Month: March 2015

Though there are several ways to lay out the components of an auto air conditioner, you’ll always find five essential parts. A typical layout is shown in Fig. 1. In order to troubleshoot your system, you’ll have to be able to identify the components and have some idea what they do: 1. Compressor. The compressor…

These auto air conditioning maintenance tips will help keep your car keep its cool, including how air conditioning works and a trouble-shooter’s guide to automobile air conditioning. Other than a radio, auto air conditioning is the most popular new-car accessory today. Over 75% of all pride and joys roll out of the showroom with “factory…

TROUBLE-SHOOTER’S GUIDE TO AUTO AIR CONDITIONING Symptom: Fan doesn’t operate. Problem: Electrical problem. Remedy: Replace fuse, wire or fan motor, as necessary. Symptom: Fan operates but air isn’t at all cool. Problem: Compressor not operating. Remedy: A. Check for broken V-belt, replace if necessary. B. If compressor spins but clutch doesn’t engage, check fuses in…

Auto air conditioning maintenance can prevent system failure and save you the major expense of a new AC system for your car or truck. Why is it important to maintain my car’s air conditioning system? Regular auto air conditioning maintenance enables proper system refrigerant and lubrication levels to be met which reduce the risk of…

Before buying a used car, it’s important to check the tires to see if they’re excessively worn, improperly mounted, or have any other major issues. But what about mismatched tires? Is that a problem? Ideally, you want all four tires to match in both type and wear, but a set of mismatched tires isn’t a…

Automotive batteries come in many shapes and sizes, but their operating principles are remarkably similar. In this Tech Center installment, we’ll look at the basic automotive battery. Then we’ll close by discussing ways to maintain your battery to ensure a long life. The modern automotive battery is a lead-acid storage design. In short, it’s an…

»Start the Countdown Car Engine Image Gallery Engines need a check-up every now and then, and they also require some regular maintenance to keep them in good running condition. The majority of the time most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about our engines. We hop into the car, turn the key…

10 Basic Car Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Car Rolling Well Past 100,000 Miles Your car is much like your body. The more care you give it, the longer it will last. There are 10 basic car maintenance tips that if performed consistently, will help you prolong the life (and performance) of your car. Some…

Want to save hundreds of dollars a year on automobile maintenance? Then stop over-maintaining your vehicle. Sales pitches by fast-and-furious oil change shops and service centers touting all sorts of fluid flushes and lube jobs have Americans wasting wads of cash on unnecessary service items — particularly on newer vehicles. Often bewildered by the mass…

Customers that have a world class vehicle maintenance program, share 6 common key elements: Operational planning, personnel and training, compliance management, parts management, recordkeeping, and preventative maintenance. Is your maintenance program “World Class?” See below to find out. 1. Operational Planning Have a business plan of what are the major objectives of the department. Include…