Tag Archives: heyanthonyaz

Chevy Truck Repairs, My engine runs rough.

Posted on by

1997 Chevrolet truck with a 4.3 engine runs rough.

The owner has maintained the truck very well, but with 300,000+ miles on the clock you would think it would be all worn out, but it’s not. This is why maintenance is critical to the long life of your car or truck. This truck looks and drives great because the owner loves his ride. The rough running condition was not setting any codes.

(This was a No Code, Driveablity Condition) 

It was not related to the ignition system or engine compression. It was caused by a faulty fuel pressure regulator on the fuel injection unit. The only way to spot an issue like this is to know fuel delivery basics.

The failure was not computer related.

Some engine parts go bad slowly over time. The client did not know that anything was wrong. The client only said it felt rough at an idle and to check it out. This little monster below is the fuel injection unit from under the intake manifold. It is hidden from sight. So when it has a leak, you do not smell it or see it, but your fuel economy will drop when it is going bad.

The client may have noticed that the engine was using more fuel, but he does not check the fuel mileage regularly. The easy way to check fuel usage is to zero out your trip meter when you fill up the gas tank. Then at the next fill up, divide the miles traveled by the fuel used to re-fill the tank. Presto, you just found out what your fuel MPG is. Now, do this at every fill up and if you notice your mileage drop over 20% suddenly, you may need repairs or lighter feet.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Full Service Gas Stations 85016

Posted on by

A long, long time ago… Full service gas stations?

I remember the days when you could find a full service gas station in every local neighborhood. I worked the full service island at a Chevron station near my home town high school. Just about every kid in the auto shop worked at one of the local service stations. It was crazy fun and 5 gallons of free gas every week.

The owner had a great hook, fill up before 9:00 am weekdays and you would get a 16oz hot coffee and a car wash for free. The coffee was average and the car wash was just a basic wash, but people lined up for it. It was a hook.

Today it is hard pressed to find a full service gas station any place in the country. Full service gas stations are gone, a thing of the past. Anyway who would pay extra money for a gallon of gas just to have someone pump it for you?

The gas station I worked at had dozens of regular clients stop in every day for full service fill ups. Young or old, people just did not want to get dirty. Clients liked the personal attention. Everyone liked that we checked the car at every fill up. Checking the fluids, belts and hoses, airing up the tires and washing the windows. We took care of the clients ride.

Cars today still need attention. Waiting till it goes in for service every 4 to 6 months is way too long. Many things can happen in just 30 days. If you have a 6-year-old car or older you should be checking it regularly. Once a month you need to check the under hood fluids, air up the tires, toss out the trash and maybe give it a wash.

If you are in the neighborhood, stop in and let me take a look under the hood. I charge nothing to take a look. If I find something needing attention. I can give you an estimate for the repairs. The important part is to take a look. If your ride needs repairs, it’s better to fix it before you break down on the side of the road.

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Cabin air filters

Posted on by

The air filter above is only 7 months old.

Heating and air conditioning systems on many of todays cars and some trucks have an air filter on the inlet side of the blower motor housing.  The filter helps to remove the small debris and dust from getting into the passenger area.  Service is normally due about once a year or 15,000 miles.  The filter will need more frequent service in a dusty climate.  In many cases the filter does not take long to change.  Air flow will be reduced as the filter becomes dirty.  Changing a cabin air filter video by HeyAnthonyAZ.

 

It’s all good under the hood. Anthony Xavier ASE Master Technician

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013