What is Brake Noise? The Basics of Diagnosing NVH
What does your shop do when a brake noise complaint enters the service bays? Does it end up hurting productivity for the rest of the day as a technician randomly applies lubes, pastes and sprays to the brake system hoping that the problem will be at least temporarily solved? Brake systems are complex and require
Toyota Synergy Drive Hybrid Brake Job
Making its debut in 1997, Toyota’s Synergy Drive has been used in the Prius, Camry and offered on almost all Lexus models since 2006. Below are some of the basic rules of the road and some fixes that may come in handy when performing a brake job on these Toyota hybrids. Low Pedal Problems Low
Air Ride Logic: How to Diagnose Common Behaviors
There is a logic to air ride systems. Air ride systems can control vehicle ride height, passenger comfort and improve handling. How they operate and work with the rest of the systems on the vehicle is part of the embedded logic of the control system. Written in this programming are three main edicts: preserve the
Pulsation and Judder: Ask the right questions to improve your sales and diagnostics
Whenever a customer comes to your shop for any brake repair, you need to know why they are there in the first place. Just writing a ticket for a brake job because the customer requested it can lead to a comeback and an unsatisfied customer. There is one golden question every service writer must ask
Honda Brake Job Tips
Insight: Lightweight Rear Brake Drums The older Insight has a two-piece rear drum design with aluminum fins. The design borrows from the old 1950 Buick drums that had cast iron spun into an aluminum body. This design has significantly reduced weight over a cast iron drum. The use of aluminum fins on the outside helps
Regenerative Brakes: Basic Operation And Behavior
A hybrid vehicle is a different animal than many of us are used to seeing. After all, if the engine of a typical vehicle stalled out at a traffic light, the driver of that vehicle would know something was wrong with it. If that same vehicle still drove with the engine off, then that would
Servicing The Electronically Adjustable Shocks Of Full-Sized GM Trucks
Since the 2000 model year, GM has offered electronically adjustable suspension as an option on Chevy, Cadillac and GMC full-size trucks. The system actuates the valving in the shocks to control suspension position and body attitude. The electronic suspension control (ESC) system independently controls each of the four shock absorbers in order to control the
ASE A5 Test Prep: Brake Pulsation And Runout
Being able to diagnose and solve brake rotor pulsation problems is critical to passing the ASE A5 exam for brakes. Pulsation and brake performance problems may not seem to be the most difficult, but they often cause the most headaches for technicians. Below are sample questions based on the A5 task list, written by the editors
Measure Rotor Thickness, Runout: Stop Pulsation Comebacks Before They Start
Let’s say a vehicle had .003″ of lateral runout when measured at the outside face of the rotor. If this vehicle is riding on 205/55R16 tires, in one mile, the high-spot with .003″ of runout goes past the caliper approximately 836 times. Over 6,000 miles, that spot on the rotor will go past the pads more than 5 million times. Every time this spot passes the pads, a little bit of the rotor’s material is removed. Over the course of those 5 million revolutions, enough material is removed to create a thickness variation that can be felt by the driver. This is why it is critical to measure thickness and runout in a brake rotor and wheel flange even if new rotors are going to be installed.
Hydroboost Brakes – 10 Servicing Tips
One of the most misunderstood brake systems is hydroboost. This system uses the pressure of the power steering pump to power the brake booster. The booster is essentially a power steering unit that supplements the driver’s input. When hydroboost was first introduced in the 1970s, the government was rolling out new safety and fuel efficiency
Chrysler LX Platform Brake Job: For the 300, Magnum, Charger & Challenger
What do you get when you mix the front suspension from a Mercedes S-Class, the rear suspension from an E-Class and the transmission from a C-Class? The 2005-‘10 Chrysler rear-wheel-drive LX platform. The LX platform includes the 300, Magnum and Charger. In 2008, the platform was shortened for use in the LC platform in the
The Unseen Cycles Of A Shock Or Strut
A worn shock or strut might look exactly the same as a fully functioning strut. Why? It’s what’s inside that matters. Sure, all of the usual visual clues like leaks, bent rods and bottoming out marks still matter, but it is the millions of cycles a ride control component will have to endure during its