How to Determine Issues with an Oxygen Sensor

Many car issues are easy to determine but others are more elusive. Issues with an O2 sensor or Air Fuel Ratio Sensor can be extremely difficult to determine. Many a time the ECU will determine that the car is having an issue but when it comes to o2 sensors that issue may not be where the ECU says it is. More like the issue is being detected where the O2 sensor is.

When there is an issue internally with an engine the sensors are the first place that will show the signs of the problem. The reason for this is simple, all of the gasses leaving the engine pass these sensors and if there is excess fuel or burnt off oil it will be deposited on the oxygen sensor causing failure.   A failure of the o2 sensor will require replacement of the unit but it will also require the other issues to be fixed before the sensor is installed. If the other issues are not taken care of the o2 sensor is going to fail again and most parts suppliers will not warranty a part with foreign debris build up on the unit. Many times the issue that are causing the failure of the sensor and much larger than the electrical system many involve the fuel system or oil being burned off in the motor. A good example, when a turbo is failing it may send a large amount of oil though the engine and the left over burnt oil has to go somewhere after the ignition in the cylinder. The oil travels through the down pipe where it hits the sensor and not only gives a bad reading but also cakes on destroying the unit as well. These are just a few of the issues that can cause debris build up on the sensor and it is recommended by almost everyone in the car industry to take you to be inspected by a mechanic before buying parts like an O2 sensor. 

How to Wire a New Fuel Pump

Installing any auto part can seem like a simple job until you have your whole car torn apart and realize everything is not right. Many a shad-tree-mechanic get the shock of their week when they pull out a fuel pump only to find the wiring to the fuel pump assembly is different than theirs. The first reaction is of course …rage, those sons of $^&*#^’s but this may not be needed. Most modern cars use similar set ups for fuel pumps or updated wiring harnesses that are a simple 5 min wiring job.

Now before you start any job it is essential for you to know that the job is not out of your knowledge range. Just keep in mind this is a machine that will be hurling you down the road at enormous speed. It is not a great idea to be guessing at how it works. So it must be said, if you don’t know how…let someone who does. Oh and don’t ever smoke while installing a fuel pump. When starting the wiring job, determine what colors your factory wires are from the factory harness.  Once you have them you can find a wiring diagram usually supplied by the fuel pump supplier or on their webpage under the help section.

Most new aftermarket and even OEM fuel pumps use a GT280 style electrical piggy back. This unit is a more efficient connection than the older units and has less heat that it creates. The connector was redesigned to reduce the risk of fire and will be easily wired in. Once the wire colors are matched up, attach the wires and use screw on covers to be sure there are no exposed wires. Exposed wires means the chance of spark, spark can mean fire and in the eternal words of Phil Hartman “Fire BAD”.

With the whole new pigtail wired in the installation process is as simple as clicking the new clip into place and lowering the assembly into the tank. Now turn the retaining ring on the pump to secure it and you are good to go. 

Why is the Radiator Fan So Important

There are millions of people on the roads today and most of them understand the basic working of a car. The word “most” is the important part of that phrase. Most people know that a car is cooled by the radiator fan or the cooling fan but it may be shocking to know there are a good number of people out there that don’t. Knowing how a system works is the best way to avoid future issues with the car. It is also a great way to protect against failures that could have been prevented.

The cooling system in a car is very important to the operation of the car not just on hot days. The Cooling fan sits on the radiator at the front of the car and draws air across the unit to cool it down. The radiator works by spreading the coolant pumped from the engine across a large surface area where the heat can be dissipated. On a hot day the cooling ability of the radiator is compromised and the cooling fan is essential. When the cooling fan fails the amount of air traveling across the radiator is significantly decreased and the vehicle will overheat.

Internal combustion engines work by creating controlled explosions inside the cylinders which force the piston downward. Each of these explosions creates a lot of heat in the system and most of it travels out the exhaust of the vehicle. The metal in a motor will absorb heat and overheat unless the temperature is controlled in some way. Coolant is pumped into the motor through small passage ways in order to absorb the heat and cool the engine. This coolant is then pushed to the radiator where it is cooled and then pushed back into the motor. The process is very simple but can cause detrimental failure if stopped. When the cooling fluid cannot release the heat, it builds up to the point where the motor will no longer work. In some cases the heat can cause fires or internally damage the engine beyond repair.

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing but in this case it is not. The more you know about your car, the more you can save yourself from a huge headache in the future. 

A Clogged Air Filter Can be a Dangerous Enemy

There are plenty of obstacles on the road in front of all of us…literally. Cars, trees, kids playing in the street and the occasional mudslide but some of the biggest ones are inside our own car. Lots of issues rob our cars of horse power and performance. Cars operate in a tolerance of everything working correctly to achieve proper mileage and performance. Wheel hub bearing must not offer too much resistance and the fuel pump must be working with enough pressure, basically everything make the car run the way it should. People tend to over looks basic maintenance and don’t realize that even the smallest thing can cause a huge issue.

Oil changes can mean the difference between a motor lasting 10K miles and 300K miles, while transmission fluid changes can extend the life of the tranny. The air filter is one of those parts that people tend to ignore but not realize what a filter can do. Think about breathing through a straw, could you run a mile like that…well that’s what your car is doing with a clogged filter. A clogged air filter robs horsepower and gas mileage and can also cause complications in high performance cars. With restricted air flow in turbocharged cars this can cause un-needed pressure fighting the turbo. This pressure can cause the oil in the turbo to leak from the unit or it can cause a loss of the proper air intake amount. This can cause incorrect combustion in the cylinders and even cause damage to the bottom end of the motor.  

Why are Good Tires so Important?

Tires are the shoes of the automobile and the wheels are the legs, having great legs is important but ask any woman shoes can change the world. On average a person will spend more on shoes for their feet than on tires for the car they drive. The C/V axles, the ABS control module, the control arms…literally every system in the car relies on the tires to keep everything in check. Ever seen one of those worlds wildest police videos what happens when the cops shoot out the tires? Does anyone ever get far without tires? No, they have to book it on foot.

In the day to day grind we all see thousands of cars, one day take a min and look at the average tire on a car. More than a third of the people out there are riding around on tires that are bald or dry-rotted. Worn out tires are a huge safety risk in many ways, not only will there be less traction but they are more likely to suffer a blow-out. When a tire is referred to as bald it means that all the tread is worn off to a point where the grip will begin to lack and the side walls of the tire begin to suffer too. With low grip a car will slide during steering even at low speed and the braking distance will be come much greater. Metal bands run throughout tires and serve as a basic structure for the unit but they are also held together by the rubber. The less rubber the less structurally stable that the tire will be, at which point the small cracks that develop in the tire can quickly expand causing the loss of air pressure internally.

Dry rot is the next major issue that may people are completely oblivious to, this is the drying of the rubber in the unit. Rubber in a tire is just like the rubber in a seal, if it is not lubricated it will begin to crumble. When the rubber falls apart it will lead to holes and loss of stability, not to mention loss of grip. The physical characteristics of rubber change once dry rot happens and the only solution is to replace the units. Tires that are in bad condition can make your driving experience as dangerous as driving drunk. You may get away with it but in the end you are endangering yourself and everyone around you, When is the last time you checked your tires?

How Do Auto AC Systems Work

In the days of ole, the wind was the best way to keep a hot day from being too much to bear but the modern age calls for a modern solution. AC systems are designed to cool off air and keep the environment cool, well the indoor environment that is. Ever stood near the outside of an AC system, that heat has got to go somewhere. AC parts such as an A/C compressor and evaporator work together not to eliminate heat but to move heat to a different location.  The Idea of the ac system is simple, capture heat on a medium and use fluid to move said heat to another location. In the case of an auto ac system the heat is captured from the evaporator inside the car, usually under the dash. The captured heat is transferred to the condenser at the front of the vehicle and released. 

 A car, unlike a home relies more on moving air than fans to pull the heat off the condenser at the front of the vehicle. Auto AC is also a much more compact version of what a home ac system is…unless you feel like strapping a window unit into your car. When a car is in movement, air is blowing across the condenser which is basically a radiator that uses coolant and a cooling fan.  Just like the engine cooling system that keeps the car from over-heating the ac system keeps the passenger from overheating.

Components in the AC system play vital roles, each doing something that will specifically change the way the system works. The compressor being most important part, as it pushes the fluid through the system so that each of the other components can do their job. There is also a filter in the system that is often called a Accumulator/Drier which is designed to remove dirt and debris from the system. Then the fluid is passed through the condenser to be cool and yep you guessed it condensed. Once the Oil/Freon mix is cooled than it is passed through the expansion device where the fluid is allowed to expand into larger tubing. This process will further cool the fluid and then it is pushed into the evaporator which is a device where the fluid will be spread out even more onto what is like a radiator but works in reverse. Once the fluid travels across the evaporator a fan pushes air across it and the heat in the air is removed by the super-cooled liquid. Finally the heat soaked liquid is pulled back through the system and it all starts again. Ac systems are designed to make life more comfortable and cooler for all of us even if a failing system may make us a bit hot headed.  

Some Common Brake Issues

Almost all the vehicles on the market today are equipped with disk brakes. The only models that can be found today without front disk brakes are mainly small utility vehicles or models. Brakes are not like a power steering pumps or turbochargers, they will act different under every condition. Brake can fade and squeal or even crack depending on the way they are handled. So how can we know when we need to pay attention to the brakes on our cars?

Failing brakes have many signs that most people will pass off as nothing but shouldn’t be ignored.  Other signs people will pay attention but are actually not an issue at all, other signs could be both.

When the steering wheel shakes under braking, it is a classic brake failure due to warped disks on the braking system. Uneven deceleration due to warped disks can be down-right dangerous and make a car very difficult to control. If the issue is resolved early the brake rotors can be turned (sanded smooth) but if the issue is ignored, the rotors will become so warped they will be completely destroyed. Brake fade is an issue that won’t face drivers outside of a race track but it happens when the brakes are used hard for a long period. Brake fade happens because the brake fluid becomes super-heated and cannot cause the proper force in the calipers.

Brake noise is a common issue that many drivers have, most brake noise is just from super dense brake pads. When brake squeal can be heard it is a good idea to inspect the brake system to be sure there are no issues. Brake squeal can also be the “brake alarm” which is a small piece of metal that is on the pad to make a squeal to alert the driver that it is time for new brake pads.