What problems go along with a bad catalytic converter?
A clogged catalytic convertor causes the symptoms of a loss of power when accelerating or going up a hill. This is an often overlooked cause of loss of power, can cause check engine fault codes and lights, and mechanics will often change a few parts unnecessarily , especially if it is only partially plugged. A couple ways I check for plugged cats when a low power complaint is a symptom, and other obvious basic maintenance items have been checked for service is to have someone hold the rpm at about 1800 to 2000 steady. Then check for a good push of exhaust with my hand from behind the tailpipe. A plugged or partially plugged cat typically leaves a hot sickly feeling exhaust flow from the tailpipe. Compare to a known good working car nearby, known to be performing properly and with the same amount of cylinders. That slow , hot sickly flow at 2000 rpm compared to the hard push blowing your hand away of a not clogged cat is a dead giveaway, and I have NEVER misdiagnosed a plugged cat , or made false diagnosis with this method. Another way is watching a vacuum gauge connected to the intake manifold. When revving up, if the exhaust is plugged the gauge reading will climb then begin to slowly drop as the exhaust pressure builds up. Further testing will be needed to verify which part of the exhaust is plugged. Diagnostic by codes is unreliable and until now I had not heard of it. A code p420 only refers to catalyst efficiency. And can be set by faulty o2 sensors. Removing the exhaust and testing for engine power returning to normal works. But the hot sickly flow has been most accurate with my experience, in several cases where shops had missed it, were stumped and called me to come check. They are always embarrassed for missing the simplicity, but need not, as cars and their complicated electronics and even age old problems can lead to loss of power without any immediately obvious cause.
Is it dangerous to drive with a bad wheel bearing?
A wheel bearing goes through several stages as it fails. First, you may hear a clicking while making turns. After that you may hear and feel a pulsing in the car, or a clicking while driving at low speeds. At this point, you MUST replace the bearing. It is extremely dangerous and you are putting your life at risk.A wheel bearing failure at high speed is one of the most fatal ways for a car to fail, so do not drive at high speeds until you can get the bearing repaired. On most cars, it will require a press or other specialty tools, so I would suggest taking your vehicle to a shop so that it is installed correctly. If you are familiar with the construction, function, and assembly of the bearing and axle it can be done at home.
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).
Will exhaust leaks at manifold gaskets cause the engine to misfire?
I'm going to address the issue that has so far been overlooked. Most gasoline passenger and light duty trucks on the road today utilize electronically controlled fuel injection. Exhaust manifold leaks have the effect of “fooling” the oxygen sensor. Exhaust gas travels in pulses with high and low pressure zones. Exhaust gas leaks out during the high pressure event. Outside air is drawn INTO the leaking area during the low pressure event. The result is an oxygen sensor that reports a lean condition. (Too much air in relation to fuel). The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) will then increase fuel delivery to compensate. With a leak of sufficient magnitude, the PCM can end up substantially increasing fuel delivery in an attempt to “correct” the perceived lean condition. The engine (or that half of the engine) actually ends up running quite over- rich (Too much fuel in relation to air). Spark plug fouling can result, which in turn may lead to a MISFIRE. If this situation occurred on , for instance, a 98 Ford F150 with a V8, the following may be present. Lean exhaust code and misfire codes set on the bank with the exhaust leak present. The exhaust leak did not cause an immediate misfire. But it is the root cause of the resulting mayhem.
What are the effects of driving a car with a misfiring cylinder?
OK. I am a gear head who loves working on cars and has done so since the 1960’s.If a cylinder is misfiring because of an ignition problem you will, in the short term, just experience a loss of power increase your fuel consumption. In the longer term, continuing to drive it that way could destroy a coil and cost you more money.If, however, the misfire is caused by an injector problem, you could seriously damage your engine. Running that cylinder too lean will cause it to overheat and potentially damage the valve or the piston. If it is running excessively rich the unburned fuel could be washing the lubrication off of the cylinder walls leading to severe wear. In either case, repairing the damage will be expensive.NEVER drive a car that has a problem. NEVER drive a car in which the Check Engine light is on. If the Check Engine light begins to flash, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, NOW! A problem that to you seems small, if not repaired, can cause a lot of damage that will be very expensive to fix.Read your car’s manual. Do exactly what it recommends. Find a mechanic you trust. Doing preventive maintenance will cost you a lot less than repairing the damage caused by neglecting to keep your car serviced.
Why do my car's steering wheel and accelerator pedal shake and vibrate while I'm driving?
It is often very challenging to diagnose vibrations in a vehicle. The first thing to determine is whether the vibration is proportional to the speed of the car of the engine. Also, does it go away when you step on the brakes?Most likely, the vibration is related to the speed of the car; it will often go away when the car is not in motion.What generates vibration? Most commonly, it is an issue with the wheels, tires, or brakes. A tire that is out of balance is a very common cause. A wheel bearing that is nearing failure can also generate vibration, but is not very likely. A brake rotor can cause vibration if it is warped, but this will only be felt as a “pulsing” sensation under braking and won’t vibrate if you’re not applying the brakes.Less commonly, vibration can be generated in the spinning driveline parts that take engine power from the transmission to the wheels. On a front-wheel drive car, this is the CV joints and front “half shafts.”The first thing to do is verify the balance of the tire/wheel assembly. I recommend performing this on a “road force” balancing machine, like Hunter MFG makes and many shops use.
I had new speaker and amp installed and now car won't start! Can this be caused by bad installation?
Oh these are always fun. Though I can't give you a diagnosis over email, I can tell you it is 100% possible to kill a car with a stereo installation. Your amplifier needs a signal to turn on or it will stay on always and kill your battery. Stereo install guys turn on the car and stab a test light into random wires looking for one powered only when the car is turned on. Unfortunately they have been known to splice into a CAN data bus. The CAN network in charge of communication for your security and locking could be disabled keeping your key from being authorized. Or the CAN network for your chassis systems can be shut down that deals with communication for your engine, transmission, and typically traction control. A CAN network is typically a 5 volt system but it suplies power in micro amps as it is only used for communication and not supplying a load such as switching a relay, lighting a bulb, or spinning a motor. Splicing into these to supply the relay to turn on the amp effectively grounds the circuit and does not allow for the digital signal to propogate. Sometimes it easier and they just blew a fuse while poking around with a test light, or shorted a harness by running a screw through it while mounting components. Had a lowjack installer put a screw through a floorboard and into a fuel tank once, cause a check engine light due to an emissions test, luckily it didn't burn down the car first. I have fixed at least a dozen of these problems on Benz's in the shop after a car got towed in from the stereo shop.
What is the cause of white smoke from the exhaust and fuel smell?
White smoke and the smell of raw gas out the exhaust. Is a definite sign of running rich.Condensation well mostly disappear. Along with not having the smell of gas vapors. Once the engine reaches operating temp.Are there any check engine lights displaying. From the ECU/PMC throwing a error code. Causing the engine to run limp mode?When was the last time the fuel pressure was checked? Too much will extra gas, pass through the injectors. Much like changing the Injector Pulse Width MAP.A hanging injector will mostly likely cause cylinder(s) to fill with gas. Depending on what intake valves are open, along with intake manifold. The fuel system stays pressurized, even tho fuel pump is shut off. Allowing the pressure to bleed off through the injector(s). By keeping the system under pressure. Allows for quicker starts. Because there is no lag, while the fuel pump rebuilds the lost pressure.Running that rich can/will cause the oil film. On the cylinder walls, getting washed off leading to scuffing.I could see the white smoke, smell the gas. When adjusting fuel pressure on my super charged CRX Sir, may it R.I.P....