Month: March 2015
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How to Find Your Engine’s Top Dead Center (TDC)
If you have a car with no timing marks on the crank pulley, here is a really neat, accurate and cheap way of finding the engine’s TDC. This is done with the engine in the car and the head torque down. Steps 1. Make an indicator from some clear plastic tubing, a jar of light…
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How to Diagnose Oil Leak on Mitsubishi Magna Automatic
Steps: 1. If you have noticed that there are oil spots, developing into a larger oil stain, under the engine area where you usually and regularly park your vehicle, it is worth a few moments to do some very basic tests to head off and avoid very expensive repairs. Place a large, approximately 1 meter…
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How to Diagnose Car Power Window Problems
Automotive power windows use a switched motor to operate a mechanical window regulator. This regulator moves the pane of glass into the door. If the windows don’t work, any of several issues is likely to blame, including no electricity, bad switches, bad motor, damaged window regulator, or even a broken wire. The average backyard mechanic…
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How to Diagnose Car Electrical Problems by Tracing Voltage Drops
Diagnose electrical problems by chasing voltage drops, instead of the old-fashioned way — checking continuity. Including Mike Allen’s Physics 101 introduction to Ohm’s law. The road ahead looks like a black hole. It’s so dark and so dreary, even the bravest Saturday mechanic would prefer to be off the highway and safe at home. Unfortunately,…
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How to Diagnose Brake Problems in the Anti-Lock Brake System
The anti-lock brakes in your vehicle help to prevent wheel lock-up during hard braking. This system uses a series of magnets to control the braking action of the wheel. Because the anti-lock braking system on your vehicle pumps the brakes for you electronically, you should not pump the brakes manually. It will not assist the…
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How to Diagnose Automatic Transmission Problems
Transmission Fluid May Need to be changed The most common symptom is when you start your car in the morning, especially if it’s cold, you put it into gear and it hesitates before it’ll engage. That’s a sign that maybe you have a dirty filter, maybe it needs a transmission fluid change, for something like…
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How to Diagnose an Alignment Problem
Uh oh. Wasn’t there a deceptively deep pothole you hit the other day? Is your car now tending to pull or drift to the left or right? Or maybe there’s too much “play” in the steering? By diagnosing any tire problems, the candor and castor of your front-end alignment, and taking it for a road…
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How to Diagnose a Throttle Position Sensor
How to Diagnose a Throttle Position Sensor with a Multimeter Using a multimeter one of the best ways to determine if a TPS is defective, and even a inexpensive multimeter will do. 1) Locate the TPS on your vehicle. Since the TPS by definition is monitoring the throttles position, it’s located on the throttle body.…
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Automotive Throttle Position Sensor
What is a Throttle Position Sensor? The Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) tells your car’s computer how far you are pressing the gas pedal. The car’s throttle is an opening to the engine that opens or closes based on how much air the engine needs. The more you step on the gas pedal, the more air…
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How to Diagnose a Non Working Air Conditioning in a Car
Three Methods: Collecting Initial Information Diagnosing Air Flow Problems Diagnosing Air Temperature Problems Driving around on a hot day in a car without a working air conditioner can be uncomfortable and even dangerous in extreme heat. Diagnosing the reason that your air conditioning isn’t working will help you determine whether the problem is one that…