Why Direct Injection Engines Develop Carbon Deposits
Direct injection in its current form has been around since 1997. During the next 10 years, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes Benz and many others introduced engines with direct injection. Today, almost all new engines have direct injection. When the early direct-injection engines hit the three-year or 30,000-mile mark, some developed driveablity problems due to carbon build-up
Tooling Up For Today’s Transmissions
Most modern automatic transmissions come equipped with electronic sensors and electric solenoids that are connected together by a module. Without these, most automatic transmissions will not get out of park. While these components can make a worn transmission shift like new, they can also make a mechanically healthy transmission malfunction. Tooling up in order to
Mercedes-Benz Auxiliary Water Pump Diagnostics
A Mercedes comes into your shop with a complaint of poor heater performance. The driver says on cold mornings the heater will blow cold during the drive to work in rush hour traffic. The car is not overheating and the air is coming from the correct ducts. Your first reaction might be to install a
Hybrid Fluid Service 101
Does the phrase ”hybrid fluid maintenance” scare you? It shouldn’t. With more than 3 million hybrids on the road, and many of your customers considering purchasing one, servicing hybrid vehicles is in your future. Some special procedures must be followed when working on a hybrid.
10 Toughest Cabin Air Filter Jobs
There are still many late model vehicles that are not easy to service, and they require a significant amount of disassembly to gain access to the filter. For your shop, this is billable labor. Here are the 10 toughest jobs according to the editors of Underhood Service.
The Best of The Best: Tales From the 2014 Vision Hi-Tech Training & Expo
I try to attend the Vision Hi-Tech Training & Expo every year, take some classes, browse the Expo, and meet up with some old friends. Classes range from hybrid service, scope and scanner reading, diesel and gas engine driveability, to shop management. Some of the top instructors gather at this convention and put together some of the best classes I’ve ever attended.
Intake Manifold Gaskets: A Service Rundown
Back in the days when most
Eight Keys To Selling Auto Service
You’ll need to know your customers’ buying habits as well as their service histories. You should always request your first-time customers’ service records, and should ask them about their service histories verbally as well. This information can be extremely helpful during any sales process, especially when it comes to selling maintenance.
Snap Test: MAF Sensor Diagnostics
You’d think a service light would be the first indicator of a mass air flow (MAF) sensor problem, but there are times a problem develops with the MAF and no service light comes on. Scott “Gonzo” Weaver explains how poor idle, loss of performance, sluggish performance and even stalling are all associated with a failing MAF sensor.
Diagnosing Variable Valve Timing
Fully variable valve timing can be achieved only by using computer-operated solenoids to precisely control the intake and exhaust valve opening and closing events. Although the various combinations of valve timing events are theoretically infinite on an electronically controlled system, their applications are limited due to issues of cost and, in some cases, reliability.
Don’t Judge A Job By Its Cover
It was a picture perfect day at the auto repair shop until two new jobs showed up at the same time. A nice, clean 2007 Ford F-350 4WD diesel with an ABS light on, and a really dilapidated 1997 KIA with charging system problems and no light on. You’ll never guess how these two stories end.
Diagnostic Dilemma: 1999 Dodge Dakota Intermittent Stall Complaints
Diagnosing intermittent stalling complaints is a challenging experience for any diagnostic technician because any number of electrical and mechanical failures can cause an engine to intermittently stall. Most of us immediately narrow this laundry list of potential failures down to the most common few, which include components like the crankshaft position sensor and electric fuel pump.