(no subject)

[plonq]

The news on the car was mixed, but not as bad as I'd been expecting.  The calliper on the rear driver-side wheel was ceased, and had to be replaced.  I had suspected that the brake might be dragging on that wheel, but I could feel the difference as soon as I pulled out of the mechanic's parking lot.  The mystery sound that I had thought might be a strut or bearing turned out to be... the exhaust pipe.  Apparently some idiot (waves) went ploughing through some ice this past winter and had twisted and sheared one of its moorings.  Low car + deep frozen slush = bad.

They hooked the car up to the scope for me (at a cost, of course) and found out why the "check engine" light keeps coming on.  One of the two oxygen sensors (the rear one) is very slow to trip.  They are recommending that I have them both replaced (of course - at a cost of $150 each), but I'm going to hold off until next time.  The sensors are not a show-stopper, but if they stop working then it will definitely impact on performance and fuel efficiency.  Other than that they gave my car a clean bill of health.  That puts us one step closer to MFF.

Comments

[plonq.livejournal.com]

They didn't actually point out the sensors to me, though I could probably look them up easily enough with a bit of research. My engine apparently has two sensors, front and rear, and it's the back one that's acting up - though they recommended replacing them both.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dorothy.bradbury/probemx/p_m13.htm

From what this site says, it sounds like replacing the rear sensor might be a bit much for a parking-lot undertaking.

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

Yes, I read the link. Hydraulic jacks, and stands, I have. Spicing wires in a parking lot, on a vehicle that is far from home, You may be right, it's a job I'd rather do on a warm afternoon in my back yard. My Escort had a plug on the sensor, I could see it, it was easy.