Car Repair World

When To Replace Timing Belt Timing belts have replaced timing chains on many of today's engines. Not to be confused with “V-belts” or “Serpentine belts”, which are located on the outside of the motor to drive accessories, timing belts perform a much more vital role. The purpose of a timing belt is to provide a connection between the camshaft and crankshaft to ensure that the pistons and valves operate together in proper sequence. Timing belts have proven to be lighter, quieter and more efficient than chains, but those benefits come at a cost - they require more frequent replacement than chains. Timing belts are used in two types of engines designated as "free-running" and "interference". If the timing belt breaks on a “free-running” design, the engine will stop and you will need a tow to the repair shop. There is enough clearance between the pistons and valves so no mechanical damage usually occurs. The installation of a new belt is usually all that is neede...

Faulty Hose Composition leads to Smelly Audi A4 Quattro wagon  Noticed an odd smell from the car, so he stopped at a shop to get it checked out. He was told that the coolant reservoir was cracked and needed to be replaced. Not satisfied with this diagnosis, he later drove to our shop. We performed a pressure test on the reservoir and discovered that the hose between the coolant reservoir and the engine was weeping coolant through the hose material. If the coolant reservoir appears to be leaking, the technician should also check these possible leak sources before replacing the reservoir. May be caused by the coolant hose (1) between coolant reservoir and radiator or the coolant hose (2) between coolant reservoir and engine which may have internal cracks (Image 19-A116). Internal cracks can cause coolant to get inside the coolant hose material and leak from connections to the coolant reservoir (arrows) due to the capillary effect. The following tools (or equivalents) are require...

2004 Dodge Durango noticed a different kind of pulsation It only would occur when lightly applied the brakes over 60 mph. The vehicle may exhibit pulsation or vibration in the brake pedal and/or steering wheel when the brakes are applied. The condition is most noticeable at speed over 50 MPH but can occur at lower speeds. If the customer indicates that the condition is present, perform the Repair Procedure. The procedure involves installing brake pads, resurfacing the rotors and checking rotor runout. 1 Set of Brake Pads , P/N 05139733AA, will be required to complete the repair. Applicable Vehicles: 2004-2005 Durango (HB) Repair Procedure: (Review safety procedures in the ALLDATAdiy.com ® before beginning) 1. Inspect the front brakes for any signs of abnormal wear or damage. Repair as necessary. 2. Resurface the front brake rotors with a Chrysler® approved on-car brake lathe. If an on-car lathe is not available, the rotor resurfacing must be sublet to a facility with an approved on...

Know About Paintless Dent Repair With paintless dent repair, many of the dents and dings in your vehicle can be removed while keeping the original paint in place. Paintless dent repair (also known as paintless dent removal, or PDR) is a relatively new process, but one which has undergone considerable refinement since its introduction in the 1990s. What began as a few hobbyists tinkering with special tools has today become a full-blown industry—one which saves drivers coast to coast over a million dollars a year. If you’ve been putting off a trip to the body repair shop because you’re dreading that exorbitant estimate, then you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by the reasonable prices associated with paintless dent repair. How Does Paintless Dent Repair Work? The metal that makes up most of your vehicle is quite pliant, which is why it is susceptible to denting in the first place. In addition, the paint on your car or truck is probably a polymer color or a powder coat that...

How To Protect Your Car From Scratches Car scratches can make your car look old and hurt your car’s trade-in or resale value, and they can even cause severe problems like rust or corrosion if left untreated. Fixing car scratches as soon as possible is important to keep your car looking and running its best. Depending on how severe your car scratches are, there are several methods for fixing car scratches available to you. Scratch removing waxes – Several different waxes and polishes are great for fixing light car scratches and very fine swirl marks. These products will fill the scratches instead of just coloring them in. Waxes and polishes work with any color paint, so you don’t have to worry about matching the color to your vehicle. All you have to do is apply the scratch removing wax to the affected area, wipe away the excess and buff. Color match scratch repair – For fixing car scratches that go a little bit deeper, a color match scratch repair kit can get your car look...

How To Locate  Right Import Car Repair Center No matter where you drive, it’s easy to find a mix of domestic cars and import cars on the road. Most import cars are Japanese, including an array of vehicles from Honda, Toyota, Nissan and others, designed to be practical and economical. Other imports include European cars, many of which are high-end luxury cars. All cars, domestic and imports alike, require the same maintenance and repair. Where you go for import car repair depends on what type of import car you drive. European car repair The majority of European imports are luxury sedans like BMW and Mercedes from Germany and high-performance sports cars such as Porsches, also German, and Ferraris and Lamborghinis from Italy. These cars are assembled in their country of origin with parts made specifically for these high-end vehicles. Most local repair centers will not carry the right parts for European import car repair, even large chain service centers. The dealersh...

How To Use  Car Paint Scratch Remover Car scratch paint remover is designed to eliminate scratches on your vehicle without the need to sand, prime and paint. If a hailstorm, flying road debris or fender bender has left you with an unsightly scratch, then you may be curious as to whether or not these inexpensive retail products actually work. Learn the basics of car scratch remover products and what types of scratches they can effectively remove. What Are Car Scratch Repair Kits? Paint scratch kits are products that can be found at many automotive retail shops. The most important item in these kits is a repairing paste that incorporates plastic deformation chemicals. When rubbed onto your vehicle’s surface, these chemicals cause the paint to distort and deform. As a result, the paint surrounding a scratch is altered in such a way that it can cover up the scratched area. Typically, scratch repair kits only require one to three minutes of buffing. Which Car Scratches Can ...

Tips And Know How For Vehicle Repair One of the downsides to car ownership is the occasional need for vehicle repair. You have numerous repair options available, depending on the type of vehicle repair you need. Many high volume car dealers have their own service centers. There are also local service centers that can perform most common repair work and specialty service centers that service one particular system, such as brakes or transmissions. Car dealer service centers The mechanics and technicians at a car dealer service center are trained specifically to work on one particular make of car, Fords or Hondas, for example. They will know your car backwards and forwards, which is very handy for complex vehicle repair issues. In the event that you need a part replaced, car dealer service centers also have easy access to factory original parts, as opposed to the after market parts you would get from a local service center. Local service centers For convenience and pric...

Windshield Scratch Repair From time to time, people get chips and small cracks in their car windshield, usually from a small rock being thrown up off the road or some other type of debris. When this happens it is important to fix the damage as soon as possible by either calling a windshield scratch repair company or repairing the scratch yourself. A windshield scratch is not only cosmetic damage, it can also become a driving hazard. A small scratch can impair your vision while driving if the scratch happens to be in the right place. If your windshield scratch is not repaired, then it can become a much larger crack or expand in a spider web pattern. Not only do large scratches and cracks pose a driving hazard, they will also cause you to have to replace the entire windshield instead of making a simple repair. If your windshield gets a small crack or scratch, you have a few windshield scratch repair options: using a scratch repair company or performing a simple fix yoursel...

 DIY Car Repair Procedures Getting your car repaired can expensive very quickly. Labor costs for the specialized skills and training of certified technicians usually starts at $60 an hour. Add in the mark-up for any replacement parts, and costs can spiral in a hurry. Some people like to avoid those expenses whenever possible with DIY car repair. If you are not a certified mechanic, the most important thing to have before beginning any do-it-yourself car repair is the correct auto repair manual. Even if you are a mechanic, it’s still a good idea to have an auto repair manual on hand. A repair manual will have instructions and diagrams to help people with some mechanical aptitude make simple car repairs. Car repairs are not one-size-fits-all, so if you have a 2007 Chevy Malibu, then you need the manual for a 2007 Chevy Malibu. The manual to a comparable Ford or Honda will not help. Even a manual to the same car for a different model year may not be as useful because of c...

Expensive Car Repair Costs Engine:  This repair can take thousands of dollars and there are several pieces of the puzzle, such as the carburetor. No matter how involved the damage, it is very important to get engine issues fixed as soon as possible to reduce car repair costs. Brakes:  These wear down over time, and it’s important to get the wear and tear addressed. For minor repairs, you can basically go into any shop with a certified ASE mechanic. For more complex issues, be sure to shop around for the best matching auto repair shop. Tires:  From air checks to flat repairs, replacements, rotations and balancing, tire centers have the very important tasks of keeping your safe and your car in the best shape with tire repair. Electrical Issues:  These issues involve your battery, your computer and all of the wiring involved. Certified technicians (and usually a pretty penny) will make these problems go away. Or it might just be a six-dollar spark plug replace...

How To Repair Car Tire  A flat tire on your car will cause a great deal of aggravation, but it does not have to be an overly costly issue. There are ways to make temporary and permanent car tire repairs to small punctures that can extend the life of your tire without the cost of replacing one or more tires. In the event that you sustain a large gash in the tire, you will need to replace it. Keep a spare tire and a jack in your car for these situations. And depending on the amount of wear on the remaining tires, you may need to replace both the damaged tire and the one next to it (both front tires or both rear tires) for even handling. Tire Sealant A good car tire repair product to have on hand is a can of tire sealant. In the event of a small puncture or slow leak, you can use a tire sealant to inject a liquid polymer directly into the tire that stops the air leak and lets you continue driving. You can find cans of tire sealant at virtually any auto parts store or tire...

How To Repair A Windshield That chip in your windshield might be just an unsightly nuisance now, but it can become a major problem if it is not fixed quickly. Windshield scratch repair kits and companies can fix chips and small cracks that, if left untreated, can easily turn into very large cracks that will require an expensive replacement of the entire windshield. The nice thing about repairing a scratched windshield is that there are plenty of mobile car windshield repair companies that will come to you in the event you sustain some minor damage to your windshield. If a truck kicks a small rock into your windshield on your way to work in the morning, you can call a car windshield repair company to come to your place of employment to repair your scratched windshield in the parking lot. It will only take a few minutes to have your windshield repaired. An even nicer thing about windshield repair is that, depending on your insurance coverage, you can repair a scratched windshield...

 How‐To Use A Car Repair Manual Car repairs and maintenance can be a very expensive. Labor charges can run anywhere from $60-120 per hour, and there are also high mark-ups on replacement parts, various disposal fees and other costs for visiting a repair shop. Some people choose to reduce their maintenance and repair costs by doing some of their own car repair and maintenance work. With the right car manual as a how-to guide for car repair, many people can save hundreds of dollars a year on car repairs. Before you begin making your own car repairs, you must make sure you have the right how-to car repair manual for your vehicle. Manuals are specific to the make, model and year, so you must make sure to have the right one. A 2004 manual for a Honda Accord will not be of much use if you have a 2008 Accord. Similarly, if you have a 2008 Accord, an auto manual from a comparable Chevrolet vehicle will not give you the right how-to information for your car repair. Once you have the...

Auto Mechanic Schools Help & Benefits Auto mechanic schools prepare students for an exciting career in the auto repair industry. While these auto schools are not a requirement for entry-level job placement, there are several advantages that come with completing an accredited program. Even if you have a solid foundation in automotive repair, it may be worth the extra time and tuition to attend an auto mechanic school. Some of the main benefits of a post-graduate vocational education include: State-of-the-Art Training If you’re interested in becoming a mechanic, then it’s likely you’ve spent a good amount of time under the hood of a car. However, all the do-it-yourself car repair in the world pales in comparison to training in an actual repair shop. Auto mechanic schools offer hands-on training with state-of-the-art equipment that includes car lifts, diagnostic equipment and other expensive repair tools. Given the rapid increase in vehicle technology over the past seve...

Car A/C Problems And Troubleshooting Auto air conditioner repair is an inconvenience that no one wants to experience. Unfortunately, the uncomfortable feeling of driving to work during the summer with a broken AC unit is all too common. If your car’s air conditioner is causing you to feel the heat, then there are a number of possible root causes. Some of the most common types of vehicle AC repairs are listed below: Leaking Coolant Coolant is the liquid in your engine that produces cold air. As this liquid is pumped through a series of tubes and hoses via an AC compressor, it passes through an expansion valve that causes the coolant gas to expand and cool. If insufficient levels of this coolant are present in the AC system, then the result will be inadequate cooling. The most common cause of low coolant levels is a puncture or leak in the AC system. Rubber hoses and connections are prone to punctures, and will result in a loss of coolant as it flows through the system. An eas...

How To Start A  Good Auto Repair Business Car shop owners have a lot to juggle when it comes to running an auto repair business. As a customer, an improperly run repair shop can lead to inflated pricing, extended turnaround times and faulty work. While the majority of auto shops these days have a good handle on balancing servicing and pricing, it’s always good to know what to look for when it comes to identifying a well-run auto repair business. Customer-Friendly Auto Repair Policies The best auto repair shops strive to exceed the service expectations of the average customer. As such, finding a shop that happily offers customer-friendly policies is a great way to minimize the chances for reduced customer service or unsavory business practices. For example, most reliable shops these days offer free vehicle inspections that result in a comprehensive price estimate. This estimate allows customers to review pricing structures and compare potential costs against rival compani...

Car Towing Tips The moments after a serious car accident are stressful and confusing. If your car is in bad enough shape that it can’t be driven, you know you’ll have to get it towed — but how does that work? Are there other steps you should be taking? Below are some important things to keep in mind after a major wreck. Safety is the first and foremost concern. In the case of any injuries, call 911 immediately. If there are no injuries and the vehicles can be moved, get them off the road to a safe place, then call local or state police to report the accident. While you wait for the police to arrive, exchange information (license, registration, and insurance) with the other driver. There’s no way to know at this point who will be deemed at fault for the accident, which means you don’t know whose insurance company will be paying for towing (or whether it will be covered by insurance at all). Don’t worry about this, since there’s nothing you can do about it. The importan...

What Towing Situations that Require a Flatbed A standard (dolly) tow truck lifts the front or back wheels of your vehicle onto a short trailer that’s attached to the truck, leaving the other set of wheels to roll along the ground. While this type of truck works well for certain situations, there are others where it isn’t the best option. In the following cases, it’s better to go with a flatbed truck that lifts the vehicle entirely off the ground. Towing across long distances.  Because two of the vehicle’s wheels are on the ground during a standard tow, this can translate into a lot of wear and tear on a vehicle if you’re moving the car any great distance. A flatbed truck holds its cargo above the road surface, so it’s a better choice for cross-country or other long tows. When you have an expensive car.  While a dolly tow is generally less expensive than a flatbed, that doesn’t mean much if your prized vintage or sports car hits a pothole during the tow and ge...

 Roadside Towing Services And Help Guide Nobody plans on having something go wrong with their car and being stranded on the side of the road. You can, however, be prepared for the unexpected before you hit the road. Modern cellular networks makes this easier than ever, since you can locate roadside assistance and call them from the safety of your car. Organization Roadside Coverage One of the most common roadside services is the coverage that you get through a company or organization. Usually this is auto clubs and insurance companies, but it’s also offered by car manufacturers. In fact, you may have currently have roadside assistance coverage and not even know it. And if not, it’s easy enough to add to any existing account. The exact nature of the coverage will change with each company and coverage. Some will cover your towing fee and unlimited miles. Some will only cover a certain number of tows per year, or a certain number of miles. It’s always a good idea to...

Know About Chip Tuning, Remapping, ECU Looking to modify the computers in your car to get more power or efficiency? A quick Google search can be incredibly confusing. If you’re having trouble telling the different ECUs apart or comparing chip tuning vs. remapping, this quick guide can help you understand what they are. Chip Tuning: Early engine computers were first introduced in the 1980s and changed the way that engines were tuned up. Suddenly tune-ups were no longer about adjusting parts like a carburetor. In order to change key engine parameters, the chip had to be physically removed and replaced with a new chip. This was the original chip tuning, where the tune-up involved switching out the chip. This term gets a little murky as technology evolved. The introduction of diagnostic ports meant chips didn’t have to be removed to be changed. The diagnostic ports allowed direct software access, so the chips could be reprogrammed without being removed. Today, chip tuning ...

Engine Chip Tuning Details Have you ever worked on a classic car? Even if you personally haven’t done the work, you’ve probably known someone who spent hours and hours making tiny changes to the carburetor valves, tweaking the camshaft position, or adjusting the spark plugs. If everything went correctly, the arrangement of these parts would lead to a dramatic increase in horsepower, fuel efficiency, and other traits. Back then, these factors were controlled by mechanical means. Today they’re controlled by computers, and those careful tune ups have changed from mechanical to digital, and that’s engine chip tuning. Electronic Control Units Usually these are known simply by their acronym: ECU. An electronic control unit is the generic term for any of the electronic modules or systems that are scattered around modern cars. And there are a lot of them. In fact, a modern car can have well over eighty different ECUs scattered around the vehicles that control everything ...

Chip Tuning vs. Performance Tuning When it comes to getting more out of your engine, two of your big options are chip tuning and performance tuning. These are both types of engine tuning, each with their own benefits, and their own costs. Chip Tuning Originally, chip tuning meant that the chips in the ECU (Engine Control Unit) were removed and replaced with chips that had different software. The introduction of diagnostic ports to car computer systems opened the door for engine remapping, or rewriting the software without having to replace the chip. When a lot of people refer to chip tuning today, they actually mean remapping. On the low end, you can simply buy a chip module that plugs into the diagnostic port to change the programming. This can have unpredictable results, since the module isn’t specifically made for your car and driving conditions. For the best results, chip tuning should be done by a professional. After installing a high quality chip, they’ll often...

Benefits of Engine Chip Tuning If you’re into upgrading or customizing your car, then you’ve probably heard about engine chip tuning. Whether the ECU is changed, the engine is remapped, or a performance chip is added, the change in the software can make a big difference in how your vehicle functions. 1. You Get More Horsepower When the ECU comes from the factory it comes with conservative software settings, and that includes power settings. These help the car be more stable under a variety of different conditions, but it also means there’s some power left behind. Chip tuning can change the fuel/air ratio and timing to give your car extra power and torque. 2. You Get More Fuel Efficiency For a long time, engine chip tuning was almost exclusively used to get more power out of vehicles. However, the recent emphasis on fuel efficiency and environmentalism has changed that. The right chip tuning can make a substantial difference in your fuel economy. It may be at th...

Computer Operating Guide  in Your Car Did you know that modern cars can have over 80 different computers scattered around the car? These control everything from your automatic windows to your stereo to the brake system to your engine. The computers are all hidden behind body panels, in the engine compartment, and dozens of other places. In fact, the only sign of computers most drivers will ever see is the console interface. Emissions Standards:  The Birth of Car Microprocessors Car computers really got their start with the introduction of the catalytic convertor and electronic fuel injector. Before these systems, the fuel/air ratio was controlled by the carburetor, which could be more than a little imprecise. A catalytic convertor requires a precise fuel/air ratio (1:14.7) in order to be effective in eliminating emissions. As emission standards got more and more strict, more control was needed. Enter the first car microprocessors. The chips were nowhe...