AOL Autos Repair Blog

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With over 27 years in the automotive industry and nearly a decade in automotive talk radio, Tom Torbjornsen makes learning about cars easy with his personal manner, his expert advice, and his high energy and entertaining style. Tom has the unique gift of simplifying the complex and tearing down the technical, meeting you at your level of understanding. You will be encouraged as you gain the confidence to deal with problems related to the second most expensive purchase you will make in a lifetime - your automobile.

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Bad Oxygen Sensor on Camaro

Q: I own a 2001 Z28 Camaro and in June of last year I had the same problem -- the check engine light came on and I had to replace an oxygen sensor. My check engine light is on again so I took the car to the dealer and they told me it was the oxygen sensor and air pump, which cost $814.00 to replace. With 67,000 miles is it worth it to fix again? I didn't have this problem the past six years, now its every year.

A: The air pump keeps fresh air flowing to the exhaust system, this is critical to the catalytic converters because without this fresh airflow, the "cats" will overheat, resulting in internal clogging and burning of catalyst baffles. Plus, when you leave a faulty O2 sensor in the engine, it causes fuel delivery malfunction. Finally, if your state has emissions laws, you won't pass state emissions inspection. I recommend you get it fixed.

They Won't Change My Transmission Fluid

Q: I have a 1996 Toyota Camry with 133,000 miles on it. The local Toyota dealer says that it's way overdue for a transmission flush. But when I go to local quick lube shops they all refuse to do it because of the mileage on the vehicle. The transmission operates perfectly now, but the transmission fluid is not red, its a pretty dark brown. Is it wise to have a dealer do the work and risk having trouble after the job or just keep going and hope for the best?

A: The answer to this question is a tough one to arrive at. On high mileage transmissions, fluid change is a crap shoot because one has no way of knowing the extent of internal wear. When the old fluid gets burnt and worn out, the transmission experiences excessive internal wear, this causes the unit to heat up, heat causes the glue on the clutches to become brittle and to crystallize. When new fluid is introduced into the unit the high detergent aspect of the new fluid scrubs the old glue away from the back of the clutches rendering the transmission useless. Take it to the dealer, have them drop the pan to try to get a handle on the extent of internal wear then proceed from there.

Costly Air Conditioning Repair

Q: I have a 1993 Toyota Camry and my air -conditioning has gone on the brink I was told by my mechanic that it would cost around $2500 to repair it. I am a 70 year old woman who seems to get ripped off every time I need car repair work done. Does this figure seem about right? Looking forward to your reply. Thanks!

A: I recommend getting a second opinion, I have seen A/C repair run as high as that but you gave me no indication of what is being suggested as a repair. What are they doing for that money? Compressor replacement? Condenser replacement? Dryer? Evaporator core? Retro fit? You see there are many aspects to air conditioning repair, get a second opinion from a shop of high quality. If you're not sure where to find a shop, call AAA and ask for a shop that specializes in HVAC repairs.

Battery Drain

Q: "I replaced my car battery in my 2002 Saturn L300 in September 2007. I again replaced my car battery in April 2008. The technician told me that something is draining my battery. He told me that I will again need another new battery within 6 months if I don't find and repair the cause. I had the alternator checked and this is not the problem. Do you have any idea what is the cause of the drain on my battery."

A: Find a shop that specializes in electrical repair and have a parasitic electrical draw test performed. This is where the tech hooks a voltmeter to the battery and monitors voltage while eliminating one circuit at a time until the draw is found. Draws can happen from a faulty electrical component, shorted switch, or grounded hot wire. repairs of this nature are charged on a time and material basis. Good luck.

Air Bag Light is On, Should I Be Worried?

A question from one of our readers asks:

Q: "I have a '98 Z3 BMW. While city driving the air bag light came on. I ran the diagnostic and no codes came up. Is it dangerous to continue driving with light on? Would air bags deploy if necessary? The vehicle has never been in an accident to deploy the air bags. Is it absolutely necessary to take it an authorized BMW dealer for service or can it be checked out, somehow, at home? I have several mechanic connections and would prefer their expertise."

A: When the airbag is lit, the system is inactive. Should you get in a front end crash, the airbag/s will not deploy leaving you unprotected. I would call the dealer and ask them to run your vehicle's VIN through their system. It could be that there was a recall for the safety restraint system on your car in which case the repair will be free of charge to you. If there are no recalls and no warranty coverage for safety restraint systems, (sometimes there is extended coverage on such systems) then take it to a qualified shop if you're more comfortable with that. Just make sure before you go to the shop that they have the scan tool and software to tap into the safety restraint module for diagnostics. Usually a lit airbag can be attributed to faulty wiring, crash sensor behind the front bumper, bad connection between the airbag and lower part of the steering column, or a faulty airbag module. A qualified shop should be able to track this down for you. If you're not sure where to go to find such a shop, call AAA and ask them for a AAA Certified Repair Facility in your area that works on late model BMW's.

Another reader had a similar problem and inquired:

Continue reading Air Bag Light is On, Should I Be Worried?

How do ABS Brakes Actually Work?

ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) uses wheel speed sensors, a hydraulic control unit, and a computerized electronic control module, which is the "brain" of the system. When the brake pedal is applied, the electronic control module monitors the speed of the wheels through the wheel speed sensors. If the control module detects that one or more wheels are about to lock up, the module signals the hydraulic unit to control hydraulic pressure to that wheel or wheels. This varying of pressure is much like "pumping" the brake; only with the ABS system, the wheel that is locking up (causing a potential loss of control) is the only one being controlled, while the rest of the wheels are free to roll. This maximizes vehicle steerability.