Why does the steering wheel lock up while driving?
What Causes the Steering Wheel to Lock Up? | eHow Losing control of your car's steering is a terrifying experience, one that can lead to a crash with horrific consequences. If this happens to you, then you must try to bring your vehicle to a stop at once and determine the cause of steering wheel lock-up before you drive your car again. There are a number of reasons why your car's steering has suddenly locked up including:Key MechanismNot every steering wheel problem occurs when you have the transmission engaged and are heading down the road. Sometimes, drivers report that their steering wheel stays locked even after inserting the key into the ignition. When that happens, the car probably cannot be started let alone driven. More than likely the key assembly has worn out and needs to be replaced. However, before calling your auto mechanic, try to move the wheels to the left and to the right as sometimes the steering column "catches," a problem that can be resolved if you jiggle the wheel.Lock PinGeneral Motors issued a pair of recalls for the C5 Chevrolet Corvette (1997-2004 models) due to problems with locked steering. In addition to being locked while starting, owners complained that in some cases their cars could be driven but with no control of steering. This problem is due to a lock pin that fails to withdraw fully, allowing contact between the pin and lock plate. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) website (see Resources) for information about recalls #04006B and #04006C or call your Chevrolet dealer.ConclusionWhile the three causes mentioned here are among the top reasons why a steering wheel may lock up, there could be other reasons. Contact an auto mechanic for assistance, or if you are handy with repairs, consult a Haynes or Chilton repair manual (or anything similar) for guidance.
Why does my car alarm trigger when I am opening it using the key not the remote key fob?
some alarm systems are designed that way. Most alarms OEM and aftermarket have voltage sensing and will trigger the alarm when the dome light goes on. This is to combat possible breaks ins using a slim Jim. If you turn off the dome light(s) or remove the bulb, the alarm will not trigger unless it has a shock sensor. This includes “door ajar” sensors btw. This feature can be programmed out on most alarms but defeats the purpose of having an alarm.
What can happen to your vehicle when your brake fluid is too low?
Hey Sharon,When your brake fluid is too low you may be in trouble because your car won’t slow down or stop as well as before. You see brake fluid is kind of like a “steel rod” connecting your foot to the brakes. I say steel because brake fluid doesn’t compress so when you press on it it moves just like it is a solid.Brake fluid is incompressible and used to transmit your foot pressure on the brake pedal through the master cylinder to the brake calipers in order to press the pads against the discs. Your foot pressure is multiplied by the mechanical advantage from the pedal (ratio) and the hydraulic ratio of the master cylinders, power booster and caliper pistons (where the brake pads live).Image: BrakesHow does brake fluid get low?It canBrake system uses more fluid volume as pads wearFluid boils, getting bubbles in the line.Lines, master cylinder, or calipers leakSince you said too low, if your brakes are working okay add the DOT brake fluid your manufacturer recommends and take your car to a brake shop to have them checked. A little low is maintenance, too low is not and needs some professional TLC.Regards and take care.
What does it mean when a car's battery light turns on while the car is moving (eventually car decelerates and stops)?
The alternator is failing or has ceased functioning. Whereas the engine's torque is usually giving your car constant electricity using the alternator, when it fails to do so the battery's reserved power is then used. Usually the battery is only used to start the vehicle. It obviously has enough power to spark the plugs, but only for so long, especially if you are also running your radio, A/C, headlights, etc. Once the battery is dead, the car is dead.This happened to me more than once. The alternator has a finite life in every car, so there comes a time when it will die, and it will almost certainly not be at the most opportune moment. Recognize signs of this happening before it is too late. Mine was failing for months before it inevitably gave in and I finally figured out what was wrong. A similar issue is if your serpentine belt snaps, the engine is no longer running your alternator, whether it's in good shape or not. This will cause more issues than the car just dying in five minutes- the water pump will cease functioning to cool your engine down and you will eventually overheat it and perhaps irreparably damage the vehicle.There are possibly other things that can cause this issue but this seems by and large the most likely.
Why is my car shaking and the check engine light flashing?
A shaking vehicle AND flashing MIL ("check engine light") sound like the vehicle is misfiring on at least one cylinder. As @Anna Nguyen, @Brendan Sinclair, @Antoun Nabhan and others have said, it could be an ignition related problem. It could also be fuel-related. If one or more fuel injectors are clogged or dead, that would also cause a misfire in the affected cylinder(s). These are relatively cheap/easy things to check and fix.Other causes (which could be more complicated and more expensive) to fix include contaminated fuel, a bent intake or exhaust valve, a broken valve spring, a damaged piston/connecting rod, and on and on.I recommend getting a scan tool and checking the codes which are causing the MIL to light/flash and I also strongly recommend NOT driving the vehicle until the problem is fixed. If you continue to drive the vehicle as is, you will exacerbate the problem. Dumping unburned fuel into the exhaust due to a misfire will overheat and kill your catalytic converter. A more serious problem like a bent valve can eventually cause you to crater your engine (i.e.: completely destroy the engine).
Battery light just came on in my car and steering wheel tightened up...?
I waS on my way home and my battery light came on so i turned off the air and the radio (thought maybe it would conserve some of the energy if the battery was dying. everytime i tried to turn a corner the steering wheel was sooo tight i had to force it to turn. I got home and turned the car off and back on a few times, turned the radio and the air back on to see if they still worked...everything was still working but the battery light was still on and the wheel was still locking up...does anyone know what would cause both of those things to happen at the same time?
How does Progressive's Snapshot work? What are the things Snapshot can/does measure? How does this kind of device upload data to the Internet? Do they use a satellite network?
How does Progressive's Snapshot work?Snapshot is a device that plugs into your car's OBD-II Diagnostic Port (see image below) The port is usually found under you steering wheel. The device captures information and sends it back to Progressive to determine the discount to which you may be eligible.A device that is plugged into your cars diagnostic port can measure a lot of metrics surrounding your cars health and usage. What the device can measure and what it tracks for purposes of your insurance program may be two different things.What are the things that Progressive Snapshot Measures for rating purposes?Hard Braking: If you tend to brake quickly (hard) at your stops, this device is not going to be kind to you. Interesting fact.... the device "beeps" when it registers a "hard brake". If you are paying attention, you can quickly learn what constitutes a hard brake and adjust your habits accordingly.When you Drive: If you drive a lot between Midnight and 4AM, the device will count that against any potential discount. If your job requires late night driving, that will not reflect positively.How much you Drive: If you drive less miles than average, your discount will reflect that. If you have a long commute or just drive a lot in general, this program is likely not to your benefit.I am an Independent Agency Owner who represents multiple companies of which Progressive is one. An interesting thing about Progressive's Snapshot is that you can exercise a 30-day trial without being their customer. Since our agency was going to be advising clients on the use of the device, a number of our staff gave it a test drive for the 30-day trial period.Our results were mixed. Everyone earned at least a minor discount. Some testers earned the full 30% discount, while others saw much less (say 5%).Who might it benefit? If you are a:Defensive, "gentle braker",Don't drive late at night andDrive fewer miles than average (say 30/day)You could be in store for a nice discount.Note... it appears that in some states, Progressive could increase your rates based on the results of using Snapshot. Check out Progressive's details page for more information about how it is used in your state.Late Question Details Edit: Progressive uses a GSM cell phone connection to upload data[1]Footnotes[1] https://blog.joemanna.com/progre...