Reading Between the Brake Lines
Being able to “read” brake components during inspection is a critical skill.
Using Caster to Properly Align Vehicles
Every story has an angle, and this one is no exception. In this case, we’re looking at one of the fundamental wheel alignment angles: caster. Caster is defined as the forward (negative) or rearward (positive) tilt of the steering axis as viewed from the side. Caster is measured in degrees from an imaginary line perpendicular
The Heat Is On…Helping Your Customers and Their Vehicles Keep Their “Cool”
What brings customers in for cooling system repairs? Usually, it’s a cooling system problem. No vehicle will go very far if its cooling system isn’t working. Sooner or later, the engine will overheat – possibly with dire results. Severe overheating can damage the cylinder head, head gasket, pistons, cylinders and/or valve guides. Many motorists don’t
Not All Brake Lubricants are Created Equal
When it comes to brake lubricants, grease is a dirty word. Brake lubricants are specially formulated products that are not the same as ordinary chassis grease or even multi-purpose grease. The kind of grease that’s used to lube tie rod ends, ball joints and U-joints is not the same as the lubricants that are required
When To Replace Steering Knuckles and Arms
ight passenger side because the right wheel is more apt to hit a curb than the left wheel. CAMBER CLUES Tire wear can also be affected by camber. Excessive camber loads one side of the tread more heavily than the other, resulting in uneven wear. Camber wear typically produces uneven wear on one side of
Investigating Intermittent Stalling Problems
Diagnosing an intermittent stalling problem can be a challenge, especially if the engine only stalls occasionally and won’t stall for you (only your customer). And if there are no pending codes, hard codes or history codes in the vehicle’s computer to give you some direction, you may find yourself guessing at a diagnosis. Every engine
Rotating Electrical Parts Back to the Seller
Fighting the Urge To Return Electrica Components
The Future Is a Gas
I’ve seen the future and it’s a gas – hydrogen gas, that is. At a recent General Motors press conference at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, Larry Burns, vice president of GM Research & Development, described the future of automotive technology. Today, there are about 750 million cars and trucks on the face of this
Flushing Away Engine Problems
When motor oil isn’t changed often enough, varnish deposits and sludge begin to form inside the engine. If the oil is neglected long enough, it will eventually turn into goo and ruin the engine. “Oil sludging” has become a serious problem in recent years for a number of reasons. One is that more new car
Diagnosing Automatic Transmission Complaints
Automatic transmissions are a mystery to most motorists. They may know the transmission requires some kind of fluid, but have probably never checked the level or even looked for the dipstick unless they drive an older vehicle with a leaker. When internal problems cause the transmission to act up, it takes a fair amount of
Proper Rotor Service Prevents Comebacks
Anybody who works on brakes knows what brake rotors do. They provide a friction surface for the disc brake pads to rub against when the brakes are applied. The friction created by the pads rubbing against the rotor generates heat and brings the vehicle to a stop. Big rotors can obviously handle more heat than
Battery, Charging & Ignition System Diagnosis: Getting Around those Difficult-To-Diagnose Faults
What do you really need to know about diagnosing and repairing starting, charging and ignition systems? Basically two things: that electrical and ignition problems are often difficult to diagnose (especially intermittent faults), and that a lot of electrical and ignition parts are unnecessarily replaced in an attempt to repair problems that are hard to diagnose.