Service Slants

Motor,  Nov 2007  by Rosario, Tom

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Fortunately, Chevy has the fix covered in the form of a new-design power steering inlet hose. Order Part No. 15903239 for 'Vertes with the FEl or FE2 suspension; 15903240 for models with FE3 or FE4 suspensions. After the new inlet hose is installed on cars with the FEl or FE2 suspension, secure it to the return hose with a special retaining clip (Part No. 88967174). On cars with the FE3 or FE4 suspension, the clip gets secured to the front crossmember with a special screw (Part No. 11609268).

Isuzu

Delayed windshield washer spritz. The owner of a 2006-08 Ascender SUV may complain that the wiper arms have to go through several prolonged cycles before the washer pump delivers enough fluid to clean the windshield. Isuzu says the problem usually occurs when the washer reservoir is below one-third full, and attributes it to the washer pump losing its prime due to the low fluid level. Installing a specially designed check valve into the front washer hose should restore the washer nozzle spritz to your customer's satisfaction. Check with a dealer for the part number of the check valve.

To install the valve, begin by opening the hood, then go to the radiator surge tank at the right front fender and locate the front washer hose. Remove the hose from the retaining clip on the tank, then disconnect it from the barbed plastic fitting. Now grab a pair of pliers and remove the barbed fitting from the other side of the hose and chuck it. Install the check valve into one end of the disconnected hose (it doesn't matter which way you orient it) and connect the other end of the hose to the valve. To complete the fix, resecure the hose to the surge tank, close the hood and check for a proper spritz from the windshield washer nozzles.

GM Truck

Clunking noise. Owners of some 1999-2007 GM full-size pickups and SUVs (complete vehicle list below) may complain of a clunking sound from under the hood while performing low-speed turns, especially on rough road surfaces. One likely cause of the noise, says GM, is a binding intermediate steering shaft. A newdesign I-shaft (Part No. 19153614) is now available to address the issue.

To diagnose the problem accurately, get the truck on a rough road, turn the steering wheel slightly left and right and wait until the noise occurs. When it does, you should also feel a binding or sticking through the steering wheel or column. If you hear the noise but there's no abnormal steering feel, the I-shaft in the truck is probably not the problem. Continue your troubleshooting until the cause is found.

The following vehicles are susceptible to the clunking noise and can benefit from the updated intermediate shaft:

1999-2007 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Classic models

2000-06 Chevy Suburbans & Tahoes and GMC Yukons & Yukon XLs

2002-06 Cadillac Escalades and Chevy Avalanches

2003-06 HUMMER H2s

Ford

Vibration while driving. Some 2007 all-wheel-drive Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ models may produce a wicked vibration while being driven on the open road. Ford attributes the bad vibes to an improperly indexed or out-of-balance rear driveshaft.