i seem to see alot of people asking for help on a particular symptom that hteir vehicle is exhibiting to them so i thought to help a bit in finding hte problem id post a few tips from alldata online shop manual to help locate the problm and solve it if theres anything someone would like to add to it please do


Engine will not turn over when attempting to start
Battery terminal connections are loose or corroded
Battery is dead or trashed
Automatic tranny is not completely engaged in park or clutch pedal is not completely pressed down
Broken, loose,or not even connected wiring in the starter circuit
Starter motor pinion stuck in flywheel ring gear
Starter solenoid is crap
Starter motor is junk
Ignition switch faulty
Starter pinion or flywheel teeth ground off
Fried fusible links

Engine cranks but wont start
Out of gas (don’t be this dumb)
Battery dead (engine turns real slow until not at all)
Leaky injectors, bad fuel pump, pressure regulator (anything fuel related)
Worn, faulty, or incorrectly gapped spark plugs
Broken ,loose, disconnected wires at ignition coils or bad ignition module
Defective ckp (crankshaft position) sensor or pcm
Broken timing chain

Hard starting when cold
Battery low or dead
Malfunctioning fuel system
Faulty coolant temp sensor or IAT sensor
Defective MAP sensor

Hard starting when hot
Plugged air filter
Fuel not reaching the injectors
Corroded battery ground
Faulty coolant temp sensor or IAT

Starter motor noisy or rough engaging
Pinion or flywheel gear teeth worn or broken
Starter motor bolts loose or missing

Engine starts then dies
Loose or faulty connections at the ignition coil
Not enough fuel reaching injectors
Vacuum leak between the intake mantifold and throttle body
Fault in the engine control system
Air leaks or broken vacuum lines

Oil puddle under engine
Oil pan gasket or drain plug leaking
Oil pressure sending unit leaking (happens more often than gaskets)
Valve covers leaking
Engine oil seals leaking

Engine idles poorly
Vacuum leak
Leaking egr valve (only on 1995 models)
Air filter plugged
Fuel pump not operating properly
Leaky head gasket
Camshaft lobes worn (very rare unless its over 250k miles)

Engine misses at idle
Spark plugs worn or badly gapped
Spark plug wires shot
Vacuum leaks
Faulty ignition coils
Crappy compression in 1 or more cylinder
Plugged fuel injectors

Engine misses at idle and while driving
Fuel filter clogged
Have some bad impurities in the fuel (water, dirt etc.)
Low fuel output at injectors
Badly gapped spark plugs
Spark plug wires are arcing to ground
Faulty emission system components
Bad compression
Burned valves
Weak or faulty ignition system
Vacuum leak in fuel system, throttle body, intake mantifold, or vacuum hoses

Engine hesitates accelerating
Dirty spark plugs
Problem with fuel injection system
Clogged fuel filter
Engine control system fault
Intake mantifold air leak
Egr system malfunction (1995 only)

Engine bucks while holding accelerator steady
Intake air leak
Fuel pump or pressure regulator faulty
Problem with fuel injector system
Problem with emission control system

Engine stalls
Incorrect idle speed
Fuel filter clogged
Water in system
Ignition components wet or damaged
Faulty emission components
Bad or badly gapped spark plugs
Bad plug wires
Vacuum leaks

Engine lacks power
Worn camshaft lobes
Burned valves or incorrect valve timing (check chain)
Bad plug wires or ignition coil
Bad or badly gapped spark plugs
Problem with the fuel injection system
Plugged air filter (most common)
Brakes binding
.A/T fluid level incorrect
Clutch slipping
Fuel filter clogged
Water in fuel system
Emissin control system not working properly
Bad compression
Restricted exhaust

Engine backfiring
Emission control system not working properly
Faulty plug wires or coils
Problem with the fuel injection system
Vacuum leak
Burned valves or incorrect valve timing

Engine sounds like it knocks going up hills
Incorrect grade of fuel
Problem with the ecm
Fuel injection system faulty
Damaged plugs/wires
Egr valve not working (1995 only)
Vacuum leak

Engine runs with oil pressure light on
Low on oil (duh)
Idle rpm way too low
Short in wiring for the pressure sensor
Faulty oil pressure sender
Worn engine bearings or oil pump

Engine wont kill after you shut off ignition
Idle speed too high
Excessive engine operating temp
Excesive carbon deposits on valves and pistons

Battery wont hold a charge
Alternator drive belt defective
Battery electrolyte levele low (shouldn’t be a problem your car should have a maint. Free battery)
Battery terminals loose or corroded
Alternator not charging properly
Loose broken or disconnected wiring in charging system
Short in wiring
Internally defective battery

Alternator light wont go out
Fault in charging circuit
drive belt defective or out of adjustment
Alternator voltage regulator inoperative

Alternator light wont come on when key is on
Warning light bulb burnt out
Fault in printed circuit, dash wiring, or bulb holder

Excessive fuel consumption
Dirty air filter
Emissions system not working right
Fuel injection system not working right
Low tire pressure or wrong tire size
Your driving habits suck

Fuel leakage or fuel scent
Leaking fuel feed or return line
Tank overfilled (@!#$ happens)
Evap canister clogged
Problem with fuel injection system (tired of reading this one yet?)

Car overheats
Coolant low
Water pump is shot
Radiator core blocked or grille restricted (clean the bugs off it once and awhile)
Faulty thermostat (extremely common)
Electric cooling fan not working or the blades are broken (darn cheap plastic….)
Radiator cap not maintaining pressure (most j-bodies use the radiator cap in the plastic coolant resivoir)

Overcooling
Faulty thermostat
Inaccurate temperature gauge sending unit

External coolant leakage
Damaged or rotted hoses, loose clamps
Water pump is shot
Leaky radiator core or resivoir bottle
Engine drain or water jacket plugs leaking

Internal coolant leakage
Leaking head gasket (youre lucky if this happens)
Cracked cylinder bore or cylinder head

Coolant loss
Too much coolant in system
Coolant boiling away because of overheating
Internal or external leakages
Faulty pressure cap

Poor coolant circulation
Water pump is inop
Restriction in cooling system
Thermostat sticking

Clutch pedal travels to floor with very little resistance
Leaking clutch hydraulic release system or air in system
Broken release bearing or fork

Unable to select gears
Faulty tranny
Bad clutch disc or pressure plate
Faulty release cylinder or release bearing
Faulty shift lever assembly or rods

Clutch slips
Clutch plate worn
Clutch plate soaked in oil by leaking rear main seal
Clutch plate not seated
Warped pressure plate or flywheel
Weak diaphragm springs
Clutch plate overheated (stop driving so hard and allow it to cool)
Faulty clutch self adjusting mechanism

Chattering as clutch is engaged
Oil on clutch plate
Burned or glazed facings
Worn or loose tranny mounts
Worn splines on clutch hub
Warped pressure plate or flywheel
Burned or smeared resin on flywheel or pressure plate

Transmission rattle (manual)
Release fork loose
Low engine idle speed

Noisy clutch
Faulty bearing

Clutch pedal stays on floor
Broken release bearing or fork
Broken or disconnected clutch cable

High pedal effort
Binding clutch cable
Pressure plate faulty

Manual tranny noises


Knocking noise at low speeds
Worn drive axle c/v joints
Worn side gear shaft counterbore in differential case

Loud noise when turning
Differential gear noise

Clunk on accel or decel
Loose engine or tranny mounts
Worn differential pinion shaft in case
Worn side gear shaft counterbore in differential case
Worn or damaged inner c/v joints

Clicking noise when turning
Worn or damaged outer c/v joint

Vibration
Rough wheel bearing
Damaged drive axle
Out of round tires
Tires badly balanced
Worn c/v joint

Noisy in neutral with engine running
Damaged input gear bearing
Damaged clutch release bearing

Noisy in 1 gear
Damaged or worn constant mesh gears
Damaged or worn synchronizers
Bent reverse fork
Damaged fourth speed gear or output gear
Worn or damaged reverse idler gear or idler bushing

Noisy in all gears
Insufficient lubricant
Damaged or worn bearings
Worn or damaged input gear shaft or output gear shaft

Slips outta gear
Worn or improperly adjusted linkage
Tranny loose on engine
Shift linkage does not work freely
Input gear bearing retainer broken or loose
Dirt between clutch cover and engine housing (happens once and awhile)
Worn shift fork

Leaks lubricant
Driveshaft seals worn
Too much lubricant in tranny
Loose or broken input gear shaft bearing retainer
Input gear bearing retainer o-ring or lip seal damaged
VSS o-ring leaking

Hard to shift
Shift linkage loose or worn

Automatic tranny problems

Tranny fluid brown or stinks like its burnt
Tranny fluid overheated

Engine will start in gears other than park or neutral
p/n switch out of adjustment or malfunctioning

Clicking noise in turns
Worn or damaged outboard c/v joint

Shudder or vibration during acceleration
Excessive toe-in
Incorrect spring height
Worn or damaged inboard or outboard c/v joints
Sticking inboard c/v joint assembly

Vibration at highway speeds
Out of balance front wheels
Out of round front tires
Worn c/v joints

Vehicle pulls to side during braking
Incorrect tire pressures
Front end out of alignment
Front or rear tire sizes not matched to one another
Restricted brake lines or hoses
Malfunctioning drum or caliper assembly
Loose suspension parts
Loose calipers
Excessive wear of brake shoe or pad material on one side

High pitched squeal when brakes are applied
Front or rear brakes are worn out

Brake chatter
Excessive lateral runout
Uneven pad wear
Defective rotor (warped)

Too much brake pedal effort needed to stop vehicle
Malfunctioning brake booster
Partial system failiure
Badly worn shoes or pads
Piston in caliper or wheel cylinder stuck or sluggish
Brake pads or shoes contaminated with oil or brake fluid
Brake disc grooved or glazed (has hard spots)
New pads or shoes installed and not yet seated (will take some time and a lot of braking to get them working

Too much brake pedal travel
Not enough fluid in master cylinder
Air trapped in system (bleed brakes)

Dragging brakes
Incorrect adjutment of brake light switch
Master cylinder pistons not returning correctly
Restricted brakes lines or hoses
Incorrect parking brake adjustment

Grabbing or uneven braking action
Malfunction of proportioning valve
Malfunction of brake booster
Binding brake pedal mechanism

Brake pedal feels spongy when depressed
Air in hydraulic line
Master cylinder mounting bolts loose
Master cylinder defective

Brake pedal travels to the floor with no resistance
Little or no fluid in the resivoir
Loose damaged or disconnected brake lines

Parking brake does not hold
Parking brake linkage out of adjustment

Vehicle pulls to one side
Mismatched or uneven tires
broken or sagging springs
Wheel alignment out of spec
Front brake dragging

Abnormal or excessive tire wear
Wheel alignment out of spec
Sagging or broken springs
Tire out of balance
Worn strut dampener
Overloaded vehicle
Tires not rotated regularly

Wheel thumps
Blister or bump on tire
Improper strut damper action

Shimmy, shake, or vibration
Tire or wheel out of balance or out of round
Loose or worn wheel bearings
Worn tie rod ends
Worn lower ball joints
Excessive wheel runout
Blister or bump on tire

Hard steering
Lack of lubrication at balljoints, tie rod ends, and rack and pinion assembly
Front wheel alignment bad
Low tire pressure

Poor returnability of wheel to center
Lack of lubrication at ballpoints, tie rod ends
Binding in balljoints
Binding in steering column (god I hope not)
Lack of lubricant in steering gear assembly
Front wheel alignment out of spec

Abnormal noise at front end
Lack of lubrication at balljoints and tie rod ends
Damaged strut mounting
Worn control arm bushings or tie rod ends
Loose stabilizer bar
Loose wheel nuts (check these before the wheels fall off oh god!!!)
Loose suspension bolts

Wander or poor steering stability
Mismatched or uneven tires
Lack of lubrication at balljoints and tie rod ends
Worn strut assemblies
Loose stabilizer bar
Broken or sagging springs
Wheels out of alignment

Eratic steering when braking
Wheel bearings worn
Broken or sagging springs
Leaking wheel cylinder or caliper
Warped rotors or drums

Excessive body roll around corners or during braking
Loose stabilizer bar
Worn strut dampeners
Broken or sagging springs
Overloaded vehicle

Suspension bottoms
Overloaded vehicle
Worn strut dampers
Incorrect broken or sagging springs

Cupped tires
Front or rear wheel alignment out of spec
Worn strut dampers
Wheel bearings worn
Excessive tire or wheel runout
Worn balljoints

Excessive tire wear on outside edge
under inflated tires
Excessive speed in turns
Front end alignment bad
Suspension arm bent or twisted

Excessive wear on inside edge
over inflated tires
Bad alignment
Loose or damaged steering components

Tire tread worn in one place
Tires badly balanced
Damaged or buckled rim
Defective tire

Excessive play or looseness in steering system
Wheel bearings worn
Tie rod end loose
Steering gear loose
Worn or loose steering intermediate shaft

Rattling or clicking noise in steering gear
Steering gear loose
Steering gear bad

you know the link would have surficed.

??

ok, make that a sticky and then put a permanent lock on the maintance forum. no more stupid questions.




GO PATS!!!

well thats going a bit far this dont even cover half of the weird stuff people hear or see

lol you make something like this and you still get hundreds of stupid questions every day