Dear Tom,
I own a 2005 Nissan Altima and I frequently smell burning oil. I check the oil to make sure I always have oil in the engine and add as needed. What could cause this?
Barbara from Milwaukee, WI

Barbara,
Typically, when you smell oil burning, it is because oil is leaking out of the engine and onto a hot engine part such as an exhaust manifold or pipe. This vehicle came with either a 2.5 4 cylinder or a 3.5 4 cylinder engine. I would start by having the valve covers inspected for leakage. This is common after a vehicle gets some age on it. What happens is the valve cover/s leak and oil runs down the side of the engine onto something that is hot and burns the oil. Another cause is a leaking oil sending unit. This device is tapped into an oil gallery and is a sealed plug. When the seal breaks from age, oil leaks out onto the hot engine often resulting in a burning oil smell. A good tech will be able to inspect and determine the cause of the smell in short order. Good luck.
Tom

Laura,
Yes, I would fix it immediately because, if the system runs out of steering fluid, damage could occur to the steering rack or power steering pump. The leak is probably due to a leaking hose, which will cost you way less than a pump or rack replacement. In the meantime, make sure that the system is always full of fluid and that it is not allowed to run out. Good luck.
Tom

Edwin,
Start with checking the master window switch on the driver’s side. Remove the switch, disconnect the plug, find the hot wire and jump each terminal to see if you can get the window to go up and down. If you can, then the switch is bad and needs replacing. If you still can’t get the window to go up and down, then you need to open the door panel and check the window motor and wiring to it. Good luck.
Tom

Josh,
Yes, Hondas are great car, as are Toyotas, Chevys, Nissans, Hyundais, Fords, KIAS and many other vehicles out there. It’s a matter of preference, Josh. Resale values for good quality vehicles are always going to be more than lesser quality, inferior vehicles. The key is to make sure you are buying the vehicle at a fair price given the market value at the time.
Tom

Ray,
I suspect you have a leaking evaporator core in the A/C system. The evaporator is located inside the HVAC box and has refrigerant running through it. When it springs a leak, refrigerant is allowed into the vehicle cabin (that’s the mist you’re seeing). As for the smell? When a leak springs, refrigerant oil soaks the face of the core, and then when air is drawn across the core’s face, dirt is filtered out and sticks to the whole mess. Then mold and mildew form, creating what you describe as cat urine odor. Have a leak test performed on the HVAC box; I think you’ll find that a leaking evaporator unit is the root of this problem. Best to you.
Tom

Deb,
You lost me when you stated, “to see if cleaning them out worked.” Cleaning out what? The engine? Radiator? Hoses? Cooling system? I will assume that you meant radiator tubes because a radiator has multiple tubes through which coolant flows to achieve engine cooling. A process called “rodding” is performed to clean a radiator. When rodding a radiator, the end tanks are removed and a thin rod is run down through each radiator tube to clear any obstruction due to corrosion. This procedure is quite labor intensive and might cost as much if not more than a radiator replacement. Actually, $685 for a radiator replacement is reasonable considering the labor involved (4.0 hrs). The radiator itself is $286 from VW. Plus you have coolant and hose clamps or hose replacement if necessary. I priced a radiator replacement with an OEM VW radiator with a labor rate of $120 per hr with no coolant, hoses or clamps and came up with $766 before tax. Should the radiator need replacing, I think the dealer is very reasonably priced at $685.
Tom

Find Tom’s new book, “How To Make Your Car Last Forever” in local Barnes & Nobel, Borders, and Walden booksellers. Find it online at Amazon.com.

For more articles by Tom Torbjornsen, visit AMERICA’S CAR SHOW web site: www.americascarshow.com

Tom Torbjornsen is an automotive expert of 37 years. An automotive journalist in good standing with the IMPA (International Motor Press Association) and MPG (Motor Press Guild), Torbjornsen is the Repair and Maintenance Editor for AOL Autos, At Home Portals, and many other websites. Hear his radio show AMERICA’S CAR SHOW, on the SSI Radio Network Saturdays at noon and on Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel – Stars Too – Sirius 108 and XM 139; Sunday afternoons – 5PM EST, listen to the show on the live stream during regular show times at www.americascarshow.com. Send your car questions to his website at: www.americascarshow.com.

Owner’s manuals contain a lot of important information and directions about your particular vehicle.

Problem is, lots of times car owners can’t find the manual – it has either been lost, or didn’t come with a used car purchase.

You can buy a car manual from the dealership or car manufacturer, but you can often find them online for free. Here’s a list of links for most car manuals available online.

If you want to order a paper copy of the manual, you can do so through the site or your dealer.

Dear Tom,
I own an ‘04 Chrysler Town & Country and the corners of the hood just above the headlamps are rusting through the paint. The dealer says there is nothing they can do because the paint is warranted for three years. I had the van for three years as of this past April. Is there a recall on this rust problem? I have seen this occur on 2000-03 vans and just noticed it this week on my van.
Darren from Depew NY

Darren,
Unless you can prove that the rust is from inside of the panel, you will get nothing from Chrysler. The position of carmakers is that rust occurs from stone chipping or some other means originating from the outside. No car manufacturer or paint manufacturer will guarantee rust from the exterior chipping of paint. The prognosis? It will only get worst if you don’t get it corrected. And now that you have rust on the exterior of the panel, most body repair shops will not guarantee the rust repair. The most effective method of repair at this point would be to replace the rusted body panel. Success to you.
Tom

Winston,
Most problems encountered with outside temperature readings can be attributed to a faulty outside temperature sensor. This sensor is located directly behind the front grill and gets pummeled with all the rain, snow, ice, bugs, road projectiles and any other debris that finds its way through the front grill. Try unplugging the sensor and then start the car. The temperature reading should read –40 degrees. If it does not, this will verify that the sensor is faulty and should be replaced. If the sensor checks out okay, then trace the wiring for a short. If the wiring checks out, then the gauge inside the cluster is bad and the cluster needs replacing. Good luck.
Tom

Barbara,
This light is a “Maintenance Reminder Light.” The light comes on for two reasons: (1) As a maintenance reminder: You can expect the light to come on every 4,800 miles to let you know you are due for an oil change. (2) The brake pads are worn out. The pads have wear sensors on them and when the pads get down to the point of replacement, the sensors make contact with the rotors which turns on this light.
Tom

Ruben,
The window motor has a plastic tape drive. When the switch is depressed, the motor(which has a gear that is meshed with the tape) moves the window up or down. The reason why the motor continues to run? Because it has to sense resistance from the window seating either in the up or down position to turn off. The tape is broken and doesn’t sense resistance, hence the constant running of the motor. Replace the window motor and your problem will be solved.
Tom

ASH,
Most likely when the engine was washed, some sparkplug wires got soaked, which resulted in cross firing. Try driving the vehicle for about 100 miles to see if the miss goes away. If it doesn’t, get the car into a shop to track down the cause of the misfire.
Tom

Joe,
I hate to burst your dream world, but there is no “Reprogram Procedure” for this problem. A blower resistor regulates the fan motor speed on your van. The resistor steps voltage up and down, resulting in variation of fan speed. When the resistor blows or burns up, then there is only one speed left … high. Replace the blower resistor and you restore multiple fan speeds.
Tom

Linda,
The heater box will need to be disassembled and the blend doors checked out. There could be a duct door stuck in the heater box due to a broken door or shaft, a faulty vacuum motor that controls the door, or vacuum loss to the control box. As for the growling fan motor, have the fan case checked for leaves or organic debris. If the fan case is clear, it could be that the motor shaft bearings are worn and the fan motor needs replacing.
Tom

Find Tom’s new book, “How To Make Your Car Last Forever” in local Barnes & Nobel, Borders, and Walden booksellers. Find it online at Amazon.com

For more articles by Tom Torbjornsen, visit AMERICA’S CAR SHOW web site: www.americascarshow.com

Tom Torbjornsen is an automotive expert of 37 years. An automotive journalist in good standing with the IMPA (International Motor Press Association), Torbjornsen is the Repair and Maintenance Editor for AOL Autos, At Home Portals, and many other websites. Hear his radio show AMERICA’S CAR SHOW, on the Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel – Stars Too – Sirius 108 and XM 139; Sunday nights – 10PM – Mid EST. You can hear the live stream of the show at www.americascarshow.com Saturdays at Noon EST. Send your car questions to his website at: www.americascarshow.com.

Dear Tom,
I own a ‘99 Dodge Ram 1500 4×2, 5.9L V8 with 97,000 miles. If the truck sits for more than a week, then the transmission does not engage for a few minutes after I start the vehicle. If I start it and wait a couple of minutes, then it’s fine. There is no problem if I drive the vehicle everyday. What’s wrong?
Josh from Anaheim, CA

Josh,
The condition you describe sounds like ‘torque converter drain back’. Chrysler put out a check valve to install in the cooler lines to prevent the problem. When the vehicle sits for a period of time, the transmission fluid drains out of the converter back into the transmission. The converter must then be primed when starting up the vehicle after it has sat for a while. The check valve installation stops the ‘drain back’ and ensures that fluid prime is there upon startup.
Tom

Debra,
The oil-sending unit on that car is located on the engine just above the oil filter. Before replacing the sending unit, confirm that it does have a leak by installing tracer dye in the oil and using an ultra violet light to find the leak. When you shine the light on the engine, a bright yellow color will show at the point of the leak. Success to you.
Tom

Alex,
According to the ALLDATA database for your car, the vacuum reserve chamber (which you refer to as a ‘bulb’) is located under the hood on the passenger’s side inner fender well. It’s triangular shaped and has one vacuum line going to it. Before changing the vacuum reserve chamber, check for a broken vacuum line under the hood. When major engine vacuum is lost under the hood it affects the HVAC duct system operation. Good luck.
Tom

Audrey,
To program the key, you need to cycle the ignition key from ‘off’ to run four times without starting the vehicle, and ending in the ‘off’ position. Once you have done this you will hear a faint chirp. After the chirp, push any button on the new fob. There will be another chirp when the fob is programmed. Once programmed, cycle the key once (on and off) and you’re done. Best to you.
Tom

Fadi,
Get the van up on a lift and check the sway bar insulator bushings. They are probably crushed and the sway bar is banging against the underside of the vehicle. Chrysler minivans are noted for making noise in the undercarriage when the sway bar bushings go bad. Success to you.
Tom

Marian,
Chrysler issued a TSB on this very issue. Go to your local dealer and ask them to perform TSB #02-004-05
I have outlined the TSB below for you to reference when you go to the dealer.

GROUP: Chassis
DATE: May 27, 2005
SUBJECT: Creaking/Squawking Sound From Front Strut Area
OVERVIEW: Application of lubricant to the jounce bumper of both front struts
MODELS: 2004 – 2005 (CS) Pacifica
2001 – 2005 (RS/RG) Town & Country/Caravan/Voyager

SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
A creaking, squawking, squeaking, grinding, groaning sound from the front strut area while turning in either direction during low speed parking lot maneuvers.

The repair involves applying a special lubricant designed by Chrysler to the jounce bumpers of both struts. I wish you success.
Tom

George,
Check the door hinge pins by opening the door and lifting up on the bottom of the door. If it lifts up, the hinge pins are worn and need replacing. When door hinge pins are worn, the doors do not seal correctly against the body door cavity, allowing water to come into the vehicle. There are few problems with water leaks on these vehicles aside from worn hinge pins and worn weather strips, which tend to be the major cause.
Tom

Cathi,
Regular checkups according to manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedules are a good practice to follow. Furthermore, new car warranty requires that these schedules be followed to qualify for warranty claims, should the need for warranty repairs arise. They are usually predicated upon mileage intervals. I have this done to monitor the health of my vehicle. You don’t have to buy all the services suggested, and you can get a second opinion before proceeding with a suggested service. Generally, maintenance is cheaper in the long run than dealing with problems as they arise.
Tom

Find Tom’s new book, “How To Make Your Car Last Forever” in local Barnes & Nobel, Borders, and Walden booksellers. Find it online at Amazon.com. Great holiday gift for anyone who wants his or her car to run efficiently and last longer.

For more articles by Tom Torbjornsen, visit AMERICA’S CAR SHOW web site: www.americascarshow.com

Tom Torbjornsen is an automotive expert of 37 years. An automotive journalist in good standing with the IMPA (International Motor Press Association), Torbjornsen is the Repair and Maintenance Editor for AOL Autos, At Home Portals, and many other websites. Hear his radio show AMERICA’S CAR SHOW, on the Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel – Stars Too – Sirius 108 and XM 139; Sunday nights – 10PM – Mid EST. You can hear the live stream of the show at www.americascarshow.com Saturdays at Noon EST. Send your car questions to his website at: www.americascarshow.com.

Problem is, lots of times car owners can’t find the manual – it has either been lost, or didn’t come with a used car purchase.

You can buy a car manual from the dealership or car manufacturer, but you can often find them online for free. Here’s a list of links for most car manuals available online.