Genisys scan tools have came down in price considerably over the last few years. Auto tech’s that own an older Genisys, MAC Mentor or Matco Determinator are bound to be faced with a decision to either update their scan tool or consider updating it. I recently had a couple of questions concerning Genisys scan tools, updates and cables - I thought I would use this forum to share them.

Read the rest…

Summary: A common problem is when both turn signals and hazard lights go out at same time, on a VW New Beetle. The next question - Where is the flasher located?Many cars have seperate flashers, one for the turn signals and one for the hazard lights. A good reason for separate flashers is that both are unlikely to fail at the same time and a driver in an emergency situation would be able to turn on some flashing lights to alert other drivers. VW, was unable to grasp this idea so they designed a dual purpose flasher relay - when it fails, the turn signals and hazards will NOT work. The turn signal and hazard flasher relay is integrated into the hazard flasher switch. When the relay fails it will cause both the turn signals and the hazard lights to stop working. The unit is replaced as an assembly, see the picture below.

Read the rest…

Summary: Due partially to the economy with people finding it harder to get financing, demand is down for new and used cars. Right now some great deals on slightly used cars can be picked up, even at the new car dealers.  This 5.3 V-8 2007 Impala SS loaded with 40,000 miles was picked up at a great price ($14,500) at Gordon Chevrolet in Tampa Florida. The leather was a little worn and honestly a little plain – too much grey was used on the interior. By getting this car at a great price, we budgeted enough money to snazz up the interior a bit. That’s where our local upholstery shop comes in. Cimo & Cimo’s Upholstery shop has a location in Tampa Florida, they will reupholster just about anything, from hot rods to yachts. Installing window film is a large part of their business too. Who in Florida would invest in a new leather interior for their car and not shade it from the sun? This article has before and after pictures of the plain grey and the two tone leather after it was installed.

Read the rest…

Summary: Rear wiper motors on many types of SUV’s and mini vans commonly fail. One reason they fail is due to infrequent use. Electric motors tend to work better when they are used often. Sometimes a rear wiper motor can be tapped lightly to make it work temporarily. This is a quick test (used a lot on Fords) that will help to verify there’s power present at the motor. The wiper motor may stop again before long, but knowing that the motor is getting battery voltage without having to take the trim panel off for testing is a definite plus. The vehicle featured in this car repair article is a Chevy, which doesn’t have the common Ford rear wiper problem. The 1999 S-10 Blazer hatch has been opened and closed many times over the years. This can cause the wiring from the body to the hatch to weaken over time much like breaking a wire hanger by bending it in the same position repeatedly.

Read the rest…

Summary: Ford spark plug blowout repair is covered in this article for 4.6, 5.4 & 6.8 liter engines. There are different brand insert repairs available for this Ford spark plug problem, however they are not all as effective and long lasting as the solution we recommend. Many Ford dealers want to charge thousands to replace the cylinder heads, when our repair can be done in the vehicle for a fraction of the cost. We sell some competitive brands like Lisle and Helicoil, however the Horizon made Calvan 38900 (Mount.9200 same w/different labeling) is the best repair system on the market today. We’ve sold hundreds of these, saving Ford owners a ton of money in the process. In the following article we’ll explain why this should be the next and last repair purchased for this particular repair.

Read the rest…

Summary: This article is about Dodge Ram pick up trucks that have a common air-flow problem with the HVAC (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning) system. The problem causes little heat (or AC depending the time of the year) to flow through the vents. The blower fan can typically be heard with no abnormal sounds, although no air seems to be making it out of  the vents. We go over parts that need to be removed to gain access to replace a common failed component.

Read the rest…

Summary: This article is on how to check for bent valves. Valves get bent most often on vehicles that have had a timing belt break or a timing chain jump a sprocket. Interference engines can allow the valves to crash into the pistons when the timing belt breaks due to the engine’s timing being out of synchronization. Some cars are more prone to having valve damage when the timing is off. We cover some of the more common manufacturers that seem to suffer from bent valves more than others, from timing belt failure. We have some tips on how to check for bent valves with the cylinder head still on the vehicle. Tools that help in determining if there’s bent valves listed also.

Read the rest…