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NETWORK AUTO CENTER

Car won't start?  How to Troubleshoot.

what happens when your car won't start? A gasoline engine needs three key ingredients to operate: 1) fuel (there has to be something to burn), 2) a spark to ignite the fuel, and 3) some way for the fuel to meet the spark and ignite a fire--this is the compression. Compressing fuel in a confined cylinder inside the engine, then introducing a spark from a spark plug will produce a small explosion. This explosion process is what generates horsepower.

So before you call the mechanic and tell him your car won't start, ask yourself this question FIRST, "What is missing in the equation (fuel, spark, compression)?" You went out to your car today, and the car won't start... how? Suppose the engine won't turn over. When I say the engine won't turn over, I mean when you turn the key the engine goes...blank..(nothing is happening). The radio and the lights may still be functioning fine.

What are the things that cause the engine to turn over? The battery and the starter are the two most important. If the headlights are on and are bright, then we could probably assume the battery is up to snuff and doing its job. The starter takes electricity from the battery and turns the engine over to start the piston explosion process I described earlier. So in this case there is probably a problem with the starter, or something is hampering the electricity from the battery to the engine or starter (maybe burned or damaged wiring or a bad ground connection).

The other type of "no start" occurs when the engine turns over like it is trying to start but will not start. So the battery and the starter are doing their jobs, but we are lacking one of the main exploding ingredients. Is there fuel? Look at the gauge first (we still get cars towed in to the shop and the no start correction is adding gas to the tank!) Do you have compression? Does the engine sound like it is turning over fully, or does the engine sound like it is turning over too fast or too slow? A broken timing belt or timing chain will cause the engine to turn over very easily and very fast because the compression process is not taking place.

Is there spark? This is not as easy to determine as it sounds, and can require some tools and experience to test. Now you probably don't care to "do it yourself" from here on out, but at least you have ruled out the battery, the starter, and a lack of fuel in the tank. This little bit of effort on your part saves the mechanic a lot of time trying to guess what happened and why, and you might actually find the problem yourself.

Is the car in PARK? I have been to many roadside assists only to find out the car is still in DRIVE. The engine will only start in park and neutral. Do you have an anti-theft device, and is it working properly? If it is a stick shift, do you have the clutch pedal depressed? Are the front tires up against the curb? Sometimes it is very hard to turn the key if the front tires are in a bind on a curb, or if the car has rolled back a bit after it was placed in PARK. If this is the case, you can turn the steering wheel real hard to the right, or try to physically move or rock the car forward to release the key.

Sunblock For Tires : Never Buy Another Tire Cover !

Tire Air Pressure

When vehicle manufacturers select a tire size for a vehicle, they evaluate the vehicle's gross axle weights, the anticipated use of the tire, and the tire diameter and width. Adjustments to these factors give the manufacturer a way to improve handling and appearance. This is especially true for performance tire sizes. The size selected is rarely limited to only one capability (i.e. carrying the vehicle's weight).

The tire usually needs to have additional load capacity as well. This extra capacity is important because without it all of the tire's performance would be used up just carrying the weight of the vehicle and little would be left for durability at high speeds or responsive handling. For all vehicles produced since 1968, the original tires sizes and inflation pressures (including the spare) are listed on a vehicle placard. This placard can be located on:

  • The driver-side door or door jamb (Ford vehicles on the rear passenger door jamb)
  • Glove box or counsel door
  • Fuel filler door
  • The engine compartment



Additionally, some manufacturers also list the original tire pressure in the vehicle's owner's manual. If a car's inflation pressure has varied from that which was recommended by the manufacturer, it's likely that the tire's wear and performance characteristics have also changed.

Under-inflation

If your vehicle's tires are under inflated by only 6 psi it could lead to tire failure. Additionally, the tire's tread life could be reduced by as much as 25%. Lower inflation pressure will allow the tire to deflect (bend) more as it rolls. This will build up internal heat, increase rolling resistance and cause a reduction in fuel economy of up to 5%. You would find a significant loss of steering precision and cornering stability. While 6 psi doesn't seem excessively low, remember, it usually represents about 20% of the tire's recommended pressure.

Over-inflation

If your tires are over inflated by 6 psi, they could be damaged more easily when running over pot holes or debris in the road. Higher inflated tires cannot isolate road irregularities well causing them to ride harsher. However, higher inflation pressures usually provide an improvement in steering response and cornering stability up to a point. This is why participants who use street tires in autocrosses, track events and road races, run higher than normal inflation pressures.

Effects of Time and Temperature

Tire inflation pressures change due to time and temperature. Tires lose about 1 psi per month due to air escaping through the rubber as it stretches. If you were to check your tires only every six months, it would not be uncommon to find them under inflated by as much as 6 psi. Tire inflation pressures also fluctuate with changes in the outside air temperature. This occurs at a rate of about 1 psi for every 10°F (plus or minus). So the tires you set correctly with an 80°F ambient temperature will be under inflated by 6 psi at 20°F.

If you add the variations of time and temperature together, it is easy to understand why a tire's inflation pressure should be checked frequently. Improper inflation can cause tires to wear irregularly and can void manufacturer's warranty.

Another advantage of checking tire pressure frequently is that it allows a slow leak to be found and repaired before it permanently damages a tire. Tire pressures should be checked once a week, preferably before the vehicle has been driven. Spending about two minutes a week will help you get the optimum performance your tires can offer! 

 

Brake Master Cylinder Troubleshooting

When a brake master cylinder begins to go bad or fails, you will notice a soft or squishy feeling when you press down on the brake pedal. When constant pressure is maintained on the brake pedal (like when you keep your foot on it at a stop light), the brake pedal will begin to sink to the floor as the brake fluid leaks internally in the master cylinder. This is called "extended travel" when the brake pedal goes farther down than normal or than it was intended to. When this occurs you will have to "pump" the brake pedal to regain normal pressure and to keep the car from moving forward because the brakes are slowly releasing. The red brake warning dash light should come on to indicate low brake fluid, or excessive movement "travel" in the brake pedal.

You will not normally see the brake fluid leaking out externally of the brake master cylinder or from the wheel areas when this pedal softness occurs, so fluid level alone isn't an indication of a good or bad brake master cylinder. The fluid will usually not be low or in need of topping off…remember the leak is internal and the brake fluid is leaking past internal O-rings, so an obvious external sign that the master cylinder is "bad" is usually not existent.

Ok, that is great Austin, but that is not happening in my case. What else could have tipped off this mechanic to a possible faulty brake master cylinder? An external brake fluid leak could be possible, and would be visible to the mechanic as he was performing his usual under hood inspection. The master cylinder usually has a plastic reservoir that holds the brake fluid, Click for example, and this reservoir is mounted to the metal part of the master cylinder by rubber grommets. The grommets allow for some movement caused by brake pedal and fluid pressures. These grommets can leak fluid, and a visible brake fluid leak can be seen with the naked eye (brake fluid is a clear liquid).

The metal brake lines that are attached to the master cylinder can leak fluid at the threaded connections, Click for example. Brake fluid can also leak from the back of the master cylinder due to these internal O-rings we talked about earlier. When this happens, the fluid will drip down the power brake booster (the booster is what the master cylinder is bolted to), Click for example. Brake fluid will dissolve paint rather quickly, so this kind of leak will usually leave a tell-tale sign of blistering, bubbled paint under the brake master cylinder.

So if you experience any of the symptoms explained above, give your mechanic a "brake." He was doing his job thoroughly and was trying to help. In any case, check the brake fluid level first and determine if fluid is needed. Check the cap and make sure it is fitted snuggly on the cylinder and is not leaking or showing any obvious signs of past leakage. Visually inspect the cylinder externally for fluid leaks, and wipe any accumulated dirt and debris from the area and the cylinder for ease of future inspections. The cylinder should only need a very small amount of brake fluid as part of regular maintenance, so if more than an ounce or two is needed to top off the reservoir, you should have your brake system inspected by your mechanic. Do not put off any needed repairs to your braking system.

Auto Air Conditioning Trouble

How the air conditioning (AC) system works and what could be happening to your car.

Like your body, the air conditioning compressor is the heart of the AC system, and Freon is the blood. The compressor pumps Freon throughout the AC system, either the older type R12 which costs as much as gold it seems these days, or the new environmentally-friendly R134A Freon. This Freon is a gas and liquid combination that is compressed and circulated throughout the air conditioning system. The compressed Freon is pushed through the system under pressure and is passed through different sized metal and rubber hoses and a special valve called an expansion valve that cause the gas to expand and contract.

This expansion and contraction makes the Freon gas very cold. This cold gas makes its way via metal lines into the dash area of your vehicle to the evaporator core. This evaporator core is like a small radiator, except it has cold Freon circulating inside and not hot antifreeze. A small fan (the AC blower fan which you control from the control panel on the dash) sits in front of the evaporator core and blows air across this cold evaporator and then through the vents inside your vehicle.

The other objective of the air conditioning system is to remove the heat from inside the cab of the vehicle. This heat is removed by the Freon with the help of the AC condenser located at the front of the car (usually in front of the radiator). The Freon coming back from the evaporator carries the heat from the cab to the condenser via rubber and metal hoses. Just like your radiator, the condenser is lightweight aluminum with many internal winding coils.

The Freon travels through these coils, and in between these coils are small slits or fins that the Freon is forced through. The condenser will have an electric cooling fan mounted in front or behind it to push or pull air through these fins to remove the heat from the Freon. Some vehicles still use the old fashioned fan blade driven by the engine to pull air across the radiator and the condenser.

Now I know that is just a tidbit of information on how the air conditioning system works, and it is very general, but I wanted you to know what to look for to give you insight as to what might be happening with your vehicle.

A few causes of low cooling efficiency or no cooling at all at idle are:

  • Lack of air flow across the condenser. Make sure the electric cooling fan motor near the condenser is coming on, or in models that are equipped with a fan blade make sure this fan is turning and is turning very fast.

     
  • Low Freon levels. Freon level and pressure should be checked by your certified air conditioning mechanic.

     
  • Overheating. If the engine is running hot or overheating, it can have a noticeable negative affect on the air conditioning system. Some cars have two electric cooling fans, one for the air conditioning condenser and the other for the radiator. Make sure they are both working properly. Usually at idle on a hot day with the AC on both fans will be on.

When the vehicle is traveling at freeway speeds, the compressor is pumping the Freon throughout the system much faster and harder than at idle. There is a dramatic increase in air flow across the condenser due to 55 mph winds, and the engine is usually operating at a cooler, more efficient temperature as well, thus allowing the air conditioning system to operate efficiently.

Note: An air conditioning system that is somewhat low on Freon can still feel comfortable at freeway speeds due to the added air flow across the condenser which can overcome the ill effects of slightly low Freon. Periodic air conditioning performance checks by your mechanic are the best way to keep the system in great shape.

 

Car Exhaust Smoke?  How to troubleshoot car smoke.

White smoke is caused by water and or antifreeze entering the cylinder, and the engine trying to burn it with the fuel. The white smoke is steam. There are special gaskets (head gaskets are the primary gaskets) that keep the antifreeze from entering the cylinder area. The cylinder is where the fuel and air mixture are being compressed and burned. Any amount of antifreeze that enters this area will produce a white steam that will be present at the tailpipe area.

If white smoke is present, check to see if the proper amount of antifreeze is inside the radiator and the overflow bottle. Also check to see if antifreeze has contaminated the engine oil. You can look at the engine oil dipstick, or look at the under side of the engine oil filler cap. If the oil is contaminated with antifreeze, it will have the appearance of a chocolate milkshake. Do not start the engine if the oil is contaminated with antifreeze, as serious internal engine damage can result.

How did antifreeze get in the oil or cylinder in the first place? The engine probably overheated and a head gasket failed due to excessive heat, thus allowing antifreeze to enter the cylinder (Where it is not meant to be).

Blue Smoke: Blue smoke is caused by engine oil entering the cylinder area and being burned along with the fuel air mixture. As with the white smoke, just a small drop of oil leaking into the cylinder can produce blue smoke out the tailpipe. Blue smoke is more likely in older or higher mileage vehicles than newer cars with fewer miles.

How did the engine oil get inside the cylinder in the first place? The car has many seals, gaskets, and O-rings that are designed to keep the engine oil from entering the cylinder, and one of them has failed. If too much oil leaks into the cylinder and fouls the spark plug, it will cause a misfire (engine miss) in that cylinder, and the spark plug will have to be replaced or cleaned of the oil. Using thicker weight engine oil or an oil additive designed to reduce oil leaks might help reduce the amount of oil leaking into the cylinder.

Black Smoke: Black smoke is caused by excess fuel that has entered the cylinder area and cannot be burned completely. Another term for excess fuel is "running rich." Poor fuel mileage is also a common complaint when black smoke comes out of the tailpipe. Black smoke out the tailpipe is the least cause for alarm. Excess fuel will usually effect engine performance, reduce fuel economy, and produce a fuel odor.

How did the fuel get into the cylinder in the first place? Some of the causes of excess fuel are a carburetor that is out of adjustment, a faulty fuel pump, a leaky fuel injector, or a faulty engine computer or computer sensor. If black smoke is present, check the engine oil as in the white smoke example to make sure excess fuel has not contaminated it. Do not start the engine if a heavy, raw fuel smell can be detected in the engine oil. Call your mechanic and advise him of what you have found.

I hope this helps you determine what could be causing your engine smoke, and the possible reasons behind the smoke.

Blown Engine Head Gasket Problems symptoms and repairs

Just because the dash gauge (or light) is reading low oil pressure doesn't necessarily mean that there is internal engine wear. It could be a sending unit (which tells the gauge how much pressure there is) or a faulty gauge. Anyway, a gauge problem is relatively small compared to a piston problem. It would be nice if you can verify you had a real oil pressure problem in the first place. Yes, all these bad things can happen to a Ford Bronco ii...and unfortunately it looks like it happened to yours.

Next, ask yourself these questions: Did the truck over heat after the repair was made and was not over heating before? Did you continue to drive the truck while it was over heating? The answers to these questions will help you determine who should take responsibility for this problem. If the truck really over heated and you continued to drive it.that could be negligence on your part.

Your mechanic had to remove the water pump to do the crankshaft and timing chain job. He could have disturbed the gaskets and caused the pump to start leaking. This outcome is fairly common when working with older cars, and performing large jobs requiring removal of parts for access. At my shop if the pump looks like it is more than 2 years old, we would have sold you a new pump when we did the crankshaft job. There should be no extra labor charges since we already have to take it off, and replacing it along with the other repairs can save you lots of money later on..like now.

What is wrong with the truck now? Will it run? Does the engine miss or run badly? A "bad" piston will cause the car to idle rough and run poorly. Do you have white steam coming from the tail pipe? If the piston is bad, it can cause excess pressure to build up in the engine when it is running. This pressure can cause lots of steam out of the tailpipe if there is sufficient water in the radiator to make steam. Here's an easy diagnostic exercise that you can try while the engine is COLD:

  1. Remove the radiator cap and verify that there is plenty of water in the radiator.
  2. Add water if necessary.
  3. Start the truck.
  4. Stand back and watch the radiator opening for a few seconds.


If there is internal engine damage, you could see the anti-freeze shooting out of the radiator neck. Do this only when the water and the engine are cold or you will burn yourself.

If there truly is internal damage to the motor, you really should replace the motor if you intend to keep the truck another few years. Realizing that the mechanic already over-hauled half of the motor and you still have problems, it still might be more cost-effective in the long run to replace your motor with a rebuilt one rather than repair this damaged motor further. Yes, you are looking at a lot more money, but in my opinion that is the only way to fix this problem correctly if it really is a "bad piston." The engine in a Ford Bronco ii is small in size to begin with, and 14 years old, why beat a dead horse? Get another one (engine).

Now, if you are in the mood to take a gamble...here is another idea. If you do have smoke out the tail pipe, and you do have an engine miss, then you could ask your mechanic to remove the cylinder heads and have them sent out to a machine shop to check for cracks. At that time the mechanic can look at the pistons and see if there is a problem. If he does not see a visible problem with the pistons (and to be honest they are "probably ok") then tell him to have the cylinder heads re-surfaced and replace all valves, valve guides, and valve stem seals.

The mechanic will have to replace the head gasket when he does this job, and that is probably the problem anyway--a "blown head gasket." This fix will "overhaul" the top half of the engine. It will get you by and would be cheaper for you at this time, but it won't be the best fix for an older and probably high mileage vehicle. Remember, the pistons and all the other internal parts got just as hot as the head gasket from the over heating, and will probably need to be replaced at some point.but this fix would give you the chance to start saving for the new motor or a new truck.

If you choose this alternative, ask your mechanic to cover the cost of the labor for at least half of this job. Why you ask? I suspect a leaky water pump caused your truck to over heat, and this pump probably should have been replaced at the time of the first repair. I also feel that the mechanic should be willing to cover some of the labor cost associated with the next course of action that needs to be made. The short amount of time that has taken place and the large amount of work you just paid for should also be in your favor. It will take him about 10-12 actual working hours to complete all of the work, so you are not really asking him to "give you money back", but rather perform the job at a reduced rate for customer goodwill.

You will need to purchase (from the mechanic, so he at least makes a few dollars from this job) the head gasket set for this job.maybe $75, thermostat and misc. small parts $30, the radiator cleaning and the cylinder head work at the machine shop.$85 and $225 respectively. And of course a new water pump, not rebuilt I have never had good luck with them)--$70. Once the work is completed, you will have had a valve job performed on this motor. You will be out a few hundred dollars, but at this point it might be a good option for you if you can't afford to replace the motor at this time. Your mechanic can remove the egg off his face due to not inspecting the job thoroughly, and you might continue to do business with him? It's the best win/win situation for your current predicament.

Some other things the mechanic should do when performing the head gasket job: replace the thermostat and check inside the radiator for any corrosion buildup or blockage. Normally when we do a head gasket job we send the radiator to a radiator shop for internal cleaning. The cause of the head gasket failure was due to over heating, so anything that could improve cooling of the engine should be checked and or replaced at this time

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