TECH TIP FOR APRIL, 1998

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT BRANTFORD STARTER, THAT I NEED TO COVER FIRST.

CONTRARY TO THE CURRENT RUMOUR, BRANTFORD STARTER IS NOT FOR SALE! THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT IF SOME ONE CAME ALONG AND OFFERED A VERY GENEROUS PRICE, I WOULD NOT SELL, BUT THEN UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES THERE IS PROBABLY NOT A BUSINESS AROUND THAT WOULDN'T SELL. ANYWAY, I AM NOT ACTIVELY TRYING TO SELL AND I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF BEING HERE FOR A LONG WHILE.

NEXT, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, DUE TO MOSTLY CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS I HAVE HAD TO LAY OFF MY APPRENTICE. IN ORDER TO HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF HERE, I WILL BE CLOSING ON SATURDAYS FROM MAY 1/98 TO NOVEMBER 1/98. IF I HAVE NOTHING TO DO OR AM BEHIND YOU MAY FIND ME HERE ON A SATURDAY, AND IF I'M HERE I WILL ANSWER THE PHONE AND HELP ANY WAY I CAN.

AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT MANUFACTURER TO MY INDUSTRY IN AN ARTICLE FOR A TRADE PAPER, WROTE "20% OF THE COST OF BUILDING A MODERN CAR IS IN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS". JUST THINK OF HOW MUCH MONEY IS INVOLVED IN THE AVERAGE CAR, AND THEN THINK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE CARS THAT ARE POWER EVERYTHING. THIS MEANS THAT HUGE DAMAGE CAN BE DONE IF POLARITY IS NOT VERY CAREFULLY OBSERVED DURING BATTERY REPLACEMENT OR WHILE BOOSTING. IF THE POLARITY IS NOT OBSERVED, IT IS POSSIBLE TO BLOW EVERY FUSE AND/OR FUSIBLE LINK IN A CAR! NOW THE FUSES ARE EASY ENOUGH TO REPLACE, BUT, THE FUSIBLE LINKS? THE WORK TO REPLACE THEM IS HUGE, ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE TIME TO FIND THEM ALL, BECAUSE THEY NEVER SEEM TO BE WHERE THE SCHEMATIC SAYS THEY ARE.

THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT CAN AND PROBABLY DOES HAPPEN MORE OFTEN THAT DAMAGE RIGHT NOW. THAT PROBLEM IS THE SHORTENING OF THE LIFE SPAN OF THE DIODES ETC. IN ALL THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS IN THE CAR. DEPENDING ON THEIR STRENGTH AND VALUE, THEY COULD STAND A SHORT POLARITY REVERSE BUT HOW LONG WILL THEY LAST, OR HAVE YOU JUST CREATED A CAR THAT WILL HAVE A FUTURE HISTORY OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS? APPARENTLY THERE IS A SET OF BOOSTER CABLES THAT ARE POLARITY PROTECTED, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GET THEM OR HOW MUCH THEY COST, BUT YOU SHOULD FIND OUT.

A CUSTOMER OF MINE REPORTS PUTTING AN ALTERNATOR IN A 1986 BUICK SOMERSET WITH DIGITAL DASH ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, AND THE CAR CAME BACK NOT CHARGING. THE ALTERNATOR WAS SENT IN FOR INSPECTION AND FOUND TO BE OPERATING PROPERLY. WHILE CHECKING THE WIRING THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS ALSO AN IDIOT LIGHT IN THE DIGITAL DASH, AND THAT THE ALTERNATOR WOULD CHARGE IF YOU WIGGLED THE BULB CORRECTLY. THEY RE[AIR THE HOLDER, REPLACED THE BULB, AND THE CAR IS NOW GONE.

FROM THE iatn VIA CAN REBUILD NEWS COMES:

1 : 1985 JETTA 1.8L CAR WILL NOT START WHEN HOT. NO VOLTAGE DROPS FOUND, BUT WHEN HOT THE SOLENOID CLICKS, AND IF YOU TAP THE STARTER, IT WILL SPIN, BUT LIKE IT WAS BAD. THE STARTER WAS ELIMINATED AS THE CAUSE BECAUSE IT IS THE THIRD ONE IN A ROW. FIX: THE INSTALLATION OF A MAG SWITCH AT THE STARTER, A HEAT SHIELD, AND A HEAVY GROUND CABLE SOLVED THE PROBLEM.

NOTE FROM BSA : THIS IS VERY COMMON ON THE CARS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, BECAUSE THE EXHAUST PIPES COME TO WITHIN 3/4" ON THE SOLENOID AND IT GETS SO HOT THAT THE SOLENOID CAN'T OVERCOME THE RETURN SPRING TO ENGAGE THE STARTER.

2 : 1987 FORD F150 W/4.9L - STARTER CONTINUES TO CRANK AFTER THE KEY IS RELEASED FOR ABOUT 25 SECOND. ON ONE OCCASION THE STARTER HAS ENGAGED WHILE THE TRUCK WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN THE ROAD. NO STARTER OR RING GEAR DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE AND NOT LOOSE OR WORN CONNECTION HAVE BEEN FOUND.

FIX : VOLTAGE DROPS SHOWED NOTHING AND BATTERY WAS IS GOOD CONDITION. CAUSED WAS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH.

3 : 1988 TEMPO W/2.3 - THIS CAR HAS BURNED THREE ALTERNATORS AND THEIR PLUGS. EACH TIME THE ALTERNATOR WENT TO AN OVERCHARGE CONDITION.

FIX : REPLACE THE BATTERY,WHICH HAD AN INTERNAL SHORT THAT WASN'T APPARENT. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE BATTERY TESTED AS IF GOOD.

4 : 1985 NISSAN SENTRA /1.6L - CHARGE LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. IS ONLY VISIBLE AT NIGHT, OUTPUT OF ALTERNATOR IS PROPER AND THERE APPEAR TO BE NO OTHER CHARGING OR RUNNING PROBLEMS.

FIX : THERE WAS ONE BAD DIODE IN THE ALTERNATOR, REPLACING THE MAIN RECTIFIER SOLVED THE PROBLEM.