TECH TIPS FOR JULY, 1999

THE FIRST ITEM ON "TECH TIPS" THIS MONTH IS PULLEYS. I HAVE ON MY FRONT COUNTER 7 PULLEYS THAT ARE WORN OUT AND WERE CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR THE CHARGING SYSTEM. TYPICALLY THE COMPLAINT WILL BE THAT THE SYSTEM WORKS PROPERLY WHEN YOU FIRST START UP, BUT SLOWLY THE VOLTAGE WILL DROP AS YOU DRIVE. THIS IS BAD IF THE CUSTOMER HAS A VOLT GAUGE AND KNOWS HOW TO READ IT, BUT, WHAT ABOUT THE CUSTOMER WITH ONLY AN "IDIOT LIGHT"?

THIS PERSON WILL BE BACK AND BACK FOR AN INTERMITTENT NO START BECAUSE OF A LOW BATTERY, BUT WHEN YOU GET THE CAR THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR ARE FINE AND THERE ARE NO UNUSUAL PARASITIC DRAWS.

SINCE MANY REBUILDERS SUPPLY ALTERNATORS WITHOUT A PULLEY, CHANGING THE ALTERNATOR WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IF THE NEW ALTERNATOR CAME WITH A PULLEY, AND THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THE CAR NEEDED AN ALTERNATOR OR JUST A NEW PULLEY?

IF THE PULLEY IS WORN OUT A NEW BELT WILL ONLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR A VERY SHORT TIME AND THE CUSTOMER WILL BE BACK AND BACK AND......

IF THE SYMPTOM MATCHES WHAT I HAVE JUST DESCRIBED, CHECK THE PULLEY. ON AN OLDER SYSTEM, REMEMBER THEY CALL THEM "V" BELTS NOT "U" BELTS. ON A MULTI©GROOVE BELT WATCH FOR THE GROOVES BEING WIDER ON THE PULLEY THAN ON A NEW BELT, WITH THE POINTS OF THE GROOVE MISSING.

FROM THE iATN COMES: 1998 CHEV C1500 W/5.0L, INTERMITTENT NO START. APPEARS THE INJECTORS HAD A LOSS OF POWER AND AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITH A NOID LIGHT INDICATING LOSS OF INJECTOR POWER. THE PROBLEM WAS TRACED TO A LOOSE WIRE AT THE STARTER MOUNTING BOLTS. THIS DID NOT EFFECT STARTING, BUT WOULD ARC BACK TO THE VCM CAUSING A LOSS OF INJECTOR POWER. A DEALER TOLD THIS TECH, THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND CAN HAPPEN IN A LITTLE AS 40,000km.

TECH REPORTS THAT ON A 1996 NISSAN /3.0L, IF THE GROUND STRAP FROM THE FRAME TO THE ENGINE HEAD IS LEFT OR ROTTED OFF, THE ENGINE WILL PROBABLY NOT START.

MANY TIMES RECENTLY I COME ACROSS REFERENCES TO A REMARKABLE CLEANER FOR ELECTRICAL. AND OXYGEN SENSORS, ETC. CALLED "STABILANT 22". SEVERAL OF MY LOCAL CUSTOMERS SAY THAT WHILE EXPENSIVE THIS STUFF IS ABOUT THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD. LOCALLY IT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM ANY HANDLING THE BLUE STREAK LINE. FRED PADGETT IS AN EDITOR/CONTRIBUTOR FOR ONE OF MY TRADE PAPERS AND REPORTS THAT CUSTOMERS WITH 1989 NISSAN MAXIMA MAY COMPLAIN THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START IF LEFT PARKED FACING DOWN A HILL. SINCE THEY WON'T TAKE KINDLY TO TELLING THEM NOT TO DO THAT, CHECK THE GRN/BLK WIRE RUNNING BETWEEN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE INHIBITOR SWITCH. THE ORIGINAL WIRE TIE WAS TOO TIGHT AND CUTS INTO THE WIRING. WHEN PARKED FACING DOWN HILL THE ADDITIONAL STRAIN CAUSED BY THE PULL ON THE WIRE CREATES AN OPEN CIRCUIT. LOCATE THE PROBLEM, REPAIR THE WIRING, AND REPLACE THE TIE, AND THE CUSTOMER CAN PARK WHERE THEY WANT.

MOHAMMAD SAMMI FROM SAMMY'S AUTO© ELECTRIC SERVICE REPORTS THAT ON 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM & GRAND PRIX WITH 3.1L, THE ALTERNATOR IS PCM CONTROLLED FOR TURN ON AND INDICATOR LIGHT FUNCTION. IT WILL BE IMPERATIVE THAT YOUR REBUILDER PUT THE IDENTICAL REGULATOR IN THE ALTERNATOR OR PROBLEM COULD RESULT. ON THE SAME CARS, A DIFFERENT REGULATOR IS REQUIRED IF THE CAR IS GAUGE EQUIPPED RATHER THAN LIGHT EQUIPPED. I AM TOLD THAT THE WRONG REGULATOR WILL NOT ALLOW THE INDICATOR LIGHT TO TURN OUT OR ON A  GAUGE CAR WILL NOT ALLOW THE ALTERNATOR TO CHARGE AT LOW SPEED.