Boosted Brakes: A look at the history of power-assisted brakes.
Since we are talking brakes, let’s do a little comparison of the most popular brake systems that brought us away from dragging a flat plate against the wagon wheel or mashing your foot down on a mechanical linkage arm that eventually either slowed the car down or gave you one really strong leg. What I’m talking about is the power-assisted brake systems we find on modern cars and trucks.
Gonzo’s Toolbox: Three Gallons of Trouble
One of my regular customers brought his son into the shop the other day. It was right at opening time and good old dad made it a point to tell his son: “Gonzo probably hasn’t had his coffee yet, so go easy on the old guy.” He was right about the coffee, but that still didn’t prepare me for the story I was about to hear.
Gonzo’s Toolbox: Why Men Do ‘Manly’ Things
Some male patrons tend to want to “talk to the mechanic” verses talking to the front-desk person. Especially if that person is female. In my case, the front desk person is my daughter. She has seen it all and is very knowledgeable, I might add. Ask her a car question, any question, and she’ll have
Tech Tip: Cam and Crank Sensor Diagnosis
Today’s cars have several different methods of producing spark and setting fuel injector pulses. All of the sensors create a nominal voltage by way of what is referred to as a “Hall effect,” either from an external magnet mounted on the cam gear or body of the distributor housing, or it has its own small magnet inside itself and the Hall effect is created by passing the sensor over or near a piece of slotted metal.
Tech Tip: Understanding the Relationship Between the Body Control Computer and Trailer Harness
A body shop dropped off a 2005 Nissan Titan XE for a trailer light problem. It was hit in the rear and had folded the bumper under the body. I have known this particular body shop for years and they pride themselves on doing a top-notch repair on every vehicle that they work on.
Gonzo’s Tool Box: Why Men Do Manly Things
Men don’t listen to their wives when they’re driving the car. Real men just drive until the gas gauge reads empty and then stop while the wife goes inside for directions. When she gets back, she very gently explains how to get back on the correct highway. Now why is that? Wrong body chemistry I guess. But, the same thing holds true at the repair shop.
Gonzo’s Tool Box: Shift Happens
Jo was a new customer referred by an old-time regular. Her little KIA had a transmission problem that seemed to be getting the best of the transmission shop. The story goes that the SUV was constantly in limp mode, and would never shift properly … ever.
Scott ‘Gonzo’ Weaver: Me, a Flasher?
Ok, you got me … I’m a Flasher … or more to the point a Re-flasher. With today’s cars and components, it’s not uncommon to have to flash some driveability controller or theft system.
Looking for ‘Sum Guy’
Have you ever noticed a lot of work shows up at the shop with some sort of story attached and the customer almost always knows who sent them to you or what the last tech did to their car? It’s pretty common at my shop. This “other” mechanic seems to always be busy, sometimes too busy to finish the customer’s job completely. I don’t know who this dude is, but he gets all the work in town.
Tech Feature: Finding Electrical Shorts on Multiple Circuits
When I was a kid, I saw a movie called the “Juggernaut” with Richard Harris as the main character. It was about a cruise liner that was about to blow up because a terrorist had planted 55 gallon drum bombs all over the ship. The premise of the story line is that Richard Harris was going to save all the people on the ship by defusing the bombs. All through the movie, there were references to the different relays and electrical circuits.
Diagnosing Airbag Systems After Suspension Repairs
Diagnosing airbag systems is a matter of having the correct scanning equipment and the correct repair procedures. There are several manufacturers that offer a way to count the flashes of the airbag light for diagnostic purposes. Determining faults and repair procedures differ from manufacturer to manufacturer – way too many to break down into one article. My advice is to read up on those systems that you will be dealing with and learn everything there is to know about them.
Backyard Engineers: When Realities Clash
During the years and years of running my shop, I have run across a lot of hot rods, home built contraptions, and those “super-upper, make it better than the factory did” cars. I sometimes wonder why I take on these projects – maybe it was slow that day and I needed something to do. Or, the owner may have had one of those personalities and charisma that made me want to truly believe in their dream as much as they personally did.