Should you have your transmission flushed or just change the fluid & filter?First always change the filter.If you have under a 100K on your vehicle and have never done any heavy towing and the fluid looks not great but OK then it is a toss up fluid and filter is slightly cheaper.If the fluid looks bad or you have towed then flush it and replace the filter.Over a 100K and never touched the trans then only change the filter and fluid the particles in the fluid may be all that is keeping it working if the fluid looks really burnt then you have to chance a flush but you dont need to use a machine. remove the return hose to the cooling system and pump out the fluid replace the hose change the filter and refill messy but cheaper Also I recommend adding Lube Gard after any trans service
Winter 10 Tips
1) Change Your Oil Changing to a winter oil will insure your engine is protected on those cold morning starts. And, replace the oil filter as well.If you have a low mileage engine keep synthetic in mind2) Check Your Anti-freezeAnti-freeze should be replaced every two years check it for proper protection levels for your area and make sure the color is good with no signs of rust or dirt. Consider extended length coolant if you have a newer vehicle 3) Replace Your Windshield WipersWipers blades are generally good for a year Heat and sun take their toll on them and they may be fine in the rain, but will fall apart in that first freeze. I recommend replacing the wipers in the fall so they will last all winter. Snow blades, wiper blades with a rubber cover, are a slight improvement4) Replace The Fuel FilterA lot of fuel goes through the fuel filter when the vehicle is running it keeps crud out of the injectors if you cannt remember the last time you replaced it do it now5) Replace The Spark PlugsReplacing worn out spark plugs it will save precious fuel6) Check And Replace The Serpintine Belt(s)The serpentine drive belt is the heart of the accessories if it is cracked replace it7) Check The Lights And FusesThe early sunset sneaks up on us so check the lites and carry a few spares also a few fuses8) Check Your Rear Window Defroster Use an ice scrapper to get the heavy ice off and the defroster will be able to work much more efficiently9) Check And Replace Your BatteryYour battery is the only thing between you and waiting in the cold for a jump start. Summers are hard on batteries and winters will bring out the worst in them. If the battery in your vehicle is 4 or 5 years old, it’s due to be replaced. The battery that started your car on a nice 80 degree day will be the same battery that will let you down when it’s 10 degrees out. Have the whole charging system checked to be sure it is in good shape and ready for a cold winter.10) Check Your TiresUse a dime it is still the best guide for when it is tie to buy tires
Higher Mileage
Two electric motors, a V-8 engine that can work on only four cylinders, a really smart computer, and a four-speed transmission that joins them into one package. GM calls it “dual hybrid” technology and says that soon it will make pickup trucks or big sport utility vehicles as fuel efficient as some cars.The technology, showcased with General Motors Corp.’s future engines and powertrains Thursday at the company’s proving grounds northwest of Detroit, will start showing up in the 2008 model year with the GMC Tahoe SUV. It will be available on the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade SUVs and the Chevrolet Silverado pickup – GM’s top-selling vehicle – later that year.GM says the hybrids, similar to those now in use in the transit buses of 39 cities, are so versatile that they will boost fuel economy by 25 percent over the current SUVs and pickups. For the two-wheel-drive Tahoe, which now gets an average of 18.3 miles per gallon in combined city-highway driving, that means nearly 23 mpg. News source: Forbres.Com GM says the hybrids, similar to those now in use in the transit buses of 39 cities, are so versatile that they will boost fuel economy by 25 percent over the current SUVs and pickups. For the two-wheel-drive Tahoe, which now gets an average of 18.3 miles per gallon in combined city-highway driving, that means nearly 23 mpg.Figures for city and highway driving haven’t been calculated yet, but Tim Grewe, GM’s chief engineer for rear-wheel-drive powertrain hybrids, said there will be a significant improvement.”We give you the highway economy and we give you the city economy while maintaining SUV performance,” he said.The dual hybrids, developed jointly by thousands of engineers with GM, DaimlerChrysler AG and BMW AG, also will be placed in the Dodge Durango and BMW vehicles.Prices on the GM vehicles haven’t been set, Grewe said, but the company plans to make them competitive, similar to a $2,000 premium on the hybrid version of the Saturn Vue.The powertrains are huge for GM and its partners because they take the gas-guzzling prefix off of trucks and bring people back into the market, said Jim Sanfilippo, senior industry analyst for Bloomfield Hills-based Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc.”It’s a big thing. It’s a terrific thing,” Sanfilippo said.Most current hybrids are efficient in stop-and-start city driving, Grewe said, but they aren’t as efficient at highway speeds.The new technology, Grewe said, uses a computer to chose from thousands of combinations of running on one electric motor, two electric motors, a combination of electric motors and the V-8 Fuel engine, or shutting down some of the V-8’s cylinders.The computer judges speed, the load the vehicle is pulling, terrain, temperature and humidity, whether the pavement is wet and other factors to decide the most fuel-efficient combination of technologies, Grewe said.”It’s got a gazillion choices to make, and it makes them 100 times a second,” Grewe said. “It’s like having the world’s smartest co-pilot.”And although the technology is complex, it has been proved in buses, some of which have 150,000 miles on them and have been used since 2002, Grewe said.As automakers continue developing hydrogen fuel cells, Grewe said the future of fuel-efficient engines will include a combination of smaller diesels, Fuel engines and hybrids. GM has teams of engineers working to make all the technologies more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly, engineers said Thursday.Sanfilippo said the new hybrids should take away the environmental stigma attached to driving a pickup or big SUV.”It certainly is going to reopen the door to people who don’t necessarily work with their pickups but like to drive one. It makes them politically correct.”
Use caution
RICHFIELD TOWNSHIP (WJRT) – (08/21/06)–A Mid-Michigan man lost his life in an auto repair accident Monday night. Witnesses are calling it one of the most horrific scenes they have ever seen.It all happened shortly before 7 p.m. Paramedics were called to a home on the 4800 Block of Coldwater Road in Genesee County’s Richfield Township. That’s where they found a man unconscious.They later learned he had been trapped underneath a vehicle he was trying to fix. Police say the victim died shortly after he was taken to the hospital.Neighbors say they would frequently see the man repairing vehicles from his home. Monday night they were wondering what went wrong.”They pulled him out. He was blue,” said Travis Yorks.It was the scene of a home auto repair accident gone terribly wrong.”When I arrived on scene he was unconscious,” said Richfield Township Police Department Officer Melissa Galloway.Richfield Township police say a man in his early 40s was working underneath a black GMC Jimmy when he became trapped.”It appeared he was working on his driveshaft when the vehicle rolled back off the of the hill there and rolled back onto him,” Galloway said. “That is what it appears happened.””It was something I don’t want to see again, Yorks said. “I really don’t even want to explain it. It was a mess.”Yorks lives across the street. He says he saw the victim when a neighbor called on him for help.”The one neighbor had a jack,” Yorks said. “I helped him pick it up so we could get a block underneath the jack, and we jacked it up and we pulled it up. That was it.”Paramedics began CPR when they arrived on the scene. In critical condition, the victim died shortly thereafter.”I work on cars a lot, so it makes me think twice about using jacks and safety and stuff,” Yorks said.Right now, police won’t say how long the victim was pinned under the vehicle. Some witnesses say it could have been at least 10 minutes or longer.The victim’s name isn’t being released pending family notification. News source: WJRT-TV 12 ABC Local
NASCAR team # 51 inventory for sale
Inventory of a NASCAR shop # 51 that is for sale an interesting read for NASCAR fans News source: Inventory page
Throttle Body Cleaning
Many of the topics lately have had to do with hard starting poor or erratic idle these can usually be helped by cleaning the throttle body.Remove the Air tube and you will see the throttle plate this area should be free of carbon if not use a suitable cleaner (deep creep by sea foam is great so is just sea foam but the spray can is easier to use) using a soft toothbrush clean all the carbon and sludge from the area be sure to open the throttle and pay special attention to the small slit at the bottom of the body by the plate Be careful of the MAF and the MAF wire if so equipped this will be a thin wire running across the center of the body The engine may start hard and smoke slightly this is normal While you are cleaning it is also a good idea to clean the IAC same procedure without the plate and wire be careful on some models you dont lose the Oring
Computer Diagnostics
Computer diagnostics — what are they? how are they done, and what do they cost. Most cars have some form of a computer to operate the performance system. Computers have evolved in recent years, so there are any number of operating systems running from primitive to very high tech depending on the age of the vehicle News source: Woman Motorist What are computer diagnostics? Computers generate signals called data streams. These streams of data flow through the operating system of the car at all times, constantly adjusting and re-adjusting the engine. Diagnostic computers that are interfaced with the car’s computer read the data streams flowing through the system. When a problem with a computer-controlled car crops up, it shows up either in the form of a drivability problem or a lit check-engine light on the dashboard. The problem could be in the form of a bad sensor, malfunctioning electrical or mechanical component, or damaged wiring and plugs. The system is designed to generate a trouble code when it “sees” a problem in the system. This code is supposed to lodge in the onboard computer’s memory for retrieval at a later date, aiding in diagnostics. The shop must have access to information either in book form or online to decipher what the codes mean and how to go about diagnosing the particular problem area. Sounds simple right? Hook the car up to “Da Machine” and it will tell you what’s wrong — hold on, not so fast, it’s not that easy! What happens when there is no evidence of a trouble code stored in the car’s computer and no check-engine light is lit, but a drivability problem still exists? This is where the men are separated from the boys in the world of onboard computer diagnostics. How are computer diagnostics performed? Effective computer diagnostics and repair demands state-of-the-art equipment, cutting edge training, and up-to-date information. Equipment: Cars of the 90s can’t be fixed with 1968 equipment. Necessary equipment for the diagnostician includes: Oscilloscopes and lab scopes to read wave patterns omitted by sensors DVOM (Digital Volt-Ohm Meters) to measure electricity in minute amounts Sensor stimulators which actuate sensors to make sure they are functioning properly Diagnostic computers to read the data streams of the car’s performance system Training: All the latest equipment is worthless without a trained diagnostician. Today’s diagnosticians must keep abreast of rapidly-changing technology to remain in the field. The average student coming out of a technical college needs two years to get “up to speed” after joining the workforce. Information: Diagnosticians must have access to over a million pages of technical information to fix computer-related problems. Transmissions, ABS brakes, HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning), Traction Control, Fuel Delivery Systems, and Performance Systems are all computer-controlled. Car manufacturers and vendors are constantly coming out with TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) alerting the diagnostician of repair strategies and fixes for computer glitches. The technician takes the tools, training, and information and diagnoses your car’s problem. The diagnosis may start with a basic check of the computer’s memory for any stored codes. In a perfect world, there are codes and the simple replacement of a sensor is all that is needed. But what is there are no codes!? Now the quest starts! The technician might perform a “flight test,” hooking the car’s performance system up to a handheld computer and test driving the car, monitoring the data stream for anything out of the ordinary. Hopefully the problem will show up in the form of a code or poor reading of a particular function. Next a “sensor stimulator test” might be in order. The car is hooked up to a machine which stimulates all the sensors, simulating the car driving down the road. Maybe a check of a particular component’s electrical value with a digital volt-ohm meter is in order to see if it’s operating within manufacturer’s specifications. What do computer diagnostics cost? Equipment, training, information, and qualified technicians cost money — a lot of money! Consequently, this kind of service is not cheap. Most shops charge for diagnostics, justifiably so!!!! It usually goes like this: Initial computer scan for codes — $50.00 No codes? Diagnosis at the skilled labor rate of $80.00 per hour Installed at the skilled labor rate of $80.00 per hour News source: Woman Motorist
New Database
The three city libraries in Waterloo Region are launching a new electronic database which provides information for most of the major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles, with repair information for most vintage makes as far back as 1954.The new database, Auto Repair Reference Centre, is now available through the websites of the Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge library systems. The three libraries have been able to make this electronic resource available through a collaborative purchasing agreement with other public libraries in the province.Auto Repair Reference Centre can be accessed from computer workstations within any of the libraries, or from home or work. It provides step-by-step procedures suitable for both the do-it-yourself mechanic and professional technicians. It is also a good resource for consumer information for the car-buying public.For more information, visit the Waterloo public library’s website [url”>www.wpl.ca. News source: Waterloo Chrononicle
Watkins Glen
I normally do not watch road course recing but I am glad I recorded the 2 races this weekend The Glen is usually kind of boring but the finish to the Busch race was about as exciting as we have seen all season and Stewart and Harvik dicing for position was also excellent racing I am going to have to agree with Tony Stewart about the older more experienced drivers race cleaner and know what expect from each other no wreck the leader and win just drive harder into the corner dont wreck and win I didnt quite do enough research into Johnsons win at Daytona, and I was there, to understand the nature of the incident but it is to bad when he wins it keeps coming to my mind mainly after his win at Indy
Top End Cleaner
GM’s “Top End Cleaner” – knock reducer in a can.Basic principle is that the PCV system spits oil back into the intake, carbon gets built up on the heads/valves, and result in detonation causing, raised hot spots.This stuff is pretty simple, suck it in while the engine is running, let it sit in the combustion chamber for some time, then burn it all off. It is available at most GM dealerships. I called a local GM dealer it was $6.18 a can. Part # 1050002. It will take roughly 2.5 hours to do. You will need a short piece of silicone vacuum line (the smallest internal diameter) 4mm Then take the red *straw* off of a spray can a 3″ piece of that straw and shove it in the end of the vacuum hose. Make sure it is in real tight. Push it in the vacuum hose until about a 1/2″ is sticking out. This is what you will use to draw the Top engine cleaner out of the can. With the engine running, remove the brake booster vacuum line. Once you take that plastic piece off, put a funnel in the end of it. Its best you figure out what funnel will fit that before you start all this. Put the end of the funnel on the hose, and then put the end of the silicone hose without the straw tip in the funnel. You will want to have opened the can of top engine cleaner to puncture the metal cap so when you are ready to begin, it is just a matter of unscrewing the cap. The idea here is to draw very slowly, with the plastic straw end. It will make the engine stall if you just submerge it, so just hold the end of the hose so it sucks small amounts of cleaner out. You will see what I mean about going slowly. Once you get down to about 1/3 of a can left take the hose setup and set it aside. Holding the funnel in one hand take the remaining top engine cleaner and dump it in the funnel. You will want to stall the engine out. So dump it fast. Then you can hook up the brake booster, and get it put back together. Let it sit for about 2 hours. Then start it up. It will be difficult to start. Then once it starts up, you will see lots of white smoke pour out the exhaust. So you may want to think of a place to do this, that you won’t disturb any neighbors . It is a lot of smoke, you’ll laugh once you do this. Get on the throttle a couple times and rev it to get the cleaner to burn out. The smoke should go away in about 5-10 minutes. That is about it. It is important that you do an oil change immediately. I usually don’t drive much more than 10 miles after I do the top engine cleaner, before I do an oil change.