Need tech help?

[Clueless]

Since this is what I do for a living, and I have access to most factory repair information, I thought it might be a cool idea to make a spot where you guys can get any repair info/advise that you may need.

 

Post up and i'll do my best to help.

[Leveller]

Great of you to offer.

 

My wife's ML is now out of warranty I've been picking up on a fair bit of the maintenance and repairs myself, (happy to say that other than for intermediate oil changes (I'm not a great believer in the recommended 15K miles between oil changes on a twin turbo car) and tires I'm sorting out myself, my BM is still under the 0 cost maintenance coverage and several years left on the warranty).

 

Have found Benzworld.org to be really useful (huge amount of documentation and a great DIY section, but not 100% comprehensive) and autohausaz.com for getting the larger parts at good prices.

 

I'll be very happy to have another resource I can turn to....

[Clueless]

Great of you to offer.

 

My wife's ML is now out of warranty I've been picking up on a fair bit of the maintenance and repairs myself, (happy to say that other than for intermediate oil changes (I'm not a great believer in the recommended 15K miles between oil changes on a twin turbo car) and tires I'm sorting out myself, my BM is still under the 0 cost maintenance coverage and several years left on the warranty).

 

Have found Benzworld.org to be really useful (huge amount of documentation and a great DIY section, but not 100% comprehensive) and autohausaz.com for getting the larger parts at good prices.

 

I'll be very happy to have another resource I can turn to....

One piece of advise that I could give you straight away...buy an extended warranty if you can afford it, a top tier one at that, one that covers electrics. A Mercedes has an uncanny way of taking HUGE chunks of cash out of your bank when they break. I have quite a few customers that won't own a Mercedes without one. One guy spent 3600 bucks on the warranty, and we did over $12,000 worth of repairs in a 4 year period...an investment that more than paid for itself.

[samurai nightling]

I don't own nor ever will own these fancy dangled cars you speak of like Mercedes or BMW's, but i do own one of those brand new 2010 Mazda 3's. My post is in this carz section if you wanna take a looky here. I was thinking of tinting the windows, any thoughts? Whats a decent price to pay for tinting? Also, is it ever worth it to put a cold air intake or ram air intake in the car or will my insurance go up?

[Clueless]

Well, tint prices vary alot, all I can tell you is that down here, a good job will run you about $225.00, but you'll have to check around. Ask around too, find out who does the best work.

 

As far as the intake stuff, won't affect insurance because they won't know, but it may affect your warranty, so check into it.

[Leveller]

One piece of advise that I could give you straight away...buy an extended warranty if you can afford it, a top tier one at that, one that covers electrics. A Mercedes has an uncanny way of taking HUGE chunks of cash out of your bank when they break. I have quite a few customers that won't own a Mercedes without one. One guy spent 3600 bucks on the warranty, and we did over $12,000 worth of repairs in a 4 year period...an investment that more than paid for itself.

 

The night before we drove to Dallas (empty house, no food, one car etc.) we were going out to get food and the air conditioner died, snapped belts and broke about two other pulleys on the front of the engine, fortunately it was still under warranty or it would have been about $1,400 of work.

 

I'm pleased to say that thus far it's been the only major issue we've had, I've recently replaced the CPS and the power-steering reservoir (couldn't make out if the leak was from the reservoir itself or the o-ring).

 

Fortunately the ML is paid for, so we have a "car fund" which I prefer over paying up front for a warranty, if I don't need it I'm just throwing money away in my mind and having an account set up for unexpected major repairs I can't do works a bit like an additional savings option.

[monthos]

I have read online, while searching about issues with my 2002 Mustang transmission, that people have had lot of issues, mostly cold (<40f) with the models of my car in that age range. I have had these issues as well, but since this is my first stick I did not know it was out of the ordinary. Until The whole drive train warms up I have to granny shift the hell out of it. I was wondering what I could do to alleviate this issue during the winter months, as I use it for a daily driver, as well as a recreational vehicle?

 

Also I get a slight noise in cold while in fifth on cold days, sounds like a VERY quiet slight buzzing noise, constant but random with quarter seconds pauses in between. It does not go away with the clutch in but does when I shift to neutral, even at speed.

[Clueless]

I'll research this tomorrow, search TSB's etc..

 

I haven't personally haven't experienced this issue, but i'll see what I can find.

[samurai nightling]

That issue reminded me of an issue i have with my 10 mazda3. It seems when its very cold out (20's) that the clutch feels like i am pushing it through pudding when shifting. It doesnt push in quickly like when its warm outside, and when i let go of the clutch really fast with my foot it doesn't just pop out quickly, but kinda has a resistance that lets it out slower than normal. This is my first stick shift and i just didnt know if that was normal or not.

 

EDIT* UPDATE Apparently after some googling i found that because it's a hydraulic clutch, it uses brake fluid, which when it gets very cold outside seems to thicken up or something of the sort. And I'm not the only 2010 mazda3 owner dealing with this issue. Am i right?

Edited February 1, 2010 by samurai nightling

[monthos]

Yeah the mustang is not hydraulic as far as I know. and its not dragging when I depress it or release. Just that I need to let the RPM's fall out of the powerband if I don't want to force it into gear. If I ride it aggresivly while cold second has to be manhandled and I have a good change of grinding third eventually until its warmed up, after its warm then its all gravy.

 

Honestly it reminds me more of a motorcycle gearbox more than anything which should not be case considering the synchro's and all. Double clutching can help but that may just be because by the time I do it the engine rpm has dropped enough to make it effortless?

 

Perhaps I just need to get a cold weather car and appreciate my baby for what it is?

[Clueless]

Found a Ford TSB about this problem. Affects 2001-2003 Mustang with the TR3650 5 speed transmission.

 

TSB 04-15-6

 

ISSUE

 

Some 2001-2003 Mustang vehicles, equipped with TR3650 5 speed manual transmission may exhibit a clash noise and/or raspy (rough) feel on gear engagement during 1-2 or 2-3 shifts. The transmission may also exhibit a jump-out from 2nd and/or 3rd gear. The condition may be more pronounced when the transmission is colder than 40 degrees F

 

ACTION

 

To service, install a Synchro Kit. The kit includes 2nd main shaft gear, 1-2 synchronizer assembly, 3rd main shaft gear, 3-4 synchronizer assembly, the 1-2 and 3-4 shift fork and rail assemblies, blocking rings and an oil fill level sticker. Add new transmission fluid and fill to the revised lower level. Refer to service procedure

 

Hope this helps...although it doesn't sound good

[monthos]

Hope this helps...although it doesn't sound good

 

One of the random posts I read talked about the 3650 transmission and said it might help to switch fluid types and fill to a lower level, so it makes sense. I plan on retiring this one eventually from daily service so I guess when I decide to mod it up a year or so later I might get into the transmission, could be fun I guess I will deal with it until that time or it blows up lol.

 

Do you do any of that kind of work, if I do ever tackle that, what special tools would I need? obviously source out the manuals I need would be first. I have done quite a few top end jobs on motorcycles and some truck clutch work but never cracked open a transmission. I would make it an extended project probably over a few weeks to few month span as my time fit. Or would you suggest leave it to the professionals(whats the fun?)

 

As I think about it more, it seems like filling to a lower level might just make it so the fluid warms quicker, making it less pronounced. What a way to hide the problem lol

[Unclean]

How cool of you to do this! Maybe you can find something about an issue I've been dealing with for a long time:

 

I have an 05 Acura TL, and I can hear a light grinding or scraping noise for as long as I hold down the accelerator. For the noise level, I can only hear it when the air conditioning/heat and the radio are off. It sounds like it's coming from the engine compartment, something closer to the front.

 

I've taken it into the dealership a few times, and they can never find the issue. Any ideas on what that may be?

[Clueless]

How cool of you to do this! Maybe you can find something about an issue I've been dealing with for a long time:

 

I have an 05 Acura TL, and I can hear a light grinding or scraping noise for as long as I hold down the accelerator. For the noise level, I can only hear it when the air conditioning/heat and the radio are off. It sounds like it's coming from the engine compartment, something closer to the front.

 

I've taken it into the dealership a few times, and they can never find the issue. Any ideas on what that may be?

 

Hmmm, sounds strange, that would be hard to figure out without seeing the car, I have never worked on one of those, so I have no first hand experience, a search of TSB's turned up the following, not quite the noise you described, but maybe worth looking at?

 

07-026

 

Pinging, Rattling, or Squealing During Light Acceleration

 

SYMPTOM

While driving under light acceleration, you hear an intermittent pinging, rattling, or squealing from the engine compartment. The noise can easily be mistaken for an engine ping or a spark knock. In some cases, the noise happens only during engine warm-up.

 

PROBABLE CAUSE

The intermediate shaft heat shield is loose in its mounting bushings.

 

CORRECTIVE ACTION

Replace the intermediate shaft heat shield and any specified nuts or gaskets.

 

Only other thing I could recommend would be to check the drive belt pulleys, as well as the accessory pulleys, like alternator etc. Remove the belt and spin each one, they all spin smoothly and make no noise. These are high failure parts, but should also make noise at idle, although if they are just starting to go bad, maybe they are making noise under a load while driving...it's possible.

 

It really either has to be something making noise from vibration, like the heatshield in the TSB for example, a bad bearing(like the pulleys), or something rubbing something else that's moving. Take your time and look things over and you may find it, if not, you may have to wait until it gets a bit worse and easier to pinpoint.