Car problems? Ask a guy who's been working on cars since the age of 12 anything!

[Fanatik]

Hey brosef

If I start my car and start driving right away without warming up it feels like the car kinda jerks when switching from 1st gear to second (automatic), and If I keep driving the car will start shaking and stall. However, if I start the car and let it warm up for 5 min everything works fine.

its a 99 maxima btw...


any ideas what it could be?

thx in advance

[Tyrbolift]

Hey brosef

If I start my car and start driving right away without warming up it feels like the car kinda jerks when switching from 1st gear to second (automatic), and If I keep driving the car will start shaking and stall. However, if I start the car and let it warm up for 5 min everything works fine.

its a 99 maxima btw...


any ideas what it could be?

thx in advance

Check all your little vacuum hoses and make sure they are tight and not cracked. That's the first thing I'd do, since it is a free or extremely cheap fix.

[Sunillin]

Alright thanks bro, does it have to be white grease or can i use anything else?

just stick with white grease bro. You can use wd-40 aswell but that stuff deteriorates too fast... more than likely your window regulator is done though.

I have a similar problem with my 2000 Corolla. I just had the struts and mounts replaced (not the springs) and I've had the same creaking noise since long before I changed them. Also had my rear end links replaced. I know my front end links are shot, but the noise seems to be coming from all directions. Don't know what's going on with my suspension that could be making this noise.

Its a process of trial and error man, If you know your links are shot, than get those fixed first and go down the list haha.

Nope, the clicking is consistent when I'm driving. I can only hear it when I roll the window down though. $90-120..not bad, but is that just for boots + grease ?

And will do haha at first I was thinking of driving the fuk out of the car but I've wisened up because I see the potential for how long it could last. If it was a domestic car I'd prob drive the fuk outta it.

hmm doubt its just the boots causing the clicking though, Get your front end looked at, and your calipers aswell.. sometimes if they are loose of have play it will cause weird ass noises to come. Get a second opinion from another shop, and have them look at your entire front end.

yeah it seems to be leaking i put it in and then it empties out really fast, theres been lately a weird smell like burned rubber... but yeah i guess ill take it in or maybe my buddy will take a look at it before hand... car repair ppl charge alot of cash for things lol

haha yea its a good trade to be in but bro, if it leaks out as fast as you say, please for the love of god dont drive it haha. Spend the 200 now and get it fixed... else you will be paying over 1000 to have your head gasket replaced

[Sunillin]

god if a miscer could actually help me lol...


I have a 2002 F150 with the 4.2l and a 5spd @ 100k

It seems that it has developed its first problem. SOMETIMES upon startup the truck will sputter for 1 to 5 seconds and then die.

-Applying throttle has 0 effect. It doesnt rev the engine or kill it.
-It does this only after its sat a while (maybe an hour+)
-There are NO codes in its memory
- If I keep starting and letting it die it will all of a sudden spring to life and run like a clock
-after it works itself out, it idles perfectly
-There are no security icons on the dash and neither of my car keys has an effect



Any ideas on what this could be? Especially since throttle input has no effect? I keep thinking it is ignition related

Hey buddy, hope you check back in this thread... I had to talk to my pops about this one (he is my teacher after all)

He was hunching at a vacuum leak.. which makes sense now that I think of it. You are saying after a few failed tries it would finally get going... thats because when your car heats up, the metal, rubber everything expands. potentially filling the void of the leak... but once it cools down again (like you were saying after a hour of parking it) it causes the problem again.

Hope that helps brah!

[Sunillin]

Hey brosef

If I start my car and start driving right away without warming up it feels like the car kinda jerks when switching from 1st gear to second (automatic), and If I keep driving the car will start shaking and stall. However, if I start the car and let it warm up for 5 min everything works fine.

its a 99 maxima btw...


any ideas what it could be?

thx in advance

Check all your little vacuum hoses and make sure they are tight and not cracked. That's the first thing I'd do, since it is a free or extremely cheap fix.

smart bro is smart haha. check the vacuums first, but from what you are explaining, the hard shift from 1st to 2nd sounds like a tranny issue... speciffically the torque converter.

Put your car in park and check the transmission fluid, if its low get some oil in there.


The torque converter is what controls the shifts of the vehicle, and one of the key things is the tranny fluid thats flowing in and around it.

[Behemoth93]

What would you recommend as a best first car for a teen?
Something cheap in the 5k range


and also what alternatives do i have to do about peeling paint? moms car that i might get is peeling in some spots what can i do to it?

[Sunillin]

What would you recommend as a best first car for a teen?
Something cheap in the 5k range


and also what alternatives do i have to do about peeling paint? moms car that i might get is peeling in some spots what can i do to it?

5k is a great price range... id go and say things like a 300z or older rx7... but being a student, we need to think reliable, and good on gas, cheap to fix, and Slightly attractive. (gotta get dem highschool bitches)

So for that reason, I'm gonna recommend, a 97-2000 honda civic coupe.

also nothing you can do about the peeling paint, but take a 150 grit sand paper, sand out the edges and prime the areas lol.

[Fanatik]

smart bro is smart haha. check the vacuums first, but from what you are explaining, the hard shift from 1st to 2nd sounds like a tranny issue... speciffically the torque converter.

Put your car in park and check the transmission fluid, if its low get some oil in there.


The torque converter is what controls the shifts of the vehicle, and one of the key things is the tranny fluid thats flowing in and around it.

I got no idea what voccums hoses are

I took the car to repair shop and the guy said they have to switch some belt which is responsible for lower speeds or gear. He changed it, the problem stopped for 3 months and then came back in the winter...

I took it to him again and he said that the car is very old etc... and he doesn't know wtf is wrong with it.

I also paid for full tuneup so I hope they checked the hoses and fluids..

just hoping the car lasts for 1 more year until I graduate and get my m3 ))

[Sunillin]

P.s Thanks for all the reps guys! It's making me wanna help everyone out more... glad to know its appreciated!

[Ace Thedics]

I smashed up my 2007 Camry and after repairs (mostly new front, frame, engine, others) the car vibrates like HELL. Everything, dash etc. What's the deal?

[Fanatik]

I smashed up my 2007 Camry and after repairs (mostly new front, frame, engine, others) the car vibrates like HELL. Everything, dash etc. What's the deal?

o I had that

had to change the big ass fan which was vibrating my entire car

[Ace Thedics]

o I had that

had to change the big ass fan which was vibrating my entire car

Srs? It's just that? Is it an issue of it being lose and wobbly or does it need to be completely changed? It's about 2 months old

[Sunillin]

I smashed up my 2007 Camry and after repairs (mostly new front, frame, engine, others) the car vibrates like HELL. Everything, dash etc. What's the deal?

taking it you smashed it pretty hard... its never gonna be the same again man sorry to say.

You rattled a **** load of things loose (especially the dash), so its almost inevitable... though Details on when it rattles would help.

My old honda used to rattle a **** load... turns out the fuel injectors were dirty... doubt thats your problem though

sometimes it could be something as simple as the frame not being 100% to spec

[Tyrbolift]

I got no idea what voccums hoses are

I took the car to repair shop and the guy said they have to switch some belt which is responsible for lower speeds or gear. He changed it, the problem stopped for 3 months and then came back in the winter...

I took it to him again and he said that the car is very old etc... and he doesn't know wtf is wrong with it.

I also paid for full tuneup so I hope they checked the hoses and fluids..

just hoping the car lasts for 1 more year until I graduate and get my m3 ))

They are tiny thin black hoses about as thick as say a cable tv cord. They run all kinds of things, from power brakes to sensors to computers. If one or more leaks, your engine can't create the proper vacuum needed to pull in gas and air, so it stalls and demands high revs to work.

[Sunillin]

They are tiny thin black hoses about as thick as say a cable tv cord. They run all kinds of things, from power brakes to sensors to computers. If one or more leaks, your engine can't create the proper vacuum needed to pull in gas and air, so it stalls and demands high revs to work.

hmm do you really think that would cause hard shifts though?

[Fanatik]

They are tiny thin black hoses about as thick as say a cable tv cord. They run all kinds of things, from power brakes to sensors to computers. If one or more leaks, your engine can't create the proper vacuum needed to pull in gas and air, so it stalls and demands high revs to work.

I see, but if I wait for 5 min or so after starting the car it fixes the problem. However, when its cold I have to sit in a car for like 15 min before I can drive and it wont jerk/stall.

I'm going to try and describe the shifting problem:
Basically I would lightly tap gas and the car would move, but it feels like the car has no power even if I press the gas hard. When it reached 10 or 15mph the car would jerk one time I guess into 2nd or 3rd gear and only after that it feels like the car has power to go above 60 etc..

I cant really explain it well because I know 0 about cars

[Ace Thedics]

taking it you smashed it pretty hard... its never gonna be the same again man sorry to say.

You rattled a **** load of things loose (especially the dash), so its almost inevitable... though Details on when it rattles would help.

My old honda used to rattle a **** load... turns out the fuel injectors were dirty... doubt thats your problem though

sometimes it could be something as simple as the frame not being 100% to spec

Damn...

The vibrating/rattling starts at idle sometimes (feels like the car is about to sputter and die) or when accelerating...at high rpms it's not noticeable

[Sunillin]

Damn...

The vibrating/rattling starts at idle sometimes (feels like the car is about to sputter and die) or when accelerating...at high rpms it's not noticeable

when you say they changed the engine. did they put a new one in? or a used one?

[AC33]

hey brah recently my tranny broke down and I got it replaced(automatic), anyways I've noticed lately whenever my cars idle(liked I'm stopped at a light), the rpms of the car will keep bouncing up and down between .5-1(thousands). Thing is I've never really payed attention to this before and I'm not sure if it's normal. Any idea if it's normal or not?

[Ace Thedics]

when you say they changed the engine. did they put a new one in? or a used one?

It was a used one with low miles

[styken]

This noise, what does it mean?

[Tyrbolift]

hmm do you really think that would cause hard shifts though?

It depends on what it uses to signal gear changes. Some cars use a vacuum signal, some use a simple throttle position signal. Some are more complicated.

On my older mopars, they use a throttle position sensor. If the vacuum is low, the engine requires a deeper accelerator pedal, and the tranny thinks you are accelerating hard, so it hangs in gear too long and then jerks when it shifts to second.

[Tyrbolift]

I see, but if I wait for 5 min or so after starting the car it fixes the problem. However, when its cold I have to sit in a car for like 15 min before I can drive and it wont jerk/stall.

I'm going to try and describe the shifting problem:
Basically I would lightly tap gas and the car would move, but it feels like the car has no power even if I press the gas hard. When it reached 10 or 15mph the car would jerk one time I guess into 2nd or 3rd gear and only after that it feels like the car has power to go above 60 etc..

I cant really explain it well because I know 0 about cars

minor vacuum leaks are the worst when cold. Sometimes when a car heats up it overcomes the minor deficiency.

So no engine lights come on at all?

[drifterxs12]

I've always liked the SH's. Easily tuneable, the H22a4 (i think thats what it has) is a very sturdy engine... pushes about 205 i believe. Only downfall to these cars, is they are considerably heavy for the amount of horsepower they push out... but nothing a twin turbo setup cant fix!

Twin Turbo a 4 cylinder? Why?

[Fanatik]

minor vacuum leaks are the worst when cold. Sometimes when a car heats up it overcomes the minor deficiency.

So no engine lights come on at all?

only if I start driving right away and car keeps jerking in between lower gears for a while, and then entire car starts to vibrate like crazy and stall. After the car stall all lights come up, and I have to turn it off/on and wait 5-10 min.

[Tyrbolift]

only if I start driving right away and car keeps jerking in between lower gears for a while, and then entire car starts to vibrate like crazy and stall. After the car stall all lights come up, and I have to turn it off/on and wait 5-10 min.

is this car originally from where you live, or possibly another state?

[JohnnyChristian]

how expensive is a rear diff on a bmw 328ci 2000

[Tyrbolift]

how expensive is a rear diff on a bmw 328ci 2000

google 2000 bmw 328 differential new

and 2000 bmw 328 differential used

[Fowles]

? whats the question? and what kind of car

91 240 sx... the question is what is the problem?

[She-Devil]

So this is completely serious (I know it sounds ridiculous).

I got the breaks on my car fixed about 8 weeks ago. Afterwards I started noticing that when the A/C has outside air coming in, and I accelerate, the whole car starts smelling like yogurt. I asked my mechanic about it and he said he's never heard of anything like this, but his guess is that something is rotting on the engine, since yogurt is essentially bacteria. He didn't inspect the car and I don't physically see anything wrong with it.

It definitely has something to do with the A/C, not exhaust or radiator fluid (as my friends suggested). Best guess is maybe somebody spilled food/coffee on it.

1. Ever heard of anything like this?
2. How do I make it go away? lulz