Facts About Car Batteries
Car Batteries look inside
Interesting facts about car batteries and what makes them go dead before there projected lifespan expires. If you keep your vehicle the average 5 to 7 years that most people do chances are you will need to learn something about batteries along the way.
With the average car battery only lasting 3 to 5 years and some not even that long due to harsh conditions, you may have to deal with the battery issue more than once.
Side note: A car battery can be dangerous! You should always wear safety glasses. You should always work in a well ventilated area. It is rare that it will explode but it can happen! The invisible gasses floating above can be triggered by sparks, flames or even cigarette ashes.
What shortens a batteries life?
An overcharging condition can cause a boiling condition inside the battery that eventually will reduce the amount of water and electrolyte in the cells. Read more
Reasons for Professional Auto Repair
My Toolbox
Most people bring their vehicles into a professional auto repair shop because they believe this will be the fastest and most cost efficient way to get their vehicle back on the road. In a perfect world this is absolutely the case.
As an automotive consumer you should be vigilant and ask questions to make sure your auto repair shop is holding up their end of the bargain (even if you trust the shop).
This is more important when you are paying for things such as check engine light diagnosis or even when you are trying to get drivability problems repaired that require pinpoint troubleshooting.
If you go in for an intermittent stalling condition or rough running car problems the way that the shop handles the troubleshooting and diagnosis can affect the total cost of the repairs. Your repair shop should be using a standardized diagnostic method that brings them to the failure in an orderly and efficient manner.
If the mechanic starts guessing at what is wrong and begins to replace Read more
300ZX Water Leak
The 300ZX water leak repair became top priority soon after I bought my Z. The previous owner had kept the vehicle in the garage for most of its life.
When I purchased it and left it outside, the rainwater quickly found its way inside the rear hatch compartment. It turned out that this water leak is quite common on both the 280Z and 300ZX.
Unfortunately I wasted some money on trying to get this leak fixed before I looked into technical service bulletins. I figured since the hatch compartment was wet that the aging hatch seal must be the cause of the hatch water leak.
I purchased a new hatch gasket from the dealership and this cost me around $150. After replacing the hatch seal I anxiously waited for the next rainfall to come and go. To my disappointment after a hard rain the rear hatch compartment was again like a miniature swimming pool.
How to repair the 300ZX water leak
After my first attempt failed at repairing the hatch water leak I looked into technical service bulletins as well as performing an Internet search. Many Z owners had reported the same type of rain water leak. Find out more about Car Repair Bulletins here. Read more
Common OBD Two Codes
Locking gas cap
One of the most common OBD two codes would be for the evaporative emissions system. These codes were designed by the manufacturer and mandated by clean air laws.
Basically this is that the fuel system on every automobile must be completely sealed. No longer are you allowed to vent fuel vapor into the atmosphere.
This means that a storage and burning system is necessary to properly handle the naturally occurring fuel vaporization process.
Depending on the year make and model of the vehicle the codes set will usually be in the P0400 range. These codes when set will help you determine what the problem with the system may be.
When the fuel vapor system is determined to be leaking the severity of the leak is measured. Individual codes may set for a small leak, a medium-sized leak, or even a large fuel vapor leak.
Also in the P0400 range of codes will be specific codes for the canister and purge valve functions of the evaporation emissions system. All of the failures in the P0400 range could be considered common OBD codes. Again depending on the year make and model of the vehicle. But I have seen failures in all parts of the evap at one time or another.
OBD two evap systems leaks
OBD two monitors the evaporative system by testing the ability of the fuel tank to hold pressure as well as purging the system to vent petroleum fumes from the charcoal canister storage device. The most common way that this pressure test is deployed is with a small pump. Read more
Nissan 3.0 Liter V-6
Odometer 3.0L v6
How many miles can you put on a Nissan 3.0 Liter V-6. The answer to this question is similar to the answer of how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie roll Tootsie Pop.
When I purchased my Nissan 300ZX it was from the original owner and the odometer was showing almost exactly 100,000 miles. My parents thought I was insane for buying a vehicle with such high mileage.
Back in my parent’s days when a vehicle reached the 100,000 mile mark it was time to throw it away and get another vehicle. But as we know today, we can get many more miles than we use to just 10 years ago.
The 150k mile mark is common place now. If the engine is well built and cared for 200,000 miles is well within reach for many drivers.
300ZX V-6 engine
I plan on dedicating a few posts to the 300zx repairs that were necessary while I owned this car. This car required more work than any other vehicle that I have owned before or since. But this post will be dedicated to the engine itself the mighty 3.0 L Nissan V6. Read more
300ZX Manual Transmission Repairs
My 1988 300ZX
This story is about my 300ZX manual transmission. Specifically about how my ignorance completely destroyed it to the point that it could not be repaired. First some background information about the car and where it came from so the rest of the story makes some sense.
I was always attracted to the 300ZX sports car. When these vehicles first came out, I could not afford to get one. But in 1998 I decided that I could afford a 10-year-old one as a hobby car or investment. I found a 1988 300ZX 2+2 in pristine condition that was garage kept by the original owner.
I was living in New Jersey at the time and the Z was located in South Carolina. After talking with the owner and seeing pictures online I decided to take a road trip with a friend and go see the vehicle. It was everything that I hoped for and I negotiated a cash sale with the owner. I then had the vehicle shipped back to New Jersey. Read more
Car AC Diagnostics
AC Manifold Guages
It may seem crazy to talk about car AC diagnostics in the middle of a snow storm. But by the time this page gets indexed and ranked you should be ready to turn on your vehicles air conditioning for the first time after a long winter of not using it.
On a previous post about air conditioning auto repairs I discussed how to test your system using manifold gauges. We also discussed how important the total charge of the system is to air-conditioning performance.
On this page will be some tips on how to deal with pressure readings that are out of specifications. Also included will be some best practices for Car AC diagnostics as well as running system AC performance testing properly. And don’t forget to wear safety equipment because freon is dangerous.
High side pressure readings
When you’re basing your diagnostics off of system pressure it is very important to refer to the pressure charts in your online auto repair manuals. These pressure readings will vary greatly with humidity and outside temperature.
Improper diagnosis is often caused by expecting an unrealistic reading on a hot humid day. With that said if you have determined that your pressure readings are truly off here are some tips on what they could actually mean. Read more
Slipping Automatic Transmission
96 GMC K1500 4WD
A slipping automatic transmission is the first sign of serious internal troubles heading your way. More often then not this condition will lead to a complete transmission overhaul. Here is an email question about this common condition as well as a good example of the likely symptoms.
A visitor writes, Thank you for your website. You have pushed me to further educate myself about the mechanical side of cars. Here is some information about my trucks problem before I take it to a transmission shop or general car repair place.
I have a 96 GMC K1500 4WD. I am having slipping automatic transmission problems. If I drive like grandma and ease up to Highway speeds I can feel all gears engage and pull, 1, 2, 3, and 4. If I take off fast From a stop or if I’m driving 6Omph and stomp it for passing gear I can see the Rpm gauge surge to 3500-4000 and hear the engine running great but no power at The wheels.
I have to let off the gas for the transmission to begin to pull again as it falls back to the higher gear. My auto scan tool from Actron says I have no codes set in the computer. I have purchased the all data online auto repair manuals for my trucks. I have gone through the related info to become familiar as possible with this problem. After a physical inspection, my fluid level is correct and no burnt odor. I have no leaks, the wiring harnesses and connectors look fine. Read more
Automatic Transmission Problems
B&M performance transmissions
Automatic transmission problems can be some of the most expensive repairs on today’s automobiles. In my 25 year career the entire automobile has advanced and gone through many changes.
The automatic transmission in my opinion has seen more changes than any other system on the automobile. Back in the 60s a two and three speed automatic transmission was all that you could get in any new car.
Today it is more common to have a six speed transmission or even a constant velocity transmission or CVT. What is amazing about modern units is that they use all of the advancements in automotive technology to improve operation.
Even though these advancements help improve drivability and efficiency they have not seemed to reduce automatic transmission problems. Internal malfunctions continue to be on the same level as they were in the previous years.
Automatic transmission history
Sidebar: In my day B&M was all the rage for those interested in high performance. They still offer shift kits and high performance automatic transmissions
Automatic transmissions in the 80′s and 90′s relied on hydraulic controls to up shift the transmission. This upshift through the gears was controlled without a computer. The use of a governor and a throttle valve were the internal components that controlled the up shifting. Read more
