Automania/Repair & Maintenance

AUTO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR WEEK 33 YEAR 2000

by Bob Hagin

Q. I have a 2000 F-150 Ford with a 4.2-liter engine and a five-speed transmission. I bought it new and it now has 9500 miles. When the trouble first started, I thought the clutch was slipping. Then it was like a miss and losing power. Over the months it got worse. I was out of town so I took it to a Ford dealer and told them it was missing and idling high. They road-tested it, did a diagnosis on it and said that they couldn't find any trouble and that everything was OK. I drove home and it was still having the problem, but this time I noticed soot on the exhaust pipe. Then I took it to the dealer who sold it to me. They did all the same tests and said that everything was OK and that there was nothing to worry about. When I drove it home, it just got worse. I talked to an independent mechanic who told me that the high idle part of the problem was the PCV valve and the other was the computer that made the fuel injector too rich. He said that nothing could be done about it. I am running anywhere from 18 to 23 miles per gallon. C.H. Welcome, MD

A. On a new vehicle like your truck, the factory can always "fix" a problem it wants to even if it means replacing the vehicle. The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) and the fuel injection systems are guaranteed for 50,000 miles since they're part of the emissions control system and the federal government says they have to work right. If the Ford technicians road test the truck and feel it missing and idling high, there's something wrong even if the diagnostic machine says different. Have your dealer set up a meeting with factory reps for an evaluation. If they say nothing can be done, contact the Environmental Protection Agency emission control warrenty department at 202-564-9414.

Q. I own a '90 Jeep Comanche pickup. It is two-wheel drive with a five-speed transmission and a 4.0-liter straight-six engine. It has 93,000 miles. Six months ago the fluid throw-out bearing started leaking really bad from around the clutch housing. I had everything fixed including a complete new clutch. Everything worked fine for a while but a month later, any time I went into town and put the stick in neutral, I'd have a hard time trying to put it back into gear sometimes to the extent where I'd have to shut off the engine, put it into gear and restart it. It seems to shift right as long as the truck is moving. D.R. Yuba City, CA

A. Check the hydraulic fluid in the clutch master cylinder. If it's down or empty, the system still has a leak. If it's full, pump the clutch pedal a couple of times the next time you can't put it into gear when the engine is running and the truck is stopped. If it then goes in gear OK, the clutch master cylinder has an internal leak. This occurs sometimes when only one part of a hydraulic operating system is repaired and fresh fluid is flushed through the system. Hydraulic fluid gets thicker over time and this is sometimes the only thing that is making everything work. I've often seen this happen on brakes. One leaking wheel cylinder or caliper is repaired, the old fluid is flushed out and then another part starts to leak. I never repaired or replaced just one brake wheel cylinder or replace the seals on a single caliper. I hated repair comebacks because they cost me money and customers.

Q. Our '92 Ford Crown Victoria occasionally will not start or even turn over. This doesn't happen very often and when it does, all I have to do is switch the key off and on a couple of time and it will work. I'm afraid that eventually it won't start and I'll have to be towed in. B.J. Boise, ID

A. According to the Ford folks, your problem is a corroded starter solenoid (switch) connector. Replacing it is a bit touchy and the solenoid can get broken so don't try the repair at home. Hire a pro.