Universal Coolants: The Ultimate Answer?
For nearly a decade, vehicle manufacturers have been introducing and using a variety of extended-life coolants. The only thing these coolants have in common is that they all seem to differ in formulation and color. There are orange coolants, green coolants, blue coolants, red coolants, yellow coolants, even pink ones. The proliferation of different coolant
Light Diesel Service Opportunities are Growing
Diesels are back! During the past six years, more than 2.5 million new diesel-powered cars and light trucks have been sold in the United States. Though the numbers are not huge, they are growing. Diesel usage in U.S light vehicles has almost doubled over the last five years (from 2.2% in 1999 to 3.9% in
Diagnostic Dilemmas: Playing the Diagnostic Shell Game
More often than not, deciphering diagnostic trouble codes is like playing a high-tech version of the old circus sideshow “shell” game. In the trouble code shell game, we are led to believe that the pea (diagnostic solution) is hidden under one of the shells (DTCs) stored in the diagnostic memory. Unfortunately for the diagnostic technician,
Hot Heads for Cool Cars
The numbers are not huge yet, but there is a growing demand for high-performance cylinder head work and other engine modifications on a variety of sport compact cars. The most popular nameplates are imports such as Honda, Acura and Mitsubishi, but coming on fast are Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru and Volkswagen – plus domestic models
Understanding Today’s Multi-Coil Ignition Systems
Distributorless Ignition Systems (DIS) have been around for more than two decades, but in recent years the trend has been to multi-coil systems such as Coil On Plug (COP) or Coil Per Cylinder (CPC) ignition systems, and Coil Near Plug (CNP) ignition systems. COP systems have become the hot setup for a number of packaging,
Analyzing Ignition Misfires and Plotting a Diagnostic Course
Uh oh. The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is on, and you’ve just found a misfire code. It’s a code P0304, which tells you cylinder number four is misfiring. There are no other codes and the engine has a steady miss. Now what? Misfire diagnosis in this kind of situation should be fairly easy. You have