TECH TIP FOR FEBRUARY, 1999

DuBOIS MARKETING, WHO IS ONE OF MY SUPPLIERS IN THE USA, PUBLISHES A NEWS LETTER EVERY MONTH AND I FREQUENTLY GET PIECES TO PUT IN MY TECH TIP FROM THEM. THIS MONTH THEY PROVIDED THE ENCLOSED COPY OF AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE 1912 SEARS MOTOR CAR. I PARTICULARLY LIKE THE PART WHERE YOU GET A 10 DAY FREE TRIAL AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT THEY WILL PAY FREIGHT TO GET IT BACK. THINGS HAVE SURE CHANGED!

IN THE SAME NEWS LETTER COMES SOME INFORMATION THAT I FIND REALLY SURPRISING. GUESS WHAT THE TOTAL USA PRODUCTION OF PASSENGER CARS WAS IN 1912? THE ANSWER IS AT THE END OF THE TECH TIP.

MOTOR MAGAZINE HAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT VOLKSWAGENS WITH ELECTRICAL GREMLINS. THE MAIN THING TO CHECK IS ALL 7 GROUNDS. THE LARGE ONE NEXT TO THE BATTERY, 2 ON THE DRIVER'S KICK PANEL, 2 INSIDE THE REAR CORNER OF THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL & 2 INSIDE THE LEFT TAILLIGHT MOUNTING LOCATION.

ON THE SUBJECT OF GROUNDS, MOTORS ALSO SAYS THAT AN INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE READING ON 1993-95 AUDI A6 OR 100 MODELS. WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, IS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A BAD FUEL PUMP GROUND.

1993-95 GM MINI VANS (LUMINA, TRANS SPORT & SILHOUETTE) CAN HAVE A "QUIT WHILE RUNNING" PROBLEM RELATED TO A BURNED 2mm FUSIBLE LINK BETWEEN THE ALTERNATOR & THE STARTER CONNECTION. IF YOU FIND THIS CONDITION, REPLACE THE FUSIBLE LINK WITH A 3mm (PART # 6293923) TO PREVENT A REOCCURRENCE.

THE LAST 3 TIPS ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION NEW LETTER AND ONE OF THEIR EDITORS, MOHAMMAD SAMII, HAS PROVIDED THE WIRING DIAGRAM ON PAGE 2, TO USE A BOSCH HEADLIGHT RELAY TO ACT AS AN AUXILIARY SOLENOID SWITCH. THE RELAY IS USED TO JUMP POWER FROM MAIN BATTERY AT THE STARTER TO THE STARTER'S SWITCH TERMINAL, THIS PREVENTS LINE LOSS THROUGH THE IGNITION CIRCUIT. SINCE THESE RELAYS HANDLE UP TO 30 AMPS, YOU CAN USE THE TO POWER UP A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACCESSORIES.

THE TOTAL PRODUCTION OF "PASSENGER CARS" IN THE USA, IN 1912, WAS 350,000 WITH 22,000 TRUCKS BEING PRODUCED. I FIND THAT TO BE AN UNBELIEVABLY HIGH NUMBER, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING THAT CADILLAC DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED ELECTRIC STARTING WITH GENERATOR BATTERY ,LIGHTING AND IGNITION, THAT SAME YEAR. THEY WERE THE FIRST TO USE THE SYSTEM.