Brake Friction Materials: Good, Better or Best?
One thing you can always count on with brakes: sooner or later the brake linings will wear out and have to be replaced. Every time the brakes are applied, the pads rub against the rotors and wear just a bit. After 40,000 to 60,000 miles, the front pads are usually worn down to minimum thickness
Oxygen Sensors: Are You Up to Date on the Latest Designs?
If you’re a technician who works on late-model import vehicles and diagnoses engine performance and emissions problems, you probably have a good understanding of how oxygen (O2) sensors work. You know that all late-model engines have at least one or more “upstream” O2 sensors in the exhaust system to monitor the air/fuel mixture, and one
‘Sensing’ Problems: A Drop in Fuel Economy and Higher Exhaust Emissions Signal O2 Sensor Replacement
Oxygen sensors have been used for more than a quarter of a century, dating back to 1980 when the first computerized engine control systems appeared. Part of the fuel management system, the oxygen (O2) sensor monitors unburned oxygen in the exhaust. The powertrain control module (PCM) uses this information to determine if the fuel mixture
Inspecting Belts and Hoses For Your Customers
Everybody wants a reliable vehicle to drive, but not many people are forward-thinking enough to practice preventive maintenance beyond the barest of basics. After all, preventive maintenance costs money and nobody likes to spend money “unnecessarily.” We put unnecessarily in quotes because we want to emphasize the fact that most consumers do not appreciate the
Getting a Fix on Piston Diagnosis and Inspection
Piston failures in late-model engines are relatively uncommon thanks to computerized engine controls that keep a close watch on the air/fuel mixture, and knock sensors that back off spark timing advance if detonation is detected. Pistons are also lasting longer because many engines now come factory-equipped with stronger hypereutectic alloy pistons that can withstand higher
Brake Rotors & Calipers: The When, Where, Why and How of Brake System Service and Component Replacement
Resurfacing or replacing brake rotors, and rebuilding or replacing brake calipers are two tasks that are often necessary when doing a brake job. These parts may not require much attention the first time the brakes are relined. But by the second or third brake job, it’s likely the vehicle will need rotors and calipers. Regardless
Update On CAN Diagnostics
Whether you like it or not, Controller Area Networks (CAN) have taken over. CAN technology has been steadily creeping into more and more new vehicles since it first appeared in 1992 on certain Mercedes-Benz models. Thanks to federal emissions rules, it is now required on all 2008 model year vehicles, and will be forevermore. What
Carley’s Corner: What Technician Shortage?
People have been talking about “the technician shortage” for years. Many quote old Bureau of Labor Statistics that say there is a shortage of 60,000 technicians in the work force. These numbers are at least 10 years old, if not older, so some are now quoting a more recent estimate that says there is a
Work Lights: Lighten Up!
Adequate lighting is something every technician needs when working on a vehicle. Though some parts in today’s cramped engine compartments can only be changed by feel, most of the time it helps to see what you are doing. So a trouble light is an indispensable tool. The traditional drop cord style trouble light that uses
Tech Update: Scan Tools & Code Readers
One thing you can always count on in the automotive repair business is that diagnostic equipment is constantly changing. It must to keep pace with changing automotive technology. So the latest crop of scan tools and code readers have more features, more capabilities and give you more bang for your buck than ever before. There’s
Performance Exhausts for Late-Model Vehicles
What’s hot in exhaust performance products? Bolt-on free-flowing exhaust systems for diesel trucks, big bore mufflers for sport compact cars, and low restriction street performance mufflers for cars like Mustangs, Pontiac G8s, Dodge Chargers and Chevy Corvettes. The diesel market has been really hot lately. Turbo diesel engines are a popular option in full-size Dodge,
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems: The Ins and Outs of Indirect and Direct TPMS
This is the year of the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitor System). It’s been coming for some time. In response to a rash of highly publicized rollover accidents caused by tire failures on SUVs, Congress passed a law called the TREAD Act in 2000 which required all vehicle manufacturers to have TPMS on all their cars