Summary: Jeep Grand Cherokee’s with dual zone have a common problem of blend doors breaking at the point of actuator engagement. Vehicles affected are 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees. The automatic temperature control can be affected on the driver or passenger side, making the temp control inoperable. Until recently the refrigerant had to be discharged and the dash removed for repair. Now with a WJ blend door repair kit # K6855685AB, from Mopar/Chrysler/Fiat the repair can be done in the vehicle by even modestly experienced individuals. The kit includes an aluminum door door, a plastic door, a spindle, grease and patch material for resealing the evaporator case after repair. PDF Jeep instructions provided in this car repair article. 

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Common transmission leak on many Chrysler products is the electrical plug housing.

Summary: A common Chrysler products, transmission fluid leak which affects many models including Jeep Grand Cherokees is covered here. The leak can easily be mis-diagnosed as a leaky pan gasket. A lot of unsuspecting consumers may end up spending a thousand dollars or more to rebuild a transmission with a leak like this. There’s no recall at this time from Chrysler, perhaps there should be, with such a widespread problem. The good news is that this auto repair blog describes the source of the problem and how to repair. A simple repair process to stop the leak for the cost of around ten dollars. Even a do-it yourself-er and can save possibly thousands of dollars from having a mis-diagnosed leak repaired by a transmission rebuild. The vehicle that the transmission leak occurred in, in this case was a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.7L, GAS, Vin K, Eng Cfg V6. 

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Summary: A common problem is when both turn signals and hazard lights go out at same time, on a VW New Beetle. The next question - Where is the flasher located?Many cars have seperate flashers, one for the turn signals and one for the hazard lights. A good reason for separate flashers is that both are unlikely to fail at the same time and a driver in an emergency situation would be able to turn on some flashing lights to alert other drivers. VW, was unable to grasp this idea so they designed a dual purpose flasher relay - when it fails, the turn signals and hazards will NOT work. The turn signal and hazard flasher relay is integrated into the hazard flasher switch. When the relay fails it will cause both the turn signals and the hazard lights to stop working. The unit is replaced as an assembly, see the picture below.

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Summary: Due partially to the economy with people finding it harder to get financing, demand is down for new and used cars. Right now some great deals on slightly used cars can be picked up, even at the new car dealers.  This 5.3 V-8 2007 Impala SS loaded with 40,000 miles was picked up at a great price ($14,500) at Gordon Chevrolet in Tampa Florida. The leather was a little worn and honestly a little plain – too much grey was used on the interior. By getting this car at a great price, we budgeted enough money to snazz up the interior a bit. That’s where our local upholstery shop comes in. Cimo & Cimo’s Upholstery shop has a location in Tampa Florida, they will reupholster just about anything, from hot rods to yachts. Installing window film is a large part of their business too. Who in Florida would invest in a new leather interior for their car and not shade it from the sun? This article has before and after pictures of the plain grey and the two tone leather after it was installed.

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The Robinair AC Machine is one of the most popular units for car air conditioning service.

Summary: In this auto repair article we discuss the reasons why a car’s air conditioning system may leak water inside the vehicle. Sometimes the fix is simple and other times the repair can be much more labor intensive. As an automotive technician that’s worked over 25 years in Florida, I’ve dealt with this problem many times on different models. If leaks aren’t fixed quickly, the carpet and padding underneath can become a breeding ground for mildew and harmful bacteria. People with certain allergies can be affected the most.

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Summary: This auto repair article covers the common problem of ”the key being stuck in the ignition.” The shift interlock system is usually the cause of the key being stuck in the ignition lock. We do a general overview of this problem as it is related to a wide range of vehicles and have a specific vehicle, a 2006 Jeep Liberty that has the problem too. As with all vehicle systems, it’s best to have an understanding of how the system works to be able to diagnose the problem properly.

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Summary: In this article we cover the Smart car and how it was named. The Smart car obviously gets great gas mileage, however with it’s miniature size how does it hold up in a crash? The Crash test video shown in this article helps to reveal how it measures up when it’s involved in a collision. Our exclusive pictures show how small the Smart car really is, we couldn’t resist the temptation to compare it with a golf cart.

 An interesting fact is how the Smart car was actually named. The Smart car was originally a project of the Swatchcompany (a Swiss watch maker). Prior to it’s final naming, Swatch approached GM and then VW for for possibly teaming up to produce then nicknamed Swatchmobile. GM and VW ended up declining the proposal to produce the Swatchmobile. Daimler-Benz and Swatch ended up coming to an agreement to produce the car. That’s when the name “Smart” was created as an acronym from Swatch Mercedes (SM) ART.

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Summary: In this article we point out a common problem with Nissan automobiles equipped with the 3.5 Liter engine that causes engine tapping noises typically on cold start up. The engine has variable timing cam sprockets, three timing chains, three tensioners and three guides. Vehicles subject to similar issues may include Nissan Altima, Maxima, Murano, 350Z, Infiniti G35, G37, EX, FX, M series and QX4. 

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Wiring can cause door lock problems, switches and actuators are more common

There are several things that can cause the power door locks not to work properly. The most common cause of a single door lock not to work, is a bad door lock actuator (also called a door lock solenoid). Another common problem or cause of door locks not working is simply a bad door lock switch. Many cars today have computers that are also in the loop when it comes to controlling the door locks. Fortunately, body computer systems are pretty dependable and give problems seldomly. It seems as though the most troublesome vehicles regarding door locks related to computer control issues, are Chrysler’s; Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country vans sometimes have BUS related issues (BUS means “a collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one computer to another”)… but this is still rare. Ford Explorers also have a few BUS issues that can be related to door lock security module, or wiring shorting out that goes from the door into the body. Usually when checked with a scan tool in the body control or security section, there will be a code indicating if there’s a BUS fault.

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