The troubleshooting game.

[AutobahnSHO]

My point basically is please don't group all dealerships in the "Stealership" bracket like I myself used to do before I worked for two of them.

For every one like yours there are 20 that aren't. 
Sometimes they aren't out to steal but just aren't proficient at troubleshooting.  Unfortunately that comes with experience and I'm sure turnover is pretty high some places...

[The Pirate]

Manual transmission or auto?

It's a manual transmission.

[Raza]

Manual transmission or auto?

Manual.

EDIT:  Looks like Adam already got to this.

[S204STi]

It's a manual transmission.

Could be the pilot bushing in the front of the transmission. 

[The Pirate]

Could be the pilot bushing in the front of the transmission. 

Is this possible; because this noise goes away when the vehicle is warmed up, and makes said noise regardless of being in motion or not?  It makes it even if the clutch is in or out, and if the car is in neutral as well.

[S204STi]

Is this possible; because this noise goes away when the vehicle is warmed up, and makes said noise regardless of being in motion or not?? It makes it even if the clutch is in or out, and if the car is in neutral as well.

Oh, then it is less likely the pilot bushing.

[sparkplug]

Got one for you:

Thursday, my father's F-150 4X4 SuperCrew 5.4 V8 suddenly lost most of it's braking power. It would barely stop. Smoke come into the driver side. What happened?

Bogus Question: What was dad drinking?

[Raghavan]

Brake booster asploded, loosing all the vacuum so it lost all the stopping power?

[sparkplug]

Brake booster asploded, loosing all the vacuum so it lost all the stopping power?

Close, very close, very very very very very very close. I'll tell you anyway since you're so close. Evidently the vacuum hose came off due to the truck backfiring. For winning you get an expense paid trip to.. Second thought I'll just say good job. Congratulations, your pretty smart.

[Raghavan]

Close, very close, very very very very very very close. I'll tell you anyway since you're so close. Evidently the vacuum hose came off due to the truck backfiring. For winning you get an expense paid trip to.. Second thought I'll just say good job. Congratulations, your pretty smart.

What did your dad think it was?

[sparkplug]

What did your dad think it was?

A fuse or something like that. He saw some smoke so he thought it was electrical. But he didn't realize the vacuum hose popped off.

[S204STi]

Here is a fun one.

2004 Cadillac SRX.  Performed four wheel brake job, and after lowering vehicle to the ground had a no-crank/no-start condition.  Stereo and power windows all work fine, key is stuck in ignition and  theft deterrent light is illuminated.

[The Pirate]

Brake line fitting not tight after bleeding?

[Raghavan]

Brake line fitting not tight after bleeding?

How would that affect it not starting?

[The Pirate]

How would that affect it not starting?

I don't know how, but I was doing a brake job on a buddy's truck, and it wouldn't start until the fittings were tightened.

[S204STi]

I don't know how, but I was doing a brake job on a buddy's truck, and it wouldn't start until the fittings were tightened.

Really?  Wow.


Keep trying, I will post answer tomorrow.

[Raza]

My guess is that something is wrong.

[VTEC_Inside]

It not in Park or Neutral?

[Pancor]

Here is a fun one.

2004 Cadillac SRX.? Performed four wheel brake job, and after lowering vehicle to the ground had a no-crank/no-start condition.? Stereo and power windows all work fine, key is stuck in ignition and? theft deterrent light is illuminated.

Immobilization system?

[Pancor]

I don't know how, but I was doing a brake job on a buddy's truck, and it wouldn't start until the fittings were tightened.

For some reason I don't believe that.  What kind of truck?

[GoCougs]

Here is a fun one.

2004 Cadillac SRX.? Performed four wheel brake job, and after lowering vehicle to the ground had a no-crank/no-start condition.? Stereo and power windows all work fine, key is stuck in ignition and? theft deterrent light is illuminated.

In muscleing the rotors and tires on and off the front, my guess is that the steering column become locked.

I've had a similar condition in a Tacoma. You can tug on the steering wheel a bit and it's in free play. A little too much and the steering wheel locks, and the key is stuck (can't remove if it was on ACC, and won't start the car). Only by massively reefing the steering wheel left or right while jiggling the key will the steering wheel release.

[S204STi]

Immobilization system?

You are very close.

The ignition switch randomly crapped the bed while I had the vehicle.  Seems to be a common issue because the local Caddy dealer had multiple switches in stock.  The vehicle thought that it was being robbed, so it wouldn't do anything.

[GoCougs]

Here's another.

1980s Dodge Ramcharger (again). 318 2bbl V8. 727 AT. 140,000 miles.

Installed Edelbrock Performer cam/lifters/valve springs and 1-5/8" headers.

Much to my dismay, the vehicle was more gutless than with the stock cam, and would top out at about 75 mph.

Ignition, fuel system, and vacuum tested out okay.

[The Pirate]

For some reason I don't believe that.  What kind of truck?

It was a '98 Dodge Dakota.  I have no explanation for why this happened, but with the brake lines unattached, and bleeder valves out, it wouldn't start.


Next day, when everything was back together, it did start.

[S204STi]

Here's another.

1980s Dodge Ramcharger (again). 318 2bbl V8. 727 AT. 140,000 miles.

Installed Edelbrock Performer cam/lifters/valve springs and 1-5/8" headers.

Much to my dismay, the vehicle was more gutless than with the stock cam, and would top out at about 75 mph.

Ignition, fuel system, and vacuum tested out okay.

Fail to degree the cam properly?

[GoCougs]

Fail to degree the cam properly?

Actually, no. This was bit of a trick question.

Nothing was wrong with the parts or the installation, it was the wrong application for this camshaft. By the time it was coming into its powerband, there simply wasn't enough airflow from the stock 2bbl carb and 2bbl heads to feed it.

A couple of months later I bolted on an Edelbrock 4bbl carb, Performer 4bbl manifold, 360 swirl port (fuel injection) heads, electic fans and MSD ignition. That fixed it.

[S204STi]

Cool.  I wish I knew more about that stuff.

[GoCougs]

Cool.? I wish I knew more about that stuff.

I really don't know that much, but what I do know, cost a bundle of time and money to attain.

[S204STi]

I really don't know that much, but what I do know, cost a bundle of time and money to attain.

hehe, yeah I follow your meaning.

[GoCougs]

hehe, yeah I follow your meaning.

I was really into it for a time, and then it became all-consuming as I was working on my daily drivers. Once I entered the working world, it was just too stressful. Sometimes I'd get into something, not quite know what I was doing, and then it'd all too often it'd be 9pm, the car wasn't running, and I had to be up at 6am the next morning to go to work.

I'm now the polar opposite in that I don't even change my own oil or wash my car; there's a touch-less car wash right next to the lube shop.