Category: Car repair

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Replacing the motor mounts on a 2000 VW Passat

Shortly after I started routinely driving my new 2000 Passat, it was making a horrid, unnerving thumping sound. At first I thought it was a CV axle but after putting it on my best friend’s hydraulic lift the axles appeared to be fine.  I then had it inspected by a VW mechanic and was told that the front (snub mount) and two side motor mounts were bad.   I had him change the front one after reading that it involved removing the front bumper and radiator support.  I decided to do the other two myself.

 
I began by searching for a reasonable price for the mounts since the mechanic was going to charge me $310 parts and labor.  Most places wanted over $100 each.  I finally found a place (am-autoparts) where I could get both for under $100. It turns out the place I purchased them from I had purchased a heated mirror for my dad’s Ford F-350 which he has been pleased with even after two years.  The motor mounts arrived three days later.
 
To begin, I raised the car. I supported the engine using a screw jack. I used a block of wood to protect the aluminum oil pan. Next, I removed the sway bar from the frame. I left the end links attached and just swung the bar down out of the way.  The sway bar is held by four nuts with 13mm hex.
 
Next I removed the driver’s side mounting tab from the sub frame.   This is a triangular aluminum part held to he sub frame by three long bolts with 18mm heads. One bolt is longer than the others so keep up with where it goes.  Removing these bolts allowed the subframe to separate slightly from the car body due to the way I had the car jacked up. But not so much that the bolts could not be put back. I just felt it was better to do only one side at a time.
 
 
With the mount out of the way, there was just enough room to reach the top mounting bolt of the mount with a stubby 13mm wrench.  It took a lot of patience to get the nut off the top as there was limited space to turn the nut and the locking compound kept it form spinning with just fingers.
 
With the mount off the engine it was obvious that the rubber was broken allowing the engine to lift under load.   I placed the new mount in position taking care to align the locating tabs in the slot of the mounting surface.  It was tedious to get the nut run down far enough to get the tabs to stay in place so it could be worked with just one hand.
 
Once the upper nut was tight, I placed the lower bracket in place stating the longest bolt first. I made sure all three bots were started and the lower stud of the mount was centered before tightening them down.
 
I then moved to the passenger side.  Again I dropped the aluminum mount and made room to access the top of the motor mount. There seems to be slightly more room to reach in on this side. But it still took many shorts turns of the wrench to get the nut off.  I installed the new mount the same as before. I then replaced the aluminum mounting bracket.
 
When I swung the sway bar back into position, it did not want to line up at first.  It took some pushing and shoving before the brackets slipped back over the mounting studs. Once it was in position, I tightened the four nuts and was done.
 
The motor feels much more connected to the car now. Acceleration is smoother and the shifting has improved.
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10 Reasons to Consider Having Your Own Hydraulic Lift

Until I started working on my own vehicles I thought it was a frivolous thing for an individual to have their own hydraulic lift. After using my best friends time and time again it is amazing the time and money you save by having your own lift:

1) Having your own lift means you can change your own oil and save $$$. Imagine saving at least $10 each time you change your oil and not having to wait in line!

2) Rotate your own tires

3) Make repairs standing up instead of laying on the ground

4) Having a lift can be safer than having your vehicle on mere jack stands. Every so often there is a story in the news where a car on jack stands has slipped off, pinning a person underneath.

5) Work on your brakes standing up instead of kneeling or sitting down on the ground

6) Change your own shocks or struts

7) You can freely inspect the under carriage

8) Save your back instead of hunching over on cars. My best friend recently had to work on his 91 Eagle Talon and having it on the lift he said saved him from bending over and his back becoming stiff. He was able to lift the car to a comfortable level.

9) Do maintenance on your transmission: change the fluid and/or the filter standing up

10) Watch how components are working. Every once in awhile one of our vehicles may have an issue (popping noise, clanking metal, something leaking, squeaking…) That may require one of us watching things move (or possibly not).

 

Ultimately a lift can save you time not having to go to the mechanic shop and wait until a bay becomes available and/or having to pay a shop to look at your vehicle or change your oil, transmission fluid, or differential gear oil. You can rotate your own tires, work on brakes at eye level too. There are some drawbacks to having one such as routine maintenance, making sure components are lubricated, you have to have a building big enough to set one up; putting it together, family and friends taking advantage of you because you have a lift; people treating you like a mechanic shop. With some cars it requires you to get on your knees to position the arms and pads in the correct location; sometimes you have to change out the adapters, depending on the height of the vehicle. On occasion we have helped family and friends do work on their transmission (like replacing it), changing out the transfer case or replacing a fuel pump. Just today my best friend changed out my broken motor mounts on my 2000 VW Passat and claimed it was just as easy as replacing them in our Jeep Cherokees. He says it was easy thanks in part to having the lift.

Overall though, you can work on your own vehicle anytime, take a break anytime you want. Having a lift allows you to get to know your vehicle. The hydraulic lifts really are not that expensive, my best friend’s dad got his at harbor freight about eight years ago for a very reasonable price. With all the vehicle repairs and maintenance we have done using the lift, it has paid for it self over and over again .

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How to Save Money on Car Repairs

One of the first things I wanted to do at 16 was learn as much as I could about car maintenance and how to do the basic things: check the oil, change the oil, flush the radiator, change a tire…etc. When I started to have common issues with my first car (fuel pump quitting, starter dying, timing belt going) the cost of those repairs really ate at me.

After dealing with mechanics who took advantage of me and gouged me with costly repairs I made a vow to myself I would find a vehicle I could do most of the maintenance and repairs myself. Five years ago I bought a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport off Ebay. My best friend aka the Jeep Guru has helped guide me through a lot of the repairs I have done.

Last Fall I ended up with the project of a lifetime: rebuild my mom’s 1993 Jeep Cherokee Country that had a fire in the engine compartment. While the engine was not injured in the fire, most of the damage was on the drivers side that included the air box, computer, brake booster & cylinder, radiator, intake manifold, valve cover, power steering pump and the steering box.  My mom wanted the Jeep to be salvaged and I wanted that and her to save money in the process.

We used donor Jeep parts from an XJ we have from a friend, parts from an XJ that was at my brother’s work in TX, An XJ off roading friend from KY, Ebay, new parts from O’Reilly Auto, Advance Auto and Crown Automotive, which we are a dealer of. I spent a great deal of time writing an entire list of the parts needed to complete the project as well as doing price research.

If you would like to save money on repairs:

1) Find out if your automobile has a forum- there are plenty of forums out there for Jeep Cherokee’s (XJ’s). I found forums for my recently acquired 2000 VW Passat GLS, before I purchased the car off Ebay. I was able to learn about many of the common issues, how to take care of them myself as well as save a lot of money.

2) If you can buy used parts and save money go that route. Some parts are not meant to be purchased used and often times you will learn this through the forums. Most parts though you should be able to find at a junk yard, Ebay or through the forums through trades or purchases with transactions through PayPal.

3)Buy a service manual. Most auto parts stores sell service manuals whether they are Haynes or Chilton. Some book stores that sell new or used may have them as well. If all else fails, then definitely google and some forums may have a PDF version of a service manual for your vehicle. Many times Ebay may have sellers who have CD’s or downloads (just review feedback before making a transaction). Learn as much as you can about your vehicle and repairs.

4) If you feel comfortable working on your own vehicle or you know someone who would be willing to assist you or help do the work then go for it. If not then ask your mechanic if they are will to put on a part that you purchased.

5) Ask your mechanic if you can get a discount if you pay cash for repairs. I recently had to have a snub motor mount put on my car. Because I paid in cash, the mechanic knocked off $23! Before you go to pick up your vehicle make sure you ask.

6) Do NOT let family or friends deter you about your vehicle and repairs. Just because certain vehicles have a reputation does not mean they are lemons or jalopies. Go get involved in a forum about your vehicle, learn from the owners! They are the ones who will reassure you on things that most people would panic over. They are the ones who will direct you to places to purchase parts at reasonable costs, how to make repairs yourself and much more.

7) Find out if your forum has people in your area who work on vehicles like yours. Some forums will have a list of people with similar vehicles who work on the vehicles themselves for reasonable costs.

8) Check engine light is on? Don’t panic, take your vehicle to AutoZone where they will check the codes and print them out for you. Google check engine light codes for your vehicle OR if you are involved in a forum check and see if they have all the info for you. Often times they will.

 

I can recall so many times I have had family and friends question me on having my Jeep and now on my VW Passat, including my brother who is an ASE certified mechanic. What they fail to understand is how much dedication I have put in to learning all I can about my vehicles. I spend countless hours doing research, asking questions on forums and learning about similar issues that others have experienced. This has helped me from feeling unnecessary panic when something goes awry.

Before I purchased my Passat, I was aware that the ABS light was on. Now many people would go into absolute panic if that light was on in their vehicle. Because I had previously assisted a friend in repairing their vehicle that had a similar issue, I knew it was not a big deal. The forum had plenty of discussion on this issue and most would tell you it is NOT a big deal. In fact, many of them recommended a specific person who had rebuilt their ABS modules for a huge fraction of what a professional mechanic shop would charge to replace it with a new one that would in time fail just as the original one has!!! Why pay $600, $700, $800 or even $1,000 to have a new ABS module installed with the same issue as the original? What would it be like to pay someone who was fed up with the company who builds most of the ABS modules for  millions of automobiles to just rebuild and make your ABS module stronger for a mere $100??? Check out http://www.cheapabs.com/ if you are serious about saving money.

Recently my CEL (Check Engine Light) came on in my VW.  Thanks to spending time on the PassatWorld.com forum, I learned that as long as the CEL was not flashing it was not anything serious. And when I had the codes pulled at AutoZone, I learned they were very minor codes. In fact, they were extremely common, very minor ones.

 

Do your research and do not leave it up to others to do it for you. Know your vehicle so you are not the one taken advantage of. Be aware of what the parts cost and learn how long it truly takes to do a repair so you are not taken by others. Learning as much as you can will save you money, time and your sanity in the long run.

 

 

 

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Jeep Keeps Cutting Out and I’ve Changed Everything

Nothing is more unnerving than driving a vehicle down the road, you hit a bump and bam it cuts out on you for an instant. You are in town and at a traffic light, as soon as it turns green you let off the brake and bam it dies on you.

Most people would tell you to change the crankshaft position sensor–been there and done that. Doesn’t help.

Change the Cam shaft position sensor–also did that and no it didn’t make it better

Change out the Throttle Position Sensor–Did that and no change

Did a complete tune up with new spark plugs, wires, distributor cap–Even checked, checked and rechecked with no improvements.

 

By this time major *SIGH*

 

What else do I check???

Checked over all the wires for any cuts or frays–all are fine.

Cleaned up the ECM-Like three times and still no change

Cleaned the throttle body-Enough to make it so clean you could eat off of it (well, not really).

 

At this point I’m about to just tear the whole engine compartment apart, clean everything up, re connect wires and sensors. Until…

 

I was sitting at my local community college after my evening class talking to my mom on the phone. I had just turned the key but not started it. A few minutes later as I was getting ready to hang up I just happen to notice the light on my radio display mysteriously came back on. Ok?

So I call my boyfriend and explain to him what just happened. He says I may have just solved the problem 🙂

The following weekend I take it out to my boyfriends house to look over everything. He decides to get in while I’m not paying attention and proceeds to wiggle the key in the ignition. BAM! He kills it. Tries it again and does the same thing.

Never in a million years would I have guessed after doing a hundred million common fixes would it be the ignition switch.

Found the problem…after I’ve nearly made my Jeep new again *SIGH*

 

I can laugh about it now though 😀

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SAAB power steering hose replacement

SAAB power steering hose replacement

Last week I had a SAAB 9000 in the shop for a severely leaking power steering hose. The amount of oil it was putting on the exhaust system was scaring me. The pressure hose had aneurisms all along it. Even the return hose was leaking some.

The owner had put off replacing the hose for two reasons. 1) There was no source for new replacement hoses and 2) the hoses are really hard to get to.

He recently found both hoses on a donor car at the Pull A part yard and removed them. The transmission was out of the donor car making them more accessible in the junk yard.

Like many pressure hoses, the end at the pump is 5/8 and the end at the steering box is 18mm. The return hose is 5/8 at the box and a hose clamp at the reservoir.

We reached the hose by lifting the car and removing the front wheels. The hose end are easy to see through the wheel wells but still difficult to access. I used a crow foot line breaking wrench to break loose the hose ends and then used an open end wrench to take the out the rest of the way, The limited access meant flipping the wrench for each turn.

The hardest part of the job was removing the torx bolt that held the center line clamp. It was a T20. It is in a bit of an angle and impossible to see and reach at the same time. Once the clamp was loose we fed the old line out through the driver side wheel well. We then fished in the replacement lines and reconnect the ends. We then reconnected the center clamp.

I would have preferred to replace the O rings on the ends but we did not have spares and the old ones looked good. They sealed fine.

It was nice for my friend to visit the shop without leaving a pool of fluid. And the lack of scary smoke each time he stopped was a nice bonus as well.