All Car Repair Articles

All Car Repair Articles

of course car repairs are what we call a “bread and butter” job. Hence, i thought that i would show a video to demonstrate the things that our technicians have to do when repairing a car.
We often have our customers ringing us. Significantly, they ask the question, “how can i tell if my car needs repairing”. Therefore, I usually answer with the same explanation. You’ll know when the vehicle requires attention! So, when a car eventually arrives in the workshop. We treat it with extreme care and attention.

catalytic converter

Automotive Catalyst Diagnostics: How, Where and How Much

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Automotive Catalyst Diagnostics: How, Where and How Much

Automotive Catalyst Diagnostics: How, Where and How Much

The catalytic converter is one of the most important devices which make up the vehicle system. It was designed and implemented to solve emissions problems and make a growing number of cars more friendly to the environment. But a cat performs its functions properly only when the device is clean inside. The worse the quality of fuel you use, the sooner shallow holes of the honeycomb inner structure of the converter get clogged. When this happens, the airflow is restricted and metal parts can crack under the strain. In the worst case some engine problems occur.

That is why it is required to keep the cat unclogged. This is useful and pragmatic, since it is much cheaper to maintain the device rather than buy another one prematurely. But before contacting an automobile repair shop, you should get to know how the procedure is conducted.

How Emission Problems Can Be Solved

A comprehensive vehicle inspection consists of the following steps:

  • Obtaining the vehicle history and to answer the questions concerning fuel consumption, whether the engine is hard to start, the cat has been repaired or replaced, etc.
  • Correcting codes of the engine. You should know that typically codes from P0420 to P0424 and from P0430 to P0434 in order indicate some catalyst problems.
  • Identifying and fixing exhaust system leaks.
  • Checking cat temperature, back pressure, O2 sensor, and internal cooling system.
  • Fuel system inspection.
  • Measuring emissions with the help of a gas analyser.
  • Running a cylinder balance test.
  • Examining the mechanical condition of the parts and devices.

If you have noticed some exhaust system troubles, the vehicle doesn’t need to undergo a full technical inspection. Contact a repair shop for just a catalyst testing.

In case the inspection has revealed a crucial catalyst problem due to which the device should be replaced, we suggest you look for a new one on the website https://autocatalystmarket.com/us/en. This is the biggest catalyst market where you can select a catalytic converter for any car brand and model. The range comprises over 24,000 items! The company has been working in the market of catalytic converters since 2005. Each device on the website has real pictures and a detailed technical description for you to facilitate the selection process.

How Much Does Catalyst Inspection Cost

The price depends on such factors as the car brand and model, current condition of the device, the amount of solid fuel residue in the grid holes, etc. In general, a cat repair costs between $900 and $2500. If you fill your vehicle with the fuel of good quality and keep the engine maintained, you need to have the converter repaired not less than every 100,000 km kilometres driven.

mot testing and car servicing

Maintenance-Emissions-and Privacy: The OBD Story

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Maintenance-Emissions

Maintenance-Emissions

Of course, this all started before the 1950′. As a result, car engines and their faults were diagnosed and repaired by a few gauges and hand adjusted. Hence, by a mechanic. Most automotive systems were done like this.

I remember when I was an apprentice mechanic, in a small British leyland independent garage in Batley Yorkshire UK. Whenever there was a suspicious engine problem. Then our chief mechanic “Brian” would put a long screwdriver to his ear and the other end to the engine. Quietly, listening for any sound that would give him a clue as to what the problem could be?

Naturally, as time went by then cars became more complex and problems became more complicated. Therefore, I remember the middle of the 1960’s . Engine problems became to rely more and more on using diagnostic equipment. Our boss “Tom” leased a massive machine with a video display. Thus, I think that it was made by Tecalamit, but I could be wrong?

Of course, the machine looked massive to me. Wires came out of it from all directions. Subsequently, I never got to learn how to use it, it was deemed as too complicated for an apprentice. The machine was a video display terminal and it was to help us with diagnosing engine problems. As far as I could remember the machine was able to check the engines temperature and vacuum also the oil pressure.

Maintenance-Emissions move on

Later in the 1960’s came the computerized systems. With the introduction of the fuel-injected models of Volkswagen Type 3 cars. Consequently, followed by the sporty 280Z made by Datsun . Following this, in the 1980’s General Motors put its computerized “Assembly Line Diagnostic Link ” into service. Hence, this was to examine error codes with the speed of 160 baud. However, this speed increased to 8192 baud by 1986 along with UART or “Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter” at half duplex. This type of diagnostics continued until the invention of complete on-board diagnostic packages. Of course that we see today.

The next part follows in this interesting article-

Source: Maintenance, Emissions, and Privacy: The OBD Story | Hackaday

Driving on Bad tyres

Tyres-Tarmac Mix Help Make a New Road A90 and Quieter Driving

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Tyres-Tarmac Mix

Tyres-Tarmac Mix;First UK road to use the scrap tyres mix a great step forward

Breedon Aggregates have successfully completed the relaying of the A90 road in Scotland. Hence, the most remarkable thing about this is that they used a mix of tarmac and shredded waste tyres.

As a result, this is a massive step forward. Consequently,the new Tyres-Tarmac Mix  has a very promising future.Of course, the A90 road runs between Perth and Dundee. Moreover, the road is a duel-carriageway for most of its length. Of course, this particular stretch of road is one of the busiest in the country. Hence, is expected to be a great test for the Tyres-Tarmac Mix experiment. This road carries about 35,000 vehicles a day. So is also exposed to very inclement weather conditions.

As intended, the new material will be rigorously tested over the next few years. One of the most important tests is a skid resistance test. Signs so far are very promising. As a result,the surface has so far passed all the tests.

Tyres-Tarmac Mix from Denmark

New technology for the success of the new mix came from a Danish company,Genan. Enabling, the rubber particles from the shredded tyres to bind with a binding agent at low temperatures. Which also helps the environment because very little heat is required.

Most people know that since 2006, European Rules have banned the disposal of waste tyres to the landfill sites, leaving very large amounts of scrap tyres to find other uses in many various forms of recycling. According to the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association, nearly 500,000 tons of scrap tyres arose in the UK in 2009. Studies show that for every ton of scrap tyres used for rubber modification of bitumen and asphalt, 1.1 tons of CO2 emissions are saved compared with burning of the tyres for use in Cement kiln heating.

Tyres-Tarmac Mix-One day they may buy our old tyres again?

This is a great step forward and we must thank Breedon Aggregates for their work in this field to turn a waste product such as old tyres into a wonderful new product that will benefit us all in the long run. Breedon are now going to market the new product and sell it under the brand name of Breedon Polymer R+, and the tarmac will be produced at all its English and Scottish plants, a great step forward and who knows that some day companies may once again buy the old tyres from us again ?.

 Please click the link bellow for more information from Breedon Aggregates.

http://www.breedonaggregates.com/news/2012/05/31/breedon-aggregates-gives-a90-a-novel-retread/

car suspension parts

Car Suspension Noises-A look at why drivers should have regular Steering and Suspension checks?

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Car Suspension Noises

Car Suspension Noises

The last car to come to us, with a noise problem was a VW GT TDi on a 2002 plate. Accordingly, the noise sounded like it was coming from all around the car. We road tested the car and indeed could hear the noise. He drove the car in the large car park of the local Co-op supermarket, with the window down. The car drove without the creaking noise.

Car Creaking noises-Cars are capable of producing many noises including “creaking”.Creaking is one of the noises, that really annoys the driver. Hence it is one of the most common “noise” problems that we are presented with here at Pellon Autocentre in Halifax, Yorkshire, UK.
Naturally, cars turn up with rattling, squeaking, banging and other sounds, that sometimes can not be explained by our customers. The last car to come to us, with a noise problem was a VW GT TDi on a 2002 plate. The car had done about 69000 miles. So the mileage was low for the year.
Thus, even when the car was driven down his drive. The problem was that the car was making an irritating creaking sound. Surprisingly, the noise sounded like it was coming from all around the car.

Car Suspension Noises can drive you mad?

As a result, we decided to check the cars past history. Finding, that the car was fitted out with some new” anti roll bar bushes” about two months ago. Hence, we replaced the cars “drop links“.
We road tested the car and indeed could hear the noise. He drove the VW fast and slow. He drove the car in the large car park of the local Co-op supermarket, with the window down. Naturally, he could hear the creaking quite clearly with the window down. We have seen this sort of problem before and so we suspected the front suspension could be the problem.The wishbone bearings could also be the problem. We decided to check that the drop link bolts were tight?
They were re-tightened and this solved the problem. The car drove without the creaking noise. The customer was highly delighted and drove off into the traffic a happy man.