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.
Volkswagen Tiguan Brake Job
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact SUV built on the A5 platform that is shared with the Golf and Jetta. The brake system is straightforward, but it has two quirks that can make a brake job difficult: a vacuum pump and electric parking brakes.
Stability Control And Brake Jobs
Automotive technology continues to evolve in several directions. While many manufacturers are concentrating on electric and hybrid technology, higher mileage, and smaller and lighter vehicles, others are focused on performance, horsepower and ever-higher top speeds.
Brake Tech Tip: Low Sinking Or Spongy Brake Pedal
When diagnosing a master cylinder, keep in mind the type of seals that are used are lip cup seals. This design allows for the seal to improve as the pressure increases. Another feature of this seal is that it does not create a vacuum when the piston retracts.
Ride Of The Week: 1931 BMW Ihle 600 Speedster
Tom Griffith, of Verona, Wis., has an uncontrollable urge to own cool cars. In all, over the last 22 years, 35 classic cars have had Griffith’s name on the title. His 1931 BMW is a Type Ihle 600 Speedster model.
Direct Injection And Carbon Deposits
In 1985, Saab began using the new Bosch LH fuel injection system, and Volvo and other carmakers followed suit. The system worked such that incoming air passed through an airflow meter that sent a signal to the engine ECU telling it how much air was going into the engine. The coolant temp sensor then told the ECU how cold or warm the engine was, and it opened and closed the injectors when needed.
Tech Tip: Increased Brake Pedal And Steering Effort
It may be possible to restore proper brake and steering operation by flushing the system. After cleaning, if the filter and fluid show obvious signs of hose contamination, all hoses must be replaced and both fluid and the in-line filter changed again.
Tech Tip: Mitsubishi Front Brake Ringing Noise
Customers may complain of a high-pitch noise from the front brakes during a low-speed light brake application.
Servicing Wheel Ends
The trucking industry has a confusing term it uses called “wheel ends.” The term covers (brakes, hubcaps, tires, seals, lubricant, bearings and spindle nuts. A 16 wheeler truck can mean more than 10 wheel ends units that can go bad.
College Hosts International Auto Tech Conference
San Jacinto College recently hosted the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) annual conference, attracting automotive technology educators from America, Canada, Australia and several European nations.
