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i'm very new at diy car maintenance and need some help.
- why do i smell gas while i'm driving?
- why doesn't my cigarette lighter work?
- why is the coolant reserve tank "boiling" when i turn the car off?
can anyone help?? :confused: :confused: :confused:
Well the gas smell could be your carb or FI could be set to rich or your engine is getting flooded or you have a leak in exhaust or gas line..
The cig lighter not working well it has either a switched or a constant running to it and a ground wire so maybe u just need to check or wires make sure its grounded good to some metal part of the car or maybe you just need to replace it...
If your coolant Res tank is boiling then your car is over heating... Thermo stat could be stuck... Engine cooling fans might not be working.. Your coolant system could be all stopped up and it might need to be bore out...
I'm not a master at this stuff but thats a ruff start :P
the gas smell could be cause by leaking carb. You can remove the air filter box and see if you find any wet spots around the carburator or fuel lines. Just smell under the hood, and you will most likely will find the leak.
cig lighter, check all the fuses. if the fuses are good, you may want to remove the lighter it self and check the wires on the back of it. To remove it, all you have to do is unscrew the crome (metal) ring.
If your coolant is boiling over, you may want to get new radiator cap. I know that a few guys on this board had this problem and replacing the radiator cap helped them. It is not your thermostat because it opens when it gets hot.
Do the things i just mentioned and if you still have problems or run into more of them, please ask. We are here to help.
Though if the thermostat is broken it could be stuck shut, then coolant wouldnt be flowing, try taking the cap off when the car is running cool and let it run for a few minutes checking for movement in the antifreeze, also check to see if the fans are turning on when the car gets hot. I pretty much replaced my entire cooling system before I finally fixed my overheating problem.
ok, an update:
first off, let me give myself a pat on the back! like i said, i'm green at diy maintenance, and i'm so proud of myself. i replaced my first headlight! now i know that ain't much for you old timers, but for me, it's quite an accomplishment! :rockon:
now, i was doing some reading, and i think the overheating problem may be the thermostat. my son changed it a couple months ago (his 1st time, too), and i think it may be stuck open. from what i read, if the top radiator hose is hot, the thermostat is stuck open allowing a constant flow of coolant, or something like that. my top hose is blazing hot when i touch it. does this mean the TS is ruined? can this be remedied easily? :sad2:
now, i also replace the front flasher bulb, you know, the one under the headlight? i noticed it was out when the signal light in the dash was going at top speed!! the rear signal works, and it flashes on the side, but even though i replaced the bulb (which was blown), it still doesn't work!! :uh: the signal is still going top speed, and flasher still doesn't flash in the front. any idea what the deal is?
i'm still looking into the gas smell thing, and i bought a new complete cigarette lighter, although i haven't put it in yet...more to come!!
thanks for all your help!
Where is your tempurature guage when the car is running? I t should never get past half way. Don't let the car over heat (top out the guage) or the motor could be hurt. Shut it off and let it cool if you have to or get it towed.
You can take the radiator cap off when the car is running and see if water is running accross it inside. Of course be careful doing this hot. Also just for kicks get a new cap. there a spring in there that may have gotten weak and letting coolant by when it gets hot.
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