Tomorrow's Tech

February 2013

■ BRAKE-RELATED COMEBACKS ■ POWER STROKE PROBLEMS ■ 'PLUGGING AWAY' IN IGNITION DIAGNOSTICS

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CONTENTS

2 February 2013 | TomorrowsTechnician.com

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UNDER THE HOOD 14Plugging Away at Ignition DiagnosticsIntermittent ignition coil failures can be tough to diagnose. Babcox technical editor and former instructor Gary Goms discusses the different configurations and breaks down the variety of options for testing ignition coils and ignition systems.

UNDERCOVER 24Stopping Brake-Related ComebacksNothing is worse than a customer returning to yourshop after a brake job complaining of a noise or performance issue. Comebacks can be frustratingbecause they negatively impact a shop’s productivityand reputation. The following are 10 tips that can helpyou more efficiently and effectively solve a brakecomeback due to noise.

ENGINE SERIES 34Problems That Plague the Power StrokeDiesel engine specialist Bob McDonald investigates theproblems and complaints regarding the 6.0L PowerStroke and provides aftermarket fixes that will getowners of the trucks powered with this diesel engineback on the road.

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Report Card: Mercedes-Benz’s Ener-G-Force Concept 6

The Real World: Future Technology Meets Future Technicians 8

Service Advisor: 20 Tips for TPMS Service 44

Bulletin Board 48

Crossword Puzzle 48

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While off-road vehicles aren’t normally associated with being“green,” the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force electric vehicle conceptwould have no trouble existing insuch a rough environment.

As an environmentally friendlySUV, the Ener-G-Force, whichMercedes-Benz presented at theLA Auto Show late last year,sprouted from a design study concept of a highway patrol vehiclefor the year 2025.

“The Ener-G-Force is the visionof an off-roader that, while reflect-ing tomorrow’s adventures, alsoinvokes the genes of theMercedes-Benz off-road icon, theG-Class,” said Gorden Wagener,Director of Design at Mercedes-

Benz. “Modernand cool, it couldalso be a clueabout a newbeginning for the off-road designidiom of Mercedes-Benz.”

The Ener-G-Force is unmistak-ably inspired by the G-Class,which has long been consideredan automotive icon. However, itpresents a radical reinterpreta-tion of this classic that looks farinto the future. Important genes

such as proportionsand design elementswere completelyredesigned and updatedin a clean concept forbeyond tomorrow.

The Ener-G-Forcestores recycled water intanks on the roof, andtransfers it to the“hydro-tech converter,”where natural andrenewable resources areconverted into hydro-gen for operating the

fuel cells. The storage units for theelectricity generated in this processare housed easily accessible in thestriking side skirts.

The Ener-G-Force emits nothingbut water, has an operating rangeof about 500 miles and as a result,truly is a green car.

Four wheel-hub motors, whoseoutput for each individual wheel

is adapted precisely to therespective terrain by high-performance electronics, pro-vide the pulling power.

A “Terra-Scan” 360-degree

topography scanner on the roofpermanently scans the surround-ings and uses the results to adjustthe spring and damping rates aswell as other suspension parame-ters for maximum traction on therespective surface, regardless ofwhether it is on- or off-road.

For now, the Ener-G-Force is purescience fiction. But, the designcould represent a clear step for-ward for the automaker in thefuture. And, the SUV concept alsoplays on the utility factor in anentirely new way. For example, thedistinctive feature in the rear is aslightly off-center pull-out compart-ment whose cover occupies the tra-ditional location of the spare wheelcover of the classic G-Class. Thispull-out tool box can hold a widevariety of equipment, supplies oreven campfire provisions that arequickly within reach without havingto open the entire tailgate. Whichcould come in handy on those off-road nights. ■

Report Card



Real World

FUTURETECHNOLOGY’SIMPACT ONFUTURETECHNICIANST

he auto industry won’t be producingvehicles in the near future that encom-pass the options of the flying “Spinner”cars portrayed in 1982’s Blade Runner,however, the reality is that we will soon

be seeing something more like the “Johnny Cabs”that hailed from the 1990’s film Total Recall.

In March of last year, the Nevada Departmentof Motor Vehicles issued a license for a self-driv-en car, and in late September 2012, California’sGov. Jerry Brown, at a ceremony at Google’sheadquarters in Mountain View, signed into law abill that his state’s Department of Motor Vehiclesis to write regulations covering robot cars byJanuary 2015. The law also has paved the roadto allow autonomous vehicles to operate onCalifornia roads.

“I expect that self-driving cars are going to befar safer than human-driven cars,” said Google co-founder Sergey Brin. “Self-driving cars do not runred lights.”

AUTONOMOUS AUTOSThere is a lot of speculation on how these driver-

less vehicles will impact the automotive serviceindustry.

For one thing, it’s going to take technicians likeyou to become even more skilled in computers andelectronics to service these vehicle systems. BobLutz, former GM vice chairman and idea manbehind the Chevy Volt, said recently that heexpects mass-produced driverless vehicles on theroads within 20 years and that the technology tooperate such vehicles is already available. Lutz cited

By Ed Sunkin, editor

“smart systems” like start-stop technology, lane departure warningsystems, adaptive cruise control andGPS guidance — designs currentlyused in some of today’s high-endvehicles — will be combined by engineers to produce the hands-freecars.

Together, these advancements aredesigned to keep the vehicle in itslane and at a safe distance from thecar in front of it. The car will alsoapply the brakes to avoid a collision,even when a car driving 30 milesslower suddenly pulls in front of it.

Lutz thinks this is a great idea,since “cars don’t smokepot or drink,” and therebythe nation will see areduction in driver-impaired accidents.However, the vehiclescould be bad news for col-lision shops, as fewer acci-dents transforms into lesswork for collision shops.Insurance costs also coulddecline.

While the expectedsafety improvements arebeneficial, the aftermarket may seemore miles per vehicle increase, asthe technology will allow more peo-ple such as the elderly and thosewho do not like to drive in traffic theopportunity for more travel.

Vehicles also could be pro-grammed to arrive at your shop for

service or maintenance even withouta passenger. Let’s just hope the“smart car” doesn’t forget the creditcard to pay for the work.

MORE DIESELS HEADINGDOWN THE PIPELINE

You also can bet on seeing morediesels in your workplace — whetherit’s a dealership or independentrepair shop. When the ObamaAdministration announced tougherfuel economy standards for vehicleslast August, much of the focus sur-rounded gasoline-powered cars andtrucks.

But for Allen Schaeffer, executivedirector for the Diesel TechnologyForum (www.dieselforum.org),these requirements will increase thegrowing popularity of diesel vehiclesin the U.S., something he is excitedabout.

“Because clean diesel autos are20% to 40% more efficient than gaso-line vehicles, diesel will be a majorplayer in the nation’s effort to achievethe new mileage standards.”

Schaeffer said this is good news tomanufacturers and suppliers of cleandiesel technology who will “play anexpanded role in improving fueleconomy of the fleet needed toachieve the 54.5 mpg level by 2025as mandated by the new greenhousegas and fuel efficiency standards.”

The result will be an increase indiesel service opportunities. It maybe a good idea to look towardbecoming ASE-certified in dieselengine diagnostics.

In fact, in the first six months of

TomorrowsTechnician.com 9

Daimler will soon be sharingexpenses with Ford and Renault-Nissan for a mass-produced hydrogen-fueledelectric vehicle.

Google reported that its experimental autonomous Prius hasdriven more than 300,000 miles without an accident. Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson

A Chevy Cruze diesel will launch this yearin the U.S. with a fuel usage range closeto 50 mpg.


2012, clean diesel automobile salesin the U.S. increased 27.5%, accord-ing to sales information compiled byHybridCars.com and Baum andAssociates.

While clean diesel auto and lighttruck sales total only about 3% of thetotal U.S. passenger car and smalltruck market, the steady double-digitmonthly sales increases show a defi-nite trend of interest in diesels.

A recent Pike Research studyforecasts that sales of these light-duty clean diesel vehicles willincrease from 282,000 vehicles i-n2012 to 928,000 by 2018.

While current Clean Diesel vehiclesinclude pick-up trucks from thedomestic automakers, diesel carsfrom the European manufacturersinclude the Audi A3 and Q7 TDImodels, BMW 335D and X5xDrive35d, Mercedes-Benz E350,ML350, GL350 and R350 BlueTECdiesels, and VW Beetle, Golf, Jetta,Passat and Touareg TDI models.

New vehicles with diesel enginesintroduced into the U.S. market inthe next two years include Chrysler’sJeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel in2014, along with a new version of thediscontinued Dakota pickup that willinclude a diesel. Ford will offer a newdiesel Transit full-size commercial vanthis year, as will GM with a CadillacATS diesel and a diesel version of theChevrolet Cruze. Mazda will becomethe only Asian car manufacturer tosell diesel cars in the U.S. when itintroduces its SKYACTIV-D 2.2L cleandiesel engine next year.

SELLING THE FUEL-CELLCONCEPT

Over the past few years, the auto-motive industry has focused on plug-in electric vehicles and various gaso-line- and diesel-electric hybriddesigns; but now, electric fuel-cellvehicles are returning to the spotlight.

Recently, a collaborative partner-ship approach between Daimler, Fordand Renault-Nissan was announcedin an effort to begin mass producinghydrogen-fueled fuel-cell electricvehicles (FCEVs) in the next fouryears.

The benefit of these zero-emis-sions vehicles is their potential toreduce pollution and cut down onthe world’s reliance on oil for trans-portation. However, the drawbackover the years has been cost. Theautomakers believe that combiningresources could help alleviate thelargest challenge for such vehicles —a fueling infrastructure.

Powered by electricity generatedfrom hydrogen and oxygen, FCEVsemit only water while driving. FCEVsare considered complementary totoday’s battery-electric vehicles andwill help expand the range of zero-emission transportation options avail-able to consumers.

While each vehicle is expected touse the same electric core designand components, models will still beunique to each automaker. Thisallows manufacturers to offer differ-ent body styles, cabin designs andbranding to buyers.

But the concept of sharing fuel-cellcore platforms and componentswould also be helpful for repairshops in the future, as diagnostictools used to service these vehiclescould also be shared, instead of tech-nicians purchasing tooling for individ-ual manufacturers.

While FCEV technology has beenin the development stage for a num-ber of automakers including GeneralMotors and Toyota since the late1990s, the implementation of a con-sumer vehicle hasn’t taken off due tothe high costs of development,design and patents. Hydrogen fuel-ing stations have been introduced inthe U.S., but are mainly concentratedaround FCEV testing areas out West.

Under the alliance agreement fromDaimler, Ford and Nissan, each com-pany will invest equally in the tech-nology. The cars could be availableas early as 2017.

According to a release from thealliance, “The collaboration sends aclear signal to suppliers, policymak-ers and the industry to encouragefurther development of hydrogenrefueling stations and other infra-structure necessary to allow the vehi-cles to be mass-marketed.” ■


Under the Hood

Adapted from Gary Goms’ article in

During the past century, ignition coil configurations haveevolved from oil-filled canister to epoxy-filled to e-coreto waste spark and to the most modern coil-on-plug or“pencil” coils. Whatever the configuration, an ignitioncoil creates a spark by transforming amperage into volts.

To illustrate, an oil-filled ignition coil might require about 4amperes of current at 12 volts to produce 20-30 kilovolts (kV),while a modern e-core or coil-on-plug configuration might requireabout 7 amperes of current at 12 volts to produce 30-60 kV ofhigh-intensity spark. Keep in mind that, because many differentfactors affect the voltage multiplication process, the ultimate volt-age output will vary according to design and operating conditions.See Photo 1.

Whatever the configuration, an ignition coil has three parts: aprimary circuit, a secondary circuit and a soft-iron core. A magneticfield is created around the soft-iron core when an electric currentflows through the primary circuit or winding. When the currentflowing through a few hundreds of turns of primary winding isinterrupted, the resulting magnetic field collapses into many thou-sands of turns in the secondary winding. By “cutting” the magneticfield many thousands of times, the secondary winding multiplies ortransforms low battery voltage into the voltages needed to createan ignition spark.

Keep in mind that the actual output voltage of the coil dependsupon the air/fuel (A/F) ratio and the running compression of theengine at the spark plug gap. In general, lean A/F ratios and highcylinder pressures tend to increase the voltage requirement at thespark plug.

‘PLUGGING’ AWAY

PRIMARY NOTESAn ignition coil primary circuit includes

the battery voltage or B+ terminal attachedto a 12-volt current source and a ground orB- terminal attached to a power transistorthat controls primary current flow. To createa spark, the power transistor is commanded bythe powertrain control module (PCM) to form amagnetic field in the coil by grounding the pri-mary circuit. Coil “saturation” occurs as the mag-netic field is formed. The PCM then commandsthe power transistor to interrupt the primary cir-cuit and collapse the magnetic field, which thencreates an ignition spark.

The primary circuit on-time is generally referredto as “dwell angle” on distributor ignitions and“duty cycle” on distributorless ignitions. Dwellangle and duty cycle begin when the primary circuitis grounded and ends when the primary circuit isinterrupted. See Photo 2.


While some import electronicignitions mount a power transistordirectly onto the coil, the powertransistor in most ignitions isincorporated into a separate ignition control module (ICM). Tofurther simplify ignition hardware,most modern configurations incorporate the power transistoror primary ignition “driver” intothe PCM.

Because most modern ignitionsystems are capable of producingsecondary voltages up to 60,000volts or 60 kV, the ignition systemsare programmed to reduce coiloperating temperatures by reduc-ing the duty cycle or “on-time” atidle speeds, and also by increas-ing the duty cycle at high enginespeeds. This feature increases coillife by reducing the coil’s internaloperating temperature.

SECONDARY CIRCUITThe secondary circuit of a

distributor ignition system is

AT IGNITION DIAGNOSTICS

Photo 1: Most technicians are familiar with oil-filled(center), epoxy-filled (left), e-core, waste-spark andpencil-type (right) ignition coils.

COIL KILLERSIgnition coils are veryrugged and reliable, butcan fail for a variety of reasons. Top killers ofIgnition coils are:

1. Heat which can damagea coil’s insulation.2. Vibration which can dam-age the coil's windings andcause shorts or opens inthe primary or secondarywindings. 3. Voltage overload causedby bad spark plugs or plugwires.


comprised of the secondary igni-tion coil windings, distributorcap, distributor rotor, spark plugcable and spark plug.Distributorless systems have eliminated the distributor capand rotor, but have retained thespark plug cable.

Toyota, among others, often utilizes a “hybrid” waste-sparkignition on V-block engines. In thisconfiguration, the ignition coils on

one cylinder bank are mounteddirectly onto the spark plugs, andthe spark plugs on the opposingbank are connected to the coils byignition cables. In contrast, a dedicated COP ignition systemmounts the coil directly onto thespark plug. Obviously, the COPsystem has the least number ofcomponents to fail. See Photo 3.

Photo 2: The coil driver saturates the primary circuitby pulling the circuit to ground.

Photo 3: When the coil driver interrupts the primarycircuit, the coil’s magnetic field collapses, producinga high-voltage spark.


DIAGNOSING IGNITION COILS Right off the top, I want to emphasize that

intermittent ignition coil failures are tough todiagnose because ignition coil windings tendto be very sensitive to engine heat.Remember that heat increases primary andsecondary circuit resistance and that bothwindings expand with heat. This is why anignition coil might pass all shop tests, but willstill fail when subjected to high operatingtemperatures and maximum loads.

I’m also the first to say that a variety ofopinions exist about how to test ignition coilsand ignition systems. The most basic methodis measuring a coil’s primary and secondaryresistance. If a coil doesn’t meet the manu-facturer’s specifications, it should be considered defective. But, meeting primaryand secondary resistance specifications on thebench is no guarantee that the coil will per-form correctly under extreme heat and load.

The next method is a process of elimina-tion that tests the coil driver. Because crank-ing dwell time on modern systems can be 7°or less, never use a conventional test light fortesting. Instead, use a DVOM to measureduty cycle or to measure for the presence ofvoltage drop at coil B as the driver switchesthe coil on to off. If the coil driver works, thecoil is presumably defective.

The most conventional method for testingcoils is to observe how well the spark jumpsacross an air gap while cranking the engine.This method has several problems becausecranking the engine with a defective or poorlycharged battery simply won’t deliver the pri-mary voltage needed to properly saturate thecoil’s primary windings. The battery must also

maintain at least 10 volts at the PCM to keep thePCM fully operational.

Because the testing at an air gap must be constantand measurable, many techs use spark testers thatcreate approximately a 0.250” gap for older ignitionsand a 0.500” spark gap for later, high-voltage igni-tions. The color of the spark often has more to dowith atmospheric contamination than it does with thequality of the spark. In some cases, a really “hot”spark is nearly invisible to the eye. Last, any sparkgenerally appears weak when seen in direct sunlight,which can confuse the diagnosis.

Ignition scope analysis can be equally confusingbecause, during the days of contact point ignitions,technicians compared their scope captures with an“ideal” waveform pattern that contained a specificnumber of primary and secondary oscillations in thecoil waveform. But, when transistors are used to inter-rupt the primary circuit, the primary and secondarywaveforms can vary dramatically from the “ideal” wave-forms pictured in many automotive texts.

As the epoxy-filled and external iron core configura-tions (e-core) were popularly introduced in the early1980s, we saw the primary and secondary waveformoscillations nearly disappear. With a waste-spark sec-ondary ignition coil operating on both positive andnegative grounds, we also see quite a differencebetween compression and exhaust waveforms.Because most COP designs lack accessibility, second-ary waveform analysis has become difficult to executein most applications.

The type of scope equipment being used is also criti-cal for an accurate waveform analysis. Most automotivelab scopes won’t tolerate the high voltage “kick”encountered during primary and secondary circuit test-

ing. Others lack the resolution or definition needed foraccurate coil waveform analysis. On the other hand,most will display a secondary waveform by using aninductive adapter attached to the spark plug cable orto the coil top on COP applications.

Most advanced technicians are now using PC-based ignition scopes capable of a wide range ofdiagnostic displays and modes. For average circum-stances, a high-quality digital storage oscilloscope(DSO) will suffice. Whatever the choice, keep in mindthat training opens the door and that practice makesperfect when using a scope to analyze ignition systemperformance.

RAMPING UP CURRENTBecause access to secondary waveform testing is

nearly impossible on modern COP ignitions, most


Photo 4: This “flat-top” waveform indi-cates that this coil is current-limited atabout six amperes.

advanced diagnostic technicians use a lab scope and alow-amperage inductive current probe to measure anddisplay current flow through the coil’s primary circuit.See Photo 4.

In review, an oil-filled ignition coil requires about 3-5 amperes of current at 12 volts to produce 20-30 kV,while a modern e-core or coil-on-plug configurationmight require as much as 10 amperes of current at 12volts to produce 30-60 kV of high-intensity spark.

The ICM or PCM primary circuits can be a non-cur-rent-limiting design, which creates a pointed currentramp waveform. The ICM or PCM primary circuits canalso be a current-limiting design that creates a “flat-

top” waveform indicating that the primary current isbeing limited to predetermined values.See Photo 5.

Access to the primary circuit can most often beobtained through the “ignition” fuse in the vehicle fusebox or directly at the primary ignition wiring harnessleading to the ignition coils.

In many cases, all of the system’s ignition coils arepowered by a single wire, which simplifies attaching aninductive current probe. In COP ignitions with no otheraccess, a set of jumper wires can be used to attach aninductive current probe.See Photo 6.


Making the ConnectionWhen replacing the coil, the connectors should be cleaned and checked for corrosionor looseness to ensure a good electrical connection. Corrosion can cause resistance,intermittent operation, or loss of continuity, which may contribute to component failure. Applying dielectric grease to coil connectors that fit over the spark plugs isalso recommended to minimize the risk of spark flashover caused by moisture. OnFord truck engines with COP ignition coils, moisture contamination that causes corrosion is the number one cause of coil failure.


Photo 5: This current ramp represents current flowthrough a coil-on-plug configuration. Notice that thecurrent is about 4.4 amperes and is non-limited.

Photo 6: Access for an inductive probe can be attainedon some COP ignitions by installing jumper wiresbetween the coil connector and coil.

If the coil driver in the PCM is ruined or if an ICM fails, it’s alwaysgood procedure to check the current ramp on the ignition coil.Remember that most ignition coils shouldn’t draw more than 8 amperes.If in doubt, compare amperage draw with a similar known-good system.If a coil is drawing excessive amperage, the primary circuit might beshorted, which, in turn, might ruin the new PCM or ICM. If you’re indoubt about the integrity of any ignition coil, it’s better to replace withnew than to risk a costly comeback. ■


Nothing is worse than a customerreturning to your shop after abrake job complaining of a noiseor performance issue. Thesecomebacks can be frustrating

because they negatively impact your shop’sproductivity and reputation.

The following are 10 tips that can help youmore efficiently and effectively solve a brakecomeback due to noise.

1. Interview the Customer:Customer interviews are critical to the noiselocation process. Keep in mind that thegrinding noise you hear might not be thesqueaking noise that the customer hears. In

most cases, a testdrive with the cus-tomer might help toidentify the noise withwhich he or she is mostconcerned.

If the noise is intermittent,use a checklist to help identifythe conditions under which thenoise occurs. Is it a cold- or warm-weather noise? Does it occur when thewheels hit a tar strip or does it occur morefrequently on a gravel or washboard surface?Is it a squeaking, chirping, rattling, knockingor clunking sound? Or, is it a wheel-speed oran engine-speed noise?

If possible, take a test drive with the customer. Oftentimes, many noise complaintsare not related to the brakes.

2. Check TSBs: Brake noise is one of thegreatest concerns for automakers. ATechnical Service Bulletin (TSB) can tell you ifthere are updated parts, or even if otheritems on the vehicle, such as a chattering differential or a sloppy driveshaft, are toblame for the noise.

3. Inspection: If a customer is complain-ing of brake noise, take some time to inspectthe entire vehicle. Brake noise could beincreased, mimicked or caused by other components like a worn strut mount, tie-rodend or drivetrain components.

UnderCover

Solutions to SBrake-Related


If the vehicle has accumulated more than 500miles since the brake job was performed, measurerotor runout and disc thickness variation.

4. Hardware: Brake hardware is necessary tokeep the pads moving smoothly in the caliper. But, ifthe pads are loose or bind in the caliper, it will causenoise. The leading causes are mis-installation of thehardware and corrosion, or the components to whichthey attach. Not taking the time to clean and removerust from the bracket and caliper can cause a mis-alignment of the components. Often, the caliperbracket can be corroded to the point where there arepits and voids on the machined surfaces.

One option is to pool or braze welding materialin the voids on the bracket and grind the surfaces

level. This can be very labor intensive, but requiredon some vehicles where the slides are on theknuckle. Some brake pad manufacturers havedeveloped special clips that can cover the surface.And, new caliper brackets for most applications areavailable through most jobbers.

Heating and cooling cycles can weaken springs andanti-rattle clips, which is why they should not bereused. Some springs and clips can be difficult to install. Some anti-rattle clips may resemble Chinesefinger traps when you’re trying to reinstall them backon the car. But leaving them out is not an option.

5. Shims: Never reuse a shim. The caliper fingers and pistons can damage the shims. In an

Stoppingd Comebacks

Adapted from Andrew Markel’sarticle in


average pedal application, the shim can be exposed tomore than 2,000 lbs. of force. Over a lifetime, this candistort any shim.

Most shims are made of layers of metal andplastic/rubber materials. The metal can corrode andcause the shim to delaminate. The soft materials canlose their elasticity and ability to dampen vibrations.

Most new pad sets include shims, and the quality ofthe shim typically reflects the quality of the brake pad.

New OE and aftermarket shims can also be pur-chased separately from the pad sets. Some automakerseven introduce shims to combat noise problems thatoccur while the vehicle is under warranty.

Another option is an aftermarket shim that attachesto the piston. This shim can act as a noise barrier thatprevents noise from being transmitted to the caliper. Itcan also insulate the piston against heat.

6. Lubricants: Brake lubricant can also be used toisolate vibrations between the disc brake pads and thecaliper/bracket. Use it on the back of a bare pad orbetween the pad shim and caliper — but, use it sparingly. If you’re using a two-piece or clip-on styleshim, a light coating can be applied to the shims. Don’tglob it on. Excessive lubricant attracts debris that cancause a caliper to stick.

The primary lubrication points in rear drum brakesinclude the raised pads on the backing plates that sup-port the shoes, the star adjuster mechanisms, hingepoints for self-adjusters or the parking brake linkage,and the parking brake cables.

TECH IN TRAINING:DECIPHERING A CLICKING NOISEDURING BRAKING

If a 2009-’10 Honda Pilot owner complains thatthe vehicle is making one or more clicking noisesfrom the front suspension while accelerating orbraking, it could be due to a faulty front suspen-sion rear lower arm bushing bracket. If this is thecase, replace both front suspension rear lower armbushing brackets, and check the wheel alignment.

PARTS & TOOL INFORMATION:Lower Arm Bushing Bracket SetP/N 04513-SZA-000

Ball Joint Castle Nut (2)P/N 90365-STX-A00

Lower Arm Flange Bolt, 14 mm (4)P/N 90118-STX-A00

Lower Arm Flange Bolt, 16 mm (2)P/N 90118-SJC-A00

Ball Joint Remover, 32 mmT/N 07MAC-SLOA102

Ball Joint Thread Protector, 14 mmT/N 071AF-S3VA000

Diagnosis:Listen for one or more clicking noise from the

front suspension while accelerating from a moderate stop (between normal and abrupt), orwhile braking.

– If you hear the noise, go to the RepairProcedure.

– If you don’t hear the noise, continue with normal troubleshooting.

Repair Procedure:1. Raise the vehicle on a lift.2. Remove the front wheels.3. Remove the lock pin from the lower arm ball


7. Rotor Finish: Poor rotor finish can lead tonoise. When machining a rotor, you have two primarygoals: Provide a smooth surface finish for the pads andprovide a true surface finish.

The smoothness of the friction surface of a rotor isdescribed in terms of micro-finish or RA factor. RAstands for “roughness average” and represents a wayto measure the smoothness of a rotor. When in goodcondition and used properly, most lathes available inthe market will yield very acceptable RA factors. Thefinish is essential to transfer material for organic andceramic friction materials. The correct finish is alsoessential for semi-metallic pads so they can have thecorrect coefficient of friction during initial break-in.

Non-directional finishes can help in the “bedding”process and the establishment of a transfer layer. It canalso prevent the grooves of the rotor from pulling andpushing on the pad, much like how a record moves aneedle. Always clean the rotor’s surface after machiningthe rotor in order to remove metal fragments that cancontaminate the pad.

8. Caliper Issues: A caliper can cause a noise-related comeback. Every floating caliper has bushingsthat are designed to isolate vibration in the caliper.These bushings should last at least two sets of pads.

joint, then remove the castle nut. See Figure 1.4. Disconnect the lower arm ball joint from the

knuckle using the ball joint thread protector andthe ball joint remover.Note: Be careful not to damage the ball joint boot

when installing the remover. Do not force or ham-mer on the lower arm, or pry between the lowerarm and the knuckle. You could damage the balljoint.5. Remove the mounting bolt from the rear side

of the stabilizer bar bushing holder. 6. Remove the 14 mm and 16 mm lower arm

mounting bolts, then remove the lower arm. SeeFigure 2.

Figure 1

Figure 2

They are located on the end or arearound the guide pins. Over time,these pins can become compressedand lose their elasticity. This can causemovement in the caliper and possiblyeven noise. It can also cause unevenapplication of the pads.

9. Wheel bearings: A wornwheel bearing can cause brake noiseand even a low pedal. Too much endplay can result in uneven applicationof the pads. When the pads do notcontact the rotor evenly, it can resultin a noise complaint.

If the wheel bearing’s flange has toomuch runout, it can cause disc thick-ness variation or, in extreme cases, alow pedal. Even if there was no pulsa-tion right after the brake job, a pulsa-tion problem will occur in 2,000-5,000miles.

Lateral runout can be corrected byreplacing the bearing or flange. A lessexpensive option is to use a plate thatcan be placed between the rotor andflange.

10. New brake pads: Choosingto install a new set of pads should be


7. Remove the lower arm stops. See Figure 3.8. Remove the self-locking nut from the rear

lower arm bushing, then remove the rear lowerarm bushing bracket. See Figure 4.

9. Install a new bushing bracket on the lowerarm, and then align the angle of the lower arm center line and the lower edge line of the bushingbracket as shown in Figure 5 on page 33. 10. Install a new self-locking nut, and then

tighten it to 162 Nm (119 lb.-ft.).

Figure 3 Figure 4

the last option when trying to solve a noise complaint. Most ofthe time, the pad is not to blame if you use a high-quality pad.

Look at the surface of the used pad for any discoloration,cracking or glazing. These are signs of contamination of thefriction surface. In order for a pad to operate quietly, it musthave a consistent coefficient of friction across the face of thepad that comes in contact with the rotor. If an edge or half of thepad is contaminated by brake lube, metal shavings from the lathe oreven friction material from the old set of pads, it will cause a noisecomeback.

Most ceramic pads transfer alayer of friction material to the rotor.This can improve rotor life and brak-ing performance. If the brake padsare changed and the transfer layerof material is left on the rotor, thefriction material can become con-taminated and the new materialmight not transfer its material to therotor. Some friction materials mightbe compatible but, chances are, thetwo materials will have problems.

When a rotor is machined or anew rotor is installed, it should becleaned. The surface should be freeof shavings and anti-corrosion coat-ings. These materials can contami-nate the pad and affect the levelsof friction across the pad, as justmentioned.

One place you never, ever want toget any grease on is the friction sur-face of a brake lining — which isanother reason for not using low-temperature or petroleum-based lubricants which can melt, run off andfoul the linings. Grease-contaminatedshoes or pads will be grabby andusually cause a brake pull to one side.This is why any brake lubricant shouldbe used sparingly.

In most cases, the contaminationcan’t be removed from a pad. Thepad, therefore, should be replacedand the rotor should be machined.

Returning pads is getting moreand more difficult. Some frictionsuppliers have even eliminatedreturns for some of their lines. ■


11. Install the lower arm stops. See Figure 3.Note: Align the slot on the lower arm stop

with the lug portion on the front side of thelower arm bushing.

12. Install the lower arm with new bolts:– Lightly tighten the bolts.– Raise the suspension to load it with the

vehicle’s weight before fully tightening thebolts. Do not place the jack against the balljoint on the lower arm.– Torque the 14 mm bolts to 93 Nm (69 lb.-

ft.), and torque the 16 mm bolt to 162 Nm(119 lb.-ft.).– Install the mounting bolt on the rear side of

the stabilizer bar bushing holder, and torque itto 39 Nm (29 lb.-ft.)13. Degrease the threaded section and the

tapered portion of the ball joint pin, the balljoint connecting hold, and the threaded sectionand mating surfaces of the castle nut. Connectthe ball joint to the lower arm, being carefulnot to damage the ball joint boot when con-necting the knuckle. 14. Torque the castle nut to the lower torque

specification (103-113 Nm [76-83 lb.-ft.]), thentighten it only far enough to align the slot withthe ball joint pinhole. Do not align the castlenut by loosening it. Insert the lock pin. 15. Repeat steps 3 through 14 on the other

side of the vehicle.16. Clean the mating surfaces on the brake

discs and the inside of the wheels, then installthe front wheels.17. Check the front wheel alignment, and

adjust it, if needed. Courtesy of ALLDATA.


Figure 5


If there was one engine that plagues themid-size diesel world, you would have tosay that it is the 6.0L Power Stroke. Thisengine has the worst repair history that hasplagued and continues to plague Ford truck

owners today. Even though the engine wasonly produced from 2003 to 2008, truck buyersoften steer away from these engines when purchasing a diesel truck. One comment oftenheard is, “Why did International stop producing the 7.3L engine?”

Well, there are someareas that need to becovered as to why the6.0L came into existenceand some remedies forthe problems that somesay ruined the Ford truck repu-tation for these model years.

6.0L ORIGINSThe 6.0L came into existence

because the EPA demandedtighter emissions laws for dieselengines. Even though the 7.3Lwas branded as the reliable work-horse for Ford, it would never beable to pass the tighter emissionslaws that were going to come intoeffect for 2004.

In saying that, I often feel that ownersof 7.3L Power Stroke engines don’t realizethat their engine was designed to

Engine Series

Problems that Plague thePower Stroke

This is the engine that owners seewhen looking under the hood of the2003 Ford Super Duty truck. The 7.3was replaced by the 6.0 that wouldmake its mark on the mid-size dieseltruck market, but not in a good way.

Adapted from Bob McDonald’s article in


meet emissions also. That was why the HEUI design of

the 7.3L was released in 1994.Tougher emission laws were coming

into effect in the mid ’90s, so they wereahead of the game as far as meetingemission standards and having a verydependable engine with the 7.3L. This

was one of the reasons that theseengines were fitted with a catalytic converter.

To meet the emission standards of 2004,the EPA would require diesel engines to be

cleaner. These standards meant that fewernitrogen-oxide levels of diesel exhaust could

be released into the air. For International, thiswas the start of the snowball that would slowly

start its descent down the long hill. The only way to cutdown on emissions was to utilize an EGR (Exhaust Gas

Recirculation) valve and come up with a more efficient engine. Insaying that, you have to realize that the 7.3L was a good engine,but it was not very efficient. As soon as you install an EGR valveon a diesel engine, power drops pretty quickly. If you are wonder-ing why, let me explain.

EGR ISSUES When incorporating an EGR valve on a

diesel engine, the object is to bringexhaust gas back into the intakemanifold to be re-burned. When theexhaust gas enters the intake mani-

fold, you have displaced the oxygenthat was being brought in from the

outside air for combustion.

This is the soot that formsinside the intake when youincorporate an EGR valve.Simply remove the elbow fromthe intake manifold of your 6.0and see for yourself.

So then, combustion temperature drops becausethere was not a complete burn. This in turn makes soot,which starts clogging up everything. But, before youcan introduce exhaust gas into the intake manifold on adiesel engine, you have to cool it.

Under a load, diesel exhaust gas temperatures canget as high as 1,000° F or more. So, exhaust gas travelsthrough what is known as an EGR cooler. This is a cool-er that is circulated with coolant from the engine, and ismounted under the intake manifold.

Exhaust gas travels out ofthe manifold through anopening in the pipe, whichthen enters the cooler beforeexiting into the intake mani-fold. One of the problemsthat the 6.0L had was thatthe EGR cooler would not“live” too long. Over a peri-od of time, the coolers wouldbust from the exposure tothe extreme heat.

When this happened,antifreeze would seep outinto the exhaust system caus-ing steam. A lot of times,owners would often noticethis when they pulled up to astoplight. Clouds of steamwould pass by them whilethey were waiting for thelight to change.

Owners would often noticea puddle of antifreeze underthe vehicle after being parked

for several hours. Sometimes they would ignore theEGR cooler leak and continue to drive the vehicle untilone day the engine wouldn’t turn over. What wouldhappen was the cooler would leak into the exhaust sys-tem overnight. The leak would be so bad that theexhaust manifolds would fill up with coolant, whichwould run into a cylinder with an exhaust valve open.This would cause the engine to hydro-lock, which couldbend a connecting rod when trying to start the engine.

POWERING UP THE POWER STROKEThere was a lot at stake for International. Not only

did they build a smaller engine that is more efficientand able to carry an EGR valve, but it also had to makepower.

Customers wouldn’t want an engine with less power.So, the 6.0L was a great accomplishment versus the7.3L. It is still an HEUI design, but now has four valvesper cylinder. The combustion chambers in the pistonshave been redesigned along with the addition of a VGT(Variable Geometric Turbo).

When making a smaller package, you tend to loseroom for fasteners. By redesigning the HEUI engine,the cylinder heads went from six head bolts per cylinder to four. Which should not be a problem, butthe engine was faced with a lot of boost, especially ifyou install a programmer. The VGT was designed to utilize boost throughout the rpm range.

If you remember, the 7.3L made great torque downlow and wouldn’t make boost until the engine was upin the rpm range. With the small 6.0L, in order to make

The EGR valve is placed in the 6.0 manifold tothe lower left of the oil filter near the intake“mouth.”


The EGR cooler lies in the upper valley of the engine beneath the intakemanifold. Here, the intake has been removed to show its location betweenthe oil cooler and cylinder head on the passenger side of the engine.


power down low, you had to make more boost to pro-pel the engine.

This would prove to be a problem with four headbolts per cylinder. The bolts in question are calledtorque-to-yield, meaning that when they are torqueddown properly, they stretch to the correct limit andclamp the gasket.

But, what happens when you force a high level ofboost into the engine, stretching the bolts more? Youend up with an over-stretched bolt that unclamps thehead gasket and causes a leak. So, one of the manyproblems was leaking head gaskets. Just because you

may have had them replaced once didn’t mean thatyou wouldn’t have to replace them again.

TURBO TROUBLEHaving the turbo as a variable geometric style meant

problems as well. The turbo was a great addition byGarrett, but having soot in the exhaust system from theEGR valve meant that the “vanes” would stick. Thevanes of the VGT are on the exhaust side of the turboand are controlled by an actuator that is fed with oilpressure from the engine, which is used to cool theturbo. The actuator is controlled by the PCM and willmove the vanes, which are mounted to a rotating platewith oil pressure.

The vanes actually change the way the exhaust gasenters the turbo and spins the exducer wheel. So theturbo speed is controlled by the PCM based on inputfrom the other sensors of the engine.

This is a great way to make power throughout theentire rpm range until the vanes stick due to sootbuildup.

NOT COOLWith a smaller engine package, you have to start

coming up with inventive ways to place things on theengine. A great example would be the oil cooler. Someof your instructors may remember the 7.3L, the oil cool-er was mounted externally on the driver’s side of theengine, just below the deck of the cylinder block. Ifthere were any problems, the oil cooler could beaccessed fairly easily for repair.

But on the 6.0L, the oil cooler is mounted inside thetop of the engine under the oil filter. There aren’t reallyany issues with leakage as much as the cooler itselfbecoming clogged. Because of the design of the cool-

The Variable Geometric turbo sits sideways ontop of the engine. The oil feed line is bolted tothe top of the turbo. Directly below the oil feedline is the actuator that controls the “vanes” ofthe turbo.

This is the top of the engine with the oil filterbase removed. Remove the outer bolts of thiscover that fasten to the top of the engine toaccess the oil cooler.

Here, the exhaust side of the turbo has beenremoved from the turbo body. Above the exducerwheel is the arm that is controlled by the actuatorof the turbo.

er, over a period of time, the passages becomeclogged, causing a rise in oil temperature. Because oilis used to lubricate the turbo and operate the injectors,along with cooling the pistons, this becomes a majorproblem.

AFTERMARKET FIXESThe following are the most common failures of the

6.0L engine. But, because of updates and the help ofthe aftermarket, a lot of the 6.0L issues can be solvedto make this engine very reliable.

We’ll start with the EGR cooler. There are two waysto approach this.

One would be to delete the cooler and delete theEGR valve. Of course in doing this, the engine wouldno longer be emissions compliant. This really doesn’tseem to matter too much to a lot of owners unless thestate they live in has tough emission laws.

One kit that I have found to have great success withis the EGR delete from Gillett Diesel (www.gillettdiesel.com) from Bluffdale, UT. The delete kit comeswith all the necessary gaskets and hardware to deletethe EGR cooler.

Another solution to the problem is to install a bettercooler made to handle the job. This would be fromBullet Proof Diesel (www.bulletproof diesel.com) fromMesa, AZ. Their EGR cooler has a totally redesignedcooler core made entirely from stainless steel, whichwill not fail from normal stress like the OEM style.

Either choice of repair will take around four to five

hours of labor. One thing that I will say is, either wayyou choose, if the vehicle has some miles on it, take thetime to replace the oil cooler. While you’re removingthe intake to perform this repair, it would be wise to goahead and replace the oil cooler while you will be looking right at it.

This is where you would have to make another decision. The OEM cooler is going to cost around $350from the dealer. You can replace the cooler with thispart, but remember, you may be faced with this repairagain.

My suggestion is to ask the customer if they plankeep the vehicle for many more years. If they do, you


Here is a look at the engine once the EGR kit isinstalled. Once the EGR cooler is removed, theexhaust pipe that feeds the EGR cooler is nowblocked from a plug that is supplied with the kit.

In this picture, the vanes of the turbo are con-nected to a wheel that will rotate a few degreesin either direction to move the vanes. The wheelmoves from the arm that is located in the housing above the exducer wheel. Here, thevanes are in a closed position, which is going tocut off incoming exhaust gases from spinningthe turbine wheel.

The vanes are in an open position, which willallow more exhaust gas to enter the turbinehousing, which in turn will spin the turbinewheel faster.

may want to recommend to them abetter cooler like the one also offeredfrom Bullet Proof Diesel. Their designmoves the oil cooler to the front ofthe vehicle. The oil cooler will nolonger be mounted inside the engine.

So, if problems would arise in thefuture, the repair would be a lot sim-pler to address. The only drawback isthe price. This style of cooler doescost more than OEM, but the designand integrity is way far superior.

Something else that I alwaysencourage is to clean the turbo, espe-cially if you’re going to delete orreplace the EGR cooler. The turbo hasto come off of the engine in order toremove the intake to access the EGRcooler. So why not take the time toclean the turbo? This isn’t a hard job,but you’ll need to pay attention tohow the turbo comes apart.

Loosen the large clamp around theexhaust housing of the turbo. Next,pry the exhaust housing away from thebody of the turbo. Lay the turbo on abench with the intake side facing up.

When prying the exhaust housingaway from the turbo, the vanes willremain in place on the exducer side soyou can see how they are oriented inthe turbo. Take the time to clean thevanes along with the rotating plate. Alot of times you’ll notice that not onlydoes the turbo contain soot, but alsorust and scale that will cause the vanesto stick. Once this cleaning is per-formed doesn’t mean that it won’thappen again. But, it may give you abetter understanding of how the turbofunctions.

The last thing to talk about wouldbe the head gaskets. This repair isgoing to come sooner or later. My


The EGR cooler fromBullet Proof diesel is theone on the left, the factory cooler is on theright. The difference canbe seen as to the qualityof the aftermarket EGRcooler.

suggestion is to fix this the firsttime. There are two differentrepairs that I’ve found that willcure the problem.

If you purchase OEM-style gas-kets, they will work just fine. Thegasket material is MLS (Multi-LayerSteel), which has been used byautomakers for several years now.The only reason I see gaskets failare due to the bolts that stretch.So you can use the OEM headgaskets, but I suggest the use ofhead studs. The choice of headstuds would be from ARP(Automotive Racing Products),which has been manufacturingquality fasteners for the racingindustry for years. The studs areformed from a material like hard-ened chrome-moly, which has atensile strength of 190,000 psi.Once installed correctly, thesestuds will never stretch, whichshould never cause any fatigue onthe gasket.

The only problem with runningMLS head gaskets is the deck sur-face and head surface must beabsolutely smooth. This is referredto as the RA (Roughness Average).If there are imperfections in thesurface of the block or head, it willneed to be machined in order toobtain the proper seal.

When MLS head gaskets aretorqued, they often leave imper-fections in the deck of the blockand head because the steel gasketis embedding itself into the sur-face. If you are faced with this situ-ation, there is another option forrepair.

There is a 6.0L head gasketmade by Hypermax for theseimperfections. The gasket is madeof a graphite material just like theones used on the 7.3L engines. Inaddition, the cylinders are insulat-ed with stainless steel “fire” rings,which completely seal the cylin-ders. These gaskets live under thetoughest conditions and will notblow unless you add more thanone programmer to your vehicle.

STACKED AGAINST YOUMost head gaskets on the 6.0L

engine tend to fail quicker when aprogrammer is installed. Mostaftermarket companies try to keeptheir programmers at around 65hp for this engine.

Some companies will offer more,but you play at your own risk.Adding more power tends toaccelerate the stretching of thehead bolts.

By installing a head gasket fromHypermax, most programmers canbe installed without any detrimen-tal effects. Hypermax even guaran-tees them to 650 rear wheel horse-power. If your engine makes morethan 650 hp at the rear wheel,you’d have to be installing morethan one programmer. They tendto call this “stacking” chips.

By understanding the designcomplications of these enginesand communicating these issuesto your customer, you shouldhave no problem making moneytreating the problems thatplague Ford’s 6.0L engine. ■


These days, replacing tires – whether asa maintenance item, repair or due toswitching out winter tires – will probably put you in contactwith a Tire Pressure

Monitoring System (TPMS). That’sbecause all new light-duty vehicles soldin the U.S. after September 2007 wererequired to be equipped with TPMS.The following are tips to helpyou in the success of servic-ing TPMS units, keepyour customers(and employer)happy and reducethe chance of acomeback due to a mistake. Remember, even if the TPMS light is out whenthe vehicle leaves the bay, it does not mean thelight will not come on later. Usually, this happens

when the customer is driving home.According to NHTSA TPMS rules, the TPMS sys-tem has 20 minutes to alert the driver there is a

problem with the system like a damagedsensor from a mounting error. It may takethe vehicle achieving a programmedspeed or other event to perform acheck of the sensors. This is why look-ing up the service procedure isrequired if you are performing anyTPMS work and perform a little bitof quality control after the repair.

1. Rim Service. Every time astem-mounted TPMS sensor isremoved from a rim, it must beserviced — no ifs, ands or buts. This goes for sensors that are

six months old to six years old.Do not reuse seals or stems.

service Advisor

20 Tipsfor TpMs success

2. Use the Whole Kit and Kaboodle. The typical kit includesa nut, valve core, grommets and valve cap. Each componenthas a specific function and lifespan that is not only deter-mined by time, but what happens when it is installed.

3. One in the hand is worth two on the shelf. Inform theshop owner or dealership manager to have an assortment ofTPMS sensor service kits on hand. If your shop even sells afew tires a week, your shop should stock an assortment ofservice kits. Most tire product suppliers have assortments orcabinets filled with the kits you will need. Not having theparts to service sensors might result in a car stuck in a baythat could be used for other repairs.

4. Aww Nuts! Never reuse the nut. TPMS nuts aredesigned in anodized aluminum to eliminate the contact oftwo dissimilar metals that would create galvanic corrosionand material deterioration. The nut has a bonded lubricant tohelp provide the proper torque required for seating a newgrommet, in addition to the engineered advantages. If a nutis reused, the anodized surface may be scratched away andcorrosion may occur between the sensor, wheel and stem. Itmay even make the nut impossible to torque to the correctspecifications or remove due to corrosion on the threads.

5. Replace the Grommets. Never reuse the seals/grom-mets. On the sensor and nut, two grommets seal the sensorand nut to the wheel. Grommets conform to the mating surface of the rim. Theinstant the nut is torqued, it starts to take on the shape ofthe surfaces it is sealing against. This memory cannot beerased. If the seal is reused, it could cause a slow leak.

6. Wrenching Issue. Always use atorque wrench when servicing sen-sors. As stated in Tip 4, the nut andgrommet seals are one-use items. Thetorque specifications are measured ininch-pounds and not foot-pounds fora reason. The nuts are made of alu-minum and will strip. The hollowstems can take only so much abusebefore they break.

7. Tightening Nuts. The leak cannotbe eliminated by tightening the nuteven more. The sealing grommets areengineered to work at a specifictorque. Any torque above the speci-fied value will cause the seal to leak.Also, extra force may damage thenut, stem or fracture the sensor body.

8. Never Reuse the Valve Stem.Replacing the valve stem core on

20 Tipsfor TpMs success


TPMS sensors prevents leaks. The elastomeric rubberand plastics degrade over time due to heat. The valvestem is subjected to heat from both the brakes androad. Also, a torque calibrated driver should be usedto tighten the valve core.

9. Always use the valve core that is in the kit. ATPMS valve core is nickel-plated and prevents galvanic corrosion and ensures integrity of the primary seal. To prevent galvanic corrosion, neveruse a brass valve core with an aluminum TPMS sensor. Instead,always use a nickel-plated valvecore with an aluminum TPMS sensor. It is usually the correct onein the kit. If the wrong valve core isused, accelerated galvanic corrosion could result in the corebecoming “frozen” and seized,stuck in the stem and unable to beremoved. Also, TPMS valve cores have special Tefloncoatings that help seat and seal the stem.

10. Set the Correct Tire Pressure. Seasonal temper-ature change can dramatically alter tire pressure, whichcan cause the tire pressure warning lamp to illuminate.“Cold” tire pressure, as shown on the tire pressurelabel on vehicles, is generally considered to be thepressure in a tire that has not been driven in the past 4hours and has been parked outdoors. Tire pressure

drops about 1 psi for every 10 degrees F drop inambient temperature. Additionally, tires lose asmuch as 1.5 psi per month as air escapes the tireand rim naturally.

11. Proper Dismount. Take extra care whenmounting and dismounting tires. When you areusing a tire changer, always be aware wherethe TPMS sensor is located and avoid all possible contact with shovels, bead breakersand tire irons. Also, some Ford sensors are

mounted on the rim 180º fromthe valve stem.

12. Check Stem ID. In thepast three years, there hasbeen a shift to rubber valvestems by Ford, GM and othermanufacturers. At first glance,they look just like the valve

stems from a non-TPMS vehicle. But, the cap will belonger and the stem will have more threads whencompared to a conventional stem. This can help atech avoid damaging a sensor by accidentally pullingthe stem.Regardless of the valve stem’s appearance, every2008 and later vehicle has a TPMS system.

13. No More Soap and Water. Dry air and humid airhave different properties. TPMS sensors are calibrated


to deal with normal ranges of humidity found in thereal world. But, if water is trapped inside the tire, itcan change how the pressure relates to temperature. Humidity or amount of moisture in the atmospherechanges the density of air. Surprisingly, the more mois-ture results in lower air density. At high humidity, theair density inside the tire decreases due to thereduced mass in a given volume. This will cause theTPMS light to come on as the tire cools or heats up.If your shop is using a solution of soap and water tohelp in the mounting of tires, you could be leavingenough water inside the tire to change how the pres-sures react under changing temperatures. Use onlymounting paste, the price of a tube is less than thecost of a comeback.

14. Waiter Inflation. The pressure on the door jamplacard is set for cold tires (setting for at least threehours). If you have a customer brings a vehicle in for anoil change and is waiting, you should add 2-4 psi to therecommended placard inflation because the tires arehot. This can prevent the light from coming on after thetires cool down.

15. Spare A Moment. Before you start a relearnprocedure, check to see if the spare tire has a sensor.Often, the service information will make the relearnprocedures generic so it can be used for a variety ofmodels. Often the spare is the last sensor to be test-ed in a relearn procedure. This can be frustratingbecause it may seem like the vehicle will not relearnthe new positions, when it is actually it is waiting toget information from the spare.

16. Record the IDs. If you are installing new tires,on some vehicles it is a good idea to record the sensorID numbers and positions before the new tires aremounted. Some vehicles including Nissan, Toyota andHonda vehicles require that the sensor IDs be enteredinto the TPMS module through the DLC. This can real-ly save time if something goes wrong during therelearn process and a sensor is not showing up in thememory.

17. Take Up Training. Training is one of the mostimportant investments you can make for two reasons.First, it can prevent damage to sensors and lost productivity trying to diagnosis a relearn problem.Second, it prevents you from sending a customer to thedealer where they could be lost forever. TPMS is always changing so constant training isrequired to keep up with new systems and sensors.

18. Rude Awakening. Technicians may become frustrated by new sensors stuck in storage or “super”

sleep mode. Manufacturers of sensors are puttingsensors in this mode to increase the shelf life of sensors by conserving the battery. Waking up a newsensor may require a rapid deflation or driving. Checkthe service information or the sensor’s manufacturerinformation.

19. Be Patient. When a relearn process is started,vehicles want only one sensor “talking” at a time.Sometimes, the sensors are active and sending outsignals because the vehicle was repositioned or thereis radio interference. For the sensors to go into a sleep mode, the car hasto be “still” for a programmed amount of time. If you are having a difficult time with a relearn procedure, let the vehicle sit for 20 minutes. Thisshould put the sensors into sleep mode. This allowsthe sensors to be turned on one at a time so the IDsand positions can read by the TPMS system.

20. Chuck the Chuck. If you only work on light vehicles, the long-style air chuck should not be in yourshop. These chucks can damage aluminum valve stemsbecause they can create enough leverage to bend orbreak the stem. �



Kieron Kohlmann of Racine, WI, who's enrolled at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI, will representthe United States in Leipzig, Germany in the Automobile Technology competition during the biennialWorldSkills Competition. Kohlmann will compete as a member of the U. S. “WorldTeam.”The 42nd international event will be held July 2-7, 2013. Kohlmann was recently awarded the gold

medal and received “best in nation” in Auto Service Technology in November 2012 during the WorldSkillsAmerica’s competition in Brazil where the United States competed against 23 other countries in prepara-tion for the WorldSkills Competition.Kohlmann won the right to compete by winning the high school gold medal in the Automotive Service Technology contest

during the SkillsUSA Championships in June 2010. He also successfully completed other qualifying prerequisites prior tobeing chosen for the team. Kohlmann works at Bohl Automotive in Racine and took automotive technology classes atWashington Park High School which has an ASE/NATEF certified program.For more information about the competition, go to: www.worldskills.org or www.worldskillsleipzig2013.com.

Bulletin Board

© Murray J acksonSolution at www.tomorrowstechnician.com

ACROSS1. Not firing on all cylinders5. Common automotive fastener8. Grease fittings, informally9. Wheel shafts10. Bench-mounted tool11. Simple 4x4-system (4,4)13. Appraisal criteria, ____ wear and tear15. Piston type, construction-wise18. Large, stamped-metal body part19. Oil-burner exhaust color22. Adjust toe-in23. Odometer info24. Chopper backrest, a.k.a. ____ bar25. Cylinder-ridge removal tools

DOWN1. Suburban-family vehicle, often2. Tire-tread slits3. No-throttle engine speed4. Removable item with ratchet sound (3,3)5. Electronic engine-diagnosis device (4,4)6. Tire characteristic, ____ resistance7. Turbo safety valve, ____gate12. Carmaker's written guarantee14. Yellow-bumper NASCAR drivers16. Compression-ignition engines17. Persuader in tool box18. Tire troubles20. Extended car-rental document21. Restorer's parts source, ____ market

Tomorrow’s Technician February Crossword

Wisconsin Student to Compete in International WorldSkills Competition

Applications are now accepted online for the2013 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium(GAAS) scholarship awards. The application processis now entirely electronic through the GAAS scholarship website,www.AutomotiveScholarships.com.The deadline to apply is Sunday, March 31, 2013. The scholarships are available to students in two-

year technical college programs and vocationalschools and four-year college programs. To receive

a GAAS scholarship, applicants must be enrolledfull-time in a college-level program or an ASE /NATEF (National Automotive TechnicianEducation Foundation) certified automotivetechnical program. Graduate programs and part-time undergraduate programs do not qualify.By completing a single online application at

the GAAS website, students will be consideredfor GAAS scholarships, plus scholarships from anumber of industry partners.

Scholarship Money Available

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