Tag Archives: mini

DTC P0300 Random Engine Miss Fire Condition

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DTC P0300 is a Random Engine Miss Fire Condition

An engine miss fire feels like a bumping sensation. Most of the time, this is noticed by the driver when accelerating. A miss fire condition may cause the Check Engine Light to turn on or start flashing at you.

Carbon tracking on a spark plug

This is a spark plug with carbon tracking. The dark black lines running left to right in the center of the image is a carbon trail caused by a faulty spark plug wire. This type of condition will cause a single cylinder miss fire.

If an engine miss fire condition is causing poor tail pipe emissions, the check engine light will start to flash on and off.

When you see the check engine light flashing at you, do not continue to drive the car. Get it in for repairs right away. The catalytic converter maybe damaged if you continue to drive the car with the check engine light flashing.

catalytic converter failure core melted

A Catalytic Converter damaged by a miss fire condition. A miss fire condition will melt down a converter very quickly.

A catalytic converter is not chump change. On a Nissan Pathfinder, I just replaced both front catalytic converters on the Nissan and it was related to a miss fire condition. It was over $1,400.00 just for the dealer cats.

Worn spark plugs, causing engine code P0300

This set of worn spark plugs was causing a DTC P0300 on a Ford 4.2 V6. The plugs are 8 years old with 102,000 miles of use. The engine needed more parts than just spark plugs. This set of plugs also shows oil build up, the engine was due for a valve job on top of all the other needs.

If the check engine light is flashing, get it in for repairs!

OBD2 cars today can store a code that will direct the mechanic to look at a specific area.

A good example of this is when you have a DTC P0302 miss fire detected on cylinder #2, you have a place to look (cylinder #2 has a miss fire). You just have to look at things that would affect cylinder #2.

Oil fouled spark plug

Oil fouled spark plug, this plug was causing a single cylinder miss fire. (DTC P0304)

On a DTC P0300, this is a random miss fire condition that could be caused by anything. Anything that changes the air/fuel mixture to all of the cylinders in the engine at the same time.

A dirty MAF sensor can cause this type of change to all the cylinders.

MAF: Mass Air Flow Sensor, is a sensor that takes reading of the incoming air into the engine and sends a signal to the computer. The signal is used to make fuel system, cam timing and ignition timing adjustments.

The driver may not feel the engine miss fire with a DTC P0300, but the driver should see the check engine light turn on. Other things the driver may notice. The engine may feel like it is not responding crisply or the driver may notice that the fuel economy has been poor.

A couple other things that can cause a DTC P0300. Poor engine compression or an engine that is out of time due to a faulty timing belt or timing chain. A large centrally located vacuüm leak or a restricted exhaust system.

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DTC P0300 Defined: Random Cylinder Miss Fire, this condition could be caused by any parts attached to the engine or parts inside the engine. You have to look for any condition that will change the air/fuel mixture, spark or compression to all the cylinders at the same time.

DTC P0301 Defined: Miss Fire on cylinder #1 or any cylinder that the code lists. (P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304) The last number in the DTC is pointing to the cylinder that set the code.

 

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Click, Click, Click

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It’s the sound no one want’s to hear.

Click, click, click, this sound could be caused by a faulty starter, a poor cable connection at the starter or battery, or it could be a worn out battery. It could be related to anything in the starting system.

The most common reason is a faulty battery. (about 75% of the time it is just a faulty battery) In Arizona I see most batteries last about 18 months. (1.5 years) The heat is a big killer of batteries. I test every battery in every car I look at, even if it is in for a small repair.

A battery does not normally fail suddenly, but can. The battery will show weakness many months before full failure. Yes, it may start the engine just fine, but the cells inside the battery may have a reduced capacity.

The best way to test for battery health is to place a fixed load on the battery and watch the voltage drop over a preset time. This places a dynamic load on the cells. This is an old school type of test.

The next best way is to use a capacity tester. This type of test checks the internal cell resistance. If the cells are weak, the tester will show (percentage remaining) or a (replace now) depending on how weak the cells are.

Do not wait till you hear click, click click to take action, stop in today so we can test your battery. We are always happy to see new clients and our regular clients know we take care of everything under the hood. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

At Tony’s Service Center we check your battery at every visit. If it is having any issues, you will know before it fails.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Tune Up – Phoenix 85016

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What is a Tune Up?

By todays standards, a tune up is not like a tune up in the good old days. You may remember back to a time when dad or grandpa worked on the family car in the drive way. With many trips to the auto parts store and two six packs of liquid helper the car would run again.

On a modern O.B.D. 2 car, a tune up it is very different from pre 1999 cars.

O.B.D. 2 started back in 1995, but only on some cars and light trucks. By 1999 every car and light truck on the road had O.B.D. 2 computers running the engine and transmission systems. Many government mandates reshaped how engines and transmission systems are managed. Fuel economy and emissions standards became tighter. So car makers had to make changes.

From 1980 to 1999 many american cars used O.B.D. 1 computers. The O.B.D. 1 computer was slow and prone to odd issues. Each car maker had its own system with its own set of codes and short comings.

As fast as home computers changed, the computers used in cars changed, becoming faster and more capable. Some manufactures used old school ways with new electronics and it made a mess of everything under the hood. So many hoses, wires, valves and sensors it just made your head spin.

Imports had electronic systems back in to the 70’s, but no two makes of car ran the same style of system and they changed every 2 to 3 years. Many import cars used parts that did the same things that O.B.D. 1 parts did, but no one used a uniform standard. It was a big mess until O.B.D. 2.

Back in the old days of points, plugs and wires.

Prior to electronic ignition systems, every engine used a set of points to trigger the ignition system. The points system was a mechanical on off switch for the ignition system. Every 6 months or so the parts would wear out and need replacement or a tune up. On the older cars you did not have a computer to give you a code. You had to find the fault by doing tests on all the parts that ran the engine.

Repairing the older cars required the mechanic to hook up a big engine scope to the engine. Getting good data from the engine during its operation was critical to a fast diagnosis. This was the heart of no code driveability. You had to know how every part worked and how wear effected the way the engine ran or how the transmission would respond. I do not miss the old cars, but I still have some vintage rides stop in for service.

Todays version of a tune up may consist of pulling codes and replacing some broken parts, but for the most part a modern car has nothing to tune up. A computer running a program sets the idle speed and timing to maximise fuel economy and engine performance, its pre-set, nothing to adjust. Service intervals are longer and wearing parts like spark plugs last longer.  The Distributer, distributer cap, rotor, ignition wires and coil has been replaced with an ignition coil on plug ignition systems. Todays engine bay looks simple in comparison to a 80’s car. So what is a tune up? It’s about replacing the worn parts and making the car happy.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

Chevy Truck Repairs, My engine runs rough.

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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

Are you ready for the “Summer Heat”?

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It’s March & almost summer time. It’s time to get ready for the heat!

Everything inside, outside and under the hood of your car will see extra stress because of the extreme heat in Arizona. If you haven’t noticed it yet, Phoenix is a desert climate, dusty and hot. Every summer I see many cars that are not ready to take on the Arizona heat.

If you live outside Arizona and plan on traveling through Phoenix mid summer, this applies to you too.

The cooling system is a great place to start. Inspecting everything on the engines cooling system is very important. Leaky hoses, water pumps and radiators will let the coolant level drop slowly in the cooling system. Low coolant levels can quickly turn into an over heating condition ruining your engine. Reduced air flow due to bugs, trash or faulty cooling fans can lead to over heating just as easy as low coolant levels. Engine failure can be prevented with a visit to the shop for a full inspection of the cooling system.

You need air-conditioning to keep you cool in your car. let’s check it! Is the output temperature correct, do all the controls work correctly, is your cabin air filter ready to get the job done? Do you have any leaky hoses? Let’s take a look.

Have you thought about reducing the heat to the inside of your car? If you have regular clear glass. Window tint will help cut the heat load to everything inside the car. A high quality tint will reduce the heat inside the car by rejecting the sun’s UV rays.

A summer time inspection can be included with a regular oil change service. Waiting till you are at the side of the road is too late to act. Stop in today.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

A/C Filter Maintenance

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A/C air filters get dirty quickly in Phoenix, AZ

The normal interval for a/c air filter replacement is once a year or every 15,000 miles. In Phoenix, AZ it is very dusty, so filter changes may be needed more often. Today I found a set of original equipment a/c filters in a 1994 Lexus LS400. The car only has 96,000 miles on it and the owner only drives twice a week at best, the owner is a snow bird and this is the winter car that just sits at the house during the summer.

The car has been serviced several times with us, but the owner visits other locations. The client did not have an issue with the a/c, but it’s March and warm out so I turned it on Max just to check it. I noticed the air flow was weak when the fan was set on MAX air. So I took a peek at the a/c air filters.

I was stunned to find OE original filters in place. Some-how it was not noticed on the other visits to the shop. Overall changing the cabin air filter regularly keeps incoming air cleaner and duct air flow at peak output. If you do not remember ever-changing the a/c filters in your car, stop in at the shop and we can take care of it for you.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

Check Your Oil!

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When was the last time you opened the hood & checked your oil level?

Why wait, check it today!

A low engine oil level will cause internal engine parts to wear. Waiting till you go in for service may be too late to prevent wear from taking place. You can’t see the wear that takes place inside the engine, but it may be the difference between replacing the engine at 60,000 miles vs 200,000 miles.

I have seen car owners bad mouth a brand or product line just because of a failure related to poor maintenance.

This car is a pile of @!^&*!!

The truth is the car owner didn’t do his maintenance. Ignorance is bliss. Good car ownership starts with maintaining the things that wear on the car.

Tires, brakes, ignition & fuel systems, fluids, filters, belts, hoses, lights and wiper blades will wear out some day. Why wait till you are broken down at the side of the road to take action?

maintenance is ongoing and the key to the long life of your car.

I know in our rush, rush world. You may never stop long enough to remember about checking your own oil level, unless the engine makes ugly noises or the genie lamp turns on. Why wait, checking your oil level may save you from an engine failure.

If you are in the area, stop in at the shop and I can check the oil level for you. If your oil level is low often. You may have an oil leak. even a small oil leak can cause the oil level to be low in less than 30 days. Always fix oil leaks as soon as possible to prevent engine wear due to oil loss.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

Buying a new, used car. 5 steps to keep you from buying a lemon.

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It’s time to buy a car, but you can only afford a new, used car.

Many clients I know have a budget to stick to.  I have a budget and need to plan for any big purchase. Buying a new car is a huge step for anyone.  Tags, title, maintenance and insurance, everything just got more expensive.

Not every used car is going to be a good buy right off the lot. I look at about 10 cars every month and less than 50% are worth buying.

I work for my client, not the seller.

I do not wear rose-colored glasses. So I will look past the shiny paint and overly slicked down engine bay to see every fault.

Step 1: Go look at cars during the day.

Cars on the car lot will look real nice under the bright lights, but you will miss many details at night. During the day it is easy to see all the flaws. Paint color issues and poorly done body repairs are the big defects that hide at night.

Step 2: Buy 2 to 4 years old, let the first owner take the hit.

When you buy a gently used 2 to 4-year-old car, the first owner will take the hit on the deprecation of the car. Almost all cars and trucks take a huge dip in value in the first 5 years. It is best to buy a car no older than 8 years. This way you will still have service parts available to keep your car looking and running good.

Auto manufactures start to discontinue cosmetic parts at 8 years of age. Cosmetic parts keep your car looking good. If it is in an accident it will need cosmetic parts to put it back together. So It is best to get something newer vs real old.

Mechanical parts will still be available for many years and you may have to go to a regular auto parts source (NAPA) for some things as the car ages past 15 years. Personally I drive a 1993 Toyota Tercel and my Toyota is 20 years old, but Toyota still services almost 80% of the parts for this car.

As long as you love your car and we can get quality parts for it, we can keep your car running great.

Gear head alert: If you have mechanical skills, the year of the car will never matter, but I will still recommend you to have an independent shop inspect the car, because it will be an objective opinion. If I save you money and keep you from buying a money pit, it will be worth every penny for the inspection.

Step 3: Drive the car in the city and on the freeway.

Before you bring the car in for an inspection. You can rule out some things on your own. When you drive the car, does it drive straight down the road? On flat ground, under safe conditions, lightly grip the steering wheel while driving. If it wants to turn or pull to one side, it could show repairs are needed. Tires can also cause a pull, but so can worn suspension parts or poor quality accident repairs.

Do the same pull check when using the brakes, does it pull or shake? Take time to listen to the car not the radio. Is the car overly noisy when driving on a smooth road? Does it vibrate at an idle when it is in gear? Does it shake at high speeds above the speed limit…

Does the car smell musty or like an old gym bag when you first get in. This is mostly noticed when you live in a hot climate area like Phoenix, AZ.

Do all the electric devices work? Does the A/C and heat work correctly. This one is a must have in Phoenix, AZ

Just check everything you can, switch everything on and off plus open and close all windows and the sun roof if it has one. If it will pass basic tests you are ready for the next part of the inspection.

Then bring the car into the shop for a full inspection. We will check the engine, fuel and Ignition systems, scan the computer, emissions equipment, transmission and under chassis. We will look for hidden body repairs that may have not been reported to Carfax. If we find issues we can give you retail prices on the needed repairs. This repair list will give you power to wheel and deal with the seller or just pass on the car.

Step 4: Stay away from cars that have “Go Fast” modifications.

Modifications do not add to the retail value or private re-sale value of the car, unless done correctly. Too many times I see cars that are just hacked up, but they look good on the outside. You can break this rule if you want to, but let me tell you why this step is important.

Let’s say you buy a Ford Mustang with a smaller V8 or V6, but later will want to add performance parts to it to make it Go Fast. You just killed the re-sale value of the car and wasted your money for a small gain.

It would be better for you to just buy the Mustang GT. The GT will hold its value because it is not hacked up, plus it is a Go Fast car to start with. Buy right, buy once.

When performance parts go bad, finding replacement parts when traveling can cause issues. A near stock car can be serviced at almost any repair location. Modifications will cost extra to maintain, and may add extra repair labor when servicing your car.

Every change you make to the car has a price. The costs go way past the original installation the parts.

Step 5: The most important step is…

*** “Do not buy any car or truck without getting it inspected!” ***

Ok, this should be a no brainer, but it’s not. I have looked at many cars that clients have already signed the papers on and they own the car.

I act on the clients behalf to protect the client from the seller. Think of it as being your second set of eyes. About 99% of all used cars older than 5 years do not come with a warranty. Yes, you can spend extra money on a 3rd party warranty, but if you buy a good car, you will not need to worry about a warranty because you did your home work. So do not sign anything till you have had it checked out at an independent shop. Even if the car is from a friend!

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

 

What is a genie lamp? Engine Repair Phoenix 85016

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What is a Genie lamp?

This was one of the funnest & sad things I have ever encountered, but it was mostly a sad day for the owner of the car. The owner of the car in question did not know what the lights on the instrument panel indicated. The owner drove the car till it stopped. Once the car arrived at the shop, I asked the standard questions. The owner said they had a genie lamp on, but the car drove fine till the engine stalled. so I asked them to show me what lamp on the panel was turning on.

Keep in mind, I was puzzled about what the client was seeing. Because I have never seen a genie lamp on any instrument panel. 

The client turned on the key and pointed to the light that was on. It was the OIL LIGHT, but to them it looked like a genie lamp. Keeping a straight face, I said, a genie lamp would have smoke going up out of the spout. The lamp on the panel had a drop going down. The client just giggled. Then shock set in.

The client had no idea that the engine had no oil in it. It was just serviced at the clients local quick lube. The drain plug was tight, the filter was new and tight, just no oil. I was very impressed, the car went 14 miles before engine failure. The client said the light was on when they picked up the car, but they did not think anything of it because, it was on intermittently a week before the service. I did not say a thing. I Just gave them a price and the car ended up going away.

As a car owner, you should know some basics. You need to know how to air up your tires, plus check the oil and coolant. You should know what all the warning lights on the instrument panel indicate. You should know how to change a flat tire.

If you have questions about your car, stop in at the station and we will answer any of your questions at no charge. Knowledge is key to keeping your car in good shape.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013

 

DTC P0440 Evaporative System Leak Detected

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The gas cap pictured above looks bad, the gasket is cracked and you would think it would be leaking, the odd thing is it seals up just fine.

DTC P0440 evaporative system leak detected.  This is one of the OBD 2 codes that every car owner will hear about at least once.  The code is for leakage in the evaporative system.  It does not indicate the gas cap is bad, but a loose or defective gas cap can trigger the code.  A faulty roll over valve on the top of the fuel tank can set the same code.  The code will set in the computer for any number of reasons, that is why we run tests to rule out the unknown.  The first test is the gas cap.  It is a part that can wear out from use, so it is a good place to start.

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

copyright: All rights reserved @ HeyAnthonyAZ.com 2013