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Below are Questions and Answers that are printed in Panama City News Herald each week, just type in James Morris in the Search Box.

March 23rd 2004 I own a '94 Ford Thunderbird 3.8 V6 Super Coupe with approximately 148,000 miles on it. I have been experiencing rough idling, particulary with the brake on in drive.

March 16th 2004 When turning the ignition key the car makes a rapid clicking sound. Lights work. Car does not turn over. Your insights are appreciated.

March 9th 2004 The car does not even try to crank, so we have tried to jump the car, and when jumped, it barely cranks.

March 9th 2004 My engine is making a ticking noise. What could be making it do this?

March 9th 2004 My track light is off and I want to know how will I be able to cut it back on? I have a 1992 Lexus SC400.

March 9th 2004 I have a 1994 F150 300 cubic inch 6 cylinder fuel injected. It runs good till you put it into a strain like when you start off. The engine misses and once you get up to speed and drop it into 4th or even 5th the engine spits and jumps. You can let up on the gas and it will stop, when you go up a hill the same thing happens

March 9th 2004 What type of fluid does it require and what type of device is used to put the fluid in?

March 9th 2004 I have a 1997 Olds Silhouette that I had to remove the wiper motor and linkage to replace the alternator.

March 1st 2004 The white paint on the roof near the windshield has fissures which tend to rise slightly in cold weather

March 1st 2004 While driving at 35 mph, the engine just stopped. It didn't sputter, it was just as if I turned the ignition key off.

Feb 23rd 2004 My question, is there a possibility that it is hanging up between 2W to 4W?

Feb 23rd 2004 Hi! I have sent an email to you before and I got some real useful information. I now need to know some more information on my 1988 Ford Ranger with a 2.0 carbureted motor.

Feb 23rd 2004 I have a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero and the “Trac Off” light keeps coming on can you tell me what does this light mean?

Feb 23rd 2004 I was having problems with it starting. I thought it was the coils but someone told me about the crankshaft location sensor. So I tried to take it off( key word "tried") it broke off just below the o-ring! My question is how do I get the rest of it out?????

Feb 23rd 2004 I have a 1999 Chevy Tahoe and the starter will engage when the vehicle is running. I then have to turn the vehicle off, then start it again and hope the starter will not engage.

Feb 23rd 2004 I have a 2001 Olds Alero. My temp gauge seems to be stuck at cold. Is this the thermostat? If so, where is it located?

Feb 17th 2004 I have an 86 Ford Ranger, 2.8L carbureted engine.
I checked my oil and it was like water, so I smelled it and it smelled like gas.My question is what causes the gas to go into the oil when driving or at an idle.

Feb 17th 2004 I have a 1971 manual shift Pinto. When I depress the clutch I hear "hissing sound ". Can you tell me what might be causing this? Is the clutch in anyway connected to the working of the brakes? What could this sound be or lead to?

Feb 9th 2004 I have a 1990 Acura Integra that I have been having problems with lately, I was hoping you could shed some light on the issue for me. It is surging every now and then when it is sitting and idling.

Feb 9th 2004 I have a strange problem with my Dodge Avenger. I am having the symptoms of a fouled spark plug wires. When I replace them it goes away.
Within a few months the kicking and bucking returns

Feb 9th 2004 I bought a used Toyota 4x4 1985 pick up 20 days ago when we were driving it, it just stopped no lights nothing, but the stereo still worked, it will start if we hot wire it. I was wondering what the problem could be.

Feb 9th 2004 I have a 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser that I have been storing over the winter to keep the salt off her (I live in Western New York). I went out
yesterday to perform the weekly start and warm-up and found that there is NO clutch pressure. The clutch goes right to the floor. Any ideas to what might be wrong?

Feb 9th 2004 James, is there a way other than ripping the engine apart on a 3.8 to tell if the car jumped time? It has all the classic symptoms, yet with 60,000 miles
I find it hard to believe it happened.

Feb 1st 2004 have a 1995 Chevy S10 and it usually will not start unless I use starting fluid. Once it even happened when the motor was still warm enough so that I could feel the heat rising off engine as I sprayed into air intake.

Jan 27th 2004 91 Nissan Sentra 1.6 fuel injected engine has recently experienced a fast idle problem. I have no tachometer, but I can tell its a few hundred rpms faster than it should be, like it's running when it's cold

Jan 27th 2004 I recently began having problems with my Sentra. It started to stall in heavy traffic and red lights. The dealer has replaced the EGR valve, Crank
sensor, and the computer box housing

Jan 27th 2004 When installing an aftermarket tachometer on a 1994 Nissan Sentra, the green wire should connect to the negative of the ignition coil...right?

Jan 19th 2004 am hearing a kind of rumbling from the drive train. Not steady, but like something is rubbing on part of a revolution. Noise starts at about 30 MPH, does not go away, cycle of noise increases with vehicle speed, in or out of gear. No noise on deceleration, or with "hard" braking while at steady speed. Have done this:

Jan 19th 2004 have an 88 Sundance that currently is getting only 10 mpg. Additionally, while driving at about 40mph and 2000 rpm the car bucks like a mechanical bull. It feels like the engine is cutting out but the rpm does not waiver

Jan 19th 2004 Hi, I have a Chevrolet Caprice with a 305 4 barrel carburetor and I have oil on just one of my spark plugs!
This particular plug seems to always have oil on it and will get corroded the worst in a short time (3 weeks).

Jan 13th 2004 have a 1989 Chevy 1500 Pickup that uses a hydraulic clutch. I have recently noticed that the clutch pedal has been feeling a bit spongy,
so my boss decided to help me take a look.

Jan 13th 2004 have a 1999 Oldsmobile, Alero.
On the instrument panel indicates "Trac off" light. Can you please tell me what does mean “Trac off” and what can I do for it.
Thank you.

Jan 13th 2004 We have a 1999 Olds Intrigue...and the heater/ac fan will only come on in high speed...it used to work on all speeds...where do we start to
troubleshoot this problem?

Jan 6th 2004
I have a 1989 Chevy 1500 Pickup that uses a hydraulic clutch. I have recently noticed that the clutch pedal has been feeling a bit spongy,
so my boss decided to help me take a look. It was late when we popped the hood tonight and we noticed that the fluid was low. Before I could stop him, he started to dump pink fluid into my clutch reservoir. I said "Isn't that transmission fluid?", and he replied, "Yeah, It can be used as power steering fluid also... Bet you didn't know that."

Jan 6th 2004 I have a 1999 Oldsmobile, Alero.
On the instrument panel indicates "Trac off" light. Can you please tell me what does mean “Trac off” and what can I do for it?

Jan 6th 2004 I have a 1991 Camaro RS and the cooling fan only comes on when the AC is on.
When the AC is not running, the car continues to over heat sitting still. I don't think it is the thermostat as the temp gauge also goes into the max temp zone.

Jan 6th 2004 We have a 1999 Olds Intrigue...and the heater/ac fan will only come on in high speed...it used to work on all speeds...where do we start to
troubleshoot this problem?

Dec 30th 2003 Hello James,
I have a 95 Nissan Pathfinder with 83K miles that is idling rough and
seems to be missing.
When the car is running above 2000 RPM everything is fine.
However, the car misses at low RPMs and lower speeds. It will not pass
an emissions test at this time. The hydrocarbon reading is 900 at idle
speed and the max allowed is 220.

Dec 30th 2003 I have a 96 Honda accord 4 cylinder (not a V-tech) engine
I have an oil leak at the left side of the engine. It goes all the way down to the oil pan.
The oil pans rear side is all wet like its also leaking but not the front of the oil pan.
The leak is on the left seems to be inside the plastic cover.

Dec 30th 2003 I have a 2003 4 runner with a radio problem. I've owned the truck for 6 months and did not have any problems in the warmer months, but now I hear static thru my speakers for 3 to 5 minutes on cold mornings when first started. I cannot turn the radio, CD, tape deck on or off and have no control over the volume of the static.

Dec 30th 2003 I have a Chevy 350 stock engine.
I am putting this engine together to put in my 4x4 full-size Pick Up.
I wanted to know what would be a good camshaft that will have a little "lick to it".
I have an aluminum intake with a 650 Holley carburetor. I plan on installing headers on it, also has Z-28 heads going on it. Everything else is stock; please tell me what would be a good camshaft at a reasonable price?

Dec 22nd 2003 I have a 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse. After shutting the car off, there is a ticking noise coming from under the rear wheel on the driver’s side. Whatever this noise is, it is causing the battery to be dead. Any ideas on what you think may be ticking?

Dec 22nd 2003 I have a 1994 Nissan Sentra XE 1.6L car. I had the fuel pump replaced and
now the gauge is only reading at about a 1/4 of a tank when full. Is it
possible to damage the sending unit when replacing the fuel pump?

Dec 22nd 2003 My truck was in a wreck to the left front fender. When I tried to start it after it sits for a while, I have to spray starter fluid for it to start. After it starts it runs great, but when you turn it off it will not “fire up”. The motor is turning over, but it acts as if it can't get gas for starting. Any ideas that you might share?

Dec 15th 2003 I have a 1990 2.9L V6 Ford Ranger (Mazda engine). The truck dies at a stand still when engaged in Drive or Reverse. The tachometer drops to 500 rpm's and the voltage meter goes down. The problem is worse when the lights are on!

Dec 15th 2003 I have a 1994 Toyota pickup. It does not put enough heat out when I have the heater on. I can also hear a rushing water sound behind the dash when I select heat and as I accelerate the vehicle!

Dec 9th 2003 I have a 1997 Nissan Sentra. Today I tried to start the car but I could not turn the key. It seemed that the switch was locked or "frozen".

Dec 9th 2003 I own a '99 Oldsmobile, Intrigue and the problem is that on the two AC vents on the driver side don't release cool air; air comes out fine, but not
cold air.

Dec 2nd 2003 I have a 1999 Nissan Sentra that the heater and A/C fan only blows on setting number 4. The fan does not work on setting 1, 2, 3, only setting 4.

Dec 2nd 2003 I have a 1994 Nissan Sentra which appears to have a leak in the rear main seal and most recently has a slipping clutch (will barely make it up a hill). Is there any way to adjust a clutch or does it simply need to be replaced? Should these both be done at the same time?

Dec 2nd 2003 I have a 1987 Nissan Sentra (carbureted California car) with 104,000 miles on it. It generally runs great. However, at idle it is very rough and sometimes stalls

Nov 24th 2003 Originally the cooling fan was not working even when I tested it. I got another one and it works when I tested it. This time it would only work when I turn on the A/C.

Nov 24th 2003 I have a 93 Honda Accord EX with 130,000 miles on it. Recently, the top section (plastic) of the radiator blew out (put a 1x2 hole in it).

Nov 19th 2003 My 1990 Mitsubishi Montero is making a ticking noise inside the top of my engine.

Nov 19th 2003 I removed the distributor to replace the pickup coil. I am having trouble getting the distributor back in.

Nov 5th 2003 I have a 1996 Chevrolet V/6 4.3liter S-10 120,000 miles. My problem is that the car will crank and crank in the morning when I first try to start it up.

Nov 5th 2003 My mother thinks that you only need to change your oil every 7,500 miles, like the owners manual says.

Nov 5th 2003 I would like to find out if a radiator from a 88 Chrysler La Barron 2.5 will fit a 90 Dodge Dynasty 3.0

Oct 28th 2003 I just changed my windshield wiper blades 6 months ago and they are already skipping and streaking. What can I do to make them last longer?

Oct 28th 2003 James, I just put a 305 V/8 in my 1972 Nova. I'm having a lot of problems with this engine!
It “pops” out the carburetor on right side, and pops out exhaust on left. I've disassembled this engine to the check timing chain.

Oct 22nd 2003 On your radio show, you discuss the importance of replacing the radiator on higher-mileage cars. My 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser has 90k miles. I approached my service advisor, at my Toyota dealership about replacing my radiator. He told me that the radiator used, by Toyota for the Land Cruiser, is a heavy-duty type, and did not need to be replaced, only properly maintained. Do you agree with this, or do you feel it is important to replace the radiator in my Land Cruiser? The car runs excellent, and has no cooling problems

Oct 22nd 2003 This Camaro I am describing appears to be ingesting water and bending the intake push rods. The camaro has a hood scoop with a K&N filter and a large bore throttle body.
In short this is a middle aged mans hot rod

Oct 22nd 2003 I paid a local mechanic (I'm in California) $4400 to do a valve job on an '89 Mercedes 560 (V-8, overhead cam), during which he removed the heads and reassembled them, replacing the entire valve train. 900 miles later, the
cams froze up

Oct 14th 2003 How can I get the codes out of my 1989 Plymouth Sundance without a scanner?

Oct 14th 2003 I believe the Fan Clutch in my 98 Chevy S10 is faulty because the
fan is very loose and noisy.

Oct 14th 2003 Help me out on this I have a 1995 Mercury Marquis with air ride suspension. The air springs in the back were just changed because they were leaking. After a week the car looks like a jacked up race car. The rear end is way up in the air. What can I do to get this corrected

Oct 7th 2003 My 1990 T-Bird, 3.8L SC Supercharged, Just stopped running while I was driving and did not make any noise! I can not restart it just turns over and over!

Sept 30th 2003 Don’t put off getting your winter maintenance!

Sept 30th 2003 How often should spark plugs be changed on most cars?

Sept 30th 2003 I just put a new fan clutch on my 1995 GMC Blazer.
Now when I take off from a stop it sounds like a jet engine, till I reach about 35 MPH. The old one didn’t do this and I‘ve had the truck since it was new. Any idea’s about what the problem is?

Sept 30th 2003 Can you mix brake fluid types? I have been told that I must always use DOT 3 and I know DOT 4 has a higher boiling point.

Sept 23rd 2003 I've been told not to change the type oil I use in my car. My mechanic says it will cause my engine to sludge up! Is there any truth to this statement?

Sept 23rd 2003 I purchased a New/Used 1998 Chevrolet S10 LS, with a 4.3L it had 87,000 miles it now has around 130,000 on it. Recently I had all my tail lamps except the one on top of the cab. While I was in the process of tracking the problem my fuel pump goes out "Bad Luck" I guess. I replaced the pump and it is pumping the fuel to the test port on the fuel rail and still the truck will not start!

Sept 16th 2003 I hear you and your wife always telling people to have their radiators “rodded out”. Can you explain what you mean by that term “rodded out”!

Sep 16th, 2003 On my 1992 Pontiac Bonneville with a 3.8 L engine it will go down the road and just shut off. I changed the electronic ignition module and all seemed well for about a month. Out of the blue it did the same thing this week

Sept 16th 2003 I have a 1990 Volvo 240 station wagon that the temp gauge does not seem to work properly. How can I test it to see if it is the sending unit for the gauge or the gauge itself?

Sep 08, 2003 It was raining, though not excessively, when my car suddenly began to hydroplane and literally flew through the air.

Sep 02, 2003 My 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser has 90k miles. I approached my service advisor, at my Toyota dealership about replacing my radiator. He told me that the radiator used, by Toyota for the Land Cruiser, is a heavy-duty type, and did not need to be replaced, only properly maintained.

Aug 26th 2003 I have a 99 Honda Accord that will crank and crank in the morning and not fire up. I have had my injectors cleaned and my distributor replaced to solve this problem.

Aug 12th 2003 My radio in my 1993 Ford F150 quit working. The radio has power to it but the speakers quit. I took the sterio (cd Player) out and looked for a short or a disconnected wire to the speaker harness. (Click here to read my answer)

Aug 4th 2003: I have finally gotten a good job after a couple of months of being unemployed. The problem is, I can't move my 1978 MG!
The engine will start and run fine. I just can't put it in gear! I try pushing in the clutch and it just grinds the gears. I can start it up in gear, and it will move. I just can't stop it with out killing the engine. I did not have any problem when I parked the car two months ago. My funds are limited and I really need my car to go to work. Any ideas what I can do to get it where I can drive it safely? (Click here to read my answer)

July 7th 2003:I've been researching on best method of restoring my old R12 AC. I don't want to do a r134a retro since it has obvious problems such as being incompatible with mineral oil and grinding your compressor into scrap metal.(Click here to read my answer)

April 26th, 2003: James, My 92 Ford "Exploder" had stoped running because the fuel pressure regulator went bad. I replaced it and changed all the plugs and it still won't start. (Click here to read the rest).

November 15th 2002: James, My 1994 Nissan Sentra dies going down the hiway, it will start right back up after it cools down (five minutes or so) I have had the fuel pump changed and all the filter along with plug wires and plugs. I have heard on your radio show that this is a "pattern failure" What is the cure? (click here to read my answer)

July 27th 2002: James, I've been told not to change the type oil I use in my car. My mechanic says it will cause my engine to sludge up! Is their any truth to this statement? (click here to read my answer)