Diagnosing, Servicing & Replacing Batteries
Just last summer, I had three batteries pass a conductance test, but fail to crank the engine on a sustained basis. The conductance tester indicated that these batteries were “good,” but they tested well below 100% capacity. In two cases, I was pursuing parasitic battery drain problems with used batteries. In another case, I had a new battery that would pass a conductance test, but not accept a recharge, said Gary Goms, Import Specialist Contributor.
Finding That Spark Of Genius: Diagnosing Cranking, No-Start Failures
By the dawn of the Industrial Age, the gasoline internal combustion engine had replaced steam power as the driving force behind America’s great economic expansion. In that day, a cranking, no-start condition could easily be diagnosed by testing the available spark at the spark plug. If there was no spark, we touched a test light to the coil negative terminal to determine if the distributor contact points were switching the coil on/off. If the test light blinked, the primary circuit was switching as designed, so we replaced the coil. A pretty simple diagnosis, right?
Modern Cooling System Design: It’s Not About Temperature; It’s About Powertrain
Reading engineering papers tends to be a boring exercise, but they do give technicians a new perspective on how a common automotive cooling system could actually be improved.
Crankshaft And Camshaft Signals
The key to diagnosing many cranking, no-start and stalling problems found on the late-model import is to understand how the crankshaft and camshaft position sensors function and what their mechanical relationship is to each other.
Drum Brake Service: Focus On Single-Anchor, Floating Shoe Designs
Although four-wheel disc brakes currently dominate the import brake service market, millions of drum brakes are serviced each day in shops.
Matching The Components To The Application: Ride Control System Protocol
A shock absorber is designed to dampen oscillations in leaf or coil springs by enclosing a piston and rod assembly inside a cylinder filled with oil. The shell or casing generally mounts on the axle or control arm while the piston rod assembly mounts to the frame.
AGM Batteries And Testing
Two of the greatest changes in starting/charging systems during the past few model years have been the expanded use of the Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) battery as standard equipment and the accelerating pricing structures of both AGM and conventional flooded-cell batteries. In the past, I knew many shop managers who simply replaced any battery that
How To Diagnose NVH Complaints In Drivetrain Components
Thanks to advanced technology, modern vehicles operate with fewer noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) complaints than ever Âbefore. Consequently, when a NVH issue arises, it’s most likely caused by worn drivetrain components like universal joints, constant velocity joints or wheel bearing hub assemblies. In any case, NVH complaints can often be the most challenging to diagnose when you can’t duplicate the driving conditions under which they occur.
The Evolving Oil Change Market
The only constant in the oil change business is change itself, especially if you’re trying to maintain an inventory of engine oil for all makes and models of vehicles.
Catching The Electron Flow: Multimeters And Fuse Box Diagnostics
Gary Goms explains why the multimeter is the first tool he reaches for in his diagnostic tool box when diagnosing electrical system problems.
Hunting Down ‘Mysterious’ Steering Linkage Culprits
Steering system noise complaints can often be difficult to reproduce and diagnose. A squeaking noise in the steering column, for example, can often be influenced by temperature and humidity. In other cases, a squeaking noise can be caused by dry or corroded universal joints in the steering intermediate shaft located between the steering shaft and
Cooling System Preventive Maintenance Service
Given the current range of extended maintenance intervals, it’s safe to say that your shop might see Grandma’s 2011 Volkswagen Jetta only when its oil life monitor indicates the need for an oil change.
