Toyota D-4S: Port Fuel Or Direct Fuel Injection? Why Not Both?
You may soon see a Toyota vehicle that has both direct fuel injection and port fuel injection. You will see port fuel injectors in the intake manifold and a direct injection fuel pump. Toyota calls this system the D-4S or Dynamic Force Engine and the earliest application was on the Lexus GS SUV with the V8. The D-4S system is not a “cold start” or “dousing” injector system, like that on V6 engines from the early to late 2000s.
Dodging The Silver Bullet: How The 21st Century Is Changing Vehicle Diagnostics
While understanding the symptoms of a failure are key to diagnosing the failure itself, replacing an expensive component based upon a symptom rather than a set of factual data is a very risky and expensive proposition. So, in the world of advanced diagnostics, it’s important to begin dodging the Silver Bullet solution as a diagnostic tool.
Air Management Systems: Controlling Air From Throttle Body To Combustion Chamber
It is easy to manage fuel when compared to managing air. First, there is approximately 14 times more air than fuel in a running engine. Second, air reacts more to temperature and humidity than does fuel. Third, air can behave in strange ways under vacuum and pressure.
Old School Versus New: Will Your Old Diagnostic Strategies Work On New Engines?
If your primary workflow consists of pre-2008 models, terms like “Gasoline Direct Fuel Injection (GDI), Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI), Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) and Spark-Controlled Compression Ignition (SpCCI)” might sound like engine technologies lurking somewhere in the distant future. But, given that many import repair shops are just beginning to see these engines for advanced driveability diagnostics, your “distant future” might suddenly become your “here and now” when these futuristic engines show up in your service bays.
Hyundai Idle Stop And Go (ISG): Start/Stop Systems Are Here And Out Of Warranty
The Hyundai Idle Stop and Go (ISG) function is the automaker’s start/stop system that found its way onto some 2012 models. ISG automatically switches off the engine when the car is at a standstill and starts it again as soon as the brake pedal is released. A lot has to happen for the engine to utilize ISG. Specific conditions with the engine, transmission and brake system all have to be met for the ISG system to function.
Hyundai Turbocharged Theta And Gamma Engines
Hyundai has two four-cylinder engines that use a turbocharger. The Gamma and Theta turbocharged engines were introduced in 2010 for many Hyundai cars and trucks. These engines also have direct injection, which makes them even more efficient.
Top EVAP Tips When Replacing Fuel Pumps
Nothing is worse than an EVAP code after a fuel pump has been replaced. Discovering that the tank needs to be dropped again to address a problem can kill shop productivity and profitability. The following tips can help you avoid comebacks and having to drop the fuel tank for a second time.
Diagnostic Solutions: Using The ‘Systems’ Approach To Starting Problems
Good examples of systems logic occur each September when I serve as a technical advisor for a church-sponsored single mom’s car care clinic. We sometimes, for example, accidentally bump hidden cranking “disable” switches installed by suspicious ex-husbands or encounter engines with bad fuel pumps that will start only by spraying a liberal dose of starting fluid into the air intake.
Determining Engine Oil Life: How Do The OEMs Calculate Oil Life Percentages?
Maintenance reminders for oil changes have been around since the early 1980s. Early systems from European and Asian vehicle manufacturers looked at mileage and maybe revolutions of the engine. Today, it is difficult to find a vehicle without a light, warning messages or percent of oil life indicator to get the driver to change the oil.
Diagnosing, Servicing & Replacing Batteries
Just last summer, I had three batteries pass a conductance test, but fail to crank the engine on a sustained basis. The conductance tester indicated that these batteries were “good,” but they tested well below 100% capacity. In two cases, I was pursuing parasitic battery drain problems with used batteries. In another case, I had a new battery that would pass a conductance test, but not accept a recharge, said Gary Goms, Import Specialist Contributor.
Service Opportunities With Stop/Start-Equipped Vehicles
A vehicle that is equipped with a stop/start system may soon be coming to your bays or might already be there on some European and Asian vehicles. These systems can improve fuel economy by 3-5 percent, depending on the driving habits of the customer. For your shop, it is essential to understand what is different on these vehicles, and how those differences might change your diagnostic approach.
Fuel Injector Diagnostics: Thinking Through The Problem
There is almost no way to inspect the spray pattern of the fuel injector while it is on the vehicle, and it is impossible to inspect it on a vehicle with direct fuel injection. You can, however, witness the symptoms of a bad injector.
