TECH TIPS FOR JUNE, 1995

A FRIENDLY REBUILDER IN OAKVILLE HAS A CUSTOMER WHO HAS JUST EXPERIENCED 2 PROBLEMS WITH HONDA VEHICLES. IN THE FIRST, THE OWNER OF A 1990 ACCORD COMPLAINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT CHANGE OUT OF FIRST GEAR ALTHOUGH THE SHIFT LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS ILLUMINATED. A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WAS SPENT IN A EFFORT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, AND EVENTUALLY IT WAS NARROWED DOWN TO A POOR GROUND CONNECTION BETWEEN THE COMPUTER AND THE CHASSIS OF THE CAR.

THE COMPUTER IN THIS CAR IS PLACED UNDER THE FLOOR CARPET RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THE PASSENGER'S FEET REST. THERE APPEARS TO BE A GREY PAINT COVERING BOTH THE COMPUTER AND THE FLOOR. IT IS TO BE SUPPOSED THAT AT SOME POINT THIS MATERIAL MUST HAVE BEEN CONDUCTIVE OR THAT A GROUND SUCH AS A SCREW WAS PROVIDED. IN EITHER CASE THE REMOVAL OF THE PAINT FROM THE PANEL AND THE COMPUTER CORRECTED THE POOR GROUND AND ALLOWED THE TRANSMISSION TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.

THE SECOND THING IS A WARNING NOT TO "PROBE" AN WIRE COVERED WITH A YELLOW PLASTIC PROTECTOR ON ANY LATE MODEL CAR FITTED WITH AIR BAGS. YOU GUESSED IT! SUCH PROBING COULD DEPLOY THE AIR BAG AND COST YOU ABOUT $2500.00 FOR A NEW STEERING WHEEL AND AIR BAG.

A NON-GARAGE CUSTOMER, BROUGHT US A 1985 PLYMOUTH LASER, 2.2L,W/AIR BECAUSE THE LAST THREE ALTERNATORS HE HAD RECEIVED FROM THE LOCAL RECYCLING YARD WOULD CHARGE FOR A WHILE AND THEN QUIT.THIS IS SOMETHING OF A UNIQUE VEHICLE IN THAT IT IS ONE OF THE FEW CHRYSLER PRODUCTS WHICH USE AN INTERNALLY REGULATED ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR IS A 90 AMP UNIT, PRODUCED BY BOSCH AND IS FAIRLY RELIABLE. THE RECYCLING YARD WAS SAYING THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ALTERNATORS AND WAS REFUSING TO GIVE HIM ANY MORE.

WHEN I CHECKED THE CHARGE RATE THERE WAS 11 VOLTS AT THE BATTERY, BUT 13.8 VOLTS AT THE BACK OF THE ALTERNATOR. I ALSO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL SPARKING WHEN I CONNECTED THE NEGATIVE CLAMP OF MY METER TO THE CASE OF THE ALTERNATOR. A BOOSTER CABLE CONNECTED FROM BATTERY NEGATIVE DIRECTLY TO THE CASE OF THE ALTERNATOR CURED THE PROBLEM, WHICH WAS IN FACT, A POOR GROUND. THE REASON THE ALTERNATOR WOULD CHARGE WITH MY METER CONNECTED BUT NOT WHEN I DISCONNECTED IT, WAS THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS GOING TO GROUND THROUGH THE METER. THE CUSTOMER WAS THEN UPSET AT THE RECYCLER BECAUSE THERE WAS PROBABLY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR HE HAD TRADED IN AND THE RECYCLER HAD NOT KNOWN IT.

A REBULIDER FRIEND OF MINE, TOLD ME THAT HE HAD SUPPLIED 3 STARTERS TO THE SAME CUSTOMER FOR THE SAME VEHICLE OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS VERY IRATE THAT NONE OF THESE "JUNKY" STARTERS WOULD LAST MORE THAN A FEW DAYS. MY FRIEND, AFTER BEING ASSURED THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE HAD BEEN CHECKED AND WAS FOUND TO BE OK, AND HAVING FOUND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH ANY OF THE STARTERS THAT WERE RETURNED, SUSPECTED A SEIZED ENGINE, BUT EVEN THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE FINAL DIAGNOSIS AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR WAS SEIZED SOLID, PREVENTING THE STARTER FROM ROLLING THE ENGINE FAST ENOUGH TO START.

SOMETIMES WE GET NOT WORKING ALTERNATORS IN, WHICH WE CHECK AND RETURN TO THE CUSTOMER, SAYING "NOTHING WRONG".  MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS ACCEPT THIS AND GO LOOKING FOR WHAT MAY REALLY BE THE CAUSE, SOME HOWEVER TAKE THE POSITION THAT IT DOESN'T WORK ON THE CAR AND WE ARE TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE. WHEN THE NEW ONE DOESN'T WORK THEN THEY DECIDE THAT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ELSE WRONG. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT WE (MY SHOP) BECOMES VERY SURE OF THE STATEMENT "NOTHING WRONG" WHEN IT WORKS ON THE BENCH, AND SOMETIMES GET IN TROUBLE.

A CASE IN POINT, WE TESTED A FORD INTERNALLY REGULATED ALTERNATOR WHOSE SYMPTOMS WERE THAT IT WOULD CHARGE AT IDLE BUT NOT WHEN THE ENGINE RPM GOT ABOVE 2000. THE CUSTOMER TOOK THE ALTERNATOR OFF AND WE TESTED IT, AND OF COURSE IT WORKED AT IDLE AND AT 7000 RPM. WE RETURNED IT "NOTHING WRONG" AND THE CUSTOMER WHEN THOUGH HELL CHECKING EVERYTHING HE COULD THINK OF BUT STILL THE PROBLEM REMAINED. HE TOOK THE ALTERNATOR OFF (AGAIN) AND BROUGHT IT TO ME. HE STOOD THERE AND WATCHED IT WORK BOTH AT IDLE AND AT EVERY RPM UP TO 7000 AND HE TOOK IT BACK NOT QUITE SURE OF WHAT TO DO (NEITHER WAS I).

HE CALLED A LITTLE WHILE LATER SAYING HE HAD FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT. AFTER INSTALLING THE ALTERNATOR AGAIN AND THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTED, HE WAS REACHING ACROSS THE UNIT, BUMPED THE REGULATOR PLUG©IN, AND THE ALTERNATOR STARTED TO CHARGE. A LITTLE MORE POKING AND BUMPING DETERMINED THAT THE SCREW ON THE REGULATOR TO THE "A" TERMINAL WAS LOOSE AND AS THE ENGINE SPED UP IT WOULD LIFT A BIT, PULLING ON THE LEADS AND SHUTTING THE ALTERNATOR OFF. WHILE A SIMPLE TWIST OF A T20 TORX SCREW DRIVE SOLVED HIS PROBLEM, I WISHED IT WAS THAT EASY TO GET THE EGG OFF MY FACE.