Question
I love your site very informative. I have a question. I don't know if you can help or make suggestions. I have a 1992 Mazda Protégé that is stalling while you're waiting a stop sign etc and at times have a hard time starting it. When you try to start it it just sits and turns over and it will eventually go but it takes a long time to get it going. I had a tune up done on a recent trip and when I returned home I took the distributor cap off to check everything and it looks like, on the distributor itself, there is a crack and a bit of it missing. Would this cause the stalling and hard to start problem? Hope you can make some suggestions.
Thank you,
Mervin McLay
Answer
It could very well be the cause of the problems you are having. It's certainly not helping any. I would have to actually see it to be sure but from what you say it does sound like the cause. At any rate the distributor needs to be replaced if it is damaged.
Question
Dear Mr. Ciulla,
I have a 1996 Dodge Caravan 3.0 liter engine with 120,000 miles. Everything was working, we had lots of rain for 3 days, parked outside, and now no headlights, gauges, gauge lights, door locks, interior lights, or wipers. (Washer motor still works). All went at same time; I think it is the BCM. My question is will a salvaged BCM work? Do they remanufacture this part? And how to install?
Thanks...
Answer
Sounds like it could be a bad BCM. As far as I know that is a Dealer only part. You can try to get one from a junkyard but it may be difficult since everyone wants one. When you go looking you will need to make sure the part number on your BCM and the part number on the one you get from the junkyard match exactly.
The BCM is located under the dash to the left of the brake pedal and behind the junction block. It is a simple matter to remove the old BCM and install the new one.
Comment
Hello Vince,
I was browsing for an answer to my 1998 Toyota Camry EVAP (Evaporative Emission System) problem when I came across an answer you gave to a poster with the EXACT same symptom, "Check engine goes on for a while and then goes off for a while (over days or weeks) and codes indicate EVAP system". While the standard "dealer" answer is to tighten the fuel cap, it is usually not that ultimately, although in the short term that does help.
By the way the problem gets much worse if you leave the car running while fueling (why would anyone do that).
The problem is the VSV at the charcoal canister. Toyota agreed to an EPA settlement on these cars over this exact issue and agreed to cover the whole EVAP assembly under warranty and agreed to extend the warranty to 14 years or 150,000 miles. Applies to many 1996, 1997 and 1998 Toyota products. I know all this because I have one of these cars and suffered through convincing the dealer to fix it. Also a good number of them have Air Fuel Ratio Sensors instead of O2 sensors that are significantly more expensive to change. (Yes I have the receipts)
Just wanted to add something to the body of knowledge.
George Persico
Thiells, NY
Thank you for that George. Toyota did issue a Technical Bulletin on this on April 3, 1998 and again for the same problem on July 12, 2002. So they do know that this is, indeed, an ongoing problem. However I was unable to find anything on the warranty extension. I would suggest anyone who owns a 1998 or 1999 model year Toyota Camry or Solara that exhibit a M.I.L. "ON" with DTCs P0440, P0441 and P0446 stored to contact their Toyota dealer instead of taking it to an independent repair shop.
