A/C Update: The Logic Behind Automatic Temperature Controls
Many new cars and trucks now have automatic temperature control (ATC) systems that not only regulate cooling but also heating for year-round passenger comfort. Most of these systems have their own computer that may be built into the control panel head, located elsewhere or integrated into the body control module. One thing’s for sure: the
Getting Tanked: Flex Fuel Engine Modifications Allow for Alcohol-Based Fuel
In case you haven’t heard, Flex Fuel technology is really starting to take off in the U.S., becoming more popular in late-model vehicles than technicians may realize. If you haven’t had any training on these vehicles, you may find some of the technical changes OEMs have made to the engines will alter the way you
Tech Tip: Alternator Diagnosis – High-Draw Accessories Merit Changes in Test Procedures
Electrical demand varies according to vehicle application and use, so engineers build an alternator that will meet the average accessory demand of any particular vehicle and still have enough reserve capacity to keep the battery charged. If electrical demand is increased by adding accessories, the potential ability of the alternator to recharge the vehicle’s battery is practically reduced to zero.
Beck/Arnley Announces New Part Numbers
Beck/Arnley has added 403 new part numbers to its line of premium foreign nameplate products, for a total of 1,933 new part numbers introduced in 2005, according to Vonda Lee, Beck/Arnley director of product management.
Diagnostic Solutions: Identifying Ignition Switch Failure Symptoms
Although the basic ignition switch has remained unchanged for many years, the way it supplies electrical current to modern on-board electronics has made it a key factor when diagnosing intermittent failures in various electronic operating systems. Going back into automotive history, the ignition switch’s sole purpose on early imports was to energize the primary ignition
Under Pressure: Maintaining Ford’s Electronic Returnless Fuel System
By Glen Beanard, Technical Contributor Here we go again. A simple electric pump pushing fuel up to the engine, with its pressure being controlled by a little valve, and returning the unused fuel to the tank was not good enough. Now, we need to make that all fancy by adding a new controller, adding a
Tech Tip: Trailer Wiring Offers Repair Opportunity
Every year, an estimated 15 million trailer hitches are installed on cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. Industry statistics tell us that upwards of 65% of all trucks and SUVs have a trailer hitch installed on them at some point, and many passenger cars do too. That’s a lot of vehicles on the road that may need trailer wiring repairs at some point in their life.
Tech Tip: Understanding Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
Are a good number of the vehicles on the road today equipped with underinflated tires? Look down at the tires on the car in front of you in traffic, and the answer may be obvious. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted an inspection of 6,240 vehicles within a 14-day period in August of 2001. They did this at service stations with the cooperation from motorists who stopped to refuel.
Servicing Import ABS Systems
Import anti-lock brake systems (ABS) are pretty much the same as domestic ABS systems. In fact, the same OEM suppliers who make the ABS system components for import vehicle manufacturers also make them for domestic vehicle manufacturers. The differences that do exist are typically limited to calibration, diagnostic codes and procedures, and wiring. The ABS
Ninety-Nine Times Out of a Hundred…
Let’s face it: all of us occasionally get that haunting feeling of inadequacy when a simple pattern failure turns into “rocket science.” Like most technicians, my rocket science feeling happens most often when the problem at hand doesn’t fit within the confines of my previous experience. Ninety-nine times out of 100, my experience works to