# What did the mechanic do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 8, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914 "2015-05-08T21:02:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/21 "2015-05-09T02:16:20Z")
Db is correct, there is no serviceable fuel filter on this car. Your most probably cause of lean operation is an upstream oxygen sensor that’s seen better days. This’ll send a false signal to the ECU and cause fuel metering errors. Other possibilities are dirty injectors, low fuel pressure, and perhaps a dirty mass airflow sensor, although that’ll generally cause other operating problems. You need a good shop to do a proper diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/22 "2015-05-09T03:15:22Z")
Re: Breaking fittings when replacing auto fuel filters. Somebody here – I think it was db4690 – mentioned it is important to use a special type of wrench, the type designed specifically for flare fittings. Since I have been following that recommendation, I haven’t had any problems with disconnecting and reconnecting these type of fittings. I acquired two types of these tools, one is the normal wrench version, another, which comes in very handy at times, is a crow’s-foot version. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/23 "2015-05-09T05:03:17Z")
MAF cleaner is alcohol, pure alcohol. A spray can of MAF cleaner is pretty cheap, all things considered. Throttle body cleaner or carburetor cleaner will damage the MAF. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/24 "2015-05-09T05:53:53Z")
A common name for those wrenches is “line wrench” ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/25 "2015-05-09T06:31:40Z")
From CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner MSDS: Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated light: 80 - 90% Carbon dioxide: 5 - 10% 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane: 3 - 5% n-Hexane: 3 - 5% Methanol: \< 1% ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 6:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/26 "2015-05-09T06:38:43Z")
Am I missing something here? The OP is asking strangers on this forum what the mechanic did instead of the mechanic that did something . ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 6:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/27 "2015-05-09T06:51:33Z")
Why not just go back to the mechanic and say that his fix worked for awhile, but it’s back and maybe he could use more fairy dust this time. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![doorhandle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@doorhandle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doorhandle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 8:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/28 "2015-05-09T08:48:39Z")
I don’t feel much like driving across the country to see a mechanic ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 9:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914/29 "2015-05-09T09:15:25Z")
The only thing I can think of that he could have done quickly and which would have an effect on your car in regards to those problems would be cleaning the battery cable terminals. I suspect the transmission shifting hiccup could be coincidental unless there was voltage fluctuations caused by a poor battery connection which could possibly have affected the ECM to some degree. Maybe it would be a good idea to go over those battery connections again, check the battery condition out, and the alternator output at the same time. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-did-the-mechanic-do/89914.md?page=1)