Feature Articles

Joe Vehicle Owner would buy a can of his favorite brand of spray carburetor cleaner, remove the air cleaner, spray the heck out of anything that looked like it had anything to do with carburetion, start the engine, then finish the treatment by spraying the remainder of the can down the carburetor throat while attempting to keep the engine running.

The effects an engine can have on the vacuum waveform.

A reciprocating engine will always vibrate when it’s running, and not just because some parts go up and down or in and out.

How engine temperature sensors work and what they influence. And, we’ll examine some unusual coolant temperature sensor monitoring methods employed by PCMs from different manufacturers.

It doesn’t have to be that way. This article begins a series of articles on electrical circuit analysis that will help you understand the operating principles of electric circuits. It will help you troubleshoot tough electrical problems and give you the “circuit savvy” to attack difficult electrical problems with confidence.

It’s been five years since we brought you a feature length article on airbags (October 1993 Import Service). Five years ago, airbag-equipped vehicles made up just 10 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet. According to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics, airbag-equipped vehicles on the road today represent approximately 41 percent of all cars […]

When Bob Dylan sang “The times they are a-changing,” he probably wasn’t referring to changes in the automotive repair industry. But as we know, there are very few things that change as rapidly as electronic fuel control systems and emissions components. Keeping up with new model year changes is hard enough, not to mention the […]

Checking timing, ignition, fuel quality, fuel delivery, filters and engine condition are very important basics that have a bearing on how a computer controls various engine systems.

The car probably isn’t going to get fixed without one remaining ingredient: service information.

Does your shop comply with environmental regulations? How do you handle the expense of complying with the environmental regulations and running a “green” shop?

It can help you hit the marks by organizing your thoughts.

The main trend over the last few years has been to move away from big diagnostic machines, in favor of hand-held, technician-affordable, multifunction tools.

Strap It; Jetta Idle Problems; Coolant Disappearing Act; Lock Up; Keeping Track; Home-Made Ammeter

Remember, for positive charging system component identification, the term to use in place of “Alternator” is now “Generator.” Yes, it will take time to mend our ways but we try, don’t we?

Head work can throw off an engine’s compression ratio and valve timing enough that the car won’t run properly or can’t pass the sniff tests!