How can an investigation go from bad to worse and solve these issues in a cost effective manner? Back Story 1 The Tucson arrived at the repair facility because the Check Engine light was illuminated, and secondhand information indicated that “The engine tended to run...
It’s possible to do everything right and still find the Prius you just fixed waiting for you on a flatbed Monday morning. Battery Testing A blue 2008 Prius was waiting for Jim when he returned from lunch. (Actually, it was Seaside Pearl Metallic color code 8S2, but...
The automatic start and stop systems will be part of the way car makers are meeting the tighter emission standards for the foreseeable future. Whether you like the Start/Stop feature or not, you should get to know these systems because the automatic start and stop...
Using VIDA, we can limit time spent on diagnosing a Battery Monitoring Sensor (BMS) and ensure the vehicle is repaired correctly. Although charging systems seem pretty straightforward these days, these systems can become very technical and sometimes hard to diagnose....
The permanent-magnet generator is pretty much gone, but so is the dedicated voltage regulator. A voltmeter is, of course, the most basic diagnostic tool for checking a charging system. Think of the battery and charging system as a team. The battery works alone to...
BMW’s new-generation energy management systems are complex, but you can understand them “one bite at a time”… So, here you are reading an article about BMW energy management. You have to admit that this is not a very sexy subject. But the topic is intriguing enough...
More often than not, tracing parasitic drains can require a substantial amount of detective work. That’s the tough part. Once you’ve identified the source of a key-off current draw, the repair is usually simple.
