BMW Tech Tip: Oil Separator Replacement
A clogged oil separator valve is a common problem on many BMW DOHC inline sixes. The high failure rate is caused by sludge build-up that can result in oil burning, rough idle and engine fault codes. Although the solution is pretty simple, replacing the valve is labor intensive and can take anywhere from six to nine hours.
The Driverless Future: Where does auto repair fit into the future?
For those of you who are used to talking to cars, the future will be status quo for you. Imagine that you arrive at work and are greeted by a barrage of eager customers who have made appointments to have their fluids checked, their tires rotated and their vision checked. Wait, vision? That’s right —
Engineered Accessory Drive Serpentine Belt Replacement
You might not be able to see it, but an accessory drive belt is always both speeding up and slowing down. When a piston accelerates downward after the ignition of the fuel and air, the crankshaft speeds up and then slows down as it reaches the bottom of the stroke. These changes in speed are minimal, but big enough to cause problems.
Deposit Control Additives And Bad Gas
A buildup of carbon deposits inside the combustion chamber increases the risk of hot spots forming that may cause engine-damaging preignition. The hot spot ignites the fuel before the spark plug fires, causing a sharp rise in combustion pressure. Under extreme conditions (high rpm and load), preignition can burn a hole right through the top of a piston.
Honda Fit Tech Tip: HVAC Blower Motor Works Only On High Speed
The HVAC blower motor on some Honda Fit vehicles may work only on high speed. This may be the result of excessive current draw from the HVAC blower motor which causes the blower resistor to fail.
Ford Focus: Wet Carpet On Passenger Side
Some 2012-2013 Focus vehicles built on or before 11/12/2012 may exhibit wet carpet on the passenger-side front foot well. This is likely due to leaking climate control condensate.
Power Window Regulator And Motor Service
Power windows are great as long as they roll up and down when commanded to do so. But sometimes a window may quit working for one reason or another. Sometimes the fault is electrical, such as a bad power window switch, a blown fuse, a bad relay or a loose or damaged wire. Other times, the fault is a bad window motor or a broken part in the window regulator mechanism that actually raises and lowers the glass.
Oil Bath Air Filters
Long before people started using cotton gauze air filters soaked in oil, the oil bath air filter was the dominant filter on the market. The filter removes debris in the air by running it over oil and a mesh element. These filters worked great when most roads were dirt, but they could be messy to clean.
BMW Tech Tip: K-CAN Wiring Shorted In Various Locations
Various functions in the vehicle are not operating. This includes instruments, door locks, wipers and other body electrical functions. This can also be accompanied by instrument cluster warning lamps, including the check control message “Electronic Malfunction.”
Honda TPMS Service
Honda TPMS can be one of the more difficult systems to program in new sensors, relearns and calibrations. But once you know the basics, it is easy to service these vehicles.
Subaru Pulse-Width Modulated Fuel Pumps
I think it might have been a 2003 Subaru WRX, but it was parked in front of my local Subaru specialist’s shop after going on its fourth fuel pump replacement from other shops in less than six months. Both the Subaru specialist and I agreed that fuel pump failures on Subarus were relatively rare, so the previous repair shops had obviously overlooked some very important details.
Don’t Let “Not Me” Ruin Your Shop
In the newspaper comics section, there is a strip called Family Circus. Either you hate the strip for its sappiness and blunt humor that cuts like a dull butter knife, or you love it for its simple wit. Either way, you probably will wind up reading the strip out of spite or curiosity – it is like gawking at a car crash.
