Repairs Tips Blog » Car Radio

1998 Bmw 740 Il Battery Or Alternator Problem?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:52:16 +0000

Your Open QuestionShow me another »
1998 BMW 740 iL Battery or Alternator Problem? I am baffled?
Last night the battery light in my car went on and was thinking to go and get it tested in the next couple days. So my wife and I went to visit a friend about 30 minutes away. on the way back about 5 miles from my house, while on the interstate, the brake light, the abs light, and the traction light all went on simultaneously. then across the little text window (that usually tells you when something is wrong and what it is) it said something along the lines of “transmission program”. meanwhile all the interior lights such as the radio and temperature lights were dimming. So we pulled along the side of the road and shut the car off and tried to move some of the wires by the battery to see if that was it, and tried to start the car back up and wouldn’t turn. just clicking like it wasn’t getting enough juice. we called a tow truck and with a jump it started but the headlights weren’t as bright as usual. Not taking any chances we had the car towed.
**Keep in mind that the battery was replaced one year ago at a BMW dealer when an electrical problem was repaired.**
Could this be that i need a new battery or is this the alternator??
And if it is the alternator, why didn’t it give me a warning in the little text window like it does when my brake light is out??
Please HELP ME OUT!
ANY suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

1998 Bmw 740 Il Battery Or Alternator Problem? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

Do You Remember?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:52:16 +0000

I’m compiling a list of things that have changed since I was a kid.I thought it would be a fun list to hand out during family gatherings to inspire fun discussions!
Many of the things have changed for the better but some…You decide. Please add to my list and I’ll pick the best one .
The following is a list of things I remember from my childhood.They have all changed. Some for the better and some…You decide.
Do you remember:
1.when astronauts were considered heroes.
2.when a milkman came to your house.
3.when your dog was free to roam your neighborhood.
4.when you never heard curse words in a school yard.
5.when refrigerators needed to be defrosted.
6.when TV was not broadcasted all night long.
7.when your teacher’s political views were a secret.
8.when dogs lived to ripe old ages without yearly shots.
9.when people, really did, go Christmas caroling.
10.when kids had bedtimes.
11.when book matches had the striker on the front.
12.when littering was common.
13.when your doctor made house calls.
14.when girls had to wear gymsuits.
15.when your clothes needed ironing after every wash.
16.when boys were expected NOT to cry.
17.when your parents smoked in the car.
18.when a snowstorm was considered a foot or more,not an inch.
19.when every “proper” home owned a set of encyclopedias.
20.when Lincoln Logs were really cool!
21.when riding in the back of a pick-up truck was a thrill not a gamble.
22.when Brazil nuts were called “****** toes”.
23.when ALL waitresses wore hairnets.
24.when the TV repair guy was a frequent visitor.
25.when you never considered locking you house or car.
26.when you owned “play” clothes and “school” clothes.
27.when you got “shots” at school not at the doctor’s.
28.when schools did not have cafeterias.
29.when infants grew up healthy even though they were not nursed.
30.when you didn’t know your friends’ religion and didn’t care.
31.when the most dangerous thing about sharing a soda with a friend was the chance you may catch their cold.
32.when going to the dentist was a terrifying experience.
33.when you could stop at your neighbor’s house for a drink or use their bathroom.
34.when you heard someone was “gay”, you thought they were really happy.
35.when hair conditioner was called “creme rinse”.
36.when you waited for a holiday show in a specfic time slot with excitement.
37.when anyone over 30 seemed like a senior citizen.
38.when girls were not allowed to play organized sports.(and when they were,could not play on the athletic field or use the “good” equipment!)
39.when you argued with friends, parents rarely got involved.
40.when “working” mothers were considered selfish.
41.when hitchhiking wasn’t considered a dangerous activity.
42.when your Halloween lasted as long as you could and produced pillowcases of rewards.
43.when you had to wait to hear your favorite song on the radio.
44.when your parents had friends over and the kids were not a part of it.
45.when people dressed up for church,court, and holidays.
46.when meals were eaten at a table not in front of the television.
47.when visiting the library was for books not videos.
48.when TVs had no remote.
49.when kids got fewer phone calls than their parents.
50.when the amount of fun you had was measured by how dirty you got!
Feel free to add you own. If you remember most of these,you’re old baby!
– ————————————…

Do You Remember? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

2008 Honda Accord: Speaker Noise Problem?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:40:09 +0000

I bought 2008 Honda Accord EX this January, and from the Day 1, I’ve been hearing this popping noise from the rear speaker when I turned on the audio – either radio or CD. The popping noise continues about 3-5 minutes, and it’s gone. But, it comes back next time I start the car and turn it on. The noise is so loud and annoying that I can’t enjoy my first few moments of driving. It does that everytime I turn on the audio, and it’s been like this from the Day 1 so far. I had been to the dealer shop for repair but all they told me was all other same models have the same noise, but they cannot do anything because the Honda Headquarters has not notified them of the issue / solution yet. (What??) They said they wouldn’t do anything even my car is under full warranty and it’s been just 3 months old… I called the Honda Customer Center, but the representative told me if it’s the ‘characteristics’ of the car, they won’t be able to fix anything. Has anyone had similar problem and had it fixed?

WP Robot

2008 Honda Accord: Speaker Noise Problem? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

Auto Problem Question?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:15:44 +0000

I have a 99 Monte Carlo.. On the way to work this morning the VOLT and the ANTILOCK dash light came on.. On the way home The radio kept cutting out and the same light were still on. WHen the car died and tried to restart all I got were clicks…..
Took battery out and had it checked they said it was good.. The next thing we are going to take out is alternator.. ARe we looking in the right direction? Asking cause hubby doesnt do mechanicing very well but cant afford repair shop right now.. Any help would greaty be appreciated.

Auto Problem Question? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

Name For My 1987 Chevy Cavalier?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:48:40 +0000

I have a blue 1987 cavalier that I want to name. To give a description:
I got it in November as my first car, it had rust on the rear panels, hood, roof, and bottoms of the doors. I sanded down the rust and spray painted over it, but now the rst is showing through again. I had to repair the door and replace both the headlights. The engine runs so loud that you if you accelerate quickly, you cannot hear the radio, no matter what. The muffler has a big hole in it that gets so hot it disintegrated the muffler tape I had put over it and burned through a Coke can. Everything on it is stock except the headlights. It feels like it is falling apart if I go anywhere above 75 mph and the speedometer only goes up to 85. The hood sometimes pops up a little when I’m driving and the wipers sometimes turn on when I hit the turn signal. The brakes are squeaky and the tires screech loudly around many turns. If put the pedal to the floor from a dead stop in drive, the tires barely spin. It takes about 15 seconds or more to go 0-60. The gear selector does not require the brake to be depressed or even the little button on the side, just push or pull. It sometimes starts to stall between 2nd and 3rd even though it’s an automatic. It is good for drifting on ice, and when put in a car-snowbank or car-street sign collision, takes absolutely no damage.
*sigh*
So, any ideas on what to name this beast?

Name For My 1987 Chevy Cavalier? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

1993 Chevrolet Cavalier Stopped Suddenly. What Could The Problem Be?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:32:02 +0000

I was about 3 blocks from home and stopped at a stoplight when my vehicle blinked the check engine light and then stopped running. I attempted to restart the vehicle, but the engine would not turn over. I can still turn the key without a problem. All of the lights were bright, didn’t see any indication of an alternator issue. It was 6 o’clock at night in Michigan, the weather has been very cold. The vehicle has a 1/2 tank of gas. I checked all of the fuses, and all of them seem to be fine. I could hear the fuel pump activate when I tried to start the vehicle. I added dry-gas to the fuel, thinking maybe this might help, considering that the vehicle had been sitting for a couple of days during the below zero weather. The battery is brand new. I still could not get the engine to turn over. I shut my radio and my heater down when trying to restart my vehicle, just in case that had something to do with it. Is there something that i’m missing? I’m usually pretty good at diagnosing my car, but this one has me stumped. The bad part is that i’m disabled right now, so I can’t really afford anything expensive for repair, nor can I really do it myself right now. At least if I know what may be going on with my car I might be able to get some help in getting it running again. HELP!!! I need my car to run so that when I get off my leave I can return to work.

1993 Chevrolet Cavalier Stopped Suddenly. What Could The Problem Be? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

Low Idle Speed And “back Up” Fuse – 93 Honda Accord?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:07:07 +0000

I have a few problems with the car that might be related…
When the car is warmed up the idle is low (300-400 rpm) when it is supposed to be 550 with no load on it. When you rev the engine and let the gas pedal go, the engine speed drops and almost stalls.
I used a repair manual to get the idle speed up. I took off the IAC plug and raised the idle speed using the idle air screw on the intake manifold, but now there is a “hooting” sound in the air intake when the engine is revved and then let back down to idle which is probably a problem with the IAC. Can you tell me what’s goin on?
The 2nd problem is that something was drawing voltage, I checked with a test light which was flickering on and off until i pulled the “back up/radio” fuse from the underhood fuse box. Now nothing is drawing power but the radio won’t hold presets because the fuse is out. Do you know why that is happening?
One last thing is that the idle speed doesn’t go up when the headlights, rear defroster, or any electronics are turned on…and the idle speed drops a little when the wheel is turned.
Thanks a lot

Best Smartphone Software

Low Idle Speed And “back Up” Fuse – 93 Honda Accord? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

Can An Alternator Problem Cause My Gauges To Malfunction?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:03:09 +0000

I think I’m having a problem with my alternator but I’ve never seen anything like this. My car was fine then the battery light came on then the car acted like it was going to turn off whenever I used my brakes. I was close to home and by myself so I kept driving but I turned the radio and air off. The radio started to malfunction by making this clicking noise and then my speedometer acted like it was possessed up and down constantly. Then my gas gauge died. I am taking to a repair shop tomorrow but I wanted to have an idea what was wrong before i go. Does this sound like the alternator or something else? thanks.

Can An Alternator Problem Cause My Gauges To Malfunction? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

Bad Jumpstart? Audio Won’t Work.?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:03:09 +0000

I have a 1996 Lexus gs300 which until yesterday was in tip-top condition. A friend of mine had a dead battery, so I jumped [no pun] to the rescue and used my car to jumpstart his (a Rover 400). Ever since, my audio won’t work. The speakers are creaking and popping all over the place. Even when radio/cd are turned off. When I do turn it on, there no sound from the radio/cd… just popping noises, some of ‘m quite loud.
Could we have messed up the jumpstart? Will this problem resolve itself if I just leave it to rest for a bit?
If audio needs repairing, how much would that roughly cost me? Also, should I be worried that more systems may be affected? I’m not a happy bunny as I was about to p/x my car and this may seriously affect what money I can get for my car.
Thanks.

Smartphone Software

Bad Jumpstart? Audio Won’t Work.? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog

My 2002 Kia Rio Is Making Funny Noises. What Could It Be?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:14:57 +0000

For about the past year, my car has been making funny noises. I would describe it as a low groaning noise. The groaning noise is very loud from inside the car, so loud that I have to turn the radio up really loud in order to hear the music. It cannot be heard from -outside- the car, however. Recently, a new sound has added to the mix, sort of a rhythmic rumble. This seems to be coming from underneath the car somewhere, and in the back, not underneath the hood. The check engine light comes on occasionally, but then it goes off again. My car is a 2002 Kia Rio. I just put a new battery in it today, got a recent oil change, and had some repairs done on it last year due to overheating problems because the fan broke. The car itself seems to run just fine, and I have not had any problems, except for this noise. What could be causing these strange noises, and what should I do about them?

My 2002 Kia Rio Is Making Funny Noises. What Could It Be? is a post from: Repairs Tips Blog