Q: The air bag light is usually on in my 1994 Chevrolet Caprice, although it goes off occasionally. We took it to the dealer. The first visit included two hours of labor, and I was told it was a loose connection under the dash that they repaired. It stayed off for two or three weeks and then began to come on again — sporadically at first and then almost constantly. A visit to a different service adviser resulted in one hour of labor to tell us that four hours of labor would be required to find the problem (if it was only connections), then another hour to repair (if it was the module), for a total of $1,400 plus labor. What gives? My thinking was that the first repair came loose since it did cure it for a bit. I would really appreciate your comments and suggestions.
A: Wow, you really do have a problem. I don't understand why the dealer can't pull a trouble code if the airbag light is on, and then of course follow the diagnostic procedure for that particular code. The proper way for the dealer to take care of this would be to fix the problem and charge for parts only, and no further diagnostic charges. You paid for the repair once. If parts are needed, then you may be on the hook for it. If the dealer is not agreeable to this idea, ask for a refund from your first job. If you had to go to court, you would win. Considering we are dealing with a 14-year-old system, it wouldn't surprise me if the module has gone bad, the harness has deteriorated, a bad ground, a bad clock spring or even a corroded connection. Unless the dealer made a statement on the invoice stating the repair is not complete, I feel you are entitled to a refund or further work at no charge. I did take the time to check the Alldata tech service bulletins, and there is not a listed repair for this problem. Once you get a refund, you may want to go to a dealer that's willing to fix your Chevy properly.
Q: My mom has a 2001 Mazda 626, four-door with 26,500 miles on it. Twice in the last two weeks, she has been unable to start the car. This happens after she has driven to her destination, then gets back into her car to go home. The first time it happened, she called me, and I called a local mechanic who agreed to "go to the car." He wiped down both sides of the key and flipped the key over, and lo and behold, the car started up! The second time, this little key trick did not work. We called a tow truck. As soon as it was pulled into the bay of the auto shop, they tried to start it and again, the car started. This second mechanic was not sure what the problem was and said he thinks it may be a "computer chip" problem. He said my mom had two choices: Pay a lot of money to see if this is in fact the problem (but it may not be) or just drive around and hope it doesn't happen again. At this time, my mom and dad have opted for the second choice, and my mom is worried it will happen again when she is a distance from home. Please offer us your advice so that Mom can drive safely and worry free.
A: There have been quite a few problems with the keys and the immobilizer system in the Mazda. A new set of keys and reprogramming of the immobilizer should put some reliability back into the car. Diagnostics should of course be performed before performing this repair.
Car Care Tip: Your owner's manual contains a maintenance schedule that includes normal and severe service. In our area, you should consult the severe service side of the plan.
¢¢¢
Larry Rubenstein is a master technician who owns a North Shore service station. His column appears Tuesday in the Biz North section. Write to Larry at Salem News, c/o Auto Scanner, 32 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA 01915, or send e-mail to scanauto@aol.com.
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