₦airaland Forum

Ikenna, where you dey? He's the Peugeot expert here.

Car-Doctor.

tuoyoojo: A technician(should I say a mechanic rather) came around and showed me an advert that he places a device in d engine of cars which would help to improve fuel economy by about 30 percent. I was contemplating on installing it on my corolla 2004 ( average fuel consumption is about 15km for a litre of petrol) but on a second thought, what could be d adverse effect of this on ones engine. Pls house ur contributions are needed.tanks

Post the picture and also explain how he said it works. That should make it easier.

Car-Doctor.

djbiskit: buttons in my steering are not working even the horn.
.

Need to align the door to prevent rain from entering the side

check the tyres

some noise when turning the tyre.

I need an honest mechanic amd also a professional on toyota prius

07065352347

Honest mechanic where?


Car-Doctor.

foxgiovani: I bought a Mazda 323F 1995 Model (that looks like sports car) as I was driving one night, I entered a very bad pot-hole and instantly, my AC pipe got burst. I've taken the car to AC technician & he welded the broken pipe but the problem now is that the AC is not chilling as usual. Can anybody pls tell me what could be wrong? Pls I've not enjoyed this car atall. Advise, pls.

Did your ac guy flush the system, refill with fresh compressor oil and quality gas?

Car-Doctor.

JUO: I suspect wrong gas in the compressor. when the pipe got burst did the gas escape ?

Na wah for this question?


Car-Doctor.

I was going to suggest that you try another compressor. The one you changed may not have enough compression to handle the extreme hot weather conditions of day running. I have encountered this on quite a few occasions and this solved the problem.

Good thing you topped of with more gas and that solved the problem. I wonder why your ac guy didn't think of that in the first instance.

Car-Doctor.

elektra80: Honda stopped making ATF Z-1 and replaced it with ATF DW-1. The poster might find it difficult to get Z-1 but DW-1 is available in Nigeria and it works well for 2005 Honda accord.

You may be right but the ATF Z1 is still very much available. I bought a carton of 12 last Saturday to do a tranny flush on a Honda Pilot.

Yeah, ATF DW1 is ok for the Honda Accord 2005.

Car-doctor.

vitality22: Hello car doc, pls what atf is best for nissan xterra 2001 model?
Pls kindly recommend any good one.

Nissan Matic-D is the best.

JaaizTech: Hi Car-Doctor, kindly advise me: Would you recommend changing the Automatic Transmission Gear Box to a Tokunbo when it fails or do you believe it can be rebuilt to perform almost like a new one. If yes, what option cost most, using Accord 2003 as an example can you give a quote

Gearbox repairs depends on how experienced the repairer is. Chances are that something may end up going wrong if its not meticulously and properly repaired. This may eventually become an uneconomical resolve in addition to the stress of breaking down on the road or other malfunctions that may result.

Best thing to do is change the gearbox completely. Although this may be a more expensive option, its still pays in the long run because you will have a reasonable peace of mind knowing that the new (Tokunbo) gearbox is still original and hasn't been tampered with. Use manufacturer recommended ATF. (In the example of the Honda Accord 2003, use the Honda ATF-Z1)

Car-Doctor.

Have you checked to see if this car has been previously involved in an accident that may have affected the front chassis? This could be a major issue as suspension to chassis geometry may have been compromised.


Car-doctor.

ray collins: Hello people. Good evening. Pls I need help. My mums toyota camry XLE is guzzling fuel. Well I can't categorically state if it is guzzling fuel or if it is d guage dat is nt working well becos dere was a time dat it showed E on the guage. I opened the fuel pump and had to check the remaining fuel in the tank and it was more dan quarter. Immediately I replaced the fuel pump assembly and cranked the engine the guage qmoved to quarter tank. Anoda issue is dat the multifunction display shows dat my AVG miles per gallon is between 19.5 to 20.+ which is relatively ok for city driving. Rite? Anoda issues is dat my miles dat car can travel keeps reading 0 but I can still drive a whole lot before car finally dies becos of lack of fuel

D dilemma

When we kinda noticed an increase in fuel consumption, I quickly used my scanner to scan the car and it brought out codes P11135 meanin air fuel sensor heater circuit malfunction bank 1 sensor 1.
I checked d code online and saw that it can drastcally increase fuel consumption. I ordered for the original denso aair fuel sensor connected it my self but it didn't workm I have since replaced it like 5 timess up to no avail. Immediately I replace it and crank the engine, the check engine light comes on immediately indicateing d same problem

Benin mechanics

I have been to like 200 different mechanics(just kiddng) but no one seens to know what function d air fuel sensor plays. All of dem keeps sayin oga nor worry e nor mata . E nor dey do any fin. How clueless. I am very handy when it comes to car repairs like I have changed the thermostat my self, replace the coolant temp sensor and even did change my plugs my selp. NB I just replaced the plugs with denso OEM spark plug SKR0211 .

Help.
Pls if anyone can direct me to a good mechanic in benin dat has worked on oxygen or air fuel sensor before I will be grateful or if any one can assist cos I have d beloief dat its nt d air fuel sensor dat is faulty but may be dere is an electrical connection somewhere dat is not rite. U can ask oda questions if u r nt clear HELP A BRODA OUT

Thanks.

If you have done all these things and yet no joy then you should try changing your ECU. Though all input components to the ECU may be ok, the ECU itself could be misinterpreting the information being fed to it. It may also be sending out the wrong instructions to output components such as the injector nozzles or the ignition coils.

Also check the air filter if its dirty. A very dirty filter would restrict air flow into the engine. (Air filters should also be changed at every service interval. I have had really filthy air filters removed from cars and mechanics have advised that they don't really need to be changed and the filter remains in the housing accumulating more dust and debris).

Best of luck.

Car-Doctor.

Car-doctor.

Black smoke from the exhaust is usually caused by excessive fuel being dumped into the cylinders prior to combustion. Several reasons may be the cause of this in addition to the fault code list that you pulled from the scan you did.

1. Oxygen sensors pre cat (Catalytic converter) and post cat are well connected and working properly. (The scan should reveal this)
2. Thermostat in engine is present and working properly.
3. Radiator cooling fan has not been wired to work continuously.
4. The Air Flow Meter is working properly. (The scan should reveal this)
5. The injector nozzles are working properly by checking the spray.
6. The correct spark plugs are the ones on the car and are working properly. (I have seen many Sienna cars with the 3 plugs on bank 1 different from the others on bank 2 on the V6 engine)
7. That the catalytic converter has not been removed or hollowed out.
8. Air filter is clean as a dirty filter would restrict air flow into the engine. (Air filters should also be changed at every service interval. I have had really filthy air filters removed from cars and mechanics have advised that they don't really need to be changed and the filter remains in the housing accumulating more dust and debris).

Try checking all of these and I'm sure that one may lead directly to the fault.

Best of luck.

Car-Doctor.

kimex10: Hi guys! I'm about to purchase a G35 Infiniti but the dealer says the only problem with the car is "misfiring". Please, what exactly does the mean? Should I risk purchasing it? Thanks

Engine misfire is a term used to describe incomplete combustion in the engine cylinder. An engine misfire is a violent shaking of the engine when an engine cylinder in a combustion engine misses a stroke. You will feel a jerking action when a misfire occurs.

This causes a 25% or more loss of power in comparison to the other cylinders thus throwing the engine off balance. It may either be caused by:

1. Faulty ignition coil
2. Incorrect air/fuel mixture
3. Faulty air flow meter
4. Faulty oxygen sensors
5. Worn out engine valve seats
6. Incorrect timing
7. Incorrect /faulty spark plugs
8. Faulty or clogged up fuel injectors
9. Faulty fuel pump
10. Dirty fuel filter
11. Faulty ECU (Electronic Control Unit/ Module)

Other things may be added to this list but these are the most obvious reasons for any engine misfire.

The Check engine light should be on so make sure that you scan the vehicle for the fault.


Car-Doctor.

joebeckz: Dear nairalanders, i drive a toyota carina e, the rate at which it consumes fuel baffles me, i cant use a thousand naira fuel for a 30kilometer drive without receiving d red fuel indicator light. I fired the car and checked d silencer only to see black smoke, took it to an injector specialist, he changed one thing he called smokin sensor under d car close to d silencer,it is a plug with a round head. It reduced but started again. All this started when i was managing fuel n drivin d car on red for long or even til d car goes off. Cud my injector b bad entirely or is there any remedy. Please i need response cos am jus a corper managin my alawee here in abuja n dis ca saves ma a*s cos my office is situated where taxis cant go in so i need dat car. Waiting for ur response please.

Get the car scanned first then physically check to see if:

1. Oxygen sensors pre cat (Catalytic converter) and post cat are well connected and working properly. (The scan should reveal this)
2. Thermostat is present and working properly.
3. Radiator cooling fan has not been wired to work continuously.
4. The Air Flow Meter is working properly. (The scan should reveal this)
5. The injector nozzles are working properly by checking the spray.
6. The correct spark plugs are the ones on the car and are working properly. (I have seen many cars with 3 or 4 different types of plugs fitted to one engine)
7. That the catalytic converter has not been removed or hollowed out.
8. Air filter is clean as a dirty filter would restrict air flow into the engine. (Air filters should also be changed at every service interval. I have had really filthy air filters removed from cars and mechanics have advised that they don't really need to be changed and the filter remains in the housing accumulating more dust and debris).

Best of luck.

Car-Doctor.

stolen stone: Good people of NL, how ya doing?? Pls I need expert or experienced advice frm you, I drive a 2003 Honda Accord-4cylinder. I noticed that the car engine vibrates alot at rest, or when the tachometer is a little above Zero but not One, or even in traffic jam when the engine aint doing much, its so worrisome that in such situation i have to switch the transmission to Neutral for it to remain calm, Most times when the AC is on and the tachometer is at a reading less than One, it vibrates vehemently. They've tried setting the car engine cos they said it might be low but it gave a temporary relief and then came back, I've been to several auto mechanics who have said so many things like the engine is weak, some said the engine seatings may be bad, some said i should give them the car so that they will loose the steering, engine and what have you to detect the problem, now that got me worried because it was gonna be an invasive approach to a seemingly small issue. Pls I need your input as to what could be the cause of the vibration and how to go about fixing it, the cost of such repairs and other useful maintenance tips for me and other auto users. Thanks folks

I don't know how far you've gone with all the suggestions on this forum. Sorting out an engine vibration issue is usually a daunting task hence all advice from numerous members here.

A recent experience from a similar make and model of car hat was brought into the workshop last week has taught me a very important lesson when dealing with this particular model of Honda cars and more importantly the engine vibration issue.

Fake new engine mounts are usually the culprit and there are so many of them in circulation.

The car was brought in to my workshop with broken engine mounts on the front, rear and the one on the side that bolts directly to the right hand front chassis. Funny enough, despite the broken mounts, there wasn't much noticeable vibration from the car engine. We promptly changed the mounts to brand new ones that were supposed to be originals bought by the customer.

Immediately the car engine started, a vibration like a volcanic eruption started. While seated in the drivers seat and holding on to the steering during engine idle, you would feel like you were being treated to a violent body massage. The car rattled and shook even more violently when the ac is switched on. Absolutely unbearable and could be quite embarrassing if you have passengers in the car with you.

Anyway, we checked if any of the mounts have been fitted wrongly but all was ok. Brand new engine mounts? shouldn't go wrong. Called my dependable Honda part seller and quickly took delivery of another set of new engine mounts (A bit more expensive though). Had them fitted and the vibration disappeared like magic.

I decided to conduct a forensic examination of the new (fake) engine mounts in comparison with the new (original) ones and discovered that front and rear fake mounts were considerably lighter than the original ones. secondly, the fake mounts didn't seem to contain oil inside the mounts to hydraulically absorb the vibration as they should have been designed to.

@OP. Have you recently had your engine mounts changed? If so, change them again with more original ones that contain the hydraulic fluid and has more weight in comparison with the ones currently on the car.

Best of luck.


Car-Doctor.

Ikenna351: A failed/failing ignition coil would give a misfiring error code. Op did not state his car was misfiring or rough idling, which is what a failed or bad spark plug would do. Op did not sound like a novice to me not to know what misfiring and rough idling means for not to have mentioned it in the beginning.

Misled who? Can you tell you that I all I have suggested so far has nothing to do with fuel finding itself in the oil pan?

Guess work? Who is doing the guess work here? Myself? I can see that you don't know me that much or you are beginning to do. Sorry, we are different. I do elimination method/ manual troubleshooting and am good at it. I list out possible components/sensors which if failed would give a particular symptom and gradually start eliminating each one after the other until I get to the culprit. In the process, I would discover better method of troubleshooting, components about to fail that have not started giving warning and understand the car better. I do not see anything wrong in teaching someone how to fix an issue with his vehicle which he asked for.

If discussing DIY is a problem for you, then you just have to deal with it. Am not in your workshop, neither am I your apprentice. So keep your authority to yourself. If you are not comfortable with my suggestions, then be convincing to Op with yours and not attack mine. Am not competing with anyone. Op is old enough to choose whatever suggestion he finds useful or better here.


Ikenna.

Na wah o. We dey fight?

"Misled and Guess work" that I quoted was never intended for you. The point is that there are so many suggestions from other members here that don't bear much significance to the case at hand such as the diagnostic scan suggestions. How does that relate to "Petrol smell in engine oil dip stick"?

Its not every car issue that would be effectively diagnosed by suggestions on this forum. Some, like in this instance, would require the physical examination of the car itself. The car talk section is superb for polling views from like minded auto technicians, car enthusiasts as well as novices but it would be better if we don't bombard too many suggestions and speculations to the OPs. It kinda throws them off line and may get confusing at times. The DIY guy or woman may have a problem sifting through all the suggestions and may eventually lead to an un-economical repair.

Car-Doctor.

Ikenna351: No matter how good spark plugs are and how properly gapped they might be, they cant burn all fuel when there is excessive fuelling. They have limited amount of fuel the spark can handle during the explosion. Otherwise, you are saying all black smoke symptom means faulty spark plugs?

When fuel spray into the intake manifold by the injectors is more than required amount of air, do you expect the combustion stroke to be properly done in those chambers?

Op said he changed his spark plugs recently with OEM. At least, copper plugs should last 20,000 km, not to think of if they are platinum or Iridium. I would lay more emphasis, especially on the injection, rather than ignition, in finding the culprit, in his case, without ruling out the ignition components though.

By the way, excessive fuelling would cause hesitation, poor acceleration or drop in power as well, until the rpm hits 4-5k rpm.

Ikenna

So, what happens to the fuel if the spark plugs are not working at all? If the spark plugs are not working at all, there will be no combustion. The unburnt fuel remains in the cylinder and then eventually drips into the oil sump through the piston rings causing "bore wash" as well. The fuel drips may not significantly increase the level of oil as may be shown on the dipstick but it will definitely leave a fuel odour in the oil.

Car-Doctor.

elektra80: If u don't know about something, its better not to say anything than make a false statement. Well i will categorically tell u that some Honda city have 8 plugs, and no they are not v8 but i4 . Ever heard of Intelligence-dual and sequential Ignition (I-DSI).Which means 2 spark plugs are employed in each cylinder making a total of 8 spark plugs instead of 4. This ensures utilizing every drop of fuel thrown into the cylinders leading to better mpg. So bro, do ur research and re phrase ur statement.

@electra

Who were you refering this quote to. Me or ray-Collins? Cos it seemed like you challenged my post by copying and pasting my post on your response to raycollins.

Car-Doctor.

elektra80: If u don't know about something, its better not to say anything than make a false statement. Well i will categorically tell u that some Honda civic have 8 plugs, and no they are not v8 but i4 . Ever heard of Intelligence-dual and sequential Ignition (I-DSI).Which means 2 spark plugs are employed in each cylinder making a total of 8 spark plugs instead of 4. This ensures utilizing every drop of fuel thrown into the cylinders leading to better mpg. So bro, do ur research and re phrase ur statement.

What a load of boll@cks. Abeg gerrout. Is fuel in the combustion chamber counted by drops? Why would you support the road side mechanic idea of removing 4 of the 8 plugs that the car is supposed to be running on and drive the car for a while like that? And the logic that the car has too many plugs. This is an intellectual forum for petrol heads and car enthusiasts not a roadside mechanic under the tree argument corner.

Car-Doctor.

jjjkkkooo: I notice that the car jerks and revs itself while accelerating. I just changed the 8 plugs and serviced the nozzles. It is 2006 models. The mechanic says the gear oil is ok. Sometimes the 'D' blinks and I ve to stop and restart. And it will be ok. But the jerking and revving Persists. Any help?

Your car has three major issues.
Jerking
Independent revs
Gearbox D light blinking.

Jerks are usually caused by fuel starvation to the engine. This mainly happens while in motion and when you need power to accelerate. The common culprits are the fuel pump, fuel filter or fuel supply lines. Have all these components individually checked by a professional mechanic.

Uncontrolled revving of the engine could be caused by air intake from other sources than the throttle body. The inlet manifold may have air entering into the inlet duct through injector nozzle seals that are not properly seated or any other possible orifice. This would cause uncontorlled air intake and that will automatically increase the engine speed.

In the case of the gearbox D light coming on, you will need to have the transmission control module scanned. The flashing D light indicates an electronic malfunction and it could be anything. Have the tranny scanned and post the results here.

All the best.

Car-Doctor.

biggiyke: your car has too many plugs. i guess that's why it's revving itself. my advice to you is this; remove four of the plugs. drive it for awhile and tell us what you notice different.

only then can we be of help to you here

I will really like to know where you got your mechanic experience from. Under a tree I suppose. Please stop giving advices that could lead to more problems to members on this forum.

I can't get your logic that the car engine has too many plugs. That's how the engine was designed and built and I believe that the car has always ran on 8 plugs prior to the op having the issues presented.

Your advice to the op to remove 4 of the 8 plugs and drive the car around for a while could lead to other issues coming up. Where would the sparks meant for the removed plugs go? How do you disable the ignition circuit for the removed plugs? You could end up frying up the ecu in the process.

@op. Please ignore this guys advice.

Car-Doctor.

Nice one Ikenna.

I was there too but wasn't too impressed. I expected a lot more players in the automotive industry as well as other car manufacturers such as BMW, Innoson, Anammco, Honda, Land Rover, MG, Nissan etc.

I also expected to see motorbikes and tricycles as its not only cars that you would find in a motor show.

No refreshments and nothing entertaining. Very bland.

Car-Doctor.

Ikenna351: No matter how good spark plugs are and how properly gapped they might be, they cant burn all fuel when there is excessive fuelling. They have limited amount of fuel the spark can handle during the explosion. Otherwise, you are saying all black smoke symptom means faulty spark plugs?

When fuel spray into the intake manifold by the injectors is more than required amount of air, do you expect the combustion stroke to be properly done in those chamber

Op said he changed his spark plugs recently with OEM. At least, copper plugs should last 20,000 km, not to think of if they are platinum or Iridium. I would lay more emphasis, especially on the injection, rather than ignition, in finding the culprit, in his case, without ruling out the ignition components though.

By the way, excessive fuelling would cause hesitation, poor acceleration or drop in power as well, until the rpm hits 4-5k rpm.

Ikenna

Then he should check the ignition coil.

Ikenna, I think you are trying too hard to help solve a problem that really requires a proper physical examination. So much guess work and speculations going on here. Please, let's not mislead the op.

Car-Doctor.

Ikenna351: No matter how good spark plugs are and how properly gapped they might be, they cant burn all fuel when there is excessive fuelling. They have limited amount of fuel the spark can handle during the explosion. Otherwise, you are saying all black smoke symptom means faulty spark plugs?

When fuel spray into the intake manifold by the injectors is more than required amount of air, do you expect the combustion stroke to be properly done in those chamber

Op said he changed his spark plugs recently with OEM. At least, copper plugs should last 20,000 km, not to think of if they are platinum or Iridium. I would lay more emphasis, especially on the injection, rather than ignition, in finding the culprit, in his case, without ruling out the ignition components though.

By the way, excessive fuelling would cause hesitation, poor acceleration or drop in power as well, until the rpm hits 4-5k rpm.

Ikenna

Then he should check the ignition coil. By the way, I have seen so many fake spark plugs about that Don't even work from installation.

Ikenna, I thiink you are trying too hard to help solve a problem that really requires a proper physical examination. So much guess work going on here. Please, let's not mislead the op.

Car-Doctor.

Haba. Too many suggestions on this matter that one can get so confused on what to really do.

Fuel in your engine oil could be caused by a number of reasons but the most basic and obvious cause is usually the spark plugs not firing in the cylinders. This causes uncombusted petrol to remain in the cylinders. This fuel gradually finds its way through the piston rings and drip into the oil sump mixing with the engine oil.

Imagine the RPM of an engine having raw fuel dumped in a cylinder without spark in each firing cycle. That a lot of fuel.

You complained about the loss of power. That could be attributed to your plugs not firing well.

Check your spark plugs and be sure that they are firing ok. If not, change them and check the result. The code you pulled from the scan does not necessarily reflect to the issue at hand so ignore it for now.

Car-Doctor.

From your post, it seems like you have sorted the geearbox issue out and now have an engine problem.

The scan results show that one or more ignition coils seem to be faulty and that on its own could possibly if not definitely cause a jerk in the drive.

You will have to change the faulty coil.

Cat-Doctor.

jjjkkkooo: Any information Pls?

I know.

Arteta99: Please I drive a benz E-320 2002 model and the battery always run down overnight. It was scanned and the revealed codes are P2600 and P2310 and the electrician don't really understand the codes. Please what does these codes mean and how do I rectify them.

Its a common problem with the Mercedes.

Change your alternator.


Car-doctor.

dkc: What's the estimated cost of doing the conversion and where can I get a perfect work? I don't wish to have problems later. I'm based in Warri. email me with dkcclout@gmail.com

If the Nigerian factor doesn't creep in, we are never satisfied. We just seem to like the grief instead. By the time you start looking for and buying all the parts as well as the hypertension that comes with the mechanics and rewires, you would have bought two 4WDs.

Don't you think its cheaper to sell the RWD and buy a 4WD as advised by Sultaan.


Car-Doctor.

elektra80: Abs explained. And yes abs does reduce braking distance


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd5KDvXbE3M

But not on the type of road that the op described as where and when the accident happened.


Car-Doctor.

Get the car scanned first.


Car-Doctor.