Car ignition damaged

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Your situation is incredibly unfortunate! Hopefully insurance will help pay for the damages. Pricing is going to vary greatly depending on your location. You are going to want to gather a couple of quotes and compare pricing. The damage done, and the kind of help you have in your area will all effect pricing. If the majority of the damage is inside of the cab, you are looking at having the interior redone. Seats, flooring, electrical components, door panels, window seals, and whatever else would have been damaged will be priced individually for the most part. If engine damage has been done, you will have to do a full diagnosis before obtaining a quote. For more help, or a quote from our technicians, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

ANSWER : Hello and thank you for your question. It seems that the battery in your vehicle has a low charge and probably has an overcharged cell. I recommend replacing your battery then re-testing to see if it keeps on starting up. As far as trying to start the vehicle like a manual, on an automatic transmission, that will not work for the transmission will have not oil pressure to the clutch packs. The engine must be running to create the oil pressure to make the clutch packs inside the transmission work. If you need assistance with your battery, I recommend seeking out a professional, preferably one from YourMechanic to help you with your vehicle.

ANSWER : Hi there. What had happened is the wrong key set the security to the vehicle. This is to prevent the vehicle from starting with the wrong keys. Try removing the battery cables (+) and (-) for 13 minutes. During that time, put the original key in the ignition and turn it on. Activate everything in the car even though there is no power. Then remove the key and hook up the battery cables. The computer should have reset and reset the security. If the security is still being tripped, then I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you

ANSWER : There are reports that the replacement alternators will not communicate with the engine computer and will not charge correctly. I recommend using only the manufacturer approved replacement part. It can be new or remanufactured but approved for use in the vehicle. Some lower cost alternators on the aftermarket will have charging problems since they will not communicate with the ECM on the vehicle and will stop charging.

ANSWER : Hello, thanks for writing in about your Oldsmobile Aurora. A bad starter solenoid could make the starter run, but would not activate the ignition switch, so the engine could crank but not run on its own. I would recommend testing and/or replacing the starter solenoid. If you need assistance with fixing this issue, contact a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, to diagnose the starting issue firsthand and help you make the necessary repairs.

ANSWER : Hello, an app for accessing your car temp sensors (whether engine coolant or ambient air temp), will require access to the cars electronics through the OBD-II port, and a programmable communications device. The OBD-II port, and any temperature sensors on the vehicle are powered only while the ignition is in the Run/Start positions. To do what you are suggesting will require pretty much a stand-alone monitor and report piece of hardware, or a function driven by a wake-on-command facility using something like OnStar to retrieve temperature data.

ANSWER : Hi There,
The catalytic converter is entirely unrelated to the ignition switch and neither of these should impact the other. The catalytic converter converts toxic exhaust gases into less harmful pollutants that are suitable to be expelled into the atmosphere. When the catalytic converter is clogged, this causes these gases to be backed up into the exhaust system not allowing the engine to breathe properly. When this happens, the engine is forced to work much harder to expel these gases. This often results in the engine bogging down, hesitating, shaking and causing very poor fuel economy. This should also cause a check engine light to come on as the O2 sensors should be reading the incorrect amounts of oxygen in the exhaust gases if this is your problem. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and replace your catalytic converter.

ANSWER : I suspect you have a dead (or very low) battery, a failed alternator, and an electrical circuitry problem as well. It may be hard to tell which came first if there is wiring damage already. The clicking you hear is likely the starter solenoid not getting enough power because of a dead battery.

If the car shut down while driving, that is usually an indicator that the alternator is not charging the system. Once you have jumped it off, it should continue to run on the alternator. The failure to run more than 10 mph and the smoke from the engine compartment suggest very low system voltage and additional wiring problems sapping all the electrical system’s power.

I would recommend having a professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, perform an inspection to determine why the battery will not hold a charge and assess any additional problems with the alternator.