Auto Repair & Diagnostics : How to Diagnose an Engine Problem

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Make Your Car Look Brand New With An Auto Body Repair



Human beings are born engineers and there is a lot of sundry repair works we usually do on several utilities of day to day life. It includes repairing a bath-tub to mending the fence of our garden. But, when it comes to do some minor repairing works in our vehicles, we often try to escape from the job, and leave everything on the mechanic. However, this escapist attitude exploits us economically and frequent visits of the vehicle to a mechanic surely demean the performance-levels of our favorite car. If, somehow we manage to do some of the auto repairing jobs at our own, then we can save a lot over a few dollars. This isn't as complicated as it often looks and it can be handled manually with some common available tools.

Common Auto Body Repair Tips

Repairing an automobile generally gives us the picture of a person wearing greased clothes, with some complex tools in his hands and he is working with the complicated machineries of your automobile. Undoubtedly there are some issues in the car which needs specialized care, but we can surely settle some of the minor problems ourselves. Minor issues like rust, scratches, marks, etc, if not treated in time can cause potential damages to your vehicle. Some of the most common repair jobs are addressed here:

# Rust Removal - Auto body usually gets rusted due to the combined action of moisture and dust over its surface. Rust is recognized as fading red spots with peeling material from it. This degrades the quality of the metal of automobile and also tarnishes the looks of the vehicle. Rust should be removed from the surface as soon as it is appeared. This can be done by using sandpaper, paint and waxing stuff. First of the surface must be cleared by the sandpaper followed by the application of paint into it. The wax is uniformly coated over the painted surface and the surface is then buffed with the help of a dry piece of cloth.

# Bumper Repair - Bumpers are covered by a plastic shield and when any external damage is done to the bumper body, it is usually affect that outer coating of it. So, first you need to find the type of plastic your bumper is made of. Then according to that material, choose the appropriate paint for it. If any abrasion is done to the bumper, you can try out masking tape for fixing it temporarily. Then, apply the suitable adhesives into it. After this, apply paint and primer over its surface.

# Body Painting - Sometimes our car gets unwanted spots due to collision or other extraneous factors. These marks looks ugly on your favorite car and the proper treatment must be given to these. These marks are repaired by painting the surface. Painting a car is slightly different from painting your house. Painting the former needs more conscientious efforts. Painting should be done after cleaning the surface and uniform coat must be assured.

# Miscellaneous Tips
- Apart from the above measures there are several other steps you can take to jazz up the body of your vehicle. This include, panel beating, under coating, sanding, scratch removal etc.




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For a longer life for your car, maintenance is the key. Always make sure that your car is in good condition.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Why Won't My Car Start?

Do I need a jump start? Dead battery? Bad starter? Stuck key?

If you turn your car key and get nothing, or get anything less than an engine roaring to life, you might be in for a bad day. Starting problems can be very frustrating because there are so many things under the hood that can keep a car from starting. Heck, pretty much everything under the hood can keep the car from starting.

In order to troubleshoot a no-start problem, you need to start at the beginning of the line, the battery, and work your way back. Some tests for a no-start problem are simple, others are a pain in the neck and a technical nightmare. Nonetheless, you need to figure out why the car won't start, so we'll try to help. If your key won't turn in the ignition, try this fix.

Electrical No-Start Problems

* Check Your Fuses: Few cars have a fuse associated with the starting system, but before you go monkeying around with everything, check your fuses to be sure it's not that simple.

* Battery Corrosion: Over time your battery connections can become dirty, or corroded. This corrosion breaks the connection your battery has with the rest of the car, and it won't start. Try cleaning your battery posts and try to start the car again.

* Dead Battery: The most common reason your car won't start is a dead battery. If you have a battery tester that can measure cranking amps, test your battery to see if it's weak. If you can't test it yourself, you can test the battery indirectly by jump-starting the car. If it starts right away, your problem is most likely a dead battery. Replace the battery, and clean the battery connections to ensure good contact.

* Bad Igntion Switch: If your battery checks out, but the starter is still silent, it may be a faulty ignition switch. Turn the key to the on position (not all the way to start). If the red warning lights on your dash don't light up (and your battery connections are clean), the ignition switch is bad. If they do light up, turn the key to the start position. The dash warning lights should turn off at this key position (most cars). If you're not sure, turn on the headlights. When you try to start the car, the lights should either dim (a lot) or turn off completely. If they do, your ignition switch should be ok. If not, the switch will need replacement.

* Bad Starter Connection: Corrosion can not only keep your battery from connecting, it can affect any electrical component, especially the ones exposed to the elements like the starter. If you have a helper, you can test the connection by holding a circuit tester lead on the wire that engages the starter. This is the smaller of the two wires connected to the starter. Be sure no part of your body is near the moving parts of the engine - it could still start at any time! Have a friend turn the key and check the current. If you're getting current to the starter but it ain't spinning, it needs replacement.

If your starter spins freely when you turn the key, the problem lies elsewhere. Now you begin to check the other systems that could keep it from firing up.





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Don't panic when this problem happens. Read thoroughly the instrucyions above and then you can identify what's the problem why your car won't start.

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