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CrossfireForum.org is a website packed with information and discussion for owners and enthusiasts of this unique Chrysler two seat sports car built from 2004 to 2008. Topics covered include everything from basic how-to maintenance tips to more technically challenging modifications for all Crossfires including the coupe, roadster and SRT-6 models.

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact marketing@rockauto.com.

This happened quite a long time ago with my 68 Cougar XR7. I had driven home from California to Missouri on Christmas leave from the Marine Corps. One morning, I went to start my car. It cranked over a couple of times, backfired once, but refused to start.

I pushed it closer to the garage and grabbed my dwell meter, timing light and a few tools. I checked the points and condenser first. Everything under the distributor cap looked fine so I buttoned it back up. I hooked up the timing light and dwell meter and proceeded to loosen the distributor bolt so I could check and adjust the timing. I gave the distributor a small twist and it did not want to move, so I loosened the bolt some more. When I hit the remote starter button I had clipped to the starter solenoid, the engine cranked over a couple of turns, backfired again, and blew the distributor out of the engine block. If it was not for the spark plug wires it would have hit me in the face.

The problem turned out to be the timing chain. It had worn through the nylon outer portion and into the aluminum camshaft gear which let it jump a couple of teeth. That lesson taught me that you do not need to loosen the distributor bolt all that much.

I am just glad the timing chain did not fail until I got home and did not leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere during my cross-country drive.

Joseph in Missouri

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

As of January 2018, what is the average price of a new Full-Size SUV/Crossover?

A. $28,075
B. $39,950
C. $62,575

Answer below

Electric pumps are a trend for new vehicles. Electric power steering and water pumps help boost fuel economy. New hybrid systems require electric water pumps to cool new parts such as inverters. Car manufacturers have more than a century of experience designing systems using belt driven pumps, and it is not surprising that some of them discovered at least one unforeseen problem when they moved to electric pumps. Audi describes such a problem succinctly in a technical service bulletin (TSB), "Coolant may have migrated into the wiring harness through the connector and into various control units."

Electric Water Pump for BMW 3.0L

The Audi TSB is referring to the connector on a coolant control valve. On another brand vehicle it could be an overheated/melted connector on the side of an electric water pump. There is a leak at or close to an electrical connector and pressurized coolant is inadvertently pumped through a wiring harness. Wiring harnesses are wrapped in conduit to protect the wiring inside. Unfortunately, that conduit can also act as a path for coolant.

Coolant loss is a problem that should be diagnosed and fixed on any age vehicle. Extra care must be taken with newer vehicles not to dismiss that damp spot on the interior carpet as Junior's spilled soft drink or assume the liquid in the taillight must be rainwater. It could be coolant leaking from a new part in a new location that did not exist on your previous vehicle, or it could be coolant using a wiring harness as long distance plumbing.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Tom's articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

This is my dear Volvo PV 834 manufactured in 1952. The car has been a part of my life for over 40 years. I bought it in 1977 when I was 18 years old.

The Volvo's renovation has taken a lot of time, and finding parts was once difficult, almost impossible. Fortunately, I found that RockAuto carries a lot of parts for classic cars of the 1940s and 1950s in their catalog. Those parts can be easily found because they include precise measurements and size information, which has been a great help for me. Luckily, Volvo used some of the same engine and axle components as several American cars of that era. I have purchased shock absorbers, all brake parts, as well as suspension, engine and ignition parts from RockAuto.

Thank you RockAuto for providing all the parts my car will ever need and for quick delivery to Finland.

Best Regards,
Pertti in Finland

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

As of January 2018, what is the average price of a new Full-Size SUV/Crossover?

A. $28,075
B. $39,950
Answer C. $62,575 (Another reason to keep taking care of that trusty family hauler or work truck!) source: KBB.com

Back up to trivia question