Diagnosing Flood-Damaged Vehicles
While minor flooding at intersections often doesn’t cause many problems other than rusted brakes, major flooding can damage most of the mechanical and electrical components found in the engine and passenger compartments.
The Top OEM And Aftermarket Turbocharger Tech Tips
In the past decade, turbochargers were installed on more cars and trucks than ever before. These are the top OEM and aftermarket tips to help you install a new turbocharger without a comeback.
Aging Oxygen Sensors Hurt Fuel Economy, Performance And Emissions
Oxygen sensors are used to monitor the engine’s air/fuel mixture so the powertrain control module (PCM) can make adjustments that optimize fuel economy, emissions and performance.
CVT Transmissions: Providing The ‘GO’ For Powersports
The continually variable transmission, or CVT, is a common component in the powersports industry. This is the transmission that has given scooters and snowmobiles the ability to be gas and go for decades. The CVT has also found a home in ATVs where a simple automatic transmission is desired.
BMW Electric Water Pump Replacement
We recently had a 2007 BMW Z4 with the N52 engine in the shop. When diagnosing a faulty electric water pump, the first thing that needs to be done is to verify if there are any water pump-related diagnostic codes. There’s a very good chance there will be some. I then like to perform a visual inspection, but don’t look for the water pump from the top of the engine. You’ll want to drop the lower panels, and you will see the pump on the lower right side of the engine.
Coolants Can Lose Their Ability To Protect The Engine
Coolant at 100,000 miles may look the same as coolant with zero miles. The real difference between good and bad coolant can’t be seen with the naked eye; it is in the chemistry.
How Oil Change Habits Are Killing Turbos
Turbochargers are used to enhance an engine’s performance and optimize combustion. To achieve good and complete combustion in the engine, a mixture ratio of 2.2 lbs. fuel and approximately 33 lbs. air is necessary (stoichiometric fuel ratio). During turbocharging, the density of the intake air is elevated and the air volume increased.
Top 10 Mercedes-Benz Repair Tips
With new vehicle sales topping 17.8 million units, and import nameplate VIO also on the rise, you’ll be seeing more imports that are in need of repair. And, with the increasing complexity and interconnectivity of vehicle systems, diagnostic expertise becomes all the more important. With that said, we bring you this collection of Mercedes-Benz repair tips to aid your service efforts.
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 Âceramic 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
BMW Fuel System Repair Essentials
The BMW N54 fuel pump recall a few years ago brought to light the importance of the integrity of the fuel system and how it can contribute to the overall reliability of a vehicle. While BMW never officially stated what was causing the high-pressure fuel pumps to fail, some put the blame on low-quality fuel that might have been contaminated or had higher-than-normal Âlevels of ethanol.
