********************************           ***** ALT.AUTOS GUIDE v1.28*****           ******************************** ()()()()()() CHANGES SINCE LAST UPDATE: 7-0 Newsgroup list nl.auto    has been added to the newgroup list ()()()()()() CONTENTS: 1. About this document. 2. Helping us help you. 3. Things you can do to help yourself.    1. Engine cranks normal but no start.    2. Engine cranks real fast and no start.    3. Engine started fine, turned it off but now       it won't start.    4. How not to check your charging system. and what is       the better way.    5. One way to check engine compression without a gauge.    6. A simple method to check for a blown headgasket.    7.Couple of pointers to diagnose a rough running engine. 4.Warnings!    1.The coolant system.    2.Going to halogen headlights.    3. Wiring the radio/stereo. 5.Common problems with common vehicles. 6.Cleaning tips after working on your car. 7.List of related newgroups. ******************** 1. About this document: ******************** This document was written for the general public who is seeking knowledge and help concerning maintaining and/or repairing vehicles. ***There are NO rules and regulations here.*** This document can be freely copied and distributed without permission to other individuals and/or newgroups. Best newsgroup to ask for help rec.autos.tech Do watch the version number. As this indicates that new information has been added . **************************** 2. HELPING US HELP YOU **************************** When asking for help with your vehicle, it is important to provide as much information about your problem as possible. Useful information like: Year, Make, Model, Engine and size, Type of fuel, Transmission, Options, Added accessories... Information about your problem: WHEN:    Hot, cold, during warmup? DURING:  idle, cruise, coasting? DURING:  light, medium, heavy throttle? DOING:   Turning left, right, straight, backingup? APPLING: Light, moderate, heavy braking? HISTORY: Has this started all of a sudden or gradually got worse? RELATED: Is there anything else that seems to be effected? RELATED: If it stopped working, did anything else stop working too? HISTORY: Has the vehicle been worked on lately by yourself, shop, friend? TESTS:   What have you done so far and what was the result? PAST HISTORY: Has the vehicle been in an accident in the past year? [[[[AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT]]]] If you have questions concerning afer market equipment, do provide make and model. As you never know who reads your posted question. Remember that the smallest detail can sometimes provide best  clue to the problem at hand. Remember that how much and how accurate the information you provide will determine how accurate the help/diagnoses will be. **************************************** 3-0. Things you can do to help yourself. **************************************** Tools required: Chilton or Mitchell manual for your make and model.(this will provide info about your car and help you find the parts and components located on your car and also is good source of specifications. Can be purchased at most book stores or auto parts retailers.) ************************ 3-1. The engine will crank at normal speed, but will not    start.(gasoline) ************************ BASIC CHECK: -Check fuses. FUEL CHECK: -If fuel injected,does Check Engine light come on? (if  it applies). -If fuel injected, the fuel pump may have quit. Locate  fuel pump. If intank pump is used, place your ear or  screw driver on tank like a stethescope and listen for a  humm when someone else cranks engine. -If carburatored, look down carb throat, open throttle and  watch for fuel being sprayed into carb. It should have a  good spray for 5 to 6 times. If not the float bowl is dry  (no fuel). Possible fuel pump.  Some carbs are equipped with a sight glass on it's side.  Fuel should be close to the center mark. IGNITION CHECK: -Is there spark from the ignition coil? Look on tuneup  decal in engine compartment for sparkplug gap.  For gaps below 0.040 coil should be able to jump 1/2  gap to ground.  For gaps above 0.040 coil should be able to jump 1 gap  to ground.  Spark should be blue and loud! SNAP!!! -Is there spark from the plugwires?  The spark gap should test should be applied here just the  same.  If no spark or very weak there could be a problem with  the rotor inside the distibutor. Or moisture trapped    inside the cap. -If ignition system is D.I.S. (Distributorless ignition)  remove any 2 plugwire pairs from a single coil pack. A  spark should be seen jumping across the 2 posts.(This  only applies to the coilpack _style_ where the 2 posts are  no more then 1 1/4 apart. Some coils have the posts on  opposite ends and this test can damage the module  and/or the coil). -If ignition system is D.I.S. with coil studs on opposite  sides.Remove one plugwire from coil, trace other plugwire  that is still on the other stud of same coil to the spark  plug. Remove from plug and bring over to coil, hold about  1 away. Spark should jump across. Do not be holding the  plugwire with your hands, as some coils can produce a  lethal shock. (some can exceed 100,000 volts). ******************************* 3-2. Engine cranks over alot faster than ever before, and it  will not start! ******************************* -Timing belt -Timing chain -Timing gears. -To check for this remove the sparkplugs. Place  your  thumb over one of the holes.(if possible) Have someone crank the  engine. There should be enough pressure to blow past  your thumb with conciderable force. If all you feel is  a slight breeze then the timing belt/chain has jumped or  something severe has happened. -Also check in your manual for VALVE INTERFERENCE .  On some engines the valves open up to far that they will  actually be in an area that is occupied by the piston.  When the timing belt/chain allows for a couple of teeth  to jump because it has worn loose or has fatigued, the  valves can get far enough out of time that the pistons  will hit and bend them. It is very common to loose the  entire set of intake or exhaust valves before the engine  comes to a rest. Sometimes this can happen while cranking  the engine to start it up. -If you are driving a late model GM product with a the  3.8L, 3800 engine. When the engine starts to buck,spit,  fart, and is hard to tuneup, the timing chain is about to  blow.(especially 86 to 89) These also have tensioners that  can fool you into thinking you have a good chain. -For engines that use a distributor, there is a test that can be  performed to see how bad the timming chain is.  With the distibutor cap off some how rotate the crankshaft  pulley clockwise and counterclock wise. Watch and see how far  the pulley has to be moved before the rotor on the distibutor moves.  You can use the timing marks on the engine to see how amny degrees  of movement you have. Anything less than 10 degrees is OK.  Anything more then that the chain is getting sloopy. If the pulley  rotates close to 20 degrees, it is time to replace the chain. -A very simple test to see if the timing chain or belt has jumped.  Crank the engine over so that the timing mark on the engine lines up to  the mark as indicated by your tune-up sticker. Remove the distributor cap and look at where the rotor is pointing. It should point right at the number one plugwire. Or exactly out 180 degrees (backwards) if on the exhaust stroke. If the rotor is pointing in any other direction, either your are not lined up right or the chain or belt has jumped. ************************* 3-3. Started the engine, got to your destination, shut off    the engine and now for some reason it won't start. ************************* - This is a typical problem that occurres with fuel injected   vehicles. The most common cause is a worn out fuel pump.   What is happening here is as the fuel pump runs, the brushes   wear down on a group of copper bars known as a commutator.   Over a period of time the brushes rub through the copper bars   and into the insulation below. As long as the fuel pump stops   where there is still good contact with the bars the fuel pump   will run again and provide fuel. - But if the fuel pump stops at a worn out spot the fuel pump   will not run again. But again this does not mean you are   stranded. - If this should happen to you, you can still recover the fuel   pump and drive the vehicle to a shop or wherever for the repair.   Using a tire iron, hammer, coffee cup, what ever you can get your   hands on. Hit the bottom of the gas tank while someone is   cranking the engine. This will in many cases jar the fuel pump   to make a good enough connection and it will run. The fuel   pump will continue to run because of the momentum of the   armature, and it will be skipping over the bad spot. - But once this happens don't put off having the fuel pump   changed. As the rest of the copper can erode off in as quick   as a few miles. So if you think you can nurse the vehicle along   for the next couple of days you can very well get stranded   and get stuck with a tow bill. - An added note: Hit the gas tank at the bottom as hard as you can   without denting or putting holes in the tank. If the engine does   not start after a dozen hits, there could be other problems. ******************************** 3-4. What not to do when checking you charging system.    and what is the better way. ********************************    Sometimes there is advise on what to do to check things out, but the advise can cause severe damage to some vehicles. An example of this is to see if the alternator is charging by removing the battery negative cable while the engine is running.    The problem with this is:     1. The alternator requires a battery for proper regulation. they actually work together to maintain system voltage.     2. Because the alternator is actually an AC
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          ********************************           ***** ALT.AUTOS GUIDE v1.28*****           ******************************** ()()()()()() CHANGES SINCE LAST UPDATE: 7-0 Newsgroup list nl.auto    has been added to the newgroup list ()()()()()() CONTENTS: 1. About this document. 2. Helping us help you. 3. Things you can do to help yourself.    1. Engine cranks normal but no start.    2. Engine cranks real fast and no start.    3. Engine started fine, turned it off but now       it won't start.    4. How not to check your charging system. and what is       the better way.    5. One way to check engine compression without a gauge.    6. A simple method to check for a blown headgasket.    7.Couple of pointers to diagnose a rough running engine. 4.Warnings!    1.The coolant system.    2.Going to halogen headlights.    3. Wiring the radio/stereo. 5.Common problems with common vehicles. 6.Cleaning tips after working on your car. 7.List of related newgroups. ******************** 1. About this document: ******************** This document was written for the general public who is seeking knowledge and help concerning maintaining and/or repairing vehicles. ***There are NO rules and regulations here.*** This document can be freely copied and distributed without permission to other individuals and/or newgroups. Best newsgroup to ask for help rec.autos.tech Do watch the version number. As this indicates that new information has been added . **************************** 2. HELPING US HELP YOU **************************** When asking for help with your vehicle, it is important to provide as much information about your problem as possible. Useful information like: Year, Make, Model, Engine and size, Type of fuel, Transmission, Options, Added accessories... Information about your problem: WHEN:    Hot, cold, during warmup? DURING:  idle, cruise, coasting? DURING:  light, medium, heavy throttle? DOING:   Turning left, right, straight, backingup? APPLING: Light, moderate, heavy braking? HISTORY: Has this started all of a sudden or gradually got worse? RELATED: Is there anything else that seems to be effected? RELATED: If it stopped working, did anything else stop working too? HISTORY: Has the vehicle been worked on lately by yourself, shop, friend? TESTS:   What have you done so far and what was the result? PAST HISTORY: Has the vehicle been in an accident in the past year? [[[[AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT]]]] If you have questions concerning afer market equipment, do provide make and model. As you never know who reads your posted question. Remember that the smallest detail can sometimes provide best  clue to the problem at hand. Remember that how much and how accurate the information you provide will determine how accurate the help/diagnoses will be. **************************************** 3-0. Things you can do to help yourself. **************************************** Tools required: Chilton or Mitchell manual for your make and model.(this will provide info about your car and help you find the parts and components located on your car and also is good source of specifications. Can be purchased at most book stores or auto parts retailers.) ************************ 3-1. The engine will crank at normal speed, but will not    start.(gasoline) ************************ BASIC CHECK: -Check fuses. FUEL CHECK: -If fuel injected,does Check Engine light come on? (if  it applies). -If fuel injected, the fuel pump may have quit. Locate  fuel pump. If intank pump is used, place your ear or  screw driver on tank like a stethescope and listen for a  humm when someone else cranks engine. -If carburatored, look down carb throat, open throttle and  watch for fuel being sprayed into carb. It should have a  good spray for 5 to 6 times. If not the float bowl is dry  (no fuel). Possible fuel pump.  Some carbs are equipped with a sight glass on it's side.  Fuel should be close to the center mark. IGNITION CHECK: -Is there spark from the ignition coil? Look on tuneup  decal in engine compartment for sparkplug gap.  For gaps below 0.040 coil should be able to jump 1/2  gap to ground.  For gaps above 0.040 coil should be able to jump 1 gap  to ground.  Spark should be blue and loud! SNAP!!! -Is there spark from the plugwires?  The spark gap should test should be applied here just the  same.  If no spark or very weak there could be a problem with  the rotor inside the distibutor. Or moisture trapped    inside the cap. -If ignition system is D.I.S. (Distributorless ignition)  remove any 2 plugwire pairs from a single coil pack. A  spark should be seen jumping across the 2 posts.(This  only applies to the coilpack _style_ where the 2 posts are  no more then 1 1/4 apart. Some coils have the posts on  opposite ends and this test can damage the module  and/or the coil). -If ignition system is D.I.S. with coil studs on opposite  sides.Remove one plugwire from coil, trace other plugwire  that is still on the other stud of same coil to the spark  plug. Remove from plug and bring over to coil, hold about  1 away. Spark should jump across. Do not be holding the  plugwire with your hands, as some coils can produce a  lethal shock. (some can exceed 100,000 volts). ******************************* 3-2. Engine cranks over alot faster than ever before, and it  will not start! ******************************* -Timing belt -Timing chain -Timing gears. -To check for this remove the sparkplugs. Place  your  thumb over one of the holes.(if possible) Have someone crank the  engine. There should be enough pressure to blow past  your thumb with conciderable force. If all you feel is  a slight breeze then the timing belt/chain has jumped or  something severe has happened. -Also check in your manual for VALVE INTERFERENCE .  On some engines the valves open up to far that they will  actually be in an area that is occupied by the piston.  When the timing belt/chain allows for a couple of teeth  to jump because it has worn loose or has fatigued, the  valves can get far enough out of time that the pistons  will hit and bend them. It is very common to loose the  entire set of intake or exhaust valves before the engine  comes to a rest. Sometimes this can happen while cranking  the engine to start it up. -If you are driving a late model GM product with a the  3.8L, 3800 engine. When the engine starts to buck,spit,  fart, and is hard to tuneup, the timing chain is about to  blow.(especially 86 to 89) These also have tensioners that  can fool you into thinking you have a good chain. -For engines that use a distributor, there is a test that can be  performed to see how bad the timming chain is.  With the distibutor cap off some how rotate the crankshaft  pulley clockwise and counterclock wise. Watch and see how far  the pulley has to be moved before the rotor on the distibutor moves.  You can use the timing marks on the engine to see how amny degrees  of movement you have. Anything less than 10 degrees is OK.  Anything more then that the chain is getting sloopy. If the pulley  rotates close to 20 degrees, it is time to replace the chain. -A very simple test to see if the timing chain or belt has jumped.  Crank the engine over so that the timing mark on the engine lines up to  the mark as indicated by your tune-up sticker. Remove the distributor cap and look at where the rotor is pointing. It should point right at the number one plugwire. Or exactly out 180 degrees (backwards) if on the exhaust stroke. If the rotor is pointing in any other direction, either your are not lined up right or the chain or belt has jumped. ************************* 3-3. Started the engine, got to your destination, shut off    the engine and now for some reason it won't start. ************************* - This is a typical problem that occurres with fuel injected   vehicles. The most common cause is a worn out fuel pump.   What is happening here is as the fuel pump runs, the brushes   wear down on a group of copper bars known as a commutator.   Over a period of time the brushes rub through the copper bars   and into the insulation below. As long as the fuel pump stops   where there is still good contact with the bars the fuel pump   will run again and provide fuel. - But if the fuel pump stops at a worn out spot the fuel pump   will not run again. But again this does not mean you are   stranded. - If this should happen to you, you can still recover the fuel   pump and drive the vehicle to a shop or wherever for the repair.   Using a tire iron, hammer, coffee cup, what ever you can get your   hands on. Hit the bottom of the gas tank while someone is   cranking the engine. This will in many cases jar the fuel pump   to make a good enough connection and it will run. The fuel   pump will continue to run because of the momentum of the   armature, and it will be skipping over the bad spot. - But once this happens don't put off having the fuel pump   changed. As the rest of the copper can erode off in as quick   as a few miles. So if you think you can nurse the vehicle along   for the next couple of days you can very well get stranded   and get stuck with a tow bill. - An added note: Hit the gas tank at the bottom as hard as you can   without denting or putting holes in the tank. If the engine does   not start after a dozen hits, there could be other problems. ******************************** 3-4. What not to do when checking you charging system.    and what is the better way. ********************************    Sometimes there is advise on what to do to check things out, but the advise can cause severe damage to some vehicles. An example of this is to see if the alternator is charging by removing the battery negative cable while the engine is running.    The problem with this is:     1. The alternator requires a battery for proper regulation. they actually work together to maintain system voltage.     2. Because the alternator is actually an AC
... read more »