Truck Stop: Heavy-Duty Coolant Maintenance Tips
WIX Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products celebrating its 75th anniversary, has developed the following coolant maintenance tips:
Chrysler 3.5L SOHC V6 Engine (Service Notes)
If ever there was a service opportunity ripe for the taking, Chrysler’s 3.5L SOHC V6 engine (and its 2.7L, 3.2L and 4.0L cousins) is it.
Crossword Puzzle: September 2012
Across 1. Underbody components, collectively 5. ’60s gas slogan, "Put a ____ in your tank" 8. Gear or compression trailer 9. Dashboard channel (3,4) 10. Toddler’s Tonka-truck terrain 11. Under-dash area 13. Clutch components 14. Major engine castings 17. Big-rig wheel count, often 19. Gear teeth 22. RWD car’s differential, slangily (4,3) 23. Budget and
Component Connection: Emission Control — O2 Sensor Diagnostics
In recent years, the design of O2 sensors has changed. The ceramic thimble-shaped element in zirconia-type O2 sensors has been replaced by a flat strip ceramic “planar-”style sensor element.
Crossword Puzzle: August 2011
Across 1. Synonym for valve lifters 5. ’70s Plymouth for a rascal 8. Piston-related specification (4,3) 9. Adjusted the headlights 10. Wheel-nut description, perhaps 11. Engine-incontinence inhibitor (3,4) 12. Wheel-bearing lube 14. Auto-battery components 17. Front-passenger position, slangily 19. US crash-test agency, briefly (1,1,1,1,1) 22. Uplifting service-bay sight 23. Antifreeze and water mixture 24. Piston
Crossword Puzzle: April 2010
Across 1. Fix-all material (4,4) 5. Dual-overhead-camshaft code (1,1,1,1) 9. Leaf spring and axle connector (1,4) 10. Yoke-and-spider assemblies, briefly (1,6) 11. Unexpectedly stopped the engine 12. Dynamometer’s torque-display shape 13. Relationships between gears 15. Grooved tire surfaces 18. Chopper output, some say 20. Stopwatch-timed race-track interval (3,4) 23. Gas-pump units 24. Tool for driving
The Real World: Testing Your Coolant Knowledge
All types of antifreeze contain corrosion-inhibiting chemicals to protect bare metal surfaces from electrolytic attack. Though automakers disagree on which chemical additives work best in their vehicles, essentially any kind of antifreeze will work in any vehicle. But, how well will it protect the cooling system? And, for how long? And will it void the OEM warranty? These are important questions that need to be answered before choosing an antifreeze for a particular vehicle application.
Undercover: Herding Cats Can be ‘Exhaust’ing
Real life has proven that the life span of a catalytic converter varies as greatly as the life span of the vehicle itself. One catalytic converter may not fail in 200,000+ miles, while another won’t even make it out of the vehicle’s base warranty. One thing is for sure, they aren’t going away as long as vehicles are powered by fossil fuels. So let’s talk some about how they work, then move on to spotting one that is misbehaving.
YAWA: You Asked, We Answered
This month, we answer some of your questions on water pumps.
Collision: Can Today’s Bodyshops Be Environmentally Friendly?
How does an industry that has in the past struggled with the stigma of being a black-lung business transform itself into an environmentally responsible one? It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s happening right now, and most shops are finding that it’s a great way to distinguish themselves from the competition, not to mention market themselves to consumers. In times of intense competition and a shrinking customer base, anything a business can do to distinguish itself from the rest of the herd is worth investigating.