Theft System Spooked
I recently fixed a neighbor’s car that wasn’t starting due to the theft system not reading the key. I’m sure that some of you are familiar with the method of fooling the security module by bypassing the passkey ignition switch with a resistor. I got a call from him a few days later saying that it messed up again with the same problem. He wanted to know if the resistor went bad.
I took a look at the car and realized that the theft light was staying on, but it wasn’t working normally. It didn’t flash with the door open and it wouldn’t set the security system. It also wouldn’t disarm with the key in either door. I realized that it was a security issue, but not a passkey problem.
Serviceability Report: Chevrolet Impala
Tech to Tech Author: Craig Van Batenburg Subject Matter: Serviceability Vehicle Application: 2014 Chevy Impala Issue: Service comparison After GM went through a public bankruptcy, did its cars get better to service? This month, we focus on the Chevy Impala for the second time. Back in 2005 I compared the 3.8 four-door sedan with a
Power of Collective Wisdom Solves ‘Fretting Corrosion’
Now, at this stage I believed that my customer was a victim of either high-mileage fretting corrosion or high-mileage fracturing of cold-solder joints. Either way, “smacking” was the big clue that can temporarily solve either of these issues, and I believed I had a good shot at repairing my customer’s minivan, even though I could not get it to act up. At this point in my detective work, I felt like an attorney attempting to prosecute a murder case without the benefit of a murder weapon – or a body. Luckily, there are precedents for convicting when there is no body, just as you and I have repaired a vehicle or two without locating a tangible root cause.
Not Getting ‘Skunked’
This week I got one of those in from a customer who was recommended to come here by another shop that had given up on finding the problem. After several attempts and customer drop-offs, the shop couldn’t get the problem to occur. The vehicle was a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup, and the problem was it would occasionally blow the brake-lamp fuse. The circuit seemed simple enough, not like a spider-plant circuit we sometimes run into.
Nissan Versa Vies for Title of ‘America’s Least-Expensive Car’
The Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent have been battling it out for the title of “America’s Least-Expensive Car” for a while. Hyundai retired from that race for 2012, leaving Nissan as the low-cost champion. But is the Nissan Versa a car you would actually want to fix or is it too cheap to bother with?
Dead Cylinder Leads to a Broken Relationship
We originally test-drove the vehicle to verify the shaking and lack of power, and we also heard a light ticking when it was idling and at lower engine speed. Even though this Escort far exceeded the average life expectancy of today’s vehicle, with gas currently at $3.50 per gallon, my customer dearly wanted to keep this little Ford on the road.
‘Flood Damaged’ Prius Gets a New Life
Much to my surprise, I was able to get the immobilizer system to work after replacing the original module with a combination module and key from another vehicle. After it was programmed I started the vehicle. This also surprised me. I had checked the fluid levels and inspected the vehicle for evidence of the water to see what the immersion level was. I found no evidence of water anywhere, but the engine ran extremely rough and knocked something awful.
Ram: A New Era of Trucks
The Dodge name has been around as long as any technician can remember. Chrysler Corp., as you know, was bailed out by the U.S. government and then a buyer was sought. When Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat, made the best offer in 2008, Fiat was given the keys to Chrysler. The automaker was in the throes of a financial meltdown and Marchionne had already rescued the Italian automaker and turned it into one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, so Fiat looked like it could save Chrysler.
Becoming More Mobile, Diagnostically Speaking
I have enjoyed reading the Generationally Speaking column in this very magazine (AutoInc.), and I noticed an interesting trend. It seems there is a thread connecting the Generation Y’ers, Gen X’ers and Baby Boomers: They all seem to be unable to live without their smart phones. I can understand why! A Baby Boomer myself, I have found my foray into the iPad and iPhone world truly exciting, and there are many reasons why I am happy I decided to purchase these two powerful, portable devices.
Misconceptions about Hybrids all too Common
Hybrids: they’re safer to work on than you might think.
Serviceability Report: Audi A6
Serviceability Report: Audi A6
Tech to Tech
Subject: Serviceability report
Vehicle Application: 2012 Audi A6 Quattro 3.0-liter
Essential Reading: Diagnostician, R & R
Author: Craig Van Batenburg
Do the German-model engineers care about their technicians?
A One-of-a-Kind Saab No-Start
How often do you get to say this as a technician: “I have never seen this before”?
Such a day occurred for me recently when my customer had his 1991 Saab 9000 towed to our shop with a no-start complaint. Little did I know what I was in for! Spoiler alert: Do not look at the last two pictures yet; try to figure this one out first.
