QuestionI've had a really weird occurrence with my car. I believe it to have a few issues but here is a puzzling one. Twice now the car has had a transmission service (fluid and filter change). I had the car for two years. its the mid level version...LS i think.
1)it stalls a lot in the cold (until warmed)
2)it shakes and nearly stalls when i try to go. while waiting to pull out into traffic i keep a foot on the brake and have to slightly lean on the gas to keep it on if the idle is going back and forth.
3)it has stalled mid drive but will start back up no issue
4)does jerk, shift hard somewhat or has a hard time getting into fifth gear
5)random engine light has come on once i hit a bump then went back off.
6)there is some smoke out the rear occasionally. white and gray i believe. it doesn't smell like rotten egg or sweet just like exhaust. mostly when i am sitting still for a long period while in park or drive.
7)was leaking oil but fixed, replaced distributor, starts up ok, new battery but also needs new terminals for the battery area.
8)occasional flickering of lights but usually when the fans kick on
9)slipping out of gear or rolls a second when i change gears from like reverse to drive
10)won't go into fifth gear unless overdrive is off.
here is the weird part. once i do the tranny service the car has run like a dream. but slowly over time, it comes back to these things. I don't mind doing the service but i believe something else is the issue. there may be a couple of things here. My radio died so i can't tell if that flickers (as you said that indicates a bad alternator sometimes in previous posts). My previous 2 mechanics have said this is a common problem in the transmission. the gears and car run great once the service is done for a good year or so.
if you see anything telling please advise how to fix the issues or have them fixed/checked at a decent price. the car has always stuttered but the dealership says its not a problem they can see. I do plan on doing the codes, but the light never stays on. Hopefully it will have recorded why they came on.
thanks in advance for all the time and responses you have shared!
AnswerMelissa,
A flickering engine light usually means there's a bad emissions sensor somewhere; like a poor oxygen sensor. A bad oxygen sensor can also contribute to smoke exhaust, if the car is running too rich. Stalling problems and a dying radio can be caused by a failing alternator. You have easy enough have your alternator and battery tested. There are a number of other things that can cause an engine to stall, including bad timing due to a slipped timing belt or a poor camshaft angle sensor. Various air intake regular components and sensors can also spawn check engine light and cause stalling issues. You may want to have another mechanic or two inspect the car for any obvious problems and do a full tune-up if you haven't had that done already.
Good luck!
