Speed-Density: Fuel Injection Systems
It’s the descendant oft eh D-Jet fuel injection system and the electromechanically simplest form of fuel injection currently in manufacture – simplest, that is, if you don’t count the system’s software operations as electromechanical.
“Simon Says …” Part Two
As we learned in Part One of this article (Import Service, June 2000), we owe Georg Simon Ohm a debt of gratitude for the electrical principles he published in 1827, which later came to be known as Ohm’s Law. These principles explained in mathematical form the relationship of voltage (E), current (I) and resistance (R) […]
Daimler-Benz Multilink Suspension
It’s a tangled nest of link-rods and bushings, but there’s method to the apparent mess. A big advantage to being the first to solve a complicated problem is that you get to patent the simplest solution, so anyone who wants to achieve the same effect has to do it in a more complicated and less […]
Marketing Your Repair Shop
A lot more goes into running a successful automotive repair shop than simply renting some space and hanging out a sign. At least some time must be devoted to attracting and keeping customers. This activity can be loosely described as “marketing your business.” Perhaps you have experimented by buying a Yellow Pages ad, subscribing to […]
Brake Dance: Honda Brake Service Tips
Some of the mistakes and omissions I’ve run across, as well as detailing the trickier dance steps to help you turn out quality Honda brake work. When it comes to doing a quality brake service on Hondas, some folks are tripping over their tap shoes. How much difficulty is there in hanging a new set […]
Subaru EndWrench Summer 2000
In this issue: Air Conditioning Retrofit Procedures; Direct Ignition Operation and Diagnosis
Turn Up The Heat: Summer 2000 A/C Report
For so long and so often, you’ve heard R-12 supplies are running out, you’ve probably stopped believing it ever will happen. EPA officials at the Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) 2000 convention don’t blame you, but they say they have hard numbers now and suggest this summer will be the last with enough R-12. The […]
One Thing Leads to Another…
How far is it from that foam on the cap to rings and bearings? A cheery thing to find first thing in the morning – a little blob of oily foam inside the radiator filler cap. But my immediate alarm seemed overdone because there was no corresponding soap foam in the crankcase oil. Whew! No […]
OBD-II and Oxygen Sensors
The oxygen sensor has to be one of the most important sensors on a modern automobile. It helps the ECM maintain the optimum air/fuel ratio for effective catalytic converter operation, and with the advent of OBD-II it monitors the effectiveness of the converter as well. The main oxygen sensor lives in one of the harshest […]
Business Software Part one
Business computer programs are like lab scopes: You don’t need them if common sense gives you the answer, but there’s no substitute for them if the problem is complex. They can also be confusing and intimidating, and they work best with a suite of plug-in attachments. Yet they’re powerful tools around once you’ve mastered them. […]
Coil-on-Plug Ignition
A coil atop every spark plug. OK, it’s easy enough to see it’s possible. But the question is, why is this a reasonable way to set up an ignition system? Obviously, it costs more to build and buy (as well as to diagnose or fix) than any other kind of ignition system, but what are […]
Subaru Direct Ignition Operation and Diagnosis
This article details ignition system component operation and diagnosis.
Subaru Air Conditioning Retrofit Procedures
Retrofitting an older Subaru A/C system to ozone-friendly R-134a refrigerant makes good sense, especially when other A/C repairs are necessary. Here, we detail the factory-recommended retrofit procedures.
Midnight Oil Trainer Series: A.S.T. Training
John Forro operates an independent training company (A.S.T. Training) and teaches automotive technology mostly in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, venturing afield from time to time as people are interested. His training series includes a number of different courses covering various aspects of the automotive diagnosis and repair business, but the one I attended focused on […]
Import Aloft! Into the Wild Blue Yonder!
Some people find import engines really uplifting – so much, they’ve built airplanes around them.
Drawing a Line in the Mixture – Honda Linear O2 Sensors
Honda’s Linear Air/Fuel Sensor lets the engine sometimes run on extremely lean air-fuel mixtures for fuel economy. But how does it work, and how did they avoid the emissions problem of NOX? In an odd way, they’re the oldest of the ‘new’ oxy-gen sensors. Honda used a special “linear air/fuel sensor” from 1992 to 1995 […]
Certified Inspections, Part 2
Last month’s Front Counter Mechanics described the Car Care Council’s Certified Inspection Center (CIC) program. For those unfamiliar with the Car Care Council (CCC), it is a nonprofit organization dedicated to “educating motorists about the importance of maintenance, repair and enhancements for safer, cleaner, better-performing vehicles.” Only the top shops can be Certified Inspection Centers. […]
Tech Tips: June 2000
Maxima Shift problem, Trim preservation, Freeze plug replacement, Timing belt tightening, PCV line check
Technical Myths and Contrary Realities
Our Greek and Roman forebears invented elaborate mythologies to ‘explain’ the things they saw around them but couldn’t understand. Centuries later, we pride ourselves on our scientific knowledge and scoff at those ancient myths. But as I recently discovered while teaching a course in advanced diagnostic techniques, mythmaking is not dead; we’ve just updated it […]
“Simon Says…”
Once there was a fellow named Georg who found out more about electrical circuits than most scientists of the time, and he did it before most ordinary people even realized electrical circuits could occur. His name was Georg Simon Ohm — Herr Professor Doktor Georg Simon Ohm, actually. You should recognize his last name because […]
Subaru EndWrench Spring 2000
In this issue: Subaru Air Conditioning Tech Tips; Air Conditioning Theory; Air Conditioning Mechanism and Function