Car trouble

Last night, the engine light in my Ford Taurus went on again. It was flashing, which is more serious than when it stays on. I went to the Autozone across the street from where I live and they checked it. The said three cylinaders were misfiring and that it needed a tuneup.
I'm dropping it off with my mechanic on Wednesday. Could it just need a tuneup or could it be something more?

 

You know what, when I saw this thread title I knew it was your thread.

I have nothing to add but that.

 

Could be just that it needs a tuneup, but three cylinders misfiring could also mean you need a new coil pack or that you have clogged fuel injectors.

 

You know me too well.

 

Let your mechanic (one you trust I hope) tell you what the trouble code is, get ready to spend $350 and quit buying crappy gas.

 

This week we have to come up with $800 for a transmission for my husband. That's just for the part itself. He's going to do the work to put it in. We also had a water main break between the meter and the house. The bill was outrageous, not counting the cost of repairs. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I'm feeling a bit frustrated.

 

How does one avoid buying such gas? Do you suggest buying premium instead of unleaded? Or do you suggest that different gas companies have better gas? I don't know much about cars, but 90 percent of the people I know who are more informed simply buy regular gas from whatever station is the cheapest.

 

I sympathize on the car trouble. A week after moving to my new job, the clutch in my Neon - $800 repair bill, which I didn't have after moving and paying rent and utility deposits. Luckily, a friend had an old pickup he let me borrow for now... 18 mpg vs. 35 for my Neon. So I'm paying twice as much for gas ... but at least I have wheels.

As far as bad gas... I think it's always a crapshoot. I'm not aware of any company that consistently has bad gas... and I am not sure buying premium really helps.

 

A tuneup is kind of a misnomer now. About all that's done is to change the plugs. You might also check the spark plug wires. Cars no longer have distributors and you can't adjust the timing, so that part of the tuneup is gone.

 

There is an excellent chance that you have a sensor problem. A mechanic will tell you the difference. Just because your check engine light comes on doesn't necessarily mean that you're having problems.

 

Check engine light in my 1990 Lexus comes on all the time. Engine has been checked. It's fine. Well, as fine as an engine with 265,000* miles can be.

Light still comes on, though.



* Rough estimate, since odometer quit working at 214,571.

 

One of the more common reasons for a check engine light to come on is a bad gas cap.