Your timing belt is the most important maintenance item in your engine. Think of your timing belt as the conductor of the complex mechanical orchestra that is your car’s engine. If things don’t happen just at the right time, the whole piece is thrown off. You should replace your timing belt at the manufacturer’s suggested intervals regardless of its visual condition, but it’s a good idea to do an inspection every 10,000 miles or so. On most cars the timing belt is easily seen by removing the plastic timing cover on the front of the engine, usually held on by a couple of phillips head screws or clips.To inspect the belt, first look at the outside of the belt to see if any tiny cracks are forming. One or two small cracks in the outer shiny coating of the belt are ok, but if you see lots of cracking on the surface this may indicate extreme wear.Timing Belt ReplacementFind Answers & Useful Links On Timing Belt Replacement[url”>www.Blurtit.comNext flip the belt over slightly to inspect the teeth. A single broken tooth can be catastrophic. Also check the belt’s play by twisting it. If you can turn it much more than halfway around, it might have too much free play. Check your manual to see what your car’s specs indicate.Don’t hold off on timing belt replacement. If it breaks or shreds, you can be looking at some serious repair bills. News source: About Auto Repair

. “Car (Starter Motor) Won’t Crank”. Make sure the battery is fully charged, before diagnosing starter problems.. Make sure the gearshift is in Neutral or Park (automatic transmission) or the clutch pedal is depressed (manual transmission), if the starter motor does not turn at all when the switch is turned to Start.1. If the starter motor doesn’t turn, but the starter solenoid (relay) “clicks” when the ignition switch is turned to Start, the problem is with the battery, starter solenoid, or starter motor connections.2. Disconnecting the negative battery cable first, clean battery terminals and cable connections with a battery terminal brush or with abrasive cloth. Also, check the battery ground cable connection to the body and engine. Apply silicone dielectric grease, when finished.3. While the negative battery cable is disconnected, clean starter motor and starter solenoid connections. Apply silicone dielectric grease, when finished. Make sure all connections are secure. When installing the starter cable, make sure that the crimped side of the ring terminal is facing out. Reconnect the negative battery terminal last.4. If the starter motor spins but the engine is not cranking, the overrunning clutch in the starter motor is slipping and the starter motor must be replaced. Also, the ring gear on the flywheel or drive plate may be worn.5. If the solenoid plunger cannot be heard when the switch is actuated, the battery is bad, the fusible link is burned (circuit is open), or the solenoid is defective.6. In order to check the solenoid, put the transmission in Park and remove the push-on connector from the solenoid “S” terminal. Connect a jumper lead, or preferably a remote starter switch, between the positive battery terminal and the exposed “S” terminal on the solenoid. If the starter motor now operates, the solenoid is fine and the problem is with the ignition switch, neutral start switch, or wiring. If the starter motor still does not operate, replace the solenoid.7. If the starter motor cranks the engine slowly, ensure the battery is fully charged and all terminal connections are clean and tight. Then, check connections at the starter solenoid and battery ground. The engine will also crank slowly, if it’s partially seized or has the wrong viscosity oil in it. Synthetic engine oil allows starter motors to turn the engine over easier and faster, thus promoting starting and reducing battery drain. News source: AskMe

The advent of power brakes on automobiles was a huge step forward in vehicle safety. Even the weakest driver was now able to apply maximum braking force and control even the largest vehicle. But as with every advance, power brakes created a new problem. Cars stop fastest when their wheels do not skid. The shortest stopping distance is achieved when the brakes are applied such that the wheels are almost but not quite skidding. When power assist gave everyone the ability to apply maximum force to the brakes, skids became even more likely. During panic stops or on slick roads, drivers were more likely to apply excessive force and go into a dangerous skid. Drivers were taught to pump the brake pedal, applying and releasing the brakes as quickly as possible to maintain control and stop as quickly as possible. But this was a stop-gap solution at best and engineers were actively working on a better fix. News source: How to When computers became viable components of automobiles, the idea of automatically controlling the application of the brakes became a real possibility. The concept was to have the computer pump the brake pedal instead of the driver. Obviously the computer could do it faster and more accurately and so minimize skidding. The problem was how to provide the proper information to the computer and how to interpret its output. The first step was to develop sensors that could be mounted on each wheel. The use of computers in cars spurred the development of sensors that could provide relevant information to the computers. In this case, the solution was to adapt magnetic sensing technology that had already been successfully used in others areas of the vehicle. These sensors tell the computer how fast the wheels are spinning and the computer also has information about how fast the vehicle is moving. When the brakes are applied, the computer monitors wheel speed and vehicle speed. If it detects that a wheel has stopped spinning but the vehicle is still moving, this means that the wheel is skidding. The computer then releases the brake on that wheel until the skid stops and then reapplies the brake. Each wheel is monitored and controlled separately. The computer can release and apply the brakes many times in just a few seconds. Even the best drivers can’t match this performance. The driver maintains steering control and still achieves the shortest possible stopping distance. The first systems were installed in the 1970’2 on semi-tractor trailers where skidding can lead to jack-knifing and serious accidents. The most noticeable result of the rapid application and release of the brakes was a significant vibration that was especially pronounced in the trailer. If you’ve ever applied the brakes hard in a vehicle equipped with anti-lock brakes you probably felt the pulsing in the brake pedal. This vibration is greatly amplified in a large truck. In fact, during one of the early tests of the system, a truck fully loaded with bags of ball bearings went into a panic stop from 60 miles per hour. The system performed perfectly but the vibrations broke open several of the sacks and coated the test track with ball bearings. Early on, truckers complained of the noise and vibration more as an embarrassment when they inadvertently braked too hard and activated the system. But the systems have proved themselves and are a standard feature on trucks and cars today and it would be difficult to find a driver that doesn’t have a positive opinion of them. Although the concept of anti-lock braking systems is simple, implementation is not straightforward at all. We tend to forget how harsh the automotive environment is for electrical systems. Automobiles are expected to perform without problems in temperatures ranging from -40 degrees F to 140 degrees F. Battery voltages can range from a few volts under cold starting or battery failure condition to 50 volts or more when other failures occur. This doesn’t count electrical surges and noise cause by other equipment. Sensors mounted on wheels are subjected to mud, snow, ice and water not to mention gas, oil and road debris. Safety systems such as brakes must not fail under any or all of these conditions. If a failure does occur, the brakes must continue to function so that normal stopping can occur. But these problems were overcome and as the power and speed of computers has increased, the capabilities and reliability of the braking systems have also improved. It is a tribute to the design talents of automotive engineers that such systems are commonplace on today’s vehicles.