Diagnosing Acura RDX Turbo System Problems
The 2007-2012 Acura RDX was Honda’s first production vehicle in North America with a turbocharger. The company took the proven K-series engine and lowered the compression ratio from 10:1 to 8:1, and added a turbocharger with the associated plumbing. But, it is a lot more complicated when it comes to managing the boost.
Acura Tech Tip: Chirping From High-Pressure Fuel Pump
With the hood open, listen for a chirping noise with the engine warmed up. If the noise is coming from the high-pressure fuel pump, follow the Repair Procedure in this Tech Tip.
Head Lift: Look Beyond The Gasket
In the 1980s, many race series were experimenting with turbochargers on stock block and specialty race engines. Huge horsepower and torque numbers could be produced for a short period until the engine self-destructed. What a lot of the engineers and engine builders could not see was at peak cylinder pressures the head was distorting the casting and allowing combustion gases to get in between the head, gasket and block. New technologies like direct injection, variable valve timing and turbocharging are pushing chamber pressures far beyond what they were a decade ago.
Crankshaft And Camshaft Signals
The key to diagnosing many cranking, no-start and stalling problems found on the late-model import is to understand how the crankshaft and camshaft position sensors function and what their mechanical relationship is to each other.
Diagnostic Dilemmas: From Here To There In A Snow-Plowing Chevrolet
In this installment of Diagnostic Dilemmas, we’re diagnosing idle air control problems by pursuing a no-code, cold-idle speed control condition on a 2002 Chevrolet 2500HD four-wheel drive pickup. Owned by a small local construction company, this U-code, 6.0-liter Chevrolet hauler performs admirably during the summer towing trailers and hauling heavy construction tools in its roomy, all-steel utility bed. During the winter, it plows snow in local commercial parking lots and on private mountain roads. Due to their simplicity and reliability, we still see thousands of these formidable workhorses performing their duties across our great country.
Part 2: Creating A Roadmap Of A Technician’s Career
When you look at the staffing issues currently affecting repair shops in either the collision or service space, as if you were an emergency room physician dealing with a patient who is bleeding to death, it is apparent that two life-threatening hemorrhages exist right now that need our attention. Often, it is easy to look at a problem globally. So, we get overwhelmed by the big picture, rather than taking the triage approach of identifying the most pervasive issues. This is where ER doctors, nurses and great diagnostic technicians can be our models for fixing the ails of our industry.
Understanding Misfire Events And Causes
When a spark plug fires, it is not an instantaneous ignition of all the molecules of air and fuel. When the spark kernel jumps between the two electrodes, the piston might be some distance from the top of the cylinder (this is usually described as degrees of crankshaft rotation).
