Tech Update: HVAC Diagnostics
Leave it to the OEMs to take a simple system like heating and air conditioning and turn it into an electronic jumble of wiring, sensors and computer components.
Tech Tip: Honda Engine Won’t Start? Check for Loose Alternator Bolts
If the alternator bolts are loose, tighten them and try restarting the engine. If the engine still won’t start, then check the ECM/PCM connector for battery voltage and ground. If you’re reading battery voltage and ground at the connector, then replace the ECM/PCM.
Wells Team Tackles Jeep No-Crank Issue in Latest Free Diagnostic Video
A challenging no-crank/no-start condition on a 1996 4.0L Jeep Cherokee is the latest diagnostic case study featured in the popular, free “Wells Tech” video training series from Wells Vehicle Electronics.
Wrangling in Jeep Spark Timing Dilemmas
Every once in a while I get a Diagnostic Dilemma that takes me back to the basics of how modern engine management systems work. This month’s happened to be a 1992 Jeep Wrangler equipped with the 4.0L engine and manual transmission. Of course, a vehicle of this vintage and configuration has to be about as basic as modern technology can get, right? Well, there are always exceptions.
Tech Feature: Making the Transition to Non-Lead Wheel Weights
The days of lead wheel weights are numbered. While the federal Environmental Protection Agency has been slow to act, a number of state governments – California, Illinois, Washington, Maine, Vermont and New York – have banned the use of lead wheel weights. In addition, similar legislation is pending in Iowa, Wisconsin, Maryland and Rhode Island, with more states likely to follow.
Tech Tip: DTC P0335 Stored in Nissan’s Self-Diagnosis Results
Use the information in this bulletin to repair a vehicle built prior to the applied VIN and date if the vehicle has DTC P0335 (Crankshaft Position Sensor [CKPS] [OBD]) stored in Self-Diagnosis Results.
Tech Feature: GM Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
GM TPMS systems on Buick, Pontiac, Chevy (Chevrolet), GMC Cadillac and Hummer models are some of the easiest to service if you have the right tools and knowledge. Starting in 2007, most vehicles use a Schrader- or VDO-manufactured system that shares the same relearn procedures and behaviors. There are exceptions, like the Pontiac Vibe.
Michelin Gives Consumers More With ‘Promise Plan’
Starting today, consumers who purchase a set of Michelin tires will automatically receive the new Michelin Promise Plan, a guarantee and warranty plan that offers a free 30-day satisfaction guarantee, three-year flat tire changing assistance and expanded mileage warranties on passenger and light truck replacement tires.
Tech Feature: Courage Under Misfire
Generally, when a customer brings a vehicle into a shop that has a misfire concern, they will describe it as bucking, jerking or loss of power. They also may describe it, depending on the cause, as a jerking when they take off from a start, but smoothes out once the vehicle gets moving. They may tell you the check engine light has been flashing.
Tech Tip: Understanding the Relationship Between the Body Control Computer and Trailer Harness
A body shop dropped off a 2005 Nissan Titan XE for a trailer light problem. It was hit in the rear and had folded the bumper under the body. I have known this particular body shop for years and they pride themselves on doing a top-notch repair on every vehicle that they work on.
Tech Feature: Winter Starting and Charging System Maintenance
Mid-winter is usually the coldest time of the year and, although modern vehicle technology has reduced many of the cold-weather starting problems that we faced just a short decade ago, it’s still important to keep your customers’ import vehicles in top shape for winter starting.
Diagnostic Dilemmas: The Market Value for a Repair to an Older Vehicle
It’s a sign of the times that many people are bringing older vehicles into shops for repairs that they would not have considered several years ago. So it’s not unusual to see people spending more to repair a vehicle than its market value.