Bent Valves and How to Diagnose
Question:
Hey Kevin,
I have a 1990 mitsubishi ecl. 2.0l l4 turbo ic fi.
Would the car start and or idle if the valves were
bent.
Thankyou,
Pam
Answer:
It is possible for the valves to be bent and the engine still run. It probably would not run very strong, but it could run and idle. The best way to check for bent valves, would be to have your mechanic run a compression test and see if there is air leaking past the valves. If the valves are bent, the mechanic will be able to hear air leaking into the exhaust or intake, depending on which valves are bent.
Kevin Schappell
Posted: 7th April 2006 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Engine
Undercoating Your Car, Is it Worth It ?
QUESTION:
Hi Kevin,
Since I am a female I find car people are trying to sell me things for my new car that I don’t really know if it is needed or not. I was reading you web on car care and wondered if you would answer a few concerns.
I have chosen a Honda Fit sport. Then comes all these extras. I have eliminated all except the undercoating but am concerned if it really necessary or if it will more than likely cause me more problems later on. I live in the Okanagan in BC. The climate is hot, dry summers and very mild winters. Most have told me that undercoating will cause build up and not allow the drainage that is necessary. The dealer said it would help with sound proofing. For $300. is it a good idea? They also talked about extended warranty because of the fuel pump troubles of the Honda. Is this has been a problem then maybe I should make another choice. I realize that what ever I choose will probably have some concerns but I shouldn’t have to worry before I even buy the new car.
I have been reading the info about taking care of the car and found it very easy to understand and good advice. I only wish dealers were so reliable. Thank you in advance for your advice Marlene
ANSWER:
Marlene,
I am assuming you are buying this car brand new (not a used car)? If it’s a brand new car, the undercoating is a good idea, and will not keep water from draining if done properly. It does depend on how long you plan on keeping the car, and how well you maintain it. If you can keep the winter road salt cleaned off every now and then, and keep the car in a garage, I would say save your money and skip the undercoating. If you plan on keeping the car for more than 3 years, and don’t have a garage, the undercoating would be a good idea. It’s very rare that today’s cars start rusting out, if properly taken care of.
The extended warranty is again an issue of how long will you own it? If you plan on keeping the car past it’s factory warranty, then the extended warranty may be cheaper to purchase now. If you are not sure about how long you will have the car, I would say wait until the factory warranty is about to run out.
Good Luck,
Kevin Schappell
Posted: 7th April 2006 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Body
Diagnosing Car Problems…
Below is a letter I received the other day about wasted parts and labor, and it highlights the problem with some auto repair shops out there that simply replace parts blindly without diagnosing the real problem.
Email:
I recently had a problem with my 94 Dodge van. This is a high mileage vehicle (160,000), but I have had it since new, and have taken care of it,i.e. oil changed every 3,000 miles, regular tuneups, brakes, tires, etc. It is my work vehicle so it has to be reliable.
It developed a very rough “miss” after 30 mph. I took it in to a mechanic (a well known chain) and they proceeded to drop the fuel tank and install a new fuel pump and clean the fuel system. There was no change. They then tuned it up. There was no change. They then sent it out to have the transmission looked at. There was no change. They then changed the spark plug wires, no change.
After $1,650.00 they said two cylinders were bad and they said it might need an overhaul.
At that point I figured someone else should experiment on my van. I took it to another large repair shop and they diagnosed the problem as a bad fuel injector and the others were dirty. $550 more and it is running fine.
In your opinion should the first repair shop spotted this in the first place and should I have to pay for the work even though they did not fix anything? They van has been regularly tuned up and I don’t think the fuel pump had anything to do with the problem.
I would really appreciate your opinion.
Thank you.
Tom K.
My Response:
Tom,
Yes, they should have found the problem right away. In today’s age of computer diagnostics, there is little excuse for blindly replacing parts.
Unfortunetly, you do not have much recourse with the first shop, as I am assuming you paid for the work already. Most if not all of the parts that were replaced, could have been worn and causing the problem, so I don’t think your case would stand up in court. The shop should have inspected and cleaned the injectors, as they clearly thought it was a fuel issue.(they replaced the fuel pump)
Your story is typical of many national chain stores. Many of their employees are undertrained, or just don’t care, and would rather just replace parts, than diagnose the actual problem. In the future, insist that the shop stands by their diagnosis, and you will not have to pay for the labor if the part does not fix the problem. Notice, I did not say you should not pay for the parts, just the labor. Make sure you ask plenty of questions before the shop works on your car, ask for the old parts that are being replaced, and don’t pay the bill before you take a test drive to confirm the problems are fixed. It really upsets me, to hear stories like yours, unfortunetly, I hear them all too often.
Take Care,
Kevin Schappell
Posted: 20th March 2006 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Car Care
Automotive Technical Schools
Over the years I have received a lot of emails asking where to learn more about cars. If you are a shade tree mechanic looking to brush up on your auto body skills, or a high school student looking for career training, look no further. I have compiled a list of Community Colleges, Universities, Technical Institutes and Vo-Tech schools which offer automotive training.
Most Vocational Technical Schools offer night classes to the general public in Automotive Refinishing, Automotive Technology and Automotive Service Management. Why not take a course and broaden your knowledge. I know many people who wanted to rebuild a classic car or hot rod, and took night classes to learn. It will end up saving you tons of money not having to pay someone to paint your car, or even do the entire restoration.
Click Here to Find an Automotive Technical School
Please note: We are still working on the list of schools and verifying information. Not all states have been checked. We are trying to get valid websites for all of the schools, so you can get instant information on course offerings.
Posted: 16th March 2006 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Automotive Schools
How to check your clutch…
I use this trick when checking out a used car. Since you can not climb under a car and check how much material is left on the clutch disc, you can only guess the condition. Using the following tips you can get closer to an educated guess and hopefully make a good decision.
1. Operate the clutch and observe where the clutch grabs. It should grab about 2″ from the floor. The motion of the pedal should be smooth and even. Make sure you have the emergency brake on when doing any of these tests.
2. Listen for any chatter or squealing when operating the clutch. Is there a grinding noise when the clutch is depressed? This indicates a worn throwout bearing, and will require the transmission to be removed to replace it. You can assume if the throwout bearing is bad, the clutch is not in the best condition.
3. Put the car in 2nd or third gear and let the clutch out slowly. (make sure the car’s emergency brake is on, and you have your foot on the brake) Does the engine RPM decrease and almost stall? If it does, the clutch still has some life in it, and is doing it’s job. If the clutch slips, and the engine does not sound like it’s going to stall, there is a good chance the clutch needs to be replaced.
4. While on a road test, does the transmission shift smoothly? Is there any crunching when changing gears? A crunching noise when shifting usually indicated bad sychnonizers in the transmission, but can sometime just be the clutch cable being out of adjustment.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you are inspecting a used car, or trying to diagnose your own car. A manual transmission car can be a blast to drive, and offer better fuel economy, but presents unique issues when trying to evaluate it’s health.
More information on your Car’s driveline
Kevin
Posted: 6th February 2006 | Author: Kevin Schappell | Category: Drivetrain
