Cooling system in your car is in place to prevent heating of the engine. Heat is the number one enemy of your car’s engine. Most people overlook the requirement of maintaining the cooling system in good condition with the result that they are seen on the side of the road with the hood of their car up in the air and steam coming out of the radiator of their car. If you do not want this to happen to you, it is better to carry out inspection and maintenance of the cooling system of your car to prevent a major breakdown.

Check the coolant of the car
You may not be aware of the fact but every time you take out your car on road, it makes use of the coolant to keep the temperatures of the engine down to manageable levels. The coolant in your car is a mixture of water and an antifreeze chemical that keeps on flowing between the coolant box, the radiator, and the passage inside the engine to keep the temperature of the engine down. Two of the main reasons why the temperature of the engine of your car goes up are when
•    The level of the coolant goes down below a prescribed level
•    The coolant becomes dirty and contaminated to not fulfill its functions properly

If you fail to take action in time, coolant of your car can actually lead to a breakdown of the entire cooling system of your car and lead to a meltdown of sorts. Some of the warning signs that you as a car owner must pay heed to are heater giving off cool air in the winters, steam coming out of the radiator during summers, warning lights flashing about low coolant levels, leaking coolant etc.

A leaking water pump can create problems
Your car has a water pump to carry the coolant to the radiator and to the passage flows inside the engine to keep it cool. You can easily get to this water pump as heater hoses are usually attached to it. Check if it is leaking out the coolant of your car. This is a signal that you need to replace the pump as it is now unable to circulate the coolant to keep the temperature of the engine under control.

Park the car on a large cardboard
If you park your car on a cardboard, you can easily see if there is any leakage of the coolant in the morning. The freeze plug may be leaking to cause the los of coolant Get the car inspected by a mechanic who will replace the freeze plug to stop the leakage.

Sometimes, corrosion of radiator causes leaks
If you see steam emanating from the radiator, you can rest assured that there is some leakage in it. If you are not sure, get it inspected by a mechanic to reveal the leaks. You can get the radiator replaced or repaired to stop this leakage.

Sometimes, the thermostat is the culprit
Under the hood lies a thermostat that is used to maintain temperature of the engine. You can easily replace the old thermostat with a new one to see if it is able to control overheating of your car.

De-clogging the cooling system may be a good idea
Sometimes, there is no major problem in the cooling system and all it needs is a good flush. This is similar to your body having clogging in your veins or arteries. Flushing of the system is done with products available for the purpose in the market.

If you are able to find the problem and fix it, it will save you a lot of money. However, at times, getting professional help may be the tight way of getting over the problem of overheating.

1. The car’s faulty fuse can also cause high idling of the engine. Though in most modern cars there is an idle control motor that handles and controls the idling and rev of the car. Blown and faulty fuse can cause speedy and high rev because of fuse malfunction too.
2. Computer problems can also be the leading cause of high idling in newer cars. Computer is the one that controls the transmission and the engine along with the airbag and brakes too. Do you know if the fuses don’t have any problem; the computer system is fine as well?
3. Computer error may be the leading cause of high idling especially when it gets misinterpreted information. Oftentimes, it’s the cold weather that triggers the problem but once the engine has been warmed, the problem will easily subside.
4. Vacuum leak can also lead to high idling of the car. The motor of the car works with a vacuum port that controls the engine speed during idling mode. When you open and close the valve of the vacuum port within an interval, the mort sets the idle speed too. One the seal of the vacuum port leaks out, it will also contribute to interference that will also contribute to high idling. The car’s hoses connected to the vacuum that was damaged can also contribute to the problem that you have.
5. Building up of dirt within the throttle of the engine may also contribute to high idling. Cleaning it will help you but though, you also need to check if the tube has a crack or if it is already worn out.

Idle problems should be properly determined to make sure that your gas consumption won’t increase.

During the older times, the fan was attached to the engine of the car which requires energy consumption coming from the car. Now that modern technology is here and the demand for energy is more rampant, a fluid coupling was made intentionally to enable the fan to stay off as long as the temperature of the engine is cold and doesn’t require help coming from the fan. As the engine of the car heats up, the   fan works faster too. These days, couplings are also known as clutch fan. If you would like to check if the clutch fan of your car is functioning accordingly, here is some useful information that you can use:

1. First thing that you can do is to raise the hood of the car and check if the fan clutch is fitted and doesn’t have oil and dirt. If there is a liquid that can be seen on the fan, there must be a leak and the fan should be changed.
2. You need to turn the fan to see if it’s properly working, you can do that by checking if the fan is spinning freely or if it is resisting. The fan should only resist when the weather is cold and when the engine is cold. If you see that the fan is locked up you need to change it because it shouldn’t be locked up there. It should be easily moved.
3.  You need to move the fan up and down, if you are not having a hard time, there is nothing to worry about the fan. If you see that the pump bearings are torn, it should be changed.

From time to time, you need to inspect some car parts to see if they are properly functioning or if they need to be changed.

 If you own a car, you need to become familiar with its parts so that when something bad happen, you can easily know where the problem is actually coming. Ignition is an essential part of the car because this part includes several parts such as the spark plugs, wires and ignition coil that plays vital role to the proper function of the car. Ignition is responsible with the distribution of every spark plug of fuel mixture to the cylinder of the car. If the ignition is not in its proper timing or functioning, problems will arise because the engine will lose its proper power. Some common ignition problems that you may encounter are as follows:

1. Engine is missing the idle mode can be categorized as an ignition problem. This is when the engine is not actually failing but just missing out or doesn’t shoot up right away. It can be the spark plug or the cylinder of the car. If the engine starts to miss out during an idle mode, the ignition timing must be in its improper timing. It could also be the distributor that has been damaged. It can also be unnecessary or extreme movement inside the shaft that causes the ignition timing to work in an inaccurate manner.
2. When the engine misses out within a speed just atop of the idle mode, it may be missing out or you need to check the engine timing. It may be the cause of the problem but if you see that it’s not, then you need to check the distributor. The distributor’s cap may be damaged and it might need to be replaced. You also need to check the rotor if it is also worn out because it may also be one of the culprit. The problem may depend on the car and its model so it may be complicated to check where the problem is coming from. If your car model is older, there must be the point system that may also cause problems, or it can also be the ignition coil.
3. Check the exhaust tract if the engine causes the unburned fuel to explode inside the exhaust tract. This is commonly known as backfiring and sometimes, it can be because of the carburetor though at times, vacuum problems and leaks or valve lash may also be the culprit because of incorrect timing that has been set in the ignition. If you are sure that your car is suffering from backfiring, you need to check for the engine timing again and see if the distributor is bolted in a very secure manner to the engine of the car. Lose bolt can cause improper movement which may cause ignition timing problem.

You have to inspect it from time to time to know where the problem comes from.

1. You can start by finding the oxygen sensor that needs to be changed. For some older model cars, there is only 1 single oxygen sensor that needs to be changed while newer car versions have 2. You can easily identify oxygen sensors because of the golden wires.
2. What you will do is to detach the wires coming from the oxygen sensors along with its connection to the electrical system as well. You need to be very careful because improper disconnecting of the wires may cause more serious damages later on.
3. If you find it hard to remove the sensor since heat can contribute to the sensor being stuck in place, you can use a wrench to loosen it up. It needs force to unscrew it but always be very careful because you may also damage other parts of the car that are beside the sensor.
4. With new sensors on hand, you need to put some oil on it before you screw it to the car. This will make sure that the new sensor will work well and will go along with the wires.

Oxygen sensors are responsible in monitoring the gases that the car emits every time you use the car. It may be costly so you need to make sure that the oxygen sensor is really the problem or else, you might be spending money for a false part of the car. There should be increase in gas mileage or black smoke that is unusual for you to determine if the oxygen sensors are really the problem of your car. Simple information may help you determine if you are really on the right tract.

1. First thing that must be done is to gather stuffs that must be used to change your car’s engine oil. It is a must so you can easily reach out for things that you will need along the way. You need to park the car in a place where the oil can be drained adequately. Don’t put your car on ramp if you don’t have adequate oil pan where the drained oil will be placed.
2. You need to drain the oil of your car’s engine and check if there is no oil left after a few minutes. You need to make sure that all the oil has been removed so that there will not be old oil to mix up with the new oil that you will put on. When the old oil is gone, you need to change the drain plug or gaskets too.
3. When you are done draining the old oil, you need to replace it with a new one. Take off the oil filler cap on the engine top and then place the new oil using a funnel. Warm up your engine and check if the oil level of the car is suitable enough.

Its best to warm up the oil first so that you can drain it easily but makes sure it’s not in its boiling level so you will not be burned accidentally by the bursting oil. You can use rages in different areas of the car to make sure that oil spills won’t bring you harm later on.

 Regular Rings and Valve Leak Check Prevents Leak

Owning a car require responsibility because you need to check your car from time to time especially if you will be going for a long ride. Regular ring and valve check can help prevent leaks that may lead to major damages to your car later on in life. Engine valves plays vital role in any type of car. If valves are not properly placed or the rings are not properly seated, it may cause the car to consume more oil. A compression test must be done to check for such issue. Checking ring problems and valve leaks are very important to prevent more serious problems later on. This article will help you find out how to check for bad rings and valve leaks from your car.

Bad rings

• You can check for bad rings by pulling the spark plug wires, you can do that using a wrench and with the help of spark plug socket.
• Now screw the tip of the compression gauge of any spark plug openings of the cylinder head.
• You need to block the opening of the throttle through assistance coming from the accelerator pedal. You need to step on it down to the floor of the car which will enable the engine to have enough supply of air.
• You need to ask someone to turn on the engine while the accelerator pedal is down.  You need to take note of the readings of the gauge and then do the test on the rest of the cylinders that you have in the car. The reading should be about 130-160 pounds per square inch for every cylinder.
• You will know if the rings are properly working by seeing the cylinder readings within the range required. If there is a low reading, you need to just put a small amount of water into the cylinder using a spray bottle. If after putting on some water the reading is still not good, you need to change the rings because they may be worn out and needs to be changed.

Valves with leaks

• You need to fasten the hose of the gauge first.
• Turn on the engine and let someone help you by stepping on the accelerator pedal, this will enable the engine to speed up.
• Check the needle of the gauge and see if the reading is steady or not. If the needle is steady, it means that they are in good condition but if the need needle is fluctuating, it means that there is a leak within the valve and you have to check it deeply.

Always wear glasses for your safety when checking parts of your car.

 Ways to Determine if the Fuel Injector is Bad or Not

If you own a car, you must be familiar with fuel injection though a lot of people who drives their own car doesn’t know and fully understand how it works and what it is all about. This article will help you understand what is a fuel injector and how to determine a bad fuel injector in your car which can actually cause the engine to idle in a roughly manner and will also contribute to increase fuel consumption.

Bad fuel injector can also contribute to the performance problem of the car later on in life. In a lot of cases, tracing a bad fuel injector can be done through the nozzle of and through a failed coil. Using the right type of tools, you will be able to know how to properly check bad fuel injector and how to change it accordingly. Here are some helpful tips that you can use:

First thing that you need to do is to park your vehicle in an open area. Open the hood and lift the hand brake.
Next is to set the transmission in neutral level and then start the engine. Make sure that the car is parked well and the hand brake is well.
Now put on a stethoscope meant for mechanical purposes and then check the suspected fuel injector that is malfunctioning. You can do that by placing the tip of the tool against the body of the fuel injector. There should be clicks as soon as the injector valve opened up and then closes. If there is no clicking sound the injector may be bad or not in getting a power.
You have to turn off the engine and then unplug the electrical connector on the suspected injector that you have. You need to set the digital ohmmeter to a very low range on the ohm scale. Now you need to turn on the meter and then investigate both contacts that you have on the electrical connections. If there is any meter problem. There will be a blank screen that will appear on the meter.
Connect the nod light on and if it doesn’t flash at all, you need to check the circuit and component that enables the power feed to that injector.
Turn off the engine and then plug the harness connector. You can close the hood after that.
Determining bad fuel injector is not a big problem if you know how to determine if it’s bad or not.

  Important Information about Timing Belt

Timing belt is an essential part of a car’s engine because it makes sure that the valves work accordingly through proper coordination. It is so essential for you, as a car owner to find someone who can help you when it comes to adjusting the timing belt. It is essential especially because it should be properly synchronized with the engine valves along with the pistons of the car to enable it to function well. Once the timing belt is improperly installed, there could be possible problems that may be encounter later on.

Do you know that improper setting of the timing belt can lead to collisions of the valve and pistons of the car? Damages may be worse later on if the timing belt hasn’t been properly installed. As a car owner, you need to change your car’s timing belt whenever you have reached 80,000 miles. It is recommended by most car dealers today to make sure that the car will run smoothly and there will be no accidents that may occur while you are on the road. If you are curious about how to properly determine time belt problems and setting, this article will be very helpful to you.

1. First thing that you can do is to try to disconnect the battery from the cables. There is a timing belt cover so you need to remove everything that will hinder you from seeing the belt but always be careful about it.
2. You need to place wheel chocks over the rear wheels so that there won’t be any movements that will occur. Make sure that the car is properly parked and in neutral mode so that you will have more free access when rotating the crankshaft.
3. Take off the belt cover by taking off the bolts of the perimeter. You can do that using a crank pulley. You need to see if the camshaft timing is aligned. If it is not properly aligned, you need to adjust it but make sure that you are knowledgeable in this task.
4. The tension bolt needs to be loosening up so that you will be able to move the pulley freely.
5. See if the alignment between crankshaft and camshaft are ok. If they are ok, you can just turn complete revolutions of the crankshaft to return it to its proper position. Now you are done, you can change the cover of the timing belt and connect back the accessories along with the battery to its terminal.
6. Start the engine now and feel if the throttle is responding accordingly. The engine should run smoothly even in idle mode especially if the timing belt is properly adjusted.

Proper understanding of the timing belt function will make you take care of your car appropriately.

1. Back pressure is also used along with engine retarders. These enable the release of compression from the engine. Oftentimes, it is in a slow or heavy manner depending on the need of the driver. This is often used by diesel powered engines because unlike gasoline powered cars, diesel powered cars don’t have built in engine brake system.
2. The engine exhaust brake has also something to do with the back pressure because it is one of the kinds of engine retarder that also uses back pressure to make the car stop. This part is responsible in making a resistance over the pistons of the engine that makes the rotation lower. It makes the slowing of the car very much in control every time it stops.
3. Having exhaust back pressure on your car offer a lot of benefits because it can help a car to slow down especially diesel powered cars. Whenever you go and drive along the hills, you will have more secured brake and the car won’t roll down as well. The braking components also have longer life span.

Measuring back pressure of the car is not a daunting task because all you have to do is to go underneath the car and position yourself to the exhaust pipe. It can be found just behind the engine. The exhaust pipe is connected to the catalytic converter and to the muffler of your car. You need to screw the end of the psi pressure gauge through the hole and then start the car and read the gauge. You can easily read the pressure clearly when the car engine is in idle mode. The pressure gauge should read 1.5 but not more than 2.75. After seeing it you can now turn off the engine of the car.