Cold Air Intakes

I have heard that installing a cold air intake can increase performance and improved gas mileage. Is this so?


















Yes, for years performance minded auto aficionados have installed cold-air intakes to increase the power of the internal combustion engine. These products route cooler, denser air from outside the car, rather than the warm air under the hood, into the vehicle's engine. Available in a variety of colors and sizes, cold-air intakes usually range in price from $100 $250 and are a relatively inexpensive way to increase performance and improved gas mileage.

Are you Proactive with your Automobile?

Listen to the opening statements from Pat Goss on how to be Proactive when it comes to your automobile, with respect to maintenance? Listen by clicking on the audio clip below.

More on tire date codes

If one knows how to read tire date codes, then what is the oldest tire manufactured date code, one should accept when buying new tires? One year, two years?

Two years. It isn't uncommon to find a two year old tire in inventory. This is due to manufacturing, shipping to a warehouse, then distributing to a retail outlet which can consume several months. Add to that the time it takes for someone to need that particular tire and it is often between one and two years. That would be on the less popular styles but on the really fast movers, I would expect not more than six months in most cases.

Special Video!

Rare footage of Pat Goss on his weekly television series as seen on former Channel 8 every Saturday at 9:30am. These two episodes dealt with The Excel Institute in Washington DC. See http://www.theexcelinstitute.org/ .

Electric Drag Racing

Oregon Field Guide: Electric Drag Racing
Go out to the drag strip for some racing gone green – without a drop of gas.

http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/segments/view/1686

Lights Out ---- A little shocking to say the least

Lights OUT!
It was a hot summer day and the humidity was high in the shop when I starting working on one of my regular customer’s new found gems. It was a late 50’s Chrysler, a big old boat of a thing with lots of bells and whistles under the hood and dash. Nothing was added, everything was original and in fairly good shape. You could tell this car has never been left outside for any length of time. The paint finish showed no signs of aging or fading. The interior was very clean, and without a single defect. Even the carpet and headliner had that new “old” look to it.
He wanted me to go thru the electrical components on the car and see if I could get it all in working order. It had it all, radio, electric seats, power windows, power antenna, and just about anything else they could think of putting on a car in those days. I would try each window switch and each knob on the dash to make sure everything worked correctly. The turn signal indicators blinked on the tips of the fenders as well as in the dash. The heater blower motor hummed as if it was brand new. All the speeds worked on the wipers and even the reverse lights worked. It was truly a time piece of early Americana ingenuity.
The only thing I found “not” working was this contraption under the hood. It was about the size of a shoe box. I took the cover off of it to see what all the wires were leading to. Inside the box were several early glass vacuum tubes and a dusty old circuit board with a few resistors and what appeared to be a voltage controller of some sort. Luckily, the new owner had the factory manuals with the car. Even the manual was well taken care of. Not a single torn edge or creased page. I carefully went thru the old manual so as to not do any damage to this priceless book. In the back section were all of the wiring diagrams right down to the size of the resistors on the circuits. (Let’s see the manufacturer put that info out these days…)
I studied the diagram carefully and found out what this thing was. It’s an early automatic dimming headlight system. Way cool, wow, I’ve never seen one of these. But I could tell by just reading the prints how this thing worked. I went straight to solving the problem. Luckily (I think) I’m old enough to have had some training in the old TV tube era. Those classes sure were coming in handy now. It really didn’t turn out to be all that bad. The photocell in the front grill was disconnected, and the shoe box of tubes was in need of cleaning and attaching all the connectors back onto the board.
I reached in and turned on the “auto” system… the tubes started to glow… wow… this is exciting! (Can ya imagine… a grown man getting a thrill out of watching old TV tubes warm up… I really need to get out in the real world a little more often…). There was a hum and a crackle of the tube grids… I could hear the unmistakable sound of the tubes coming up to temperature. The humming subsided a bit, and leveled off to a light electrical buzz of an old TV set. By now I was expecting to see the headlights come on by themselves. Nothing, nada, zip… crud… it’s still not working. I went back to the old manual and followed the diagram some more.
At the very bottom edge of the page it showed a single lead going to the floor dimmer switch. Ok, I guess I’ll look there. By now its mid afternoon, and the humidity level in the shop is at its highest. I’m all hot, sweaty, and probably a little dehydrated. I stretched across that huge metal threshold and pulled the carpet back. Lying right there next to the dimmer switch connection was that single wire. I plugged it in… waited a second… nothing… so I reached over and pushed the dimmer switch with my hand. JumPin’ Gee’ ZaPPin’ ZING! WTF was that! I was jiggling around as if I was holding onto the electric fence at my Granddad’s farm. Now I know exactly how bacon feels when ya throw it into that hot skillet. I’m glad nobody saw me, because I probably looked like a fish flopping out of water the way I was wriggling around. HOLY Shhhhht! That smarts! ! !
After the ringing in my ears and the tunnel vision vanished, and everything returned back to normal I gave up on the wiring diagram and instead read how the system worked in the front section of the book. It turns out that driver’s “soled” shoe acts as the final ground to activate the system. It used a high amperage circuit to make the connection between driver and the automatic control unit out under the hood. To activate it you merely rested your foot on top of the dimmer for a moment. I guess if you were barefoot… you’d be in for quite a shock. It’s probably why the whole thing was disconnected in the first place. But, I’ll have to say… it does work, the headlights will dim and come on by themselves.
Just don’t lay on a metal threshold on a hot humid day… all hot and sweaty, then grab hold of the dimmer switch with your sweaty palm… cause it won’t be lights on… it’ll be LIGHTS OUT!

These stories are here for your enjoyment, before final editing and publication. Visit my website for more stories and information. www.gonzostoolbox.com

Ethanol Blues

Pat Goss gives a detail explanation as to the problems with Ethanol, especially if there is going to be 15% as mandated by the EPA! Listen to the clip below.

VW factory germany

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nd5WGLWNllA

ABS brakes, do you really know how to use them?

Pat Goss describes the proper procedure for using ABS brakes. Listen below.

History of the Power Assisted Brake system

Boosted Brakes – a look at the history of power assisted brakes.

Since we are talking brakes, let’s do a little comparison of the most popular brake systems that brought us away from dragging a flat plate against the wagon wheel or mashing your foot down on a mechanical linkage arm that eventually either slowed the car down or gave you one really strong leg. What I’m talking about is the power assisted brake systems we find on modern cars and trucks. These days, we don’t even consider power brakes as something that needed invented, but merely a standard feature that we come to expect out of our daily transportation. Well they had to start somewhere. Probably the first place to look is with what got it all started; the law of fluids in motion and how it can be used to increase force. Pascal’s law of hydraulics.

Pascal's law states that when there is an increase in pressure at any point in a confined fluid, there is an equal increase at every other point in the container.

It took Pascal to open our eyes to what could be done “hydraulically” with a fluid. Then in the early 1920’s Pierce-Arrow became the first car to take the Pascal basic theory and add a vacuum assist to the hydraulic brake system. This “inventive” way of assisting the driver while braking is now part of our everyday driving experience.

Around 1918 a young inventor took the Pascal idea and applied it to brakes. His name was Malcolm Lougheed, (later he changed the spelling of his name to “Lockheed”). In 1921 the Model A Duesenberg became the first car to have hydraulic brakes. Although they were not power assisted the effectiveness of the brakes was well noted compared to the mechanical brake systems that were common at the time. In 1938 there was a car called a Tincher that used air assisted brakes but wasn’t really considered a power assisted system.

Hydrovac
Starting in the early 40’s one of my favorite types of brake systems to study is the Hydrovac brake system. If you’re a connoisseur of mechanical things this is one you’ll need to get up and close with. Explaining this brake system is an Olympic event. In my book it’s one of the true “mechanical” marvels of the brake world. At first glance there are so many things going on at the same time that it looks like it shouldn’t work but it does. As you apply pressure to the brake pedal the fluid pressure is increased (Pascal’s law) to a slave cylinder and the wheel cylinders. As more pressure is applied the added pressure overcomes a sliding valve that then pushes a triangular arm that in turn rotates valves to close an atmospheric valve and open a vacuum valve which then pulls the vacuum air into a large chamber that pushes a large bellows against the valve in the slave cylinder tripling the available fluid pressure to the wheels. The harder you push on the brake pedal the more the bellows pushes the fluid towards the wheel cylinders. As you let up on the pedal the internal valve starts to close lowering the vacuum pressure until it reaches atmospheric air pressure.


Last year I restored a 1956 fire/rescue truck and one of the things I had to go completely thru was the brake system. I’m still amazed at how this brake system works. For nearly 30 years this was one of the most common brake systems on most large trucks and some cars. To this day you can still find this type of power brake system used on certain applications. In fact, rebuilt units, rebuild kits, and refurbished components are still available. As long as this system has a good supply of vacuum and clean fluid this power brake system will do the job. Stand on the brake pedal with a lot of force and I’ll guarantee you it will put the stop on those brake shoes with crisp jolt that can throw you up against the windshield. But the thrill for me is still watching the mechanical action of the internal parts of this mechanical marvel.
If you would like more information on this system there are several videos and informative sites on the internet. I also found an early 50’s military training video that explained it all in detail.

Hydroboost
The next system is a hydraboost system. The big difference from this system and the hydravac system is the fact that there is no vacuum used to operate the “power” in the power assist. Generally the power is generated by the power steering pump. In some cases an electric motor applies the needed power to increase the pressure on the brake fluid. In these systems when the pressure is applied by the brake pedal a port in the master cylinder allows the higher pressure of the power steering system to aide in the overall pressure of the brake system. This is a great system for the hobbyist that wants a clean look or doesn’t want the bulky vacuum unit under the hood. I also see this type of unit on the larger delivery trucks and commercial units. With less parts to be concerned with compared to the hydravac unit makes this a very reliable system. Today, you can find these units on some production cars, delivery vans, large trucks and commercial vehicles.


If space is a premium the hydraboost system is a good choice for that special project car.

Vacuum Boost
Vacuum boost power brakes are by far the most popular type of assisted brakes there is. As with the last two examples the idea is to apply additional pressure to the brake fluid allowing less effort from the operator. Vacuum brakes have no need of a slave cylinder to add the extra push or the need of a power steering pump to apply the pressure. Just good old intake manifold vacuum. (Some diesels and small output engines used a belt driven vacuum pump) The principal is the same in each case but the cost effective vacuum booster wins out on the average production cars and trucks. It’s a simple system; it’s effective and downright reliable. The main principle behind vacuum boost brakes is to take atmospheric pressure and vacuum air and move one to the other. Since the “atmosphere” wants to always balance the pressure, the vacuum is the “lack” of atmosphere air. So as the plunger is pushed a valve is opened allowing the air to move towards the vacuum section, which is turned into the added force against the brake fluid. It’s impressive to think “air” is the real strength in the booster system. But it is. Think of it as wind moving from a high pressure area to a low pressure area. The larger the difference in “atmospheric” pressure the more intense the wind. That speed is the key in making the vacuum booster so reactive to the touch of the brake pedal.

Mechanical things intrigue me; I love to see how they work and how they accomplish their tasks. These boosters are just a small part of what I find interesting in the world of automotive repair. The better I understand how any system works, the better I can make the right decisions on the repairs.
Now in the 21st century we have regenerative braking systems, Anti-lock brakes. (The first practical antiskid braking system, named Maxaret, was developed in 1958 by the Road Research Laboratories in Great Britain and was first applied to the Jensen FF sports sedan). Along with the old standards there are even more brake systems to study and get familiar with. Keeping up with the changes is just another part of being a good mechanic in today’s world.
Every day is another learning experience, but I also think it’s a good idea to study the history of this automotive world. What’s old becomes new but in a newer element. So when you see something that you believe is a new and inventive, check the history books you may find out that it’s not that new…

There is this one little foot note that I thought was interesting, and I guess in a way it still applies today: printed in 1909
The American Cyclopedia of the Automobile:"Good driving in traffic is shown by making the minimum use of brakes. The strain on passengers amounts to intense nervousness when the car is constantly driven so that the least alteration of direction or of pace on the part of any vehicle ahead results in the violent application of the brake."

Maintenance tips from Dale Donovan

Dirty cabin air filters can really reduce the flow of air into the passenger compartment. Watch and see!

Battery Woes

This week an audio where Pat Goss explains why changing out a battery is not so simple anymore. What you need to do to prevent problems. Computers today have adaptive strategy. Listen as he explains what this means.

Air Bag Light in Disguise "what some people will do to sell a car"

Air Bag Light in Disguise Gonzo 2011
Sometimes I wonder if the things I find wrong with some of these cars are just there for me to find out how ridiculous some people can be. I’ve got to question the thought process of the brilliant ideas that some people can have, just before total stupidity takes over. I gotta ask… “What were you thinking?”

The other day I had a late 90’s GM in the shop. The owner had recently bought it off of a small car lot, and had no idea of the history of the vehicle. It was one of those “great deals” that he couldn’t pass up. Why is it these “great” deals always have some sort of catch to them? Maybe it would be a good idea to have it checked out before you buy it. After looking at it, I might tell you to “pass it up”. Honestly, I’ll never understand why someone will buy a used car when they know nothing about it, or decide after they buy it to finally have it checked out … but they do.

This particular creation had some strange problems. It had a strange battery drain. At first glance all the instrument cluster warning lights, interior lights, and all the electrical functions seemed to be working correctly. There was a drain, a good one too. Strong enough to drain the battery in a day, or so. Finding the solution actually was going to lead to an even bigger problem.

Narrowing it down by watching the amp meter for the parasitic draw value, and pulling fuses till the numbers dropped back into factory specs was the next procedure. Of all things, it ended up back to a crossed up circuit between the air bag system and the charging system. I decided to check the air bag system for codes.

This is interesting, it’s off line. No communication with the crash box. Hmmm, I’m a little confused, because I know I saw the air bag light come on and go off when I pulled it into the shop. Turning the key off, and then restarting the car didn’t help me much, because the air bag light was on… and then off. But then, maybe it did. Like I said, the light came on, and then went off… hey, wait a minute isn’t there supposed to be a few seconds before it goes off? Isn’t this how it verifies its systems are functioning properly? I thought so. So, what’s going on here?

As a technician I’m trying to follow the codes, the diagnostic charts, and the operating description of the system I’m working on. This particular problem wasn’t following the chain of typical scenarios. Take in account this whole thing started off because of a battery drain… I’m really starting to scratch my head over this one.

I had a lot of different ways to go with this one. I could try and follow the draw a little further, or I could chase the problem from the air bag side of it. Maybe, it will all lead to the same problem. For my money I think I’ll work on it from the air bag side of the problem.

The air bag fuses were all good, and the light did come on in the dash. So, I decided to pull the air bag diagnostic module out and pin check the leads to see if that lead anywhere. My first check on any system is the positive signals and then the grounds. Why’s that you ask? Because a loss of ground can be seen as an open lead, and if the positive signals are there, you’ll actually find a voltage signal on the open ground. That’s what electricity wants to do… find ground, and find the shortest path back to the source of the voltage.

In this case they were all there, but when I checked the leads to the instrument cluster the voltage was coming towards the crash box rather than to the cluster. What now? (I love my job, I love my job, repeat as necessary) I guess I better pull the cluster and check the wiring from there back to the crash box and see if that leads anywhere.

After pulling the dash it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see what the problem was. On the back of the instrument cluster somebody had cut the circuit board line to the air bag light, and then added a soldered-on wire to the charge light. So when the charge light was on, so was the air bag light. Once the car started (providing the charging system is working correctly) the charge light would go out, and so would the air bag light. Huh???

You can imagine my “mechanical language” was not for the faint of heart when I found out what was going on. It seems some genius didn’t want to replace the air bag module, so they invented their own air bag warning light instead. Brilliant stupidity… I think that’s the best way to explain it. I can’t imagine somebody went thru all the trouble to deceive the buyer of this car for a safety issue such as air bags. It should be a criminal offense.

After undoing the homemade airbag light, the draw was completely gone. Now the only thing to do was to replace the air bag module to bring it back up to working order. I’m not saying anybody would have caught the problem at first glance. It was a well thought out deception. If you were not intentionally looking for an air bag light delay, I don’t think you would have caught the problem.

Leave it to some unscrupulous dork out there to try something like this. But, I still think it is a good idea to have the car checked out prior to buying it. Maybe, just maybe, you can spot problems like this before you own the problem.


I'd like to thank everyone for their support and their comments. These stories are here before final editing and publication. Send me an email and tell me what you think of the stories. At Gonzosae@aol.com Or visit my website www.gonzostoolbox.com were you can also purchase my best selling book "Hey Look, I Found the Loose Nut." Thanx again.

All-Wheel and 4 Wheel drive

Pat Goss explains the differences in All/4 wheel drive.

Testing belts on your car

Belts today in cars are made of EPDM Resistant Compound. They last much longer, but it is much harder to tell when they need to be replaced. The video below will help you with that. Then get the gauge so you can check your belt for wear.





belt Noise your problem then watch this video below!



Here is the link to get your free Dayco aWEARness gauge!
http://www.daycow.com/daycow.nsf/aWEARnessGauge!OpenForm

Free The ECM's

I've been so busy with more columns and tech articles I've been neglecting to put any articles up for everyone. This little story is going out next month in several trade magazines.Thought you might like it. If you get a chance to pick up a copy of Brake and Frontend, Import Car,or Underhood Service magazines you'll find my latest columns.

You can find even more stories, tech articles, and all sorts of fun automotive related things at my website. www.gonzostoolbox.com

Also --- don't forget Sunday night 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST "Sunday night Chat" A informal chat with automotive pros from all over the country... very soon I'll be hosting a Sunday Chat with guest apperances of shop owners and technicians from across the country. Join the fun...




FREE THE ECM’S
Gonzo Jan 2010
Sometimes, I’ll find faults with the so called “experts” advice or information. Not that I think I’m smarter than the engineers… no, not that at all. But if something strikes me as not being completely correct I might want to question what is on that diagnostic tree. Mind you, my entire day is filled with meeting the expectations of my customers. I have to be dead on with my repairs and diagnostics. Not some of the time, no, ALL the time. And, I expect the same from the people that provide the information and parts. The way I look at it, you’re only as good as the information provided.
Where does that leave me when the directions or diagnostic tree doesn’t lead to an answer? Usually frustrated, and disgusted. But what happens when you follow the diagnostic tree to the letter and something is still very, very wrong.
Several years ago, back in the 80’s or so, back before we had computer based information, email, and the internet we used big thick books to find our diagnostic information. You’ve all seen them, they’re somewhere in a back room of the repair shop these days gathering dust, next to that dwell meter and carburetor adjustment tools. All my big diagnostic books are on a shelf, standing like old soldiers of days gone by, proudly showing their age. Each of them has grease marks, scratches on the covers and worn edges on every page from years of service.
Back when the books were in their heyday I had a couple of interesting issues that a guy like me just couldn’t leave alone. I find something not right; I’d like to find out how to make it right. Even if the book is wrong, I’d like to know why the book is wrong.
There was this mid 80’s GM with a service light on. I broke out my overly large books of knowledge and started to follow the diagnostic tree to find the solution to the problem. As I went thru each step I would note the results of the test and then continue onto the next step.
When I came to the very bottom of the diagnostic tree, there on the final line of the final test was this statement: “If the answer to the last question was “yes” - release the ECM”. Now what it in the world are they talking about now? I’m 99.9% sure they actually meant “replace” ECM (Electronic Control Module), but that’s not what it said. It clearly said “release”
I’m wondering if they know there’s a typo in their book… I think I’ll call them… you know, just for a laugh. Not that it’s all that important, but what the heck… let’s have some fun with this.
I called, as seemed to be the norm back then it took a few phone transfers to get to the correct department, and as each operator put me in touch with the next operator I started to put together a story.
When I finally reached the engineering department, I had to play it up…
“Can I help you with a diagnostic problem?” he said, sounding all official and all.
(Like he had a clue what was going to happen next)… I let him have it with my own version of stupidity.
“Yes, I’m following this diagnostic tree and trying to come to the possible results, but I’m having some problems with it. Now, I’m not one to think there’s a problem with the diagnostics but this one, well, I’m a little concerned… it said, very clearly “release ECM”.
“Hmm, so what did you do?” he asked. (He’s not getting it.)
Let’s see if this guy can follow along with my idiotic logic, or see if I lose him in the translation.
“I disconnected the ECM, set it outside the shop, gave it a little pat on its PROM and said to the little aluminum computer box… “YOU’RE FREE! GO-BUDDY-GO, LEAVE, YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN, HIT THE ROAD! YOU’RE RELEASED!!” and you know what… it just sat there. It never moved… now I’m wondering, I followed the diagnostics correctly. The car is still in the shop and it still won’t start. And this dang computer doesn’t want to be released…. Ya got any suggestions? Because the test ended with “release ECM”… there were no more steps in the test so I did what it said… I released it -- what now?” I told him.
There was a dead silence on the phone. I’m guessing, this guy doesn’t get the joke, or he’s really thinking that little ECM should have taken its chance and run for the hills before this wack-o mechanic comes up with something else.
He cautiously answered, “Can I call you back on this? I’ll have to consult with the engineering department on this one.”
Is this guy serious? Really, fella, can you not see this is just a joke? I would have thought most intelligent people would see right through my little story… not this guy, he was dead pan serious. He took down the page number and said he would get back to me later that day. Now I’m waiting for “Mr. Engineer” to get back to me.
A few hours later he did call back and informed me that it was a misprint and it really should have said “replace”.
“I know,” I said, “I just thought you guys would like a little joke. I thought you’d like to know that there was a mistake in the books, that’s all.”
“Thanks for telling us, we all got a pretty good laugh over it,” he answered, “We like to think we have the best books in the industry and we pride ourselves on giving you guys the most precise information possible.”
We ended the phone call with both of us laughing about the whole thing. Little did he know, he would get another phone call. A few days later I had another problem to deal with. It was a knock sensor code and the test procedure said; “Take a 4 oz. hammer and tap next to the sensor while observing the scope reading”.
You know, I couldn’t leave this alone. After getting this uptight engineer to loosen up on that last phone call, I just had to call him again.
“OK, what is it this time?” he asked.
“I don’t have a 4 oz. hammer to do this test. You know, you told me you have the most precise information… and I don’t want to deviate from the book without knowing I’m on the right track.”
“Ah……., I’ll have to get back to you,” he told me.
Seriously? I’ll bet this guy never gets the punch line of a joke. Several hours later he called me back, and said that it wasn’t a misprint this time, and that any small hammer would do. This might be one reason why I never became an engineer. These guys are way too serious for me. Lighten up dudes… geez.
“If you find any other mistakes in our books, would you send what you find to us in writing for evaluation. We are working hard to keep these problems from arising… so it would be very helpful if you could do that for us. Thanks for your cooperation,” he said.
Do ya get the feeling this guy doesn’t want me to call them anymore… hmmm, I wonder why? Maybe I’ve given them a little more incentive to recheck their work a little more. These days, I haven’t seen as many mistakes. I suppose with spell check and a few careful proof reads it’s less likely to have these kinds of mistakes again.
I guess in some respects, it’s a good way of avoiding phone calls from smart ass mechanics like myself.



Email or leave a comment here at carfix-online. Always love to hear from everyone.
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Water Pumps and Problems When Cars Sit Too Long

Two videos from Dale Donovan, where he shows what happens when you don't flush the cooling system and what can happen if you let a car sit too long!

Focus Rally: America

Ford is teaming up with Emmy winning producers to create a new web series -- Focus Rally: America. It's the ultimate interactive cross-country road rally. Listen as Pat Goss has a spokes person on his radio show to talk about it

Here is the website if your interested. http://www.focusrally.com/

The new Chevy Volt

This week Pat Goss has an engineer on to talk about the new Chevy Volt for 2011. This is the vehicle with the on board gasoline engine that allows you to drive the car beyond its 40 miles battery-supplied power. (up to about 300 miles!)

Audio clip below.

Driveway2driveway & Chevy Volt

This week Pat Goss has a guest in the studio to talk about a new way of selling your used car, "Driveway2Driveway"and John Davis calls in to talk about the 2011 Chevy Volt.

Automotive certainties

This week Pat Goss talks about what you need to know about your car battery. Listen to the clip below.