Month: April 2015
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How can I know when to replace shockers?
Shock absorbers are actually “dampers”. By compressing, the springs in a vehicle’s suspension absorb bumps and other road shocks. When the springs rebound, the amount of bouncing created is controlled by the shock absorbers. Several warning signs can tell you when shock absorbers need replacing, such as your car bottoms out over railroad tracks, speed…
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What you can do to fix oxygen sensors
Oxygen sensors–also called o2 sensors–are used by your vehicle’s computer to monitor and adjust the air-to-fuel ratio being pumped into your engine. These sensors are designed to be ‘disposable;’ that is; you will never find an o2 sensor that will remain in operational condition over the lifetime of your car. A broken or faulty o2…
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How to free a frozen parking brake
A frozen parking brake (also called a hand brake or emergency brake) is going to cause a delay, but it can be “thawed” easily. Unlike the “regular” (hydraulic) brake system on most vehicles, the parking brake is a purely mechanical system. It is operated by springs and cables inside a sheath. Water can become trapped…
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The critical role a throttle position sensor plays in a high performance engine
The throttle position sensor is commonly used in modern fuel-injected engines. Usually located in the butterfly spindle attached to the body of engine, the throttle position sensor is very useful in monitoring the position of the valve in your engine. As the name implies the throttle position sensor tells the engine computer where the throttle…
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What is the relationship between oxygen sensors and the car engine performance?
Almost all vehicles manufactured after 1980 have oxygen sensors. A car oxygen sensor on a recent model will be positioned in the engine’s exhaust manifold. It’s a spark plug-shaped mechanism that is a significant component in your vehicle’s emissions control system. It was first introduced in 1976 and was made virtually mandatory on all cars…
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Is the speedometer reliable in telling me my vehicle’s real-time speed
The speedometer mounted on your car reliably measures your vehicle’s real-time speed. Nowadays, many speedometers are electronic, in designs derived from earlier eddy-current models. While the conventional mechanical speedometers use gears and wires to determine speed, most modern vehicles use speed sensors in the electronic speedometers. An electronic speedometer measures vehicle speed with the help…
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The brain of a car engine: PCM (Powertrain Control Module)
A powertrain control module (PCM), also known as the engine control unit (ECU) or module (ECM), is an electronic device that regulates many of a vehicle’s important functions and has a direct impact on how well the car runs. Most vehicle manufacturers began including PCMs during the 1980s, and the computer system has become standardized…
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Does your car alarm annoy you and your neighbor?
Car alarm is designed as a piece of anti-theft system equipment. It is effective since it draws people’s attention by mainly emitting high-volume sound and discourages the thieves. However, it can be triggered by a variety of stimuli. It is sorry to say but sometimes it tends to be a block nuisance. Car alarms can…
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Guarding against the nightmare of car theft
Every year, cars worth more than four billion dollars are stolen in the USA, but only about 15 percent recovered. It is reasonable that general people hold the view that expensive cars tend to be stolen. However, it is the car parts and metal components the thieves actually target for. In some cases, they steal…
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Getting to know the truth about auto braking system
Modern cars apply brakes on all four wheels. Since front brakes play a greater part in stopping the car than the rear ones, many cars have disc brakes, which are generally more efficient, at the front and drum brakes at the rear. They are all operated by a hydraulic system. What is an auto braking…