Training Techniques to Teach Today’s Techs
The need, dependency and resources for training continue to grow. This video is sponsored by The Group Training Academy.
Learn To Advise Customers, Not Just Sell Them
Service advisors are a liaison between the tech and the customer. This video is sponsored by The Group Training Academy.
You Have An Oxygen Sensor Code, Now What?
With hundreds of diagnostic codes for oxygen sensors, it is no wonder technicians face a daunting task when identifying the cause (or causes) of an oxygen sensor-specific trouble code. Knowing how to accurately interpret location codes is the first step in the diagnostic process that can be used along with fuel trims and catalyst efficiency.
Test To Reduce Ignition Repair Time
Most of the time spent on an ignition problem is not the repair itself, it’s diagnosing the misfire code, conducting rounds of trial-and-error repairs and sometimes uninstalling and re-installing ancillary engine components.
5 Tips For Vehicle Storage
Improper long-term storage can lead to engine and cylinder surface rust, as well as carburetor and fuel issues. Preparing for long-term storage is the best rule of thumb in case of an emergency or a change of plans.
Understanding Misfire Codes And Ignition Coils
When diagnosing ignition components due to misfire codes, inspect the ignition coils, coil-on-plug boots and spark plugs as a complete system. The leading cause of an ignition coil damage claim is spark plug flash-over. Checking the inside of coil boots during routine plug maintenance can lead to fewer come-backs, less time spent on diagnostic repairs, and a happy customer.
What Is An Import Car?
If you worked on domestics in the 1990s, the engines still had pushrod valvetrains and automatic transmissions with just three speeds. But, innovations like distributorless ignition and port fuel injection systems were often more refined and robust than some imports.
Tech Tip: Ignition System Service in a Changing Market
Distributors started disappearing from engines back in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the automakers began to phase in distributorless ignition systems (DIS) followed by coil-on-plug (COP) ignition systems. Everybody said distributors and eventually spark plug wire sets were going away. Well, here it is more than 20 years later and auto parts stores still carry a hefty inventory of distributors, caps, rotors and spark plug wire sets. But in addition to these parts, store shelves are also stocked with DIS coil packs and COP coils.
Current Trends for Ignition Systems
As automotive technology moves forward, ignition systems are becoming more and more entangled with other systems on the engine. The current generation Nissan Maxima 3.5L V6, which was introduced in 2004, has a fairly conventional coil-on-plug (COP) ignition system. The individual coils are driven by the powertrain control module (PCM) using the input signal from