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Tracking down cause of death for car battery
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Q My son has a 1997 GMC Jimmy with 200,000 miles that is in really good condition. For the last two years, he's had an intermittent electrical problem where his battery will go completely dead. The battery was new about three years ago and tests just fine. We'll jump the car and everything is fine. He can go from one day to four or five months between entering the dead zone. He never notices any lights staying on or any other issues.
Based on the last two occurrences, I suspect he has a faulty door switch -- I believe it's the rear driver-side door. I assume the only way to test this is to wait until the battery goes dead, put an in-line meter on the battery before connecting a power source and then pulling fuses until we find a circuit with a draw where there shouldn't be one? Do you have any other suggestions?
A Based on the age and mileage of this vehicle, let's work backwards. Rather than spending time, energy and money trying to fix the problem, why not install a simple master switch on the battery's positive terminal? Your son can simply open the hood and disconnect the battery when he parks, then reconnect it when he returns. Presto -- never another dead battery!
You may be correct in focusing on the door switch, but there are a couple of other possibilities to check. A worn ignition switch may be intermittently failing to disconnect a circuit when the key is switched off and removed. Or perhaps a relay is intermittently sticking in the "on" position. Your diagnostic technique is correct, but do this before the battery is dead. A stuck relay may release once the battery is dead, masking the problem during testing.
And there's a reason battery warranties generally don't go beyond three years. Make absolutely sure battery, cables and connections are solid and corrosion-free.
Q When checking transmission fluid with the car running, the fluid is red, clear and smells new. But I find a few bubbles on the dipstick -- unlike the photo in your book where the fluid looks like clean fluid with no bubbles. Do the bubbles indicate a problem?
A No. The dipstick samples fluid from the pan after it returns from the cooler. The splashing of fluid in the pan can create tiny bubbles at the top of the fluid level on the dipstick, but the transmission oil pump picks up fluid from the bottom of the pan. Unless the fluid on the dipstick looks "whipped" or aerated and foamy, no worries.
Q I have a 2005 all-wheel-drive Pacifica that was pulling to the right upon hitting a bump. I was told the tires were worn, and I replaced them. In six weeks, the rear tires were worn on the inner portion, and I was told I needed to buy new ones or swap the right rear tire with the left one. I was told you can't adjust the camber. I took the car to another mechanic, who is charging for new tie rods, struts, alignment and new tires. Any thoughts?
A Yes -- you should have gone to him first. Rear-wheel "camber" -- the tilt of the wheel when viewed from the rear -- isn't adjustable, but what is adjustable is rear "toe" -- whether tires point in or out when viewed from above. Replacing worn steering or suspension components, properly aligning all four wheels and rotating tires every 6,000 miles should eliminate excess tire wear.
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