Basic Auto Maintenance|Repair

Auto Repair Manuals

2009-04-07T10:22:00.006-04:00

Most of the posts on this blog are generic in nature and are intended as a guide to repair procedures. In order to to get all the information about a particular vehicle you would need an auto repair manual specifically for the make, model and year of the car being serviced.
Auto Repair Manuals offer detailed information about the particular car they are written for. A repair manual can provide the user with locations and application of various components impossible to list in a generic description. Even thought the components discussed in this blog may be applicable to your particular car there is no way I can cover every component on every vehicle in these posts.
I do hope that you have found my posts helpful and that they have provided you with a basis for maintenance and repairs on your own vehicle.
If you intend to do the maintenance, service and/or repairs on your car I highly recommend that you purchase an auto repair manual specifically written for the particular car that you are working on.

Auto A/C Repair|R-134 Pressure Ranges

2009-04-06T10:28:00.003-04:00

I think today we'll talk about the high and low pressure ranges on the auto a/c system using R-134 refrigerant.
First you must understand that a lot of different factors can change the pressure of the freon considerably so I'll give you ranges that the pressure should by in on certain temperature days.
On a 70 F degree day the low side should be between 25 and 45 psi and the high side should be in the 175 to 225 range.
On a 100 Degree day the low side could go as high as 60 and the high side as high as 275.
Again these are typical ranges and other factors could change them.
I don't usually get too concerned as long as the high side stays under 300 psi.
Okay now what if the pressures aren't within range?

What to look for:

High side pressure too high

Condenser fan not running. If this is an electric fan make sure its on any time the a/c is on
Condenser coil dirty or air flow across coil blocked. Clean coil and check for air flow
Non condense able gases in system. Air or moisture has gotten into the system at some point. Sometimes the system can be purged on the high side to help this problem. In most cases the system should be pulled down and vacuumed. The dryer should be changed as well.
Blockage in the freon flow. Dryer clogged, expansion valve bad or out of adjustment.
System overcharged. Too much freon in the system allows no room for expansion. Pull some of the freon back out and recheck pressures.

Low side pressure too low.

Low in freon. High pressure side will be reading low as well. Find the leak and recharge the system
Evaporator clogged and freezing up.
Evaporator fan not running
Duct controls not functioning properly
Freon flow restricted. Clogged dryer or expansion valve bad or out of adjustment. High side pressure should be reading higher than normal.

High pressure side too low and low pressure side to high.

A/C compressor not running. Make sure clutch is engaged.
A/C compressor weak.

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2009-04-02T17:45:00.006-04:00

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Automotive Air Conditioning Repair|Leak Detection

2009-04-02T14:29:00.004-04:00

Automotive A/C differs from most household units in that the components are spread out across the vehicle and connected together with various hoses and lines, whereas household a/c units have all the components contained in a small package with everything fairly easy to get to.
As I stated in a previous post the number one problem is the a/c is low or out of freon. I also said that the a/c unit does not use up freon, if it is low, there is a leak.
Freon leaks on an automotive a/c system can be very difficult to locate. Some of the most common areas that tend to leak is the front seal on the compressor, the high or low pressure safety switches and fittings where lines go together.

If the a/c system is completely out of freon you can put pressure on the system with nitrogen and check all the fittings, lines and switches with soapy water. The front seal on the A/C compressor is another matter. If you're going to be doing a lot of A/C work, a good investment is an electronic leak detector. This device has an opening in the end of a wand that allows air to pass across a sensor. It goes from a slow beep to a steady beep when freon is picked up, much like a metal detector. If the system is using R-12 refrigerant, a much cheaper device can be used to detect leaks. This is a halide torch. Propane is used for a flame that is burned under a copper element, air is drawn over the element through a tube, the color of the flame will change to bright blue if the air contains halogenated refrigerant. There is no chlorine in R-134 so the torch won't detect it. The system will have to be at least partially charged with a freon containing chlorine to use the halide torch.
One other way to find a leak is pressure testing. This can be especially useful for determining a leak in an evaporator. The evaporator is almost impossible to get to for leak checking without disassembling the dash, so it's good to know the leak is there before you start taking things apart. I usually separate the evaporator from the system, block off the lines and pressurize it with nitrogen. Do not over pressurize it, 100 to 150 psi is good. Let it sit and see if the pressure leaks down. It's not a good idea to use compressed air to pressurize an a/c system or even to blow out the lines. Compressed air contains moisture and can ruin an a/c system. Freon is not good for pressure checking because the pressure can change considerably with temperature changes. Nitrogen is the best choice for pressure testing an a/c system.
Once the leak has been located and repaired we can finish up the job. Pull a vacuum on the system. If it's been open for any length of time, out of freon completely, or air was used to blow the system let the vacuum run for several hours. Overnight won't hurt anything, we have to make sure all the moisture is out of the system. the vacuum pump should pull the system down to 29 hg and hold it there. If not, you either still have a leak , the vacuum pump is weak or there is a lot of moisture still in the system. Do not recharge the system until you can get the vacuum down to this and hold it.
Charging the a/c system by wieght is the only sure way to know it has the exact amount of freon it should have.
After I have pulled a vacuum on the system I connect my freon to the gauges , bleed any air from the line and charge the system from the high side with liquid until the proper amount of freon is in the system, or until the system balances with the freon tank and won't take any more. If the proper amount of freon is reached before the tank and system balance, do not put more in it. Do not ever charge the system on the high side with the engine or compressor running. Do not attempt to add freon to the high pressure side after the compressor has been started up as the pressure could still be high enough to burst the freon can. Only use this method for recharging when the system is under a vacuum and not running. Alternately you can charge the system on the low side with gas freon. Don't put liquid in on the low pressure side as this can cause the oil to migrate from the compressor and can cause compressor damage on startup. After the gauges have been turned off and no more freon can go in, start the car, turn on the A/C. If the proper amount of freon was not put in the system previously it can be added to the suction side as vapor at this point.

Next post retro-fitting an R-12 a/c system with R-134

Auto A/C Repair 101|A/C Troubleshooting

2009-04-02T11:57:00.008-04:00

In previous posts I have covered the basics of how a/c works and different components found on auto a/c units.
Now we can discuss things that go wrong with a/c and how to locate the problems.
By far, most common problem found on the automotive air conditioner is either low in freon or out of freon. Contrary to popular belief freon is not used up by running the a/c. It doesn't wear out or go bad. If your car a/c is out of freon or low in freon ,there is a leak somewhere. If the freon is contaminated, it either came from an outside source or some component has failed.
First off it is almost impossible to properly diagnose an a/c problem without a set of gauges.
Connecting a set of gauges to the system will not tell you if the system is slightly low it will only let you know if there is enough freon in the system to operate. A system that is only slightly low may function fine on a warm day but not satisfactory on a hot day. The gauges will also allow you to see if the compressor is pumping properly or if there may be a blockage in the a/c system, ie clogged dryer or bad expansion valve.
Use care when connecting the gauges to the a/c system, liquid freon can cause frostbite and liquid freon in the eyes can cause blindness.With all this in mind let's do a quick check

Start the car and turn on the A/C.

Is the compressor running? If you can see the front of the compressor, the clutch should be engaged and the extreme forward part of the compressor should be turning. Not just the pulley portion, the actual front part is the clutch plate that drives the compressor.
If the compressor is turning feel the lines at the back of the compressor. The small line is the high pressure side it should feel warm or hot to the touch. The larger line is the suction side and it should be cool to moderately cold to the touch. Also check the lines at the evaporator, the same applies.
If the compressor is cycling off and on this is a good indication that the freon is probably low.
If the compressor isn't running at all , check the a/c fuse first.

If the compressor is running and there is no temperature difference or only a slight difference either the freon is low or there is a circulation problem. note: on most newer vehicles if the freon is low the compressor will not run. the low pressure safety switch will keep the compressor turned off.

With this quick check, if the a/c seems to be cooling but the air inside is not cool, several things come to mind

The heat valve may not be turning the water off to the heater core.
The dampers in the ventilation ducts may not be operating properly.
The evaporator could be clogged not allowing sufficient air flow over the coils.

If the initial check provided you with the information to conclude that the a/c was not cooling gauges should be connected for further testing.
Don't just cram more freon in to see if this fixes the problem, remember what I said ,, your a/c does not use up freon, if it is low, there is a leak. Also if something else is wrong, overcharging can cause damage to other components.

Alright , I've got some work to do now. I'll continue our Auto A/C Repair later. If there are any questions anyone has, just ask in the comments and I'll try to help.

Auto A/C Repair/Component Basics

2009-04-02T09:57:00.006-04:00

From a previous post I described the basic components of the air conditioner system and how a/c works. We'll go over these and cover a few more components that are related specifically to auto air conditioning.
The Compressor will be mounted somewhere on the front of the car engine and is belt driven. This is the pump that circulates the freon through the a/c system. On the front of the a/c compressor is an electro-mechanical clutch. When power is supplied to it by turning the a/c on, the clutch is energized and the compressor is turned by the engine.
The Condenser is the part of the a/c system that removes the heat from the freon and it is located in the front of the car usually right in front of the engine radiator. It looks like a small radiator or oil cooler.
The Evaporator may be located inside the car usually under the dash. It is contained inside the ventilation box along with the heater core and typically very hard to get to. This component is used to remove the heat from inside the car by recirculating the air over the evaporator coils by way of the blower fan. It looks like a small radiator or heater core. Some vehicles have the evaporator mounted in a ventilation box on the passengers side firewall under the hood. Most General Motors products use this arrangement. Some vans and SUV s actually have 2 evaporators. They have a separate unit for cooling the rear of the vehicle.
One of 3 devices is used to control the flow of freon to the evaporator on most auto a/c units;

expansion valve
expansion block
orifice tube

The expansion valve, if equipped is usually located in the box with the evaporator. It will have a tube with a remote bulb on the end connected to the outlet side of the evaporator.
the bulb senses the temperature of the freon leaving the evaporator coil and the expansion valve regulates the freon flow accordingly.

The expansion block is usually located under the hood , near the firewall where the inlet and outlet lines from the evaporator emerge.It is connceted to both , the inlet and outlet line of the evaporator.

the orifice tube will be inside the inlet line of the evaporator at the firewall where the lines attach to the evaporator.

A high pressure safety switch is generally located somewhere on the compressor. If there is a wire attached to the compressor, ( not to the compressor clutch) this is a hps switch.This switch stops the a/c if the high pressure side exceeds its limits.

A low pressure safety switch is generally located somewhere close to the evaporator.
It will be in the suction side line leaving the evaporator ( the larger line). May also be located on the dryer/accumalator. This switch stops the a/c if freon gets low or the low pressure side falls below its limits.

The dryer/accumalator is usually located close the the evaporator usually on the left side fender close to the firewall. This is used to remove moisture and contaminants from the freon and serves as a storage container for the freon in the system.
note:
Some cars have the dryer by the condensor in front of the radiator. You may also find the hps switch there on some cars.

Most vehicles use either R-12 freon or R-134 freon. R-134 is used to replace R-12 in older cars as it is more environmentally friendly than R-12. If your car is older and still has R-12 in it , It will need to be retro-fitted to use R-134.

I think we've covered the majority of a/c components on most autos of today so we'll move on to A/C Troubleshooting in the next post.

A/C Simplified|Understanding Your Car|How It Works

2009-03-09T21:02:00.009-04:00

No matter if it's the air conditioner on your car, a window unit in a house, your refrigerator, or a 100 ton unit on top of a building , all air conditioners operate on the same principle: Heat transfer or heat exchange, whichever you prefer to say is fine. The idea is to remove (or absorb" the heat from one area and transfer it to another. In this post I'm going to attempt to explain how the a/c system works to prepare you for the auto air conditioner repair post later.
There are three basic components on most modern air conditioners in use today :

The Condenser
The Compressor
The Evaporator

Okay, now that we know the parts lets take a look at how the system works.

Low pressure gas freon enters the compressor on the suction side and is compressed into a high pressure gas.
From here it is pumped through the condenser where cool air is forced across the condenser coils removing heat from the freon.
As the heat is removed from the high pressure gas freon it turns into a liquid state.
The liquid freon is then released into a low pressure environment via the evaporator.
As warm air inside the car passes over the evaporator coil the heat in the air is absorbed by the liquid freon.
When the liquid freon has absorbed enough heat to turn it back into a gas it is said to be saturated.
At this point the gaseous freon is drawn back into the compressor and the process repeats continuously.
As you can see this is a simple process of using freon as a medium for transferring heat from the inside of the car to the outside.

Now lets try for a simplified explanation:

Take for instance you have a very hot pan on the stove with nothing in it , if you put a small amount of water in the pan the water will remove as much heat as it can contain to "become saturated" turn to steam. If you had placed a glass lid over this pot as soon as you put the water in it you would see the steam collect in the lid , as the steam cooled "or passed its heat back to the air or lid " it would form into a liquid and fall back into the pot . If the pot was still hot enough it would again turn to steam and collect back on the lid. It would continue this process until the heat was transferred from the pot to the surrounding air down to 212 degrees F which is the saturation point for water at sea level. You can raise the saturation point of a liquid by increasing the pressure.
R 134 freon exist in a liquid state at approximately - 15 degrees F at atmospheric pressure. For it to be in a liquid state at around 80 degrees F it has to be compressed to roughly 85 psi.
Therefore if it is released into a 0 pressure environment it will absorb as much heat as it can contain until it either becomes saturated or the temperature surrounding it is lowered to -15 degrees F. Now in reality the evaporator is not at 0 psi. The compressor will usually pull the suction side down to about 30 to 45 psi on a 90 degree F or so day.This will give R 134 a saturation temperature of around 35 to 50 degrees F. So now you can see how we can remove some heat from air inside the car that is 90 or a 100 degrees.
Now to be able to transfer that heat to the outside we have to raise the pressure on the freon higher than the saturation point for the temperature of the outside air. At 250 psi the saturation point is 146 degrees F, so if it only 100 or 110 outside we can remove some of the heat from the 146 degree freon.
There are a number of devices used to control the pressure differential between the condenser and the evaporator, most cars use either an orifice tube or a thermal expansion valve , while most house units and refrigerators use a capillary tube system.
Well I got a little complicated in the explanation, but hopefully this will prepare you when we get to the air conditioning repair section.

Understanding Automotive Components

2009-03-03T08:58:00.003-05:00

The biggest hurdle to auto maintenance and repair is learning how things work.
Once you have a basic understanding, it is usually clear as to what the problem is.
Sure, parts and placement of various components may look different from one make or model car to the next, but the basics of how they work is all the same.
With that being said I'm going to start a How It Works section, so we can discuss concepts of components on the car.

Auto Repair|Timing Belt

2009-02-25T18:56:00.002-05:00

The timing belt is a third type of belt used on most modern autos that I didn't mention earlier, mainly because checking this belt for wear will go past the scope of this blog. Not that it's impossible for the knowledgeable DIYer to inspect or even replace this belt , it's just that there are so many different types of cars and one would need a manual specific to the vehicle being worked on to have all the information needed to carry out this proceedure.

Timing belts differ from other belts used on cars as it has cogs (or teeth) on it and the pulleys (actually sprockets) have matching cogs. The cogs are used to keep the cam and crankshaft in time with each other to insure that the valves are opening and closing at the proper time in relation to the piston position.

Most manufacturers have a recommended replacement interval for this belt as on some engines failure of the timing belt can cause the piston to come in contact with the valves which in turn could do some very costly damage.
It is a good idea to always replace or have the timing belt replaced at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer

Auto Basics|The Engine

2009-02-21T09:01:00.004-05:00

The engine is the heart of any automobile and understanding how it works will help you to understand things that can go wrong with it.
An engine is essentially a machine that converts energy stored in fuel to circular(or rotating) motion.
The most commonly used engine used in today's cars is the 4 stroke internal combustion engine.
Although there are many different variations of this deign they all function primarily the same way.
the main parts of an engine are as follows:

The engine block ( this is a cast assembly that contains the cylinder bores. It has provisions at the bottom to hold the crankshaft in place and provisions at the top to mount the cylinder head/s.
The crankshaft (as the name implies it is a crank much like that on a bicycle)
The piston (this is a cylindrical shaped casting that is solid on top and and has a pin running perpendicular across it's midsection to connect to the connecting rod)
The connecting rod (this is a cast or forged beam that has parallel holes in each end that is used to attach the piston to the crankshaft)
The camshaft ( this is a round shaft that has eccentric lobes placed throughout it's length these lobes are egg shaped and are designed to open the valves at a precise time in relation to the pistons location in the cylinder bore)
The cylinder head ( this has 2 functions, first to contain the compression created inside the cylinder bore and secondly to house the valves that open and close to allow new air and fuel in and spent gases out.

Auto Maintenance|Checking CV Joints

2009-02-20T15:00:00.002-05:00

A CV joint is a universal joint of sorts that allows the drive axle to transfer the power from the differential to the wheels at varying angles.
This joint is enclosed by a rubber boot that keeps the lubricating grease in the joint and keeps dirt and debris out.
When the boot gets old it develops cracks that will allow all the grease to escape and the joint will wear quickly from exposure to dirt and moisture.
While there is wear on this component any time the car is in motion ,most often failure comes from exessive wear from lack of lubrication and debris.
It is very important to check the boots frequently for cracks and tears.
Replacing a boot early can save substantial money over having to replace the whole joint or in some instances the entire drive axle.

Auto Maintenance|Belts and Hoses

2009-02-10T09:28:00.001-05:00

Belts need to be checked periodically for wear and deterioration.there are 2 common types of belts found on cars today : the serpentine belt and the ever popular V belt.

Serpentine Belts

Most newer cars are using the serpentine belt exclusively as it adds the convenience of allowing one belt to drive all the accessories. This setup uses a series of pulleys both grooved and flat. The belt has grooves on the inside of it and a flat surface on the back side. the pulleys are arranged so accessories that pull the most load are driven from the grooved side to avoid belt slipping and premature wear. The tensioner pulley is in most cases spring loaded and keeps the belt at a preset tightness throughout the life of the belt. a good indication that a serpentine belt is headed for trouble are small cracks in the material to the inside of the belt (the grooved side).

Most cars using this system have an installation diagram located under the hood to help assist in re-routing the new belt. Usually all that is needed to change one of these belts is the proper size wrench or socket to release the pressure from the tensioner while the new belt is installed.

V Belts

The V belt has been around for ages and until recently it was the primary design used on automobiles. One of the drawbacks of this system is a seperate belt is needed to drive each accessory on the car and each belt has to be tensioned indiviually. Another drawback is if the back belt needs replacing all belts will have to be removed to get to it. One good advantage of this system is sometimes one belt breaking will not leave you stranded. As long as the water pump is still being driven you can "limp " the car to a repair shop. These types of belts actually load from the sides of the V and sometimes are hard to determine that they are worn past usability. as the sides become worn they ride deeper into the groove of the pulley to the point that they are riding on the bottom flat of the pulley and the belt ,at that point they are not making sufficiant contact to drive the accessory. This is eveident by the bottom of the pulley becoming "shiny" as the belt is rubbing against it. Another tell tell sign is the inner edges of the belt cracking. This is from the belt overheating as it is slipping in the groove of the pulley. It is a good practice to replace all the belts at the same time unless one broke because of an accessory failing and otherwise all the other belts are good.

Coolant And Heater Hoses

It's a good idea to at least visually inspect radiator and heater hoses at least once a month.
With the engine cool squeeze the hoses with your hands and look for signs of cracking. the hoses should be firm but not soft, if they feel brittle when squeezing them it is a good sign to replace them. Check the hoses for chaffing as rubbing against other objects can lead to a worn area that is weakened and may blow out when pressure is built up. Also note any spots where fluids have came into contact with the hoses as they can become soft when exposed to oils, grease, or brake fluid. When the engine is hot and pressure is built up on the cooling system look for bulges, especially at each end of the hoses where they attach to the radiator and the engine, this is a common spot for fatigue. a busted radiator or heater hose can leak all the coolant out of the engine rapidly and cause the engine to overheat. This can lead to a very expensive repair. Do not try to "limp" an over heated engine to the next stop unless it is an emergency.

Easy DIY Auto Inspections

2009-02-10T09:25:00.004-05:00

The #1 cause of automotive breakdowns is lack of proper maintenance,inspection, and repairs.
While breakdowns can be at best a great inconvenience the good news is with a little time spent doing some inspection and maintenance they can often be prevented.
Most people just drive until something breaks then they want to cuss at the car and call it a piece of junk ,the truth is it's just a machine and any thing with moving parts invariably has wear involved.
The first step in doing some routine maintenance is familiarize yourself with the parts of your car that need attention regularly to keep everything rolling along smoothly.
If you bought your car new an owners manual should have accompanied the vehicle during purchase and most owners manuals have a routine maintenance guide in the book.
It's always good to keep a record of the inspections and maintenance you have performed (or had done by someone else) and the mileage when the work was done.
Okay , let's start with the basics and work our way into more technical areas. you may want to make a copy of this list to reference until you get used to doing these checks.

Simple outside checks to keep you aware of any problems before they become major

Visually check tires for wear,cuts, and low air pressure ( daily)

All can lead to tire failure and it's better to have it repaired or replaced at your convenience than on the side of the road

2. Check air pressure in tires with a gauge (weekly)

While visual inspection can give you an immediate determination of a problem, it's impossible to see if the pressure is exactly what it should be for optimum performance. Low air pressure can cause premature wear, tire overheating and degraded fuel mileage and tire failure.

Don't forget to check the air pressure in the spare tire occasionally. The only thing more disappointing than having a flat on the road is discovering the spare is flat too!!

3. Visually check for rust lines around lug nuts (daily)

rust lines leading from the lug nuts on a wheel can indicate loose lug nuts and this can be a potential accident waiting to happen , not to mention a very costly repair should they strip or break off.

4. Visual inspection of the back side of the tires (inboard) (monthly)

What you're looking for here are signs of fluid or grease streaming to the outer edges of the tire or accumulating inside the rim.

This quick and easy inspection offers up some information to alert you of possible leaks in the brakes system and/or wheel seals that may be getting ready to fail.

5. Turn on all the lights and do a visual check to insure that all are burning and visible

when doing this check don't forget the high beams and turn indicators

6. Visually check windshield wiper blades and check the operation of them when inside
7. Visually check under car to make sure nothing is loose and/or hanging down ie exhaust, wires, mufflers. Also look for any fluids leaking
8. Walk around and check for loose items on your car , antennas, mirrors, chrome or moulding.

Under the Hood

Let's start this section by locating and familiarizing yourself with the parts we are going to be inspecting.
If you have any problem locating these don't hesitate to ask for help , most auto parts stores will be happy to show you where these are in hopes that you do business with them when you need parts.

(Caution)

All following checks should be performed with engine off and keys removed to prevent anyone from accidentally starting engine while you are inspecting the car.
The only exception to this is checking automatic transmission fluid level.

Engine oil dipstick
Engine oil filler cap
Transmission dipstick (automatic only) (most automatic transmissions are filled through the dipstick tube)
Power steering dipstick (most times this is part of the cap on the power steering pump)
Brake fluid reservoir (usually located on drivers side firewall)
Engine coolant reservoir (usually close to radiator filler cap)
Engine radiator (located in the front directly behind grille) (WARNING !!! never remove radiator cap when engine is HOT!!!
Fan belt/s and accessory drive belt/s (located on the front of the engine) (note- most front wheel drive vehicles have the engine turned sideways so the front of the engine may be located behind the left front wheel)
Windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Battery (should be easily identified as large square object with 2 large cables attached)

Now that you have located all the items we will be inspecting we will divide each item into a section and discuss what we a re looking for and what if any repairs you will be able to make .

Ready?

Save Money on Auto Repairs and Maintenance

2009-02-08T21:18:00.002-05:00

During the tough economic times we are experiencing right now ,everyone is trying to find ways to save money.

One way to cut expenses is to learn some basic skills to perform your own routine auto maintenance and repairs

Not only will this save you money in repairs ,a well maintained auto performs better and and gets better fuel economy ,saving you money at the pump as well.

Auto repair manuals are available for just about every make and model car on the road today and with a little reading anyone with a little mechanical ability can perform some of the maintenance on their own cars.

Even if you don't intend to do any of your own repairs, it's a good idea to learn a little about how things work on your car and what parts do what. This will give you an edge when you have work performed by a garage and you will be less likely to be taken advantage of.