Auto Repair Questions, FordComments Off on Power steering fluid milky 1999 Ford Transit pickup truck
Dec022019
Hello, I changed my power steering and pump in July this year and it was working fine Until the fluid Start turning milky and the steering is now hard to turn even when the pump is still working. Also the fluid shorts over time and there is no visible leakage. Please what could be the issue??
The power steering fluid is looking milky because you have air or moisture getting into the system. Most likely you have air getting into the system. The only way for the fluid level to get lower overtime would be from a leak. You may have a leaking hose or connection, but a leak somewhere.
The leak will need to be repaired before the system be bled of air and returned to normal operation.
Your hard steering may be from a warn out component in the steering system. This could be a worn out ball joint, etc. A quick test would be to jack up the front end and see if turning the wheel is easier or still hard. Place the jacks in such a way that the wheel do not hang when testing.
I have a 2012 Ford Fiesta and on my way to Texas from Missouri it would not go into gears 1,3, and 5. It stopped as quickly as it started, but 5th gear would just rev the motor. There was no power to the wheels. Then there was the loudest grinding noise (sounded like rocks in the engine) in gears 1,2,3, neutral, and reverse. Fourth gear worked fine. When I returned home I was told the Synchronizer went out and caused the fluid to leak out and the gears were shot. I had the transmission replaced and before I put 50 miles on it the same exact thing happened. No 5th gear, sounds like rocks in the engine (even in neutral) and 4th gear works great. I was told I was sold a bad transmission and it needs to be replaced again. I could really use some advise!
It sounds like you had the transmission replaced with a used one. The one they took out was used also. So the transmission that is installed is only as good as the warranty that comes with it. If you have a warranty I would recommend taking it back.
I recommend Jasper Re-manufactured Transmissions if you have decided to go with replacing the transmission again. They have a great warranty that covers parts and labor. And they have warranty shops all over the US.
I had to change my wheel front bearing and I need the seal that is behind the bearing that has the cv joint coming through it
Wheel Hub & Bearing, Replace
Front
4WD Models
Raise and support vehicle, then remove wheel.
Remove hub nut cotter pin and retainer, then the hub nut.
Remove brake rotor and caliper as outlined under “Disc Brakes.”
On models equipped with ABS, remove the front brake rotor shield, then the wheel speed sensor.
On all models, remove hub and bearing mounting bolts, then pull hub and bearing assembly off axle spline and out of knuckle. Axle spline into hub bearing is normally a slip fit, a puller should not be necessary.
Reverse procedure to install, tighten to specification.
This would be normal if the vehicle is still in gear or if the battery is weak. The starter requires around 250 amps to turn the engine over where as the dash lights require less than 5 amps. Most likely cause would be a weak/dead battery.
I’m an amateur myself, looking for some advice from the pros. Thanks in advance for reading my post, any input is greatly appreciated!
I live in my van, which is converted to a high top camper. This itself causes the fuel efficiency to be quite bad, it was stable for the last 20000km at about 8km/L or 19mpg.
I have rebuilt the carby, and for about 2000km the fuel consumption stayed the same. However, during my last 400km trip, the fuel consumption increased by about 30% to 5km/l, or 12mpg.
Could you help me brainstorm as to what might cause this? Any help is much appreciated. Pretty desperate as I can’t afford to drive around with that mileage.
If you are letting the car warm up before driving it will decrease. Low tire pressure will also decrease fuel mileage. A clogged air/fuel filter or dragging brake caliper will also decrease fuel mileage. Contaminated fuel can also be a cause for this. Try refueling at a different station. Poor tune up or worn spark plugs may also have an effect.
A vacuum leak may also cause an issue, but usually would be accompanied with a higher than normal idle.
Bad Gas Mileage Causes:
Incorrect tire pressure is a common cause of bad gas mileage. It’s also one of the easiest things to correct. Periodically checking your tires with an inexpensive pressure gauge is a good way to catch this. Just be sure to use your car manufacturer’s recommended pressure levels stamped onto the driver’s side doorplate and not the “maximum pressure” numbers shown on the tire itself.
Having bad oxygen sensors and air filters can reduce your gas mileage by up to 20%. The oxygen sensors help keep the proper mixture of air and fuel, and having this off balance can be inefficient. The air filters can get clogged and simply need to be unclogged to fix the problem. Air filters need to be cleaned so that the engine can work at its peak performance.
Your spark plugs are responsible for sparking combustion in your engine. If they misfire, or are working poorly, this can affect your gas mileage in a negative way.
Having bad fuel injectors can cause bad mileage. This is because the fuel injectors are responsible for putting fuel into the engine. If there is a leak of some sort, then less fuel will make it to the engine, and then in turn make it run less efficiently.
Having your air conditioner on causes a lot of gas to be wasted in powering the system. Depending on your local climate, consider turning off the air conditioner when it makes sense and ride with your windows open. At higher speeds, close the windows though to reduce drag.
A common cause of bad mileage is your own driving habits. If you are an aggressive driver, likely you accelerate to quickly. This causes more fuel to be used, and will use up more gas than you need. Same goes for revving your engine. It may sound cool, but it uses up gas for going nowhere.
Many people waste gas by idling. Idling is when you have your engine on, but you are parked and not moving. Common places where this occurs is when you are trying to warm up your car in the winter, or while you are waiting to pick someone up. Your car really doesn’t need more than 30 seconds to warm up the engine. When it comes to waiting for someone, turn your car off or put it into neutral. Since you aren’t moving, you might as well save gas and the environment.
The type of motor oil that you are using can also affect your gas mileage up to 12%. You want to use motor oils that are high in reducing friction. Either use a synthetic oil or the oil that the car’s manual recommends.
Overall, these are the major causes of bad gas mileage, but the list goes on even further than this.
Can I drive my car to the mechanic 30 miles away (or 10 for the bad one) if panel shows overheating but motor seems fine?
Panel show overheating
Heater doesn’t work even at full blast
Coolant tank is full
Radiators seem to set in
I don’t know why the panel shows overheating.
Sometimes car misfires and I have to stop and start it again. Now more often with this overheating. I’m in the middle of nowhere and need to get to repair place. What could it be and can I drive my car, or should I call a handy neighbor to help if its just a little thing??
I would not recommend driving the vehicle if it is overheating. There may be a serious issue that can cause irreversible internal damage. Having the vehicle towed would be the best option.
Charge system light keeps coming on I have replaced the battery and the alternator do you have any other suggestions?
Battery Light On
Have you put a volt meter on it with the engine running to insure the system is charging? Tested the battery(new ones can be bad too)?
First i would test the fusible links. There are two, Fusible link A & B. You may want to refer to the wiring diagram below. Next the wiring and connections would be the next things to rule out once the battery and alternator has been eliminated.
I’ve put a 89 5.8 engine in the truck, the distributor has a different connector, & only 4 wires. The trucks original connector has 6 wires. Can i hard wire it together?
Putting an 89 5.8L engine in, distributor connections not the same, can i cut them off & hard wire them together? But the trucks connector has 6 wires,& & tbis different engine distributor has 4 wires?
I would recommend using the wiring and ignition system from the 1994 Ford F150 with the 1989 engine. No wire cutting needed.
Remove the distributor cap and mark where the rotor is pointing now and where it is pointing once pulled. Then install the other distributor in the same manner. This will prevent any timing issues moving forward.
what could cause my car to sound like clanking wind when put into gear ?(engine turns over and runs great BTW) and does not seem to be fully engaged into gear. When I jacked up both front wheels to inspect the CV joints, drive lines, wheel bearing ECt, if I rotate each wheel fwd and rvs. As soon as I set it down and put into gear it will engage but the slightest bit of stress pops it out of gear.?? Thank you and what can I do to figure it out?
Close to checking what I would but go a step further. Jack the car up and put it securely on jack stands so that the wheels can move freely. Put the car in gear while on jack stands and inspect.
Sounds like the cv shaft is damaged or not seated completely.
I don’t use 4wd very often. So I switched it into 4wd on the way home from work this evening as I understood this should be done every so often to keep the solinoids and things operating. I was on a straight road and when I changed it over and it started to make a loud, strange noise that I can’t describe very well, maybe a howl, maybe like gears. So I then turned it back to 2wd and the dash said it was changed but it was still making the noise until I made a turn. I did this twice more on the way home with the same results.
Once home I crawled underneath to see if there was anything to see. vacuum lines were in place and nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. I took it for another drive with the same results, but this time I left it in 4wd for awhile longer to see if it worked it self out. It then made 2 very loud thumps that felt as if they were coming from directly beneath me. I changed it back to 2 wd and once the noise started it seems fine again.
Check Fluid Level
The thing to check would be the front differential fluid level. If the fluid level is low it will make a roaring noise. Next top the fluid level off and test it again.
Check your Joints
As for disengaging the 4×4 sometimes the vehicle needs to be driven in reverse about 10 feet for it to release properly. This is normal.The light changes to allow you to know it received the request to do so.
As for the odd noises and popping, this too is normal when trying to operate the vehicle in 4×4 on DRY paved roads. The tires will grabIf these noises seem to be excessive you will want to also check you front drive shaft u-joints. Then check your front axle shaft joints.
