Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year To One & All From The Staff & Management of GreenFlagAuto
All posts by John
Junky Key Chain
What do you have on your key chain, if it looks like it belongs on a jailer’s belt, you have way too many keys and or junk on it. That Mickey Mouse doll or the bling chain may look cute but the extra weight can and will in time do damage to your ignition switch. Think about it every time you hit a bump the switch and or key tumbler gets jarred. The heavier the weight the amount of force increases. Depending upon your vehicle this may or not be a major expense, on some it is a simple tumbler replacement, still not cheap with air bags and other items to be removed. On some vehicles it can be a major repair involving security systems and modules, keys can run in excess of $100. Drop your keys in the snow or ice, do not put then in the ignition without drying them off. When you insert the key the snow and ice go with it and this melts and next time you start a cold car this can freeze. Many keys also have security feature built into them and if water is introduced it can cause major problems. Many of keys are sealed but this is not a positive protection. If you do drop your key into a wet mess, or the toilet do not use the remote feature. Remove the battery and dry it by a heat source a heat register is a good spot. Not the oven or the microwave. A hair dryer on low will also work but use caution. This holds true for all electronic devices including remotes and cell phones.
EGR Valve problems
Hearing of problems with the Chrysler 6 cylinder EGR valve. My 1986 had EGR problems but it was carbureted and didn’t have a transducer, so the CEL never came on. I did have to clean the EGR several times because of a rough idle. Cleaning the EGR valve is a simple procedure. Remove the vacuum and electrical connector, unbolt the valve. Place the valve upside on a paper towel and fill it with a liquid, carb cleaner works the best. If any fluid leaks you need to clean the valve. I would clean it anyway as you have it removed. Checking for a leak will tell you if you are on the right track. Remove all traces of the gasket. Using a cleaner scrub the valve, I use seafoam deep creep spray cleaner, there are several other good ones but Seafoam seems to work the best. A soft bronze bristles brush is a big help. Be sure to open the ports and clean them as this is where the problem is. While your hands are a mess of carbon and seafoam now is a good time to clean the throttle body. This is also an easy procedure. Remove the air tube and clean the carbon from around the tube where the throttle plate meets the tube. Pay attention to the bottom of the tube as there is a port there for bypass air. A old tooth brush , not the wife’s ,works here the bronze brush is a little rough IF you have a mass air flow sensor installed in the body be very careful when cleaning around it. They are spendy, but usually only found in the body on GM’s. I always include cleaning the throttle body as part of a tune up and on certain models cleaning the EGR valve. All it takes is some time and gaskets and it is good insurance against future problems.
100 MIllion V8’s
General Motors will build its 100-millionth small-block engine on Nov 29, a milestone for the company. It is headed for GM’s historic museum.Introduced in 1955, remember the tri colored 555 Chevy with the continental kit on the rear, it has been used to power everything from passenger cars, boats and industrial machines. Currently Chevy, Cadillac and GMC use it in the United States while Vauxhall and Holden use it overseas.Chief engineer Ed Cole transferred from Cadillac to Chevrolet, and started to save the design, deceasing weight and adding power. It was a way build engines that took advantage of current production techniques.I wonder how many 3.8 GM has built, I am sure it will, if it hasn’t already hit a milestone. It doesn’t have the industrial applications like the V8 however an Ii don’t think it is used overseas.Speaking of engines it looks like the Eco-Boost by Ford is not working out like planned as it has numerous complains of low power. These have mostly been towing problems. When will the engineers learn power or mileage you can’t have both.
Tony On The Hood
Many times the announcers talk about tightening the belts. Tony Stewart in the #14 was standing on the hood when he won at Homestead. I have never seen driving like that, even Dale Earnhardt in his many comebacks from behind I don’t think ever passed 118 cars in one race. At the start Carl Edwards had the better car but as the race progressed Tonys car came around, he could drive anywhere on the track and did. Those moves to the inside on the restarts were spectacular. Pit strategy along with timely cautions, which always help pit strategy, also played a huge part of the win. Bottom line he wanted it more than Edwards and is definitely a better driver. I am sure that Bill France and Mike Helton will take credit for the way the Chase turned out but it was Stewart and his will to win that made it work. Loved the way Tony made Mike Helton wait with the trophy. On live TV made it better. I am sure there are going to be a lot of shuffling this winter and will try to keep up. Just shy of 3 months till Daytona, moved to Feb18 next year.
Dealership Choice For Repair???
Just saw an invoice from a local dealership for replacing a cabin air filter, $69. No wonder the auto repair shops are hurting for business. At the worst you have to remove the glove box which is about 4 screws at the most but usually it is a couple clips and the filter is replaced. I will have to say that the dealerships are slowly becoming the repair place of choice, for 2 reasons. Today’s vehicles are becoming dependent on information to repair, special tools, test equipment, and techs with considerable training and skills. Many of the independent repair shops either cannot afford or don’t have access to many of these. So there quality of repairs is suffering, making the dealership the place of choice. I recently had the intake manifold gasket replaced on my Bonneville and had to return to have a antifreeze leak repaired, they replaced a connector at no charge but I still have a slight leak and will have to return again. A nuisance to say the least. I thought this was going to be a place to go for repairs but maybe not. They overfilled my crankcase at the last oil change this should have given me a hint.Really don’t know what the answer is. The right to information act is a beginning but far from becoming a reality. The price of test equipment is not going down, and the availability is always going to be a problem. A lab scope is almost a necessity to diagnosis any ignition or fuel problem and a scanner has been for some time, there price is going down however but there uses are limited.
Veterans Day
Say thank You to a Veteran today or for that matter any day
Tools & Junk Not Needed
Now that I own a crew cab there is very little storage in the cab. Last year I carried a small box and the cables and tow rope were loose. Northland tool had a small shipping box on sale that was perfect for storing everything. Turned out to be a little heavy but will work fine.Then I took a look at what I had in the box. A orange revolving warning light left over from the days we had wreckers and I would go out to help on calls. Why do I still carry this? An assortment of tools, really what repairs could I do on the road, a few tools are all that I would ever need. A spot light that I have used on occasion only problem is it no longer works. Booster cables tow rope small shovel are staying but I am cleaning out a bunch of stuff. After looking at what I was carrying I asked myself what repairs can be done on the road on the modern vehicle. The answer is very few. I couldn’t even replace the belt on my Bonneville as you have to jack up the engine. Replace the alternator would be possible but other than that fuses, relays and a few others but not very many. I put a timing chain in a pickup on the road once, replace the timing belt, I am not even sure I could do that in my garage even if my back was OK.
Tire Info
I think it is time for a quick tire refresher. I will follow up with a involved topic later. The tire pressure on the sidewall of your tire is NOT the proper tire pressure it is the max pressure and remember you can gain 4 # or more on a hot day when on the road. You can even gain a pound or two driving to your favorite air supply. Check your tires cold before driving and take into consideration the increase when bringing your tires to the proper pressure. The placard on the door jamb or the glove box door will list the correct tire pressure and size. The owner’s manual does not usually list tire pressures due to the many options available. Purchase a decent tire gauge Sears’s sells a digital for less than $10.The rest of the info on the sidewall refers to tread ware, traction, max speed and manufactures info as to build info and a serial number. This will be discussed in a future topic. The 2 that you should pay attention too are tread ware and traction, they are a sliding scale the harder the tire the better the ware and the worse traction and ride and the opposite for a softer tire, better traction and ride but a shorter tread life. Many of the newer materials have lessened the impact of this problem but it is still a factor. I think you get what you pay for and this is true with tires, buy the best you can afford but not more then you need for your driving habits. Many tire stores will use the old bait and switch so buyers beware. There are several sites that sell and rate tires, but there are little if any savings when you pay shipping and mounting and balancing, but they are an excellent source of information. When buying tires I find several I like and then shop, my recent purchases have been at Sears and Sams, both strictly based on price. I was impressed with the service at both, Sears even put chrome shields and valve caps on the Bonneville. Tried to sell me a few things but that I expected.
NASCAR Ramblings
If I owned a NASCAR team, and I will as soon as I win the lottery, I would go out and find the teenager with the skills necessary to cheat the new fuel injection system. As Bill Gates once said” there is a newer operating system out there you just have to find the 16 year old who has it in his head”, Now I am not saying cheating is OK but every team walks a fine line and I just want to be ahead of the learning curve. Earnhardt Jr what is wrong with your team, at your level the mistakes that you keep making are killing you. Loose lug nuts way to frequent. You are a member of one of the best teams in NASCAR, look at the others, Is it time to say you are just not that great a driver and could not adapt to the new car. You have been in several teams and a couple of crew chiefs and still no win.In hindsight how much did the safety issue in open wheel, and the fact there may not be a sanctioning body next year have to do with Danica Patricks switch to NASCAR. When 5 million dollars are on the line and nobody, of importance, shows up to win it, there is obviously a problem. I think anyone who has their head sticking out of the top of the car is a brick short.