Ask the Car Guy @socky June 13
What is your car trouble?
I want to give back to Steemit community and provide some help on something that I know very well. Cars and how to fix them.
Please ask me about your car issue. Won't go into gear. Strange sounds. Don't know if you should take your car in to the shop. Just ask.
Send me the make, model, and year along with car symptoms.
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My son is having ball joints replaced on his 2001 Nissan Xterra. They did the tops but they said that the bottoms needed inserts and they had to order them. I have never heard of inserts ...have you?
I'm not sure what the insert is. The entire lower ball joint itself is an insert. The unit is pressed in and out. There is a snap ring to guarantee that it doesn't come out. On some vehicles, the snap ring is not used. If the mechanic gives you a parts list, you can just take the part number of the insert and plug that number into google and see what comes up.
There is also an insertion tool that is used to press the lower ball joint out and back in. Perhaps they are just missing the tool or the adapter to fit the Nissan.
Thanks for the info. My grown son is over 100 miles away near Seattle. He has taken it to a mechanic at a well known tire chain (Les Schwab). He's used them before, and he tells me they do good work. Apparently, it took them all day to do the top ball joints and he is to return this weekend to have the bottom completed. He had mentioned that they said they might have to 'torch' them off as they are frozen due to road salt used during winter months. We will text our son and ask about the insertion tool to press it out and back in. I'll let you know what happens; he's usually very busy during the week. It will be sometime this weekend or early next week before I know the outcome. Thanks again.
I have a honda accord 2003 that is has alot of smoke coming out of it when ever i the car on. It also have a off sound as well but im unable describe sadly. But the last thing I took this car in for was a supposedly a oil leaking out the exhaust which was creating a dark residue in the pipe. Any information is helpful thanks in advance. @socky
If you have smoke when you start the car or when the car idles for a long time and then accelerates with smoke, then it could be that the valves need "valve stem seals". It is possible to repair it without complete tear down of the motor. It is no easy task to add or replace these seals. It requires removal of the camshaft and the use of a spring compression tool.
It could be more severe and you need to take the car to a mechanic to have a "compression test". This will determine if you have bad piston rings or a damaged valve.
Thank you!! I do appreciate the feed back