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Air conditioning, which was once a great luxury, is now a common feature on most motor vehicles. While the servicing of modern car air conditioning systems is best left to professionals, you can get the most enjoyment from your ac system if you know a bit about how it works and what malfunctions you should be on the lookout for. |
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If you go to a doctor you don't just say "my body hurts". Of course not, you would be more specific. How about going to your bank and say "there's a problem with my money". They will look at you as though you had two heads. If you take your automobile to a repair shop and say "my car doesn't run right", what are they supposed to do with that lack of information?
I guess by now everyone should have gotten what I am driving at. If you want something corrected you must give as much detailed information as possible to expedite the matter as quickly as possible. No where is it more important to be specific about a problem than in today's complex automobiles. The better one can explain the problem the better your chances are of getting them corrected the first time and not wasting money on misunderstandings. Most people are in too much of a hurry and just scribble a quick note when dropping their cars off for repairs and not even taking the time to talk to the technician or service writer. Bad mistake! This leads to poor communications and the necessity for several phone conversations that may end up being misunderstood. To make the problem easier to understand, follow some of these guidelines. |
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Check the battery state of charge and condition. If the dash lights are not visible or very dim when turning the ignition key on, the battery has either failed internally or discharged, the battery cables are loose, excessively corroded or damaged, or the alternator has failed or internally shorted, discharging the battery. |
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If you disconnect your battery to reset your check engine light. You may erase valuable memory from the computer and wind up disabling your car stereo and factory installed alarm.
It used to be that resetting your check engine light was simple as disconnecting your battery. Today's new cars provide a challenge when trying to use this procedure.
Why is your check engine light on? The check engine light or service engine soon light is directly connected to your car's computer and monitors the emission system. This warning light was federally mandated by our government to notify the driver that the vehicle may be polluting the atmosphere.
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You're driving along and suddenly your Check Engine Light comes on. What does it mean? Check Engine Light, Check Engine Soon Light, Service Engine Soon Light, Engine Light, Engine Management Light, "whatever" you want to call it, simply means that your vehicle's computer system has detected a problem. |
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Bill started backing the car down the driveway on your way to church. You noticed something, liquid, on the driveway.
You made him stop the car, and then you two got out and walked up the driveway to where the 'green stuff' was. |
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WARNING: Coolant can reach extreme temperatures. Make sure your vehicle has been shut off for a long period of time to ensure your engine coolant is not HOT. Hot coolant can cause scalding and require medical attention. Use safety goggles to protect your eyes at all times.
Remove radiator cap slowly with a towel to make sure pressure is released out of the system and protect against possibility of hot coolant. Disconnect negative battery cable.
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Overheating is one of the most common breakdowns that autos encounter during the summer season. It happens when the temperature of the coolant exceeds the normal operating temperature range of the engine. Overheating has many causes. Idling under hot weather for prolonged periods can wreak havoc on the cars cooling system, because the water pump doesn't turn fast enough. Thus the coolant is not circulated, as it should be. Sometimes a leak may cause the coolant level to drop thus causing the radiator to overheat. Here are a few pointers for dealing with an overheated radiator: |
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A car's cooling system always has a tough time doing the job it has that it was designed to do - carry off excess engine heat.
Rust may clog the passages of your radiator. Why chance expensive engine damage or the ruin of a vacation due to unnecessary radiator damage. Radiator inefficiencies due to simple neglect of maintenance and prevention.
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Toyota is one of today's top quality car manufacturers in the world. What first started out as a spin-off of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, one of the world's leading manufacturers of weaving machinery in the 1930s, Toyota Motor Corporation Ltd. now produces more than 5.5 million vehicles per year or the equivalent of one vehicle to every six seconds - making it Japan's largest car builder and the world's third largest manufacturer of automobiles in unit sales and in net sales. |
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