Tag Archives: breakdowns

Lemon Law case WON for Honda Brake Concerns

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I had a Lemon Law case for brake concerns a few years back for a Honda Odyssey not stopping as soon as they should and locking up at other times.  I got a call from the customer who had been referred to me by their Lemon Law Attorney here in Los Angeles.

I set a time to inspect the vehicle for the customer and drove out to Redlands, California on a Saturday morning. The weather was clear and the roads were dry. I photoed the Honda Odyssey Van and did a walk around checking for damages as I always do and the van was very well maintained. I checked all fluid levels and inspected under the van for leaks at each wheel and then the ABS Anti-lock Brake System the Hydraulic Control unit and the Brake Master Cylinder. I photo the Van under side and brake parts, the VIM number and odometer before and after the road test, this is normal operation when inspecting a vehicle.

I did observe moisture at the Hydraulic Control Unit which made me to be extra cautious and photographed that moisture at the Hydraulic Control Unit and would be extra cautious during my road test. This brakes system is what the main concerns were when the customer complained about to the dealership for not stopping as it should and locking up the wheels at times.

I road tested the vehicle several miles as I do all vehicles and found the brakes at times in the rear would lock up as well as observed brake fading when holding the brakes down to stop, this is not normal operation. I finished the inspection and advised the customer to return to the dealership and show them the moisture at the Hydraulic Control Unit so she would be able to show the dealership Technician.

I returned to my office an did my research on ALLDATA for Technical Service Bulletins to see if Honda had published any Bulletin for the Technician could apply that to the problems on the vehicle.  There were no recalls but there was one Technician Service Bulletin on the brakes for brake leaking at the Hydraulic Control Unit and I was stunned to see what the repair was on this Odyssey Van. The Technician Service Bulletin actually had the Technician apply sealer to the leak at the Hydraulic Control Unit, my thought was this cannot be right because sealer will not hold on a Hydraulic control Leak.

I did my report and used that Technical Service Bulletin to show Honda knew about a brake problem with this New Honda Odyssey but the repair was not what I expected because sealer will not hold pressure or stop a leak in the brake system.

Several months later I was subpoenaed to be on the witness stand to show the Jury my finding as well as Video and Photo’s I had made during my inspection and explained how this brake system works and why sealer was not a good repair for it, it was unsafe and should not have been repaired under this Technician Service Bulletin. After my testimony the Technician for Honda disputed what I said and said the sealer was a good repair for this part. The Jury disagreed with his stamen and took the evidence I had and we won the case all the way across. The customer got a full buyback from Honda and the attorney’s fees and expert witness fees were paid.

The fact is brakes are a safety issue when not working properly which will include brake squealing noise when stopping, grabbing, groaning noise, pulling to one side, fading, vibrating when stopping, not slowing down or pulsating when stopping.

You can win in a lemon law case as long as you have it together, this customer had good records showing she had complained several times for her complaints and the fact is the factory will not make repairs unless it is a proven defect and repair attempts were made several times.  When a repair is made under the Factory Defect Warranty it is because it was verified and repair attempts were made. The Lemon Law applies to New and Used or Certified Pre-Owned vehicles.

Thank you and please pass it on if you like,

Jackie Winters

Lemon Protection@yahoo.com

800-700-0109

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motorhome Inspection New and Used

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I have inspected Motor-homes and 5th Wheels over the last several years and was amazed on what I have found wrong with new and used Motor-homes. Everything from broken parts to lose parts too parts not secured in place, bolts coming out screws stripped out and loose, water leaking at the tanks, water shooting out of the toilet when flushed as high as three feet, gas leaking and parts not connected just to mention a few things.

After years of inspecting Motor-homes and 5th Wheels I thought it was time to let people know about what to look for when making a purchase of a new or used Motor-home.

You would not expect to find things wrong with a brand new Motor-home but the truth is the people working on these are not all trained certified mechanics, some are trained mechanics that find a job with these companies and then start doing what they are told to do. I am sure over time the men or women get better at what they do and in fact make better homes for the customer but still some things are left undone or improperly done because of the time to get them out the door.

I have written a new book on Motor-home Inspection and it covers the home from front to rear inside and out on things you can see and test before purchasing.

Some of my customers have stacks of document of complaints on their Motor-home and the major headaches they have in attempting to get them fixed. I do Lemon Law Inspection on them.

One of my customers had a near accident but a Truck driver behind saw what was happening and he blocked the two lanes next to her to give her time to pull over safely and that allowed her to get out and tie up some of the doors that had just fallen open. The doors fell open during travel because of bent or improperly mounted holding locks.

I have one customer coming out of Arizona and he had just purchased a Brand New Motor-home and less than 100 miles he observed his siding was peeling off, he pulled over and picked up the siding and went to a hardware store and purchased a box of screws and re-secured the siding. He drove to a dealership and they said you did a better job than we did and we can’t make the siding any better for you, you are OK to go. He left a little dazed at what he was told.

I have seen molding falling apart or broken during assembly when the parts should have been replaced but was not. This book I have written will save you a lot of headache and down time if you just take the time to do what I am telling you to do before you sign the contract, a lot of things you may find you can order them to be properly fixed before you take possession. If you take possession and then find things wrong you better be ready for a long hall on the process of getting things fixed that is if you can find an authorized dealership to do the work. I have seen some homes in the shop for as much as three months for a simple repairs because of parts on back order or the shop is just busy  to get to the work needed.

Tell a friend and if you want a copy of my book send me a $20.00 money order or check and I will send you a copy by Priority mail 3 to 5 day delivery.

Keep in mind those Motor-homes are protected under the Lemon Laws on New and CPO vehicles and 5th Wheels.

Thank you and tell a friend.

Jackie Winters

lemonprotection@yahoo.com

Z-28 Ignition Problems A No Money Easy Fix

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5.7 L Z-28 Cleaning the Distributor and Not replacing it?

As most anyone driving the GM Z-28 Camaro with the 5.7 L engine knows the GM Distributor is located in front of the engine and when it gets wet it causes a lot of problems and finally a no start condition. I just had 1994 Camaro Z-28 leak water from a pin hole and then the distributor got wet and that was it, it started to run bad, jerking, spitting, barking and then stopped running just as I hit the end of the driveway.

I pressure tested the water system and found a pin hold in a coolant return line on the top right side of the engine, I fixed the leak. I attempted to start it but failed. I knew the ignition got wet and had to do what most don’t like to do and that is, just get into it and get it over with. It took me 5 hours, I’m old and slow and getting slower at something’s, not to mention I ache a lot.

My first thought was darn it the location of the engine distributor was not thought out well when it was designed into the engine and will place a lot of people in a bad spot if it get wet as a lot of them do just like I did.

The Ignition Distributor is on the front of the engine on a 5.7 L engine. It sits behind the front crankshaft harmonic balancer and water pump. These two parts have to be removed to get the distributor off along with a few other parts like the fans, hoses, electrical connectors and coil as well as the AIR Pump and belt. It is not a hard job to do but it is time consuming.

FYI, the Distributor runs off the water pump drive gear and that runs off the cam gear connected by chain to the crank gear. If you do this repair be sure to check the water pump for leaks or noise, a cheap part to replace and can save you from an unnecessary repair.

If the ignition gets wet it will make the car start to run bad, then worst, then not at all. So if you remove the distributor don’t spend hundreds of dollars and buy a new part, this one can be fixed unless up break it taking it apart, here is how.

After you remove all the parts and get the Distributor off the engine and on the bench your ready to fix it all in just a few minutes without buying any parts.

First wipe the outside of the part clean with a rag, if the nipple of the distributor cap is damaged you will need to replace it if not here is how you fix it to run again as if it never got wet. A used distributor can be used off another module if you have one but I think I read a new one is around $30.00 check your local auto part stores.

Now that you have removed the distributor from the engine and it’s on the bench and cleaned.

There are four inverted thorx head screws that has to be removed, I could not find a tool to fit the screw head bolts so I used a 3inch thorx head screw from the hardware store stick that screw you get from the hardware store upside down and with a pair of vice grips hold it then unloosen the four screws from the distributor cap and place them on the side.

Next be gentle and lift the distributor cap off the Control Module and turn it over. Most likely it will be wet with water so I used an air hose to blow dry mine, if you don’t have air use a rag to dry it out, and be sure it is very dry. If it is not wet your control module may be shorted, if that is the case you will need to have it tested before you replace it. Be sure if it is dry to check all the wire connectors for continuity and looseness as well as breaks before buying a new control module. The junk yard I am sorry to say, is full of Z-28s and the parts will likely work if you match the car you’re working on for the parts thus saving you money. If it is wet continue to clean the cap.

Also while the cap is off scrap the tips of each contact, a small flake will drop off, that’s burned carbon build-up on those points.  Cleaning those contact point and rotor tip will make better contact when you restart it. If you observed you will see a seal that is around the housing, if it breaks and mine did. I used some RTV Red, a very fine coat on the gasket both sides to hold it to the part and to stop any water intrusion if leaks water on it, this RTV will not hurt anything and will seal the cap to the distributor control module.

I can’t say this will work on all engines but it work perfect on mine, it cost me a few hours of my time over a few days, I can only work a little at a time. On average I think anyone willing to try and do this repair will be able to do it in a less than 5 hours and save as much as $800.00 or more in parts and labor, you will need one special tool you can get from an auto parts store for around $25.00 it’s called a Harmonic Balance Puller. Good luck and GOD bless all.