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Question: 1995 Mercury Mystique  mileage 132,000. Recently our Mercury Mystique started making a noise from the left front wheel, since it sounded like a bad tire I took it to the local tire store. After driving it they put it up on the lift and they showed me that while spinning the left front wheel you could hear a clunking noise inside the transmission. They said that they thought I should have the transmission checked out. They also said that my left front wheel bearing housing was bad and that was what was making the noise, but they suggested that the bad bearing was caused by the transmission. What inside the transmission would cause the bearing to go bad? If I decide to re-build the transmission myself, how hard is it on this car and will I be able tell what is causing the noise when I get the transmission open? Is there a book that you would recommend that may help me?

Answer:  Obviously it is easier to replace a wheel bearing than to rebuild the transmission. With the car up on a hoist, the engine running and the transmission in gear, the noisy component should be easily pinpointed. A Mitchell, Chilton, Haynes, dealer auto repair manual or a specialty repair book for your make of car will have step-by-step instructions so you can judge for yourself the difficulty based on your level of experience.

Question: 1998 Mercury Mystique mileage: 106,000. My Charging System light is on. Not fully lit, but dim and flashing. My Battery was completely dead, so I bought a new one. The Light is still on. When I start the car and pull off the positive and negative poles to test the alternator the car instantly shuts off. The problem is I can't find the alternator to replace it. My Question is the alternator gone bad or what is making that light come on.

Answer: Do not remove the battery cables with the engine running. This is not the way to test an alternator. There are special instruments for load testing an alternator. We suspect that you have a burned out diode in the alternator, which would require replacing the alternator. A Mitchell, Chilton, Haynes, dealer auto repair manual or a specialty repair book for your make of car will have diagrams and or specifications showing what you are looking for. The manuals and books give step-by-step instructions.

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Question: 1995 Mercury Mystique mileage: 162,000.  The problem the car is having is in the air filter area. A mid-pitch noise comes from the air filter area (sounds almost identical to the sound a conch shell makes when blown). My mechanic looked at it and showed me where the noise was coming from. It only happens when you either have been driving the car and come to a stop or when you rev the engine. As he demonstrated for me by having me rev the engine, he could feel the air filter box vibrating. As soon as he unclipped the box and lifted it up, the noise went away. However, I completely removed the air filter and box and then tried to rev the engine. The noise was still there, but it took a higher rev to produce it. I was wondering what I can do to keep this annoying noise from occurring again.

Answer: From what you tell us, it appears that replacing the idle speed control motor will fix your problem.

Question: 1996 Mercury Mystique  mileage: 90,000. Hi, I've had it in for a tune up and everything...I don't want to be taken advantage of so I'm trying to do some research.... It wants to stall or gets real sluggish and makes and awful noise when I run the air or the heater but more with the air.... It gets a high pitched squealing sound to it and starts to chug and sputter as if it wants to stall and has stalled several times.... A mechanic at my work says it sounds like the symptoms of a compressor. ...This is very costly and I need to be more sure of what I'm talking about and what to expect so they don't take me for a million like they did with my tune up.... I have two small children and don't want to stall in a spot that could get us killed.... Another mechanic says he thinks I need a new serpentine belt.... When they did my tune up they also flushed my fuel system or something like that?

Answer: An air-conditioning compressor that is starting to fail would cause the problems you are experiencing.

Question:  1996 Mercury Mystique  mileage: 125,000.   My left front wheel makes a noise as if it's rumbling when I turn left.  Occasionally a high pitch squeal accompanies it, but not all the time and that is generally heard when driving straight, not during the turning process.  The rumbling can be felt when the brakes are applied at a slow speed (i.e., inching forward at stop light) but there is no consistency, it doesn't happen all the time.   Once the rumbling starts, it continues through the left turn and then once the wheel was been straightened out for a while.  Any suggestions on what it could be?

Answer:    Your problem may be the CV joints or possibly a wheel bearing.

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