Hey guys, something funny is going on with my car. Firstly, a few months ago the car's accelerator suddenly stopped doing anything and the steering wheel locked in place... Luckily I was going slow in a non-busy street. Very scary but it didn't happen again.

But now after driving a while, my car suddenly stops moving forward at idle speed (when you let go of the break and the car rolls forward). When this happens and I press the accelerator to get the car going, the car (I think the engine) starts vibrating as it catches speed then it stops. To fix this when it happens (which is only when I drive for a long time) I put the transmission on drive 2 then I manually shift to 3 then to 4, where it normally should be. I would also like to note that my primary oxygen sensor is malfunctional but I still have my secondary (I hope). It's very expensive to replace at the body shop and I don't have the money for it.

Note: I hardly ever drive the car much, the oil looks ok, the battery is new, the check engine light is on, been in a couple of accidents, engine is dusty and dirty (wish I knew how to clean it), intake is good.

Questions:

1. Do you know what's wrong with my car? If so, how to fix it? I think it might be my transmission fluid is leaking or something... But I really don't know how to check for that.

2. Is it bad to manually shift with an AT tranny like that? Is there a right way to do it if it's ok? Anything I should or shouldn't do?

3. Is changing the oxygen sensor myself cheap and easy? Because I would do it myself if yes and if there's some instructions around on how. (I am not bad with cars and tools, but not an expert either).

Thanks!

 

You can change your o2 sensor easily, all it takes is unscrewing it and disconnecting the wires to it then put the new one in and put the wires into it. Just be sure you don't get the new one dirty before installing it. Your o2 sensor probably isn't the reason your having troubles though. If I understand correctly you car only shakes when your at a stop, your motor mounts are probably cracked.

 

hey thanks! is there any guides on how to change the o2 sensor and its location?

also, the car doesnt shake when its stopped. it shakes as i press the accelerator but only when the idle rolling isnt working at the time, if you know what i mean

 

How do you know your primary oxygen sensor is faulty? The secondary oxygen sensor and the primary oxygen sensor do not do the same thing. The secondary oxygen sensor isn't used by the PCM to control the engine, it is used to check if the cat is working. If you have an OBD II car (1996+) you should get a check engine light if the O2 is no good. If you have a light, have the code pulled at autozone and post it. The O2 sensor might not be the problem. Also, check the spark plugs and distributor. Since the problem seems to get better in D2, I would think the tranny may have something to do with this. The engine will struggle to take off if the tranny is in high gear when you start moving. If your tranny has a problem and it is constantlyin high gear, then this may explain the problem. You can check your tranny fluid level, there is a dipstick on the side of the trans. Make sure the level is correct (there is a different line for cold and hot) and make sure the fluid is the correct color. Anything other than red is bad.

 

unlike most cars u have to check that trans with the car NOT running

 

thanks! i know the oxygen sensor is bad because i had the check engine light a long time ago and i took it to the bodyshop and he told me that was whats wrong. i never changed it because it costed a lot and didnt seem to be causing any trouble for the car. im sure that the second problem i described is unrelated, however i feel as if i should change that oxygen sensor anyway. also i had previously checked the tranny fluids and they seem ok to me. the tranny isnt always in high gear, it just struggles to take off then it works normally and shifts gears automatically while the speed is constant. i can avoid the struggling by rolling forward instead of coming to a complete stop too.

the car usually runs ok but if im driving for a long time this starts to happen and im scared itll lock up or do something weird in the middle of the high way when im going fast haha