Car Blogger Diary

The anti-lock braking system, or ABS system, is a safety system which prevents the wheels on a vehicle from locking up in a panic stop braking condition, or if you are on a slick surface. The theory behind ABS brakes is simple. A skidding wheel has less traction than a non-skidding wheel. By keeping the wheels from skidding when you slow down, ABS brakes benefit you in two ways, you will stop faster and you will be able to steer while stopping. There are four main components to an ABS system; the speeds sensors, the pump, the valves and the controller. The speeds sensors are located either at each wheel or in the differential, they provide the information that the wheel is about to lock up. The valves are located in each line at the brakes and they pass thru, stop and release the brake fluid from the master cylinder to activate the ABS system. The controller is the computer in the car. It watches the speed sensors and controls the valves. When the ABS is at work you will feel a pulsing...

Ball joints are ball-and-socket joints in the front suspension that serve as the pivot points between the wheels and suspension of your vehicle. On each side, the lower ball joint is pressed into and rests in the lower control arm, while the upper ball joint rests in the upper control arm. Both control arms are hinged to enable the wheel to move vertically. While each ball joint supports a great deal of vehicle weight and works at steadying the wheel, the lower ball joint bears the majority of the vehicle’s weight. Consequently, the ball joints are far more likely to wear out. Excessive play in the lower ball joint leads the tire to recover sloppily from a minor jolt, this can be indicated by clunking and/or creaking noises, and odd or extreme tire wear on the front tires. Vehicles with a MacPherson-strut suspension systems utilize a lower ball joint and an upper strut bearing instead of an upper ball joint. If you have noticed your vehicle wandering or erratic steering or odd tire wea...

The Truth About Extended Life Spark Plugs Vehicle manufacturers make much of the fact that their products come equipped with extended-life spark plugs that can maintain a precise gap for 100,000 miles. However, before you wait that long to replace them, you should bear in mind that spark plugs that hit the 80,000-mile marker are four-fifths worn. As the gap in the plug widens, engine performance and gas mileage begin to suffer. In addition, spark plugs that have remained in place for tens of thousands of miles have a tendency to seize in the cylinder head or the two piece designs tend to break. Once this happens, it can be a potentially costly job to remove them. Since your vehicle’s spark plugs are going to require replacement sometime, better to do it sooner rather than later. How Often To Replace Spark Plugs Even if your vehicle is equipped with extended-life spark plugs, you should still have them inspected approximately every 30,000 miles. During that inspection also have checked ...

The power steering system in your vehicle enables you to steer your vehicle in the direction you would like it to proceed. Power steering is really “power-assisted” steering. “Power-assisted” steering will allow you to steer your vehicle manually when the engine is not running or if you have a failure in the power steering system which disables it. Power steering utilizes a hydraulic pump running off a belt-driven by the engine, this pump enables a small amount of fluid to be under pressure. This pressure, in turn, assists the steering mechanism in directing the tires as you turn the steering wheel. The power steering system typically includes a pump, power steering fluid, a pressure hose assembly, a control valve, and a return line. There are two basic types of power steering systems used on vehicles. The rack and pinion steering system and the conventional/integral steering gear system, which is also known as a recirculating ball steering system. The rack and pinion steering system i...

The shocks and struts on your vehicle play a big role in the stability and control of the vehicle. The vehicle being stable means that is has the ability to stop, turn, and swerve at exactly the moment you need it to. Your shocks and struts are designed to react to every wheel and body movement, and also to every bump and corner. They also help to keep the vehicle at the proper ride height that the vehicle was designed to having. They keep the geometry of the suspension in the correct position. Shocks and struts that are wearing will allow the vehicle to dip, sway, bounce and overreact to corners, during stopping and acceleration, and over bumps or uneven surfaces on the road. These effects result in reduced braking ability, along with tire and suspension parts having accelerated wear. It is also more difficult for the driver to maintain control of the vehicle, causing them to constantly make steering corrections while driving to compensate. Studies show that it only takes one worn sho...

The acronym SRS stands for Supplemental Restraint System which is the proper name for the Airbag System in your vehicle. This is the dash warning light that was not mentioned in the prior articles on warning lights. This system is considered a passive safety device, meaning that it takes no action from the vehicle occupants to activate the device, like a seat belt that takes action from the occupant to activate the device. When the SRS light is illuminated on the dash, this means that the Airbag Control Unit sees an issue in the system and has disabled the system. This means that the airbags will not deploy in the event of an accident. The original design of an airbag was developed in 1952. Vehicle airbag systems went into use in the early 1970’s and have gone through a series of developmental changes throughout the years. They were designed to be used as a safety supplement to seat belts, most injuries that are caused by airbags, are due to the fact that seat belts were not being worn...

Today’s vehicles are run by multiple computers or control modules. To give you an idea of what I am talking about, the engine is managed by an electronic control module or ECM. These control modules monitor and control the fuel, emissions, temperature, the timing of the engine, braking, starting, charging, transmission shifting and speed. The electrical accessory systems that add luxuries like power windows, door locks, seats, mirrors, heating, and air conditioning, are also run by a control module, called a body control module or BCM. How Do You Know If Your Car Needs A Diagnostic? When one of these systems in your vehicle starts malfunctioning, a driver is alerted by either the illumination of a warning light on your dash. The vehicle could also start malfunctioning by not starting, causing a rough idle, running poorly or a loss of power, or the fuel economy level could have changed, or possibly another symptom. In order to properly diagnose what is going on with the vehicle and conc...

The internet has a ton of information on vehicles, vehicle maintenance, vehicle repair, along with consumer reports on vehicles and a ton of opinions about vehicles, what to buy and how to take care of them. Today I read an article that is published online at MSN.com about The Ten Most Costly Repairs on an Automobile. This article was so incorrect it was frustrating. It was inaccurate as to how some of the different systems on a vehicle operate, proper verbiage was not used on how different parts fail, what the proper repair would be and the price range on the repairs was considerably off. With the internet readily available to most consumers, are we being bombarded with information, some accurate and some inaccurate. Are we, as consumers believing everything we read as truth? How are we to know the difference? A couple of things that everyone should look at is; who is writing the article, what are their qualifications, and where are they getting their sources. An article or publicatio...

Symptoms Of Improper Alignment Having the alignment on your checked regularly is important. Proper alignments aids with proper steering, good vehicle control, and avoids excessive or uneven wear on your tires. Some of the symptoms for improper alignment or worn parts that affect the alignment are: Tilted or off center steering wheel. Poor returning ability of the steering wheel. While driving pulling to one side. Uneven or excessive tire wear. The toe alignment of the vehicle is the difference between the front and rear of the corresponding tires, at the spindle height, as seen from the top of the vehicle. Toe in or toe out will increase tire scrub or feathering on the inside or outside edges of the tires. The camber alignment is the inward or outward tilt of the wheel, from its top, as viewed from the front of the vehicle. Positive or negative camber can cause suspension and steering parts to wear out prematurely. The caster alignment is the amount the steering axis is tilted from ...