QuestionHi, I have a 1998 Chevrolet Malibu V6, and ever since I took it to Firestone to have a tune up, it hasnt been the same, and nobody seems to know what could be causing everything. I was driving one day, running the ac, and everything was normal. I cut the ignition off, and got out, but when I started my car to leave, the ac was no longer running cool air, and the gas and temperature gauges werent working. Shortly after, I noticed that I had no automatic headlights, and sometimes, I needed a jump to get started, although I could eventually get it started if I kept trying. The car ended up running so hot, that my coolant tank exploded, and the mechanics that Ive seen so far can infer that the battery and alternator are good (both fairly new). The fuses are fine, although my fan isnt starting up, but it functions perfectly when wired to another vehicle. Still,no one seems to be able to determine the underlying cause. Before I spend hundreds of dollars having it checked out again, any suggestions? Thankyou for your time and help.
AnswerThe most common problem is a bad ignition switch. A loose connection inside the switch will cause an intermittent loss of power to the gauges, fan, lights, AC, etc. It will also cause an intermittent no start condition. Usually if you turn the key off and on a few times it will start and every thing will startworking again. This is a fairly common problem and us technicians in the dealerships would be able to repair it correctly for you. Shops like Firestone usually dont have the know how to diagnose problems like you are having.
If you need anything else, feel free to ask and I will be glad to help you in any way that I can.
