No. Oh, sure, you can connect a scan tool or computer to the computer system. And it’ll provide codes and some basic readings from the various sensors around the car. What A Check Engine Light Code Tells You However, it doesn’t tell you with any degree of certainty what’s wrong [...]
You really can’t: A truly skilled — and dishonest — technician can sell you just about anything, and you won’t have any way to verify their recommendations or repairs. Dealing With The Repair Shop But there are a few things you can do to minimize your risk: Develop a relationship [...]
This is one of the toughest situations to deal with when you have a problem, because there’s virtually no way the technician can diagnose car problems he can’t see or hear. Vehicle Diagnostic Advice But there are a few things you can do to help make sure those problems show [...]
Actually, just the opposite: It probably has a clog. AC System Explained That’s because a big part of every air conditioning system is its ability to remove moisture from the air. This moisture condenses and is supposed to leak out on the street. But if the evaporator drain gets plugged, [...]
Maybe. Maybe not. There are a number of possible conditions that can keep your car A/C from working efficiently. Low refrigerant is just one possibility. Others include a faulty cooling fan, a misadjusted blend door, or a clogged condenser to name just a few. Some of these conditions are very easy [...]
Maybe, but there are a lot of other possibilities. A more common one would be if your car’s thermostat is opening too soon, so the engine isn’t running hot enough. That’ll reduce the heat to the passenger compartment. Even worse, it can cause your car’s engine to run inefficiently, wasting [...]
Trying to increase your vehicle's fuel economy? You can start by keeping your car maintained properly. Improve Your MPG Other than regular maintenance, here are some tips to help you get better gas mileage: Keep the tire pressures filled to factory recommendations Change the engine oil regularly, using the lightest grade oil [...]
Sure is, and it can make a real difference in your car’s performance and efficiency. Fuel System Services That’s because the fuel systems on today’s cars are a marvel of technology. They work on clearances smaller than half the width of a human hair to provide the perfect level of [...]
Generally speaking, no. In fact, those gas saving devices come in two basic categories: completely useless and absolutely illegal. The useless ones are just what you’d expect: They don’t do much of anything, other than separate you from your money. They won’t hurt your car’s performance, but they won’t help [...]
One of the most common conditions that indicates a bad car battery problem is slow cranking when starting. If ignored for too long, it could reach the point where your car won’t start. Diagnosing Battery Issues When trying to determine if you have a [...]
