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Brake lights seem extremely simple. Press the brake pedal and they come on, release, and they go off. Many things can and do go wrong. When they do, this guide can help find the problem.
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They refer to the gas in an air conditioner as refrigerant. Over time, refrigerant may leak, and low refrigerant is one cause for an air conditioner to stop cooling. Many other things also cause the system to not cool. Without diagnosing the real problem, adding more refrigerant may destroy the compressor and worse.
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They design most vehicles today, with sealed wheel bearings. These sealed bearing do not require service. Millions of trucks, trailers and cars also have wheel bearings that periodically require service. Serviceable wheel bearings are inexpensive and give long life. Improper service will also quickly destroy a serviceable bearing.
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Catalytic converters have been around for a long time. They first introduced converters in the mid-seventies, on American vehicles. The catalytic converter may go unnoticed, until it fails. Replacement of most catalytic converters will be very expensive. Fortunately, most failures are also preventable.
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Most people never see an air-conditioner evaporator core. Designers often tuck the evaporator core away, deep inside the dash. Like most auto parts, evaporator cores sometimes fail. When an evaporator core fails, the result is a loss of refrigerant and a lack of cooling.
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Automotive engineers have copied parts from the human body for years. The automotive ball joint is such a design. Hip joints are a form of ball joint. On our vehicles, the ball joint acts much as it does in our body. Other similarities are, like our hip, wear and breakage are devastating.
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Frequently we hear stories of ladies who feel an auto repair shop has overcharged them. No evidence exists to suggest gender bias in pricing, so where do the feelings come from?
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Scanning the internet for transmission pan leaks, we find many complaints. We also find many suggestions to remedy the problem. Unfortunately, a huge amount of wrong information is present. Most transmission pan leaks result from improper service.
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Some of the most common problems with automatic transmissions begin with leaks. Small red fluid spots under a vehicle are one symptom of a problem. Leaks never take care of themselves and normally get worse. Quick attention can help the problem remain small.
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Fuel filters clean fuel and help protect fuel injectors. Good maintenance has always dictated replacing fuel filters at regular intervals. Today they are disappearing from maintenance schedules and the under side of vehicles.
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A fuel pressure gauge is one of the most useful diagnostic tools we can own. With this simple tool, we read fuel pressure and fuel volume. This provides far more information than many people realize.
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Every year well-intentioned folks try to recharge their vehicle’s air conditioner. At best they get temporary results and often they get a huge and very costly surprise. With modern air conditioning, what you may not know can cost you dearly.
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Anyone serious about repairing an automobile soon realizes the importance of diagnosis. Testing allows us to eliminate possible causes, without changing parts. One of the first diagnostic tools we should add is a fuel pressure gauge. With this tool and a little knowledge, we can solve many fuel system problems.
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An electronic fuel injector is a precise and reliable component. Fuel injection is perhaps the greatest improvement made to modern automobiles. A fuel injector can regulate fuel flow within milliseconds. They do this for millions of cycles. Many people think such a precise device needs cleaning and maintenance. The truth may shock you.
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Extended cranking time, or a hard start is a common problem with modern vehicles. Most times the problem is with the fuel system and often it is NOT the fuel pump. Learning how to test this problem can save an expensive mistake.
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When an engine is no longer serviceable, we have several options for a replacement. Some vehicle makers sell remanufactured engines, for their vehicles. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have remanufacturing programs.
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When a vehicle pulls to one side, many folks think it is time for a wheel alignment. Torque-steer often produces the same symptom, but requires a very different repair.
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Finding a stripped oil-pan drain plug is very common. This is expensive to repair, and can result in a ruined engine. Improper service ruins most oil-pan drain plugs and the problem is preventable.
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Engines need replacement for several reasons and engine replacement is always costly. It also brings the question, is the vehicle worth repairing? The answer depends on the circumstances, but several things may help guide the buyer.
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Saving money is a worthwhile goal, but buying no name gasoline, from a discount store, is not a good idea. Cheap gasoline saves nothing and may cost us far more than most folks realize.
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Failure of an automatic transmission is one of the largest repairs most people suffer. Sometimes an automatic transmission dies suddenly, with no warning. More often, subtle signs precede the failure of our transmission. Learning to recognize these warnings can prevent a breakdown and greatly reduce repair costs.
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Several times a week folks come in for a wheel alignment. Their complaint is, the vehicle pulls to the left or right. Surprising, very often the wheel alignment is fine and the pull is actually being caused by the tires.
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A wheel alignment begins with verifying and correction of the three primary angles. These include, the caster, the camber and toe angles. Engineers base these angles on the vehicle center line and level. If we properly adjust these angles, we reduce tire wear and our vehicle drives straight. Unfortunately, wheel alignment is not always properly set. Wheel alignments that are improperly done are the leading causes of tire and handling woes. A properly set wheel alignment lasts for years. We do not need to routinely realign a vehicle. When we need a wheel alignment, we will have one or more of the following symptoms.
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Release the steering wheel and the vehicle veers to one side. Most people think first of a wheel alignment problem. Surprisingly a tire can also cause our vehicle to pull. Tire conicity is a common phenomenon even in new tires. Many people also call it a "radial pull" and sometimes a "tire pull."
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Very often, folks have their vehicles towed in for major repair. We see burned out ignition coils, bad fuel pumps, broken timing belts and so on. The failure often surprises the owner. We commonly hear, "I felt no symptoms." With an older vehicle the driver usually had symptoms that preceded a breakdown. For instance, an engine idles rough, is harder to start or even loses fuel mileage when it needs a tune-up.
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Most folks would like to extend the life of their vehicle and many people consider an auxiliary automatic transmission cooler. Sometimes an auxiliary transmission cooler offers benefits. Vendors, eager to make a sales, often overstate what a transmission coolers can do. Unless we properly install the cooler, it may do more harm than good.
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We check and correct three main angles when doing a wheel alignment. These angles are toe, caster and camber. The toe angle will wear tires quickly if it is not correct. Setting the camber and caster angles helps the vehicle drive straight and helps with tire wear. Adjusting each angle to specifications is not enough. To provide a proper wheel alignment, we must also understand how these angles interact with each other.
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General Motors vehicles built in 2011 and later, required the use of dexos™ licensed engine oil. Many people are thoroughly confused. Is dexos™ a great new oil or just a GM shakedown?
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Gasoline is not one thing, as many people may think. Refiners blend several components to produce the fuel we use. Gasoline is a mixture of petroleum, naphtha, ethanol, detergents and several other components. Occasionally we may have compatibility issues, between the ingredients. The recent problems in the Baton Rouge area remind us that nothing is perfect.
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Engine and transmission mounts isolate vibration and noise from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. When they fail, noises and vibration are normally the two first symptoms. If left unattended, other problems may also develop.
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When we release the accelerator, the engine’s speed slows. At a preset speed the engine idle circuit takes over and the engine runs at the lowest speed possible without stalling. Watching the tachometer shows an idle speed around 500 to 900 RPM. The engine’s idle speed also changes, based on outside conditions. A computer is adjusting the idle speed, based on complex calculations.
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We lift our foot from the accelerator and the engine stops running. A likely cause is a failure of the engine to idle. How do we adjust the engine idle speed to correct the problem? The answer is a bit more complex than most folks realize.
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When water leaks into our vehicle, we need to find the source and stop it. Knowing where to look is helpful and this article provides several clues.
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Water leaks into vehicles in several ways. People also discover wet carpeting in their vehicles in many ways. Sometimes stepping on the passenger floor gives a squish. Other times we drop something and find a wet floor when we reach for it. Finding and correcting the source of the problem is imperative to prevent other issues.
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Wheel alignment is a topic that we often misunderstand. The misinformation from advertising floods the market and this causes much of the confusion. Listed here are a few of the myths concerning wheel alignment and the truth.
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Automobiles today are incredibly complex. Extensive integration of computers makes this complexity largely invisible to the driver. This is by design and a wonderful feature of modern vehicles. We turn a key or push a button and it starts. Another button controls the climate and we drive 500 miles without effort, until something goes wrong.
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Automotive climate control systems are convenient and dependable. With dual-zone climate control we can even select our individual temperature preference. We need several components to make this happen. When things go wrong, it takes an understanding of the system to find the problem.
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Most folks have heard of oil viscosity. Many people may know what it is, but are not certain about the details. No one intends this article as a technically complete piece on the topic. Instead, this is a light overview as the term relates to engine oil.
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Having a professional check a used vehicle is always wise before we purchase. A reasonable fear is, "Is this a wrecked vehicle?" This is always a concern. A poorly repaired wrecked vehicle can have many hidden problems. Fortunately, spotting the telltale signs of poor repair work is easy.
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Wheel balance is a topic surrounded by misunderstanding. Much of what people hear comes from tire-dealers who do not understand the subject. To make things worse, they may slant the information to increase sales rather than solve problems.
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A Ford owner recently towed their vehicle into our shop. An engine fire caused considerable damage. While repairing the damage, it was obvious the problem began with a failed hose, on an emissions sensor.
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For many years, the automotive alternator changed very little. The output increased to help keep up with growing demand for current, but the alternator worked much the same. That has now changed, with electrical power management. Current GM alternators may look similar to past models, but they cost a lot more and are far more difficult to diagnose.
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Most people find power windows very convenient, until they break. Power window repair is one of the most common services at AGCO Automotive. This is partially due to very lightweight power window designs from vehicle manufacturers. The gears and steel lifting mechanisms of the past are rare today. Most vehicles now use light stamped metal regulators with plastic rollers.
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The rear air suspension system on Lincoln and Ford vehicles is often maligned. Those who do not understand the system often speak of the cost of maintaining it. Others profit by selling conversion parts and creating undeserved fear. The facts do not bare out either position.
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When having a vehicle repaired problems sometimes occur. When they do, the difference in an excellent and a less than excellent company are quite apparent. The way in which a client voices their complaint may also have a great influence on the outcome.
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Most people consider replacing an air filter is good vehicle maintenance. Surprisingly, this is not always so. The air filter we remove may be better than the one we install and installation can cause other problems.
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The 4.6L Ford engine has been installed in millions of vehicles over the years. It is the engine of the very popular Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car. These engines use plastic intake manifolds and from 1996 through 2001 there was a problem that can leave drivers stranded. The problem is a sudden cracking of the intake manifold.
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Often, solving automobile problems means diagnosing the electrical system, as circuits have become a much larger portion of modern vehicles. Knowing how to check basic components can make a repair easier.
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What do a dead battery, a squealing noise and repeated engine problems all have in common? The answer is a bad serpentine belt tensioner that may cause each issue. Often the cause of these problems are hard to find.
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Pressing the brake pedal should result in stopping the vehicle. The "feel" of the pedal is also important. When a brake pedal starts to travel too far before stopping, there is a problem.
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