Could it be? Is that your mechanic sitting at the bar beside the Maytag repairman, crying in their beer?
Nah. Though cars and trucks are becoming more like appliances, they are not quite as dependable as your washer or dryer. Cars break and upkeep is essential. But maintenance tasks are fewer and farther between.
And carmakers are trying to make many of the repairs quicker and easier to perform. What have they done for the 1997 models? Here is the rundown on the Big Three:
General Motors
The cooling systems on all 1997 cars and light trucks are filled with Dex-Cool coolant (antifreeze), which is orange. It contains none of the silicates common in regular antifreeze and the normal change interval is five years or 150,000 miles. GM warns that you must use Dex-Cool when you add coolant. If you use a product containing silicates, you will have to change it more often.
All automatic transmissions come with Dexron III fluid, which has improved cold-temperature properties vital for the electronic controls to work properly. You can use Dexron III in older cars, but you can’t use Dexron II in newer ones.
Some cars don’t have a transmission dipstick anymore. Nor do they have a dipstick for the power steering fluid. Neither is expected to leak.
Platinum-tipped spark plugs, with 100,000-mile replacement intervals, have become common.
Though you still have to change your oil and filters regularly, most luxury cars, including the Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Park Avenue and Cadillacs, have a “change oil soon” light and chime to remind you when the oil’s useful life reaches zero. If your technician or quick-lube outfit does not know how to reset the reminder light, tell them to turn the key on (without starting the engine) and floor the throttle three times within five seconds.
The center high-mount stop light on the Silhouette, Venture and Trans Sport uses light emitting diodes, or LEDs, which should not burn out like conventional bulbs.
When you choose the electronic level control system on the Venture, Trans Sport or Silhouette, you also can get an accessory inflator kit that includes a 20-foot air hose with built-in pressure gauge and a variety of valves and needles. Using the air compressor for the shock absorbers, this could be handy to inflate a tire losing air without going to the service station.
The optional power sliding doors (right-side only) on mini-vans are controlled by a computer module that detects obstructions. It has self-diagnostics that communicate with the technician’s Tech 2 diagnostic equipment. There are three diagnostic modes: Mode 1 sounds diagnostic trouble codes through the warning buzzer; mode 2 is for all the switches; and mode 3 allows the technician to test the rear door latch release and all the wiring to the power sliding door. If the battery dies or is disconnected, the computer will lose its memory, which will have to be reinitialized.
The desiccant, or dryer element, in the air conditioning’s receiver/dryer can be replaced without replacing the whole unit on the Cadillac Catera. This should save money on parts and labor.
GMC Silverado, Chevy Van and GMC Express air conditioning is controlled by a computer that turns off the air if the engine temperature begins to rise to help prevent overheating.
Trucks, such as the C/K models, with the 6.5-liter diesel engine have a mass air flow (MAF) sensor, which makes diagnoses of the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve simpler.
The 4T40E transaxles, on compact and midsize cars, have self-diagnostics, allowing technicians to extract trouble codes for 20 conditions ranging from a torque converter clutch release malfunction to a vehicle speed sensor intermittent malfunction.
There is a temperature sensor in the 4T60E (large cars) and 4T65E (supercharged cars) transaxles and if the fluid temperature rises above a certain point, the computer runs the transaxle in a “hot mode,” altering the shift points, disabling fourth gear and forcing the torque converter clutch to engage in second gear. Unless you are aware of this, you may think it is malfunctioning.
The 4T65E, a beefier version of the 4T60E transaxle, has a torque converter clutch that provides a controlled amount of slippage. Those who are used to feeling the torque converter clutch engage, may wonder whether it is working properly if they can’t detect it.
On the Pontiac Grand Prix, a switch allows the driver to select normal or performance. If your fuel economy drops, make sure you check this button first.
The Grand Prix has four-wheel disc brakes, but the rear calipers are no longer used to apply the parking brake. Instead, the rotors are hat-shaped and there are small, parking brake shoes that apply to the inside of the hat. This eliminates the need to regularly use the parking brake to keep the brakes adjusted on the rear calipers.
The radio antenna for the Grand Prix and Oldsmobile Achieva is integrated with the rear win
dow defogger and connects to an amplifier in the headliner. If the backlite gets scratched, it could interfere with radio reception. The radio antenna for the mini-vans is in the windshield and connects at the top.
You have to load CDs upside-down in the trunk mounted multi-disc changer in Grand Prix and all cars so equipped.
With remote, keyless entry systems, the door lock and lighting can be programmed. On the Grand Prix, for instance, there are four door-lock modes, and they can be changed by removing the “MALL PGM” fuse, holding down the power door lock switch and stepping through the modes on the keyless entry transmitter. If your locks or lights don’t behave the way they used to, make sure no one has been playing with the settings. There is a similar technique for the mini-vans, which also include a programmable theft-deterrent system.
The transmission on the Cadillac Catera has no dipstick and, under normal conditions, the fluid never needs changing. The automatic transmissions for the rest of the rear-wheel-drive vehicles 4L60E and 4L80E have drain plugs in the pans making servicing easier and less messy. To check the transmission fluid level, you must raise the vehicle and remove a screw in the side of the case, like manual transmissions.
The Catera fuel pump and gauge are among the easiest to replace, being accessed through a door in the trunk floor.
The fuel cap on all 1997 vehicles seals with one-quarter turn, and you’ll hear three clicks when it’s tight. If you leave it loose, the “service engine soon” light comes on.
The Astro fuel tank has a three-gallon “empty” reserve, but don’t rely on it for extended-range because the fuel cools the submersed fuel pump. This improved low-fuel performance may give some motorists a false sense of security because the engine will run fine until the tank is dry.
Daytime running lights are standard across the board at GM. The system is activated by a light sensor on the dashboard so don’t cover it with your tissues, maps or radar detector. If you don’t want the running lights on when you’re idling, apply the parking brake before you start the car. The lights won’t come on until you release the brake.
The headlights and taillight assemblies on the Buick Century and Pontiac Grand Prix are one piece, which makes assembly and aiming at the factory a breeze but probably will be expensive to replace if a lens gets cracked.
Vehicles with a driver information center or trip computer will let you know when the tires need air. The ABS system measures the rolling radius of all four tires and, if pressure drops in one, the tire pressure light comes on and stays on until you adjust the pressure and reset the “calibrate tire” button. If the tire pressure and ABS lights come on at the same time, the pressure indicator isn’t working and needs service.
Ford
With the creation last year of the Ford Upstream Customer Service Department, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles have become some of the most service-friendly cars built in America.
According to Ford spokesman Kurt Kiser, the department was created to address the cost of ownership for the life of the vehicles. Its mission is to increase customer satisfaction in the product development process, and in many cases is has succeeded.
The redesigned Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer have a cooling system that lets all the coolant drain from the radiator petcock. On most cars, you still have to remove a plug in the block to get the coolant out of the engine’s water jacket. And those drain plugs are notorious for becoming rusty and seized into the block.
The instrument cluster can be removed from the dash with the steering column in place. Not only does this save some time, it also probably will prevent squeaks and rattles. Unscrew the face plate for the gauges from the front then the cluster comes out after a couple more screws are removed.
A two-piece bracket was designed to make alternator replacement easy. Without this bracket, the technician would have had to remove the radiator to get to the lower bolts.
Beginning this year, the shop manuals for Escort/Tracer, F-Series trucks and Expedition will have little text and more pictures. For instance, one page from a manual that explains removal of the timing chain guides for the 6.8-liter engine has only 16 words. Other car companies have had similar manuals for some time.
The intake manifold and fire wall extension on the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable were designed to allow access to the spark plugs as well as the passenger compartment air filter and wiper modules. The intake manifold runners have openings between them so the technician can get his wrench on the spark plugs. Before the Upstream Customer Service team forced an engineering change, the technician had to remove the manifold.
The filler locations for most of the common fluids have been grouped together to make it easier for motorists to add oil, washer fluid, power steering fluid and such.
The oil filter on the Taurus and Sable 3-liter Vulcan and Duratec engines as well as the 3.4-liter SHO engine faces the front of the car to make replacement easier for the do-it-yourselfer and professional tribologist.
The air conditioner condenser is not bolted to the radiator on Taurus and Sable, so you no longer have to remove the radiator to service the condenser. There also are access holes to reach the attaching bolts.
No tools are necessary to replace the halogen bulbs for the headlamps, which also have integral bubble levels to make them easy to aim.
To make it easier to change the rear struts (shock absorbers) on Taurus and Sable, the rear seatback pops out exposing the upper strut mounts.
The Triton engines in the Econoline, F-150 and F-250 trucks have a fail-safe cooling system that may prevent a catastrophic breakdown. The system prevents overheating by killing various cylinders’ fuel injectors one at a time. It will be added to the F350 next year.
Fuel filters are good for 30,000 miles, up from 15,000, on Econoline vans. Most Econoline maintenance items can be reached easily from the front. Ditto for fluid fillers on the driver’s side of the engine compartment.
The Econoline engine cover (the dog house between the front seats) has been redesigned, allowing better access to the back half of the engine. The module board for the ABS electronics swivels out from under the dash after one bolt is removed, making service and diagnostics simpler.
The oxygen sensor on the 4.2-liter engine on the new Expedition and F150/F250 trucks, which share a platform, has been moved from under the exhaust manifold, saving two hours when replacing it, said Ford. The transmission crossmember unbolts from the frame, making transmission removal easier. The front axle can be removed as a unit after unbolting the axle shafts.
On 4×4 Expeditions and F-Series pickups, the oil filter is behind the front bumper, making the filter easy to change and giving a clear path for oil to drain.
Chrysler
Except for the restyled Dodge Dakota pickup and Jeep Wrangler, most of Chrysler’s vehicles are carryover models from previous years and, according to spokesman Mike McKesson, there are no significant serviceability or maintenance changes.
Take a look under the Dakota’s hood, whose secondary latch is behind the grille on the passenger side. Coil springs replace the prop rod to keep the hood open.
The 3.9-liter V-6 and 5.2-liter V-8 have new spark plugs gapped to .040-inch to improve idle. They are still easily accessible.
The orifice tube, one of the most replaced parts of an air conditioning system, has been moved to the condenser outlet and can be replaced separately.
Since the Dakota coolant overflow bottle is hidden between the battery and grille, a dipstick has been added to check the level. Like all fluid checkpoints–washers, transmission, brakes, power steering and engine oil–the cap has a yellow label. On the Jeep, the same items have black markings on yellow backgrounds.
The power distribution center, a fuse block for high-powered circuits located on the driver’s side fender, has a 140-amp fuse in the alternator circuit, which takes the place of a fusible link and is much easier to replace.
The Dakota hydraulic clutch system features a quick disconnect at the slave cylinder to speed service. With this higher pressure system, the clutch engages closer to the floor than it used to.
Trucks with an automatic transmission won’t shift into fourth gear if the ambient temperature is colder then 5 degrees below zero or if the transmission fluid temperature is below 30 degrees, at which the increased viscosity may prevent the transmission from functioning properly. The computer uses the battery temperature sensor for ambient and the transmission’s temperature sensor for fluid. Likewise, if the transmission fluid temperature gets too high, the computer will inhibit shifting into fourth gear and illuminate the “trans temp” light on the dash. To adjust the throttle kickdown cable, your technician has to remove a clip.
Like the other carmakers, emission-related transmission conditions will make the check-engine light come on. For example, if something fails causing the transmission to resort to the limp-in strategy, the computer will illuminate the light, so it is important that your technician determine whether the problem is related to the transmission or engine.
The Dakota has a plastic fuel tank, with quick disconnect couplings that make it easier to install and service.
The halogen bulbs for the Dakota headlights can be replaced through an access hole in the panel near the radiator. There are hash marks on the windshield so you can properly align windshield wiper arms when replacing them. But to access certain components for the heating and air conditioning, the technician has to remove the cowl cover.
Since some people don’t regularly monitor them, a “check gauges” light has been added to the Dakota instrument panel. Another new feature is an LCD odometer that can be used for the cluster’s self-diagnostics. If you hold down the trip-reset button and turn on the key, “chec” will appear instead of mileage. Trouble codes are displayed alpha-numerically. The self-diagnostics check the cluster as well as the other modules. The cluster pulls out after the bezel is removed and pops back into self-docking connectors as simply as plugging a lamp into a wall outlet.
All fuel and vapor lines on the Wrangler have snap-lock connectors with integral releases.
The Jeep has a vacuum-fluorescent odometer display. Turning the key on while depressing the trip reset button makes all gauges cycle to their calibration points and flashes the various bulbs in sequence to show they are working. The computer’s stored trouble codes will display in the odometer if you turn the key on-off-on-off-on in five seconds.
Virtually all modern vehicles have electronics that draw a little battery voltage, even when the key is turned off. This can be a problem if you take a long vacation. There is an “ignition off draw” fuse in the panel behind a snap-off cover on the left side of the Dakota dash. The fuse has a retainer so you can store it without removing it from the fuse block. The fuse block for Wrangler is behind the glove box and a label below identifies the circuits each fuse protects so you don’t have to look them up in the manual. Two spare 10-amp and 20-amp fuses are stored in the block.
The central timer module, which has some of the same functions as the body control modules on other Chrysler vehicles, can be serviced through an opening in the glove box.
Though the carmakers have focused most of their efforts on comfort and convenience, and safety and security this year, maintenance and serviceability have not taken a back seat.
