Gonzo’s Toolbox: One More Busted Knuckle That Comes With The Territory
I can go an entire week without cutting myself or jamming a finger, but then there are those days where I have to make a mad dash for the First Aid kit.
Gonzo’s ToolBox: Customers Say The Darndest Things
Did you ever notice some people have an excuse for just about anything? Did you also notice how some people have a quirky explanation for the problems with their cars? I sometimes wonder what some of these folks would think if they actually heard themselves from my side of the counter.
Tech Update: Key Cycles and Codes
OBD II brought a lot of changes regarding how a technician diagnoses a vehicle. With OBD I, a failure had to occur in order to produce a service code, while OBD II can monitor failures or even partial failures. These days, codes have become part of the normal process in determining a fault. There are several different types of codes. Beyond engine, transmission, HVAC or body codes, there’s also a way to break down the priority of some of those codes.
Gonzo’s Toolbox: Success is in the Details
The other day, the owner of one of the many body shops I do work for came by with a little problem on a 1998 Honda. Doug wanted to make sure I knew how much he appreciated everything that I’d done for him over the years. I’m not sure whether he was bragging, or just being complimentary. Maybe he was trying to soften me up, before I gave him the bill.
Gonzo’s ToolBox: A Jack of All Trades? In This Business, it Pays to Be a Master of One
When the phone rings and it’s a shop I’ve never heard of with a technical question for me, it doesn’t take me long to determine what kind of repair shop they really are. Listening to how they explain the problem or how they tested for the problem gives me enough clues about their abilities.
Don’t Confuse Tool & Equipment Collectors With Tool & Equipment Hoarders
I recently watched one of those reality shows about hoarding, and, quite frankly, I wasn’t surprised at all. I’ve seen this same thing in customers’ cars, trucks and vans. There’s junk, trash and just about anything you could think of piled up inside the car and/or in the truck bed. It’s always a disorganized mess with no rhyme or reason where things are placed. Can you work like that?
The Ins and Outs of Variable Valve Timing (VVT) Systems and Their Role in Vehicle Emissions
By the early 1990s, almost all import automotive manufacturers had a successful variable valve timing (VVT) system in production. These systems offered higher performance from smaller displacement engines at higher rpm. Do you know that VVT is playing a direct role in vehicle emissions and the way gases are burned in the combustion chamber?
Gonzo’s ToolBox: There’s a New Wrench in Town, But There’s No Match for Long-Time Tech Experience
A Volkswagen Beetle was left in the parking lot one cold morning. It was one of my regular customer’s 2001 Beetle. All I knew about the problem was that it wouldn’t start. “Let’s check a few things first,” I thought. I pulled out one of the glow plugs to check it for wear and tear and determine if it was getting the necessary voltage to warm it up. All was well; in fact they looked fairly new.
Brake Light Diagnostics
So many manufacturers are now running the brake lights through BCMs, Integrated Power Modules, bulb detection systems, or the anti-lock brakes. Along with just about every other system in today’s cars, computers are doing a lot of the work for us. Diagnosing a simple inoperative brake light problem takes on a whole new aspect than before. This article will cover some of the basic testing procedures that I use on a daily basis to determine the location and how to repair a brake light wiring problem.
Gonzo’s Toolbox: Solving Repair Issues from the Inside-Out
A few weeks ago, Bo stopped by my shop for a visit and I mentioned a problem I was having with one of the vehicles in the bays. I already had it diagnosed and was waiting for an approval from the customer for the repairs. Bo thought it would be a pretty cool idea to test it on his scope, which he just so happened to have with him. I thought, sure, why not, two heads are better than one. Sounds like a perfect time to get a second opinion on the problem.
Gonzo’s Toolbox: ‘Check Engine’ Charlie
Charlie comes in every now and then. I guess you could say he’s a regular, but I think I would call him more of an opportunist when it comes to his car repairs. He’ll go to a quick lube for oil changes, a tire shop for tires, a transmission shop for transmission work, and so on. If there is an
Gonzo’s Toolbox: The Rare Professional Customer
When the weather is right, I like to ride my motorcycle to work. It’s a little bit of a commute for me, but it does allow me time to observe the world from a different perspective than from behind a windshield. I’m not surprised at how many people push past the speed limit, while maintaining a grip on their ever-present cell phone. Some of these morning pavement pounders always seem to be in a hurry to get somewhere.