TECH TIPS FOR JANUARY, 1998

FIRST, I HOPE THAT 1998 IS THE BEST YEAR EVER FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I REPORTED ON A TECHNICAL HELP GROUP THAT I HAD JOINED ON THE INTERNET. THIS GROUP IS iATN (INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS NETWORK). IT IS A FORUM WHERE YOU CAN POST A PROBLEM AND SOME 9000 TECHS AROUND THE WORLD WILL SEE IT AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU. BEFORE BECOMING A MEMBER YOU MUST FIRST BE APPROVED AS A TECH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL FIND IT HARD TO GAIN ACCESS TO THIS NET.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION IS AT: http://www.iatn.net/

MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES A\RE AT: http://www.iatn.net/guide.html

WHILE THE QUESTIONS ASKED, CAN AND DO, COVER THE ENTIRE RANGE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICAL REPAIR INDUSTRY, I AM ONLY INTERESTED IN THOSE THAT PERTAIN TO ELECTRICAL.

FROM THE iATN, VIA THE "CANREBUILD NEWS" COMES;

1) 1990 DODGE CARAVAN USED AS A DELIVERY VEHICLE, HAS A FLAT BATTERY ON MONDAY MORNING AFTER BEING PARKED SINCE FRIDAY. THERE IS A DRAW BUT GREAT DIFFICULTY IS BEING EXPERIENCE IN FINDING THE PROBLEM. "FIXED"  FOUND THE DRAW TO BE THE SMALL DOOR UNDER THE CUP HOLDER, IN THE CENTER DASH, BEING OPEN. THERE WAS SO MUCH JUNK IN THE WAY, THE DOOR COULD NOT BE SEEN.

2) 1986 CAMRAY MUST BE BOOSTED TO START EVERY FEW DAYS. BATTERY IS A GOOD 575cca AND A CHECK FOR PARASITIC DRAWS IS NEGATIVE. CUSTOMERS STATES THAT SOMETIME THE HIGH MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT SEEMS TO BE ON.

"FIX" - FOUND THAT THE ANSWER WAS THE HIGH MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT. IT SEEMS THAT THE ECM WAS " WAKING UP" AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS AND TURNING THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON. THIS SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, BUT REPLACING THE ECM HAS CURED THE PROBLEM.

3) 1988 CADILLAC DeVILLE WITH A TERRIBLE IGNITION PROBLEM, BUT ONLY WITH THE ALTERNATOR CONNECTED. THE SCOPE GOES CRAZY, THE MODULE DWELL MOVES BACK AND FORTH, THE COMPUTER CRANKS THE IDLE SPEED UP AND DOWN TO AVOID A STALL, AND THE PLUGS DOUBLE FIRE. DISCONNECT THE ALTERNATOR AND THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARS. THE CAR RUNS LIKE IT WAS BRAND NEW.

"FIX"  REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR CHANGED NOTHING. THE FAULT WAS IN THE GROUND SYSTEM. RUNNING A NEW GROUND WIRE FROM THE BATTERY TO THE ALTERNATOR CASE SOLVED THE PROBLEM.

4) 1990 LINCOLN TOWN CAR WITH AN ALTERNATOR THAT WON'T CHARGE ABOVE ABOUT 20 AMPS. CHANGING THE ALTERNATOR THREE TIME HAS NOT HELPED. "FIX" PUT THE FIRST ALTERNATOR BACK ON AND REPLACE THE REGULATOR PLUG. ONE OF THE PINS WAS BROKEN OFF, INSIDE THE CONNECTOR.

5) 1988 FORD TAURUS. 3.0L AND A 100 AMP ALTERNATOR WHICH CHARGES AT 14.6 TO 16.2 VOLTS. CHANGING THE REGULATOR AND THE BATTERY DID NOT HELP. VOLTAGE DROP TESTING ON THE GROUND SYSTEM PROVED OUT. CHECKING THE ALTERNATOR OFF THE CAR SHOWED IT TO BE GOOD.

"FIX" THE WIRE WHICH RUNS FROM THE STARTER SOLENOID TO THE "A" TERMINAL OF THE REGULATOR WAS BAD. THIS WIRE HAD BATTERY VOLTAGE "KOEO" BUT MUST HAVE BEEN BREAKING DOWN DUE TO VIBRATION OR HEAT, BECAUSE REPLACING THE WIRE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.

6) 1994 BUICK LeSABRE - POSSESSED? WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY ON, THE SPEEDO JUMPS TO 50mph UNTIL YOU TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON, AND THEN IT DROPS TO 5mph BUT ALL THE LIGHTS FLICKER RAPIDLY AND YOU CAN HEAR RELAYS CHATTERING.

"FIX"  THE BATTERY WAS BAD. THE CUSTOMER FINALLY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM STARTED AFTER THE BATTERY HAD GONE FLAT AND WAS RECHARGED. NOW, WAS THE BATTERY SHORTED, OR CHARGED INCORRECTLY? WHO KNOWS, BUT A NEW BATTERY SOLVED THE PROBLEM.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO POSTED THESE PROBLEMS FOUND THEIR ANSWERS IN THE iATN. COULD BE A VERY USEFUL TOOL, NOT FOR THE EVERYDAY PROBLEMS, BUT FOR THOSE "HEAD SCRATCHERS" THAT TAKE UP SO MUCH TIME BUT FOR WHICH YOU PROBABLY WON'T BE PAID PROPERLY.