Scott "Gonzo" Weaver, Author at UnderhoodService - Page 8 of 10
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Gonzo’s Toolbox: Problem ‘On’ The ‘In’-Side

The tow truck came around the corner of my shop with a 2003 Focus strapped down on the bed. It’s Stacey’s daughter’s car. Stacey is the office manager at the body shop just down the street. Her daughter’s little Ford had given up at a stop sign. Now it was up to me to find out what’s going on with it.

Gonzo’s Toolbox: Paper Dolls and Corralling Cows

Bob was a regular customer, a real charitable kind of guy. He did a lot of work for “Meals on Wheels,” churches and several other organizations. He was a real caring kind of guy, but when it came to cars … he knew nothing, nothing at all. One day he came into the shop with his early ’80s Porsche with a weird starting problem.

Gonzo’s Toolbox: Earning Respect at the Parts Store

I started my shop like a lot of other guys in the automotive repair business without a lot of startup capital, and with only a hand-painted sign, a box of tools and a dream. That was a long time ago. I still have the tools, but the hand-painted sign is long gone. One thing I didn’t have was any track record of paying my bills with the parts stores. People knew of me, but not well enough to put a lot of trust into my business just yet. But, believe me, it was a struggle to just get things started.

Tech Update: Working on Wipers

It’s right after a major snowstorm, and there’s ice and snow on everyone’s windshield. You’re at the shop waiting for the phone to ring. The phone leaps off the receiver and it’s Captain Chaos; he’s managed to find a second use for his wiper blades. Apparently, Captain Chaos was in too much of a hurry to clean the ice off the wiper blades before turning them on. In his frantic attempt to go to work, the wiper blades have become completely useless. He can hear the wiper motor running, but the blades refuse to move.

A Day at the Dentist: There Are Some Things That Customers Can Not Fix Themselves

Some time ago, I had a root canal procedure at my buddy’s dental office. If you’ve never had one, you’re missing a whole lot of fun (I’m kidding; it isn’t fun at all.) It’s not cheap, that’s for sure. But like a lot of my customers will tell me, “Well, it needed to be done.”

Gonzo’s Tool Box: Some Much-Appreciated Fatherly Advice

Before my father passed away, we spent several years under the hoods of cars working together at my shop. He was an old-school repair guy who was always looking out for the customer, and wanting to do that little bit extra for them. You know, adjust that crooked license plate, grease the door hinges before they pulled away from the shop, that kind of thing.

Gonzo’s Toolbox: How ‘Bout Friday? What Happens When Customers Can’t Afford to Pick Up Their Vehicle

A rather slow week at the shop turned into a very interesting one. With the economy slowing things down to a crawl, it’s understandable that people can’t afford to have their cars in for repair like they should, and regular maintenance is usually not that high on the list of things to be concerned about.

Finding Electrical Shorts On Multiple Circuits

When I was a kid, I saw a movie called “Juggernaut” with Richard Harris as the main character. It was about a cruise liner that was about to blow up because a terrorist had planted 55-gallon drum bombs all over the ship. The premise of the story line is that Harris was going to save all the people on the ship by defusing the bombs. All through the movie, there were references to the different relays and electrical circuits.

Gonzo’s Toolbox: Found It On the Internet

A customer comes into the shop the other day with a handful of papers about his car. Each page was full of information and diagrams pertaining to a repair. He was extremely proud of himself, and proceeded to tell me how he found this wealth of knowledge on the Internet.

Tech Update: Can ‘Add-Ons’ Affect CAN Systems? Yes, They Can!

Get any teenager their first car and the first thing they want to do is modify it with new wheels, a different exhaust, seat covers or, the most important and popular upgrade, the stereo. You know, when they have to get to school with all their buddies in the car, they’ve got to have those tunes. They can’t be seen around town with a dull factory radio or wimpy stock wheels.

GONZO’S TOOLBOX: I SMELL A ‘RAT’: Murphy’s Law Was This Time Disguised as a Pesky Rodent

A 2002 Lexus LS430 came in the shop earlier this year. It was stumbling and sounded rough. It had a slight misfire but, overall, the owner said he couldn’t feel it ­vibrate. The check engine light was on and it didn’t seem to have the power it used to have.

Tech Feature: Exhaust Leaks and the Stoichiometric Ratio

When I was a kid, I used to watch my dad, who started out as a diesel mechanic, tune up cars and trucks from time to time. He would turn the adjustment screws on the carburetor until the engine smoothed out and started to purr. Then, after listening closely to the rumbling of the motor, the adjustment screws would get one final tweak. He would always bend down and cup his hand around the belching tail pipe exhaust and take a big sniff of the fumes, and then go back to his adjustments. That was back in the 60s and 70s before PCMs, O2 sensors and catalytic converters.