My Mobile Mechanic

Replacement of transmission fluid ordinarily does not include draining the torque converter. The procedure specified in many factory shop manuals for changing transmission fluid is merely to drain and clean the sump, and then install enough new fluid to replace what was drained.    But, what if you want to replace the old fluid in the torque converter, too? On some vehicles, particularly domestic makes, it is impossible to drain the old ATF from the torque converter without operating the engine and turning the converter, that pumps out the contents. However, as this is occurring, new ATF must simultaneously be added to replace what is being pumped out. On other cars—usually European brands, but occasionally on domestic makes—there is a drain plug in the torque converter itself, which allows draining it with the engine off.    On these vehicles, there will be an access panel in the torque converter “bell housing” that can be removed to expose the...

Heater is not working at all  Explanation If you turn on the heat, and you don't get any hot air coming out from the vents, the common reasons for that are: Thermostat is stuck open Heater core is clogged Heater control valve is malfunctioning Blend motor is not working properly There are few things you can check. If the temperature gauge is not moving up to the proper operating temperature when you start the car, more than likely the thermostat is stuck open (you need new thermostat). When you turn the fan on high speed, if you don't get proper amount of air coming out, then the problem could be with the blower fan or resistor or even clogged cabin air filter. It’s best to have a my mobile mechanic diagnose the problem on a scan tool, and go from there. 

How Not to Get Screwed Over by Your Mechanic ADAM ELDER Your owner’s manual, the internet, and some common sense all go a long way. According to stereotypes, mechanics exist to prey on those of us not mechanically inclined, try to scare the heck out of us, sell us parts and fluids and fixes we don’t need, and screw with us about how much it’ll cost and how much longer they’ll need our car for — all so that our ride doesn’t, like, spontaneously explode or fall apart. But how bad are mechanics, really? How can you tell if you’re being messed with? And what can you do if you think you are? Alongside John Ibbotson, the chief mechanic for  Consumer Reports  who handles everything automotive for the legendary product-testing magazine, we’re going to try and find some (honest!) answers. On a scale from “1” to “Congressman,” how dishonest, crooked and opportunistic is the average mechanic? “In general, most garages and shops are honest,” says Ibbotson. “But there’s hones...

You have a Bad or Failing Transmission Speed Sensor when.....  You have harsh or improper shifting; mostly, these are the signs of sensors and signal components not per say your actual transmission. The transmission speed sensors are used to calculate the actual gear ratio of the transmission while in use. There are generally two speed sensors that work in conjunction to provide accurate transmission data to the vehicle’s powertrain control module. The first is known as the input shaft speed (ISS) sensor. As described, this sensor is used to monitor the speed of the transmission’s input shaft. The other sensor is the output shaft speed (OSS) sensor. If either of these two sensors falls out of alignment or experiences electrical issues, it impacts the operation of the entire transmission. After registering data, the two transmission speed sensors, also commonly referred to as a vehicle speed sensors (VSS), send data to the powertrain control module (PCM), w...