QUESTION: What is the story with today's speedometer readings? Most new cars and a lot of used cars have speedometer gauges that go as high as 180 to 240 kilometres per hour. Why so high? Do they really go that fast or does that, for some reason, make the vehicle more attractive? I can't fathom going that fast with today's speed limits, nor would I want to. Our speed limit rarely exceeds 100 km/h, so why the extended readings?
ANSWER: Why do you care? The oil pressure gauge, water temperature gauge, tachometer and volt meter all are capable of readings well above average/normal/routine - are they a concern? And, yes, many of these vehicles certainly can "go that fast."
A more specific answer is this: Many performance vehicles are driven well above legal speed limits at drag strips and racetracks around the country. A "track day" at a formal racetrack permits drivers, with the proper safety gear, to exercise their vehicles in a controlled fashion at speeds well above 160 km/h.
Here's another way to look at it. Modern automotive technology allows automakers to deliver automobiles that can be driven daily to work, the store and the park at routine speeds in complete comfort with great safety and incredible efficiency. That same vehicle can also be driven in a competitive environment at a proper facility, providing enormous fun and great competition with complete reliability.
In the simplest of terms, automobiles are machines and machines are rated/compared/ tested/chosen by their performance characteristics. The "performance characteristics" of today's automobiles are simply amazing!
Enjoy the ride!
Q: I have a 2000 Saturn LS1. The lights come on in the middle of the night and drain the battery. I took it to a shop but they could not find anything wrong. It worked fine for two weeks. I noticed when I use my blinkers, my high-beam light comes on the dashboard. Last night the lights were on again. I got it jumpstarted the next morning and drove it several times that day, and everything seemed fine. The next day it was dead again.
A: Electrical gremlins - the automobile's worst nightmare - are hard to find and often harder to fix. The high beam indicator illuminating when you use the turn signals points toward the multi-function turn signal/headlamp switch on the steering column as the prime suspect. On vehicles with tilt steering, the harness for this switch is flexed each time the steering wheel is raised or lowered, which can lead to an internal short causing this problem.
If you can, determine exactly which lights come on when the vehicle is parked. Headlights only? Or headlights and running lights? Headlights only might point to the DRL (daytime running lights) relay or even a problem with the ignition switch.
An automotive electrical specialist might be your best bet.
Q: My granddaughter's 1996 Grand Am GT with standard transmission needs a "fuel return pump" and we can't even find that part listed after doing many searches. There is a fuel pump, of course, but a gentleman at the dealership looking at it said it was the "fuel return pump" and that none were available. The car is back at my son's now and it is a problem that needs solving.
A: This issue is a classic "failure to communicate." There is no "fuel return pump" on this vehicle. The fuel pump is part of the modular fuel sender assembly located inside the fuel tank. The only "return" component in the fuel system I can think of is the fuel pressure regulator, which controls fuel pressure by bleeding a percentage of the ready fuel supply back to the fuel tank.
If the car doesn't start due to no fuel pressure, check the fuel pump relay located at the firewall on the passenger side of the engine compartment. You should be able to feel/hear the relay engage and the fuel pump run for two seconds when the key is first turned on.
Q: The turn signals on my 2004 Ford Explorer have started working intermittently. Sometimes, they work perfectly. Other times, they work and then the small inside arrow stops blinking and so does the outside turn light. And sometimes just the inside little arrow light goes on and there's no blinking at all. I've checked the fuse under the dashboard. I've made sure the yellow module is still attached. Any suggestions?
A: Although the multi-function/turn signal switch or its connector in the steering column may be at fault, I'd start with the more accessible components. First, check the function of the four-way/emergency flashers - do they work? If not, the flasher/indicator relay C2047 may be at fault. It is located in the central junction box under the dash to the left of the driver. The tricky part is that the relay panel in this box is on the back side of the fuse panel, meaning the panel must be partially disassembled to gain access to the relays.
And as always with electrical gremlins, a poor connection or ground at the turn signal lamp could cause this intermittent operation. Also, pin No. 5 of the relay is ground.
Q: I have a 1997 Nissan Altima with more than 310,000 kilometres on it. It starts right away, but when warmed up and driving, it jerks and hesitates as I come to a stop, then stalls. The car starts right back. I had the car towed to a shop. The pigtail and ground wires were checked and the following parts changed: four new plugs, knock sensor and crankshaft sensor. I drove the car several times after that and the problem persists. So back to Square 1.
A: The shop may be looking in the wrong direction. If the torque converter clutch solenoid valve is not fully releasing, the converter clutch may be staying engaged as the car is brought to a stop. The symptom is just like failing to push in the clutch pedal as a manual transmission vehicle is brought to a stop.
Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. 55488 or via email at [email protected]. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, he cannot provide personal replies.
