Service Slants

Motor, Dec 2004 by Rosario, Tom

Suzuki

Oil leakage. Some 1999-2001 Grand Vitara models built between VINs JS3TD62V124150032 and JS3TE62V714156008 may weep oil from the left front portion of the engine. On initial investigation, you may be inclined to think that the front crankshaft seal has taken a turn for the worse. But look closer, warns Suzuki, because chances are the leak is actually emanating from gaps in the timing chain cover seal.

Fortunately, Suzuki has the situation under control in the form of two new, specially designed sealants it dubs "A" and "B" (Part Nos. 99104-31140 and 99000-31250, respectively). Suzuki warns not to try other sealants to reseal the cover; they simply won't work. In addition, you have to follow a veiy detailed installation procedure to ensure the success of the recommended sealants. Here it is:

Start, naturally, by removing the timing cover. Next, remove oil, road dust and old sealant from the sealing surfaces of the cylinder heads, block and timing chain cover. Using the illustration on the left below as a guide, apply a thin bead (.080 in. wide x 120 in. high) of Sealant A to the cover areas indicated. Don't overdo the sealant; you could run into problems!

Now look at the illustration on the right. Lay a bead of Sealant B to the four areas where the cylinder heads and block mate, as shown. Once the bead is down, use a plastic scraper to force the sealant into the air gap formed by the cylinder head, block and head gasket. Don't omit this step; you could end up with oil leaking and migrating down to the bottom front side of the block, which is the problem you started with!

To complete the repair, reinstall the timing chain cover and related hardware, then top off the crankcase, start the engine and check for leaks.

Ford

Noise from rear of vehicle. The owner of a 2000-01 Taurus or Sable may come into your shop complaining of a buzzing, groaning or rattling sound from the rear while driving, particularly when the vehicle is fully loaded. According to Ford, the most likely cause of the noise is the exhaust pipe making contact with the driver-side rear lower control arm. Repositioning the pipe in relation to the arm should help quell the noise permanently.

Start things off by getting the car up on a lift. Look for evidence of contact between the control arm and exhaust pipe. If you see a shiny mark on the pipe or arm, loosen the U-bolt clamp positioned on the pipe to the rear of the catalytic converter. Continue the job by grinding off the alignment tab on the pipe just in front of the clamp. That will allow you to twist the pipe. Using a large pipe wrench or locking pliers, rotate . the exhaust pipe until there's sufficient clearance between it and the control arm. To complete the fix, retighten the U-clamp nuts, lower the car, then road-test it to ensure that the noise has been eliminated.

GM Truck

ABS light illuminated, DTC C0550 stored. GM reports that some of its 2003 full-size vans and pickups (complete list below) may illuminate the ABS light and store DTC C0550 as a history code in the electronic brake control module (EBCM). GMs brake engineers attribute the problem to excess "noise" from the blower motor getting induced into the module as the motor coasts down after the ignition key is switched off. Swapping a fresh set of software files into the ECBM should dull its "senses" just enough to eliminate the problem. You'll find the software recalibration in TIS2000 version 4.0 or later, which became available on 4/14/03.

Trucks susceptible to the problem that can benefit from the influx of fresh software files are Chevy Express/CMC Savana vans and Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra pickups with a GVW rating of over 8600 lbs.

Toyota

No crank, slow crank. The owner of a 1998-2003 Sienna minivan may come into your shop complaining that the engine cranks slowly or refuses to crank at all. When he does, ask if the condition occurs predominantly in hotter temperatures and after the engine has idled for extended periods with the accessories on. If he answers in the affirmative, chances are the alternator just isn't putting out enough juice to meet the demands of the electrical system at low engine speeds. A new high-output alternator that's part of a kit (Part No. 04003-22145) should help eliminate the problem.

Before installing the new "current pumper," recharge and load-test the battery. You'll also want to get out your trusty DMM and make sure there isn't an excessive drain on the system. If the battery is good and the parasitic draw is less than 40mA, swap in the new alternator with confidence.

Begin the job by disconnecting the negative batteiy cable. Next, remove the main lug and connector from the alternator. Now remove the drive belt, followed by the alternator itself.

The kit comes with a new connector. Install it by pulling up on the retainer of the original connector to disengage the secondary lock. Now release the locking lug, pull the terminals from the back of the connector, remove the cover and toss the old connector. Remove the locking ring from the face of the new connector. Now position the connector so you're looking into it and install the terminals from the rear as follows: black (S) wire, upper left quadrant; red/blue (IG) wire, upper right quadrant; yellow (L) wire, lower right quadrant. Included in the kit is a black rubber plug. Install it from the rear of the connector into the lower left quadrant. Don't eliminate this step or you risk water getting into the connector and frying the new alternator.