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10 Things Disappearing from Today’s Vehicles
Technology is adding many features and benefits to our vehicles each and every year, but is anything disappearing? The answer is “yes”. So we created our Top 10 list of things that have disappeared or will soon. Hub caps and steel wheels. These are only found on the base economy cars today. The hub cap and steel wheel combination is heavy and reduces fuel economy. Spare tire. Rambler was the first car company to include a full-size spare tire in it’s vehicles. Once again, the steel wheel and tire assembly was...
read moreThere is more to engine oil then just the weight
Last night we were in class learning about engine oils. Today’s engines are not created equal and each manufacturer has their thoughts on how technology will advance. And with that being said, neither are the engine oils they’re recommending. Just because it says 5w30 on the bottle does not mean it is the correct oil for your engine. Some engines use a thick 5w30 oil and some need a thin 5w30 oil. In fact there are some 5w20 engine oils that are thicker then 5w30! And pouring the wrong oil for the application into your engine can cause...
read moreBelt the one you love, your engine
The heart of winter is nearly upon us and timing belt season begins. As the temperature turns cold rubber hardens with age and soon things break. Don’t be caught out in the cold. The news today stated that 40% of drivers have delayed much of their automotive maintenance and another source stated that unperformed vehicle maintenance has increased from $54 billion in 2009 to $62 billion in 2010. That’s a lot of neglect! The underlying cost is damage that’s done because of maintenance that has been neglected for too long. Share...
read moreThe undetected coolant (antifreeze) leak
Nothing was found on the garage floor or driveway. The previous mechanic didn’t find any signs of leaks but antifreeze was being added from time to time. Hummmmm, where did it go? We pressure tested the system and it kept leaking down and we didn’t find any visible leaks either. So, that means that the leak is internal and the engine is hemorrhaging. We know that oil sits on top of coolant (antifreeze), therefore it should be the first thing we see when we loosen the oil pan drain plug. Sure enough, coolant came first...
read moreThings are not always as they appear
Engine stalled and was towed. Preliminary diagnosis showed that the engine had lost fuel supply and the pump was no longer running. For many, the diagnosis would have stopped there, for a while anyway. But there is one more step. Do you have power at the pump? We did not. Found a blown fuse and replaced. Engine started and ran for some time. Hummmmmm. Why the blown fuse? Many would have considered that to be the fix. But a long-story short; we found a wire that had rubbed through and was barely touching the bottom of the...
read moreHigh-Mileage Vehicles
LARGE numbers are in. Our society has held the belief (for too long) that a vehicle is worn out in 125k miles. But people are keeping their vehicles longer. We have been demonstrating for years through our preventive maintenance club that a well-maintained vehicle can go the distance economically. With good vehicle maintenance large numbers are the new reality. Share this article
read moreRestricted catalytic converter
What your looking at is a bird’s eye-view down the inlet side of a catalytic converter. The debris at the bottom is the honey cone shell broken up due to a melt down. This did set a code P0430 for catalytic converter efficiencies low on Bank 2. Share this article
read moreEven More Reviews!
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Paul Stock: A fundamental characteristic of information technology is that computer power (Moore’s Law) and efficiency (Koomey’s Law) doubles every18 months. I love technology and what it can create in the automotive industry.And I see people routinely who talk about resisting smart phones and technology. They just want to use their computer towers, but they too are disappearing. Here is a video that demonstrates what is just around the bend and why the smart phone will have a key role in how we connect with each other.How do you feel about the impact of technology?
A Day Made of Glass... Made possible by Corning. - YouTube
Paul Stock: Just finished a rewarding evening explaining social media to a number of my colleagues. They seemed to really enjoy the presentation. Thanks everyone that attended.
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