
Loose or corroded wires in wiring harness: An inconsistently firing ignition will result in an easily stalled engine. If the wires don’t have consistent, constant, and reliable connection with the ignition circuit, the vehicle can lose voltage quickly, and it won’t have the power it needs to keep running as you slow down.
Faulty idle air control actuator: The idle air control actuator controls the engines RPMs when it is idling. This actuator receives information from the electronic control unit (ECU) so it knows at what RPM to keep the engine for a smooth and safe idle. When the actuator malfunctions, the engine gets no signal for idling speed and stops working.
Clogged or restricted EGR Valve: If your EGR valve is clogged, dirty, or defective it can cause your car to stall, idle erratically, or sputter, depending on whether it is stuck open or closed."
Any idea which one of these might be the issue? My guess is it might be the transmission low fluids?
The car seemed to go into limp mode when I came down a hill and stopped. When I proceeded to go, the engine revs up but very little power (I was still able to drive, just very low speeds but the engine revs up like I'm supposed to go faster but no power/speed gains).
Some people thought it was clutch failing but then since it was AT, the next suggestion was possibly low transmission fluid.
I went to the shop, mechanic guy saw my engine oil was low so he topped it off and said something about possible engine issue and this will only allow it to drive a little longer but may have problems again soon (not in my native language so I barely understood what he said).
I drove the car just fine again for about another week. Car was fine yesterday when I came home. This morning when I went to turn the ignition, it had trouble starting up. It would try for a few seconds but no engine start up. I'd repeat this a couple more times and finally it started but barely. I drove it around very slowly (10-20 km/h) around town but when I slowed down or came to a stop at a turn, the engine sputtered out and shut off. I was able to turn it back on but only made it to a curb and I sat there idling for about another minute before the engine sputtered off again on its own even while sitting idling.
I looked up an article online and found these possible problems when an engine shuts off when slowing down at very low speeds or at a stop (because it seemed to drive fine as long as I was driving and not slowing down).
"Common reasons for this to happen:
Malfunctioning transmission: In a car with an automatic transmission, the torque converter takes the place of the manual clutch and is responsible for transmitting power. If the torque converter is broken, or if there is a low fluid level in the transmission, the converter will not do its job, and the car will be unable to maintain power at low speeds, which causes the engine to shut off. A defective TCS or torque converter solenoid can also cause this issue.
Low fuel pressure, dirty or defective fuel injectors, or broken fuel pump: The fuel pump is responsible for transferring fuel from the tank to the engine. A malfunctioning fuel pump can result in low fuel pressure, which means that there is an inconsistent stream of fuel to the engine. At high speeds this doesn’t matter as much, but at low speeds a temporary pause in the fuel stream is enough to kill the engine. The fuel injectors are responsible for spraying a measured amount of fuel that is ignited by the spark plugs at the proper time. Injectors can become clogged or dirty over time resulting in erratic spray or no spray at all.
Bad oxygen sensor or mass flow sensor: The oxygen sensors and mass flow sensor determine how much oxygen is entering the fuel stream, and helps the vehicle adjust the air-to-fuel ratio. If there is too much or too little oxygen, your vehicle will not have optimal power. Just like with low fuel pressure, the car will continue to operate at driving speeds, but this suboptimal power won’t be able to fuel the vehicle as it slows down.
Loose or corroded wires in wiring harness: An inconsistently firing ignition will result in an easily stalled engine. If the wires don’t have consistent, constant, and reliable connection with the ignition circuit, the vehicle can lose voltage quickly, and it won’t have the power it needs to keep running as you slow down.
Faulty idle air control actuator: The idle air control actuator controls the engines RPMs when it is idling. This actuator receives information from the electronic control unit (ECU) so it knows at what RPM to keep the engine for a smooth and safe idle. When the actuator malfunctions, the engine gets no signal for idling speed and stops working.
Clogged or restricted EGR Valve: If your EGR valve is clogged, dirty, or defective it can cause your car to stall, idle erratically, or sputter, depending on whether it is stuck open or closed."
Any idea which one of these might be the issue? My guess is it might be the transmission low fluids?
But if the car had trouble starting up (was cranking but didn't turn on), it seems that would not be transmission related. The car should start no problem, it would just have trouble changing gears or staying on.
Since the car had trouble starting, could that be either a bad battery or alternator?
If a car has a bad battery, but you were successfully able to start it up, could the engine still shut off later for having a bad battery?
Since the car had trouble starting, could that be either a bad battery or alternator?
If a car has a bad battery, but you were successfully able to start it up, could the engine still shut off later for having a bad battery?
cornflakes2 said:
But if the car had trouble starting up (was cranking but didn't turn on), it seems that would not be transmission related. The car should start no problem, it would just have trouble changing gears or staying on.
Since the car had trouble starting, could that be either a bad battery or alternator?
If a car has a bad battery, but you were successfully able to start it up, could the engine still shut off later for having a bad battery?
Have to say that is a very confusing post/story.Since the car had trouble starting, could that be either a bad battery or alternator?
If a car has a bad battery, but you were successfully able to start it up, could the engine still shut off later for having a bad battery?
Just confirm please. It had the issue. Oil was topped up and it then ran ok ?
Yes, after they topped off the oil, it drove okay again for about 10 days. Yesterday it was fine when I parked it. Only this morning it didn't start until 3 or 4 tries and long cranks. Then when it ran, it died after I came to a slow speed/near stop to make a turn at a road about 1 minute later.
It only seems to die when the car is either idle or at low speed.
I decided to park by the curb and let it idle for a minute and it just died on its own after about 2 minutes of idling.
Does this sounds like a low transmission fluid issue? Dying car battery? Corroded wiring? or Low fuel pressure/fuel pump dying?
I bought this car used for just a grand. I need to decide if I should just buy another used car or if it's worth trying to get this issue fixed (it may be a really small and simple fix).
It only seems to die when the car is either idle or at low speed.
I decided to park by the curb and let it idle for a minute and it just died on its own after about 2 minutes of idling.
Does this sounds like a low transmission fluid issue? Dying car battery? Corroded wiring? or Low fuel pressure/fuel pump dying?
I bought this car used for just a grand. I need to decide if I should just buy another used car or if it's worth trying to get this issue fixed (it may be a really small and simple fix).
Edited by cornflakes2 on Tuesday 16th July 09:40
I just tested the car again right now and lo and behold it started up no problem! WTH?
I let it idle for 5 minutes and it was fine. I drove it just a short bit for fear it might shut off but it drove like normal.
I decided to park it next to my local mechanic garage but he's closed today.
So some problems if the car doesn't work, it shouldn't just suddenly work again. So that should eliminate a few potential issues but
I don't know which ones. The fact that it works again should narrow down my list of potential problems.
Do you think its fuel pump related? AFAIK, fuel pump or pressure even if failing, can still start the car and make it run fine like there was no problem and then suddenly go bad again and good and bad etc.
Would a low transmission fluid do this? If the car wasn't turning on or staying on...would it just suddenly work fine after a few hours of sitting?
This is like detective work and I wish I was a mechanic to figure out this puzzle. I took a couple pics also of what I noticed to be wet/damp areas around the engine or underneath it.....not sure what part this is....could this help?
Is that the transmission box? It looks like something is either leaking on it or its coming out from the seals? But it also appears wet around the engine block too.
I let it idle for 5 minutes and it was fine. I drove it just a short bit for fear it might shut off but it drove like normal.
I decided to park it next to my local mechanic garage but he's closed today.
So some problems if the car doesn't work, it shouldn't just suddenly work again. So that should eliminate a few potential issues but
I don't know which ones. The fact that it works again should narrow down my list of potential problems.
Do you think its fuel pump related? AFAIK, fuel pump or pressure even if failing, can still start the car and make it run fine like there was no problem and then suddenly go bad again and good and bad etc.
Would a low transmission fluid do this? If the car wasn't turning on or staying on...would it just suddenly work fine after a few hours of sitting?
This is like detective work and I wish I was a mechanic to figure out this puzzle. I took a couple pics also of what I noticed to be wet/damp areas around the engine or underneath it.....not sure what part this is....could this help?
Is that the transmission box? It looks like something is either leaking on it or its coming out from the seals? But it also appears wet around the engine block too.
TBH without being nasty I don't think this car is for you unless you either know someone to help or can take it somewhere & afford to get it fixed, from your posts it isn't REALLY clear exactly what are your problems/symptoms/fixes tried to date, but here are a few pointers to some of the issues as I think I understand.
1. You need a replacement rocker cover gasket.
2. You need a replacement sump gasket.
3. I suspect either your ignition or fuel systems may not be 100%
4. You could well have an un-metered air leak into the intake.
Jobs to do/things to try to start eliminating issues.
1. Replace gaskets & clean the engine so you can see any further leaks if/as they appear.
2. Replace air filter/sparkplugs/HT leads (if it has them) get fuel pressure checked
3. Get AT fluid changed & filter replaced.
4. Replace oil & filter.
5. Get all air intake piping etc off & checked for leaks.
6. Report back.
1. You need a replacement rocker cover gasket.
2. You need a replacement sump gasket.
3. I suspect either your ignition or fuel systems may not be 100%
4. You could well have an un-metered air leak into the intake.
Jobs to do/things to try to start eliminating issues.
1. Replace gaskets & clean the engine so you can see any further leaks if/as they appear.
2. Replace air filter/sparkplugs/HT leads (if it has them) get fuel pressure checked
3. Get AT fluid changed & filter replaced.
4. Replace oil & filter.
5. Get all air intake piping etc off & checked for leaks.
6. Report back.
Thanks for that list!
Yes, I really would love to do all of this if I had the time and tools to do something as simple as cleaning the engine (to be able to
find leaks better).
I think considering this car was only a grand, doing all these replacements will cost me the value or more than the value of the car itself...even if the fix is pretty simple, just trying to find it might cost me more than its worth.
I wish future cars would simply have a full diagnostic system that you can plug and basically find ANYTHING that is wrong with the car, literally an examination that could be done in 2 minutes just to find the problems. With these older cars, just to FIND the problem costs more money than to actually fix it. I could replace all those parts you mentioned (I already knew most of that beforehand) but I figured, if there was a way to just find out exactly what was the problem and I could fix it, then it might be worth just fixing it and keeping the car.
Based on the photos, I was thinking another thing. It looks like oil might have gone into the spark plugs. I read that it is a reason why cars don't start sometimes or have difficulty starting because of wet oil spark plugs.
Since it had a hard time starting this morning...maybe it was damp and wet...but having sat for the entire day (really hot today) and then I tried it when I got home from work, it turned on just fine and ran just fine. Maybe it dried up during those 8 hours in the heat?
I'm trying to figure out WHY something would not work in the morning, then SUDDENLY WORK later on ??? It's either BROKEN or NOT BROKEN...I don't get why it would work now and it didn't before? The only thing that changed was time passed. Nothing else was done to it. So that's why I'm figuring that this must eliminate a lot of potential issues because some issues don't just work and not work repeatedly....for example...the battery issue is OUT...if it was due to a dead battery....then 8 hours later, the car wouldn't suddenly work ok. If it's a dead battery, then it won't start EVER. I'm guessing there are a bunch more issues that could be eliminated from my case now knowing that it does start up and work fine right now even though it didn't in the morning. I'm guessing it has to do with the wetness around the engine and possibly wet spark plugs...that's probably why it worked 8 hours later in the hot weather when it dried up compared to the morning when it was probably nice and damp/wet.
Yes, I really would love to do all of this if I had the time and tools to do something as simple as cleaning the engine (to be able to
find leaks better).
I think considering this car was only a grand, doing all these replacements will cost me the value or more than the value of the car itself...even if the fix is pretty simple, just trying to find it might cost me more than its worth.
I wish future cars would simply have a full diagnostic system that you can plug and basically find ANYTHING that is wrong with the car, literally an examination that could be done in 2 minutes just to find the problems. With these older cars, just to FIND the problem costs more money than to actually fix it. I could replace all those parts you mentioned (I already knew most of that beforehand) but I figured, if there was a way to just find out exactly what was the problem and I could fix it, then it might be worth just fixing it and keeping the car.
Based on the photos, I was thinking another thing. It looks like oil might have gone into the spark plugs. I read that it is a reason why cars don't start sometimes or have difficulty starting because of wet oil spark plugs.
Since it had a hard time starting this morning...maybe it was damp and wet...but having sat for the entire day (really hot today) and then I tried it when I got home from work, it turned on just fine and ran just fine. Maybe it dried up during those 8 hours in the heat?
I'm trying to figure out WHY something would not work in the morning, then SUDDENLY WORK later on ??? It's either BROKEN or NOT BROKEN...I don't get why it would work now and it didn't before? The only thing that changed was time passed. Nothing else was done to it. So that's why I'm figuring that this must eliminate a lot of potential issues because some issues don't just work and not work repeatedly....for example...the battery issue is OUT...if it was due to a dead battery....then 8 hours later, the car wouldn't suddenly work ok. If it's a dead battery, then it won't start EVER. I'm guessing there are a bunch more issues that could be eliminated from my case now knowing that it does start up and work fine right now even though it didn't in the morning. I'm guessing it has to do with the wetness around the engine and possibly wet spark plugs...that's probably why it worked 8 hours later in the hot weather when it dried up compared to the morning when it was probably nice and damp/wet.
Without being a trained mechanic, using simple logic this is what I believe and please correct me if I am wrong, or
applaud me for my detective work:
Why it's not a fuel pump issue: because from experience, when the fuel pump bad or goes, when you push down on the gas,
there is no response from the engine...no power....that means, the engine doesn't even rev to higher rpms...there's just no response.
That's a bad fuel pump.
What I experienced two weeks ago was no power when I gassed it, BUT my engine was revving up and going up to higher rpms
but there was no power response or very little of it. This to me means that the engine was still getting fuel but no power was going
to the wheels...so it sounds like it could be more transmission related(?)
I just went to check to my spark plugs and I was only able to remove the covers but not the plugs themselves because I didn't have
the proper removal tool. I had one of those hexagon bits for my other car (VW) but it didn't fit with this car.
What I did notice was it looked a little greasy/oily around the spark plugs. This would indicate to me that wherever this oil is coming from
it is possibly getting into the spark plugs (but the coil themselves were dry and clean ....confused).
I'll attempt to start the car again tomorrow morning and see if it runs fine or if it has the same trouble starting again. If it has the same trouble starting again, this may confirm it has something to do with wetness/dampness of the morning but later on when things are hot and dry, it runs fine.
applaud me for my detective work:
Why it's not a fuel pump issue: because from experience, when the fuel pump bad or goes, when you push down on the gas,
there is no response from the engine...no power....that means, the engine doesn't even rev to higher rpms...there's just no response.
That's a bad fuel pump.
What I experienced two weeks ago was no power when I gassed it, BUT my engine was revving up and going up to higher rpms
but there was no power response or very little of it. This to me means that the engine was still getting fuel but no power was going
to the wheels...so it sounds like it could be more transmission related(?)
I just went to check to my spark plugs and I was only able to remove the covers but not the plugs themselves because I didn't have
the proper removal tool. I had one of those hexagon bits for my other car (VW) but it didn't fit with this car.
What I did notice was it looked a little greasy/oily around the spark plugs. This would indicate to me that wherever this oil is coming from
it is possibly getting into the spark plugs (but the coil themselves were dry and clean ....confused).
I'll attempt to start the car again tomorrow morning and see if it runs fine or if it has the same trouble starting again. If it has the same trouble starting again, this may confirm it has something to do with wetness/dampness of the morning but later on when things are hot and dry, it runs fine.
cornflakes2 said:
Based on the photos, I was thinking another thing. It looks like oil might have gone into the spark plugs. I read that it is a reason why cars don't start sometimes or have difficulty starting because of wet oil spark plugs.
No, that is NOT a problem, the oil will just sit around the plug & cause no issue at all.cornflakes2 said:
I'm trying to figure out WHY something would not work in the morning, then SUDDENLY WORK later on ??? It's either BROKEN or NOT BROKEN...I don't get why it would work now and it didn't before? The only thing that changed was time passed. Nothing else was done to it. So that's why I'm figuring that this must eliminate a lot of potential issues because some issues don't just work and not work repeatedly....for example...the battery issue is OUT...if it was due to a dead battery....then 8 hours later, the car wouldn't suddenly work ok. If it's a dead battery, then it won't start EVER. I'm guessing there are a bunch more issues that could be eliminated from my case now knowing that it does start up and work fine right now even though it didn't in the morning. I'm guessing it has to do with the wetness around the engine and possibly wet spark plugs...that's probably why it worked 8 hours later in the hot weather when it dried up compared to the morning when it was probably nice and damp/wet.
There are 2 other issues you have not considered at all here.1. Intermittent fault.
2. Temperature.
Both could equally be what highlights the issue.
cornflakes2 said:
Why it's not a fuel pump issue: because from experience, when the fuel pump bad or goes, when you push down on the gas,
there is no response from the engine...no power....that means, the engine doesn't even rev to higher rpms...there's just no response.
That's a bad fuel pump.
That is one possibility of many, along with weak spark, un-metered air leak and others, which is why I said start there.there is no response from the engine...no power....that means, the engine doesn't even rev to higher rpms...there's just no response.
That's a bad fuel pump.
cornflakes2 said:
What I experienced two weeks ago was no power when I gassed it, BUT my engine was revving up and going up to higher rpms
but there was no power response or very little of it. This to me means that the engine was still getting fuel but no power was going
to the wheels...so it sounds like it could be more transmission related(?)
Which is why I said get the fluid & filter changed.but there was no power response or very little of it. This to me means that the engine was still getting fuel but no power was going
to the wheels...so it sounds like it could be more transmission related(?)
cornflakes2 said:
What I did notice was it looked a little greasy/oily around the spark plugs. This would indicate to me that wherever this oil is coming from
it is possibly getting into the spark plugs (but the coil themselves were dry and clean ....confused).
Which is why I said you need a new rocker cover gasket, that is where it is getting out.it is possibly getting into the spark plugs (but the coil themselves were dry and clean ....confused).
Thanks for your in depth responses! It all helps to get more feedback from someone with more experience.
Your suggestion of doing all those things is valid and correct, but at this point, for a car that is almost 20 years old
and was value only at 1000 dollars, I'm assuming we are getting into the territory now of whether it is worth spending money
on fixing things or replacing parts (that may not even be the problem) just to figure out what the problem might be. It's that
"gamble" game of wondering...should I just put that money into buying another used car and hope it lasts me another 18 months or so?
I bought this car in 2017 of November with 72,000 km. If I'm done with it, it lasted me until mid-July 2019 at 80,000 km (so only drove
it about 8,000 km). I'd say that's actually a pretty good value for me since I don't drive long distances to and from work and it lasted me
18 months!
Thinking I should just do it again on another used car and aim for about 2 years lifespan give or take.
Your suggestion of doing all those things is valid and correct, but at this point, for a car that is almost 20 years old
and was value only at 1000 dollars, I'm assuming we are getting into the territory now of whether it is worth spending money
on fixing things or replacing parts (that may not even be the problem) just to figure out what the problem might be. It's that
"gamble" game of wondering...should I just put that money into buying another used car and hope it lasts me another 18 months or so?
I bought this car in 2017 of November with 72,000 km. If I'm done with it, it lasted me until mid-July 2019 at 80,000 km (so only drove
it about 8,000 km). I'd say that's actually a pretty good value for me since I don't drive long distances to and from work and it lasted me
18 months!
Thinking I should just do it again on another used car and aim for about 2 years lifespan give or take.
I took the car in again to a mechanic and the funny thing is they never ever mention that it could be a transmission issue (low fluids)
or some air leak. Looks like only something to do with oil leak.
The car has been turning on just fine again and driving fine again so that drives me nuts. Why it drives fine with no problems now when it had a hard time turning on and staying on the day before?
It obviously means something very key and important but I can't say specifically because I'm not an expert experienced mechanic but I'm betting my simple deduction and reasoning is on the right track.
The guy decided to just clean the engine bay top and bottom and said to drive it again for a couple days and come back so they can see where the leak might be coming from. He suspects I have to replace a gasket or something (seal?). He also suggested that I might have to change the spark plugs along with the coilovers(?) wires that connect to the alternator and the spark plugs (if I remember correctly). He said something about the faulty wires could be the cause why the car would suddenly lose power and turn off or struggle to turn on.
The funny thing is why mechanics don't check for other things like fuel pressure or a vacuum/air leak in the system? He basically just looks, cleans the engine, and tells me this and I pay him $30. Nothing has been fixed or changed so I'm just waiting for the car to break down on me again and next time it could be in the middle of busy traffic.
I consider most mechanics to be fairly honest and decent people....but you just never know. Without having experience, you don't know if they are really helping you out or if they just want to milk out as much money from you telling you to fix everything and replace everything as the method to try and fix the problem. That's pretty poor.
If a person has an ulcer in the stomach but the doctor doesn't know it and he suggest, why don't we run a dozen tests, remove body parts, swap out organs and do transplants to try and figure out what the problem is....that's just messed up. All it was is a stomach ulcer but they make you go and do $100K worth of work.
Here's a classic example of what I'm talking about. My other car is a VW. I took it into the VW dealership and when they finished examining it, did the oil change, brake fluid flush...they came back with a report in their white labcoats looking like they are sophisticated doctors or something telling me some bad news. They said, "It's really really bad". OK scare the hell out of me without being specific. He said they found a lot of oil splashed all over the engine area and it was just a mess and they couldn't figure out where it was coming from, they suggested it was something VERY SERIOUS and gave me a look as if they were saying, "Why did you buy this car? You just screwed yourself and 30K".
So I left the VW dealership feeling very worried (VW hahaha). I decided to take into a private mechanic who specializes with VW, AUDI cars. It was just the owner and one young man as an assistant. They cleaned up the engine and told me to drive for another week and come back so they can see where the leak is coming from. He said it's possible I could have to replace the TURBO which would cost me 2 grand + 600 for labor etc. A week later I came back and they checked the car and guess what? Within 10 minutes he found that it was a simple screw that wasn't tighten properly which was causing the turbo to leak oil. They replaced a couple washers/seals and tightened all the loose bolts and I drove away. I came back another week later just to check and they saw it was completely dry and clean! So that was the problem! That's all it was...just loose screws! He also didn't charge me any money because they didn't actually fix anything. That's how I know these guys are real honest and straight to the point. No gimmicks, no giving me the run around and telling me I have to replace this and than and everything and fork over 3 grand just over some loose screws.
That's what I mean. Sometimes the problem is very simple and I wouldn't have known it and they could have just been like, "Yeah your turbo is bad and you need to replace it" and I would have never known and I would have paid 3 grand and I'm sure they would have loved the business. I even offered a tip (cash) but he declined. Damn...that's a mechanic to keep for life! Just like dentists...when you find one you trust, you keep them forever...never let them go!
or some air leak. Looks like only something to do with oil leak.
The car has been turning on just fine again and driving fine again so that drives me nuts. Why it drives fine with no problems now when it had a hard time turning on and staying on the day before?
It obviously means something very key and important but I can't say specifically because I'm not an expert experienced mechanic but I'm betting my simple deduction and reasoning is on the right track.
The guy decided to just clean the engine bay top and bottom and said to drive it again for a couple days and come back so they can see where the leak might be coming from. He suspects I have to replace a gasket or something (seal?). He also suggested that I might have to change the spark plugs along with the coilovers(?) wires that connect to the alternator and the spark plugs (if I remember correctly). He said something about the faulty wires could be the cause why the car would suddenly lose power and turn off or struggle to turn on.
The funny thing is why mechanics don't check for other things like fuel pressure or a vacuum/air leak in the system? He basically just looks, cleans the engine, and tells me this and I pay him $30. Nothing has been fixed or changed so I'm just waiting for the car to break down on me again and next time it could be in the middle of busy traffic.
I consider most mechanics to be fairly honest and decent people....but you just never know. Without having experience, you don't know if they are really helping you out or if they just want to milk out as much money from you telling you to fix everything and replace everything as the method to try and fix the problem. That's pretty poor.
If a person has an ulcer in the stomach but the doctor doesn't know it and he suggest, why don't we run a dozen tests, remove body parts, swap out organs and do transplants to try and figure out what the problem is....that's just messed up. All it was is a stomach ulcer but they make you go and do $100K worth of work.
Here's a classic example of what I'm talking about. My other car is a VW. I took it into the VW dealership and when they finished examining it, did the oil change, brake fluid flush...they came back with a report in their white labcoats looking like they are sophisticated doctors or something telling me some bad news. They said, "It's really really bad". OK scare the hell out of me without being specific. He said they found a lot of oil splashed all over the engine area and it was just a mess and they couldn't figure out where it was coming from, they suggested it was something VERY SERIOUS and gave me a look as if they were saying, "Why did you buy this car? You just screwed yourself and 30K".
So I left the VW dealership feeling very worried (VW hahaha). I decided to take into a private mechanic who specializes with VW, AUDI cars. It was just the owner and one young man as an assistant. They cleaned up the engine and told me to drive for another week and come back so they can see where the leak is coming from. He said it's possible I could have to replace the TURBO which would cost me 2 grand + 600 for labor etc. A week later I came back and they checked the car and guess what? Within 10 minutes he found that it was a simple screw that wasn't tighten properly which was causing the turbo to leak oil. They replaced a couple washers/seals and tightened all the loose bolts and I drove away. I came back another week later just to check and they saw it was completely dry and clean! So that was the problem! That's all it was...just loose screws! He also didn't charge me any money because they didn't actually fix anything. That's how I know these guys are real honest and straight to the point. No gimmicks, no giving me the run around and telling me I have to replace this and than and everything and fork over 3 grand just over some loose screws.
That's what I mean. Sometimes the problem is very simple and I wouldn't have known it and they could have just been like, "Yeah your turbo is bad and you need to replace it" and I would have never known and I would have paid 3 grand and I'm sure they would have loved the business. I even offered a tip (cash) but he declined. Damn...that's a mechanic to keep for life! Just like dentists...when you find one you trust, you keep them forever...never let them go!
Edited by cornflakes2 on Wednesday 17th July 06:04
Edited by cornflakes2 on Wednesday 17th July 06:08
cornflakes2 said:
It obviously means something very key and important but I can't say specifically because I'm not an expert experienced mechanic but I'm betting my simple deduction and reasoning is on the right track.
It seems you've found somebody competent to investigate the problem. That's a good idea. Let them get on with it. Your 'simple deduction and reasoning' is mostly nonsensical. It's clear you have no understanding of engines and no idea what the symptoms indicate. And that's fine, no reason you should have. But please stop pretending you're diagnosing the problem. cornflakes2 said:
Yes, after they topped off the oil, it drove okay again for about 10 days. Yesterday it was fine when I parked it. Only this morning it didn't start until 3 or 4 tries and long cranks. Then when it ran, it died after I came to a slow speed/near stop to make a turn at a road about 1 minute later.
It only seems to die when the car is either idle or at low speed.
I decided to park by the curb and let it idle for a minute and it just died on its own after about 2 minutes of idling.
Does this sounds like a low transmission fluid issue? Dying car battery? Corroded wiring? or Low fuel pressure/fuel pump dying?
I bought this car used for just a grand. I need to decide if I should just buy another used car or if it's worth trying to get this issue fixed (it may be a really small and simple fix).
Have you tried topping up the oil again and see if it affects the issue for bette or worse?It only seems to die when the car is either idle or at low speed.
I decided to park by the curb and let it idle for a minute and it just died on its own after about 2 minutes of idling.
Does this sounds like a low transmission fluid issue? Dying car battery? Corroded wiring? or Low fuel pressure/fuel pump dying?
I bought this car used for just a grand. I need to decide if I should just buy another used car or if it's worth trying to get this issue fixed (it may be a really small and simple fix).
Edited by cornflakes2 on Tuesday 16th July 09:40
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