Easy Engine Automobile Pro
Welcome to Easy Engine Automobile Pro !

auto Home page

  • Today: Tom and Ray tag-team a stuck distributor.

     Dear Tom and Ray: It was a rainy afternoon ... I had driven a couple of miles when the car stalled. I opened the hood and stared at the engine. What else is there to do? After 15 minutes and a few more tries, the engine started and I limped home. It was really wet a few days ago, and again the car just would not start. I decide to pop the distributor cap and have a look. In the process, the clip at the back of the distributor broke off. Of course, the friendly folks at my VW dealership say the clip is part of the distributor itself, not sold separately. Sigh. So I got another distributor on eBay, and went out to remove my old one. No luck. It's frozen to the block and won't budge. So far, I have tried repeated applications of PB Blaster and Liquid Wrench. I have tried prying it out with a crowbar. I got the engine running and let it run for a while, hoping the heat from the engine might help the goop work. I also tried tapping it with a hammer, and when I couldn't get a decent swing due to tight quarters, I moved up to an air chisel, and tried to rotate the base of the distributor with that. It is still stuck solid. Any suggestions for me? -- Jim

  • Today: Tom and Ray ponder the now-famed "hummingbird" conundrum.

     Dear Tom and Ray: In a recent column, you got the wrong answer to the "hummingbird" problem. Fifty years ago, my boss in an Air Force research laboratory used this problem to trick those who wanted to upgrade their "subprofessional" status to "professional." He used a balloon instead of a hummingbird, but the physics is the same. The air conditioner's operation is irrelevant, but the closed windows are key. In the closed environment, when the brakes are applied, the air rushes to the front, forming a pressure gradient that pushes suspended objects to the rear. Make MIT proud and admit a mistake. -- Ed

  • Is Elaine's partner driving her beloved VW a tad too aggressively?

     Dear Tom and Ray: We are Americans living in England, and have a 2000 VW Beetle automatic that I named Betty. I hope you can settle a domestic argument for us (preferably by siding with me). The VW is my "baby," and until I started living with Matt, the car was aging, but otherwise the transmission was fine. In the year since Matt started driving her, Betty's transmission has seriously deteriorated. I think it's because Matt changes gears without pressing in the little button on the shifter. My understanding was that if you don't press the little button before moving the shifter (like from R to D, or D to 2), you can strip the gears and ruin the transmission. Matt says it doesn't matter, and he changes gears in the automatic like it's a stick shift. So, is he hurting the transmission by failing to press the little button? -- Elaine

  • Every wonder how the "Low Tire Pressure" warning light works?

     Dear Tom and Ray: I have enjoyed your column for years and have always admired your bottomless knowledge and advice for car owners, abusers, know-nothings and BYMs (backyard mechanics). I have but one question I need you to resolve, and then I can drive happily ever after. The "Low Tire Pressure" warning light on my dash came on this morning. So I looked at all four tires, and they appeared OK. Just to be safe, I fired up my air compressor (with apologies to my sleeping neighbors) and topped off all four tires. The tire warning light returned! I eventually checked the manual of my Toyota Tundra, and it told me to check the spare, too. I did, and sure enough, it was low. My question to you is: How did it know? How does the computer system know that the air pressure is low in my spare tire? Weight? Sonar? Internet? Seismic vibrations? Make me happy and tell me the answer, boys. -- Kim

  • Is the interrupted braking sensation on Betsy's Prius really "normal"?

     Dear Tom and Ray: Every time I am braking and go over a bump in our 2008 Prius (a frequent occurrence in hilly San Francisco), the anti-lock braking system kicks in. The problem is that when it does so, it feels like the brakes disengage for a second and the car goes faster. Our Toyota dealer tells me this is the way the ABS is supposed to work, and the brakes aren't disengaging -- the computer system is just taking over the braking process. Is this true? It just doesn't feel safe to me. If I had to stop suddenly, I don't feel confident that I'd be able to in this car. Thanks. -- Betsy

  • How do you get 20 pounds of carbon dioxide from a gallon of gas?

     Dear Tom and Ray: I've heard that each gallon of gas burned by a car releases about 20 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. I'm not a chemist, but even allowing for some creative reactions and recombinations going on, how does combusting about six and a half pounds of fuel turn into 20 pounds of CO2? I can't quite get the math to add up. What am I missing? -- Mike

  • Should Laura's first car be a '93 Olds Cutlass that doesn't run?

     Dear Tom and Ray: I'm 17 years old and trying to buy my first car, without fiscal help from my parents. I have about 4,500 dollars to spend, but I'm trying to keep it under that. A neighbor is selling a 1993 convertible Olds Cutlass Supreme. It's in fantastic cosmetic shape, there's not a dent in it, it has a brand-new top and it looks fantastic. The problem is that it doesn't run. It needs a new timing belt, which I know can lead to other problems. However, the owners have all of the records from when it was bought new in '93, including every oil change. It was garaged for 11 of those years. They're asking about 2,000 dollars, but will take anything above 1,500 dollars. Should I buy it, knowing that nothing else is currently wrong besides the timing belt, and that I have the money to fix things that go wrong? -- Laura

  • Can you tell how healthy your car is, by checking its tailpipe?

     Dear Tom and Ray: When I was a kid doing my own tune-ups, I understood that the color of the deposits in the very end of the tailpipe was an indicator of how well-tuned the car was. Tan-colored deposits were good; black and sooty deposits were bad. My new car doesn't get the 24 mpg highway that it should, and the tailpipe has a black sooty deposit. I told the dealer the black soot means that the mixture is too rich, and that causes the poor mileage. He disagrees. Am I right, or is the dealer? -- Jerry

  • Paul flushes his Ford Windstar with diesel fuel. Is he nuts?

     Dear Tom and Ray: I am really bad at keeping up with timely oil changes on my 2005 Ford Windstar. When I do change the oil and filter, I write the date and the odometer mileage on the side of the oil filter. The last time I changed the oil, I had gone 13 months and 10,000 miles since the previous change. To make up for my lack of timeliness, I drain the oil out of the engine, pour a gallon of diesel fuel into the crankcase, start it up and let it idle for five minutes. I then shut it off, drain it again, replace the oil filter and add new oil. I have been doing this for the past 100,000 miles, and the engine still runs great, with no leaks or burning oil. Is flushing the engine like this OK, or am I eventually going to trash it? -- Paul

Dear Tom and Ray - Cartalk Newspaper Column 

Performance Car Tuning - Performance Car Tuning
...lge in a spot of engine tuning. But what if you already have a powerful car, surely enough power is on tap? You`d think so but why stick to your car`s original power output when you can up the BHP a...
Visit Performance Car Tuning...

Diesel Generators - Diesel Generators
...t would happen if there was a power-cut? The machines would be left idle and production would come to halt which could cost the company dearly. To combat the problem of power-cuts, Diesel generators...
Visit Diesel Generators...

Refrigerated Van Hire West Midlands - Refrigerated Van Hire West Midlands
... get frozen food substances from one location to another without it defrosting along the way. From time to time their regular fleet of vehicles might experience difficulties and they might have the o...
Visit Refrigerated Van Hire West Midlands...

Used Motorbikes - Used Motorbikes
...Motorbikes prove to be the best option. There are plenty of used bikes that are for sale at the moment and all it takes is for you to do a little looking around. Private sales can prove to be good v...
Visit Used Motorbikes...

Car Gifts - Car Gifts
... cars and keep them pristine aswell as having all the latest gadgets in their car.That is why you cannot go wrong with car gifts when buying a present for someone.There are so many things to choose fr...
Visit Car Gifts...

Vehicle Delivery - Vehicle Delivery
... for a company which undertakes vehicle deliveryfor large companies who require fleets of cars and vans. Often the vehicle deliverycan encompass an enormous amount of vehicles and has to be done in s...
Visit Vehicle Delivery...

Luton Airport Transfer - Luton Airport Transfer
...ur team can get to the airport in plenty of time. There`s no way that you can afford to miss the flight so you`ve made arrangements for a luton airport transfer to take you directly to the departure...
Visit Luton Airport Transfer...

Motor Mouse Computer Mouse - Motor Mouse Computer Mouse
...ter mouseis a computer mouse in the shape of a car, just in case you were wondering. They have become very popular indeed over the last couple of years, especially of course with car enthusiasts. Most...
Visit Motor Mouse Computer Mouse...

Performance Exhausts - Performance Exhausts
...mall selection of on line specialists who are experts in the field of performance exhausts.They are known as high performance exhaust system dealers. Their purpose is to sell and fit a range of perfor...
Visit Performance Exhausts...

Car Finance London - Car Finance London
...ar finance when they find a car that they like. Sometimes it`s just a case of they have spotted a vehicle and need finance setting up as soon as they can. People living in the capital city can arrang...
Visit Car Finance London...

Trailers - Trailers
...piece of essential equipment and quite frankly would be lost without them. We use the TRAILERS for all kinds of jobs, transporting things such as the quads, or materials, which is why we have a large ...
Visit Trailers...

Generator - Generator
...u with an essential back up should the mains electricity fail and it will leave you with both light and power. In the more remote regions a Generator can be a useful ally because frequent black outs ...
Visit Generator...

Mot Rugby - Mot Rugby
...ther day I suddenly realised that the tax on my car was due. My heart sank as I realised that I also had to get the mot done and I was really worried that the car might not pass the test. I rang a f...
Visit Mot Rugby...

Gatwick Airport Transfer - Gatwick Airport Transfer
...ve a group of eager young stags that are looking forward to their weekend in Amsterdam. As the best man at your mate`s wedding it`s been left to you to make all of the arrangements when it comes to t...
Visit Gatwick Airport Transfer...

Exhibition Trailer - Exhibition Trailer
...N TRAILER is used around once a month, being in our line of work exhibitions are regularly held and it is our best interest to attend as many as we can, promoting the business and having a hands on ap...
Visit Exhibition Trailer...

Motorhome Rental West Midlands - Motorhome Rental West Midlands
...ng a motorhome and touring around the country. Up until now I haven`t gotten around to getting behind of the wheel of a motorhome but I`m hoping to put this right at some time in the near future. It...
Visit Motorhome Rental West Midlands...

Exhaust Brakes - Exhaust Brakes
...of exhaust brakes though, to help with the retardation of the vehicles movement. The exhaust brakes use emissions from the engine to form an exhaust back pressure which retards the vehicle and helps ...
Visit Exhaust Brakes...

Motorbike Accessories - Motorbike Accessories
...l see you travelling the length and breadth of the country. You`ll love the feeling of being liberated as just you and your bike take to the open road. Over a period of time you can enhance the way ...
Visit Motorbike Accessories...

Porsche Sales Brentwood - Porsche Sales Brentwood
...now. Sometimes it can be quite difficult for him being involved in Porsche sales Brentwood yet not being able to afford a Porsche himself. However, he really takes a pride in his job and he knows e...
Visit Porsche Sales Brentwood...

Porsche Repair Essex - Porsche Repair Essex
... you blip the throttle or does the turbo seem to have a slight lag? Problems with Porsches can be fixed quickly and efficiently if you live in the Essex area. In this region a specialist motor compa...
Visit Porsche Repair Essex...

Car Alloy - Car Alloy
... on their car as they look fantastic even when placed on the most boring car and they have benefits too. If you want your car to stand out then make sure you get yourself some as they no longer cost r...
Visit Car Alloy...

Flat Bed Trailers - Flat Bed Trailers
...e next is an easy process when flat bed trailers are involved. specially designed trailers can be loaded up with all kinds of plant equipment and the machines can then be taken to their next project. ...
Visit Flat Bed Trailers...

Vee Belt Pulley - Vee Belt Pulley
...pulleyassists drive belts in numerous power transmission applications. A Vee belt pulleyis considered to be efficient, cost-effective, and designed for non-critical ratio drives. Normally, a Vee belt ...
Visit Vee Belt Pulley...

Bearing - Bearing
... and without these bearings they would grind to a complete halt. Numerous varieties of bearings keep our machines moving freely and there are various types available to buy. Used for a number of app...
Visit Bearing...

Man With A Van Leatherhead - Man With A Van Leatherhead
...n and need to arrange transport that comfortably caters for all of your prized possessions? The large removal companies have provided you with obscene quotes for the work involved and you don`t reall...
Visit Man With A Van Leatherhead...

Vehicle Transporters - Vehicle Transporters
...terborough to Preston in the shortest amount of time what can be done to speed the process up? The car might be at your sister dealership and you need to bring it up North because a customer is waiti...
Visit Vehicle Transporters...

Car Body Kits Uk - Car Body Kits Uk
...saloon, fit it with add-on accessories such as side skirts, a front splitter, rear spoiler and new alloy wheels and it will soon start to look more eye-catching. There are quite a few of the Car Body...
Visit Car Body Kits Uk...

Euroliner - Euroliner
...e of the many trailers you can choose from if you are wishing to buy or rent one. They are now used much more often by the general public rather than them just being used by the industry sector. This ...
Visit Euroliner...

Car Repairs Rugby - Car Repairs Rugby
...leaving school five years ago and he really seems to have found his niche. He has always been interested in cars and was always tinkering with our father`s car when he was at school. When he heard t...
Visit Car Repairs Rugby...

Man With A Van Dorking - Man With A Van Dorking
...ty in Dorking. This leaves you with a bit of a dilemma. Do you hire a van and do all of the heavy lifting yourself or book the services of a man with a van dorking that comes highly recommended by ...
Visit Man With A Van Dorking...

Car And Van Rentals - Car And Van Rentals
...an help you considerably when you are short of transportation. You may need to take several people around for an outing, and you may need to hire a van. We have exactly what you need, and we will proc...
Visit Car And Van Rentals...

Exhausts - Exhausts
... are the ducts or pipes through which waste is emitted from an engine of a vehicle and are a part of its exhaust system that is a collection of many of these pipes. Sometimes they are also referred to...
Visit Exhausts...

Tow Bars - Tow Bars
...livered to your door no matter where you are in the country. A whole range of tow bars including fixed, detachable both vertically and horizontally. They are available to fix to a wide range of cars. ...
Visit Tow Bars...

Egr Valves - Egr Valves
...performances every time they are used. Design and engineering companies manufacture egr valves to meet with current and future emission requirements. The egr in egr valves stands for exhaust gas reci...
Visit Egr Valves...


Click For More Detailed Information on:

Home  |  About Us  |  Contact Us  |  Articles  |  Special Reports  |  Links  |  Site Map

Copyright © 2003-2010. All Rights Reserved.


Valid CSS!