General Motors
Some 2002-05 General Motors cars with 2.2-liter engines may momentarily lose power steering assist on startup when the ambient temperature falls below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to GM, the power steering function usually returns after a few seconds of driving, with the problem being traced to design flaws in the power steering pump. Replacing the pump with an upgraded design, part No. 26091879, should eliminate further trouble. Be aware that the new pump doesn't come with a reservoir and cap, so you need to swap those parts from the old to the new unit.
Vehicles that are susceptible to the condition are 2002-04 Olds Aleros; 2002-05 Chevy Cavaliers and Pontiac Grand Ams and Sunfires; and 2004-05 Chevy Classics.
Infiniti
Some 2002 Q45 models may produce a grinding or groaning sound from the front brakes during the first few pedal applications following a long period of inactivity (usually overnight).
Infiniti says the noise is most obvious at low speeds just before coming to a stop, and is due to incompatibility issues between the disc brake pads and rotors. Installing upgraded front brake pads with a different friction formula, part No. 41060-AR290, should eliminate the noise immediately
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi warns that you need to be extra careful when troubleshooting knock sensor faults on 2007-08 Outlander SUVs. The problem has to do with the fact that the knock sensor circuits were mistakenly reversed between the left and right banks of the V6 engine during production. That means that the trouble codes you see on your scan tool's display for Bank 1 are actually being triggered by faults on the opposing bank, and vice versa.
Following are a list of knock sensor codes that might be displayed on a scanner, a short description, and the code that should be used to diagnose the problem correctly:
- P0326 (displayed code) – Circuit performance (Bank 1) – P0331 (correct code)
- P0327 – Circuit low (Bank 1) – P0332
- P0328 – Circuit high (Bank 1) – P0333
- P0331 – Circuit performance (Bank 2) – P0326
- P0332 – Circuit low (Bank 2) – P0327
- P0333 – Circuit high (Bank 2) – P0328
"Factory Fixes" is written by Jim DePalma, a 30-year veteran of the auto repair business who has served stints as a service manager, parts manager and ASE-certified technician. His column provides vehicle manufacturers' authentic factory technical service bulletins (TSBs) that have been condensed for easier reading. Mr. DePalma advises that techs always check with a dealer or repair information system for the latest revisions before starting to work on a vehicle. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].