Car Repair World

Hot and Cold :  When your Engine is Hard to Start Car Starting Issues In order to surpass this problem and to prevent it as much as possible, learn how to solve it by knowing why it happens. When a hot engine is hard to start, most of the causes are fuel related problems. Fuel cannot circulate well due to the way in which vapor blocks it. As a result, the engine would not start as easily as it should. In worse cases, it would not start at all. This happens if the engine is extremely hot. Until after a while the engine was shut off, it would keep on acquiring temperature. The biggest amount of water vapor would be spreading around during this process. It therefore means that during this period, there are higher chances of its obstruction to the engine. So when you are driving in hot weather and you have just turned off the car and you experience difficulty in stating the engine, do not panic. Just wait for a couple of minutes and then start it back. Because the fuel remains ...

Vehicle Sensor Reference Guide Types Of Sensor In Your Vehicle Oxygen Sensors (O2) Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor (ECT) Intake Air Temperature Sensor (IAT) Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Most Common Engine Sensors understand the purpose and failure systems of most common sensors. Use your scantool and tech tip to diagram. Oxygen Sensors (O2) Purpose: Measure the amount of oxygen left in the exhaust stream to provide feedback to the computer about whether the air/fuel mixture is rich or lean. Symptoms: Poor fuel economy Rich fuel mixture Check Engine Light Failed emissions test Tech Tip: Test for O2 sensors in front of catalytic converter (S1B1 and S1B2 on your scantool). With the engine warm, graph the O2 sensor output. Rev the engine to approximately 2000 RPM. A good sensor will oscillate from below 0.2 volts to above 0.8 volts, looking approximately like a sine wave. A bad sensor will b...

Troubleshoot Other Warning Light(s) On Car Control Panel Temp Warning Light On Your engine is overheating. Stop driving immediately and turn the engine off. Continuing to drive risks causing expensive engine damage such as a blown head gasket, or cracked or warped cylinder head. Low oil pressure or loss of oil pressure can be caused by a low oil level in the crankcase, a worn or damaged oil pump, or worn engine bearings. Allow the engine to cool down for several hours before you attempt any further diagnosis. A hot engine can be very dangerous because of steam pressure inside the radiator and coolant reservoir. Do NOT attempt to add coolant until the engine has cooled down and the radiator cap or reservoir cap can be safely opened. Overheating can be caused by a low coolant level (check the radiator, water pump, and hoses for leaks), coolant leaks inside the engine (leaky head gasket or cracks in the head or block), a stuck thermostat, or a cooling fan that isn't worki...

Engine Stalls, Misfire Code, & Cylinder Misfire Troubleshooting Car Problems The engine may be stalling because it isn’t getting enough throttle opening. The cause is often a problem in the idle air control system. In many instances, stalling ends up being an idle control motor at its limit or a failed motor. Engine Stalls (Check Engine Light May or May Not Be On) Stalls typically occur when the engine is idling or slowing. If the Check Engine Light comes on, you may find any of the following codes: P0505 to P0509 idle control circuit codes P0335, P0336, P0337, P0338, P0339 crankshaft position sensor codes P0171, P0174 lean fuel condition codes P0400 to P0409 EGR related codes The engine may be stalling because it isn’t getting enough throttle opening. The cause is often a problem in the idle air control system. Other possibilities include a dirty throttle body, vacuum leak, incorrect ignition timing (retarded), bad gas (water or other contamination), an A/C ...

Engine Cranks But Won't Start Car Will Not Start What’s causing the no-start? All engines require three things to start and run: spark, fuel, and compression. If any one of these isn’t there, you aren’t going anywhere. Symptom: Engine Cranks but won’t Start Probable Causes: Fuel Pump (P0230 to P0233) PCM (P0600 to P0606) Crank Sensor (P0355 to P0399) Fuel Pressure (P0190 to P0194) Chances are the Check Engine Light is not on, but you may find any of the following codes: P0230 to P0233 Fuel Pump codes P0600 to P0606 PCM related codes P0335 to P0339 Crank Sensor codes P0190 to P0194 Fuel Pressure Sensor codes No spark due to a bad crank position sensor, a faulty ignition module or PCM, a problem in the ignition circuit (ignition switch, antitheft system, wiring, etc.), a faulty park/neutral safety switch, a bad ignition coil (only on engines with a single coil ignition), or wet plugs or plug wires (did it rain last night, did you just wash the engine?)...

Emissions Test Failed Many states now use a simple Onboard Diagnostics (OBDII) plug-in check instead of a lengthy tailpipe emissions test to verify emissions compliance. The OBDII tests are only used on 1996 and newer vehicles, and may be used in combination with a separate tailpipe test in certain situations (the rules vary from state to state). Symptom: Failed Emission Probable Causes: Eleven monitors Catalyst Monitor Misfire Evaporative System EGR System Fuel System Heated Catalyst Secondary Air System Comprehensive Component O2 Sensor O2 Sensor Heater A/C System Refrigerant The OBDII onboard diagnostic system that is used on all 1996 and newer passenger cars and light trucks (as well as a few 1994 and 1995 models) will set a fault code and turn on the MIL lamp if it detects ANY problem that MIGHT cause emissions to exceed federal limits by 1.5 times. Notice, we said MIGHT cause emissions to exceed limits. The actual point at which a code is set is de...

Low Fuel Economy  Today’s engine management systems rely on many different sensor inputs to regulate fuel economy, performance and emissions. Symptom: Poor Fuel Economy Probable Causes: Fuel Rich Codes (P0172 and/or P0175) Coolant Sensor (P0115 to P0119) Misfire Codes (P030x) Mass Air Flow (P0100 to P0105) Oxygen Sensor Codes (P0130 to P0167) or (P0036 to P0064) MAP Sensor (P0105 to P0109) With the price of gasoline, you don’t want to ignore this kind of problem for long. When fuel economy is down, you may find any number of codes: P0172 and/or P0175  are rich codes, and indicate a general rich air/fuel condition. The underlying cause may be anything that increases fuel delivery, such as excessive fuel pressure, a defective fuel pressure regulator, plugged return line, or leaky injectors. Decreased airflow from a dirty air filter or restricted air intake misleads the mass airflow sensor or engine management system into believing the engine is usin...

Engine Warning Light Is On Today’s cars are controlled by a Powertrain Control Module (PCM), your engine’s computer. If you want to repair or modify your car’s performance, you need a scantool to communicate with the PCM. Symptoms: Check Engine Light on Poor Acceleration Poor Fuel Economy Rough Idle Probable Cause(s): Oxygen Sensors Codes (P0130 to P0167) EVAP Code (P0445) That pesky Check Engine Light, the “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” or “MIL” for short, is on because your vehicle’s computer self diagnosed a fault that could cause your vehicle’s emissions to increase. It doesn’t necessarily mean your vehicle is polluting – or has a serious problem – but it might. So the light is on to let you know something is amiss that needs your attention. Trouble is, you don’t know WHAT the trouble might be. It might be something and could lead to a break-down or cause expensive engine damage, or it might be something minor like a loose gas cap (yes, the on-board diagnostics o...

Accelerating Issues Engine Hesitates, Stumbles, Lacks Normal Power Car accelerate slowly when  gas pedal is depressed You’re driving along in your vehicle, and everything seems fine – until you start up a hill, or try to quickly pull out into fast-moving traffic. Then it happens… nothing. Sure, the car is moving, but it’s ridiculously slow and you can tell that the engine is struggling to keep up. This is a common problem found especially in high-mileage vehicles. Before you get too worried, let’s take a look at some of the possible easy fixes…. – The O2 sensor. The oxygen sensor (or O2 sensor) is a device that helps monitor the emissions of your vehicle so as to analyze the air-to-fuel ratio going through the engine In a nutshell, you need to proper amount of oxygen to properly burn the fuel in the engine. Not enough oxygen results in unburn fuel (rich mixture) and too little oxygen (lean mixture) causes more pollutants and can actually damage your engine. When this sen...

Ford F-150/F-250:  Oxygen Sensor Replacement This article walks through the process of replacing the oxygen sensor on your Ford F-150 or Super Duty.  Ford F-150 (2004-2014) and the F-250, F-350 (2005-2014). If your check engine light goes on but you don't notice any symptoms, you need to use a code reader to determine the source of the problem. If the trouble code in your PCM's memory reads P0131, P0133, P0151, or P0153, you could be having trouble with your vehicle's oxygen sensor. The oxygen sensor is a clever little component that keeps track of your engine's exhaust and promotes an accurate distribution of oxygen, nitrogen, and fuel. For this reason, bad gas mileage can be both a symptom and a problematic result of a faulty oxygen sensor. This part can be expensive to professionally replace, so you might want to attempt a DIY job if you are able to. Materials Needed O2 sensor penetrating oil O2 sensor socket thread chaser floor jack two j...

Ford F-150/F-250 Crankshaft Position Sensor R eplacement. If you experience problems with your Ford F-150 or Super Duty's performance, you might be looking at a bad crankshaft position sensor. Learn how to replace the crankshaft position sensor yourself. Ford F-150 (2004-2014) and the F-250, F-350 Super Duty (2005-2014). A crankshaft position sensor sends information about the position of the sensor in your Ford F-150 or Super Duty truck to the computer system of the engine. Signs of a bad crankshaft position sensor include problems starting the engine when it’s cold outside, acceleration issues, loss of power, and poor fuel mileage. It is found under the AC compressor and can be loosened by sliding it out of the motor, which is found on the bottom left area. Materials Needed Crankshaft position sensor 1/2 inch socket wrench Open end wrench Compressor pulley Step 1 - Turn the pulley Push the tip of the socket wrench in the hole in the center of the...