LSYE's Chicken Soup

When I was working at a dealership as a technician, for the most part, the other techs treated me like everyone else. They helped me and I helped them and there really wasn’t an issue about me being female in an all male environment.

           

The first conflict came about when a retired gentleman came in with a radio problem. Because the car’s mileage was below the first 3,000 mile service, it came to me. I checked the radio and found no problem with it. When the service advisor talked to the customer he asked to speak to the technician. I could tell by the look on his face that he was surprised when a woman came out to talk to him.

I explained how the radio worked and that it was working as it should. He told me that he was not satisfied with my answer and asked if he could speak to a male technician. I took him back out to the advisor and explained his request to speak with a male technician.

At that point, even though I was upset at being questioned, I went back to work and on with my day. About 20 minutes later I saw the owner of the vehicle motioning for me to come over to him. He seemed much more reserved and was having trouble looking me in the eye. I asked him what I could do for him and he told me that he had just come over to apologize to me. He said that not only did the male technician tell him the same thing that I did about his radio, but that the other technician asked him why he had questioned me, was it just because I was female?

The man felt a little sheepish and didn’t give an answer, but it was obvious, since he asked for a male technician, that he had questioned my ability to work on his vehicle. I told him that I was upset that he questioned me because I was a female, but that I appreciated the fact that he came over and admitted his mistake.

The interesting thing was that from that time on, whenever he came to the dealership for work, he would come over and see me and ask me about the technician working on his car. He always asked me to check on it and let me know what they found.

Even though we were from different generations, and had been raised with different ideals, we were able to find common ground. It’s important to admit when we’re wrong; it’s the only way we grow, as people and as a society.

Tire Pressure, Is It Really That Important?

We’ve all heard that proper tire inflation will help with gas mileage, but it’s also a safety concern. Improperly inflated tires can cause premature wear and stability issues as well. So first, let’s talk about were to find the proper tire pressure for your vehicle.

As you may know, tire manufacturers make tires that end up on a variety of vehicles. Therefore, you will never find the tire pressure for your vehicle on the tire itself. You need to look at the specifications for YOUR vehicle. You can find this information in your owner’s manual and somewhere on the vehicle, usually inside the driver’s door. Make sure you read it carefully; sometimes tire pressure is different in the front and the back. And don’t forget to check your spare tire at least once a year, a flat spare won’t help if you get a flat tire.

Digital Gauge

Stick Gauge

Dial Gauge

The next thing you need is a tire pressure gauge. I recommend that you purchase one and keep it in your vehicle. There are a variety of gauges, a stick gauge, dial gauge or a digital gauge. Find one that you feel comfortable with and know how to use it.

If you have a TPS sensor, don’t ignore it. Check the tire pressure. Remember, if you have nitrogen in your tires, it’s okay to add air if the tire is low.

Having a tire that is low on air may cause the car to feel unstable when driving it, or you may feel like it’s pulling to one side or the other. Obviously if all tires are properly inflated you’ll get the best ride down the road.

So what can happen if you don’t keep proper pressure in your tires. Well, there are a couple things. Over inflated tires will tend to wear prematurely down the center of the tire, while under inflated tires will wear along the outside edges.

It’s also important to rotate your tires so that you get even wear. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended schedule. If you don’t have this information, every 7500 miles is a good guideline to follow. Remember, your front wheels are doing all the steering, so you want the most tread in the front.

Tires are expensive these days. Proper maintenance will help you get your money’s worth and give you the longevity and mileage out of your tires as well.

Is That An Idiot Light On the Dash....Or Not?!

Every time you start your vehicle you see a bunch of lights that come on on the dash. Most of them go out after a few seconds, once the computers have done their initial scan of the systems, but what happens if a light stays on or a light comes on while you’re driving? Should you care, or are they just “idiot” lights?

I think that a lot of people like to ignore problems with their vehicle because they are either afraid they’ll get ripped off  if they take it to a shop, or they don’t want to think about how much it will cost to fix it. That being said, here are some lights that you SHOULD NOT ignore.

Red Oil Light: This light comes on when there is a problem with the oil pressure in the engine. Because the oil is like the blood of the vehicle, it’s important to keep it changed and full. If this light comes on while you are driving you should IMMEDIATELY pull over and turn the vehicle off. This light is the last warning before engine damage can happen, not the “you’ve got 50 miles before you need to get it looked at” light. If the oil is low, it’s possible that you could add oil and see if the light goes out. Most likely you’ll need a tow to a shop to see what the problem is.

Check Engine Light: This is a light that a lot of people ignore if the vehicle is driving okay. Unfortunately, this could make the problem worse and possibly cause an expensive repair down the line. The check engine light comes on when a sensor gives a bad reading. Sometimes the light can be on for something as simple as not tightening your gas cap, but other times it could be something more serious. There are many places now that will read this code for free. You can even purchase a code reader like the one from CarMD for about $100 to tell you the code. You can then look up this code to see what the possible problems are. You always want to make sure that you have a trained technician verify the problem before replacing parts.

Battery Light: The battery light comes on when there is a problem with the charging system of the vehicle. This could mean a problem with the battery, the alternator or the belt that drives it. Driving with the battery light on could cause the vehicle to just stop running. Many times a simple jump will not be the answer to fixing this problem so be aware they you may need to be towed to a shop for repairs. You should always have the battery and the alternator tested as one can cause damage to the other.

Coolant Light or Temperature Gauge: If this light comes on or the temperature gauge reads closer to the H than the C it means that you have an overheating problem. You should never let the gauge go into the red as this can cause engine damage. This is another light or indicator that tells you to pull the vehicle over and shut it off.  You should not drive the vehicle until it cools and coolant/antifreeze is added. Remember, you should never open the cap to add coolant/antifreeze while the engine is hot or you could suffer serious burns.

 These are just four of the lights you should watch and take action if they come on. Look in your owner's manual for more information and what other lights may indicate. Knowing when to stop driving before damaging your vehicle and preventing costly repairs will help you be an informed driver and keep you safe on the road. 

Remember, knowledge is power.....use it!

www.ladiesstartyourengines.com

Whew It's Hot In Here, Why Doesn't the A/C Blow Cold?

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m melting this summer, and we still have a lot more hot weather to go. Of course with this weather come all the air conditioning problems. Well, they were probably problems before, but we were able to ignore them. Now we want to get in our vehicle, turn the A/C on and feel cool air. I’m right there with you, rolling down the windows in this heat just doesn’t cut it.

One of the biggest complaints I hear is that the air is not cold enough. When I worked for a dealership, we had a lot of customers stop by on hot days to check their inside temperature. For the most part, the A/C was fine and they just needed an explanation about how the system works.

The simple answer is that when it’s 90 degrees out and there is 80% humidity, it is very hard to get super cold air out of your system. Your engine is hot, it’s hot outside, and the air has a lot of moisture in it. So the A/C unit has to take that air, dry it and cool it so that you can feel comfortable. 

Here’s a hint, if you have a recirculation button, use it. You can get cooler air by only cooling the air in your vehicle instead of trying to keep cooling the outside air.

Here is a more in depth article about how humidity affects the A/C system. (for geeks like me)

For most of us, we just want to know why the air doesn’t get cold. Usually it’s because the refrigerant/Freon, is low or has completely leaked out. Notice I used the word “leaked”? This system is what is known as a closed system. That means there is no place for the Freon to go other than around in a big circle within the A/C system. If it escapes, then we need to find the leak and fix it before we just add Freon.

Usually a shop will suggest using dye in the system so that it's easier to find the leak. This could be something as simple as a loose line or more costly if a component needs to be replaced. I’ll tell you right now that A/C repairs can be expensive. If the system gets contaminated then you usually have to replace every part of the system. This can run you up to $1000 in some cases.

Here are just a few things that can go wrong so at least you don’t feel totally lost when you take it to the shop.

If you don’t hear any difference in the sound of the motor when you turn on the A/C , (it may rev a little more loudly and you'll hear a clicking noise when the compressor comes on) this usually means the compressor is not running. The compressor could have seized, there could be no Freon or not enough to turn the compressor on, or there could be a clog in the system so nothing can circulate. (can become a costly repair)

You could have a loose hose connection or a bad hose, causing a leak, that needs to be replaced. (cheaper repair)

You could have a very slight leak that after adding Freon would take a long time to leak out. (cheapest repair)

Just remember that you need to have Freon in the system and it needs to be able to circulate or the air coming out of your vents won’t get cool. If it becomes too expensive to fix, you can always put the windows down :)

What You Know About Your Brakes Could Save You Money

I often get questions about brake pads. How do I know when  it’s time to replace them? How many miles will I get out of a set of pads? How do I know I’m  not getting ripped off when they tell me I need brakes?

First of all, you control how long your brake pads last. You know that person in front of you that starts braking two blocks before the stop sign, well, when I was working in the shop, I loved them! Why? Because whenever your foot is pushing on the brake pedal while the vehicle is moving, the brake pads are wearing.

When I told this to a class once, one of the women said “does that mean I should brake less?” NO, just be smart about it. Let’s say that the average driver needs to replace brake pads about every 30,000  miles. That person I talked about earlier that starts braking way before it’s time, well they may need to replace them every 15,000 miles. You see where I’m going with this? More money spent on replacing pads.

Brake pads are made to wear. You can’t stop them from wearing, just how fast they wear. There are a couple ways that you can check your pads.

The most obvious way is if the brake light comes on on the dash. This is an indication of low brake fluid, which could mean that your pads are worn or you have a brake fluid leak. Of course, the parking brake turns this light on as well, so make sure you take the brake off. Driving with the parking brake on is not good.

While I’m talking about brake fluid, as a vehicle owner, if you don’t know why the fluid is low, you should never add brake fluid to the reservoir. This does not fix your problem, it just covers it up for a while. Get a technician to figure out what is wrong.

When you do take it to a shop and they tell you that you need new pads, ask to see them. It’s best if you can see them on the vehicle so that you know the pad is really yours. Any reputable shop will be happy to take you out in the shop and explain the problem. If they won’t, then take it your vehicle somewhere else, you probably are getting ripped off. In the state of Pennsylvania, less than 2/32 fails inspection. By 4 or 3/32 you should be thinking about replacing them.

Brake pads are all about safety and shops know this. What better way to get you to buy a service than to tell you it won’t be safe to drive unless you fix them. Keep track of  the mileage between brake jobs and you’ll start to see a pattern of when your brakes need to be replaced. There are a lot of honest technicians out there, so don’t jump to the conclusion that everyone is trying to take advantage of you. Ask questions and if you don’t like the answers, find someone you trust.

Vehicle Maintenance: Can You Do It Yourself Anymore?

For most of you, when you open your hood, all you see is a big plastic cover that keeps you from seeing anything pertinent related to your engine. Remember the days when you could see the spark plug wires, there was enough space to see around under the hood, and you thought you recognized a few things whether you knew how to fix them or not?

Today, it’s not so easy. Opening the hood, you’re met with very little exposure to anything that would allow you to do maintenance yourself. I have a theory about this, and it’s the idea that the manufacturers think you shouldn’t touch anything you don’t understand. 

Vehicles are so technologically advanced today that you need a degree just to work on them. Gone are the days when a big wrench and a couple of screwdrivers could fix anything. Automobiles have so many computer systems now that your main tool is usually a computer or a scan tool. I know many technicians who do not even get their hands dirty because their skill is in the area of being able to diagnose problems.

Sure you still need to have brakes, alignments and tires changed, but the real skill is in diagnosing engine problems, and this can be difficult. 

So that brings me to the point of, what can you do yourself? If you open your hood and look closely you will see that there are a variety of things that are marked with words or symbols to tell you what they are. These are the things that you are free to do yourself. You can also look in your owner’s manual to find the items that the manufacturer feels are safe components for you to fix or replace yourself. 

The most common items under the hood are the washer fluid bottle, power steering reservoir, oil cap, oil dipstick, battery, fuse box, coolant/antifreeze reservoir, and the brake fluid reservoir. Some automatic transmissions may still have a dipstick as well, but more and more manufacturers are getting away from even providing those. Make sure you look closely at these symbols before you ever add any fluids to a reservoir. I will never forget how unhappy the person was who added antifreeze to their washer solvent bottle!

As always, I will tell you to consult your owner’s manual before you attempt to do any maintenance yourself. Many manufacturers require that you buy your products from them. This means items like coolant/antifreeze and power steering fluid must be bought from the dealership. You may find that your vehicle will not operate properly if you choose to use something else and it may void your warranty.

Always use windshield washer solvent and not plain water. Not only will it do a better job at cleaning, but it won’t freeze in colder climates. Freezing can cause the bottle to crack and break and ruin the sprayer motor. 

Power steering fluid is in a closed system. This means you can add it if it is below the “full” line, but you need to get it looked at because you probably have a leak. 

Oil should be checked when the engine is not running. The engine can be hot or cold, but may need to sit a moment if it has just been driven. When you shut off the engine all of the oil drains back down to the oil pan. The dipstick is checking the level of the oil in the pan, so we want it all to be there. While the engine is running the oil is circulating through the engine and the dipstick will not give you an accurate reading. On the dipstick there will usually be 2 notches, holes or a hatched area to read the oil level. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it off. Insert the dipstick in a second time and see where the oil is on the stick. It should fall between the marks. If it is below the bottom mark, then oil should be added. Be careful when adding oil. Only put in a little at a time and continually check with the dipstick. You do not want to overfill the oil. You should see a cap with an oilcan or the word oil, on the top of the engine. This is where the oil is added. Make sure that you check in your owner’s manual as to the type of oil your vehicle requires.

Coolant/antifreeze can be added as well. Make sure that you never open the radiator cap even if the engine is cold. This system is pressurized and when you open the cap you introduce air into the system, which can cause it to overheat. You should always add coolant to the reservoir bottle. This will be a plastic bottle with a small hose connecting it to the radiator. Again, check your owner’s manual as to the specific type of coolant/antifreeze for your vehicle and always make sure it is a 50/50 mix of coolant and water. Only add to the full line and have it checked if you find yourself adding coolant often. You may be leaking or burning coolant if the reservoir is frequently empty.

Battery maintenance is important as well. The terminals should be clean at all times. If you find that there is a white powdery build up, this can be cleaned with a toothbrush and a 50/50 mix of water and baking soda. Don’t use the toothbrush to brush your teeth afterward however! If you need to remove the cables to clean them, always disconnect the negative terminal first and then the positive. This will prevent any sparks. When re-connecting, attach the positive cable first and then the negative. Otherwise these batteries are pretty much maintenance free. The days of adding water are gone. A well maintained battery may last 4 to 5 years.

Oil changes are best left to the shop. I only say this because it can be dangerous to lift the car properly. Under no circumstances should you use the jack for the vehicle as a way to hold up the vehicle while changing the oil. They are not safe enough to use while climbing underneath a vehicle. They should strictly be used for changing a tire only. You must also be careful not to spill oil and it must be taken in to be recycled. You also need the proper tools to remove the drain plug and the oil filter. I tell people that for $25-30, it is worth it to let someone else do it!
 
Air filters are usually easy to change yourself however. Locate it under the hood, usually under a big plastic cover with clips or screws holding it closed. Go to any automotive store and by looking your vehicle up in the product book or asking for assistance you should be able to find it. You can always go to the dealership to purchase the filter as well. Check the filter about every 15,000 miles or so. If it looks dirty, replace it.

 
If you find that an electrical item is not working in your vehicle I would always advise people to check their fuses first. Look in your owner’s manual to find out where the fuse is for the component. Remove the fuse and check to see if the filament is broken. Replace the fuse if this is the case. Make sure to only replace it with the size fuse that is recommended. If the fuse blows again or the fuse is found to be okay, then you will need to take the vehicle in for service.

 

While this may not seem like as much as you would like to be able to fix yourself, it is probably all that you “should” do. Doing something today on your vehicle that you do not understand can become a costly lesson. If you can read about it in your owner’s manual, most likely it is something you can do on your own. Don’t be afraid to get dirty once in a while, but leave the technical stuff to the trained professionals.



Lori Johnson
www.Ladiesstartyourengines.com
Empowering Women with Automotive Knowledge
888-391-LSYE (5793)
 
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Indications That There's a Coolant Issue

For a couple of months now I've noticed that my temperature gauge on my dash is going up pretty high before it drops back down to the mid-way point. I keep telling myself to check it out, but it's cold outside and that doesn't make me want to work on the truck right now.

For those of you who don't know, I drive an 88 Toyota 4WD pickup with 296,000 miles. She'll be 23 in March and I just want to keep her running. We finally got a break in the weather and I decided to check a few things under the hood. Since the engine was cold, I took off the radiator cap to check it out. Sure enough, I couldn't see any coolant. I got my 50/50 mix of coolant and water and added it until it was just below the fill neck.

I then started the truck and let it warm up until the coolant began to boil up. This is important so that you get all of the air out of the system. An air pocket can cause the engine to overheat as well. I put the cap back on and checked the temperature gauge and all looked good. It still goes up a little higher than I'd like it too and maybe in the spring I'll replace the thermostat....it's possible that it just gets stuck. Here are some things to look at if you have any of these problems:

Your vehicle is overheating - Check the coolant level, do this through the reservoir.  Have it changed if it's been 2 years or about 30,0000 miles, Feel your upper radiator hose to see if it gets hot after it warms up. If not, you may have a bad thermostat that isn't opening. You may also have a block somewhere in your system.

Your temperature gauge never goes up and there's no heat in the vehicle - Most likely your thermostat is stuck open. This means it takes a long time for the coolant to heat up, and it may never get to a warming temperature.

These are just a couple quick things to check if you're having coolant problems. When I'm driving I always try to check out my dashboard gauges periodically just to make sure everything is functioning properly. If you see the coolant gauge going up toward the red you should pull over before it becomes an overheating problem that could do engine damage.

One little trick that may get you a little further....if your vehicle is getting hot, before it gets to the red, turn your heater on high to vent the hot air into the vehicle and away from the engine. If the needle starts to go into the red pull over and shut the engine down. It isn't worth blowing the engine just to drive a little further. Add water (once it cools down) if that's all you have, and get yourself to a shop.

Battery, Alternators and Coolant problems are all things that can shut your vehicle down while you're driving. Keep an eye on them and you can catch issues before they strand you.

Radical Wrencher