Send Us Your Winter Beater!
The more unique the car, the better. An all-wheel-drive Chrysler minivan from the 1990s is the Bentley of winter beaters. A Saturn is a good choice, but they might be too common for some. There are also those crazy choices that showcase the driver’s skills and tolerance to adversity, like a Pontiac Fiero, Mazda Miata or Mercury Capri convertible.
Dodge Stratus: Automatic Transmission Fluid Usage ATF+4
ATF+4 is being used as factory fill for Chrysler Group automatic transmissions. Mopar ATF+4 has exceptional durability. However, the red dye used in ATF+4 is not permanent; as the fluid ages, it may become darker or appear brown in color. ATF+4 also has a unique odor that may change with age. With ATF+4 fluid, color and odor are no longer indicators of fluid condition and do not necessarily support a fluid change.
Servicing Wheel Bearings & Wheel Speed Sensors
If you are replacing a wheel bearing on a late-model vehicle, you’ll be dealing with a wheel speed sensor. In the past decade, wheel speed sensors have been moving from differentials, axles and knuckles to inside or on the wheel bearing or hub unit. At this location, the sensors are more accurate and often more protected from the elements.
Tech Tip: Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Transmission Fluid Leak
Follow these tips to diagnose and fix a transmission fluid leak on several Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. The first step is to remove the LH halfshaft and inspect the halfshaft journal surface finish.
Tech Tip: ABS Light On Or False ABS Activation After Wheel Bearing Hub Replacement
If you diagnose a bad hub bearing on one side of a vehicle, and the ABS wheel speed sensor or tone ring is integral to the bearing, you may need additional repairs to restore proper ABS functioning. In many cases, replacing one hub bearing will cause the driver to feel ABS false activation when coming to a slow stop on dry pavement.
Tech Tips: Volkswagen: Noise from Front when Steering Wheel is Turned
Follow these steps to diagnose a noise when the steering wheel is turned on a Volkswagen.
Gonzo’s Toolbox: ‘Wanna Be’ Technicians
There’s one situation every professional automotive technician has had to deal with from time to time, and it involves the home-grown garage guy who just so happens to own a couple of ratchets, a repair manual and a broken-down car. In a recent case, the car in question wouldn’t start, and a neighborhood mechanic did his best to read and understand what was on the diagnostic pages of the manual, but he couldn’t make any sense of the wiring diagram for the fuel pump circuit. His final verdict, “It’s not getting any voltage to the fuel pump.”
10 Tips For Diagnosing And Installing Control Arms And Bushings
With wide adoption of large diameter wheels and low-profile tires, suspensions on late-model vehicles have changed. The extra weight of larger wheels has meant that suspension components have had to go on a diet of aluminum. Less sidewall area has transferred the role of absorbing road impacts to larger bushings in order to achieve the same ride quality.
Viewpoint: New Year’s Brings New Changes At Brake & Front End
In December 1997, BrakeandFrontEnd.com was launched. Since then, our website has been constantly built upon, and has grown to more than 11,000 pages to date. Last year was our best year in company history, as our growth in traffic spiked to its highest level since the website’s inception. But we’re not stopping there. New eNewsletter In
Automotive Automatic Transmission Filter O-Rings And Lip Seals
Many transmission filters require a seal at the point where they assemble into the transmission. Most of these seals are called “lip seals,” although some filters may use an O-ring. Before filter installation, it is important to make sure that there is no O-ring or lip seal in the case or pump bore left over from the old filter.
Selling TPMS Service Starts With Education
As car dealerships continue their push for a greater slice of the aftermarket repair pie, the pressure grows for independent repair facilities to expand their offerings and expertise to attract clients. And while the evolution of technology in modern vehicles has presented a number of challenges to independent shops, TPMS service is one area of repair that shops can quickly capitalize on.
Welcome To The Future: Are Your Networks Protected?
For those of you who do not know me, I will give you a quick download on my background. I have been playing with cars for 40 years. I work in my family’s business, Seyfer Automotive, Inc., founded in 1961. We diagnose, repair and maintain late-model vehicles as well as a large number of cars
