Maybe you’re completing some routine maintenance and you discovered the oil on your spark plug threads. Or perhaps you were troubleshooting why your vehicle had low oil and discovered that you had spark plugs covered in oil. Either way, now that you’ve found it, you’re sure to have a few questions. Are you supposed to … Read more
To understand the variable valve timing (VVT) solenoid and associated oil control valve (OCV), it will help to know the history of this device and how it benefits our cars, SUVs and light trucks today. The valves in the engine of your car, SUV or truck operate to control the flow of air, fuel and … Read more
The Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, better known as the PCV valve, is associated with the crankcase ventilation system. After the internal combustion process in the engine occurs, there are exhaust gases created which get redirected into the exhaust system by an exhaust valve. While in the exhaust system, the catalytic converter converts these toxic exhaust … Read more
During the development of the automobile, several different methods to control engine speed were utilized. Hand throttles were initially popular, but this method faded over time. Eventually the engine speed and car speed control became the work of the driver’s right foot. Thus the accelerator pedal (or gas pedal) emerged. It was connected to the … Read more
While it’s unlikely that you’ve intentionally poured bleach into your own gas tank, it’s not unheard of for people to try and get back at someone they don’t like by mixing things into their gas tank. But what do you do if you suspect you’re a victim of someone that has bleached your gas tank? … Read more
For automobiles, the electric starter is a boon to easily getting on the road. It was invented by Clyde J. Coleman and first patented in 1903. Coleman soon sold his patent rights to Delco which was subsequently absorbed by General Motors. When Delco joined GM, the brilliant engineer, Charles Kettering, came along for the ride. … Read more
The fuel injectors are the parts of the engine which are responsible for spraying fuel into the intake valves of the engine from where the mixture goes into the piston cylinders for the combustion. The ECU (engine control unit) determines the amount of fuel which is pushed into the fuel injector. Why Fuel Injectors Get … Read more
Vehicle exhaust emissions have been a contributor to air pollution since the automobile first appeared on the dirt roads of the early 1900s. But it was not until the mid 60’s that efforts were initiated to reduce those emissions. By the mid-90’s, refined improvements to automotive engines and related systems had made major strides in … Read more
Almost every vehicle with an internal combustion engine uses either a timing chain or timing belt. These are critical components which over the life of a vehicle CAN fail. This article will cover timing chains in particular. See “Symptoms of a Bad Timing Belt” in case your vehicle uses that instead. What is a Timing … Read more
Decades ago, my dad taught me a great deal about automobile problem diagnosis and repair. One thing he repeated time and time again: “For an engine to run it must have three things. Fuel, spark and compression. And these three must each happen at the right time”. These three factors apply to conventional gasoline-fueled not … Read more