Camry Worse After Reputable Shop "Fixed" it

It all started with a minor accident. 

October 4. Mom was sitting at a red light. The light turned green and she started to go. Just then, a pickup ran the red light and she contacted the side of the pickup as it passed her and it ripped off most of her bumper cover and the styrofoam. (Yes, there's styrofoam underneath that bumper cover.)

She thought maybe she would get a new car. But the insurance said they would fix it, so she thought maybe she'd sell it after it got fixed. So she had me inspect it and find everything wrong with it, not including the damage from the accident. I used my inspection form and created a list of everything I could find that could be a negative when someone does a pre-purchase inspection. 

Here's what I came up with.

I later found out that the steering wheel had to be turned 135 degrees before the steering wheel locked. So that part was ok and didn't need any repair. 

I replaced the rack and pinion since that would be the most devaluing item on the list. I told mom to bring it back so I could do the CV axle later. [Watch my stuck CV axle video to see how I fixed it]. That was the number one priority item on the list. I wasn't sure how long she could drive with that split boot before the joint totally failed. I was worried because if it separated while driving, it could cause more damage.

After a number of weeks went by, on November 15th, I sent her an email saying "We need to get the passenger side CV axle changed out soon." Finally she texted me back on Nov. 29th asking if I had a minute to chat. I called her and she said she was having problems with the steering on her car. The power steering belt was slipping and squealing and the power steering was jerking.

I was confused at why she was having these problems because it was running fine after I finished the rack and pinion replacement.

She said "I have to tell you that I took it to [Redacted repair shop]." 

"Why did you take it there?" I asked.

"Well, I didn't want to bother you with your time", she replied.

I said "Mom, I'm unemployed right now! I have all the time you need. So what did they do to the car?" At this point, she couldn't remember exactly what they did. She said she handed them my list and told them to do the most important items first.

"Oh no!" I gasped.

She got the invoice and read it off to me. 

Mom: "Power steering pump replacement."

Me: "Why did they do that? It wasn't even on the list! What else did they do?"

Mom: "Belts and upper radiator hose."

Me: "Why did they do the upper radiator hose? That wasn't on the list either! Anything else?"

Mom: "That's it."

Me: "How much did they charge you?"

Mom: "I'm embarrassed to say."

Me: "Was it over $500?" (I guessed what I thought was outrageously high.)

Mom: "Yes."

So here's what I've been able to find out. She took the car to Redacted and handed them the list and said she had a budget of $700 and to do the most needed repair items. It just so happened that the bill ended up subtotaling $699. It sounded to me like they wanted to get her $700 rather than fixing her real problems.

I asked Mom and the Redacted garage why they replaced the power steering pump. Mom didn't know. I emailed Redacted garage twice, but they avoided answering the question both times. Their response was "We do Not perform unneeded repairs. 

Side note - actually, good mechanics do unneeded repairs all the time. For example, even if the output shaft seal isn't leaking, they replace it when replacing a CV shaft. It's better to spend the $10 now than find out next month that the seal is leaking and you have to basically do the entire job over again.  

Checking Their Work

Mom brought the car over to my house so I could see what was going on and also replace the CV axle. The first thing I noticed was the puddle of power steering fluid on the driveway right under the power steering pump. The power steering reservoir was nearly empty and the pressure hose was leaking pretty badly. It wasn't leaking like that a month ago when I replaced the rack and pinion.

They replaced the belts, but the power steering belt was super loose. The alternator belt tension was ok. 

If I had done work this poorly, I'd be embarrassed even if I did it for free. 

It appeared that they didn't even replace the upper radiator hose, yet they charged her for it.

Then they charged her an outrageous amount for labor.

Why would they degrease the old power steering pump when they're replacing it? That doesn't make sense. As expected, the parts prices are marked up. Here's what they cost at O'Reilly: 

These prices aren't what the shop pays. They get a discount off these prices. Then they mark them up well above what you can get them for. They probably got that $14 belt for maybe $12 and sold it for $22

The most needed repair was the CV axle. That separated boot was staring them in the face as they did the power steering pump. It appeared to me that they certainly didn't do any "most needed repairs".

Axle Job

I replaced the CV axle, along with the output shaft seal and the rear engine mount bushing. I also did a transmission fluid and filter change. Parts were about $225. I didn't charge her for labor, but she paid me anyway. She gets the Mom discount.

As tempting as it was to just fix the shop's mistakes, I left them alone so I could show them what they did wrong. 

A Visit to the Garage

So we went down to Redacted and talked with the person in charge. She said she remembers every car that comes to her shop, and that my mom said she had a budget of $1000 (I thought it was $700). They wanted to figure out what was most important so that she didn't spend $4000 to fix the entire list. [That's what I was worried about.] 

They said that when the car came in that the power steering fluid was overflowing and the pump was making noise. So I imagine that what happened was that the power steering pump started leaking badly and that when the reservoir got empty, it started sucking air. The pump will then compress the air and send it to the rack and pinion. Then when the fluid returns to the reservoir, it'll force out more fluid and air bubbles into the reservoir and make it overflow. Ok, so I guess that was an ok service. But I could have saved Mom hundreds of dollars if she brought the car to me. 

It turns out it's standard practice for this shop to remove the labels from all new hoses . . . and exhaust pipes. Well, I can totally understand removing everything flammable from exhaust pipes, but I'd rather they left the labels on the hoses so you could tell they were replaced. I mean, the cars from the factory have labels on the hoses. 

I remembered specifically checking the radiator hoses for bulging and it didn't look like it needed to be replaced, but the garage decided it was one of the most important repairs. Ok, so maybe they really did replace the hose.

I really didn't have time to hang out all day while they fixed the leak and loose belt. So I said I'd fix them if they'd give her some money back. They offered $150 and that seemed ok. 

I asked how much they charge per hour for labor. She said $110. In shock, I exclaimed "that's more than Car Wizard charges!" I remembered many years ago being shocked at finding out that labor was $65/hour.

Found More Problems

I tightened the pressure hose on the power steering pump. It needs new copper washers because the joint still has a small leak, but it's not dripping anymore. I'm prepared now because I ordered an assortment of copper washers. I'll never go through all of them in my lifetime, but I'll probably eventually need more than just these two washers.

I set the power steering belt tension. I wasn't done yet because I found that the intake manifold was leaking coolant. Every once in a while while I was under the car a drop of coolant would drip on me. 

And the valve covers were leaking oil. So those three items will be the project next time.

Finished?

Sometimes old cars are never finished. But it runs well now. The body shop fixed the damage and it's looking great again.

The rest of the items on this list are not high priority. We'll just keep watch on some of them. 

The Moral of the Story

I guess the important lesson here is to know what you're asking for. Ask up front what it'll cost. If you say you have a budget of X dollars for the project, assume that they will use the entire budget you just offered them.

If you're doing work for someone else, make sure they know up front what you'll be doing and what it'll cost. Get authorization before starting work.

2015 Nissan Rogue S No heat on driver's side.

 2015 Nissan Rogue S

No heat on driver's side.

Sometimes problems like this are super expensive and require removing the dash to fix them. This time we didn't even have to buy any parts. Weird. 

My first step in diagnosing the problem was to check the blend door actuator. Here's how I got to it. 

I removed the two bolts holding the fuel door lever and hood release lever.

  

I removed the fuse panel cover (open driver's side door to access). 

 

 

I pulled off the trim panel next to the gas pedal.  

These pull straight out.

I removed the shin panel by pulling straight out.

 

There were two screws holding in this duct. They were awkward to remove. A 90 degree screwdriver was necessary.

 

There was a slot on top that was holding this duct in. 

Once that duct was removed, I could access the blend door actuator. Getting this duct back in is much harder than taking it out. You may need to be a yoga expert to accomplish this task.

 

Now that everything is out of the way, you can see where the driver's side blend door actuator is located. It was held in by two screws.

After removing it, I saw that it had some plastic flakes on it, indicating that it was stripping out.  

 

The socket it fits into looked similar. 

I used an 8mm Allen socket to rotate the door by hand. It seemed like there were no obstructions.

With the car on, heater set to high, the door would stay in the hot position by itself. The actuator moved fine, and with it set in the hot position and the door in the hot position, I put the actuator back in place. 

It seems fine now. The temperature control moves the actuator and the door opens and closes and the driver's side temperature control works now.

I wonder if the last guy installed the blend door actuator in the wrong position. 

The entire job took about three hours. With this info, you probably could do it faster.

Comeback!

It worked for a couple days then stayed cold again. So I installed a shrink tube sleeve on the motor shaft to take up some slack. Now it goes hot and cold. Hopefully it stays that way. If not, then I'll have to figure out something else. 

Here's a picture of the driver's side hot/cold blend door actuator part number in case we need it later.

Broke Again!

My questions to Nissan are

"Why do you force the actuator to move beyond the limits of the door?"

"Why do you make the actuator torque strong enough to strip the plastic socket?"

 

Dana 44 Speedi-Sleeve, Bearing, and Seal Replacement

This is on the rear axle of a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. 

Required Tools

For this job, you'll need a slide hammer, a press, a rotary cut-off tool, among other common tools. Please don't attempt it without access to these necessary tools. 

The Situation on the Dana 44

If you need to pull the shaft out of this Dana 44 axle, plan on replacing the seal, bearing, and bearing retainer. The bearing and bearing retainer are both pressed on the shaft. The seal can't be replaced without cutting off the bearing and bearing retainer. 

The National 9912 seal has an expanding outer diameter. When the retaining nuts are all torqued down, the seal will be compressed between the retainer and the race and it will expand the outer diameter. Because of this, the seal must be replaced if the axle shaft is ever removed. 

Disassembly

First, I removed the wheel, then the brake caliper, then the rotor/drum. With the parking brake off, it should slide right off. If not, try turning the adjuster. 

Next, I removed the four nuts holding the retainer. Then I removed the bolt holding the wheel speed sensor to get it out of the way so the retainer can slide past it. 

A few light taps on the slide hammer got the axle shaft out. 

To remove the bearing retainer, I used a rotary cut-off tool to cut most of the way through the bearing retainer. It sometimes makes a popping noise when it cracks the rest of the way through where you cut it. If you're getting uncomfortably close to the shaft, try hitting it on the cut with a chisel. That should split it. A similar cut on the opposite side will make it even easier to take off. 

Then cut through the bearing, but don't cut into the seal area. A cut on each side should allow you to pull the bearing cage off. Then you can cut most of the way through the inner race. Try two or three cuts and a chisel to crack it. Then you can tap it on alternating sides to slide it off. 

Now you can slide the seal off. 

Inspect the sealing surface for damage.  If there's only normal wear, you probably can clean it up pretty well with 600 grit sandpaper. 

Speedi-Sleeve

At this point, I realized this wasn't going to be an ordinary job. I needed a Speedi-Sleeve to repair it correctly. Since there wasn't a listing for it in the auto-parts catalogs, I had to verify the dimensions and I saw that the shaft diameter was right in the correct range for Speedi-Sleeve 99187.

NATIONAL 9912 Specifications
Footnote	Expanded O.D.
Housing Bore (Inch)	2.877
Housing Bore (MM)	73.080
Inside Diameter	1.875 In.
Inside Diameter	47.630 mm
Material	Nitrile
Outside Diameter	2.865 In.
Outside Diameter	72.770 mm
Outside Diameter (Inch)	2.865
Outside Diameter (MM)	72.770
Part Description	Oil Seal
Series	9000
Shaft (Inch)	1.875
Shaft (MM)	47.630
Type	25
Unit of Dimension	Inch
Width (inch)	0.470
Width (MM)	11.940

SKF 99187 Speedi-Sleeve

DIMENSIONS

SHAFT DIAMETER RANGE

d1	min. 47.549 mm	Shaft diameter range
d1	max. 47.701 mm	Shaft diameter range

The Last Guy

The last guy that was in here working on this axle did not have the correct tools or know-how to complete the job correctly. It is entirely possible to remove the bearing and retainer without scratching the axle. Here's what the passenger's side axle looked like after he did it the wrong way. 

I didn't do any of this damage. Not buying the correct tools isn't really saving money. I can't imagine the level of frustration and how hard it was doing it the wrong way.

When there is a dent where the seal rides, it will not seal. This will need a Speedi-Sleeve repair.

Driver's side axle:

This side also needs a Speedi-Sleeve. It looks like the guy tried to install the bearing and bearing retainer with a hammer. I think I also see grinder marks. 

 

Here's the driver's side axle with the Speedi-Sleeve installed. It's ok to have the flange there. It won't be in the way even though it doesn't go all the way down. You definitely don't want to press it any farther down than it already is.

The last guy also buggered up the inside of the tube trying to get the race out. It's really simple and easy with a three jaw attachment on a slide hammer. You only have to tap it gently.

When I installed the bearing retainer nuts, I turned each a quarter turn at a time. I alternated between all four, turning each a quarter turn at a time so that there was even pressure on the seal as it got compressed. 

If you want to vicariously experience the thrill of this job, check out the video I made for my youtube channel: https://youtu.be/X-UH6-05nm8

Rack & Pinion Replacement on a 1998 Camry

The rack & pinion was leaking on both sides and the passenger inner tie rod had play, so it was best to replace the whole rack & pinion assembly. I estimated that I could complete the job in a day and it actually went as expected, except that the included pamphlet said the job would take 2-4 hours. It took me eight hours.

Before starting, I remembered a problem I had on several previous jobs. I don't know if you've ever experienced this, but when you're sitting on the ground working on the car, sometimes you can wear the skin on your tailbone. You don't notice until you're in the shower the next day and it's a little too sensitive. I was careful to avoid that problem this time.

Here's a time-lapse of the entire repair.

 

 

There were only a couple things in the way that needed to be removed to get the rack & pinion assembly out. 

 

I had to remove the oxygen sensor. It sounds simple, but this took some time. Why do they make these electrical connectors so difficult to remove? They're in super awkward places so you can either see it or feel it, but often not at the same time. You need super-human strength to press the button enough to release the catch. So I just used a small slotted screwdriver on the opposite side of the button to release the catch and pulled on the wires (bad, I know) and it came right out, wires still intact.

 

I removed the bolts holding the sway bar mounts on both sides. This should be fairly simple, but there isn't enough room for a socket - just enough room for a box wrench, turning 1/12 of a turn at a time on the back bolts.

 

 

There's a nut holding the power steering hose to the rack on the passenger side. Here's a photo of that hose and bracket with the rack already removed.

Getting the hoses loosened wasn't too hard. A 17mm crow's foot on a long extension made it pretty easy. 

The inner tie rods weren't hard to remove from the outer tie rod ends. On cars this old, they could be too stuck to remove and you'd need outer tie rods also. Here's a photo of the outer tie rod end still attached to the wheel knuckle. (Rack & pinion already removed)

The most troublesome part of the job was disconnecting the steering shaft. I had to slide the rack toward the passenger side to get it apart or back together. I used a couple ball joint separator wedges to pop it off. The steering linkage seemed to be spring-loaded. Maybe there was something I should have disconnected on the inside to make it easier. But it's done now.

At this point with the steering disconnected, I made sure to keep the steering wheel centered so that the clock spring in the steering wheel wouldn't get hyper-extended. The wheel should only go one and a half turns from center to either side. Much more than that could possibly damage the clock spring. You'll know if the horn or other buttons on the steering wheel stop working.

 

I tilted the rack towards the front of the car and slid it out the driver's side. Here's the new one going in the same way.

Once I re-connected the steering shaft, I checked if the steering was centered. Of course it wasn't and I had to disconnect the shaft and re-adjust a couple times until it was one and a half turns from center either direction. 

Flush

I connected an extension hose to the return line and capped the return line on the reservoir. I filled the reservoir and had my assistant (ok my daughter) run the engine for about two seconds to get some air out. I then had my assistant turn the wheel all the way both directions to get more air out, all while adding fluid as necessary to the reservoir. After flushing and re-connecting the return line, we didn't have a problem with air in the fluid.

Alignment

After everything was put back together, I used a laser level against the wheel to mark the ground and set the correct toe angle for each front wheel.

Why the Remanufactured Transmission Lasted Only 5000 Miles

Bad Luck

We sometimes joke about selling a car when a major problem starts to show symptoms, but I never considered concealing it and selling it. Unfortunately, I think someone did that to Cameron. He had saved up and just bought himself a car the day before this happened:

I could feel the anguish and tears in his voice when he called me. "Dad, can you come pick me up?" It pierced my heart. "Where are you?"

Before we get to that point, let me tell you what led up to that. Cameron needed a car and was borrowing my 1996 Thunderbird. He grew to like it and asked if he could just buy it from me. I said "Sure. $200 cash plus your $200 interest in the Contour we bought together." Done deal. 

He drove that Thunderbird for several months until something happened to it while he was doing donuts in the snow. It felt like a driveline vibration, but still was there when you rev it up in park. The vibration didn't change as the revs came down. I think the flex plate got bent or something and made the torque converter off balance. It vibrates even on rev-down, so it's not a misfire. Pulling the transmission was going to be some work, so he thought it would be cool to put a Mark VIII engine in it. 

We went to the dealership where they had a 1997 Mark VIII that was advertised for $1999. We asked for an out-the-door price and they said $3500. Yeah, right. During negotiations, we found out it was a repo. We finally got out the door for $2250 because we were nice and they enjoyed doing business with us.

Fast forward about six weeks or so. Cameron was doing donuts in the snow again. But this time the engine started making noise. When you rev it above 3000 or so, it made a horrible knocking noise. Low RPM throttle punches don't make noise. So we pulled off the valve cover to take a look. Compression was 155 on all cylinders except one at 135. As we were cranking the engine for the compression check, we noticed that the oil coming into the top of the cylinder head looked like it had metal flakes, kind of like metal flake paint - really fine particles. The cam bearing was scored too. 

My best guess was that the engine was starved of oil at some point recently. It could have been when it was repossessed. So that engine needed to be rebuilt. I'm guessing a main crankshaft bearing went bad - not a rod bearing. He was so disappointed. He told me that his mind was insistent, saying "don't buy this car" during negotiations. But he did anyway. Hey, it has a 290 horsepower V8. Should have listened to the still small voice.

So the Lincoln got to sit next to the Thunderbird at the top of the driveway while he borrowed my Cougar to get to work and saved up more money to buy another car. 

Classified ads can be really tempting. That's where he found the 2010 Lincoln MKS. Black. He went to take a look at the car and fell in love. He remembered me saying not to borrow money for a car. It might break down and then you'll be stuck with a broken car, a car payment, and a repair bill you can't afford. But this was less than $3000 above what he had saved. He could pay that off fairly quickly. So on his day off, he and his friend went to go get the car. He didn't ask me to come along because I think he was afraid I would say something about not borrowing money. He's probably right. 

Wednesday evening, he brought it home. I drove it. It was nice. I didn't give it full throttle, but I could tell it was fast. The next day, he took it to the DMV and got plates for it. Then I got the phone call. 

"Dad, can you come pick me up?" By the tone in his voice, I didn't know if he wrecked it or if it broke down. "Where are you?", I asked. He said "I just got on the freeway and it started shaking and went into neutral." I said I'll bring my truck and come get you. 

I didn't even check to make sure my tow strap was in the truck. But luckily I had a super heavy ratcheting strap that worked. When I got there, the car wouldn't even start. So I towed it to the next exit and we got off the freeway. We had to stop because the steering wheel started shaking. Adding injury to injury, the front right tire was flat. The tire was destroyed, but the rim still looked ok. 

It didn't take too long to get the tire changed. At least the spare tire had air. While we were changing the tire, I had the jumper cables connected and my engine, idling. That was enough to get the MKS to fire up for the drive home. Power brakes are nice, especially when being towed.

We checked the engine codes and didn't find any transmission codes that would explain it. So I scrolled through and found an entry for "input shaft RPM above expected". That'll do it. During a test drive around the block, he gave it a little gas and the transmission started slipping. I said "whoa, whoa" because I kind of cringe when I can feel the clutch slipping. Driving constant speed, the slip read about 0.5 RPM, essentially zero. But when he gave it a little gas the next time, it hit 336RPM. That's it. The transmission was slipping. 

We got home and he parked it. Reality was starting to sink in. Mom asked "is it the transmission?" and that was too much for Cameron. He cried "yes" as he walked back into the hallway, leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor sobbing. All the frustration of having three cars break down in less than three months came to the surface. It broke my heart. I sat next to him and his sister sat on the other side giving him a hug. Mom tried, but she can't get down on the floor. Well, she could, but getting up would be another story.

Here's where parenting gets hard. Giving kids everything they want isn't good. You don't want to spoil them. But you want to be there for them when they need you. How much should you help them and how much do you let them struggle to make their achievements on their own? 

I considered it thoroughly, weighing my options, relying on God for guidance. I found a transmission on Rockauto and it was about $2600 with a $1000 core. I said I could order it and he could pay me back over time. So with taxes and shipping, it was around $4200. I bought it. I was worrying if I had done the right thing. So in a thought, I wondered if God would approve of what I did. I felt a still small voice in my heart say "you did just what I wanted you to do." 

Sister asked if there was any recourse from the seller. Private party sales are as-is, so unfortunately, no. But I was thinking that there's a special place in hell for people who knowingly sell a car with a major mechanical problem and don't disclose it. I'm not saying that's the case here. He may well not have known. I think he did. But for anyone that does know, this is the kind of impact it can have. 

It kind of annoys me that the catalogs will list parts that don't fit your car. As you can see, there are two transmissions that are listed, but one is not for the EcoBoost version. There is absolutely no reason to list a part that doesn't fit the selected vehicle.

I ordered the one that was in stock. It's not like me to order the wrong part when there is more than one part number listed. I'm pretty sure that when I ordered it, the other part number wasn't there. They even have you enter your VIN to "make sure" you get the right transmission. That didn't work.

From checking things since then, it looks like the AA5Z7000GRM is the 6F50 for non-EcoBoost, and the AA5Z7000BRM is the 6F55 for the EcoBoost. Why couldn't they just include that crucial bit of information?  

I ordered the AA5Z7000GRM (6F50) and it came with a three-bolt-hole torque converter. But this MKS EcoBoost had a four-bolt-hole torque converter. So he installed the 6F50 anyway, not noticing that the flywheel had a four-bolt pattern and the new torque converter had a three-bolt pattern. So he had to take the transmission out again. 

To make it fit, he was going to swap out the torque converter, so he turned in the old one as a core when he ordered it. But then he cancelled it and bought the three-bolt flywheel instead because it was cheaper that way. Unfortunately, the torque converter core already left for the remanufacturer, so that'll ding the core credit on the transmission. I'm not sure what would happen if I turned in a 6F55 as a core for the 6F50. I might pay for shipping and get no credit. That's a big risk.

After he got it all back together, and maybe not too surprisingly, it runs and drives. 

It had a bunch of transmission error codes before the swap, and there was a tuner program loaded. Going back to stock with the tuner produces a bunch of errors and the engine doesn't idle right. I'm not sure what the tuner did to the PCM, but it doesn't seem like it re-installed the stock program correctly. Or it was covering up problems. We'll find out more on this later.

The air conditioning didn't work well because the radiator fans wouldn't come on until the engine warmed up. The PCM controls the fans and the AC clutch, so it must have been the tuner messing with the wrong things. The fans are supposed to come on with the compressor, but the tuner made it so the fans only come on due to coolant temperature. 

Transmission Failed Again

Fast forward a few months and 5000 miles later. We learned an expensive lesson. The transmission needs to be programmed to the computer. That's a new one for me. The new transmission never shifted right. Then it started slipping and making a whirring noise when idling. 

So I decided to check if I could return it under warranty. Going through the online questions, it asked if I discovered the problem before or after installation. After. Was it the correct part for the car? No. Their response: Sorry, you can't return the part. 

Ok that was a little disappointing. So I returned the 6F50 as the core. Yup, the exact same transmission they sent me only a few months ago went back as the core. 

I took the original 6F55 down to Action Transmissions and had it rebuilt. While there, I was informed of the programming procedure. There's a number for the solenoid pack that needs to be programmed into the PCM so it will shift correctly. If I had read the instructions that came with the transmission, I would have known that. That's probably why it only lasted about 5000 miles. I took my piece of humble pie and waited not quite two weeks for them to rebuild it. 

Hard Work

I was really tired, but spent several evenings and afternoons helping him fix his car. We have a neighbor who was very generous and let us use his shop with a lift for a few weeks. That's how Lincoln helped us fix the Lincoln.

While the engine was out, we replaced the water pump. Was there really no better option than making it a timing chain-driven water pump? Seriously. Who does this? Oh yeah, Ford. You can see the water pump sprocket about ten inches above the crankshaft sprocket.

 

We also changed the oil on the PTU (aka transfer case) while it was off the vehicle. Who makes a PTU with no drain plug? Again, Ford. The PTU fluid was definitely due for a fluid change. After draining it out the fill hole, I put another cup of 75W140 in there to flush it by turning the shaft and turning it different directions. The new fluid came out looking as bad as the old fluid. 

Just in case we ever have to do the crankshaft position sensor, here it is, located behind the flywheel. It's actually accessible from the outside of the engine. 

 

 Here's the sub-frame. The engine is on the floor to the right.

Here's the new transmission connected to the engine, ready to go back in the car.

 

There are two ways to mount the rear transmission mount. Once you figure out the right way, it'll fit. 

Oh No!

We got the car re-assembled and fired it up. The engine was sounding like it wasn't getting oil pressure. Then I heard a pop and looked under the car and saw a bolt had fallen to the ground along with a large puddle of oil. Shut it off!

After a close inspection, we determined that the oil supply line to the front turbo had the banjo bolt loosened, which we forgot about. There wasn't enough kitty litter in that small bag to clean this mess up. About four quarts were pumped out onto the brand-new garage floor. I was wondering if we'd ever be allowed back into that garage with the mess we made on his new concrete. 

More Lessons Learned

We got it all back together and were ready for the transmission to be programmed. Before I had the guy come over, I used the tuner to re-program the PCM back to stock. It only took him about 20 minutes to program the transmission. When we fired it up, both the check engine light and the wrench light were on. I was concerned. The wrench light in our Freestyle meant that the transmission fluid pressure was too low and it was in limp mode.

After scanning for codes and looking at the sensors, I found that we forgot to plug in the camshaft position sensor on bank 1. Also, the MAP sensor was reading 15 inches Hg with the engine off, when it should have been 25 at this altitude. We plugged the cam position sensor back in, but the permanent code didn't go away when we reset the check engine light. 

Here's where my ignorance cost Cameron another $75. He bought a new cam sensor and installed it and the permanent code still was there. I did some research on the internet and found that permanent codes don't go away with a reset or by disconnecting the battery. They only go away when you fix the problem and drive it enough so that the computer is satisfied that the problem is fixed.

The MAP sensor is probably why the car went into limp mode when the tuner programmed it back to stock. Like drugs minimizing pain, the tuner probably ignored the bad readings from the MAP sensor. 

With a new MAP sensor, a new camshaft position sensor (now plugged in), new radiator hose, and the transmission successfully programmed ($150), it seems like it's all repaired. Hopefully it lasts.

Fixing the Ice Maker on my Kenmore Refrigerator

I have three full size refrigerators. I had two, but my mom's fridge died. The compressor failed. I can fix stuff, but wasn't going to put a new compressor in that old, small fridge. So I bought a nice used fridge that had an evaporator error code. Mom's kitchen cabinets were a few inches too low and this fridge wouldn't fit. She didn't want to tear out her cabinets so she got a small fridge and didn't need the one I got. I eventually fixed my fridge to get it out of my garage and put it in the kitchen to run it and test it out. Then people in my house went shopping and loaded it up. Apparently two fridges weren't enough for eight people.

Fast forward a couple years and error code SY EF (for the evaporator fan) showed up on the temperature display. If you search for 240389646.pdf, you'll find the wiring diagram for my fridge. It's a Kenmore, model 253.70313211, but everywhere online doesn't use the decimal point and just says it's model 25370313211.  

So when the evaporator fan failed on my Kenmore fridge, I had to unload the food into all the available space in the other fridges. I ordered a fan motor and figured this would be a great time to fix the ice maker. Or try.

The ice cube tray would never fill with water. I checked the valves and they all worked. I connected power to the ice maker water valve and water came out into the ice tray.

The motor that rotates the ice cube tray was fine. I took it out and connected a couple AA batteries to it and it ran the motor. The touch-arm (that detects if the tray is full) also was moving just fine. The switch on that arm tested fine. The ice-maker evaporator fan worked fine too.

The Source of the Problem?

The temperature sensor in the ice-cube tray is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor. I measured the resistance and it was around 5000 ohms at room temperature. After much searching, I found that it should have been closer to 11k ohms at room temperature. I found that information in the service manual in "February 2011 FGHB2844LFE 5995556437 Frigidaire Bottom Freezer Refrigerator Service Manual.pdf". It looks like Frigidaire made this fridge for Kenmore.

I put the ice cube tray in the freezer, which was around 0 degrees F and came back after an hour to read the resistance, and it was about 28k ohms. According to the chart, that means it was reading 32F. No wonder the computer never turned on the water. It thought the ice tray was too warm. 

Stupid Tax? Nope. Lazy Tax.

So I ordered the thermistor from Sears parts and paid way too much because I didn't feel like spending hours looking through the mouser.com catalog for the correct thermistor that really costs less than a dollar. Seriously, there are thousands of different kinds, 6048 of them. At least I didn't order it from Amazon where it was about $90. They must be making bank. There are other thermistors in that fridge that use the same resistance to temperature conversion. So I can deal with different style plugs - just cut and splice. 

 

First, I pulled out the shelves and the ice maker tray. 

Next, I removed the two screws holding the insulated front panel.

 This top panel comes out with a 1/4" socket or a long screwdriver bit holder.

I unplugged the wires and lifted up on the tab and the twist motor and ice cube tray then came out.

Next, there's this mounting bracket on the top. I pulled this toward me and it slid off the mounts. 

 

Next, I removed the three screws in the front holding the icemaker box in place. I didn't really need to pull the whole box out, but if I needed to service the evaporator fan, it needed to come out.

 Here's the thermistor kit I ordered.

Before I installed it, I verified the resistance at room temperature matched the temperature chart. I also used the foam to hold it against some frozen meat and the resistance converted to 17F. Then I used my infrared thermometer and it also said the meat was 17F. That was good enough for me, so I installed it.

I shouldn't have used any of the thermal mastic that came with it because it never dries. I hot-glued one side so it would stay put. Then I put some foam insulation tape on there to hold it in.

Here's what it looks like just before re-installing it.

 

 So I installed it and the temperature reading was wrong. I entered diagnostic mode on the fridge and the ice tray was reading 26F even though my IR thermometer showed 1F. 

I back-probed the terminals and measured the voltage across the thermistor and it was about 3V and a little tingly. More carefully, this time I measured AC voltage and didn't see any significant AC voltage on the multimeter, but still felt tingly on the door handle. I inadvertently discovered that there was a 117V AC difference between the thermistor and the fridge door handles while I was probing it with my volt meter.

Since I had replaced the plug, I thought maybe I swapped hot and neutral. Nope. The neutral wire was the ribbed side. Hot went to the black wire and that was confirmed on the wiring diagram. 

Now it makes ice once every few days or so. I still need to check the power connector on the main board to make sure it wasn't installed backwards from the factory. I'll update this post if and when I check that. 

For my future reference, a good substitute thermistor has parameters R = 10k ohms, B = 3320K, and they are only $1.72 each.