Cars And Parts: How to Get Free Car Tuneup Parts at 23,000 Miles From Uncle Sam



Ignition System



In this article, “How to get free car tuneup parts at 23,000 miles from Uncle Sam” I will tell you from over 25 years working as a ASE certified auto repair technician how important this information will be to you. When you are dealing with cars and parts we all know how much the auto repair guys love to make a quick buck selling their tuneup related services. What I mean by tuneup related services are the extra items they will tell you that you need done before you break down on that lonely stretch of highways out there. (I love all the scare tactics they use.) When you go in for your first tuneup before 24,000 miles these are the items below that are a big hit with auto repair shops selling and pushing tuneup related services:



Cars and Parts

Spark Plug Wires- Parts and Labor

Ignition Coil or Coil Packs- Parts and Labor

Fuel Injection Services- Parts and Labor

Oxygen Sensors and Catalytic Converters

Exhaust Gas Recirculation System Parts
Evaporation Emission Control PartsPCV Valve
Fuel Injection System Parts

Early Fuel Evaporation System Parts

Fuel Metering System Parts
Air Induction System Parts

What you should know when it comes to cars and parts is all of these control systems parts and labor are under Uncle Sam’s Federal Emission Warranty coverage. If your car or truck has not yet hit the 24,000k in mileage or two years which ever comes first mark you are covered. This is how to get free car or truck tuneup parts at 23,000 miles or 2 years from our Uncle Sam. So basically if your new car or truck is missing, cutting out under acceleration, smoking from the tail pipe, or you failed an emissions test you are entitled to free car tuneup parts.

The reason why I wrote this, How To” article is because some auto repair shops will tell you that these parts are needed in order for your car or truck to run right. In my last article, “Exhaust News Catalytic Converters Covered…”, I mentioned that your power control module and your catalytic converter are covered for an additional 8years/80,000 miles from Uncle Sam also. The whole reason why Uncle Sam is footing the bill is because the EPA wants and to maintain cleaner air. A bad running car for what ever the reason is for running that way has to be fixed and for free of charge.

So in summary, if you are getting your first tune up before the warranty expires around 2 years or 23,999 miles or if your car is acting like it needs a tuneup get your car in right away for your free car tuneup parts from Uncle Sam. Don’t pay the auto repair shop guys! Take their check list of the car parts you need to your local new car dealership and let them put a claim in for you. This information can be found at the, Environmental Protection Agencies website here.

Images provided by Wikipedia Images/
Article by The Autodude

Car Tire Tips: Should One Get a Front Wheel Alignment Before or After New Tires?

Car Tire Tips: Should One Get a Front Wheel Alignment Before or After New Tires?

For Beginners: Directions on How to Change Oil And What Oil to Use

For Beginners: Directions on How to Change Oil And What Oil to Use

Exhaust News: Catalytic Converter 8years/80,000 Miles Warranty

Have you ever taken any of your vehicles to the local exhaust repair shop and was told you will be needing a catalytic converter? The prices can range any where from $500 to $1,500 to replace plus the labor, shop supplies, and taxes. If you bought some type of extended warranty you are in luck. If you did not then I have some good news for you. If you had Exhaust problems and was told your catalytic converter is bad it might be covered under Uncle Sam’s law. What I mean is under the EPA’s Federal Emissions Law of 1995 you are covered for up to 8 years/80,000 miles! It does not matter if you are a first, second, or third owner of this new or used car or truck. Don’t get tricked into paying for a bad catalytic converter.

This website has more information including your vehicle’s main computer is under this same 8 years/80,000 mile Federal warranty. If your worried that this law is so old dating back to 1995 don’t be. I personally emailed the EPA and was told there was no update to this warranty because it was still enforced even to today’s cars and trucks. Below are a few lines from the EPA’s Website:

Design and Defect Warranty Coverage for 1995 and newer light-duty
vehicles:
* Emission control and emission related parts are covered for the
first 2 years or 24,000 miles of vehicle use; and
* Specified major emission control components are covered for the
first 8 years or 80,000 miles of vehicle use.
If an emission control or emission related part, or a specified
major emission control component is defective, or if your vehicle
fails an I/M test, and your vehicle is within the time and mileage
limitations for emissions warranty coverage:
* Present a warranty claim to an authorized warranty representative.
If your warranty claim is denied:
* Ask for the reason for denial, in writing.
* Follow the appeal procedures in your owner's manual.
If you are not satisfied with the manufacturer's decision:
* Contact the EPA, which will investigate the denial of a

valid emissions warranty complaint.

Information taken from: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Vehicle Programs & Compliance Division (6405J)
Attn: Warranty Complaints

401 M Street, SW Washington DC 20460

DIY Repair Tips on How to Fix Dry Engine Valve Seals

DIY Repair Tips on How to Fix Dry Engine Valve Seals

How to Prevent Your Teens Car From Starting:Disable a Car

Prevent Car From Starting

This article is for parents who want to learn how to quickly stop their teenagers car from starting. I was approached by a good customer of mine one day who wanted to know how to prevent a car from starting with out causing any damage to the vehicle. I told him this was a strange request but I would help him out on this subject just one time. He told me his teen age daughter started hanging out with questionable looking people after he bought her a car for her sixteenth birthday. He wanted to know what was the easiest and quickest way to disable a car and to prevent it from starting without her knowing it. I had to chuckle a bit about his request but here is what I told him to do when trying to prevent a car from starting.

I told him to locate the owner’s manual and to find the location and fuse type of the electric fuel pump. I advised him to remember where the fuel pump fuse was located for easy and quick access later. When ever his teenaged daughter was going to disappear into the night again with her questionable looking friends, he could go out to the car and remove the fuel pump fuse within seconds and this will stop his teenagers car from starting. I am a father of a seven year old boy who does not have to worry about these kind of problems yet and am not really looking forward to it. I then told this gentleman if his teenaged daughter ever got suspicious of this fuse and wanted to prevent her car from starting he could then scramble under the car and just unplug the fuel pump 3 wire connector.

If your teenager has a pre 1986 car and you want to know how to stop the teenagers car from starting, quickly you can just remove the coil wire. If you are not familiar with car engines then look for the distributor cap and locate the coil ignition wire which is normally the spark plug wire in the middle of the distributor cap. Removing the lone coil wire will prevent a car from starting. This is a pretty easy and quick method because you only have one wire to remove and replace when its time to start the car. Below I will list a few more ideas for you to remember when its time to learn how to stop your teenagers car from starting.

1. Locate and pull out the fuse marked ECM or PCM
2. Locate and disconnect the crankshaft position sensor
3. Have a professional automotive technician install a toggle switch for you

4. Locate and trip the fuel pump shut off switch (reset when you want the car to start)

 I hope this article will help you with your teenagers car situations when ever you want to prevent a car from starting. These methods are meant to keep them safe and at home when ever you get that gut feeling something bad might happen to them. It may help you to get the owners manual of the teenagers car and study its components locations which I have mentioned above. You can also ask your family mechanic to show you where these fuses and connectors are located. “How to stop your teenagers car from starting-prevent a car from starting fuses and connectors” should be used by every parent who wants to protect their teenager from driving and disappearing into the night. For more car care information please visit my car blog at, “Auto Repair Savings And my Special Links”

Diagnose Car Misfires

TAGS: How To, Teenagers, Car, Starting, Prevent, How to Stop, Fuse, Connector

Fuel System - The Fuel Injector And Fuel System Cleaning Process

Fuel system and fuel injection cleaning have become very popular since 1986. After 1986 most of the vehicles were built with fuel injectors in mind when building our cars and trucks. This is when everyone said goodbye to Carburetors. Fuel system cleaning was born and is now part of every maintenance check list out there in the automotive repair world.

Fuel Injection systems are a lot easier to work on and diagnose then the old carburetors. Carburetor rebuilding was quite expensive from the customer's point of view. The parts and labor were averaging around $500 a job. I was cashing in on this carburetor craze since I was being paid commission and labor on every carburetor job I was involved with. But enough about me. Fuel injection and fuel injector cleaning is here to stay. What is all involved when the auto mechanic says, “You need your fuel system and fuel injectors cleaned.”

The fuel injection cleaning process is fast and does a very good job cleaning out the carbon build up inside your engines intake system. Actually it also depends on what type of fuel system cleaning the auto shop has in stock. Some shops had the regular 3 can cleaning system. While others have a very big and clumsy expensive machine they use. The fuel system and injector cleaning is a very simple process to perform and very expensive from a customers point of view.

I really liked using the 3 can system cleaning method. It involved adding one can to the fuel tank as a fuel additive. The second can was hooked up to a high pressure source and sprayed straight into the upper intake and upper plenum area and scrubbed by hand. The third can was hooked into the cars vacuum system where it was sucked down in to a vacuum source of the intake system and down around the intake and exhaust valves. There it would soak and bubble up for about 20 minutes. Then the auto technician would start the car after the 3rd can soaked and watched all the black carbon blow out the tailpipe! This 3 can fuel injection and injector cleaning process works very well in my opinion. Please have it done.

After changing the fuel filter, (for an additional charge) , I could not believe the power that was restored after this fuel system cleaning process and fuel filter replaced! Just slightly pushing on the accelerator the car wanted to jump right out of the shop and take off on its own. I think it cost around $80 or $90 bucks back then but it was well worth the money in my opinion!

Check Engine Light Problems -Automobile Repair: Trouble Shooting

Trouble shooting problems on your automobile can and will save you money repairing it. Problems such as a check engine light or a problem with a computer controlled device can be time consuming if you decide to do this yourself. But in the long run as I said before the savings are unbelievable. For instance lets say out of the blue as your driving down the road your automobile starts to pop and your check engine light illuminates. The first step involved while trying to trouble shoot this problem is to find out why your check engine soon light came on. If your light came on the same time your automobile began to pop and sputter you can bet these two things are connected.

A trouble code 42 indicates that your problems are in your electronic spark timing control circuit. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your timing advance is off it means that in that circuit which consists of an ignition module, your secondary ignition and your ECM you will need to pull out your schematic and follow the diagnostic tree. Just as soon as your onboard computer picks up the glitch it will illuminate your automobiles check engine light.

Another common check engine light problem you might experience is with your throttle position sensor. Automobile problems that have a check engine light associated with the TPS will exhibit poor engine performance, hesitation, and lack of power. Trouble shooting this problem you will have to locate your TPS which is usually located around your throttle body. Most automobiles have a three wire connector attached to the TPS which will have to be unplugged to test. One wire is a five volt power supply and one engine ground, and a five volt reference wire is the other.

On the newer vehicles you might have a check engine light associated with a loose gas cap. If you remember putting gas in your vehicle and forgetting to install or tighten down the gas cap this problem can be fixed by tightening up your gas cap and resetting the check engine light. The automobiles computer will reset the check engine light automatically after so many key starts. Each automobile has its own procedure in fixing this problem. Make sure you read your owners manual to set the check engine light the appropriate way for your automobile.

Trouble shooting check engine light problems on your own automobile will require you to purchase a very reliable digital volt ohm meter, a test light, and a scan tool to reset your check engine light when you are through. These tools can be bought at any auto repair parts store or Wal-Mart. Check engine light problems or service engine soon light automobile repair problems should be performed by a certified auto repair technician to fix them right the first time.

You And Your Car Warranty: Emissions

Federal emissions extended warranties cover a lot more parts for your new car or truck than you would realize. In this article I want to go over a few things you should know about your new car extended federal emissions warranty that I discovered from a website I will give you later in this article. I do not understand why more people do not take advantage of this federal emissions warranty that covers them for up to 8 years or 80,000 miles. I wrote a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency to clarify what was all covered and I could not believe their response concerning this federal emissions extended warranty for your car or truck.

I guess the easiest way to explain most of it would be to tell you that any time your "Check Engine Light or Service Engine Soon" light illuminated while you are under this 8/80,000 mile federal emissions warranty, you can take your vehicle in to your local car dealership and have this repaired for free. This extended federal emissions warranty may even cover a loaner car if you do your homework before taking your vehicle in for repairs. I have seen a lot of cars and trucks fall into this category of warranty repair work. If the customer did not understand this law I would explain to them that the EPA will not tolerate excessive emissions coming out of their vehicle's tail pipe and will stand behind you if the car dealer ship will not warranty the bad parts. One other tip for understanding your car or truck's federal extended warranties would be if your vehicle failed an emissions test. This is covered and will also be fixed for free.

I knew of this EPA federal emission law back in the late 1990's and to clarify it with the EPA today their response was that, "this law even know it is very old the same contents of it applies to new cars and trucks even today" going into the year 2011. The EPA website with all of this information and parts that are covered can be found at, United States Environmental Protection Agency. If you just bought a new car or truck or you are planning on purchasing one any time soon I would urge you to book mark this article for future references. I doubt if any new car service facility applies this law to any of it's customers without putting up some kind of argument with you. This site also tells you how to file a complaint against the car dealership who does not follow this older EPA law.

My ASE certifications included engine performance where I specialized in a car or truck's drivability problems which included finding out why your check engine light was on and finding out why the vehicle was running so bad. Most of the time the bad parts were covered under this new car warranty of 8/80,000 miles which ever occurs first. So once again I urge you to visit this site and print a copy of this for your glove box for the next time your check engine light illuminates or your vehicle starts to run bad. I may go into this article in depth for you in the future so check back here for more information on this secret car and truck warranty. This information will save you thousands of dollars in warranty repair work on your new car or truck.

Spring Maintenance Inspection under the Hood of Car or Truck

Springtime is here again and its time for that maintenance inspection under the hood of your car or truck to be performed. A car engine is something anyone can do a quick inspection to see what the winter months have created for him or her to fix now that it is spring. If you are not too familiar with what to look for then that is why I am here to help you. I have over 25 years experience as an ASE certified automotive technician and I enjoy helping people with their cars or trucks. Here are a few of the major maintenance items to check under the hood of your car or truck.

Four Key Inspection Items Under The Hood:


1. Upper and Lower Radiator Hoses: Inspect the 2 hoses for any bulging, leaking of antifreeze, loose hose clamps, or any irregular wear from rubbing against something.

2. Serpentine Belt or V-Belts: Inspect your belts for excessive cracking or looseness. With the car engine off reach down and check the tension of these automotive belts. They should be very snug and tight with not much side-to-side motion.

3. Check all Fluid Levels: Of course, this means checking your oil level, transmission fluid, brake fluid level, antifreeze overflow tank level, and your power steering fluid level. Take note of how contaminated these fluids maybe and decide if its time to flush them all out with new fluids.

4. Under the Hood Engine Leaks: Check for any kind of leaks that was not there during your Fall Inspection. Green or reddish would be antifreeze, Dark and sticky would be engine oil, Red and sticky would be transmission fluid, Watery and sticky would be brake fluid, Water drops would be your air conditioner moisture, which is normal to be dropping on the road.

I hope this Spring Time maintenance inspection under the hood of your car or truck will help you to be safe out there on the roads and maybe help you understand a little bit about cars. I did forget to mention you might want to wear some coveralls because you will get dirty performing this under the hood maintenance inspection for the spring. For more car care maintenance tips and “auto repair how to articles” please visit my blog at, “Auto Repair Savings And my Special Links.”

How to Fix Jeep Liberty 2005 Interior Light Problems

How to Fix Jeep Liberty 2005 Interior Light Problems

Spring 2011 Car Care Tips For Your Vehicle: Exhaust And Braking Systems

After this long and very cold winter your vehicle is due for some maintenance work going in to the Spring 2011 season. After numerous trips down the highway, this has put a lot of strain on your car’s engine and brakes. Its time to gear up for the upcoming rainy and hot season that Spring seems to bring us every year. Some items that need to be serviced and inspected are your car’s coolant, the fluid levels topped off and an over all inspection of your car. Lets find out what else needs your attention.

Have your car’s cooling system tested for the Spring season approaching. A pressure test is the best thing to do for this. Your vehicle’s cooling system is pumped up to around 15 to 20 pounds of pressure. Then while your car is in the air using a drop light you look for minor leaks that can become larger leaks. The places to look is your car’s radiator, both upper and lower radiator hoses, the engine block, and of course your floor board for possible coolant loss at your heater core. Part of your Spring car care maintenance is to have your coolant flushed and filled with a 50/50 antifreeze and water mixture if no leaks are detected.

With the cold season leaving us it is also time to check out the condition of your brakes. The very hot highways and paved roads will take its toll on your braking components such as your brake rotors. During the Spring season would be an excellent time to get a free brake inspection and see what the Winter months has done to your braking components. If you feel a pulsation while trying to brake this could mean your brake rotors have warped during the Winter months. Keep in mind if your brake fluid is contaminated from the heat it may cause your cars brake fluid to boil. If this is the case with your car then ask the technician if he would recommend a brake fluid flush and fill.

Another part of your Spring car care maintenance is to have your vehicles exhaust system inspected for leaks. Not only is this a bad smell entering your passenger compartment it is also very dangerous to breath in. With us going into the Spring season we will be spending a lot of time with the windows open and the car running. A lot of vehicles out there are running with out tail pipes installed on their cars. This is not only against the law in some states it is also very dangerous.

Some other Spring car care tips is checking your tire pressures and your wiper blades that will keep you safe in the upcoming rainy season. For more care information please visit my blog at, “Auto Repair Savings and My Special Links.”