Addressing Auto Problems: the Misfiring Engine or Engine Cylinder

While today’s engines are more efficient and at times less gas-guzzling compared to their predecessors, some engine problems continue to plague various vehicle owners. One of the most common engine problems encountered by drivers is a misfiring engine. There are times when it’s not the total engine or the complete number of engine cylinders that misfires, sometimes it’s just a single engine cylinder that constantly misfires every time the vehicle is used. And that’s just the tip of an iceberg.

Looking Under the Hood: Checking Belts, Connections and Hoses

Excellent driving skills are not the only factors that could prevent a driver from encountering a possibly fatal accident. Your vehicle must always be in tiptop condition for you to prevent any traffic or driving mishaps. Consider this: an ill-maintained vehicle is an accident waiting to happen. Keep yourself and your passengers safe by making sure your vehicle is in excellent condition.

That being said, let’s discuss how you could maintain your vehicle’s hoses, connections and belts. Keep in mind that any time you are looking under your vehicle’s hood is always the perfect time to examine the different connections, hoses and belts to make sure that they are damage, wear and leak-free. To avoid getting burned, be sure to conduct your checking while your vehicle is cool. Wait an hour or two after driving to make sure the engine and all the parts located under your hood is no longer blistering hot.

If it’s your first time to check under your vehicle’s hood, then you’ll probably be unfamiliar with all the numerous parts in your engine and around it. However, if you make it a frequent practice to check your system and make sure that everything works, you’ll be able to identify all the different hoses and connections in a jiffy. I suggest you procure a photograph of a relatively clean engine and use it to evaluate any loose connections or changes that might have occurred in your vehicle.

While checking, be mindful of possible tears or leaks in your hose. If you find that there is a rip in the hose, use heat-tolerant tape to temporarily patch it up. Remember, the keyword in the previous sentence is temporary, meaning it’s best to look for a reputable car parts or truck accessory dealer and to purchase a replacement hose as soon as possible. If you’re under a tight budget, then check out this link for discount auto parts. If you’re unable to install the new hose yourself, I suggest you take your vehicle to a mechanic ASAP.

Make it a point to check all the different connections like the ones you see running from the spark plugs and cylinders to the batter, the distributor cap and other parts of the engine. Should you find these connections in a state of disarray or if you see anything questionable about these connections, then check out your vehicle’s owner’s manual to figure out how a specific hose or part should look.

It’s best to check your belts at least once a month to avoid breakage or having these belts give way while you’re driving or out on the road. Damaged, frayed, badly worn or separating belts need replacing as soon as possible. While belts that are beginning to slack about half an inch or more should be tightened using a screwdriver or any other tool. To check properly, touch the belt to detect if there is any slack present.

(tightening the fan belt)

Overheating: What To Do When It Happens

You’re late for work, the traffic is terrible and you’re practically in the middle of the highway when all of a sudden you see smoke rise up. You’re thinking that you’re imagining things and it’s just the heat wave playing tricks on you (or some idiot decided that revving up their engine and have smoke come out is a cool thing to do). But then it starts to increase and you know for sure that it’s no mirage. You’re engine is overheating. So being a good citizen, you slowly (and painstakingly) pull yourself to the side of the road to avoid causing more traffic to the already heavily populated highway. I’m about to say something which may actually cause you folks to react violently but let me assure you that this type of mishap is normal. At one point in our lives this has happened to us. Most of the time, the causes of this could be a busted radiator hose, one of the auto parts in your car’s cooling system. If you find yourself in this situation, the steps below will help you temporarily fix the problem giving you time to drive yourself to the nearest service station and to call your boss so you can file a leave (Trust me and take the day off. It’ll do you wonders).

1. Open your cars hood, let out some steam (from your car not from you) and locate its source. Remember, before you touch anything, make sure your car’s engine has cooled off. The engine can give off an intense amount of heat and can cause burns if you make a mistake of touching any of its parts while it’s still hot.
2. Check the radiator hose, look for the hole and dry it completely.
3. Get a piece of duct tape (about 2 to 3 inches will do) and use it to cover the hole found in your radiator hose. Make sure to press it firmly at the center to keep it in place.
4. Once done, get a longer piece of duct tape and wrap it around the hose and over the damaged portion. Start slightly above the original patchwork you initially did. Again, make sure that it’s tight and secure.
5. Before starting your way home or to the nearest service station, make sure you have enough radiator fluid. If you feel like you don’t have enough, you can just use plain old H20 (that’s water folks).

Once you have this done, make sure to have your radiator hose replaced immediately. Most auto parts and discount auto parts shops carry this. Don’t rely on the patchwork you just did. Unless you enjoy making your life a living hell.

How To Keep It Cool When Your Car’s Cooling System Isn’t

Imagine that you’re on your way to your girl’s (or boy’s) house. You’ve got every thing played out in your head. Candle light dinner, probably a little (just a little) dancing to kill the tension and then….your engine heats up. That’s it, no play time for you. Now you’re wondering (while you’re stuck on the road and calling your dad) what causes this and how can I solve it. Well, overheating is due to having a faulty cooling system. A cooling system is made up of different auto parts that keep your engine cool. To avoid this from happening again to you, check the different scenarios and tips below on how to go about keeping your engine (and yourself) cool.

One problem you may encounter is when your cooling system has a leak. You can find out by checking if your car’s temperature is warmer than its normal rate. Another is if your car is leaking a greenish type of fluid from underneath. Check the hood for any noises (like a whistling sound) or if you see or smell the liquid. If any of these signs appear, get a rag and open the lid of your car’s plastic overflow reservoir to check if there is any liquid in it. If you find any, then you have a serious problem and you’ll need your trusty mechanic to help you out.

Another sign that tells you your cooling system has gone awry is when your instrument panel starts to indicate that your car is running hot. This happens when your car’s in-heat (not in that way you pervert). Check your water gauge. If it stays or moves from the red portion then your car is overheating. Pull over immediately and have your car towed to prevent any further damage.

In case your car’s temperature heats up and no water is coming out of your tailpipe, park the car and leave the engine running. Check if the water temperature gauge is rising. If it hits the red portion of the meter and your engine fan isn’t working, then you have a busted sensor. Shut off the engine, let it cool and then look for the wire connecting the fan to the engine and remove the sensor. Have it replaced and then test if the fan is working and the temperature slowly cools down. If it doesn’t or the fan works but the temperature remains the same or increases, then your thermostat just gave. Replace the part and conduct the test again. If it works then off you go. If doesn’t then you’ll need to have the water pump or the radiator checked by a mechanic.

Keep in mind that these are just basic tips to help you get through your cooling system’s problems. If you’re unsure about trying any one of these steps, have a professional look into it and have the system replaced. It’s a bit pricey but some dealers that offer discount auto parts might be able to give you a working cooling system at an affordable price.

Refurbishing Your Engine’s Oil Pump

Vehicles, no matter what model, all need motor oil. Internal combustion engines make use of motor oil to grease its moving elements. Aside from this function, the motor oil helps in cleaning the engine and preventing metal deterioration. It also takes heat away from various engine parts.

With the many substantial uses of the motor oil, it is important that it reaches various parts of the engine. An automotive part that carries out this function is the oil pump. Propelled by the engine, the oil pump is your vehicle’s means of moving the oil to the different engine components. However, like the other parts of your vehicle, the oil pump will wear out sooner or later. So, what should you do when your car’s oil pump finally bids farewell? Do you have to change it right away? Do you have to buy a new one?

While most people will opt to get a new oil pump when repairing the engine, re-enforcing an old oil pump can be a great alternative. The idea of renovating your oil pump may sound like a difficult task, but in point of fact, the procedure is rather simple. Plus, all you need are an even surface to work on, a collection of feeler gauges, and sandpaper.

1. Restoring Clearance

First, it is important to reinstate the pump gear end clearances into the appropriate specs. You can do this by simply polishing the body of the oil pump with a sand paper. Make sure to do it on a flat surface.

2. Setting up a New Pressure-Relief Spring

Relief springs are small automotive elements that deserve proper attention. Before mounting a new pressure-relief spring on your oil pump, seek advice from shops that specialize on this automotive part. Various engine models need different types of relief springs. So to avoid getting the wrong spring for your engine, it’s recommendable that you consult an expert first. Afterwards, examine whether the oil pump housing has defects, which can be caused either by constant use or by a filthy oil system. If the damage of the housing is too big, then it’s time for you to get a new one to reconstruct the oil pump.

3. Determining the Clearance

The next step is to institute the gear end clearance of your oil pump. Turn the housing of the pump upside down and merely slot the gears in it. Diagonally position a straightedge on the surface of the pump housing. In order to establish the clearance, slip in the feeler gauge in the middle of the straightedge and the gear. Rub the housing gasket with sandpaper if there is an excess clearance.

4. Putting Them Altogether

Once you have instituted the clearances of your oil pump, you’re probably keyed up to put the other components together. Before this, make sure that every component is thoroughly free from dirt particles. Blow dry them with dense air if at all possible. Pull together the oil pump with the new relief spring. Use oil to grease the relief valve, and then establish the gears on their ducts. Remember to use petroleum jelly to totally pack the gears and prepare the pump.

With these easy-to-follow steps, you can successfully regain your oil pump without spending too much. Easy, isn’t it?

Replacing Spark Plugs

Dear Auto Frankie,

My Acura MDX failed to start on my way to a very important PTA meeting, and I was all alone at that time to figure it out. The minute I popped the hood open, I was baffled with all the wirings and I really did not know where to begin inspecting, since my husband usually does these things. Luckily my neighbor was kind enough to drop by and lend me a hand, and he suspected that the spark plug wires failed. Can you give me some friendly tips (meaning, in the simplest terms that a mother like me would understand) on how to change it? Thank you very much.

-Annie James, IL

Sure Annie, no problem at all, Frankie’s got you covered.

Your engine is made complex by all the tubings and wires that are specifically crafted to make the engine operation possible. First of all, you should know that one of the main suspects for a failed engine start is really the spark plug wires. Try popping up your hood again. The spark plug wires are the ones that are fit into the cylinder heads of the engine. If your car is new, this will probably have four cylinders. This means four spark plug wires for you, which can be colored either black, blue, red, or orange. The spark plug wire acts as the main component that ignites the compressed gas of the engine to make it start. This is why spark plug wires are very vital to the operation of the vehicle.

Usually, replacing spark plug wires should come with the 30,000-mile tune-up. In your case, Annie, you can go to your local auto parts dealer, or just shop online to find great deals such as the Acura Spark Plug Wires to replace your old worn-out ones. Once at hand, check and inspect the wires. If they are not labeled as “1”, “2”, etc, then lay them out according to their length. Here are the steps on how to replace them:

Replacing Spark Plugs

• Start at one end of the engine and remove only the first spark plug wire. Be sure to pull on the boot, or the end of the plug wire until it pops off. You don’t need any tools to do this, you can use your hands, but make sure it wouldn’t chip off your manicure. *wink

• Follow the wire to its other end and locate where it is plugged into the distributor cap. Remove the wire from the distributor cap by pulling on the end of the wire. After the plugs have been removed, hold them up and check for heavy deposits, or if the core nose is damaged. This confirms a bad spark plug that needs to be replaced. A healthy one will be lightly coated with grayish brown deposits only.

• Replace the old spark plugs with the new ones you’ve bought. Match each with the same length or number. The plug wire will make a quiet “pop” when it snaps on the spark plug. Your MDX probably has small slots to hold the wires in place so that they don’t rub against each other, or on any other part of the engine. Make sure to put the plug wires back to their corresponding slots.

• Do the same with the next spark plug wire. Remember to take one off and replace it ONE AT A TIME, until you’ve replaced all the wires.

Thank you for writing Annie, hope I helped you out.