Throttle plate service improves fuel mileage

 The simple tips to better fuel mileage are pretty simple. Keep your tires inflated correctly and have a clean air filter. Look on your door frame for the proper inflation pressures for your tires. When in doubt, you are more than welcome to stop by and we’ll check your tire pressures and air filter. This article is about something more complicated, fuel induction cleaning and injector service. I’ll talk about what has changed to make this service necessary, how it’s accomplished and what your results can be.

 Back in the day, gasoline was gasoline. Very few additives besides some dyes and some tetraethyl lead. The choices were by octane. If you had a high performance car, you needed higher octane. Octane is a rating that basically says how resistant the fuel is to pinging or detonating. As the catalytic converter made its debut, lead was taken out of the fuel, so it didn’t damage the catalysts. As we move forward in the timeline, more and more additives came onto the scene. Detergents to keep carbon and gumming to minimum, non-lead octane boosters, stabilizers to keep everything working together and more. Many of these additives come in the form of different alcohols. Because these alcohols evaporate faster than gasoline, when you shut off a warm engine, the intake manifold, runners and cylinders get a mass dose of these vapors. As parts of the engine cools, the vapors condense. The throttle blade (butterfly) is usually the first to cool so the alcohols condense on it first. But, the rest of the manifold is still much warmer, so it cooks the condensed vapors, causing carbon to build up. This happens on both sides of the throttle plate, on the backs of the valves and even in the ports or runners of the manifolds.

 Up until the early years of fuel injection the systems to meter the fuel into the engine were “mechanical”, as in there was very little computer intervention into the process. Manufacturers were able to meet emission and economy goals relatively easily. So, the carbon and gunk buildup in the engine, while bothersome, had not reached a critical level.  As feedback systems (oxygen sensors are feedback components, for example) grew more sophisticated and emissions standards became stricter, computers were introduced to run the show. Changes in air/fuel ratio came in milliseconds instead tenths of a second. That carbon that builds up started to become a real issue for several reasons. First, when you first start an engine, it takes more fuel to run. The carbon absorbs fuel, effectively leaning the mixture, causing driveability problems. The buildup also keeps the throttle blade from closing entirely and consistently. That throws off the throttle position sensor, a critical reference for the computer to calculate fuel mixture from.

 The fuel induction cleaning that we do is meant to solve most, if not all, of the problems caused by fuel residue buildup in the fuel induction system. We clean the area of the throttle blade with a foaming detergent made for that use. We then mix some fuel with another chemical detergent and run the engine on that, filling the fuel rail and injectors and cleaning them from the inside out. There are stronger chemicals to do the job, but we stay away from them because they can cause damage to sensitive injectors. Finally, we put a chemical in the fuel tank that continues the cleaning process for a tank of fuel, sometimes more. Again, there are stronger chemicals to put in the tank, as well as much weaker, consumer grade stuff. In general we have found the over-the-counter items to be minimally to non-effective and overpriced. The chemicals we use are primarily detergents and contain only enough solvents to carry them to the job. They are proudly made and blended by B-G Products in the USA. They are “industrial “ strength designed specifically to do the job at hand and for professional use only.

 After a thorough induction cleaning, you should notice a smoother idle, especially when the engine is cold. We often see a gradual increase in fuel economy as the cleaner in the tank continues to remove carbon from the engine over time. The service is not a miracle in a can, but rather, a thorough service with noticeable results both immediately and relatively long term. In some cases, it will solve a misfire, but only if the misfire is caused by dirt in an injector. One of the older types of fuel injection, central injection, benefit less noticeably. For a few years, GM used a new style injector that AAA said never needed cleaning. AAA was right…..they needed replacement with a better design. But while they worked, they didn’t benefit much from cleaning. But removing the carbon from the throttle plate and intake and valves will always help.  The point has been belabored, but with the cost of fuel so high, no one can afford to pass up any trick or method that helps.                      

 

 

Importance of  Cooling Sytem Maintenance

 

  As the summer heat sets in, your cooling system and air conditioning move to the forefront in order of importance. If the a/c quits or doesn’t work correctly, it’s pretty obvious. That isn’t necessarily the case with your cooling system. Of course, if the car overheats or spews a bunch of coolant, it’s pretty obvious. But today’s cooling systems are a wonder of modern chemistry.

 Back in the day, engines were completely made of iron. It was revolutionary when they started making aluminum cylinder heads. Radiators were copper with lead solder to hold them together. Iron, copper and lead are pretty inert, non-chemically reactive chemicals. Because of this, the first additive besides water in the cooling system we saw as an industry was “anti-freeze.” Ethylene glycol as an antifreeze was discovered by accident when an employee of a company noticed that the river next to their manufacturing plant didn’t freeze where they dumped byproducts from their processes. Antifreeze was not meant to do much more than to keep the engine from freezing in cold climates. At first, “wood” alcohol was used but proved to be too volatile and harmful to paint and other parts of the car. Ethylene glycol was phased in as a better alternative to alcohol.

 Then, in response to higher operating temperatures, the engineers figured out ways to help the antifreeze to transfer heat from the engine more effectively. They did this by adding chemicals that helped to microscopically wet the surfaces of the cooling system better. Then they tossed in some stuff to keep the glycol from cooking itself to death (oxidizing) and keep corrosion down and numerous other useful characteristics.

 The next step came when different kinds of aluminum were put into the mix with aluminum heads, radiators, engine fittings, heaters, engine blocks and even some magnesium alloy parts. The antifreeze/coolant had to change with the changing materials under the hood. And change it has! While coolant is still based on ethylene glycol, what swims with the glycol has changed and grown to become the major workhorse of coolant.

The additive package of coolant includes buffers for corrosion prevention, whetting agents for heat transfer, stabilizing agents and lots of other stuff, each fulfilling a need.

 The latest coolants are based on Organic Acid Technology. This is to extend the useful life of the coolant as well as more effectively suppressing corrosion. When the corrosion inhibitors wear out (run out is technically more correct) the cooling system can become one great big battery. Because we now have many different metals under the hood, when the coolant gets weak, we get accelerated corrosion that can actually generate a small voltage in the system. Once a current is being generated in the cooling system, failure of some component is swift and sure. Oftentimes, we will see a neglected cooling system that needs a new radiator as well as other components like water pumps, heater cores, head gaskets and even cylinder heads. Bad coolant is not something you want in your vehicle. GM’s recent settlement of millions of dollars for their “Dexcool” problems and Saturn’s destruction of hundreds of vehicles because of a bad coolant mix from the factory are prime examples of how destructive a cooling system can get. The moral of the story is that cooling system maintenance is a critical issue in the life of your vehicle and can’t be put off.

  

Importance of Timely Timing Belt Replacement

Many cars on the road today have a rubber belt that keeps the engine "synchronized." It's called the timing belt, because it keeps the engine internals in proper position, or timing. It fulfills the job of the timing chain and gears that some engines use. What it does is couples the engine crankshaft to the engine cam shaft. The crankshaft makes the pistons go up and down and the camshaft opens and closes the valves to let in fuel and let out exhaust. The timing belt keeps the pistons coming up and the valves opening and closing all at the right time.

This becomes very important when your vehicle has what is called an "interference" engine. What that means is there isn't enough room for the piston to be up and the valves to be open without catastrophic consequences. With today's high output engines, most engines are interference motors. It seems each manufacturer picks a different mileage interval for servicing the timing belt, and if you can't find it in the owner's manual just ask us. We will look it up for you.

Often, when we check over a car for brake needs, we recommend new brake rotors. Some of the things that contribute to the demise of brake rotors are avoidable, some are not. We often see rotors that are burned blue. That can be from hard use but is most likely from a sticking brake caliper. Rotors are usually cast iron or steel. The quality of the steel is one of the variables that contribute to either a quality or a cheap rotor. There are foundries all over the world that make rotors. The price you pay for the replacement is proportional to the quality. The more it costs, the better it is and the less likely it is to warp, causing brake shake.

Another factor is that manufacturers are continually downsizing brakes and rotors to save weight. Many cars today are under-braked, causing premature wear and  tear on the system. This makes a quality rotor all that more important. Many rotors are not designed to be thick enough to stand more than one truing. Many, in fact, can take turning once but are still too thin to last through a second set of pads. Brake pad technology changes so fast that sometimes we will see a situation where the rotor is severally worn down by the pads. But they didn't squeak! Because of the downsizing and our driving habits, rotors just have one of the toughest jobs in the brake system, but all the components are abused by normal use.

Back in the day, it was pretty well accepted that if you didn't run the brakes to where they were metal on metal, the rotors could be re-used. For the reasons above and more, that is just no longer the rule. What you can do to lengthen the life of your brakes is to give more following distance when you are in traffic. I know there is always some idiot that will cut into that space and you'll have to back off some more. But when the whole line is crashing into each other, you'll be able to stop. I have been the first one to escape that kind of chain reaction several times in my life, just by not following too close. Another trick is to back off the throttle earlier when you approach a situation where you will have to stop. By practicing, you can develop the right technique to lift early enough to save fuel and brakes without angering your fellow drivers. Don't wait until the last possible moment to brake for a light. It just overheats the brakes and sloshes your cup of coffee. Sure, it will take some patience to work these techniques into your regimen, but they are worth it in added safety, longer brake life and some fuel savings. Maybe your blood pressure will drop, too.

We pride ourselves on being a one-stop shop. From front bumper to back bumper, there is little we aren't qualified to do. If you don't see it on the following list, please call to confirm whether we do the service you need or not. Or you can email us at: gregk@gregs-auto.com or appointments@gregs-auto.com

Greg's Automotive & Greg's Brake and Alignment offer the following services:

• 30K, 60K and 90K services
• Alignment, 2 wheel, 4 wheel, raised and lowered vehicles, trucks and some motorhomes
• Battery service, cables cleaning and hold downs
• Brake certification
• Brake repairs of all types
• Charging system diagnosis and repair including batteries, starter and alternator repair/replacement Warranty center for Delco and Interstate Batteries
• Clutches and flywheel turning
• Computer control diagnosis, repair and replacement.
• Computer reprogramming as capabilities are released
• Cooling system diagnosis and repair including belts, hoses, radiator repair/replacement, water pumps, heaters and heater controls
• Diagnosis and repair of all type of fluid leaks
• Differential (rear end) repairs
• Driveabilty diagnosis and repair
• Engine analysis of all types
• Front wheel drive axles and axle boots
• Fuel injection service, diagnosis and repair. Electric fuel pump service and repair
• Gold Shield Program: Consumer Assistance Program, certification of gross polluter's as well as test-only failures
• In addition to the preceding services, Greg's Automotive will perform a 15 point safety inspection on every vehicle at no cost.
• Intermittent failure diagnosis and repair
• Lamp certification
• Light aiming and repair
• Manual transmission overhaul
• Oil and filter change, lubrication
• Smog Check: repairs and certification
• Suspension repairs
• Systems analysis
• Tires: sales, mounting and balancing, rotation
• Universal joint replacement, drive line service.
• Window regulators and lift motors
• Wiring repairs, chassis and engine, as well as lights and dashboard

We have a clean, bright and comfortable waiting area for customers that choose to wait for their vehicle. Or, we'll be happy to drop you off when you bring your vehicle in with our local shuttle service. We know that car repairs often come at the most inopportune times so we have close contacts with the local car rental agencies.