2 LH Car Questions

Uh... no.

Don't screw it down quite so tightly when you install it.

Sure- for one thing the ABS light could be burned out.

That sounds nasty- something that ought to be fixed ASAP. Pull the ABS fuse out of the distribution block- the ABS warning light should go on (if the bulb isn't burned out) and the grinding/pulsing should go away. If the grinding DOESN'T go away with the ABS fuse pulled, then its something besides ABS. I'd feel much safer driving the car with the ABS completely disabled (fuse pulled) than with it malfunctioning.

Mainframe,

I can only address your first question and let you know that you are not alone. I've experienced this phenomenon myself on my 1996 3.5L quite often. The oil cap will rotate and just "clicks", but does not loosen from the valve cover. When the engine cools down, it then "grabs" properly and comes out fine.

I've learned not to screw the cap down quite as tightly and this definitely helps. I don't know if this is a "safety feature" and I kind of doubt this is intentional. I think it is more likely from the two piece design of the cap itself.

Bob

Thank You for your answers.

In thinking it over I have come up with the following:

As for the "safety feature" of the oil filler cap unable to be open while the car is hot. I am beginning to beleive that just maybe as the heat of the engine expands the treads that the cap screws into "grips" the theads of the cap.

And as for overthighting? Blame the guy who does the oil change. And that is not me!

With the ABS I have found that after I had the car on the highway for the first time since this problem begun that the ABS/Traction Off light has now started to come on. And when it is on the noise/pulsating brakes stop.

So now I assume it is the ABS system that is "broken."

Since the weather is getting better I may not get this fix till September when I (hope I ) have any money. Till then is is safe to pull the ABS fuse and "turn off" the system? And if so where is the fuse?

I would assume so. You may be able to pull the error codes at an Autozone store, not sure if they can access the ABS controller codes or not.

The braking characteristics of the car under certain conditions will change, so proceed at your own risk, but if you accept the fact that it will become possible to lock the rear brakes and drive accordingly, I see no reason that it would be any different than a non-ABS car. IIRC, the LH car braking system reverts to a conventional braking system with functional proportioning valves when the ABS fails. Some systems cheap out and use the ABS to act as a proportioning valve, and there's no way on earth I'd consider a system like that "safe" without the ABS.

Fuse is in the distribution panel loated under the hood on the driver's side. Near the brake reservoir. I think the abs "controller" fuse may be separate and located in the driver's side end cap of the dash- accessible when the driver's door is open.