I have had so many calls these past few months from friends and relatives wanting to know if I had time to look at their cars! Most of them were having problems with their service engine soon or check engine lights coming on. This last car was a 2000 Ford Triton SUV V-8 motor. These engines are very hard to work on because of their height and how the motor is positioned in there. I suggested she take it to a local shop for further diagnostics and it was to cold to do anything to it!
Well I didnt have the heart to turn her away after she told me she didnt have the time to take it in. I was in luck because this was an easy one. My pocket scanner pulled up a code for number 6 cylinder misfire. I pulled the spark plug out and found it was corroded with moisture and rust. That specific type of motor has a external coil located at each cylinder along with a boot to cover the sparkplug. After replaceing it she was on her way! She insisted on paying me but I couldn't take any money for somthing that simple.
One other vehicle was my brother in law's van. It died on the highway! After a few simple tests I determined his fuel pump went out. I banged on his gas tank to give the electric pump a jump and he was on his way. I told him banging on his gas tank will only work a few more times if he is lucky!
Im beginning to think about charging these people somthing, especially with the cold weather outside! ha ha
I'm not sure right now. Maybe in the future.
These newer cars require at the least minimum a Pocket scanner and a Digital Voltmeter to diagnose them. I can remember when it was a wrench and a screw driver! Happy Driving!
Car Specifications
Usually the first question that comes up is, "WHAT TYPE OF CAR DO YOU HAVE". This information gives the mechanic a quicker evaluation of your problem. With this he will began to evaluate the condition of your vehicle. It would be even more helpful if you had your vehicle's Year Make and Model. An added bonus would be if you had your Engine Size handy.
This can be found on the schroud above the fan or on the hood it self. The mechanics will have to double check this while doing the repairs anyways so dont worry to much.
A dishonest mechanic can use this first conversation with you to determine if you are aware of your vehicle's information. Their thinking is if you dont know your vehicles year make and model and engine size then you don't know really whats under your hood. So if all possible, have this information stored where you can have access to it when needed, like either your computer,
Samsung NC10-13GB 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life
laptop or your cell phone. Believe me the more knowledgable you seem concerning your car the less likely you will be ripped off!
In one of my earlier blogs I mentioned to ask to see your old parts when they are finished. Even know you dont know what your looking at, this gives the mechanics a sence that you are a very careful shopper!
If you haven't got your own pocket scanner from Amazon you should plan on getting one real soon. I used it already 3 times in the past 3 months! Once for my car and 2 other times looking at friends and families vehicles. Somthing about the weather change brings on all kinds of car problems. Being able to bring in your own codes to your mechanic also shows him you care about your car and less likely to be scammed also.
So input your vehicles information some wheres so you can have it handy! Happy Driving!
This can be found on the schroud above the fan or on the hood it self. The mechanics will have to double check this while doing the repairs anyways so dont worry to much.
A dishonest mechanic can use this first conversation with you to determine if you are aware of your vehicle's information. Their thinking is if you dont know your vehicles year make and model and engine size then you don't know really whats under your hood. So if all possible, have this information stored where you can have access to it when needed, like either your computer,
Samsung NC10-13GB 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life laptop or your cell phone. Believe me the more knowledgable you seem concerning your car the less likely you will be ripped off! In one of my earlier blogs I mentioned to ask to see your old parts when they are finished. Even know you dont know what your looking at, this gives the mechanics a sence that you are a very careful shopper!
If you haven't got your own pocket scanner from Amazon you should plan on getting one real soon. I used it already 3 times in the past 3 months! Once for my car and 2 other times looking at friends and families vehicles. Somthing about the weather change brings on all kinds of car problems. Being able to bring in your own codes to your mechanic also shows him you care about your car and less likely to be scammed also.
So input your vehicles information some wheres so you can have it handy! Happy Driving!
Routine
I was just sitting here wondering how much money I saved over the years working on my own car. Especially performing routine services such as oil changes. My usual routine is to order my parts for the oil change and go home and do it. I would buy the same old oil and filter by remembering their part numbers. Then proceed home and grab the same sized wrench, crawl underneith, drain the oil, change the filter then tighten up the drain plug. Its finished in less than 5 minutes! I just saved my self another $25!
Of course while I was waiting for the oil to drain I would give the underneith a quick visual. I would look at the exhaust pipes, inside tire wear, leaks of any kind, and grease the 2 lube zerks I had from the factory. Remember most newer cars come from the factory with no zerks to lube. (my thinking behind that is to have your suspension components go bad earlier than what they were designed for so you can return to the dealer for New tie rod ends, ball joints, pitman arms and idler arms etc.)
Anyways back to the point here. If you have a routine for your car repairs such as oil changes, fuel and air filters, belts and hoses and fluids, then you will be able to complete your repairs without even realizing how much money you are saving along the way!
Keeping your part numbers and vehicle information handy is a time saving task. I was tired of being asked My year Make and Model along with my Engine size before getting to my parts. So now I have created my own folder on my desktop with all this information along with others. Such as my vehicles Vin. number.(vehicle identification number) I found if you walk into a parts store with just your Vin. number they can tell alot of things about your car from that. Perhaps even the color of your car as well as how many doors you have. Maybe even who has all been in your car for the past 30 days! ( I think im stretching it a little bit here now)
One of these days I will slow down enough in my life to figure out on paper the exact amount of money saved. In the mean time check out Amazon's Parts Finder section and get the right parts you need to complete your routine car repair services! These guys are great and know their PARTS!
Happy Driving!
Of course while I was waiting for the oil to drain I would give the underneith a quick visual. I would look at the exhaust pipes, inside tire wear, leaks of any kind, and grease the 2 lube zerks I had from the factory. Remember most newer cars come from the factory with no zerks to lube. (my thinking behind that is to have your suspension components go bad earlier than what they were designed for so you can return to the dealer for New tie rod ends, ball joints, pitman arms and idler arms etc.)
Anyways back to the point here. If you have a routine for your car repairs such as oil changes, fuel and air filters, belts and hoses and fluids, then you will be able to complete your repairs without even realizing how much money you are saving along the way!
Keeping your part numbers and vehicle information handy is a time saving task. I was tired of being asked My year Make and Model along with my Engine size before getting to my parts. So now I have created my own folder on my desktop with all this information along with others. Such as my vehicles Vin. number.(vehicle identification number) I found if you walk into a parts store with just your Vin. number they can tell alot of things about your car from that. Perhaps even the color of your car as well as how many doors you have. Maybe even who has all been in your car for the past 30 days! ( I think im stretching it a little bit here now)
One of these days I will slow down enough in my life to figure out on paper the exact amount of money saved. In the mean time check out Amazon's Parts Finder section and get the right parts you need to complete your routine car repair services! These guys are great and know their PARTS!
Happy Driving!
Haltech platinum series
Recently i get to know haltech got new series released. May be i am the one late to know ... This series launched quite some time already. Must a friend that seeking for my help to setup haltech platinum sprint 500. I find that haltech new interface quite user friendly , may be it user friendly if you really read the manual and you got some knowledge of car sensors and operation. I have used my own laktop help him to set up the haltech ecu. Dam it ! my laktop behave again. Twice my laktop battery dead when i try to upload the setting. At last i just let him know all setting in writting. And he manages to get the car back to life. After get in touch with haltech platinum series , i starting fall in it. I am looking to get haltech platinum sport 1000. Not that soon , may be February later.
I have done market survey on 500 and 1000
At sunway .... The sole dealer was offered 500 at RM4000++ and 1000 at RM6000++
That just ecu alone !!!
PLATINUM SPORT 1000
PLATINUM SPRINT 500
Electric Fuel Pumps
Electric Fuel Pumps Continued………
I just saved $240 over this past snowy weekend using my own Blog here! That was cool! The tips on price markups came in handy. So actually I paid no parts markup. Also I received a couple estimates which were very far apart from each other. Because of major back problems and the recent snow storm we received here, I wasn’t about to crawl around in the ice and snow with the slush pulling off my gas tank to replace my fuel pump inside. Lol
What happened here was after I backed into a snow bank it some how knocked out my internal electric fuel pump. The first thing I did was to check the fuse and fuel pump relay. They seemed to be working. So I used my ole trusty friend the digital volt meter which you can find here on the swinging carousel by amazon.com. It’s a pretty simple test really! I put the positive end of the volt meter in the connection at the fuel pump and found I did have the required 5 volts to operate the pump. That’s a pretty quick test! Of course you also have to make sure your ground wire to the pump is good
I then called around and got a few estimates and asked their shop hourly rates. I informed them I know the part is around $299. One shop told me the parts and labor was going to be around $750 plus tax! This other shop was great! He let me bring in my own part and he just charged me 2.5 hours to pull the tank and replace my pump! So actually, more money was saved fixing my car.
Stock up on these Digital Testing supplies and you to can be saving hundreds if not thousands on your car repair. Happy Driving!
I just saved $240 over this past snowy weekend using my own Blog here! That was cool! The tips on price markups came in handy. So actually I paid no parts markup. Also I received a couple estimates which were very far apart from each other. Because of major back problems and the recent snow storm we received here, I wasn’t about to crawl around in the ice and snow with the slush pulling off my gas tank to replace my fuel pump inside. Lol
What happened here was after I backed into a snow bank it some how knocked out my internal electric fuel pump. The first thing I did was to check the fuse and fuel pump relay. They seemed to be working. So I used my ole trusty friend the digital volt meter which you can find here on the swinging carousel by amazon.com. It’s a pretty simple test really! I put the positive end of the volt meter in the connection at the fuel pump and found I did have the required 5 volts to operate the pump. That’s a pretty quick test! Of course you also have to make sure your ground wire to the pump is good
I then called around and got a few estimates and asked their shop hourly rates. I informed them I know the part is around $299. One shop told me the parts and labor was going to be around $750 plus tax! This other shop was great! He let me bring in my own part and he just charged me 2.5 hours to pull the tank and replace my pump! So actually, more money was saved fixing my car.
Stock up on these Digital Testing supplies and you to can be saving hundreds if not thousands on your car repair. Happy Driving!
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