40 years of the Mazda Rotary Engine
On May 30, 1967, Mazda launched the world’s first twin-rotor rotary-engined car, the Mazda Cosmo Sport. The company now celebrates that engine’s 40th anniversary. In these past 40 years Mazda has produced nearly 2 million vehicles powered by the rotary engine. It was not until 1970, however, that Mazda sold rotary-engine-equipped cars in the United
Tech Tip: Avoiding Stinky Brake Pads
I have been getting a few phone calls lately from readers about bad smelling brakes after a brake service was performed. Most drivers may not know much about their vehicles, but they know when something does not smell right. The customers who typically come back to the shop are not very happy.
Tech Tip: Brake Maintenance and Inspection
The brake actuating system, consisting of the master cylinder, calipers, hoses and wheel cylinders, experiences wear each time the driver applies the brakes. Some drivers rarely use their brakes and therefore never wear out a set of brake linings. Nevertheless, no matter how little the brakes are used, moisture contamination and rust will eventually cause the brake actuating system to fail.
Tech Feature: Getting Up to Speed on Hybrid Vehicles
Hybrids are hot. As the price of gasoline goes up, so does the demand for new vehicles that can squeeze more miles per gallon from every drop of gasoline. Hybrids do that by combining the best of both worlds: electric power for low-speed, stop-and-go driving, and gasoline power for highway cruising and long-range driving.
Tech Tip: Rear Disc Brake Moan on Jeep Liberty Vehicles
The customer may experience a rear brake moan-like sound during light or no brake application pressure. This condition is more likely to occur when the brakes are cool (first use) and ambient temperatures are below 50°F. The moan-like sound may be intermittent.
Tech Tip: Front Hub/Half Shaft Click/Pop Sound on PT Cruisers and Neons
Neons and PT Cruisers may exhibit a popping/clicking/snapping/ticking sound from the front hub/half shaft area during acceleration after Drive to Reverse or Reverse to Drive shifts. The sound may also be present while turning and accelerating from a stop. This tech tip provides information on how to diagnose this condition.
Viewpoint: Stinky Brake Pads
How you can avoid a sinus comeback. I have been getting a few phone calls lately from readers about bad smelling brakes after a brake service was performed. Most drivers may not know much about their vehicles, but they know when something does not smell right. The customers who typically come back to the shop
Hybrids: Basic Service & Safety Procedures
Hybrids are hot. As the price of gasoline goes up, so does the demand for new vehicles that can squeeze more miles per gallon from every drop of gasoline. Hybrids do that by combining the best of both worlds: electric power for low-speed, stop-and-go driving, and gasoline power for highway cruising and long-range driving. Current
Diagnostic Solutions: Brake Maintenance & Inspection
” height=”234″ alt=”” border=”0″ align=”right” /> Although brake systems wear at a relatively glacial rate, a point will be reached when they can no longer stop the vehicle in an emergency situation and brake system inspections are therefore required to prevent accidents caused by brake component failure. Inspection procedures vary from area to area. Mountainous
Diagnostic Dilemmas: Symptom Diagnosis…The Journey Begins
When I first began my automotive career way back in 1957, the symptoms of an ailing engine were very apparent. A carburetor with a worn accelerator pump, for example, would characteristically stumble on acceleration and a closed-up set of distributor contact points would cause the engine to become very sluggish. Low fuel pressure caused by