Shop Talk – May 2011

I decided to write about some of the same things I’ve written about before because of its importance.
And it all has to do with postponed maintenance. It just kills me to see a customer have to shell out lots of dollars (even though it keeps my cash flow up) for work that could have easily been prevented by a little PM (Preventive Maintenance).
I can’t stress enough the need to review your owner’s manual at least every 30k miles. All automobile manufacturers have a published 30/60/90k inspection and maintenance schedule listed in the owner’s manual but so many people just don’t think about it or maybe it’s that 30k comes and goes so fast in our hurry, hurry world it just gets pushed to the back burner. Add to that the fact there is no such thing as a service station any more, just quick lubes, that owners are not reminded of needed services. I’ve always maintained that a thorough inspection should be preformed every time the engine is serviced, but few places do that. In addition, because cars last longer and fewer breakdowns occur regularly, the typical automobile doesn’t get into a shop as often as they used to. Hence, what usually happens is what I will relate here.
Timing belt failure is something that should never happen. However, hardly a week goes by that a vehicle isn’t towed in with just such a problem. Roughly half the engines today have what is known as an interference valve train. What this means is if the belt should break, then the valves that are open at the time are hit by the still moving pistons and considerable damage occurs. At the least, numerous valves are bent, and occasionally, the head is also broken. Very expensive! Even though no one likes to cough up 4 to 5 hundred dollars for a timing belt/water pump job every 90 thousand miles or so, it sure beats the heck out of 1500 to 2000 dollars or more! The worst part is they almost never break in the drive way or pushing distance from the repair shop….
Another type of work we get is brake lining worn out and rotors or drums scored beyond repair. All disc brake pads have “squealers” built in that warn the driver of pads needing replaced. However, when you hear the squealer, you have very few miles left in the lining. Just enough time usually to make an appointment for repair. And once the metal makes contact with the rotors, they will be destroyed very quickly. Again, if the vehicle was inspected regularly, this could all be prevented.
A third type of repair we do lots of is automatic transmissions that have failed. The improvements in oils and filters have enabled the engineers to design and build super smooth shifting transmissions but they need regular maintenance. Transmission fluid is like the blood in our bodies, it must be very clean.
In a transmission, contaminants are actually produced as the clutches, bushings, and components work together. If these contaminants aren’t removed via regular flushing, then they begin to cause further wear, which causes more contaminants, and ultimately failure.
Some transmissions now cost several thousand dollars to replace, when a regular service might only cost 150 dollars or so. What really burns me is most of the manufacturers don’t stress the need for this type of service and that is a disservice in my mind. If you want to get a decent return on your automobile investment, I’ve said many times, there isn’t a car made today that shouldn’t get at least 200 to 300 thousand miles before trade in time; it just takes adherence to the PM schedule. Catastrophic repair follows no schedule. So with all that said, get with your favorite mechanic and develop a maintenance schedule that fits your life and makes your car last a loooong time!
Happy Motoring, Ray
Ray Miles owns and operates R&R Motors in Castle Rock, WA. He enjoys hot rods, fishing and trekking in Alaska and chatting with friends. If you have questions for Ray regarding anything car related, give him a buzz via eMail:
randrmotors@yahoo.com

Shop Talk – April 2011

By Ray Miles
(Ray is taking a couple month’s off sabbatical, so this is a reprint from april 2009 regarding batteries)
This month’s article was inspired by a friend of mine who owns an auto repair shop in Vancouver and also has been in the trucking business for many years. We were talking the other day and he mentioned that he always replaces batteries every 4 years and I of course questioned why, especially if the battery has say a 5 year warranty.
His response was that in the trucking industry you can’t afford to be broke down over something like a dead battery and needless to say, this got my brain working. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how correct he was. So here is my thinking on why everyone should consider replacing their batteries every 4 years. First obviously, I don’t think anyone wants to be left stranded due to a discharged battery and they certainly can do this. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called to jump start a rig that was just shut off to have gas pumped or a quick trip into the store.
But this is just a minor consideration, because the battery isn’t just there to start the car; it’s there to provide a constant and stable source of energy for all the vehicle’s electrical needs. Some would argue that the alternator provides this source of energy but that is not true. The alternator is there to replace current that is pulled off the plates due to starting and keep the battery at peak charge regardless of electrical load, i.e.; lights, AC, heater blower, seat warmer, etc.
Where the rub comes in is that today’s modern automobile is full of little black boxes that are typically quite expensive to replace and what kills these little black boxes is voltage spikes and high current draw. Let me explain a little phenomenon about voltage and current.
When speaking of 12 volt systems in a vehicle, it is important to know that when voltage goes up, current goes down and vice versa; voltage goes down, current goes up. This is a function of OHMS LAW, that you may or may not remember from high school physics, but is something technicians deal with every day.
So how does it apply to a car’s electrical system? As the battery is used over time it’s ability to hold a charge and to provide the necessary current output for starting and running all the electrical demands placed on it are diminished which causes the alternator to work harder to maintain the proper voltage level.
Anyone who has hooked up a volt meter to the electrical system knows the alternator doesn’t charge at 12 volts, but rather usually between 13.4 to 14.2 volts on a good system.
These voltage numbers work well with the little black boxes and everything is great. However, when the battery condition begins to deteriorate, more current is pulled out of the battery when cranking which lowers the available voltage and then the engine starts and the alternator charges at a higher level, maybe 15 or 16 volts and now you have these sensitive black boxes being hit with high voltage; not a good idea.
And just the reverse happens when driving on a cold night and all the electrical loads in the car are on high such as heater, head lights, stereo, and so forth. The battery voltage is pulled down and thus the current flow goes up on all the electrical devices which create more heat and heat destroys electrical devices as well!
Many of you probably have experienced batteries that failed in the cold weather months and this is almost always due to the higher loads placed on the battery during this time period. I can not stress enough the importance of having a good and properly sized and charged battery in your vehicle so as to prevent damage to all the electrical components.
And there are lots of other loads in a typical vehicle. Ignition coils, emission equipment, electric fuel pumps, power window motors and door locks, to name a few.They all are quite sensitive to these voltage spikes and/or high current draw and not a single one is inexpensive.
So with that said, maintain your electrical system by keeping the battery terminals clean (wash with baking soda and water) and have your favorite mechanic check the condition of the starting/charging system every time your vehicle is in for a service.
Happy Motoring, Ray
What would you like to read about? eMail Ray: rayscartalk@yahoo.com or comment online
@ www.valleybugler.com

Shop Talk – March 2011

Editor’s Note: As was brought to our attention, the February issue inadvertently cut off the last portion of Ray’s Shop Talk article. Here are the last few sentences and the conclusion of the February article:
Another fancy bit of electronic engineering is “EST” (electronic stability control). This system works by sensing “g” forces (the centrifugal force to the side when cornering) and then changing the dampening characteristics of the shock absorbers. For example, if rounding a corner a bit too fast, the car will start to lean which tends to lift the weight off the inner tires. This reduces their traction and could potentially cause a spin out. By resticting the shock absorber fluid transfer in the outer shocks, the automobile remains flatter in the corner and keeps the loads on the tires more even. In a few car makes, the electronics can also reduce the power applied by backing off the throttle and even applying the brakes selectively to improve the control when cornering. All this automatically and most drivers are never aware of the subtle improvements this makes to the handling.
What many people are not aware off is these types of technologies were first developed on Formula 1 race cars! By integrating wheel speed sensors at each wheel and some very complex mathematical algorithms, the control computer can sense what each wheel is doing and make corrections on the fly. Just like the air bag system on most new vehicles, the ability to sense a collision and deploy the air bag before you go through the windshield occurs extremely fast and without any input from the driver. The obvious question is whether this really makes for fewer accidents? Because you are able to drive faster with these controls, and most people do, does this really reduce the fatality rate or just cause accidents to be a lot worse when they do happen?
Happy Motoring, Ray
Questions or comments – rayscartalk@yahoo.com

Shop Talk – January 2011

It seems like every month I have trouble thinking up something to write about and the last time I was talking with a fellow tech, my wife later gave me the dickens for talking in codes! So this month I will discuss automotive abbreviations.

There are far more than I could possibly explain, but will try some of the better known ones. For example, the following all have to do with slightly different types of fuel injection: EFI (electronic fuel injection) which is a fairly generic acronym but used often by those that don’t know much about this type of fuel delivery. Being more specific, there is TBI (throttle body fuel injection and PFI (port fuel injection). Both are fairly descriptive as to how the gas is injected, but both generally spray fuel either as a steady spray or pulsed but neither is timed to the cylinders events.
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Shop Talk – December 2010

Here we are approaching the end of the year and Christmas nearly upon us and I need to write a Shop Talk article. For all you car lovers, maybe some thoughts about upgrades to your ride would be appropriate.

Obviously the first thing to do is make sure all the important items are addressed first.
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Shop Talk – October 2010

I decided to call this article “Unbelievable Engineering” because it is about the utterly ridiculous engineering design changes for no other reason than to force you, the consumer, to purchase certain parts from your friendly automotive dealer.
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Shop Talk – September 2010

Here we are with August half over and it finally looks like it might get hot. I’ve already suggested that if your air conditioning is not cooling as you like, a re-charge can usually bring it back to snuff. But with the cool weather we’ve been having, it probably doesn‘t make much sense to most to spend the money.

What many vehicle owners don’t know is that their air conditioning system is used when in defrost mode as well, even if you have the heat on!
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Shop Talk – August 2010

After seeing several motorists broke down along the road and as well, here at the shop, I thought I would write about some basic things all drivers should know before venturing out into the world of driving. I’ve said it before, young drivers should be taught how to change a flat tire, check the oil and coolant in their vehicle, and other very simple things to do that will nearly eliminate road side breakdowns.
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Shop Talk – June 2010

Summer is coming on and I thought I would remind readers that the travel season is rapidly approaching…and you know what that means? Time to get “old Nelly” up to the task of doing some traveling. At the very least, you should have your rig inspected by a professional technician who knows what to look for and can advise you on any needed services or repairs that are coming due.
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Shop Talk – May 2010

I’m always being asked how I became a mechanic and I thought a little history might be fun to share.

My grandfather was a mechanic for over 50 years (Lordy, lordy, I’m not that far from being able to say the same thing) and had his own shop down on Oregon Way, where the U Haul business is now.

As a youngster, I loved going there and smelling the smells that were typical of a shop of old – such things as gear oil (whale oil was used), smoke from the barrel stove that was almost always burning (great place to burn those old oil filters and such), and other not so mundane odors that permeate old buildings

It seemed like there were always old timers hanging around telling stories that really made going there a fun experience. When I was about 10, my parent’s car broke down due to using a new type of oil that had detergents in it. Not a good idea when the first 70 thousand miles were driven using non-detergent oil. That new oil broke all the crud loose and plugged up the oil pump just as we were leaving on a trip for Canada.

It was a mad scramble to get the old Studebaker back running because reservations were made and money put down on deposit for our cabin at the lake up there and I got my first real introduction to engine work. What a thrill! My job was to free up all the pistons where they oscillate on the connecting rods. I felt like a real mechanic after that experience.

My grandfather had lots of stories to tell but the ones that stick with me I will share now. The first one was his first car; a 1927 model T.  He installed a Model B engine (newer engine from a Model A – more horse power and torque) and a second ‘T’  transmission in a back to back arrangement with a 2 speed Rukstill (could be the wrong spelling) rear axle.  He could do 62 mph with it!!

Another great story concerns the missing fingers on one hand. Seems there was a way to tie a shop rag onto the bands that were used in many of the early car’s transmissions so that a band could be changed real fast as opposed to the correct way, which required tearing the transmission apart.

Only problem was if you weren’t quick enough, the rag would pull your hand into the trans and, voila – no fingers! I believe this happened more than once. To top that one, after he retired, he was helping remodel a building for his fraternal organization and was planing some boards on a small power planer and of course, his hand slipped and several slices of finger appeared under the tool.

No problem, just rap a handkerchief around the stub and drive himself to the hospital. Grandma had a fit, but to Grandpa, no big deal.

Despite the reduction of fingers, my Grandma was always very proud of her husband and I remember many times her saying that he had the cleanest finger nails of any man she ever knew! He never came home with grease under the nails.

The last story concerns his patience with most anything that happened. In her later years, Grandma got to where her depth perception wasn’t so good and she occasionally would sideswipe the garage when pulling in or backing out. Not a problem, just run the car down to his buddy that owned a body shop and have it fixed. The last year Grandma drove, he had the car repainted 3 times! She didn’t fight the loss of driving privileges too bad. So now you know I come by my mechanical interest naturally, including the missing digit!

Happy Motoring, Ray

Comment on this column and others online at our web site, found at www.valleybugler.com! Questions or comments to Ray – rayscartalk@yahoo.com.

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