1999 Ford Expedition with oil leak
Q: I bought a 1999 Ford Expedition and have been having oil-leak problems. At about 16,000 miles, I started noticing the oil spots on the driveway so I brought the truck to the dealership. They kept it for an entire week, replacing one of the head gaskets. I wasn't happy having my almost-new truck with low mileage needing major engine work; but now, at 21,400 miles, it's leaking again in the exact same spot. I called the dealership and told them about it, and they said I had to bring it in so they can see where it's leaking from. I don't have time to leave it with them for another week, and I'll bet it's leaking from the same place because the spot on the driveway is the same.
A: The odds are high it's a repeat of the oil leak past the cylinder-head gasket. It's been a problem on some of the Ford 4.6L and 5.4L V-8s. Certain engines were contaminated with metal debris between the cylinder-head gasket and the mating surface of the cylinder head and/or engine block. These metal chips and slivers, acquired during assembly at the factory, may have left permanent impressions in one or both of the mating surfaces. The technician that replaced the head gasket at the dealer may not have performed a thorough enough inspection of the surfaces before reassembly. If any impressions were measured deeper than 0.025 mm (0.001 in.), the cylinder head or engine block assembly should've been replaced along with the gasket. Ford has a detailed service procedure describing thorough cleaning, inspection, and assembly operations to help avoid recurring leaks. You need to get it back to the service department where they can accurately determine the origination point of the leak with the use of a fluorescent dye-leak test. If the cylinder head to engine-block joint is confirmed the source, you may want to press the issue with the service manager. This should ensure a detailed inspection is performed and extra care is taken to do the job right this time around.
1993 Range Rover with faulty fuse
Q: I've had a 1993 Range Rover since it was new, and it's started having electrical problems. The other day, while driving home, the A/C and radio shut off at the same time. I thought the Rover blew a fuse. After I got home, I realized many other items weren't working either--the air-conditioning, stereo, power sunroof, power seat, interior lights, hood light, and the horn. I checked the fuses in the dash with a test light, and it seems maybe half of them have 12 volts coming through. Someone said there's a fuse box under the hood, which holds larger fuses that run major components, but I was unsuccessful in locating it.
A: Your Range Rover isn't one of the more electrically friendly vehicles. Fuses are all over the place. There's the fuse block in the dash, which you've found and tested, another hidden under the dash; there are fuse blocks under the driver's and passenger's seats, an ABS fuse block, and miscellaneous independent fuses scattered in numerous locations throughout the vehicle. There's no fuse block underhood on a '93 Range Rover, but it did incorporate one in later models. It seems you've lost power to multiple components, and the larger the number of dead circuits tends to lead us closer to the battery when tracking down a break in power distribution. The first place to look is the right-hand side of the engine compartment behind the battery. That's where you'll find a bundle of fusible links wrapped up in the wiring harness. A fusible link is simply an insulated wire calibrated to burn and break a circuit when amperage flow becomes excessive. You may have a burned or corroded link causing the problem. If a fusible link is confirmed the cause, and you're not familiar with electrical repair, you should have a professional do the job. An amateur patch will always lead to a repeat failure.