All types of antifreeze contain corrosion-inhibiting chemicals to protect bare metal surfaces from electrolytic attack. Though automakers disagree on which chemical additives work best in their vehicles, essentially any kind of antifreeze will work in any vehicle. But how well will it protect the cooling system? And for how long?...
and below the intake manifold. When this unit fails, it tends to look like the head gaskets are blown. The oil mixes with the coolant and so on, leading to catastrophic engine bearing failure. Saab recommends flushing the cooling system with Shout, a cleaning agent found in many stores. Saab...
It’s Getting Hotter Out There; Know How to Keep Your Customers Cool Coolant testers, pressure testers, flushers and exchangers. These are the tools and equipment shops need to keep their customers’ cooling systems cool. We’ve had an unusually hot summer this year. Record high temperatures across the country have left...
MASTER CYLINDER DIAGNOSIS Easy Fixes For Elusive Intermittent Problems While Kia offers a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, well-documented maintenance is an important part of keeping that warranty valid. With regular maintenance required at 30,000 miles and timing belts at 60,000 miles, owners will be looking for quality service. Rather than delve...
Although better materials and manufacturing technology have extended the timing belt replacement intervals on many nameplates, timing belt replacements remain one of the most profitable scheduled maintenance services. They continue to be profitable because many other scheduled services like spark plug replacements, filter replacements, coolant changes and transmission fluid changes...
Accessory drive belts and coolant hose replacements are perhaps the most popular and lucrative add-on services in the independent repair shop. Because belt and hose inspections are included in auto manufacturers’ scheduled maintenance charts, service writers at most well-managed shops recommend a belt and hose inspection along with tuneup, oil...
For nearly a decade, vehicle manufacturers have been introducing and using a variety of extended-life coolants. The only thing these coolants have in common is that they all seem to differ in formulation and color. There are orange coolants, green coolants, blue coolants, red coolants, yellow coolants, even pink ones....
Managing heat is definitely a hot job these days. The cooling systems in most late-model import passenger cars have been downsized to reduce weight and bulk. At the same time, most new cars and trucks are now factory equipped with air conditioning, which puts an added strain on the cooling...
