Hybrid Engine Diagnosis & Service
The Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrids have been around since 2001; the Honda Accord, Ford Escape and Lexus RX 400h hybrids since 2005; the Honda Civic, Toyota Highlander, Mercury Mariner, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra hybrids since 2006; and the Lexus GS 450h, Saturn VUE Green Line, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima hybrids since
Foreign Affairs: Probing Around Subaru Electrical Systems
With station wagons, small multi-purpose trucks and high-powered sports models in its product mix, Subaru has become an obvious choice for multi-use purchasers. And, by building one basic platform with all of the right stuff, Subaru has been able to concentrate on quality. That brings us to the topic of this article, Subaru electrical systems.
Tech Feature: Servicing Electrical Systems Requires Knowledge of Fundamentals
Electrical principles – voltage, amperage and resistance – can be described as cars passing along a pockmarked roadway. Voltage is represented by the vehicle’s speed, amperage is the number of vehicles on the road at the same time, and resistance is the potholes in the road’s surface.
Tech Tip: Resetting Service Lights on BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Honda and Toyota
For all BMWs you must have the driver-side door shut to reset the service lights. On E60 and later models, it may also be necessary to buckle the driver-side seat belt in order to reset the service light.
Brake Lathe Care and Feeding: Breaking the Cycle of Neglect When it Comes to Machining Rotors
How often do you use your brake lathe? Once a month? Once a week? Once a day? If you’re like most undercar shops, your brake lathe is humming along for at least several hours per day, every day. Even a one-man shop will find a brake lathe to be an indispensable piece of undercar equipment.
2006 Ford Explorer Pointers
Photo 2). Another change for the 4.6L in 2006 is that it no longer uses a knock sensor. Both, the 4.0L and the 4.6L use a PCM-controlled heated PCV valve. The PCV valve on the 4.0L SOHC engine is located in the back of the left valve cover, mounted horizontally, and is well hidden from
The Circle of (Engine) Life: The Important Role Water Pumps Play in Engine Preservation…Restoring the Engine to Precise OE Tolerances
Amazingly, up to one-third of the heat energy produced inside an engine’s combustion chambers ends up as waste heat that goes into the block. This heat must be eliminated, otherwise the engine will overheat and self-destruct. The water pump keeps coolant circulating between the engine and radiator to get rid of the heat. The pump
Foreign Affairs: VW P Codes — … Putting Out The MIL
After 10-plus years of dealing with OBD II, it should be apparent that we are on a learning curve that probably has no end. Almost daily we have a Volkswagen model come into the shop with a check engine light on, or a “state OBD II failure” form. Although we have the latest scanner software
Technicians’ Top 5 Favorite Tools & Equipment
Jeff Hume, John Partipilo, Terry Kirschbaum and Jesse Hernandez CMJ Automotive Addison, IL We went through an extensive study of the tools we use most often and the ones we just like a lot. Our list is in no particular order. Snap-on MODIS Scanner — Helps us diagnose vehicles faster and more efficiently. Huth Pipe
Tech Tip: Do 2WD, 4WD and AWD Vehicles Need Different Tire Solutions?
I live in the snow belt, so I am well used to those days when a simple 45-minute drive to, say, take the kids to the circus can become a frightening eight-hour return trip. Around here, two hours of clowns and elephants is long enough for Mother Nature to hammer us with two feet of "partly cloudy." And, living in Ohio means road-clearing crews are usually hours behind the bell. But, that’s another story.