POGUE CARBURETOR-200 miles on a gallon of gasoline!

Between 1928 and 1935, Charles Nelson Pogue, an inventor from Canada, applied for numerous patents for what he claimed was a new type of carburetor that supposedly completely vaporized gasoline before introducing it to the cylinders, thereby extracting a great deal more energy from the fuel.
The Pogue carburetor was touted as getting 200+ miles to the gallon.

See the full story at http://www.snopes.com/autos/business/carburetor.asp
Also see.. http://www.mikebrownsolutions.com/fish3.htm

Virginia man wins Volvo's XC90 treasure hunt

Here is another example of what the carfixonline blog can be used for. Enjoy!

The Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Volvo XC90, that was buried as part of the automaker's treasure hunt/film tie-in, has a new owner. David Hutz, 30, of Herndon, VA, and six other finalists were flown to Abaco Island in the Bahamas, where they competed in a group of Survivor-style challenges to complete the search. David was awarded the SUV after he had determined what its ultimate location was. Thankfully for him, he didn't need to dig it up himself. Assistants handled those duties on his behalf.

The V8-powered, movie-themed Volvo is valued at $82,000 and sports 20-inch custom wheels, a full Pirates of the Caribbean graphics package, black leather seating, a quad-tip Borla exhaust system, and numerous other upgrades. After learning that he was the winner, Hutz announced that he'd be giving the car to his wife, who will undoubtedly get right to work removing its way-over-the-top pirate graphics.No need to fret for the other six finalists, when Volvo, in a surprise move, awarded each of them a new vehicle as well. Happy faces were all 'round.Volvo was likely in a good mood, seeing as the contest drew very high interest from people around the world. If you just can't get enough of the hunt, Volvo will post Webisodes documenting the competition on August 25. To see what it was all about go to..

http://thehunt.volvocars.net/us/thehunt

Diagnostic Tech 2

This is part 2 of a series.

In Diagnostic Tech 1 I began some initial tests on a Dodge Stratus that the owner said would stall occasionally and not restart for several minutes. The car did stall after running for some time but restarted immediately. I suspected the fuel system was ok because the stalling was sudden with no poor running preceding the stall. After the restart and while waiting for the next stalling event it seemed a good time to look at scan tool information. I found no codes in the OBDII system but did find the monitors had been reset and not all had been run since the reset.

cont....

With a full-function scan tool connected the module/computer information available included the engine, transmission, abs, airbag, instrument cluster and body modules. If you are wondering why I would be interested in airbag module data, for example, to diagnose a stall/no-start complaint let me explain. The modules on this car are all in constant communication, exchanging information with each other and so well done is the integration that it is actually possible for a fault in the abs module to cause the instrument cluster to malfunction even though there is nothing wrong with the instrument cluster.
A look at the engine module code information showed no stored codes but did back up the OBDII information that the computer had been recently reset. I found no other codes or clues in any of the module information. I left the scan tool connected to the car and set it to monitor sensor data. A scan tool isn't much help on an intermittent stall. Even if you have a scan tool with a record feature, the datastream information updates too slowly to be reliable for the diagnosis of the problem other than just letting you know that yes the car just died. A scan tool can be helpful on the no-start if it has graphing capability or if you have software to graph the data. In hopes that the no-start would occur with the next stall, and with the thought that graphing some key sensor data while the problem was present might help, I left the tool connected.

Example of graphed scan data:



The car stalled yet again but immediately restarted and the scan tool with graphing was of no help. Hmmmm. I had just that same day received the Waekon/Hickok Flight Recorder I had purchased previously. The idea behind the tool is that you connect it to a car with intermittent complaints exactly as my Stratus has and press a button to record data when the problem appears. It seemed a great time to combine testing a new piece of equipment with diagnosing a car problem. I can connect the tool leads to the ignition secondary, the injector pulse signal, the battery and one auxillary channel is up for grabs. I chose to place the auxillary channel on the power side of the fuel injectors. A very important relay on any Chrysler built car is the auto-shutdown which powers the fuel pump, fuel injectors and ignition coil when closed by the engine computer. A monitor of the power feed to the injectors was easy and had potential to be helpful.
The next time the car stalled I had some captured data. The flight recorder captures 30 seconds of data when the button is pressed. The data must be then uploaded to the pc. From left to right the screen grids display 5 second intervals. You can see the car stall almost 15 seconds into the frame. Actually you can see my delayed response, the car died and the recording began when I pressed the button less than a second later.



I can see from the recorded data that I lost ignition spark, injector signal AND injector power all at the same time. I've mentioned the shutdown relay, it seems more important now since the powered circuits from the relay appear to be quitting. Now, don't forget that some other culprit like fuel delivery could cause the stall and the recorder simply record the results. I've mentioned why I thought the problem wasn't in fuel delivery. In theory, this data capture confirms that. If the fuel delivery was failing then the injector pulse width should climb to compensate. You should see that happen before the stall.
It seems to be leading me to that shutdown relay. The car's engine computer will keep that relay closed as long as there is a good camshaft and/or crankshaft position sensor signal. The camshaft position sensor is easier to access for testing purposes. Both of these sensors are notorious for leaking oil and the leaked oil damaging the wiring and connectors. Both connectors and wires on this car were melted together from just that problem. I cleaned the connectors and separated the melted wiring. I still got the stalling condition.
I moved the auxillary connection on the flight recorder to the camshaft position sensor signal output.



I made the pic larger for a reason. Look closely at the camshaft position sensor signal. It not only does not drop out before the stall, it even gets a pulse after the stall. The camshaft position sensor is not a problem.

Here I connected the auxillary to the crankshaft position sensor and recorded on the next engine stall.



The crankshaft position sensor is not the problem. Like the camshaft position sensor, you can see a pulse signal from the cps after the engine stall. I see even more reason to look at the shutdown relay circuits. However, no matter how good the signals are near the cam or crank sensor connectors, the engine computer only sees those signals at it's own connector. I monitor both the camshaft and crankshaft position sensor signals at the engine module while monitoring the power feed to the fuel injectors. The car stalls yet again and both the cam and crank signals appear to have been good while the shutdown relay appeared to shut down. This time though, guess what? The car does not restart! There is no voltage output from the auto shutdown relay. It's like I said, a no-start is much easier to diagnose. There is no power from the relay because there is no ground from the computer to close the relay. With both the cam and crank signals present on the restart attempt the computer should close the relay. I have the scan tool connected and with the scan tool I should be able to command the relay closed just to find out if the computer is capable of doing so. When I attempt to do just that, I get a message from the scan tool that there is no communication with the engine computer. All the car's modules must sign in to the CCD bus when they are functional. I used my scan tool to look for the engine module in the CCD bus and it did show up as present. The car also started then.
The car died again soon after with again no re-start. Again the engine module would not communicate with the scan tool. A test of powers and grounds at the engine computer while it appeared to be dead confirmed it was a bad computer.

Diagnostic Tech 1

1999 Dodge Stratus,
Intermittent Stalling/No-start

I always first like to verify the complaint. In this case the car owner said the car would stall occasionally and not restart for several minutes. It seemed to make no difference if the car was at idle or at road speed. I decided to start by just letting the car run at idle in the shop while I spent some time on other cars and waited for the stall to occur. I don't start with a road test for a complaint like this because it's usually a lot easier to find the cause of a no-start than a stall. If it won't start the testing equipment for that will be right there in the shop. If it stalls and won't start on the road I'm not likely to have the proper tools with me for finding the problem.
After nearly an hour I heard the car stop running. I noted that the engine died suddenly. When you are the diagnostic detective every clue is important. It isn't likely to be a fuel pressure or fuel/air mixture problem if it dies quickly with no warning. Fuel pressure or control problems that cause a stall at idle will usually give you a warning. What I mean is that you will notice the engine begin to run poorly and then stall. Since the car owner said that the car would not immediately restart but would after some time had passed then the time to do some testing was now. I wanted to first see if secondary ignition spark was present since it seemed most likely to not be a fuel problem. The Stratus 2.4 designers were kind enough to make it easy to access the ignition system, the fuel injectors and the fuel pressure port. The car does have a coil and does have plug wires. It is very easy to place a simple spark tester in the end of a plug wire to watch for spark. The trouble here was that as soon as I hit start I not only had spark but the car started. The difference between a no-start diagnosis and a stall diagnosis is time to test. With an intermittent stall it only takes a signal or fault to occur for less than a second to kill the engine. A no-start problem occurs for the entire time the car won't start. I decided to let the car stall yet again and hoped the no-start would appear as well.
In the mean time a scan tool peek couldn't hurt. I didn't immediately go to a scan approach because no MIL was on and no-start testing should be more relevant once it won't start. When you are looking for scan data in any OBDII equipped automobile there are two systems to consider. The OBDII system and the OEM system share some information and hold some exclusive to themselves. I always look at both systems when looking for codes or stored data.

If you take a quick look at OBDII with most scan tools one of the first things you'll notice is if anyone has been clearing codes or "resetting" the computer. On my end, I can do the best diagnosis when all the information is available. Clearing codes or disconnecting a battery just erases information that may have helped me to make a quicker fix. The monitors will reset after such a brain deading ( I mean the car's brain/computer ) and a lot of information I could use will be lost. Coincidentally, the stored OBDII information was gone on this car.

Just to mention on this particular topic, there are two ways to access OBDII data on most full-function scan tools. Generically/Globally the scan tool will access and give you the data for that. However, if you access the OBDII system from a scan tool that allows the oem data entered then you usually will get more help from the scan tool. I'll explain. Here is an example, suppose you are wondering the conditions that must be met for a car to satisfy a monitor test for an O2 sensor heater. If you have a full-function scan tool but are entered under generic/global testing you won't get a clue from the scan tool on the criteria to meet the test. The tests were mandated but the means to test were left to the manufacturer. If you have a full function scan tool and enter OBDII after the tool knows the car data then the scan tool software should help by defining the conditions the manufacterer designed into the programming for the monitor.

Once I get the OBDII data scans done I like to look at the OEM stuff. Now when you have a full function scan tool and it is compatible with the car you are testing then you get a lot of options for further information. Most cars these days have more than one computer and it's never a bad thing to look for the information that each one has stored.

Watch for part 2,

Women drivers who take the night roads alone, now have a solution to their travel woes an inflatable male passenger .

http://www.the-spine.com/archives/119

Weekly Tips:Gasket sealers, use them properly!

Gasket sealers are great when used properly but gasket sealers can create a ton of grief if used improperly.

There are gasket applications where sealers absolutely must be used and some applications where they must never be used. Whether you should or shouldn’t use a gasket sealant will normally be included in the gasket instructions. The instructions also describe the type of sealant as well as where and how to apply it. Bottom line, always use sealants where they’re required, never use them where they aren’t! Always use the proper type for the job, and always apply it according to the gasket maker’s instructions.

Hydraulic brake parts will last longer if you perform routine brake fluid flushes

Brake fluid is like a sponge, it attracts and absorbs water. Unlike oil and water brake fluid and water do mix and wet brake fluid causes corrosion inside brake calipers, wheel cylinders, master cylinders, and ABS pumps. Corrosion inside these parts leads to fluid leaks and non functioning parts and yes this does cause expensive failures but, by flushing the old wet fluid from the system and replacing it with new fluid you’ll extend the life of these costly parts. Never allow brake fluid to remain in your car for more than two years

An overview of a Pro-Cut On-Car Brake Lathe

An overview of a Pro-Cut On-Car Brake LatheThe patented Pro-Cut on-car brake lathe has revolutionized the brake service industry through computer-aided precision that can deliver a level of accuracy beyond the scope of any other method of rotor turning.
The Pro-Cut International PFM-900 On-Car Brake Lathe
The lathe mounts directly onto the hub of the car's wheel, thus providing a direct link and, once aligned, perfectly "matched" rotor. This eliminates brake vibration and extends the life of the rotors and pads. There are a number of Pro-Cut lathes on the market. The top of the line PFM900 lathe is fully automated, which further eliminates any chance of human error and greatly enhances the accuracy. The Pro-Cut lathe is the only on-car lathe approved and recommended by DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors.
More information at..
http://http://www.procutinternational.com/

First posting

Starting today I will be posting automotive information for the members of carfix_online. You can comment or add to this blog, but you must contact me so I can add you to the allowed blogsters!


Ken