Car Starting and Running Issues

• 💡 A Ford Ranger owner experiences intermittent starting problems, especially in the rain, which is diagnosed as a weak spark likely due to issues with the cap, rotor, or spark plug wires, suggesting a full tune-up.
• ⚠️ Another caller's Studebaker Ford Ranger has starting issues where holding the gas pedal down for minutes is required to get it to run, indicating a weak spark problem.

Vehicle Noises and Diagnostics

• 🚗 A Nissan 240 SX owner hears a barely perceptible whine that disappears when the clutch is pressed, pointing to a potential issue with the transmission's pilot shaft bearing.
• 👂 The advice for the Nissan's transmission whine is to check the transmission oil level and, if full, to continue driving until the noise becomes severe, as some cars can tolerate this noise for years.
• 💨 A Dodge Monaco exhibits a howling noise at speeds above 40 mph, particularly on windy days, which is suspected to be wind noise from a poorly seated windshield or weather stripping, rather than a mechanical issue.

Car Care and Maintenance

• 🔧 A squealing fan belt on a Geo Metro, which repeatedly breaks, is investigated. Theories include a loose belt, misaligned pulleys, or contamination from oil leaks like a valve cover or crankshaft seal.
• 💡 For the squealing Geo Metro, the recommendation is to check for foreign substances on the belt, ensure correct belt tension (about half an inch deflection), and consider the possibility of misaligned pulleys.
• 🇩🇪 A Mercury Tracer wagon owner in Germany is concerned about driving at sustained high speeds (85-95 mph) on the Autobahn, and is advised that this strains the engine, shortens its life, and is particularly damaging to an engine not designed for such speeds.

Specific Car Problems

• 🔊 A Volkswagen Fox has a strange noise and vibration when the horn blows, identified as a loose horn mounting bolt that vibrates against the car's body.
• 🌡️ A carbureted 1987 Chevy Caprice cab is experiencing vapor lock in hot weather, even after replacing the fuel pump and adding an auxiliary pump. The suspected cause is a plugged charcoal canister in the evaporative emission system.

Creative Car Customization

• ✨ An art student wants to cover her 1987 Plymouth Sundance with rhinestones and paint. The advice for painting is to ensure proper surface preparation (cleaning and solvent use), and for adhering rhinestones, epoxy is recommended after testing, with weather strip adhesive also suggested.
• 🎨 The Plymouth Sundance owner is advised to use a solvent to prepare the surface before painting and to use epoxy or weather strip adhesive for gluing rhinestones, with testing recommended.