Today, a substantial part of one's investment is on slimming products. This shows the increasing popularity of weight loss supplements among numerous fitness conscious people. Unlike those painful surgical treatments, these are cheaper and non-invasive.
There are so many body building supplements but many of them are unsafe as these products have a great side effect ratio as well. There are many specially individuals like celebrities and sportsmen who really have to intake these supplements to stay fit. But it is always a better idea if one can opt for natural yet very effective body building supplement. Force Factor is probably the first product to fit in the risk free slot of the body building supplements. It has many valuable contents which help in fast gain of muscle.
The TPMS light is on, and it is easily isolated to a nail in one of the tires. You repair the punctured tire, and air all the tires to their correct pressures. Yet the TPMS light is still on.
Not unusual. Many TPMS sensors have to be "awakened" before they will transmit their data, and there are a few different ways OEMs do that. Many will wake up at speeds over 20 MPH, so a drive around the block usually turns the light off. But there is another way. Use your TPMS tool to wake them up!
I use the Bartec 400, and have used this method to turn off the light on many models without the drive around the block. I've also used this method to retrain sensors after a tire rotation or sensor replacement, when the OE procedure calls for either letting air out or using a magnet around the valve. In those cases, though, I still had to put the vehicles into "learn" mode.
The Bartec tool is also the first tool I grab when diagnosing a TPMS light. Yeah, I know, check the tire pressures first. But what if they check OK? I have had a few rare instances where the sensor was reporting incorrectly, and the control module doesn't know whether it's being told the truth or a lie. If I read a low pressure tire, it is an easy second step to check the pressure manually to confirm the sensor reading.
It is also a good idea to test all the sensors and look for a lit TPMS light PRIOR to any tire work. It is infinitely better to identify a failed or weak sensor before the tire is broken down, than to explain to your customer afterward why the TPMS light is on when it wasn't on before.
When removing the tire, be sure to break the outer bead 180 degrees away from the sensor to avoid damage. Then remove the locknut and seal, allowing the sensor to fall into the tire. Remove the sensor and then remove the tire. Install the sensor last, and use new seals and lock nuts. They don't require a lot of torque, so be careful. There are special tools available to insure proper torque. Use them.
The valves inside the sensor are special as well. Don't exchange one from a rubber stem for use in a TPMS sensor.
Last tip...don't use tire sealer in a TPMS equipped rim. If your customer did, replace the sensor...it's garbage once that sealant gets into the sensor air inlet.
Whew....that was a bit more than I originally intended. Oh well, I've been told that sometimes I don't know when to shut up!
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Rhody Hayes and I have been the lead instructor at Columbia Basin College in the Auto Body department for the past twenty-eight years. I have also been an I-Car instructor for the last ten years and am qualified to instruct in over 30 I-Car classes. I was voted Western I-Car instructor of the year in 2007 and selected Instructor of the Year for 2008 at Columbia Basin College. My certifications include: ASE Master, BMW 5,6, and 7, Aluminum repair expert, PPG Paint, and NGA Auto Glass Technician.
The reason I am writing to you today is that Washington state community colleges, like most of the nation, are currently experiencing significant budget shortfalls. In response to the budget crunch, Columbia Basin College is ending the auto body program at the end of the 2009/10 school year. This program was established in 1952 and has continued for 57 years. It has been a very successful program with 35-40 new students every year. Students are exiting the program to a regional area that includes over 40 communities in 3 states. Our industry depends on the auto body programs for its technicians. All of the auto body shops have voice their concern at the reality that there will be no more trained technicians. To continue this program it will require an operating expense of $75,000.00 each year. Our college has stated that if we are able to secure a grant or funding in this amount annually for a period of three years, we would be self sustaining and possibly weather this financial storm.
I would like to give you a view of our current shop, which we hope to sustain. We have a 10,000 square foot shop space, one downdraft booth and 2 prep stations. There are 3 drive on frame machines, one split post lift, UMS measuring system, velocity genesis computerized measuring system, two mixing systems PPG & Sikkens, working area for 25 vehicles, and a complete metal fabrication shop with the following: 12 foot metal break, (2) 4 foot metal breaks, (2) 4 foot metal sheers, Beverly sheer, and a large sand blasting cabinet.
Thank you for considering supporting our program at the college. We have very qualified and experienced auto body staff and a community that has a high demand for our auto body technicians. Please feel free to contact me if you might be able to provide any assistance to continue this very worthwhile program at Columbia Basin College.
Sincerely,
Assistant Professor of Autobody Technology
Career & Technical Education
rhayes@columbiabasin.edu
Tel: (509) 544-2269
Fax: (509) 544-8791
Cel (509) 302-1152
Columbia Basin College
2600 N. 20th Ave
Pasco, Wa 99301
Have you ever been laughed at by your service manager for coming up with a "left field" diagnosis? If you've been doing this for a while, then you probably have. If your new to the field, then at some point in time you probably will. For a moment, it will crush your confidance. For a moment, you will question your skills. And for a moment, you WILL FEEL LIKE A CHUMP. But hey, one of the best and worst things about a "moment" is that its short lived. And the best thing about that moment is it makes being right so much more satisfying.
With the exponentially accelerating progress in technological capability, and the lightening fast processing speeds of todays computers, technicians have some pretty amazing diagnostic tools at there disposal. We have bidirectional control, fiber optic bore scopes, and data loggers smaller than credit cards that hold 30+ hours of info. Even your basic 2 channel DSO is taking 25 mega samples per second. We now have PC based software that can take inputs from mutiple tools like an ignition scope and a 5 gas, and cross analize the data to give you the most probable cause of failures that you may not even notice existed. Yes, its a great time to be a tech. What used to be wheeled around the shop on a cart, we now pull out of our third drawer down on the left, hook in, and drive down the road with it. Goodbye cathode ray tube, hello 16 bit resolution. But with all this high tech stuff at your finger tips, it becomes all to easy to overlook the most powerful tool of all... Good old fashioned logic.
My story starts on a slow Monday morning. A '97 Ford F150 comes in with an inspection for "squeeky belt". I popped the hood to find that the crank pulley had a very visible wobble to it. I make my recommendations and move on to the next car. The ticket sells, I install the new belt and harmonic balancer and ship the truck. All goes smooth... for two days. Thursday morning I come walking in at 8 A.M. to find a work order for the same truck hanging on my hook waiting for me. Its making noise again. But this time its not a belt noise. This time its what the customer describes as a "spark noise". Of course the first thing I think is: ok, what was he in there doing because I didn't even touch the spark plug wires. But I kept that to myself and pulled the truck into my bay. Upon popping the hood I immediately heard the "spark noise" but it was too slow in tempo to be an ignition wire. It was happening about every 25-30 RPMs and coming from the front of the engine. As I crawled under the front of the truck I catch it out of the corner of my eye; a bright blue spark jumping from the timing cover to the outer rim of the crank pulley. I lay there for probably a full minute in dumfounded awe as it picked random spots all the way around to pulley to arch across the gap. My first thought was that the only electrical device in that area is the crank sensor, that has to be it. But that would surely cause a runability problem or at least a code and this thing runs tip top with no codes. I checked it anyway. Turns out the customer had to get going, he just wanted us to make sure it was drivable so he could go to work. I told him I couldn't see anything wrong other than the spark, and it didn't seem to effect anything while it was happening. We decided to order a factory harmonic balancer and I would do some research in the mean time.
I decided to start by inspecting the old part. I noticed that like alot of harmonic balancers, this one had a layer of rubber between the outer "pulley" portion and the inner "hub" portion of the balancer. Now I've seen these two halves come appart before so I know that the rubber is the only thing holding them together. This raised an important point: Knowing what we do about the behavior of electricity, why would a stray current looking for a ground path jump a 2-3mm gap over to a pulley that is isolated from all other conductors by a layer of rubber? I wouldn't. That could only mean that the electrical charge was somehow originating in the pulley and jumping to the timing cover in search of a ground.
The next night I posted this on the iATN website as well as here on AutoPro:
"I replaced the harmonic balancer because it was bent and the belt was making noise. Everything went smooth. The customer came back a few days later complaining of a "spark" noise under the hood. After inspection I found that there was a spark arching across from the timing cover to the outer edge of the balancer. I pulled codes... nothing. Checked PIDs and everything is normal with no anomalies when spark occurs. Not only is the crank signal good but it seems like it would take alot more voltage than that to jump that gap. I also noticed on the old balancer that the outter pulley portion of the unit is mounted with a rubber ring between it and the hub portion. So it would seem to me that if a stray current was looking for a ground it wouldn't jump a gap to a pulley thats suspended and isolated by rubber. So is it building up in the pulley and jumping to the block like static??? It seems semirythmic ocurring about every 25-30 rpms. I checked Identafix with no matches, and nobody I know has ever come across it. Anybody out there seen this before?"
The customer was coming in the next day so I only received a few responses before taking a crack at fixing it. I was hoping that someone out there would tell me that they've seen it before and what the problem was. But all I got was encouragement. As it turns out though, thats all I needed. I went in the next day determined not to just throw parts at this thing and fix it by chance, I wanted to know what was going on. I decided the best way to test my static theory was to take one of the 59,874,592 coat hangers we have piling up in the changing room, unbend it, and buff the coating off both ends. I then crawled under the truck and "drug" one end of the hanger on the moving pulley and touched the other end to the frame wanting to see the current take the the path of least resistance through the hanger. I was rewarded with a high voltage shock to the finger tips... Victory. At that point I felt that the belt was the most likely culprit and alot easyer the change than the pulley. And of course my service manager had a field day with my static nonsence, but in the end he ordered the "gatorback" style belt that I asked him for and the problem was gone.
I think the moral of the story is this: I could have gone a completely different direction with this. I could have spent hours looking at waveform patterns trying to find the source of this mystery electrical current. God knows I've spent alot of money on high quality tools and fancy equiptment for solving such problems. But when all the dust settled, I solved one of the most puzzling automotive problems of my career with three tools: logic, encouragement, and a coat hanger. And I didn't spent a dime on any of them.
We’ve been teasing you guys about it for weeks, but we’re pleased to announce that today is THE day. Click Jesse James and BendPak to view the raw power of this combination! And make sure to keep an eye out for this bad boy in your favorite automotive magazine early next year.
Here’s his quote:
Nothing I do or drive is stock. Everything that comes out of my shop has to be the best. That’s why me and my crew use BendPak products to customize every vehicle we touch. It’s a name I trust.
- Jesse James, West Coast Choppers
www.westcoastchoppers.com
Last week, we brought you a behind-the-scenes taste of our RP-20FC Filter Crusher demo. Now, for your viewing pleasure, we’re happy to present you with the real thing in action! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on the pneumatic crushing powerhouse known as the RP-20FC.
Check out these features:
- 20,000 lbs. of air-operated crushing pressure
- Welded steel plate construction
- Built-in pressure regulator and air moisture separator
- 100% air operated for minimal maintenance
- Single-control valve operation
- Automatic safety lock system
- Convenient observation window
- 12-1/2″ diameter hydraulic cylinder
- Unique X-shaped bevel press head removes 15% more oil
- Crushes oil filters and cans down to 25% of their original size
- Integrated collection chamber and fluid hose to reduce mess
- 11″ chamber opening height
- Accepts air inputs between 125 psi and 175 psi
- Saves you money, saves the environment
Check out the video below, or click the VIDEO tab on the RP20FC product page.
We've been talking to a racer over in the UK named Nigel Payne, who has an awesome modified 1962 Corvette. Thought you guys might like to check out a few photos...
Here's a little info too:
Class/Race number: Super Modified / SM 1962
Car make & model: Chevrolet Corvette
Engine: 532ci big block Chevy
Engine Info: Twin Dominator carbs, RFD fabricated intake manifold, Dart (RFD) Big Chief cylinder heads, Dart block, wet sump, big cam, lots of compression, no nitrous!
Car Weight (with driver): 2,300lbs
Chassis: Chrome moly tube chassis with 4 link rear suspension, tagged to 6.00 seconds
Drive Details: 8" torque converter, TH400 3 speed transmission, 9" Ford rear axle
Best ET to Date: 7.36
Top Speed: 183Mph (Currently)
Current Achievements: 2008/2009 National and divisional Super Modified champs, quickest UK N/A Super Modified in history!
When you pull into this nondescript block of downtown Cleveland, looks can be deceiving. This humble industrial area houses one of the industry's leading technical schools, Ohio Technical College, whose programs have nearly maxed out its capacity.
More than 1,000 students are registered for the current school year, a record number for the school, which teaches everything from high-performance and racing repair to diesel, agricultural, custom paint and body and traditional auto repair, along with a curriculum encompassing new fuel technologies. The school also houses an exclusive BMW school that places students at upscale dealerships across the nation.
After 40 years of operation, the school is still family owned, as administrative officers and school officials still know students by name. Another notable trend is the steady increase of young women who enter OTC's technical programs.
The link above is a video tour of my recent time spent at the college, which also has a PowerSport Institute in nearby North Randall, Ohio. The school has come a long way since its inception as a diesel mechanic's school.
Before the introduction of the DPF, diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) were used to reduce PM emissions from on-road diesel engines. Since a large percentage of diesel particulate matter is made up of substances that can be burned (oxidized), a simple way to reduce diesel PM is to send the exhaust gases through a DOC. While a DOC is not nearly as effective for reducing PM as a DPF, it worked well enough to meet pre-2007 emission standards. A DOC is also effective for reducing HC (hydrocarbons) and CO (carbon monoxide) emissions, although neither of these is considered to be a problem with diesel engines.
The basic DOC is a flow-through design and functions very similar to the original catalytic converters that were installed on gasoline-powered vehicles in the 1970s. Most DOCs use a ceramic substrate (also known as a “brick”) with a wash coat applied to it that contains precious metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. These precious metals act as catalysts that encourage hydrocarbons to react with oxygen, thus the term “oxidation catalyst.” HC and CO are both oxidized in a DOC to produce CO2, H2O, and heat. The same process takes place with components of diesel PM such as heavy hydrocarbons from fuel and lube oil, also known as the soluble organic fraction (SOF). SOF can be readily oxidized and comprises approximately 30% of diesel particulate matter.
The DOC plays a major role in the operation of a diesel particulate filter. When installed upstream from a DPF, a primary function of a DOC is to oxidize NO to generate NO2. The majority of the NOx that leaves a diesel engine’s cylinders is made up of NO. NO will eventually turn into NO2 by itself as it enters the atmosphere. However, it is very useful to make NO2 available before the exhaust gases reach the DPF. This is because NO2 is an excellent oxidizer and will help with passive regeneration of a DPF. During an active regeneration, raw fuel is injected into the exhaust gas stream and will enter the DOC. The DOC will increase exhaust gas temperatures as the fuel is oxidized, and these hot gases are then used to ignite the soot in the DPF. Some 2007 and newer diesel-powered vehicles will have DOCs installed as separate components in the exhaust system, and others will have the DOC and DPF built together as one assembly.
Recently … we stumbled across a question in one of our linkedin groups, “Twitter Power for Business” posted by Tara Cain, a former newspaper journalist, communications specialist, currently working with global consumer giant Reckitt Benckiser.
“The consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser wants graduates to be aware of the exciting career opportunities within the company. They have utilized Facebook, Linked In and run an employee blog – but can Twitter help with an awareness-raising initiative too? Should it be used for those purposes and will the right people be listening? “
http://twitter.com/edd_at_rb
The response from Evans Media Group was posted by our President and CMO, Paul Evans:
“At the risk of waxing Gen Y …. Duh! Asking if brands should use Twitter is like asking if the pony express should have used … well, ponies! And technically speaking … Twitter is actually faster and not resplendent with options for joining groups, taking quizzes and becoming a fan of the cause Du Jour … Hence, more efficient. “
The fact that someone actually is still asking that is kind of funny to us … Granted, we didn’t adopt Twitter ourselves at first… We had dabbled in it, set up personal accounts, but made the decision as a company to migrate to a full-fledged professional tweeting team … So, when we did, just as all initiatives at Evans Media Group, we went all out. We now maintain a professional reputation on twitter by tweeting on topics related to our market, our clients, and our industry and have successfully grown our followers to 3,000 and growing.
These followers, in addition to connections on other social media networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) enabled us to claim our Facebook url for Evans Media Group in just 12 hours. This quickly taught us the strength of social media as it relates to networking as well as building your brand.
If you are going to use Linkedin and Facebook, why wouldn’t you use Twitter as a company? That is like eating and drinking without breathing.
However, I would not recommend setting up a Twitter account, just for the sake of being able to check that off your list. There are daily activities that you should be engaging in on Twitter. You should be actively reading your followers tweets, following other people on Twitter, and most importantly, re-following those that have followed you as a professional courtesy. You should treat Twitter as the modernized version of email. It would not be considered good business etiquette to receive an email from a co-worker, vendor or client, and simply ignore them. In the same sense, you should not ignore your followers. Furthermore, if you are tweeting – do it right … The learning curve is not that steep … A few hashmarks here, an @ sign there – Read a few good tweets from some reputable tweeters, and you should be able to pick it up pretty quickly. If not, at least take the time to do the research. This is your company brand you are promoting … or trashing, if not done properly.
Now that Tweets show up in Bing search results, the professionalism, brand building, and opportunities are just exploding with the potential to make your company succeed, even on a global level. Twitter’s searching capabilities are somewhat limited, but even Google or Bing will not find your twitter page with a naming convention such as Edd_at_rb … And, if for some reason it did – would that tie to your company brand? Use your head, plan a naming convention, stop taking social media advice from people who don't even have a solid following themselves and for pete's sake, don't make all your tweets about you! Like my partner Sara Paxton says "That's like going on a date with a guy who talks about himself all night" ... and she's right!
Of course, that's just my opinion ... I could be wrong.
Comments welcome, call if you like 203-512-0250
The AutoPro Workshop was just a dream a little over a year ago, and has grown tremendously. That makes staying in touch with your favorites a little harder, with more and more media added to the site daily. So here's a tip...add your favorite writers/contributors as an RSS feed,
It's easy to do. Just scroll down to the link on their profile, or the one near the bottom of their latest blog or media addition.
That way, you'll know when new stuff is added...whether it shows on your home page or not!
And thanks for making the AutoPro Workshop the friendly online community it is!
Fuel flow and injector faults can result in drivability problems. Some OEM scan tools, as well as some high end aftermarket tools, allow you to perform power balance and/or injector balance tests on those OEs that support such a test. Injector balance can also be done using a tool that fires the injectors individually while you measure the drop with your fuel pressure tester, but this can be a time consuming task. There is another way to check this flow, and it uses a DSO and a special pressure transducer.
I've used the SenX FirstLook transducer for many tests involving low pressure or vacuum pulses, and have shared those tests here in the past. Today, I'd like to share another product from SenX...the ES300 Fuel Pressure transducer.
This tool connects to the fuel rail at the supplied Schrader valve. It also comes with an adaptor that allows it to be connected to vehicles without a Schrader, using the quick disconnect coupling common to many professional fuel injection pressure testers. With the ES300 connected, the next step is to bleed any air out of the sensor much like you would your fuel pressure gauge, and then connect the sensor to the scope and running the engine. (The tool will work with any DSO, and comes with both BNC and banana fittings).
Here's what a raw pattern might look like. This one is taken from a 2003 Dodge Dakota with a 4.7 liter V8 with over 90,000 miles on the clock and no drivability complaints.
This pattern is created by the changes in pressure in the fuel rail. The theory is if all injectors are functioning normally and flowing correctly, the pattern should be repetitive and uniform. On this capture, the blue trace is taken from the #1 injector, and the firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Using that information, I saved the screen capture and used Microsoft "Paint" to mark of the individual injector firing times. I also color coded the events to show the cylinders on bank one (cylinders 1-3-5-7) and bank two (cylinders 2-4-6-8). The connection point for the transducer is directly to the fuel rail Schrader valve, located on the right bank fuel rail between cylinders 4 and 6.
The ES300 creates a positive voltage during a DROP in pressure, so the peaks you see here are just that...the pressure drop across each injector as it fires. In this capture, the peaks are all reaching about the same level, indicating the injector flow rate is pretty even. However, notice the small variances in each wave. Some have two peaks, some don't. The ones with the distinct "double peaks" are on the same side of the engine, and this may be caused by the proximity of the sensor...it's closer, so the signals are dampened less than those on the left bank. It may also indicate that the injectors are dirty. I haven't had a chance yet to capture before and after patterns.
What happens when we remove an injector?
Can you tell which one I unplugged? Remember, positive peaks indicate a drop in pressure.
That's right...it's #5. Notice that there is no drop in pressure on this cylinder. Because the injector did not open, fuel rail pressure rose slightly higher than normal and caused a higher pressure drop when the next injector in line fired, then the pattern returns a more normal level. If diagnosing a misfire, I would instantly know where to narrow my focus. Just keep in mind, that low flow or no flow can be caused by both a mechanical fault and an electrical one. Ideally, I could monitor injector current, voltage and pressure change...all on one screen. You can also test the injectors under different conditions when looking for a fuel flow issue, comparing idle to a power braking 1500 rpm pattern.
As with any diagnostic technique, it alone is not conclusive. It is, however, a worthwhile addition to your diagnostic arsenal and can save you valuable diagnostic time over manually testing injector flow.
Lean Sucks
By: Chris Sheehy – Autobody Consulting Group
Read any industry magazine or online trade website and you can’t get away from Lean – our industry obsesses with it, and for good reason – it’s a solid and proven manufacturing ideology that adapts well to the auto body repair industry.
There are many stories of its positive merits, even in the face of often difficult implementation cycles. Lean is clearly today's flypaper-of-choice for process management.
While this Lean-thing is seemingly ubiquitous, what I’m not hearing or reading about – is what exactly happens to your business when you do become this Lean-mean-production-machine?
Does your business mystically become THE place in town people bring their cars to for repairs? Will all your problems be solved and work will just arrive at your door because of Lean?
Hardly so . . . indeed, it is more likely that just the opposite will happen - Lean will suck the work out of your shop very likely leaving your workforce sweeping up the floors in its aftermath.
The story that I’m not hearing or reading about; is just how important a strong marketing strategy is to counter the vacuum that Lean can create.
The connection between Lean and the need for marketing is rarely touched upon.
Marketing planning and implementation actions should be a part of every Lean strategy.
So - as you consider all the good that Lean and advanced production management has to offer; so too consider your marketing strategy to fill this inherent vacuum, because if done properly – Lean can really suck.
Many times a year I get the opportunity to stand before a group of technicians and owners and teach reprogramming. I have been involved in reprogramming or reflashing vehicle computers as long as GM has had it available adding Ford and Chrysler along the way. The asian market has been one that I have only watched because, in my opinion the Asian manufacturers were not as prodigious with the updates making it a longer proposition to pay off the equipment. As they are known for doing Toyota has broken the mold again. Their very impressive Techstream tool has been hard for me to make the business decision to buy at $7995. Last week at ASRW Toyota rolled out what is the perfect solution for me and maybe for you too. I work on about 15% Toyota and Lexus vehicles so it was hard to step up to a factory scan tool. Toyota recognized that and created an open standards J2534 product that allows shops to have Factory level information, scan tool and reprogramming all utilizing an inexpensive Drew Technologies Mongoose J2534 interface. At their press conference in Las Vegas we had the opportunity to play with on a virtual Toyota Matrix. It integrates the service information from TIS directly into the scan tool info. At a price of $1345 which includes the Mongoose and a year subscription to the Toyota professional info and reprogramming version of the TIS every shop can have dealer level tools that can pay themselves off through the reprogramming side. If you are really trying to do it on the cheap you can buy your own Drew Mongoose for around $500 and subscribe only when you need it for 48 hours at a cost of $55. The fine print is that the scan tool is designed for Toyota, Lexus, Scion vehicles with DLC3 connectors. It will not work with the older DLC 1 and 2 connectors. This should have you covering almost everything Toyota makes with the exception of a few ancillary systems on vehicles like the Avalon. The techstream has the ability to do those vehicles back to 1989 if you are looking for an 89-present solution. The Techstream Lite as Toyota calls it will not be certified for the most recent model year at release like the Techstream is. Toyota expects to have the current model year certified for the Lite version about 90 days after the beginning of production. This should not present a problem for independents who are probably not servicing brand new vehicles the day they roll out of the showroom. Toyota has really set a new standard and demonstrated again that they continue to lead the way in extending their service departments into independent shops wherever there is a shop willing to step up to the pump. Peace, Out.
http://www.illumaware.com/illuminator/2009_11_Newsletter_v4.pdf
"Pete, I need you to find out what is making the whistling noise on this Town and Country. It sounds like its coming from the rear, and the only thing I saw was what looks like a deformation on the rear hatch seal. I've already moved the luggage tracks around...I don't think that's it."
So it began.
I checked the seal my service manager thought was deformed, and compared it to a few other Chrysler minis we had on the lot. The deformation, as he put it, was normal, but I did find that the secondary seal that deflects water away from the wiring harnesses was missing. Perhaps that was the noise as well. I ordered and installed the seal, then went on my first test drive. (Remember that for later...I did say FIRST).
The whistle was still there, beginning just over 45 MPH, but it sure sounded like it was coming from the center of the windshield to me. I got back to the shop, grabbed my flashlight and masking tape, and started looking around for a cause. The first thing I noticed was the position of the luggage rails. The rail supports are marked all along their length every few inches with a single hashmark. This allows the owner to make sure they are both square to the car. However, there are two sections where the hashmarks are doubled, and that usually means that is where the rails should be when not in use. The factory already knows they can cause noise, and these marks indicate the spots where the noise is minimal or eliminated. I moved the front and rear rails to their respective marks, locked them down, and test drove the van again.
Still there.
OK, how about the seals? Door seals, glass seals, side mirror seals, windshield seals...all were suspect. I drove the car again and again at speed, and started altering things I could to see if the noise would change. First, crack the door open...nope, noise is still there. Roll both windows down, one at a time. Nope, that isn't it. Have an assistant crack the passenger door open. Still there. Alter the mirror positions. Nada.
I taped off doors, mirrors, the cowl vents...and more. Still whistling...
Turn the windshield wipers on...BINGO! The whistle stops and starts in synch with the wipers. That means that the wipers are disrupting the air flow over whatever is causing the noise. That only leaves the windshield, so out comes the masking tape and I tape it all off. I think the next test drive will confirm the cause, and I'm excited...I've spent way too much time on this thing already.
Nope...that ain't it...darn (expletives deleted for the sake of our viewing audience).
What else could it be? I stood back from the van, trying to envision what the airflow would look like. The luggage racks were all I could see, so I looked closer. There were caps on the front of each, and water drain holes at the base of each, so I taped those off. Still whistling. I compared the rack to others on the lot, but the rack design was different from the others. The one thing that caught my eye, though, was the solid cross members used on them. Looking from the top, I saw an open groove running the length of both racks on the whistler. I at first thought they were supposed to be there, perhaps to be used as an attachment point for holddowns when loaded, but maybe they weren't supposed to be open. What if there was supposed to be a trim peice sealing those openings? Out came the tape....it was worth a shot...
EUREKA!!!!
Sure enough, the whistle was gone. My boss had heard the noise in the rear, but had moved the racks around after finding both positioned near the back of the car. I heard it in the front, because the forward rack was now at the front. (Of course, I learned this valuable bit of information AFTER I had found the noise's source!)
The trim is not available separately and our customer was not excited at the prospect of buying new cross members, so I came up with a different solution. The space I needed to fill was just under 1/2" across and 1/2" deep. A 5/16" ID fuel line was a perfect fit in the spacing, and looked almost OE. With the lines in place, and one more test drive to be sure, the whistling was finally silenced!
This November, CARSTAR Collision Centers are honoring America’s active duty and military veterans with a special celebration for National Military Month. It will include local market festivities for Veterans Day on November 11, special offers for military members and unique programs to help select families of those serving the country.
CARSTAR, the nation’s largest chain of collision centers, is working with national and local military support groups at more than 70 locations around the country.
“As a veteran and long-time supporter of our military, I’m proud to introduce a program at our facilities to help the heroes who serve our country and their families,” said Dick Cross, chairman and CEO, who served for four years as an officer in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. His military service culminated in a post as a top secret, special intelligence officer on the staff of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, then the Chief of Naval Operations.
Beginning November 1, military members and their families can visit participating CARSTAR locations to receive special offers including from 3M and Hertz. Participating local CARSTAR stores are offering additional benefits to military members. To receive the benefits, military members and their families just need to show their military ID cards or other military membership cards.
CARSTAR is hosting National Military Month as an America Supports You tribute to the men and women in uniform. The local CARSTAR stores will be holding special celebrations on Veterans Day and throughout the month, providing support for local parades, and even repairing cars for military members and their families.
· Car Craft CARSTAR Bridgeton was in the Florissant Parade on November 8th. They had the Scion and towtruck in the parade, and handed out candy and marketing pieces. The stores are offering special promotions to veterans, and distributing the pieces to VA Hospitals, VFWs, etc., as well as customers. Both locations are accepting donations for the Disabled American Veterans www.DAV.org. The store created flags for the customers to purchase, which they can write their name and they will hang on the wall.
· Car Craft CARSTAR Bridgeton will be in the Florissant Parade on November 8th. They will have the Scion and towtruck in the parade, and are handing out candy and marketing pieces. The stores are offering special promotions to veterans, and distributing the pieces to VA Hospitals, VFWs, etc., as well as customers. Both locations are accepting donations for the Disabled American Veterans www.DAV.org. The store created flags for the customers to purchase, which they can write their name and they will hang on the wall. · In Wichita, CARSTAR stores are giving each military person a gallon of windshield wiper fluid, ice scraper and a VIP card for future collision repair needs. Also, they will have the coupons for 3M and Enterprise available. · The Wisconsin CARSTAR stores (CARSTAR, Janesville; Dependable CARSTAR, Verona; Pat’s CARSTAR, Plover; Utzig CARSTAR, Janesville & Evansville) are sending care packages to Wisconsin military personnel stationed overseas. These Wisconsin stores will also act as a drop-off point for community donations and care packages to be sent throughout the month. They also are working with schools in each community to include student letters and pictures in these CARSTAR care packages. · A&B CARSTAR stores in Kansas City, MO, will be collecting donations at each location to be used to purchase PX cards for a chosen platoon who are currently serving overseas. Each store will have a card to be signed with personal messages from all who contribute. These cards will accompany the PX cards to the selected unit and should arrive before Christmas. It also will be distributing preferred military cards from each shop to local military branch offices.
In the past 20 years, CARSTAR has worked closely with military support groups and other philanthropic groups to help repair vehicles for families in need.
Since CARSTAR was founded, it has performed more than 2.5 million repairs. Today they deliver a repaired vehicle every :30 seconds. CARSTAR franchisees deliver an average customer satisfaction rating of 97 percent or better. To find a reliable, trusted CARSTAR Collision Center, visit www.CARSTAR.com.
continued from part 1. So the next morning we visit a computer superstore and buy a reasonably priced laptop computer. We got it setup to use the wireless access at the Starbucks faster than you could drink a triple grande mocha. The idea was that since he was working from a mobile van he needed a place to get to his information system if the home he was working from did not have wireless internet he could use. The connection at the Starbucks is plenty fast for his new account with Alldata. We also hooked him up with online access to his parts store so he could check inventory and pre-order parts to pick up as he needed them. The Honda and Toyota folks hooked him up with a subscription to their websites. The icing on the cake was to replace his trusty old Snap-On Red Brick with a scanner that could work on newer vehicles. We ordered him a package from Auto Enginuity that would allow him to service the American and Japanese vehicles that made up the mainstay of his calls.
Is this the panacea? No. It is just a modern look at what we could do for a small town mobile technician to make him more relevant to his customers and move him forward about 20 years technologically. The total cost in all of this stuff was under $3500 which left a large part of his budget to spend later as Ralph learned what he might need going forward.
I received a few emails from him that summer saying that he has landed some work doing repair on one of the local Honda stores used cars that were not Honda adn that he had taken several of the online training courses from the OE websites that I had shown him. His income had more than tripled and he was having fun working on cars again. His next item to tackle was going to be performing reflashing operations which he thought he could market to some of the other independents in his area.
It goes to show that your limitations can be overcome with a little creativity and planning.
Particulate matter (PM) that is trapped in a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is made up of many different substances. As mentioned in a previous post, some of these substances will ignite and burn, while others will not. During a regeneration event, burnable substances (known as soot) are removed from the filter. However, the materials that will not burn remain in the filter after a regeneration takes place. These non-burnable components of diesel PM are known as ash. Ash will continue to collect in the DPF, eventually reaching the point where the DPF must be removed and cleaned (or exchanged). Ash is made up primarily of metals, which originate from engine wear and from engine oil additives. As the engine operates, metal particles tear away from cylinder walls, piston rings, etc, and flow with the exhaust gases into the DPF. Small amounts of engine oil also become entrained in the exhaust gases. While the oil itself will burn, many oil additives will not. One of the more prominent oil additives that contribute to ash formation is phosphorous, which is used extensively for its anti-wear properties. Phosphorous is one of the major components of ZDDP, a common anti-wear additive that is used in many (if not all) motor oils. Another engine oil additive that contributes to ash formation is sulfated ash, which is used to neutralize acids that develop in the oil during normal engine operation. It is extremely important that only CJ-4 rated engine oils be used with 2007 and newer diesel engines. Use of engine oils that do not meet this standard will result in rapid ash collection in the DPF, which will require an early (and expensive) DPF replacement.
In order to keep the amounts of ash collecting in DPFs to a minimum, the American Petroleum Institute (API) formulated the CJ-4 standard for diesel engine oils. In the past, API would create motor oil performance standards without prescribing how the standards should be met. CJ-4 marked the first time that API specified limits on certain oil additives to make diesel engine oils more compatible with DPFs and other aftertreatment components.
