QuestionKen,
Thank you so much for responding to my question.
I perhaps called the snow a "bank" incorrectly, but was just trying to describe its deepness. It was in fact, about knee high, but was in my apartment building outdoor parking area, so there should have been nothing underneath to hit or bang into. The rubbery tires sound logical though.
A reputable mechanic is something I really don't know how to find. I know for a fact that my local Ford dealership performed an unnecessary repair to the tune of $350 Canadian, so I would not return there.
A local independent mechanic was highly recommended by many neighbours and until last week I was very happy there. He would charge me less than the quoted price, for example, if when he was doing a tune-up, he noticed that some things were new enough not to need replacement.
Two weeks ago however, I hit a pothole on a rainy, dark morning, and the car totally "died", would not restart at all and had to be towed. I had expected a HUGE bill, but was pleasantly surprised that it was only $120 including parts and labour. Apparently the "fuel cut inertia switch" needed to be replaced. He gave me the original switch when I paid, but when my husband saw it he said that it looked in good shape and all that had been needed was for the mechanic to push in the red button to reset it.
I hate to think that someone I trusted could have tried to pull the wool over my eyes, and also hate the thought of losing a mechanic I trust.
Is there any situation when this switch would need replacement rather than just being reset? It looked fully intact and not broken or anything.
Also, could this huge pothole hit (that sounded like an explosion!) have anything to do with this "service engine soon" light two weeks later?
Thanks again for your help.
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Followup To
Question -
After spending about 10 minutes going in reverse and drive to get out of a deep snowbank, my "service engine soon" light came on and stayed on while I drove my son to school and back.
Is this something very serious or could it just be because of the excessive wear and tear on the gears as I shifted (as carefully as possible though) from reverse to drive and back again. We did smell a rubbery smell during that time as well.
Answer -
Ms. McCrae,
It is very possible that you hit something underneath the vehicle while getting out of the snow bank. I would recommend that you take your vehicle to a reputable repair shop and have them place your vehicle on a scan tool. As for the "rubbery smell" it could be from your tires which were most likely spinning while you were getting your vehicle unstuck. Hope that this helps and if you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Good luck.
Ken
AnswerMs. McCrae,
Yes, hitting the pothole could indeed have something to do with your "service engine soon" light coming on. As for the fuel cut inertia switch, just because it does not look broken or shows no wear does not necessarily mean that it is not bad. I would recommend having someone jack up your vehicle and look up on the exhaust pipe near the front end by the tires. You should find a 1-2 in long canister with 2 wires coming out of it, this is your O2 sensor. If either of the wires are broken, you will need a new O2 sensor. It should cost somewhere between 40-100 dollars. It will run okay with out this, however it will eat more gas if you do not replace it. Also check to make sure that there is no snow packed up behind your tires in the hubs, which could affect the ABS sensor which in turn could trigger your "service engine soon light". If you do not want to have the vehicle put on a scan tool, you could remove the positive battery cable for about 15 minutes and then replace it. This will reset the computer. I can not, however promise that the "service engine soon" light will not come back on, which is why I recommend having your vehicle placed on a scan tool by a reputable auto repair shop. Hope that this helps you and if you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Good luck.
Ken
