Q. I have a 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek with 154,000 miles. Recently the air conditioner compressor has been making a loud noise on and off. I have also been without air conditioning for just over a year. A few days ago, I was driving home from work and the car fan was not working at all (no heat in any of settings 1-4). The car starts fine but now the noise coming from the ac compressor is loud all the time. I was wondering if it could be a bad a/c compressor that needs to be replaced or are there multiple issues as to why the a/c compressor is loud and I have no air blowing into the car? Any help is greatly appreciated.
A. From your description, it sounds like you have two different problems. The fan motor problem could be a bad fan motor, switch, wiring, or fuse. A noisy air conditioner compressor is probably a worn bearing or clutch. I would like to look at the compressor soon, if the compressor seizes, the drive belt will fail. This belt runs the alternator and the water pump, which are two critical elements in the operation of the vehicle.
Q. I recently replaced a PCV valve on my 2016 Buick Encore due to a rattling noise. Then a few days later heard the noise again, dealer said it was a loose spark plug, tightened it and it’s good to go. Can you tell me if they had to remove the spark plugs to redo the PCV valve and forgot to tighten the spark plug or did it come loose somehow?
A. Replacing the PCV valve and even the hose assembly does not require removing the spark plugs. It is very rare for a factory installed spark plug to just come loose. Spark plugs are usually replaced on this model at 60,000 miles. Perhaps, the spark plugs were replaced before and were not twisted properly and one came loose.
Q. I have a 2015 jeep wrangler limited and I have a noise under the hood. My husband, who is mechanically inclined, said not to worry about it; which is probably the fuel injectors. I don’t remember this noise previously, but I could be wrong. Is this normal for a jeep? I have about 72,000 miles on it.
A. Not to disagree with your mechanically inclined husband, but the noise is probably not a fuel injector. The common problem with this engine is the rocker arm assembly that opens and closes the engine valves that are worn out. When these rocker bearings wear out, the engine will run. Eventually, if allowed to drift long enough, the engine will begin to misfire and the check engine light will begin to flash.
Q. In September 2022, I purchased a AAA battery for a 2019 Kia Soul, which my wife drives to work daily. Today the car won’t start. I am waiting for AAA roadside assistance. What should I do after jumping the car? Take it to a mechanic or dealer?
A. At this point I would take the car to any repair shop and have the battery fully charged. When the AAA technician arrives, he will test the battery, but if it discharges for some reason (lights on, door open, etc.) the test is not as accurate. The roadside technician will also test the alternator to verify that the charging system is working properly. Once the battery is charged, the battery can be fully evaluated. If for any reason the battery is defective, all AAA batteries have a three-year 100% replacement warranty and a total of six years of pro-rated warranty.
Q. I have a 2004 Ford Explorer Limited, bought new. Lately the display on both the radio/CD player and the climate control panel has stopped showing readings. This is not all the time every time, but it is annoying. The settings don’t stop working, but they don’t show up. What do you think about this topic?
A. The most common cause on these older Explorers is poor soldering on the back of the display panel. Your repair shop may suggest removing the screen and sending it to an electronics store where the screen can be repaired or replaced with a remanufactured unit.
Q. My son drives a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, when it’s cold, he has a hard time starting the car. We took it to the mechanic who, frustrated, claims he can’t find any problems. My son now drives with a portable charger, for the times the car won’t start. So far, battery replaced, boot checked. This is very frustrating for all involved, any ideas.
A. Since the engine starts with a jump start, the problem is related to the battery, cable connections, or other wiring. There are no specific service bulletins for this year’s Jeep, but previous models had very specific wiring issues and software updates that could cause a no-start. It is very difficult to fix a problem based on history, which does not present itself on inspection. Without waiting for the problem to get worse, all a technician can do is spend time (and your money) looking at both wiring and software updates. Visually, the wiring may look fine, but the best method is to test the voltage drop to rule out poor connections.
Q. I put full synthetic oil in my 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 201,000 miles. I have noticed a slight oil leak, drops in my driveway, is this new oil causing the leak? Do I have to go back to conventional oil or add an additive to repair my seals.
A. Synthetic oil will not leak, but you may find leaking seals that may not leak with conventional oil. At this point you would want to find where the oil is leaking from before adding an additive or going back to conventional oil. I remember an older Acura with very high miles, when synthetic oil was used the rear main oil seal would leak, with conventional oil it would just leak, but not drip. You can try high mileage synthetic oil. Readers have told me they’ve had good luck with the Lucas engine oil stop leak.
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