Q: I own a 1990 Lincoln and the problem is that the vehicle accelerates from 6 – 12 mph without stepping on the gas pedal. Do you know what’s causing this? -- A.K., Chicago

A: A.K., first make sure that the floor mat isn’t keeping the gas pedal from fully releasing. If that’s okay, the problem might be caused by a vacuum leak. On your particular engine, a vacuum leak will actually cause the engine rpm to increase. The vacuum leak could be from a bad gasket at the throttle body assembly or the intake manifold. The vacuum leak might even be from a broken vacuum hose or worn lower injector seals. There are several ways to find vacuum leaks, but the best is by taking your Lincoln to a shop that has a “Smoke Machine.” With a smoke machine, a technician can force smoke into the intake manifold and look for the smoke exit points. This will pinpoint all the leaks at once. Another item worth checking on your Lincoln is the throttle housing and the throttle air bypass device. If either is faulty, the engine rpm will be too high.

Q: I own a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix. I would like to change the struts on it and want to do the work myself. I was wondering if this can be done without disturbing the alignment of the vehicle. I noticed one time that there were some markings, but I don’t know where to mark it so I can put it back at the original alignment position. -- A.S., Lockport

A: A.S., even if you mark everything so the new struts go back in a similar position, there’s a good chance that the alignment could be off. You should always have the alignment checked after replacing the struts. I still recommend that you mark the positions of the old struts so you’ll be able to safely drive your Grand Prix to the alignment shop. You’ll want to mark the location of one of the three studs holding the upper bearing plate to the strut tower. This will help ensure that the upper bearing plate goes back in the same position. You’ll also want to scribe a line where the lower strut attaches to the steering knuckle. This attachment point is actually where the alignment angle called “Camber” is adjusted. If it’s off, the top of the tire will tip too far in or out.

Q: I recently was given a 1993 Ford Escort from a relative. It had 45k miles on it when I got it. Now it’s got about 47k miles on it. When I had it serviced, the transmission shop found strange looking oil in the transmission. They cleaned it out as best they could. I’m wondering if the transmission might need further work down the road. Right now, it seems to be shifting and operating okay. Please advise. -- P.B., Steger

A: P.B., for peace of mind, you might want to get a second opinion and have another transmission shop take a look. Since you mentioned that it’s shifting okay, I wouldn’t be too worried. As long as it has the correct transmission fluid and it’s filled to the proper level, everything should be okay.

AutoAdviser: Ira Siegel is an Automotive Instructor and ASE Certified Master Auto Technician. If you have auto-related questions for Ira Siegel you can call and leave your questions at the Auto Adviser Hotline at 708-633-6839 or e-mail a question to Autoadvisr@aol.com.