With some of today’s cars diagnosing those supposedly ‘simple functions’ such as power door locks, power seats, or power windows can get overly complicated. For example, I took a call recently on a 2001 Mercedes C-class. The driver’s complaint was that the door locks wouldn’t work after the car sat for more than an hour, but once they started to work again, they would be fine as long as you used them.

Tags: Diagnostic equipment, Service bays, Technicians, Underhood service

Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) codes become relatively common on GM vehicles as they age. EGR codes are most often the first clue that there’s an EGR flow issue, but sometimes the complaint is related to pinging, due to improper combustion chamber cooling due to a lack of EGR. Some codes are unique to EGR flow while some are unique to EGR valve position. Still other codes can be caused by either a lack of EGR flow or an incorrect EGR pintle position.

Tags: Cadillac, Diagnostic equipment, Saturn, Service bays, Technicians

Ford has used “returnless” fuel systems for quite some time now, but we still get many calls regarding the theory of operation and diagnosis of low or high fuel pressure problems. There are two types of returnless fuel systems. One is a mechanical returnless system and the other is the electronic fuel returnless system. This article will deal with the electronic returnless system used on 2004 and newer F-150 trucks.

Tags: Ford F-150, Fuel systems, Service bays, Technicians, Underhood service

Air conditioning service and repair can be profitable, with few comebacks, or it can be your worst nightmare. Most technicians know that when a customer walks in and wants a tune-up, it’s time to ask a lot of questions. Customers assume their driveability issue will be solved by the magic of this service. It may be, but don’t count on it. The same issue occurs when they ask for “a shot” of refrigerant to fix their air conditioning.

Tags: Air conditioning, Service bays, Technicians, Underhood service

Do you remember taking your test for your driver’s license? I’ll bet you chose a car and left your truck at home. Good choice. Trucks do a lot of things well, but maneuvering easily has not always been one of them. In 2003, however, General Motors added 4-wheel steering as an option on several of its trucks. This “Quadrasteer” system dramatically reduces turning radius and improves overall handling. Here is what you need to know about it.

Tags: Service bays, Steering, Technicians, Under-car service, Underhood service

In 2009, I was working on a 2000 Silverado with a technician from northern Minnesota. The Silverado had an anti-lock brake light on with a code C0235 stored. The technician said that the chart indicated it was a rear speed sensor code, but the truck doesn’t have rear speed sensors. This is a good example of different systems sharing information.

Tags: Chevy Silverado, Diagnostic equipment, Service bays, Technicians, Underhood service

While I was working for a Saturn dealer, a new 2006 Saturn Ion was delivered from the factory with a problem in the electrical system. When the vehicle sat for more than a day or two, the battery would be dead. I checked for any lights or modules that were operating with the key off, and noted that the radio clock display was lit -- though there was no sound from the radio-when the key was not in the ignition. Turning on the ignition switch caused the radio to function normally.

Tags: Electrical Service, Saturn Ion, Service bays, Underhood service