Q: My daughter drove about 10 miles not realizing the emergency brake was on.
The Overdrive light on is flashing and the car does not seem to be switching gears as it should.
It seems to be running very rough. Is there anything I can do before I spend lots of money on a mechanic?
(single mother just getting through Christmas).
Thanks
A: The 10 mile drive issue only concerns itself with an abnormal load on the engine for those 10 niles and brake shoe wear . The engine should have been able to take the extra strain .
Rough idle is not part of the first isssue . Look for spark plugs that need to be replaced . Vacuum leaks can cause rough idle . Check for these using a soapy water mixture in a spray bottle . Carefully spray the hoses at each connecting point to see if the water is sucked in at that point . If so , replace the hose . Check for any kind of wear along the hoses as well . A dirty air filter can cause a rough idle because the engine is not getting enough air . For the gears problem , sounds like you are low on transmission fluid . The transmission also needs a vacuum source from the engine , based on this car is an automatic transmiision equipped car . If there is a leak in this line that goes to the transmission , this can cause difficulty in changing gears , and a rough idle . For the fluid level check , warm the engine up to it's normal operating temperature , set the parking brake , keep the transmission in park , and with the hood open , check the transmission fluid level with the transmission fluid dipstick . If the fluid level is to low , you found a source of your gear changing problem . Carefully refil the trasnsmission to the correct level . Do not overfil the transmission . The reason here is that you run the risk of a blown seal and that will cost you a lot of money to have it fixed .
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