New Catalog from ATE Features Comprehensive Domestic, Asian and European Brake Application Coverage
ATE has released its 2008 ATE PremiumOne Aftermarket Brake Products Catalog. The 450-page catalog features more than 10,000 additional domestic, Asian and European applications for model years 1980-2008. The primary product categories listed include ….
Tech Tip: Finding the Right Level of Exhaust Noise
Exhaust noise sells mufflers and pipes. Exhaust noise can be irritating, as when an original equipment muffler or pipe rots and blows out. Or, it can be pleasing in the case of a high performance vehicle with a throaty growl when it accelerates. Either way, noise generates exhaust work and parts sales. How people react to noise depends on a number of factors. They say that introverts are less tolerant of noise than people who are ….
Tech Tip: ABS Service on Chevy Silverados
The customer complained that at speeds over 40-50 mph, the ABS and brake indicators come on, and the fuel and volt gauges sometimes drop low at the same time. The technician had already verified the condition and checked for codes before calling Identifix. He found code C0237 (rear wheel speed signal erratic) stored as a history code, but it had not ….
Tech Tip: CARDONE Offers Tips for Diagnosing a Slow Cranking Starter
A slow cranking starter or one with no crank at all could be caused by a faulty ground that prevents full voltage to the starter motor. Most people assume the starter is grounded because it is bolted to the engine. However, that does not mean it’s grounded properly. The combination of road dirt, salt corrosion, engine heat and vehicle age can ….
Tech Tip: Are You Unnecessarily Replacing Starters and Alternators?
How many starters and alternators are replaced unnecessarily every year because of misdiagnosis? Nobody knows for sure, but suppliers of both new and remanufactured rotating electrical parts tell us more than half of their warranty returns have "no fault found" when the parts are examined. Many of these returns are from DIYers who lack diagnostic know-how, but some are from professional technicians who apparently lack the ….
Battery Maintenance Often Dictates Life Expectancy
A visual inspection provides many clues about the battery’s age and condition. First, the label will usually include the date the battery was placed in service, the battery type or part number, the CA and CCA ratings, and perhaps the battery’s load-testing specifications. If the label is missing or illegible, the battery CCA rating listed in either the vehicle owner’s manual or ….
Brake Caliper Diagnostics
The owner of a 2004 Malibu says that there is a squeaking noise coming from the right front wheel. A quick inspection shows that the master cylinder is low on fluid and the pads are down to the sensor. You tell the owner that she needs to have the brake pads replaced. She responds that
Exhaust Noise: How Much is Too Much?
Exhaust noise sells mufflers and pipes. Exhaust noise can be irritating, as when an original equipment muffler or pipe rots and blows out. Or, it can be pleasing in the case of a high performance vehicle with a throaty growl when it accelerates. Either way, noise generates exhaust work and parts sales. How people react
Complete Brake Jobs
Restore Brake System Integrity For Better Performance And Safer Driving The rate at which the brake linings wear out depends on the frequency of use, how hard the brakes are being applied, the temperature of the linings and the wear characteristics of the friction material itself. Consequently, a set of brake linings on one vehicle
Tech Tip: Fixing Outlandish Squeaks on Mitsubishi Outlander and Lancer Vehicles
Squeaks from the rear of 2002 to 2005 Mitsubishi Outlanders or Lancers, most noticeable when traveling over speed bumps, may be caused by a corroded outer lower control arm bushing. Water intrusion through the control arm bushing seal may allow corrosion, resulting in a squeak during control arm movement. The factory-recommended repair is to replace the parts with updated versions that are designed to prevent water intrusion.