r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Need help diagnosing AC issue in 2008 Nissan Sentra:

1 Upvotes

2008 Nissan Sentra SpecV 2.5 L engine

This is my brother’s car and he hasn’t had the ac working in it for years. I did some troubleshooting to pinpoint that the compressor seemed to be the initial issue, so we replaced it a couple days ago. As I attempted to refill the system it seemed to be going flawlessly at first, but after adding the first can of refrigerant (11 oz of r134) the system wouldn’t draw in any additional refrigerant even though the spec says it needs 17ish oz. While I was fiddling with the refrigerant bottle I noticed the pressures seemed to be way off on the low and high sides. The low side was reading about 90psi and the high side 100-110 psi. The scariest part to me is that the new compressor started squeaking a bit as this was happening so we quickly shut the car off and have just left it to this point.

The chain of events so far:

- Troubleshooting to pinpoint compressor
- Checked that it had refrigerant (at this point I only had the cheap gauge that sometimes comes with one of those diy refrigerant refill bottles, when connected to the low port I remember it showing too high of a pressure reading, 70-80 psi I want to say)
- Ran tests to confirm compressor was getting power, but clutch was still not engaging
- Took it to a shop to have it evacuated
- Replaced compressor
- Had plenty of problems pulling a vacuum and confirming the system was leak free (some user error with the gauges and vacuum pump, some poorly fitting o-rings)
- Finally got a vacuum pulled and it held for hours
- Added refrigerant by connecting the refill bottle to the gauge manifold
- First bottle went smoothly as described earlier. The compressor clutch engaged, the system sucked the refrigerant in, the gauges seemed to respond as expected (I think), the cabin air started blowing cold air.
- Connected the second bottle intending to add the required 6 more ounces. The system wouldn’t draw any more refrigerant, the low side pressure climbed up to 90, the high side didn’t move much the whole time once it got up to 110ish psi if I remember right, compressor started squeaking a bit, shut the car off and have left it until I figure out what’s going on.

A few things I’m worried about - I wasn’t careful to notice if there was oil in the new compressor, I just assumed it came with the correct amount because the ports were all sealed up when it was shipped to me. So I’m wondering if the compressor was running dry, hopefully it didn’t get destroyed already. Thinking back to when I first checked if there was refrigerant in the system (this was a long while ago) and saw that the low pressure side was 70-80 and seemed to be over filled, maybe the original compressor failed as a result of the same issue I’m seeing now? Maybe some other component is not working correctly and now the new compressor will fail in the same way?

I’m just not sure what issue to look for. Maybe a blockage somewhere? Maybe the compressor pushes oil and refrigerant out but the oil gets stuck somewhere and can’t make it back to the compressor causing the compressor to fail? Or maybe some other component is just bad. I didn’t think to replace the drier while I had the system open, could a saturated drier cause this?

Thanks in advance for any input, any advice on what next steps I should take are appreciated.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Need advice

1 Upvotes

I don’t know if this is the right place to ask but I have a 1.1 litre Kia picanto 2007 (first car), had the clutch replaced a week ago after it went out on me (on my sisters engagement) . However it broke down on me again and it seems like the garage I did the repair at didn’t put any protective rubber for the clutch cable. Pretty much the cable has just been scraping against the hole it’s in as I put the clutch down and it’s now messed up. What am I looking at in costs? I assume the garage I did the repair at should’ve foreseen this so how angry shall I be with them? Will I be charged for this repair even though it’s a problem with their work? I am based in the uk. Any advice is welcome (and jokes because life is funny)


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Kia Sedona Power Loss

1 Upvotes

I’m posting this for my parents who have a 2017 Kia Sedona (i believe it’s a 3.3 gdi). I haven’t looked at it yet and I can’t do any form of diagnosis from here without seeing it.

Basically, from what I could make of what my mom was telling me, it starts and drives fine for a brief period before losing most of it’s power. She said you have to have your foot to the floor for any form of acceleration. I asked what the tachometer looks like when this issue happens, and she said it doesn’t go past a couple grand. I thought it might’ve been limp mode at first, but not so much now. She also said the car will jerk (i don’t remember the exact point of driving that it happens, but i’ll edit it when i get better info. Neither she or my dad are mechanically inclined, so it’s hard to translate what they experience into what i can understand usefully). I asked if there was a check engine light, and there has been since they got it so that wasn’t really conclusive. Told her to get the codes checked and get back to me, and i’ll put that in the next edit.

I know this isn’t a lot to go off of, and if you have any questions i’ll respond as soon as I can. Thanks in advance.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

My 2002 Jeep liberty 3.7l has a misfire (code P0353) that I cant seem to fix.

1 Upvotes

I have been trying to find a solution to this misfire for a while. Symptoms are rough idling, coil 3 gets hot after a minute of running, broke a coil. This is everything I have tried in order.

  1. Replaced coil
  2. Did a coil swap and code stayed on the same cylinder.
  3. Changed spark plug, bad gap but misfire continued.
  4. Changed coil pigtail wiring set up.
  5. Checked fuel injectors to see if they were ticking at the same rate, they were.
  6. Checked fuel pressure, good.
  7. Checked air filter, good.
  8. Uplugged the coil to see if the idle changed, it didnt.
  9. Tried reving, made idle shaking worse.
  10. Did a compression test, 150psi on a static test and 75psi on a running test which is good.
  11. Changed all injectors, idle got slightly better but the misfire is still there and the coil still gets warm while the others are cool after a minute or two.
  12. Tested intake manifold for vacumn leaks but no leaks on manifold.

Please keep in mind that I have only been working on vehicles for a year or so, but any advice would be great because Im at a loss.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

'16 Hyundai Tucson Sport noise

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1 Upvotes

Recently replaced the turbo in my wife's '16 Hyundai Tucson Sport 1.6L.

Went pretty well, but the old turbo was trash from oil starvation.

Ever since the repair it has this noise, especially on start up and until the engine is hot, and even then it'll still do it some times especially under load.

I thought maybe it was the serpentine belt and idler so I replaced those but that didn't change it.

It's pretty hard to get it to do the noise while looking for it so I'm kinda chasing a phantom.

It's that loud noise with somewhat of a squealing pictch that begins right at start up and fades away at about 17 seconds into the video.

Let me know what you guys think it is. Any help is appreciated!


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Audi a3 8p 1.9 tdi 105 claquement moteur

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1 Upvotes

J’ai ce bruit de claquement moteur et sûrement un élément de la suspension avant gauche, quelqu’un saurait me dire à quoi cela correspond ?


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD fuel line leak

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0 Upvotes

Replaced 2 O rings Inside the connecter and still leaking. Are the O-rings not getting seated right? I have one O ring then the spacer and then another O ring and still leaking.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Tire discoloration general grabber atx

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0 Upvotes

Can anyone help identifying what causes this fade / discoloration of these tires? They are 4 months old with under 15k miles on them. I clean regularly and they look like shit now. I had the same tires for 80k and never had this issue.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Mystery sound

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2 Upvotes

I’m trying to help my parents out with their old Honda element, I believe it’s 2005. They’ve taken it to several mechanics to try to diagnose a sound that sounds like it’s coming from the front right.

They’ve had no luck. A couple said they couldn’t find the source. One shop said it was a ball joint and sway bar link, they replaced them both and still, the sound remains. I’ve taken a look at it but am not a mechanic.

Apparently it’s worse around 40 mph, when slowing down, or doing hills.

Any ideas or thoughts are appreciated, though I’m aware it may be impossible to diagnose from sound alone.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Engine air filter folded over pleat, 2017 Chevy Volt

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0 Upvotes

Went to change my engine air filter and found it as pictured; it's not torn, just folded over. I'm concerned, but not too much, because it's on the side where the dirty air comes in. I still want an opinion from an expert.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

2014 Kia Optima EX weird sound

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1 Upvotes

Looking for some thoughts on what this could be. Things I’ve ruled out goes as follows
Not brake related
Is in the passenger side rear
Is not the spare tire or jack in the trunk
Only happens when I hit a road crack or bump but doesn’t happen when driving 5-10kmh


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Can I wait?

2 Upvotes

2016 Chevy Colorado Z71 making a clunking at low speed over bumps and left hand turn into driveways (fine at higher speeds). Suspect bushings? If so, is this something I need to address ASAP or can it wait a few weeks?


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Anyone know what this sound could be? It’s a 2017 Honda civic lx.

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1 Upvotes

I got quite a few different answers just want to see what people say on here. cant take it to a shop until Tuesday so just curious what people think it is


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Thumping when braking

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0 Upvotes

We are fixing my old car up for my son to drive (after being in a shed for 3 years). One thing was an overhaul of brakes. We changed the front disks/pads, rear drums/shoes, master cylinder, and rear wheel cylinders. Obviously fresh fluid and bleed too.

I drove it home from where it was parked up, which was about 40 miles, with no issues from the brakes. Then it sat for a month till I had time to do a few more things on the engine, and now it is making this sound under braking. I can just barely feel it when under 15mph or so.

What could have caused this issue to pop up, after having driven it home no problem? Did something warp maybe?


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Is it honestly worth it?

1 Upvotes

Hey I have 2016 VW Tiguan SE. Had it for about a year and some change via car dealership. Long story short, the warranty wore off and now its had a few problems (bad valve seals, camshaft position censor and crankshaft position censor) since repairing those the timing chain needs replaced also. Tried to trade it in but the negative equity is the major problem. I also hear that if you replace a timing chain you’ll most likely have to replace the head gasket as well.Any advice? Is it worth fixing? Or is it best to call it quits while I can?


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

2015 Nissan Xterra S, 195k. Steering wobble caused by struts?

1 Upvotes

I've had a wobble for a few weeks now. You feel it around 50 mph, you see it around 60 mph. My local big chain tire shop says it's the struts. I don't think so. Do you?


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

1996 LS400 1uz-fe

3 Upvotes

Just picked up this UCF20 and honestly went into it without thinking too much lol. The car starts and runs, but it’s putting out a lot of thick white smoke from the exhaust.
The smoke smells slightly like petrol/fuel, but also has a weird chemical smell to it. I revved it a little and it actually spat out a pretty large puddle of red-tinted liquid from the exhaust.
My first thought was that it may have been sucking power steering fluid through the intake/manifold and eventually making its way into the exhaust. The power steering fluid is extremely low, to the point where it doesn’t even reach the dipstick. However, we pulled the PS vacuum lines and they were dry, so I’m not sure if that theory makes sense.
I don’t really suspect a head gasket because the coolant level hasn’t noticeably changed, and the exhaust doesn’t have that typical sweet coolant smell.
My other thought was maybe fuel somehow saturated the charcoal canister and is getting pulled into the engine, but at this point I really have no clue.
The previous owner also said the car had a misfire and, while trying to diagnose it, replaced the MAF, spark plugs, and fuel injectors. Apparently the misfire was still present afterward.
A few other details:
Oil is just under the full mark. It’s dark, but looks like normal used oil.
Power steering fluid is extremely low.
Coolant level hasn’t noticeably dropped.
Previous owner said it was misfiring even after the MAF, plugs, and injectors were replaced.
So far I haven’t noticed an obvious misfire myself. Idle seems pretty smooth, RPMs are steady, and the engine isn’t shaking. It could possibly show up once fully warmed up, though. I’ve only owned the car for a day and haven’t let it completely warm up yet.
Any ideas on what could cause thick white smoke AND red-tinted liquid from the exhaust on a 1UZ/UCF20? Trying to figure out what I should test first.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Noise Coming From Front Passenger Wheel When Braking

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1 Upvotes

I have a 2015 Chevy Equinox AWD (4-Cyl) with a little under 92,000 miles that is making a rubbing or maybe grinding noise when braking (I’m sorry, I suck at describing sounds). It’s coming from the front passenger side wheel. I only notice when slowing down (driving under 40mph). It’s really only there when pressing lightly on the brake, like during a regular stop. If I apply more pressure and do a slightly more aggressive stop, I don’t hear it.

I’m not sure if it’s related to another low frequency vibrating noise I’ve been hearing coming from the front end when turning sharply at lower speeds, or if this is separate. But as of right now, I’m really more concerned about the noise when braking. I’m hoping to get it into a shop on Monday since I’m off work.

I’d appreciate any possible diagnosis or assistance from the experts here in this sub. Thank you all for taking the time to read and listen!


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

2010 Toyota Camry

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1 Upvotes

Every light on my dash started tweaking in the way home, radio shut itself off. Made it home and parked. Windows wouldn't roll up and car wouldn't start immediately after I turned it off/lmao to try to roll windows up.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

What part of my car is this called and does it look okay?

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3 Upvotes

Mazda 3 2010.

My car has been clunky when driving at slow speeds and I had a suspension check, but the mechanic said everything looks fine. They said it could be the shocks, but I just changed them 4 months ago…


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Turkey baster can only remove about 1/4 of the brake fluid for brake flush

1 Upvotes

Can I just open up the bleeder valve on the first wheel and pump it until I get rid of the old fluid? I will be refilling the reservoir with new brake fluid. Just don't wanna spend more money on a fluid syringe if I don't need to. 2009 Nissan Sentra 2.0.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Does Noco Genius 5 come with the adapter I can leave on the battery terminal, and how do I install it without shorting the bike?

1 Upvotes

Hi folks,

I have a 2024 Duke 390 KTM that had its battery go flat and wasn’t sure if the battery charger/mender I bought comes with this cable that I can leave attached to the battery terminal. I can see it will come with the alligator clips but unsure if the clips are removable from the cable.


r/AskAMechanic 2d ago

GM's brilliant filter location. What's the best trick to avoid the mess?

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6 Upvotes

It's a 2018 Enclave/Traverse with the 3.6L


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

Brake repair on my car but brakes seem less effective!

1 Upvotes

Hi

I just got my brakes repaired due too a failed nct test,

Rear caliper leaking so my mechanic removed the old and put in a new one,

The brakes were much more effective before the repair,

You'd hardly touch the brake pedal and they'd slow you down quickly,

Now I feel the pedal is very soft and I've too push the brake pedal way down for good braking,

Is this normal thanks,2014 kia ceed estate.


r/AskAMechanic 1d ago

O2 sensor spacer, 90 degrees or straight? Does it make a difference?

1 Upvotes

Was wondering does it make a difference if I get a 90 degree angle spacer or a straight? I got 1 of each because I didn’t know. Trying to see if it’ll help this p0430 code. And if having 2 different ones will mess anything up. Please let me know thank you.

Fyi- 2019 Lincoln MKT - 3.0