Quick Fixes
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Rear Hatch Wiper - Clean Sweep
The wiper may not do a very good job of clearing the rear hatch window. In fact it may only do half a job. You've replaced the blade, bent the arm and lubricated the spring, but to no avail. You are thinking the arm needs replacing and about the $ and work associated with installing a new arm.
Bring out the dental floss and floss the areas around the pinned connection (near the end of the spring). The adjacent surfaces there can bind some (friction) due to dirt and corrosion build up. A good flossing will clean that out and voila - a clean sweep by the wiper blade. Spray some lubricant (something heavier than WD-40) in that area and the wiper will work well for a long time.
These tools are handy - Dental Picks: 7 pc Coloured Dental Picks | Princess Auto
The wiper may not do a very good job of clearing the rear hatch window. In fact it may only do half a job. You've replaced the blade, bent the arm and lubricated the spring, but to no avail. You are thinking the arm needs replacing and about the $ and work associated with installing a new arm.
Bring out the dental floss and floss the areas around the pinned connection (near the end of the spring). The adjacent surfaces there can bind some (friction) due to dirt and corrosion build up. A good flossing will clean that out and voila - a clean sweep by the wiper blade. Spray some lubricant (something heavier than WD-40) in that area and the wiper will work well for a long time.
These tools are handy - Dental Picks: 7 pc Coloured Dental Picks | Princess Auto
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30,675 Posts
Rear Hatch Struts - Quiet As A Mouse
You open the rear hatch and a loud bang greets you just as you start to lift the hatch. New struts needed, you're thinking, that's a pretty bad noise.
Wait a minute. Clean the corroded area (half inch +/-) at the end of the rods to get rid of the rust and crud that has built up there. Sand the surface a little to smooth it. Add some lubricant. Also clean the area where the rod slides into the cylinder. Add lubricant there as well. Now put you ear real close and see if you hear even the slightest noise associated with the struts binding.
Use something heavier than WD-40 for the lubricant and the struts will be quiet for months. My favourite these days is Fluid Film which I use for rustproofing and lubrication. It hangs in there real well.
You open the rear hatch and a loud bang greets you just as you start to lift the hatch. New struts needed, you're thinking, that's a pretty bad noise.
Wait a minute. Clean the corroded area (half inch +/-) at the end of the rods to get rid of the rust and crud that has built up there. Sand the surface a little to smooth it. Add some lubricant. Also clean the area where the rod slides into the cylinder. Add lubricant there as well. Now put you ear real close and see if you hear even the slightest noise associated with the struts binding.
Use something heavier than WD-40 for the lubricant and the struts will be quiet for months. My favourite these days is Fluid Film which I use for rustproofing and lubrication. It hangs in there real well.
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30,675 Posts
Leaky Boots - Take Advantage Of The Hole
Leaky CV boots or ball joint boots? Use the hole to your advantage to install the proper lubricant on a regular basis, like with every oil change possibly. Or, in the case of the ball joint, one can also install a zerk and lubricate with every oil change.
Needle nose grease gun adapters are available at auto supply stores. Needle Nose Adapter: http://www.amazon.ca/Plews-05-025-Needle-Grease-Adapter/dp/B000CCIM1
When installing the lubricant, take note as to if any water is forced out. I've had a leaky ball joint boot for years. I lubricate it with every oil change (zerk). Never any water present. An experienced Mechanic told me this is totally effective as long as regular lubrication is done.
Leaky CV boots or ball joint boots? Use the hole to your advantage to install the proper lubricant on a regular basis, like with every oil change possibly. Or, in the case of the ball joint, one can also install a zerk and lubricate with every oil change.
Needle nose grease gun adapters are available at auto supply stores. Needle Nose Adapter: http://www.amazon.ca/Plews-05-025-Needle-Grease-Adapter/dp/B000CCIM1
When installing the lubricant, take note as to if any water is forced out. I've had a leaky ball joint boot for years. I lubricate it with every oil change (zerk). Never any water present. An experienced Mechanic told me this is totally effective as long as regular lubrication is done.
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30,675 Posts
Power Window Won't Work - Give It A Shock
Close/slam the door while pressing the window button at the same time. This should shock (jar) the motor (and other parts of the mechanism) enough to get it working, at least for the time being. This has worked for me and many, many others. Picked up that tip on this site actually.
Close/slam the door while pressing the window button at the same time. This should shock (jar) the motor (and other parts of the mechanism) enough to get it working, at least for the time being. This has worked for me and many, many others. Picked up that tip on this site actually.
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134 Posts
This is something that I have never heard of. Can you provide some pictures in steps? I am very mechanical and do 90% of all my own work from Lawn tractor to Car/Caravan and everything around my house, woodwork, plumbing, electrical, painting, you name it and I most likely have done it. I'm also 50 and have owned 2 houses since 93 and I'm a machinist , I was also a mechanic for a few years, Hotel Maintenance man and was a Cook in the Army.
Tip: Dipstick Binding in Tube
Problem:
If you have one of the newer plastic top with rubber o-ring dipsticks (engine oil indicator) then you've probably experienced the tight fit/binding/hard to remove and/or re-insert problems.
Cause:
The plastic starts swelling after being in contact with motor oil (and possibly other fluids) over the years.
Solution:
1. Pull the "stick" out (while you still can) and move to a workbench, carefully remove the O-ring and set it aside (in a secure place - don't loose it, it's there for a reason)
2. take some 220 grit sandpaper (using quality sandpaper helps keep abrasive loss/contamination to a minimum) and sand around the swollen plastic tip (the part where the metal ruler is inserted in the cap) Do not sand at/above the o-ring (not needed)
3. Thoroughly clean up all particles/residue from sanding process (alcohol will do just fine)
4. re-install the O-ring to the groove on the plastic top/handle, lube the O-ring with motor oil and replace the dipstick in the tube.
Mod Request:
can this thread be moved OR parsed/re-posted in "tech-tips" - seems to be more appropriate spot for the good info posted here..
Edit: maybe a link can be created either here or there to direct more eyes to this thread..
Problem:
If you have one of the newer plastic top with rubber o-ring dipsticks (engine oil indicator) then you've probably experienced the tight fit/binding/hard to remove and/or re-insert problems.
Cause:
The plastic starts swelling after being in contact with motor oil (and possibly other fluids) over the years.
Solution:
1. Pull the "stick" out (while you still can) and move to a workbench, carefully remove the O-ring and set it aside (in a secure place - don't loose it, it's there for a reason)
2. take some 220 grit sandpaper (using quality sandpaper helps keep abrasive loss/contamination to a minimum) and sand around the swollen plastic tip (the part where the metal ruler is inserted in the cap) Do not sand at/above the o-ring (not needed)
3. Thoroughly clean up all particles/residue from sanding process (alcohol will do just fine)
4. re-install the O-ring to the groove on the plastic top/handle, lube the O-ring with motor oil and replace the dipstick in the tube.
Mod Request:
can this thread be moved OR parsed/re-posted in "tech-tips" - seems to be more appropriate spot for the good info posted here..
Edit: maybe a link can be created either here or there to direct more eyes to this thread..
Been there, done that, works great.
That's the first thing I noticed when I recently bought our new '02 GC, the crazy thud it made when opening the hatch. The previous owner had the rear window replaced about 2-weeks before we bought it because it shattered "for no reason". Well, DUH!
I cleaned up the rust/crud on the shaft, applied lube, exercised a few times. No more noise and easy to open now. Would definitely stick pretty bad and required a fair amount of force before it would finally let go and open.
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898 Posts
Rear Brake Drums - Easier Removal
My tip has to do with the rear brake drums. I grind the inside edge of the drum where the rust ridge develops to a 45 degree angle. I grind all the way back to the edge where the shoes ride and use a 4" angle grinder. This makes it much easier to remove the drum in the future and cause centifical force to shed any moisture out of the drum instead of holding it in. I found that the rust ridge holds moisture from exiting the drum. I also lube the wheel cylinders and lube all the moving parking brake parts after cleaning them up with my wire wheel. I find the permatex "Ultra Lube" Brake lube has staying power. Since doing these things I have never had draging brakes or sticking parking brakes.
Hank
My tip has to do with the rear brake drums. I grind the inside edge of the drum where the rust ridge develops to a 45 degree angle. I grind all the way back to the edge where the shoes ride and use a 4" angle grinder. This makes it much easier to remove the drum in the future and cause centifical force to shed any moisture out of the drum instead of holding it in. I found that the rust ridge holds moisture from exiting the drum. I also lube the wheel cylinders and lube all the moving parking brake parts after cleaning them up with my wire wheel. I find the permatex "Ultra Lube" Brake lube has staying power. Since doing these things I have never had draging brakes or sticking parking brakes.
Hank
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898 Posts
Front Brakes (TRW Brand) - Service
My next tip has to do with the pins on the TRW Front Disc brakes on Vans equipped with rear drums. If they are tight and hard to remove and install I simply slide the rubber sleeve off the pin equpped with it and trim about an 1/8" off one end of it. Then I lube and reinstall it. Now it fits snug but not too tight. Remember the pin with the insert goes on the bottom spot. I also pull all the shims off the adaptor file all the rust off the slots in the adaptor then put a thin layer of brake lube under the shims to pevent it from re rusting and on the top of the shims to lube the shoes. Keeps everything nice and free and stick free.
Hank
My next tip has to do with the pins on the TRW Front Disc brakes on Vans equipped with rear drums. If they are tight and hard to remove and install I simply slide the rubber sleeve off the pin equpped with it and trim about an 1/8" off one end of it. Then I lube and reinstall it. Now it fits snug but not too tight. Remember the pin with the insert goes on the bottom spot. I also pull all the shims off the adaptor file all the rust off the slots in the adaptor then put a thin layer of brake lube under the shims to pevent it from re rusting and on the top of the shims to lube the shoes. Keeps everything nice and free and stick free.
Hank
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898 Posts
Thanks for this tip, I sanded down the plastic on mine today and now it fits in the way it is supposed to
Hank
Hank
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54 Posts
Sticking Doors / Slow Warm Ups / Gawking / Sticker Removal - Fixes
Door sticking in extreme cold:
Take silicon spray, and spray all the rubber seals around the door. Worked for me in the colds of Montana
Car not warming up in extreme cold:
I did two things, the cheap, and more expensive route. The cheap route, cut a piece of card board and place it behind the grill. The expensive (20 bucks and an hours time) is get some vinyl fabric, and some matting, then make a cover that goes over the grill, make sure that it overlaps the corners of the grill. The easy way to attach is adding buttons, I made mine to attach with zip ties. They are also available commercially for more money.
People staring at you in traffic:
Add darker tint!
Removing stickers from outside of vehicle:
I love a product called Goof Off for this, they have a gel spray, and with a rag and some elbow grease they come right off. Or you can get a 3M eraser wheel, and use a power drill. Apply slight pressure, and it will rub the stickers off. Be careful on tinted windows that are not factory, as stick on tint it will remove. I found out the hard way...
Door sticking in extreme cold:
Take silicon spray, and spray all the rubber seals around the door. Worked for me in the colds of Montana
Car not warming up in extreme cold:
I did two things, the cheap, and more expensive route. The cheap route, cut a piece of card board and place it behind the grill. The expensive (20 bucks and an hours time) is get some vinyl fabric, and some matting, then make a cover that goes over the grill, make sure that it overlaps the corners of the grill. The easy way to attach is adding buttons, I made mine to attach with zip ties. They are also available commercially for more money.
People staring at you in traffic:
Add darker tint!
Removing stickers from outside of vehicle:
I love a product called Goof Off for this, they have a gel spray, and with a rag and some elbow grease they come right off. Or you can get a 3M eraser wheel, and use a power drill. Apply slight pressure, and it will rub the stickers off. Be careful on tinted windows that are not factory, as stick on tint it will remove. I found out the hard way...
Hood Latch release mechanism 'sticking'
here's another preventative tip:
If you notice that the hood release lever (the safety interlock that prevents the hood from flying up if accidentally released @ speed) is starting to 'stick' - does not retract with internal spring, it's time to lube the latch mechanism before other parts start to rust/bind..
What to lube with is a matter of personal preference. I like to use ATF since it has good corrosion inhibitors, penetrates easily, is readily available, and stays put longer than WD-40 or engine oil..
here's another preventative tip:
If you notice that the hood release lever (the safety interlock that prevents the hood from flying up if accidentally released @ speed) is starting to 'stick' - does not retract with internal spring, it's time to lube the latch mechanism before other parts start to rust/bind..
What to lube with is a matter of personal preference. I like to use ATF since it has good corrosion inhibitors, penetrates easily, is readily available, and stays put longer than WD-40 or engine oil..
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30,675 Posts
Transmission Fluid Level - Quick Cursory Check
Keep in mind that your 41TE transmission contains about 9 quarts of fluid http://www.moveras.com/TechnicalSupport/QuickReference/TechnicalSpecs41TE.aspx and you drop about half of that during a pan drop and filter change. So, being down a quart/liter of fluid is no big deal with all that other fluid available. Being overfilled is a worse situation.
There are three ways to check the fluid level in your transmission: Check your Owner Manual (OM) for two of them.
- when fluid is "hot" (OM), like after 15 miles of driving. Keep in mind that transmission fluid and motor oil take longer to warm up than your coolant so a warm engine doesn't necessarily mean the transmission fluid is at operating temperature i.e. "hot". Checking the transmission fluid when "hot", even though following the instructions in your Owner Manual, doesn't always lead to a correct reading. The level on the dip stick can be all over the place for some unexplained reason. Be careful. Done on a level surface and in Park.
- when fluid is "cold" (OM), a couple minutes after cold startup. Most dip sticks contain a cross hatched area for a "cold" reading. This reading seems easier to take than when "hot" for some reason - much more consistent. Done on a level surface and in Park.
- when fluid is cold and not flowing (quick cursory check) . This is a "quick check" to determine the amount of fluid in the transmission in case you have concerns. With vehicle on a level surface, engine not running, engine stone cold, check the level. It should be above the full "hot" mark. For my 2002 GC, it is at the crook in the dip stick, which is 5/8" above the full "hot" mark.
As additional information, the full "hot" mark is 1 1/16" above the full "cold" mark.
The cross hatched area for the "cold" reading is only 1/2" long, which is shorter than the cross hatched area for the "hot" reading by quite a bit. Go figure.
Note: The Moveras site referenced above has some interesting reading re training the transmission.
Keep in mind that your 41TE transmission contains about 9 quarts of fluid http://www.moveras.com/TechnicalSupport/QuickReference/TechnicalSpecs41TE.aspx and you drop about half of that during a pan drop and filter change. So, being down a quart/liter of fluid is no big deal with all that other fluid available. Being overfilled is a worse situation.
There are three ways to check the fluid level in your transmission: Check your Owner Manual (OM) for two of them.
- when fluid is "hot" (OM), like after 15 miles of driving. Keep in mind that transmission fluid and motor oil take longer to warm up than your coolant so a warm engine doesn't necessarily mean the transmission fluid is at operating temperature i.e. "hot". Checking the transmission fluid when "hot", even though following the instructions in your Owner Manual, doesn't always lead to a correct reading. The level on the dip stick can be all over the place for some unexplained reason. Be careful. Done on a level surface and in Park.
- when fluid is "cold" (OM), a couple minutes after cold startup. Most dip sticks contain a cross hatched area for a "cold" reading. This reading seems easier to take than when "hot" for some reason - much more consistent. Done on a level surface and in Park.
- when fluid is cold and not flowing (quick cursory check) . This is a "quick check" to determine the amount of fluid in the transmission in case you have concerns. With vehicle on a level surface, engine not running, engine stone cold, check the level. It should be above the full "hot" mark. For my 2002 GC, it is at the crook in the dip stick, which is 5/8" above the full "hot" mark.
As additional information, the full "hot" mark is 1 1/16" above the full "cold" mark.
The cross hatched area for the "cold" reading is only 1/2" long, which is shorter than the cross hatched area for the "hot" reading by quite a bit. Go figure.
Note: The Moveras site referenced above has some interesting reading re training the transmission.
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122 Posts
Noisy Rear Hatch Struts Fixed - Thanks
I have had this problem on my 2002 T&C for quite awhile. Thought the hinges were binding. Read your post (Post #3), went out and found the rusted 1/2" to 1" area on the right rod. I pulled down the little rubber boot, cleaned off the rust, put a drop of 3 in 1 on it and now all is well. The left side was perfectly fine.
Thanks so much.
I have had this problem on my 2002 T&C for quite awhile. Thought the hinges were binding. Read your post (Post #3), went out and found the rusted 1/2" to 1" area on the right rod. I pulled down the little rubber boot, cleaned off the rust, put a drop of 3 in 1 on it and now all is well. The left side was perfectly fine.
Thanks so much.
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30,675 Posts
Warped Rotors - Maybe Not - Burnish The Brakes
Warped rotors seem commonplace, we hear about them a lot. I haven't had one in over 10 years, and that's with nothing fancy "white box" rotors. I have had rust build up on rotors that I had to remove, but no warped rotors. Go figure. Maybe warped rotors aren't really warped, just in need of some cleaning/burnishing.
So your vehicle has been sitting around for awhile unused and now the brakes are pulsating when applied - warped rotors you're thinking. Maybe not, maybe there is a rust buildup on the rotors from sitting unused for an extended period and the brakes need to be burnished. Burnishing is also used to remove the glaze on squealing pads.
Here's one procedure for burnishing:
Drive the vehicle to a speed of 70 - 80 kms/hr (45 - 50 mph) and then brake to a stop with medium to firm brake force. Repeat the stop about 10 times allowing a full 1 minute cooling off period in between stops to avoid overheating the brakes.
Brake Burnishing Procedures for New Brake Pads or Shoes is a little different according to Bendix @ http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/Art...g_procedures_for_new_brake_pads_or_shoes.aspx I will include it anyway while on the topic.
Warped rotors seem commonplace, we hear about them a lot. I haven't had one in over 10 years, and that's with nothing fancy "white box" rotors. I have had rust build up on rotors that I had to remove, but no warped rotors. Go figure. Maybe warped rotors aren't really warped, just in need of some cleaning/burnishing.
So your vehicle has been sitting around for awhile unused and now the brakes are pulsating when applied - warped rotors you're thinking. Maybe not, maybe there is a rust buildup on the rotors from sitting unused for an extended period and the brakes need to be burnished. Burnishing is also used to remove the glaze on squealing pads.
Here's one procedure for burnishing:
Drive the vehicle to a speed of 70 - 80 kms/hr (45 - 50 mph) and then brake to a stop with medium to firm brake force. Repeat the stop about 10 times allowing a full 1 minute cooling off period in between stops to avoid overheating the brakes.
Brake Burnishing Procedures for New Brake Pads or Shoes is a little different according to Bendix @ http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/Art...g_procedures_for_new_brake_pads_or_shoes.aspx I will include it anyway while on the topic.
Burnishing to remediate pulsating brakes is mentioned in this Post by ChryslerCares: http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/sh...4-pads-and-rotors........?p=233173#post233173
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2,242 Posts
I added some 134 to the wifes [email protected] yesterday and do you think i can find the cover for the port....
So i cut the end off a plug wire and it went on perfect.
So i cut the end off a plug wire and it went on perfect.
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