Ride Control System Protocol – Matching The Components To The Application
During the fall of 1989, when I was working as a mechanic for an off-road desert racing team, we raced the famous Mint 400 held in Las Vegas. At that time, the 400-mi. road course consisted of bumps, jumps and basketball-sized rocks just waiting to break a suspension system. About 50% of all vehicles entered
Steering Geometry Diagnostics
When many of us started our careers in the wheel alignment trade, we inevitably experienced a vehicle that would come back with steering quality complaints or unevenly worn tires after having had the caster, camber and toe angle adjusted to specification. Tire casing problems aside, the fault would nearly always be found in defective steering
MAF Sensor Testing Methods
Turbulence in the intake air stream can also affect MAF sensor calibration. For example, a reverse pulse wave in the intake duct caused by a poorly seating intake valve or cylinder misfire can momentarily reverse the airflow into the MAF. While diagnosing such problems are beyond the scope of this text, remember that intake manifold
Diagnostic Solutions: Hubs/Bearings, CV Shafts & U-Joints
ot is a lubricant “spray” collecting on the chassis surfaces surrounding the joint. When the lubricant is completely gone, the joint will wear out and eventually separate. The most common symptom of worn CV joints is the clicking noise that characteristically occurs when the vehicle is driven through a short right- or left-hand turning radius
Chassis Talk: Learning The Terminology Is Key To Selling The Correct Chassis Part
Just about everybody remembers the story of the Tower of Babel, in which people began speaking different languages. Unfortunately, the terminology connected with selling chassis parts often becomes its own Tower of Babel when a local alignment shop places a phone order. In many cases, term “tie rod” often becomes interchangeable with “tie rod end”
Common Diagnostic Dilemmas
Most “diagnostic dilemmas” aren’t really all that complicated. Many were caused by basic oversights and incorrect assumptions on the part of the technician. This situation has largely been caused by a lack of training or, in some cases, poor training.
Cylinder Head Repair
Cylinder head gasket failures are one of the most common mechanical issues facing today’s modern import technician. One reason head gasket failures are common is because the cylinder head gasket itself can become a wearing part.
How to Sell and Use Automotive Chemicals
In the modern era of reduced vehicle maintenance requirements, it’s very easy to develop a complacent attitude toward selling automotive chemicals. But, in our current market, automotive chemicals have become far more than just “snake oil” or “mechanic in a can” products. To the contrary — many are essential tools for keeping a modern vehicle
The Brake Job: Stick To Recommendations
Attempting to cut costs by installing brake friction that doesn’t meet original equipment requirements generally produces less-than-desired results.
Understanding Engine Sensors
While the topic of engine management sensors might seem dark and mysterious, engine sensors share common functions in all modern vehicles. While their individual configurations might be different, the function of any engine sensor is to provide input data which the powertrain control module (PCM) processes to control output functions like the air/fuel mixture ratio,
Diagnostic Solutions: Engine Lubrication System Problems
Auto manufacturers, in general, are continuing to reduce vehicle maintenance requirements by extending oil change intervals. But extended oil change intervals are a mixed blessing. On the upside, extended oil change intervals are conserving precious oil and reducing carbon emissions. On the downside, many vehicle owners are forgetting to check their engine’s oil level between
Oxygen Sensor Inspection And Service
Oxygen sensors have been a part of the automotive maintenance scene since 1976. Since vehicles are being driven much longer today, modern zirconia and AFR sensors most often malfunction because their internal heater circuits fail or because their zirconia-based sensing elements eventually lose their sensitivity to rapid changes in the engine’s air/fuel ratio.