Installing Spark Plugs: Avoiding A Misfire
The potential for inadvertently creating a misfire is very real when installing new spark plugs. I say this because I’ve diagnosed many misfires created by greasy fingerprints, broken insulators and incorrect air gaps – all caused by poor installation procedures.
Modern Charging Systems – Cover All The Bases During The Diagnostic Process
To quote a familiar situation: “My customer’s car is now on its third alternator in six months and my jobber store refuses to warranty a fourth.” In other words, the parts supplier believes that an underlying problem is causing these alternators to fail and, therefore, won’t warranty more alternators. While we occasionally experience a sequence
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. Since Volkswagen began requiring application-specific engine oil in the mid-1990s, the oil change business has (pardon the pun) “changed.” While many Asian vehicles currently require only
Brake Assist: Diagnosing Low And Hard Brake Pedals
Brake pedal assist complaints are often subjective in nature and, for that reason, can be difficult to solve. Grandma, with her arthritic feet, might be highly sensitive to a slight loss of pedal assist, but her lead-footed grandson not so much. But on-going technology is bringing a certain degree of objectivity into brake-assist diagnosis.
Contaminated Fuel Can Wreck Havoc On Fuel Delivery Systems
Although cases involving contaminated gasoline are relatively rare nowadays, they still occur. In many cases, the technician has replaced the fuel pump or mass air flow (MAF) sensor to address a P0171/P0174 “lean-condition” DTC with no result. In all likelihood, the technician didn’t consider the possibility that the vehicle’s fuel might be contaminated with E85 gasoline, diesel fuel, stale gasoline, or, to a lesser degree, sugar and water.
The Case Of The Missing Code On A Chevy Tahoe
The Tahoe’s owner complained that it would stall at highway speed, but it would always restart and usually proceed without further incident until it reached home.
Chrysler Transmission: The Case Of The Shiftless 48RE
The truck originally came into the shop with a broken band, which is a common and very cut-and-dried failure on a high-mileage 48RE transmission. The band and other friction lining was replaced and the valve body was cleaned. And, since the 3500 SLT had 240,000 miles on the odometer, the failure-prone electronic governor was replaced as well. Unfortunately, after the rebuilt transmission was installed and road-tested, the 48RE failed to shift out of first gear.
AGM Batteries And Testing
Two of the greatest changes we’ve seen 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.
Coil-On-Plug Diagnostics: Toyota Tundra
Sometimes simple = complex. For example, the modern coil-on-plug (COP) ignition system is perhaps among the simplest to diagnose, but to illustrate the complexities, let’s look at how a 2008 Toyota Tundra 4.0L V6 might record various misfire codes.
The Mathematics Of Selling Brake Services
In this feature, I’ll explore how brake services can be packaged to increase profit, reduce comebacks and reduce labor costs.
The Best Tests For Fuel Delivery Systems
In this article, I’ll explain how the basics of testing fuel delivery problems has changed and how some of the most common mistakes in diagnosing fuel delivery systems can be avoided.
Diagnosing Catalytic Converter Failure Symptoms
Although construction can vary according to engine application, the common three-way catalytic converter contains a reduction and oxidation stage. To create maximum surface area, each stage is generally a ceramic or stainless steel honeycomb substrate covered with a rough silica and alumina wash coat. Both stages of the converter are coated with precious metal catalysts
