Jeff Burton won not by pushing or moving another car out of way but simply being the fastest car with the best game plan. Edwards sat in the pits with an engine that would not start (I would check to see if Harvick didn’t make a late not stop to the garage). This is a multimillion dollar organization and the car won’t start, how in the world are today’s techs supposed to keep a engine running with a tenth of those resources? Jr ends up in the wall, with a blown tire, 1 lap short of a pit stop. Seems to be the story of that team always a little short of where they should be. Jimmy Johnson looked like he had his brakes on the last 10 laps. The COT has a very fine line between going fast or hitting the wall, I think many of the teams are putting too much pressure on the right side tires and are causing many of their own problems but it easy to blame Goodyear. 5 more races in the Chase and it is still anybody’s, Kasey Kahne looked fast towards the end but the cars are just too close to catch another car over a short run.
All posts by John
Bad Gas
A lot of discussion lately about bad gas. When I hear a tech say bad gas my first thought is that he has no clue what the solution to the complaint is. There have been some rumors about excessive sulfur in some gas around parts of Texas with the Valero chain outlets (which they deny) . The sulfur has exceeded 120 parts per million which will prematurely wear out the fuel pump and also cause excessive clearance in injectors. First clue to excessive sulfur is a more than normal rotten egg smell. It can abrasively damage the fuel pump and in some severe cases the injectors. Every now and then we will see some old gas that causes problems but you can easily tell by the smell that the fuel is at fault. I use sea foam as a gas stabilizer when I store my convertible, snow blower and lawn mower. It works great and have never had any problems. So next time someone says you have bad gas simply say prove it. It is possible to remove the pressure hose from the fuel tank and take fresh fuel from a separate container but be very careful and make sure you fire insurance is paid.Many of today’s mediocre techs are at a loss if they don’t have a code to work from and they often forget to return to the basics and look for the simple answer. It is estimated that 50% of the vehicles over 5 years old have a slight vacuum leak. One more item I want to mention is the plug wire becoming stuck to the ceramic of the plug. This is becoming more of a problem with 100K plug replacement but I feel that at 100K the wires are due replacement anyway. A little dielectric grease here would eliminate this problem
Sales Down
For the first time in 15 years monthly sales of vehicles fell below 1 million to 964,873.Ford dropped 33.8%GM 15.6%Chrysler 33%All were worse than expected. Jim Farley Ford chief of worldwide marketing blamed it onto a atmosphere of caution and called it tantamount to a natural disaster.F-150 sales were down 42%from a year ago SUV down 57%.The rice burners did not do well either Toyota was down 33%.This was the 11th month in a row that sales dropped.It is estimated 1 out of 5 dealerships’ will close in the next year. Bill Heard closed 14 dealerships last week, but you should also know he is under investigation for improper business practices. Approval rate for loans is down to 63% from 83% last year. Most manufactured are blaming this on tight credit I think you cannot afford car payment and gas both. I don’t think the consumer has the confidence in the economy to make a large ticket item purchase.
65 MPG Ford
The new Ford ECOnetic ,that gets a whopping 65 MPG, will not be sold in the US. It is a subcompact that seats 5 but it runs on diesel. With diesel being 30 cents to a dollar higher they just don’t see the sales being there. Also the engine is made in England so they have the weak dollar to contend with which would make the price $25,700 compared to $24,000 for the Prius. There has been rumors of building a diesel engine plant in Mexico but with the money flowing out the door at a Billion dollars a month to keep the company afloat I doubt they have the funds to build a 350 million dollar plant also it would not cash flow as the demand for diesel in the US is not that great.On the average a diesel gets about %25 to %30 better economy but Americans still view it a smelly trucker fuel. I think that diesel is one of the answers to the fuel crisis but time will tell if it is accepted or not. I just don’t see how the Taxpayers can bail out the auto industry we have to draw the line somewhere.
Quick Battery Cell Test
Have doubts about your battery and are leery of going to a parts store to have it checked as they may try to sell you one when yours is OK. A second opinion in some cases may have the same result after all it is there job to sell parts. Take your volt meter and with the caps removed (not all battery caps may be removal) and a fully charged battery, at least 12.9-13.2 volts. Start at the positive end and the positive probe into the first cell and the negative into the second should read 2.2 volts keep moving on towards the negative moving both probes one cell and at the end go to the negative post. Not a fool proof method but at least it will give you a starting point. You can also ,key on engine off, turn on all lights, AC fan on high (I do not recommend turning on wipers as this may scratch your windshield) radio and then check it again with a load. The voltage is not as important as there should be no difference between the cells. If there is then go for the full load test and explain to the parts person that you have already performed a cell test but don’t divulge the results it may help keep them honest
Battery Cleaning
I hate to say it but winter is just around the corner Sept is half over tomorrow. This will be the first of several topics covering getting your vehicle ready for winter.If your car doesn’t start it doesn’t really matter if the coolant is clean or not so let’s cover battery maintance first.With the sealed battery’s in the newer vehicles there is no need to maintain the water level but if you have an older battery and need to add water used distilled do not use well water or any water that contains a lot of minerals this will clog up a battery quickly.Keep the battery clean not just free from corrosion but also dirt and crud. Containments on the top of a battery can cause a parasitic drain.Cleaning the battery is simple remove the negative cable first. If you have a post type never pry up use a flat bladed screwdriver to separate the cable end. Coke does work but a mixture of water and baking soda is best (do not use on older battery’s it may enter the battery causing problems). Plain old soap and water and a medium bristle wire brush work just fine. There are also several different brushes for different connections sold at parts stores. I but a set or two of detail brushes at the cheap tool store these work great I have also used my dremel with a small wire brush. As always wear eye protection and a mask is not a bad idea either. If you have a GM that has two cables mounting to the battery with one bolt be sure to clean in between the connections also the bottom of the face of the bolt on all GMs. Also check the condition of the battery cables are they bubbled up or swollen? Are the grounds connections clean and tight don’t forget the ground connection at the engine? When you are all done spray some clear lacquer on the connections this will help keep them clean and make them easier to clean next time. Not a bad idea to stop by your local parts store and have it tested either.
Timing Belt Inspection
I just read a article where it said you should inspect your timing belt every 10,000 miles. Obviously the fellow who wrote this has never inspected a timing belt. The majority are difficult at best to inspect. True a few models have an easy to remove upper cover but this is the exception. I would suggest inspecting the belt every 25,000 miles after the original replacement. Then replace it at 100,000 no matter how good it looks.When inspecting look for hairline cracks along the face of the belt, a few are OK but any more replacement is in order, also check the drive side of the belt for missing teeth, if any are missing, replace before starting the engine you have already lived on bored time. Also check for cracks on the drive side. If the belt feels brittle, hard to twist, or has a dull color or is very shiny replace also. Usually one quick glance you can tell a belt that is due replacement. They just look defective. One more thing to check if for any anti freeze on or around the belt. Belt replacement on some vehicles can be very expensive but it is worse to put it off and have it break, it can cause serious valve train damage which on some vehicles can exceed the worth of the vehicle very easily.I only have one vehicle that has a belt and that is my convertible which I seldom drive and I will replace that belt every 3 or 4 years and I don’t inspect I just replace it. But it is an easy one to replace. Timing belts work great, they are quiet, easy to flex so they can drive several cams plus in some situations the water pump. But they do require replacement
Voltage Drop Test
Today we are going to discuss how and why to perform a voltage drop test. Hopefully you’ve taken the time to read our Automotive Circuit Testing article and are familiar with the basics when it comes to testing automotive electronics. We’re about to take it a step further and explain the benefits of checking voltage drop across component connections, connectors and terminals. Believe it or not, it’s possible to check a power supply circuit for voltage and show a good reading of 12 volts, but still have a faulty circuit. You could check that same line for resistance and show an acceptable reading of .2 ohms, and again still have a faulty circuit. Talk about throwing a wrench into the works! How can that be you may be asking yourself. Well, there are a few circuit problems that can contribute to this testing concern. A chaffed line that only has a couple of strands of wire will pass a continuity test, but certainly won’t be capable of carrying any real current. Poor connections, loose crimps and corrosion issues may also test out fine on a typical voltage or resistance check, but when a load is turned on and current is needed across these circuits they likely won’t perform as expected. Any increase in circuit resistance, even a very small one, is going to create problems. This is where a voltage drop test is used to pinpoint the source of the concern. Voltage drop tests are most effective with high amperage circuits, and are often used when diagnosing the starting and charging systems in automobiles. As such we will cover testing both systems in today’s article. A voltage drop test is done on a “live” circuit, meaning that you must create a load in the circuit while taking your readings. Voltage will always follow the path of least resistance. A circuits wiring and connections should have next to no resistance and as such, all voltage should be used through the load. The “load” is the component using the power, such as a light, starter or blower motor. If a circuit has excessive resistance, it prevents the wire from carrying sufficient current under high load conditions. When you place your meter “across”, or in parallel with the circuit you are testing, you are providing another path for the voltage to travel. If there is excessive resistance then your meter becomes “the path of least resistance” and you will register a voltage reading. If the circuit is functioning properly all voltage will pass directly to the load and your meter will register an acceptable reading. “Acceptable” for most circuits is less than .4 volts, although .1 volts or less is preferred. Some starter circuits can allow up to .6 volts during a voltage drop test. Anything higher than these values indicates a need for repair. Repair usually includes cleaning corossion from connections, repairing faulty terminal crimps or tightening fasteners and connectors. It is also possible that the wire guage is inadequate for the size of the load. In this instance a “heavier” or thicker wire is needed. So that covers the basic theory behind a voltage drop test. Now let’s apply this knowledge to a couple of practical applications so we can get a better idea of where to place our test leads and how to approach a complete system. Let’s start with a basic starting system. To test this system you’ll need to check for excessive resistance throughout the circuit by measuring voltage drop at the battery, cable connections and starter. These readings will need to be taken while the engine is being cranked. Cranking time of around 5 seconds should be adequate for solid test results. Always remember to disable the engine so it will not start while doing these tests. If your vehicle has an inertia or fuel shut-off switch you can trip this. You could also disconnect the coil or ignition circuits or remove the fuel pump or computer relays. So let’s get started. Place your DVOM (Digital Volt Ohm Meter) on the 20 volt scale. First check battery voltage by placing your meter’s positive lead on the battery’s positive post ( the actual post, not the clamp) and the negative lead on the negative post. We need a minimum of 12 volts to continue testing. Next, leave your meter connected and take a reading while the engine is cranking. Record this voltage reading. Now connect your postive lead to the battery terminal stud on the starter and the negative lead to the starter housing. Again, crank the engine and record the voltage reading. If the voltage reading at the starter is not within 1 volt of battery voltage then we have excessive voltage drop in the starter cricuit. We will isolate the cause by testing out the individual parts of the circuit. To check for voltage drop we can turn our meter to the 2 volt scale, or leave it set on auto if your meter is so equipped. We can check total voltage drop in the starter circuit by connecting our postive meter lead to the positive battery post and the negative lead to the battery terminal stud on the starter and read the voltage while cranking the engine. Anything over .6 volts is an excessive voltage drop and can be isolated using the following steps. First, check battery post to cable connection: positive meter lead on battery positive post, negaitve lead on battery’s positive cable clamp. Crank the engine and note the reading. A good connection should have zero voltage drop. Second, check the positive cable: positve meter lead on positive battery clamp, negative lead on starter terminal connector. A good cable will show a voltage drop of .2 volts or less while cranking. Third, check the starter connection: positive meter lead on positive battery terminal on the solenoid, negative meter lead on actual starter stud. A good connection will have a voltage drop of near zero volts. Now to check the negative side of the circuit. Total drop on the ground side should be .3 volts or less and can be checked by placing positive meter lead on starter housing and negative meter lead on battery ground post. Take your reading while cranking the engine, and be sure your connection at the starter is solid and clean. If total voltage drop on this side of the circuit is excessive, complete testing at all connections in the same fashion as the positive side of the circuit. Check the following: between battery post and clamp (zero voltage drop), cable end at battery to cable end at engine. (.2 volts or less), cable end at engine to engine itself (near zero voltage drop), and finally between starter housing and engine block (.1 volts or less). And that wraps up the starter circuit checks last move onto the charging circuit tests. So let’s get started! First check the entire positive side of the charging circuit for excessive voltage drop. Hook your meter’s positive lead to the alternator output stud and your negative lead to battery positive post. Run engine at 2,000 RPM with all lights, blower motor, radio etc. on and check voltage reading on meter. Leave the rear defroster off during this check as it may create a unusually high read. An acceptable reading is .5 volts or less. If you have an out of spec. voltage drop, check connections at alternator and battery as well as for an use of undersized cable. Check the negative side for the charging circuit the same as the positive with your meter’s negative lead on the alternator case, or ground strap if equipped, and the positive lead on the batttery negative post. Voltage drop on this side of the circuit should be .2 volts or less. If it’s not you know what to check and how to check it! And that wraps up our voltage drop article. I hope you have found some useful information. This is the kind of info that can save you on those hard ones. Ones that you test by the book and everything passes, yet you know there’s something wrong! Good luck and enjoy the day! News source: Engine-Light-Help
Tata Closing India Plant
Tata Motors has suspended work indefinitely at a factory building the world’s cheapest car following increasingly violent protests by farmers demanding the return of their land.No one has reported to work at the factory since Friday, and some international staffers have gone home.The world’s poor are against one of India’s richest men, Ratan Tata, who wants to build a $2,500, car, the Nano is trying to enter the super-economy market.But several hundred local farmers have protested Tata for several years, complaining about the price they were paid for their land. They have blocked roads and prevented employees from leaving on several occasions. Tata has poured $350 million into its plant in Singur,and 60 suppliers have also invested millions of dollars more for plants and equipment in the area. Tata has trained more than 700 employees for the factory.My first thought is that I have seen the Indian police force in action and I cannot imagine how they would have problems with a few farmers or after a $350 million investment go hire a police force to help finish the factory. Or is the decision bases on the economy among other factors that the car probably won’t sell so cut your losses early.I don’t think I would drive a car that was manufactured for $2500 on today’s roads I think you would be better off with a Gem car.
rebuilt, remanufactured, or used parts?”
You’re faced with a major auto repair such as an engine, transmission, or differential replacement. Your service provider asks you, “Do you want rebuilt, remanufactured, or used parts?” Such factors as heat stress and cracks, as well as other factors, cause wear that is invisible to the human eye. The price differences are significant. To make an educated decision, you first need to know how these three solutions to the same problem compare. And secondly, which one is best for your situation?First, let’s identify the differences between these three choices.Rebuilt parts If you choose rebuilt parts, the rebuilder will use your vehicle’s old part and replace just the worn components. If your vehicle’s old part cannot be rebuilt because it is too worn, he/she will use a part from another vehicle (referred to as a ‘core’). If a core is used, than he will replace only what is needed in the core. For example, if an engine is rebuilt, maybe just the bearings and piston rings need replacing (the original crankshaft, pistons, and connecting rods would be used). This approach, in lieu of using new or remanufactured parts, usually saves the customer money. There’s just one glitch. Mechanical wear is relative. Before rebuilding, all of the components within the unit are equally worn. After rebuilding, some of the components are new, and some are ‘used.’ Although the ‘used’ components still function and do not need replacing, they are worn to some degree. Such factors as heat stress and cracks, as well as other factors, cause wear that is invisible to the human eye. Consequently, other problems could crop up later, resulting in premature failure of the ‘repair.’ What is a remanufactured part? The term remanufactured usually (not always) refers to a part that, for all practicable purposes, has been completely remanufactured to the standard of a new part. Using a remanufactured engine as an example, mechanical tolerances have been restored either by re-machining, or by installing the necessary mechanical inserts to restore original mechanical tolerances. Either way, the engine meets the standard for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) tolerances, durability, and quality. New pistons, connecting rods, rings, bearings, camshafts, lifters, and oil pump are installed. All related bearing surfaces are restored, and the upper half of the engine, such as the cylinder heads, are rebuilt. Usually the only component from the old engine that is used is the body (or casting, usually referred to as a ‘core’). And this part is only used if it is in top-notch condition, to assure longevity of the service. These same rules apply to other remanufactured auto parts, whatever they may be. You will find that remanufactured auto parts usually carry a longer and stronger warranty, covering parts and labor for longer periods of time, compared to rebuild parts. AOL Autos: Best car deals of the month Used parts What about used auto parts? Let me start with a well known Latin expression, “Caveat Emptor.” Translation? “Let the buyer beware.” YES, used auto parts have their place in auto repair. And NO, I am not discouraging the use of used parts. BUT, be careful when buying them! AOL Autos: Sporty used coupes for under $15,000 When selecting a salvage yard from which to purchase used auto parts, look the place over! Is it clean and well organized? Are the parts in order and sheltered from the environment? (Too many times I have seen delicate electrical components laying out in the weather and then picked up off the ground and sold to an unsuspecting customer.) What kind of cars does the salvage yard have in its inventory? Late model, import, or old clunkers? There’s nothing wrong with a good mix of all of the above. However, if the yard is loaded with outdated rust buckets, move on! There are many respected salvage yards that take pride in their businesses and in serving their valued customers. And be especially careful when buying certain used auto parts, specifically engines, transmissions, differentials, hydraulic units, and electrical parts. They are subject to the environment and can rust and wear away internally where you can’t see it. Look for a salvage yard that has an organized dry storage building on the premises, with everything neatly stacked and categorized. In addition, I like to see an up-to-date computer system used to cross reference parts. And I also like to see the salvage yard connected to a network of salvage yards via computer across either the region or nation. This is especially helpful if you need a hard-to-find part for a particular year, make, and model.In selecting used parts, ask about the warranty and the return policy. Also, watch the way in which the part(s) is removed from the vehicle. I’ve seen yard attendants use oxygen-acetylene torches to remove parts that should have been removed with wrenches and hand tools. AOL Autos: Best and worst resale value cars I’ve also seen yard attendants use forklift trucks to carry parts across yards, and then drop them in front of the facility, denting and/or damaging the part. Am I condemning salvage yards? No, just the ‘chop shops.’ Ask around, you’ll find out who they are.So what should you use? Rebuilt parts, remanufactured parts, or used parts? When selecting auto parts for an effective auto repair, first determine exactly what plan you have in mind for your vehicle. To keep it long term? Mid term? Or to “get by” until next spring when you replace it? For most of us who do not work on our own vehicles, it is our service advisor’s job to determine what we need based on our plan for the vehicle. Our responsibility lies in communicating this information! Only then can he/she find the right parts for an effective repair based on our budget, needs, and goals. When I was a service manager, I always asked my customers a lot of questions. Who drives the car? How often? Will the car be expected to make long trips frequently or periodically? Is it your son or daughter’s car and are they going to college? All these factors come into play to help you make a wise repair decision. So make sure that you have a trusted advisor leading you through such significant repair decisions. News source: CNN