Oil, Gas Combination May Signal Serious Problem
Question: The oil in my truck smells like gasoline. What is it trying to tell me?
Answer: The message is that you have a potentially serious problem that needs to be fixed immediately.
Gasoline is entering the engine, diluting the oil and degrading the ability of the lubricating system to protect the engine. If you can smell the gasoline, chances are you can also observe that the oil is not as thick as it should be.
The gasoline can enter the engine in several ways:
* If a choke on a carburetor becomes stuck in the closed position, gas may drain into the engine from around the piston rings.
* If the carburetor float malfunctions and dumps too much gasoline into the intake manifold.
* If the engine is shut off on a hot day, gasoline may boil out of the carburetor float bowl and spill into the intake manifold.
Q: I had to replace the windshield wiper blades on my 1984 Chevrolet Caprice on a recent trip. Now the blade on the passenger side can be moved without moving the driver-side wiper. The passenger-side blade gets entangled with the driver-side blade. How do I fix this?--F.C.L.
A: The problem should be relatively easy to fix. The two blades are operated by a single motor that is connected to the two blades by a simple transmission, consisting of a connecting bar and some simple gears and eccentrics.
When the blades were replaced on your trip, possibly the entire wiper arm was removed, then improperly reinstalled. You can try to remove the passenger side arm, then put the wiper system in what is called park. To do so, you need only turn on the wipers and turn them off. That will stop the motor and transmission in the correct position.
Then insert the wiper arm onto the splined shaft coming out of the front cowl area. You can test whether this has solved the problem.
If not, then you may have to replace transmission parts. The system can be accessed by removing a cowl below the windshield and at the rear of the hood area. The arm connecting the wiper blades and the related mechanical parts are easy to inspect.
Q: I have just bought a used Volkswagen Rabbit with a diesel engine. I have heard that adding a half-gallon of gasoline to a tank of diesel fuel from time to time will keep the engine running well. Is this true?--K.W.
A: That’s a terrible idea. Under federal law, diesel fuel has a certain minimum flash point, the temperature at which the fuel will ignite. By adding gasoline, you substantially alter that characteristic.
A diesel engine does not have spark plugs. It detonates the fuel from the heat of intense compression inside the combustion chamber. By adding gasoline, the mixture will detonate too early in the engine cycle and possibly cause costly damage.
