Is it safe to drive my truck while waiting for a brake repair?

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John Paul, AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor, responses a concern from a reader whose pickup has an unexpected emergency brake difficulty.

Q. I have a 2020 Nissan Frontier that not long ago failed point out inspection thanks to the crisis brake. A different shop later handed it. I introduced it to the dealer, and they claimed it would acquire three times to take care of, but due to sections shortages and technician sicknesses it has not been fastened still. The only observation I can inform is it feels like a wave when it stops. I hauled some gravel by way of again roadways when and it has felt amusing at any time considering the fact that. Is it safe and sound to push while I wait around for the mend?

A. Based mostly on your description, the rear brakes are probably distorted because of to driving with the large load. When the store is fixing the parking brake, explain the wave/vibration sense when braking. The shop can examine no matter whether the rotors are out of spherical and can resurface or switch them as important. 

Q. We ended up presented a 2005 Chevrolet Colorado. It runs for a while then quits. We have experienced it in the shop with no luck. It has been at a friend’s household (a superior mechanic) for 10 months. He’s gotten it working but it shuts down shortly immediately after. He feels that it is the brain telling the safety process the motor vehicle is becoming stolen. He’s been investigating and identified that year’s Colorado had a good deal of issues.

A. Definitely, the GM anti-theft procedure has been a trouble on these motor vehicles as they age. Although generally the ignition change doesn’t figure out the crucial and the car will not start. In this situation, I would commence at the beginning. For any engine to run, it requirements gasoline, spark, and motor compression, and all three of these activities want to take place at the suitable time. When the engine dies, what is lacking? If it is fuel, check the fuel pump circuit, if there is no spark, then glimpse at this region. The plan that the ECM (computer) is faulty is possible, but my encounter has been that lots of vehicles’ pcs are replaced due to irritation fairly than an precise failure of the aspect. 

Q. We a short while ago bought a 2021 Mazda Miata.  We also acquired snow tires from the dealership.  With the snow tires on, the minimal air force light-weight has remained lit, even however the tire tension is fine. The supplier says there is a production defect in the sensor resulting in the mild to keep on.

A. The Miata utilizes direct fashion radio transmitters in each and every wheel that talk the tire stress to the vehicle’s personal computer. If the snow tires were set up on the factory wheels, there shouldn’t be an issue. If the snow tires have been installed on an further set of wheels, the sensors would need to have to be programmed. Just one likelihood is that if you use a transportable GPS or EZ Go, and it is mounted near the middle of the sprint, it could be blocking the TPMS signal to the TPMS receiver antenna. 

Q. I have a 2003 Chevy Impala with 90,000 miles on it. I was in a scenario that caused me to idle alongside for two hours in 90 degree warmth, which I’m afraid hurt my car’s motor. When I shut the motor off for 15 minutes, it was tough to restart, and I realized it was scorching. Driving back dwelling at freeway speeds it was bucking and kicking. I took it to a local mechanic who adjusted out the thermostat, flushed the technique, checked the head gasket, checked the fans, put on the diagnostics, and the common matters. Soon after a thirty day period he still couldn’t figure out why it was even now overheating and proposed I desired a new personal computer. I took it house and determined to do a lookup for minimal identified triggers of overheating. The only point I arrived up with was a sensor that communicates the status of the heat at the engine block to the computer. Any ideas?

A. Idling for lengthy periods of time is not a issue to a thoroughly jogging motor vehicle. As an illustration, police vehicles idle for hours at the roadside. If the engine cooling enthusiasts are running as the motor gets very hot, the coolant sensor and computer system are functioning the right way. I would go again to the idea that a cylinder head-gasket has failed. You can look at the head-gasket with a cylinder block-check package (about $35) or obtain a fix shop with an exhaust gas analyzer. The gas analyzer and the block check out package do the similar thing, they glimpse for combustion gasses in the cooling procedure The other widespread overheat situation with this vehicle is that the drinking water pump impeller fails and does not circulate enough coolant. 

John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Auto Health care provider. He has in excess of 40 several years of working experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-qualified grasp technician. E-mail your vehicle problem to [email protected] Hear to Automobile Medical doctor on the radio at 10 a.m. every Saturday on 104.9 FM or online at northshore1049.com.