Timing Belt Replacement: Tried and True Repair Method Works Every Time
and below the intake manifold. When this unit fails, it tends to look like the head gaskets are blown. The oil mixes with the coolant and so on, leading to catastrophic engine bearing failure. Saab recommends flushing the cooling system with Shout, a cleaning agent found in many stores. Saab also recommends changing the timing
Runout Report
Dial Indicator 101
News Update Affinia Group Restructures Marketing Organization: Adds Key High-Level Positions
Affinia Group Inc. has transformed its marketing organization, including the creation of four new, high-level positions. The move will place increased emphasis on global thinking and the use of category management to drive customer-facing decisions, according to Terry McCormack, president and CEO of Affinia. Jerry McCabe, formerly vice president of communications and marketing services, has
Troubleshooting MIL Issues: OBD II & “CAN” Scan Tool Diagnostics
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is one of the most misunderstood warning lights on vehicles today. Most motorists have no idea what the light means or why it’s on. Some think the MIL light is an oil change reminder light. Others realize something must be amiss to cause the light to come on, but don’t
Selecting the Right Friction Material
How do you select the right brake pad for a vehicle? And, how do you select the right friction line to stock at your shop or have as your first call? These are difficult questions to answer. Every time your shop installs a set of brake pads on a vehicle you are taking a gamble
Twin-Piston Calipers: Are Two Pistons Better than One?
generate more torque. More torque means more stopping power. Also, by using the floating caliper design instead of an opposing piston design, engineers are able to avoid wheel clearance issues and other robust design features of the floating caliper. With a single-piston caliper, the footprint of pad is limited in some ways to the diameter
Diagnostic Solutions: Oxygen Sensor Diagnostics
Once considered leading-edge technology, today’s oxygen sensor has become a commonplace service item on modern vehicles. Popularly introduced in the 1970s, the Lambda or, as it’s more popularly known, the oxygen sensor, rapidly became standard equipment as it’s a vital component of closed-loop or feedback fuel control technology. By using a voltage input from the
Up in Vapor
Gasp! It’s the “Gas Cap Code”! Oh no, you just pulled a code P0422, evaporative purge small leak detected… Here goes the needle in the haystack syndrome. So what do you do? Recommend a new gas cap and ship it? Well you could do that, but would that be in your or your customer’s best
Diagnostic Dilemmas: The Pressures of Intake Manifold Vacuum Tests
Several years ago, a retired school teacher brought in a 1994 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer that had developed an intermittent rough idle condition. Although a rebuilt engine had been installed a year before, and all of the wiring and vacuum hoses looked as if they were in factory condition, I took nothing for granted. An ignition
Codes & Converters
It is a moral dilemma that many shops encounter on a regular basis. It starts when a good customer comes in with the engine light a blaze. Running your usual diagnostics, you encounter a catalytic converter efficiency code, slow to responded oxygen sensor or some proprietary fuel trim code. Other than the light, the customer
Brake & Suspension System Service
Brake and suspension repairs are the best type of routine maintenance repairs that coincide with major service intervals. Brake and suspension components that are in need of replacement could represent a significant profit center for shops when technicians take the time to perform complete chassis inspections. Worn suspension and brake components, as well as a
Fundamentals of Electrical System Diagnosis
Electrical principles, like voltage, amperage and resistance, can be described as cars passing along the roadway. Voltage would be the vehicle’s speed, amperage would be the number of vehicles on the road at the same time, and resistance would be the potholes in the road’s surface. Basically, electricity is a supply of atoms with an