What are the symptoms of a bad transmission speed sensor?
On some vehicles, there are sensors that function specifically for certain parts of the vehicle. Sometimes a bad speed sensor will mess up the function of the ABS brakes (causing them to overreact or not kick in at all, which usually creates a light on the dash), other times it can cause erratic speedometer readings and/or (for auto transmissions) cause inconsistent shifts and it shifting completely out of gear into neutral at random. Some vehicles it will do all of these things at once, but you should get a CEL (check engine light) or ABS light to show up on the dash if one of these things are becoming problematic enough to cause issues.
Why does my car jerk slightly when shifting into reverse?
all automatics do this. Regardless of gear the magnitude, the jerk is a function of drivetrain and suspension slop, clutch pressure and condition, clutch engagement setting, transmission fluid properties, idle speed.If the jerk is extreme and changes engine RPM by more than 100RPM, you certainly have a problem. beware, it’s easy to get either ripped off or spend heavily. Start by checking idle speed, then inspecting/changing fluid, then inspecting suspension. then check the transmission and drivetrain for slop, wear, damage, starting at a driveshaft shop.Your low mileage car could suffer from the hands of an abusive and jerky driver, a driver who spent long hours shearing transmission fluid stopped in traffic, or a transmission defect.Without mechanical service, you can reduce the jerk by not stepping on the brake as you change gears, and shifting to neutral every time you must idle for more than 20 seconds.
Is it normal for a car engine to move back and forth while changing gears?
Its ‘normal-ish’ to move a bit, not so normal if it moves a lot. Almost all, if not all of a car’s drivetrain (engine, transmission, rear differential) is actually sitting on mounts that usually have a flexible (rubber) component to them that absorbs shock in the drivetrain (from shifting etc). These mounts can be ‘motor mounts’, ‘transmission mounts’ and even differential mounts (or bushings). Since they are flexible, they do normally move a bit. With age, mounts get old, compressed and less flexible, or can break completely. Due to supporting the weight of the engine, motor mounts are more prone to wear/breaking over time.Generally speaking the mounts themselves are quite inexpensive, but the work involved in replacing them can be time consuming/difficult. I replaced the transmission mount on my car recently, which was easier than I expected, but the motor mounts would have been considerably more difficult for me to do by myself.
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.
How much does it cost to replace a torque converter?
More, probably, than you think it should. The torque converter itself is relatively inexpensive, but the labor is extensive; either the engine or the transmission (or both) needs to be completely removed from the vehicle to get that job done. The job is far less expensive for a rear-wheel-drive vehicle than for front-wheel-drive or four-wheel drive because the transmission can relatively easily be removed far enough to replace the torque converter while the vehicle is on a split four-point lift or up on jack stands.There's also one hidden cost: If the torque converter gets replaced, then the entire transmission and its cooler should be thoroughly flushed and the filter replaced.As long as the transmission is out, it may well be worth doing to rebuild it at the same time; this saves on removal / reinstallation labor costs. If the torque converter has failed, the transmission itself is probably nearly due for a rebuild anyway.
I have a GMC envoy. Lately as I drive it it makes a loud humming sound - not while ideling, only as driving.?
The noise needs to be isolated the front or rear, that could help diagnose. These vehicles are somewhat common to have a front hub bearing go bad. If the noise goes away or is reduced by turning slightly in either direction while driving that is a great indication of the bearing.
What are some of the things that can happen if I keep driving my car with a broken tie rod?
Tie rods have an adjustment that keeps your tires in alignment. They also provide the link between your steering wheel and the front tires. You turn the wheel, the tire rod pushes the tires left and right.Worn tie rods can cause shaky front wheels, misaligned front tires, imprecise steering, excessively worn tires. A broken tie rod would allow one tire to flop to the side causing instant loss of steering and a crash if you are going fast enough.A least, you will be wearing out your tires much faster than you should. You will be replacing those tires sooner than later.At most, a worn tie rod could cause an accident because your steering isn’t accurate.If you are still driving your car, you don’t have a broken tie rod. You may have severely worn tie rods if your front tires are wearing unevenly (can be caused by a poor alignment as well), aligning the front end doesn’t fix your tire wear problem, or your steering wheel wobbles while you drive.They aren’t that expensive to replace and much less expensive than adding a new set of tires to that cost or an accident.