Hyundai Alignment: Curing ‘Drift And Pull’ Conditions
Drift/pull conditions occur at all speeds. But, the amount of force on the steering wheel or steering angle will increase with speed. If the customer states the drift/pull problem is sporadic, the cause could be the stability control system, or the electric or hydraulic power steering system.
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.
Stick To The Facts: Dealer Stickers Should Be Banned
Most motorists are not aware that regular maintenance and repairs can be performed by independent shops without voiding the warranty, according to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
Finding That Spark Of Genius: Diagnosing Cranking, No-Start Failures
By the dawn of the Industrial Age, the gasoline internal combustion engine had replaced steam power as the driving force behind America’s great economic expansion. In that day, a cranking, no-start condition could easily be diagnosed by testing the available spark at the spark plug. If there was no spark, we touched a test light to the coil negative terminal to determine if the distributor contact points were switching the coil on/off. If the test light blinked, the primary circuit was switching as designed, so we replaced the coil. A pretty simple diagnosis, right?
Mercedes-Benz Tech Tip: Clunking Noises Heard During Acceleration And Throttle Lift Off
Owners of Mercedes-Benz cars with front-wheel drive and 4×4 vehicles, may complain of a single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when first taking off (audible at the outboard end). Also, the clunk is heard once when changing from forward to reverse.
BMW Tech Tip: Malfunctioning Steering Wheel Buttons
The customer may report a sporadic or continuous malfunction of the multifunction steering wheel buttons, and a message saying “Cruise control without function.”
Understanding Hyundai TPMS
Hyundai started using TPMS in 2006 on the Hyundai Accent, Tucson and Veracruz. The carmaker equipped its other vehicles with TPMS starting in 2007. Hyundai has used several different suppliers for its TPMS systems, including Continental, Lear, Siemens and TRW. While each of these systems operate similarly, they do have slight variations. Make sure to check vehicle information and TSBs for specific variations.
2011-2018 Volkswagen Touareg Alignment Specs
The second-generation VW Touareg hit the roads in 2011 and just finished its production run this year. Aligning the second-generation Touareg is very similar to the previous generation. Previous-generation Touareg models had uneven and rapid tire wear problems. The second generation is not known for this issue.
Direct Injection Engine Problems
Gasoline Direct Injection engines go by many names including GDI, DI, FSI and more. Car manufacturers have introduced this engine technology in response to federal emissions and fuel mileage requirements. While these engines offer a lot of upsides as far as fuel economy, horsepower, lower displacement and fewer tailpipe emissions, they also have some downsides.
Would You Install That Brake Pad On Your Car?
Today, we are in a fight against replacement brake pads that put profit ahead of safety. The brake repair market is starting to become dominated by a “good enough” mentality. Good enough to some is just being able to stop in a “reasonable” distance at normal driving speeds, and last for 10,000 miles. But, when tasked to perform an emergency stop or a series of hard stops, the vehicle can become unsafe with longer stops and a low pedal when inferior brake pads are used.
Toyota/Lexus U151F Transmission Diagnostics
While the Toyota U151F transmission is found in a lot of Toyota and Lexus vehicles like the RX300 and RX350, it doesn’t have the greatest reputation among technicians and owners. Chances are you will not be rebuilding the transmission, but rather you will be listening to your customer’s complaint and diagnosing it. Knowing where to start is the most challenging part of the job.
