How Many Do You Know About Spark Plugs?

What do spark plugs do?

Think of spark plugs as the tiniest bolt of lighting. Small but mighty, the spark of electricity that the plug emits across a small gap creates the ignition for the combustion needed to start your car. By putting the engine’s pistons in motion, your car can power up, stay powered up and produce a smooth burn of the compressed air-fuel mixture. Mind you, spark plugs like it hot: they withstand extreme heat and pressure within your cylinders and are built to burn off deposits from fuel additives or other contaminants.


What does it mean for you?

Well, without a spark, your car won’t start – or go anywhere. And because spark plug health is directly linked to engine performance, it stands to reason weak or bad spark plugs lead to problems, be it issues with cold-starting or misfires during acceleration. Besides – without healthy ones – your ride can’t sustain maximum power, and your vehicle can see a drop in fuel economy. Now, nobody wants that.
How often should spark plugs be replaced on my vehicle?

Luckily, spark plugs don’t require replacement very often and can go years and many miles before replacement is a must.

Most auto manufacturers suggest having new spark plugs installed about every 30,000 miles; however, spark plug longevity depends on the condition and type of spark plug. Copper plugs, for example, have the shortest life, while plugs made of more advanced and durable materials can provide up to four times the life of a copper spark plug.


What happens to a spark plug as it ages?

By the time spark plugs reach old age, they’ve spent thousands of miles enduring abuse and withstanding the most extreme temperatures and conditions to stay intact. That’s where the importance of spark plug material comes into play. The stronger the material, the more durable and long-lasting the spark plug. Naturally, though, every spark plug undergoes wear and tear, materials aside.

Spark plugs can’t last forever, and here’s why:

Spark plug deposit buildup: When deposits form on spark plugs from interaction with the air-fuel mixture, it can lead to pre-ignition of the fuel. That means a jerky and unreliable supply of energy for your car.

Expanding, harder-to-jump gap: When a spark plug ignites, it has to travel across a gap of space in order provide the right level of combustion at the right moment. As spark plugs age, this gap widens as a result of extreme temperatures, debris and normal wear and tear. If the gap is too far apart, combustion will be erratic or ineffective.


What is the benefit of replacing a spark plug?

The primary benefit is knowing your car will start without a hitch. Needless to say, that’s not all that matters. New spark plugs provide a lot of other performance benefits as well.

New Bosch spark plugs will lead to:

• Consistent production of optimal combustion. Fully functioning spark plugs equate a fully functioning combustion system. Get this operating successfully, and a lot of performance issues you’re experiencing could be a distant memory.
• Better fuel economy. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence says misfiring spark plugs can reduce fuel efficiency by 30%. New plugs, when replaced at specified intervals, maximize fuel economy and save some dough.
• Smooth and energetic starts. The first time you turn the ignition with a new spark plug can be a eye-opening experience. That old spark plug may have been the reason your car was experiencing those jerky starts.
• Less harmful emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency states that regular engine tune-ups – especially in regard to spark plugs – not only save gas but also reduce air pollution. That’s a win-win.

How involved is spark plug replacement service?

The complexity of a spark plug exchange varies from straightforward to very involved. Your vehicle must be worked on when the parts are cold, and the amount of time it takes to complete the service varies by make and model. In some cases, it may be necessary to disassemble vehicle parts in order to reach your spark plugs. Plan ahead, because a vehicle drop-off is usually required.
What symptoms may indicate my vehicle’s spark plugs need replacing?

The signs of worn spark plugs. Hear it. Feel it. Sense it.

• Rattling, pinging or “knock”-like noises. When spark plugs begin to misfire, you may notice unusual noises from the force of the pistons and combustion not working properly. Pistons travel at high velocities. If the spark plug fires at the wrong time, this could lead to constant rattling, pinging or knocking sounds.
• Hard vehicle start. If your car is having trouble starting or just feels disjointed and jerky, your spark plugs may not be working right, and this can lead to misfires and erratic performance.
• Reduced performance. When you’re out cruising, your spark plugs fire when you accelerate and change gears. If the spark that this little plug generates isn’t functioning at 100 percent, your vehicle performance will be poor, and you’ll experience a sluggish and fuel-wasting drive.
• Poor fuel economy. Lots of things can lead to poor fuel economy, though when it comes to old spark plugs, you’ll find fuel is wasted since your vehicle fails to receive the proper, heat-generating spark at the right time.

If you’ve spotted any of these symptoms, we suggest having your vehicle inspected in order to prevent further problems. Healthy spark plugs are vital to your car’s ability to start up and remain powered.

Can’t I just get a tune-up, like the old days?

Back in the day, a tune-up meant replacing spark plugs, spark plug wires, the distributor, distributor cap, rotor and points and condenser in addition to setting the timer and adjusting the carburetor. Nowadays, though, your car’s computer does most of the heavy lifting, leaving you to worry most about the spark plugs and fuel injector, sensors and switches.

It’s important to note the modern “standard” tuneup, today, means changing your spark plugs.

Our standard tune-up includes:

• Visual inspection of your engine components
• Installation of Bosch spark plugs
• Timing and idle set (if necessary, though most of today’s vehicles have computer systems adjust these automatically)
• Supply 12 month/12,000 mile limited warranty

Wheel Alignment vs. Front End Alignment: Is There a Difference?

Do you ever find that your vehicle seems to veer, even slightly, to the left or to the right? If so, this could be the result of poor wheel alignment. This is both a simple yet urgently needed fix. Not only will an alignment make for a smoother and safer ride, but it will also extend the lifespan of your tires.

Along with “wheel alignment”, you may also heard of the term “front end alignment”. Do these two things mean basically the same thing? For all intents and purposes, yes. Wheel alignmentmay refer to the alignment of all four wheels, especially in Four Wheel Drive vehicles. Front end alignment only references the front two wheels. But no matter what you call it, getting your wheels aligned is something every vehicle owner should invest in from time to time.

Why Wheel Alignment Matters

When your car is first manufactured, the wheels are aligned, tested, adjusted and ultimately verified at the factory. In a brand new vehicle there shouldn’t be any problem with wheel alignment. But over time, most drivers will find that their wheels fall out of alignment.

There are various reasons for this, most of which have to do with driving conditions. Driving down a poorly maintained road can cause wheels to become misaligned. Driving badly down these roads can make things worse. Hitting potholes and running into curbs can also affect your tire alignment.

Wheel alignment issues may not be noticeable at first but damage can still be occurring. When tires are even slightly out of alignment, it can accelerate uneven wear and tear on your tires. This means your tires won’t be performing as well as they should be, and you might have to spend money to have those tires replaced sooner than expected.

Getting Your Wheels Aligned

Ultimately, there are several benefits to having your wheels aligned regularly:
Your tires will last longer.
Your vehicle will drive smoother.
Your wheels will point in the right direction, which means you can cruise without worry.
Your car will take less energy to keep going, which can save you money at the pump.
Your car will handle better, which means it will be safer.

Unfortunately there is no definite way to tell when your tires are out of alignment until you take your vehicle to an auto care professional. If too much time passes and the misalignment becomes so bad that the car no longer drives in a straight line, considerable tire damage has already been done.

This is why it is best to have your vehicle inspected regularly. Make sure alignments are a part of your routine maintenance efforts. To learn more, take your vehicle to a service professional and inquire about how often you need to have an alignment.

How to Troubleshoot Auto Air Conditioning？

How to Troubleshoot Auto Air Conditioning？

Before you start air conditioning troubleshooting you need to realize that it is not as easy as you might think. There are many things that can go wrong when trying to fix your AC system yourself. 
Probably the most common problem that people run into when attempting DIY A/C repairs is that they get dirt and other debris in the system and/or they don't put the correct amount of freon in the ac system.

When the system is not flushed of all debris and old oil, it will never cool right. If there is too much or not enough refrigerant then it will also never cool how it should and it could even pose a danger. Modern air conditioning systems MUST be clean and have the correct amount of freon in them in order for them to cool properly. Here's more information that will help you sort it out air con troubleshooting


How Your AC System Works
It is a very little known fact that a fully functional air conditioning unit does NOT run out of Freon. Freon (R-134a or R-12 in older systems) is pumped through the AC system by the compressor.

The compressor compresses the gas and pushes it into the condenser. The condenser causes the gas to turn into a liquid. This high pressure liquid has now lost a lot of heat and is ready to take in heat from the interior of the car. It is pushed through a drier which keeps the liquid dry, then it goes to an expansion valve (there are other names for this device but they work in a similar manner).

The expansion valve pushes the liquid through a very small opening thus creating small droplets of refrigerant that is then pushed through the evaporator. In the evaporator the liquid refrigerant (R-134a) changes from a liquid to a gas. In this process it takes in large amounts of heat and thus the air is cooled.

The low pressure gas is sucked into the compressor. This process is repeated, using the same gas over and over. Nothing comes in and nothing comes out. The water that you see leaking from the car on a hot day when you have been pumping the AC is due to condensation on the cold bits and does not come from within the unit. Just like water droplets gathering on the outside of a cold glass of juice.

To put it another way, the gas is not used up, so it continues to do what it does, as long as it stays inside your car’s air conditioning system. The fridge in your kitchen works on the same principle as your auto AC and how many times have you heard of someone refilling their fridge with Freon?
Air Conditioning Problems in Cars

Air Conditioner Leaks


Leaks are, as I mentioned, not the only possible culprit. Simplistically put, you may require air conditioning repair when the mechanical or electrical bits break. The bits include things called evaporator coils, compressors, electric motors, condensers, belts and pulleys. Like all electrical and mechanical things, they can wear down and break.

Air Conditioning Evaporator


Evaporator coils are generally not worth repairing. The cost of reconditioning one of these tends to exceed the cost of replacing one with a new part. A new part will last longer in any case.

A/C Compressor

Compressors can be repaired, depending what the problem is. If you just have a problem with a compressor clutch then it can sometimes be replaced. This is becoming less common as companies are opting to manufacture compressors that do not have serviceable clutches.

Most of the time you will just have to replace the compressor. These are not cheap. Including labor, you are probably in for anywhere from $100 to $1000.
A/C Belts and Pulleys

You may know what a belt or a pulley is. Your engine probably uses several of them. As the engine works, it drives not only the wheels, but other components such as your alternator and power steering.

Ever noticed how the wheels are impossible to turn when the car is off? Your engine is connected to these other things by a pulley system. A pulley is a wheel which has either has teeth or grooves on it. The engine turns a pulley. A belt, which is a very strong rubbery thing, fits into the grooves of the engine pulley and in turn drives the air con’s pulley.

Fairly simple. Belts and pulley’s wear out and need to be replaced. Replacing them seems easier than it is unless you have the right tools. In order for them to work properly, they need to be under the correct tension. Something called a tensioner, does just that. Your mechanic can replace the AC pulley quickly and if you have the right tools you can do it fairly quickly as well.

If you decide to replace your AC belt yourself then be sure you have a serpentine belt diagram. There is usually one located on the hood or somewhere in the engine compartment, but if you can't find it then you need to get a repair manual that has one. No matter how much you think you remember how it goes, you will forget!

I am all for the enthusiast tinkering about or those with tight purse strings doing some DIY to save a few dollars. Most of the time auto air conditioning troubleshooting is not worth the effort or the money to risk doing yourself. One exception to this is if you are diagnosing an electrical problem in your AC system. As long as you are not messing with the Freon you can probably do some of the diagnostics yourself.

DIY or Take It to a Mechanic?

A leak is not the only possible problem with auto air conditioning. Before I move on to other possibilities let me be clear: go to your mechanic. You are not going to fix the leak yourself. Air conditioning troubleshooting is not an easy DIY job.

I would not start squirting dye I bought at the corner store into the air conditioning system to find a leak. The dye used by the professionals is proven not to damage anything. That being said you can find tracer dye at any good auto parts store. However, you have to get this dye into a pressurized ac system. You can get a kit at auto parts stores and even Wal-mart has the fitting to put it into the air conditioner.

The problem though, is that you don't know what you are putting in with these kits. If you put it in then have to take your car to a repair shop they would not touch it because they would have to use a machine that would suck it into their refrigerant bottle and if they don't know what it is they certainly won't put it into their stock (as this would contaminate their whole bottle).

You almost certainly don’t have the equipment do this safely and it is not worth buying the equipment unless you are planning to open an air conditioning troubleshooting shop. A repair shop will have an AC machine that is used to vacuum out all of the old refrigerant, ac oil, ac dye, etc. It will then be used to put the correct amount of refrigerant, oil and dye back into the system.

Kits are available but chances are pretty good that even if you were to find the leak, fixing it is hardly ever straight forward. Every time you get it wrong, you are going to pay to refill the gas and then try again. I doubt very much that you will source the parts for less than an auto repair shop, who buy parts in bulk.

You get my point - Air conditioning troubleshooting and repair is best left to a mechanic.

 DNT Tools

What do you need to know about brakes?

What do you need to know about brakes?

 Brake Basics

How do brakes work?

Just as your ankle bone is connected to your foot bone, your brake system relies on each connected brake part to function successfully — and safely.



Here’s a quick lesson: By pressing down on the brake pedal, you activate the cylinder that delivers brake fluid to the calipers that then engage your brake pads. Your brake pads then apply pressure to the rotors, creating the friction needed to stop your car. You see, it’s all connected.

All your brake parts work together to perform one important and crucial function: safe and precise stopping power.

What is a Brake Inspection?

Thorough, comprehensive, extensive, and methodical are just a few characteristics that describe our brake inspections. When we say brake inspection, we not only mean it, but we demonstrate it on every automobile we service. Because in order to detect a problem, we need technicians that not only can spot potential problems, but also have the know-how and precision to regain brake awesomeness. When we’re finished, you’ll have total confidence knowing your ride has received a brake inspection that’s hard to match.

Brake Inspection includes checking your brake:
pads (and/or shoes)
calipers
rotors (and/or drums)
wheel cylinders
hardware (springs and adjusters)
hoses
parking brake cables
fluid condition
wheel bearings and grease seals
master cylinder fluid exchange

How often should I have my brakes inspected?

When you visit your doctor for a physical on a yearly basis, you’re being smart about your health. Same goes for your brakes. A yearly checkup will not only give you the confidence and guidance of our expert technicians, it will also provide you with the best opportunity to spot the necessary smaller repairs to avoid the bigger and more expensive ones. If you’re experiencing any warning symptoms, then a more immediate inspection may be required.

Consult your owner’s manual for specific brake inspection intervals for your particular make and model.

What are brake pads?

Brake pads are the parts that contact your rotors and cause friction in order to stop your car.

What’s a rotor?

The rotor is directly connected to each tire. To stop your car, the rotor must stop spinning. It stops spinning by friction created by the brake pad.

What’s a caliper?

The caliper applies pressure and activates brake pads so the pads create contact with the rotors. The caliper requires brake fluid in order to function properly.

What’s a brake hose?

When you press down on your brake pedal, brake fluid travels through the brake hose to each caliper, which puts the brake pads into action.

What exactly is brake fluid?

Brake fluid is a crucial element needed to make your brakes operate successfully. When pressure is generated in the brake fluid lines, energy is distributed to your brake parts so they can perform their main job — stopping your car. If you have a brake fluid leak, your car could take longer to stop or, worse, won’t stop at all. If your vehicle has no brake fluid, you’re brakes won’t even operate. And that’s a scary situation we’d never wish on anybody.

How to Check Oil Level in a Car？

How to Check Oil Level in a Car？

Knowing how to check oil level in a car is important for every vehicle owner. Find out what is the normal oil level for your car and how to top up engine oil today.

How to Check Engine Oil Level


After you have a container of the correct type of engine oil for your car you need to be sure that your car is parked on a level surface. If it is not then your readings will not be correct and you might put too much or to little oil in your engine.

Then you need to find the engine oil dipstick and oil fill cap. The dipstick is typically bright yellow or orange and the oil fill cap will usually have writing on it indicating that it is the oil fill cap.

After you have located the oil dipstick, you need to start your car and let it run for a minute or two. This will make the engine oil warm and will make it easier to read the correct level. Then you need to pull it out and check to see where the oil level is on it. This reading is just an initial reading and will not be super accurate.

After the initial reading you need to wipe off all the oil with disposable towels. Be sure that it is very clean. The cleaner it is, the easier it will be to read the oil level correctly.


How to check oil level in a car: You should have some markings that look similar to the image below. Virtually all manufacturers have their own way of marking the oil dipstick so you may need to read your owners manual to be able to understand yours. In the example below, the normal oil level should be between the two small hole markings:

After wiping the dipstick clean, put it back into the dipstick tube. Make sure that it goes all the way down and seats correctly on the tube. Wait for a few seconds then pull it out again and see where the oil level is. In the image below, the oil dipstick indicates that the oil level is full: