Here it is Memorial Day weekend and as usual the Indy 500 is on the front burner of racing fans. It doesn’t matter if you are a NASCAR or an Outlaws fan the Indy is a big race. At no other time during the year does open wheel receive the press it receives this weekend. One thing I noticed is that I don’t recognize a lot of names, some of the last names are familiar but the drivers are not. True I don’t follow open wheel, since they refused to allow Ashley Judd to wear a skirt and Danica fell by the wayside, I lost interest, but then except for Indy I never really had that much to begin with. Watching the save Graham Rahal made to avoid John Andretti almost made me a fan again. His driving skill along with some luck and good genes were a thrill to watch. True there have been several saves in NASCAR this year that were fantastic and almost unbelievable, but they were as much the COT as driver ability. I am not trying to take anything away from NASCAR drivers but the COT has helped them to regain control as it was designed to do. I really hope that the Rahal team can do well; it is time for some new blood to replace Penske, Andretti, and Ganassi teams. I really think Danica could be a surprise winner if she gets some breaks and lady luck smiles on her but then anyone who gets the breaks and luck can win. Is Jeff Gordon going to use this bad back for a reason to retire it would be an easier out then admitting he has lost his edge; he doesn’t drive like the Jeff of old.( I wrote this before he qualified 3rd) Ryan Newman on the pole I underestimated Tony Stewart I thought his first year would be OK but that team has done great. Of course they had a great team to build on. Mayfield give it up you got caught move on. Carl Long suspended for 12 races, NASCAR is saying don’t cheat because they are going to make it hurt. In his defense it did sound like an honest mistake but then a lot of the times they do. I do think that the .001 NASCAR is fining him for is a little too close to call. But then he never really was competitive and I am sure the team is done. The COT is getting a lot of credit for 3 wide racing and better racing but I also think Goodyear deserves some credit their tires lately have been wearing well and maintaining handling for several more laps then we have seen in a long time. Prior to this year a pit stop at Darlington without changing tires would have been a prelude to a crash, but there were several this year. 600 miles this Sunday and going from sunshine to the lights will be interesting. Would like to Mark Martin pull off a win but I think Jimmy Johnson has the edge, Joey Logano may pull off a surprise. I hate to say it but I may have underestimated him.
All posts by John
Voltage Drop Test
It seems like anytime someone mentions doing a voltage drop check a ton of questions arise. Believe me it is not that difficult. Remember you are only going to check the available voltage from one point in the system to another. Place the positive probe at the supply side and the negative at the other, read the voltage, it will read the amount of voltage lost between the two points. Anything over .10 is too high, most DVOM fluctuate at least .03 at zero. The first time you check a defective wire you will discover how simple it is. The readings are usually over 2 volts or more. If you suspect a battery cable end of causing problems check from the post to the cable and you will see what I mean if it is corroded. This is also a excellent tool the check for a bad battery cable to the starter, older Fords are a main concern here as they require 12+ volts at the starter and are prone to cable problems, but anytime on any model you think you are having a voltage problem this will work. Also if you are searching for a bad ground, more prevalent today than ever before, simply start at a known good ground and the farthest away ground you can find and work your way back.To check supply voltage ground the negative terminal and check the positive terminal of the item. To check for a voltage drop across the load do the same except the positive goes to the ground side. I have never found this test very useful as it is complicated to figure out the correct drop in the item. Don’t forget that many items are also ground side controlled, almost all 5 volt sensors are.
52K For A Pickup
As most of you know, if you read my blog or web site, I am retired and have more vehicles then we need. We have been shopping for a different pickup, we now have 2 cars which we drive usually, a pickup and a convertible. The later 2 are only used when we or the kids need to haul junk and the convert only when it is nice out. We would like to cut back to 3 keeping the convertible a newer pickup for me and a SUV for her. But I was surprised, driving through a lot on Sunday, really enjoyed the outing after sticking close to home during the flood, there was a new 4 door pickup priced at 52K. 52 thousand dollars for a pickup, I almost dropped my teeth. I have been involved in the automotive field all my life true I don’t get out as much as I used to but the 52K price almost knocked me over. Maybe I will reconsider and fix up the old Dakota. On a personal note I hate to see GM drop Pontiac and it is not because I own 2 of them. In my opinion the GTO was the first true muscle car followed by the Judge. I know they have to do some things to stay afloat and some of these are going to not be to my liking and I hate to be negative about these changes because I don’t have any answers. My hope is that they can afford bankruptcy which looks more inevitable every day.
$10K Motor Oil
I was asked what is the most expensive part of a race car as far as research, and was surprised to learn it is the oil. Joe Gibbs has spent over a million dollars a year and over 10 million in all. For this they have gained an extra 10 horsepower which is a bunch when all the cars are so close. Oil companies have also pumped research into racing oil. Shell, Quaker State and Mobil make special oils packed with synthetic lubricants, new polymers and experimental molecules for the teams they sponsor. They won’t allow used race oil to be sold as a souvenir as it may allow someone to copy it. They have gone so far as to even protect the identity of the chemist calling him William the chemist referring to all who work on the project. Joe Gibbs won’t name the that company assembles their oil. They do sell racing oil to the public for about $10 a quart but it is not close to what they use in their race car.
Checking Injectors
From a latest post it seems some DIY are having problems checking for a bad injector. It is really not that difficult. One tech recommended warming up the engine and removing fuses and draining the pressure from the fuel system. None of this is necessary to check the injectors, if they are accessible it doesn’t hurt to warm up the engine for a few minutes but in most cases by the time you gain access the engine has cooled off. It is necessary to remove the fuel pump fuse and drain the pressure if you are going to replace the injectors or remove the fuel rail.The simplest method is to listen to the injectors with a stethoscope if there is a bad one it usually will have a different sound you can also use a long extension or screwdriver as a stethoscope but this will not work as well and a stethoscope is cheap. This method will find a bad injector but will not rule out the possibility of a defective one as they do not always have a strange sound. You can also ohm the injectors at the connector that feeds all the injectors easy to get to and you can usually determine which bank the bad injector is on thereby possibly eliminating some unnecessary parts removel.Here again will usually locate a defective one but will not eliminate the possibility . The only positive method is to gain access to the injectors and check them individually I won’t go into the readings here as they vary by manufacture but usually the defective one will be way off from the rest. Be careful I have seen many with several defective injectors. If you have access to a lab scope this is an excellent method also cool to watch the injectors fire. A scope with a burn time option can also find a defective one . I know injectors are expensive but think about replacing them all as with plug wires sure as the sun will rise in the AM another will go bad soon after your repair is finished. There are several aftermarket suppliers and remans are an excellent replacement choice.
Blocking Radiator
Click&Clack , I find it hard to imagine these guys both have degrees from MIT, recently wrote about cardboard in front of the radiator. I agree it does help your vehicle warm up quicker, but it does not make it run hotter. The thermostat controls the temp, it may cause the fluid to remain in the radiator longer as it will take it longer to cool, but it will not increase the temp of your heater output after initial warm-up My suggestion is to place a piece of carpet, not rubber backed between the radiator and the condenser or in front of the radiator if you don’t have air. A sample is just the right size. This will not block the air flow but will restrict it and with today’s tight engine compartments I don’t think the air flow should be blocked totally. The other method if you can’t finds a piece of carpet is to use cardboard and cut a hole in the middle about the size of a cup saucer. Keep an eye on the cardboard as they tend to get wet and make a mess that is difficult to clean out of the radiator and or condenser fins. I know summer is coming and this is out of season but I felt I had to comment.FYI. Before it is AC time check the radiator and condenser for any junk that has built up, also check between the condenser and radiator as this is where a lot of problems originate.
Spring Check
Spring is here in most areas of the country, unfortunately not here as our snow is melting and we are undergoing a flood of record proportions, but none the less it is time to get the vehicles ready for spring.  Check the tires, and the spare, I know I preach this a lot but it is easily ignored Check wipers or just replace them, spend the extra couple bucks and don’t use the ones you have to build buy the exact fit the performance is well worth the extra $. Check fluids, all of them, defer to your owner’s manual for instructions on how to check transmission there are numerous methods for different models. Be sure to use the correct fluids for replenishment here again use what the manufacture recommends. Check belts and hoses as I have stated many times a visual inspection is still the best preventive maintenance. Give the hoses a squeeze checking closely by the connections if it is swelling or feels squishy replace. Lots of cracks or glazed or frayed replace the belt. Check your lights not forgetting the license plate light, usually are out on step bumpers, many law enforcement are using this as an excuse for a traffic stop. Lube all the hinges, I know this is supposed to be part of a lube but I have never seen all of them lubed IE door, trunk and hood hinges including latches if your hood sticks and the hinges are lubed, lube the latch 9 out of 10 it will fix the problem. Don’t neglect the key locks mainly if you have a remote unlock.  Check the filters including the cabin air and vapor canister if you have them. Remove all unnecessary items.  Run it through the car wash including under carriage here again spend the extra couple bucks and get the good wash I guarantee your rig will seem to run better.
Rick’s Firing & NASCAR
GM Head Steps Down, could it affect NASCAR?George Richard “Rick” Wagoner Jr. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors resigned as Chairman and CEO at General Motors on March 29, 2009, at the request of the White House.The value of GM has gone down by more than 90%, while he was in charge or about 72 Billion dollars. There stock dropped from $60 a share to a little over a dollar.The White House said they had no desire to run GM and the “B”word bankruptcy was mentioned. They do have a plan to save GM & Chrysler; Ford is not in the spotlight yet as they are not declining as rapidly. Cleaner cars are a major part of their plan, and NASCAR definitely does not fit.5-6 MPG and over 300 horse powered cars in an organization that took 25 plus years to switch to unleaded fuels, cannot be called a green company. The leader of NASCAR are putting up a good front, as they have to with sponsor money on a rapid decline, but what would the loss of manufacture dollars do to the sport. I don’t think it would kill the sport but it definitely would be on life support. As many of the teams already are having money IE sponsorship problems.I say put Jimmy Spencer in a old clunker car let him take out as many as he can and then let the rest run the race, a demo derby start. A stupid idea I know but not any more of a clunker than backing around the track or the new 2 race rule for Nationwide that prohibits any burnouts for the winner when the engine is on the first race.NASCAR quit shooting yourself in the foot and let them race continue to try to limit the amount of money it takes to run a race so the smaller and lesser financed teams stand a chance. I have not had a favorite driver since Dale Sr but I would love to see a Dave Blaney, Marcos Ambrose, Tony Raines among others win a race.I am positive the good old boys that run on the sand at Daytona would take you all out behind the garage and give you a whooping if they knew what you have done to their racing. They didn’t call it entertainment or a sport it was racing. Remember your big start came when at the end of the race one driver took to beating on another driver head with his helmet on TV. They also called this racing.
No-Start
I receive many new topics about no-starts. I find that a lack of information is the greatest problem when trying to diagnosis these no-starts. Just the fact that your vehicle will start is not enough info. Does the engine turn over, does it crank faster than normal if so it may be a timing belt failure. Is the cranking speed slower than normal, what is the condition of the battery and charging system? If possible load test the battery or what is the volts meter reading at the battery and at the starter. Do voltage drop test, more on this later. Do you have spark, always check for spark first as fuel injected vehicles will not supply fuel pressure without spark. Check fuel supply not only pressure but also volume, a quick check is to spray carb cleaner into the throttle body and it may not run but if it is a fuel problem it should try to start. Using caution, if it is performing as it should there will be a lot of pressure and volume, it should fill a pop can in about 2-3 seconds, many times I have felt there was adequate fuel supply but when checked with a the proper test equipment there was a problem. Cranking vacuum is also a tool when trying to diagnosis a no-start. The amount of vacuum is not as important as if there is any vacuum present. As with many other no start tests if you check many of these items when they are performing as they should you will have a baseline. The more info you have the easier it will be to solve the problem and a little luck also helps.
Buick On Top
Jaguar and Buick tie for the top spot of J.D. Powers’s survey this year unseating Lexus, the rice burner luxury car. They were followed by Toyota and then Mercury making 2 of the top 3 American made cars. Other Local manufactured cars were the Chrysler Dodge Caravan, rented a Chrysler Town & Country in Phoenix and it is a nice ride. Never thought I would like the automatic side and rear hatch but they are a nice option. Lincoln also received 2 awards. Buick does not surprise my wife has a Rivera and it is a nice ride, a great road car and we have had no problems with it. The Jaguar is a slight surprise to me as I repair them on occasion and use to work in a dealership as the Jag MG tech, and there quality was subpar. It was # 10 last year so they have made quite a jump.Suzuki owners reported the most problems, the survey comprises of problems owners experience over 3 years. Over the last several years the Lexus, Acura and Toyota have owned this survey I am glad to see some American cars on top I just hope that it is not too late to save the Buick nameplate.