How to diagnose my car to save time and money

SOURCE: engine power loss

Inspect Wireset Damaged, worn, or deteriorating spark plug or coil wire(s). in this list u will find a answer to ur problem Shaun 2 Inspect Spark Plug Fouled, damaged or broken spark plug(s). 3 Inspect Fuel Filter Clogged or dirty fuel filter 4 Inspect Distributor Worn, loose or incorrectly adjusted distributor. 5 Inspect Distributor Cap Loose or cracked distributor cap 6 Inspect Distributor Cap And Rotor Kit Loose, cracked, or worn distributor cap and ignition rotor. 7 Inspect PCV Valve Plugged or damaged pcv valve. 8 Inspect Air Filter Restricted or clogged air filter. 9 Inspect Catalytic Converter Clogged, damaged, defective or faulty catalytic converter. 10 Inspect Automatic Transmission Improperly adjusted kickdown cable adjustment or internal transmission problems. 11 Inspect Fuel Pump Improperly functioning fuel pump or circuits. 12 Inspect MAP Sensor Improperly connected or faulty m.a.p. sensor. 13 Inspect Mass Air Flow Sensor Improperly connected or faulty mass air flow sensor. 14 Inspect Throttle Position Sensor Faulty throttle position sensor or throttle position sensor circuit. 15 Inspect Timing Specification Incorrectly adjusted engine timing. 16 Inspect Fuel System Pressure Incorrect fuel pressure being delivered to carburetor or fuel injection system.

SOURCE: while driving truck makes a humming sound in drive now no reverse

If you have no reverse then yes it needs to be rebuilt. as far as the whining it could be in one of the differentials. or in trans? just depends on where you hear it

SOURCE: my 1998 chevy truck has a rough idle and kind of

There could be several causes for your problem:

1. Fouled spark plug
2. Bad spark plug wire
3. Clogged fuel injector (is equipt)
4. Bad EGR valve (diagram below)

SOURCE: Poor cabin cooling at idle speed. 2005 Equinox LT. 2 speed fans?

Check for debris between your cabin filter and fan motor. I had the same problem and just dropped my fan motor. What I found is I had an animal nesting in that area, probably a chipmunk. I had 6-7 fists full of grass. I cleaned it out and my fan no longer makes noise and my cool air is flowing great any RPM.
FYI, my car is always parked outside.

I hope this helps.

SOURCE: My 1978 Chevy truck will choke down and die

Not sure what "choke down" means. If you mean run really rich and smoke black, like the choke is stuck, look at the choke linkage. If you mean lay down and give no power, but not smoke black and not sound farty and blubbery, that is likely not a choke problem.

Look at the fuel filter. They can be mostly clogged but pass enough fuel to get by under most situations; also their internal gunk load can shift, causing a filter that was serving okay to be clogged at a moment's notice.

Check the gas cap and the tank vent / evaporative emissions system - if air can't get in to replace the fuel you removed from the tank, pretty soon your fuel pump is trying to **** fuel out of a tank that is already under a vacuum.

If those two are OK, throw an ignition coil in it. They are cheap and easy enough, and a failing one will intermittently lay down and give weak sparks. If you can catch the truck in its failure mode, try loosening one of the plug wires (either end) and holding it a half inch away from its previous mount. You should get fat bright blue sparks jumping the gap, snapping as they fly; if they won't jump that far, or sound or look wimpy, your coil is suspect.

If you change your coil and the problem goes away, give the truck a tune-up - cap, rotor, plugs, and wires, and also change the ignition module (an extra $20 for a cheapie.) Coils don't die of old age; they die of overwork, like trying to push very high voltage through high-resistance spark plug wires and across worn-out plugs. The ignition module has to handle all of the power that goes through the coil, and if the coil is stressed, so is the module. They can fail without warning, stranding you until the module cools down enough (30 minutes to six hours) that it will run again.