A poor heater performance complaint from a car or truck owner can be caused by low coolant, a blocked heater core or an open thermostat. Andrew Markel discusses the diagnostic strategies for solving a cold driver complaint. Sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper.
Video courtesy Underhood Service.
Understanding why plugs get dirty.
Spark plugs are the “canary in the coal mine” of the combustion chamber. The electrodes and porcelain can reveal short- and long-term problems if you know where to look.
Most OE spark plugs have a life of more than 50,000 miles, thanks to electrodes that contain precious metals like platinum and iridium. OEMs consider the spark plugs a part of the emissions system on most modern vehicles.
The key to servicing these systems is proper information and understanding precisely how these systems operate.
On older throttle cable systems, the carburetor or fuel injection system reacted to the throttle angle.
Reducing brake drag on late-model vehicles is not accomplished by a single component; it takes a system.
This function of the power management system uses several modules to decide when the engine needs to stop and start.
Finding out if the vehicle has the latest version or calibration on a module is a required step.
Converters must be certified and labeled with the correct codes that are stamped into the shell when replacing.
It’s a simple concept, but not without the occasional headache.
When the fuel and air mixture ignites in the cylinder, many changing factors must be met to pass a misfire monitor.
