Troubleshooting

Does your car go clang, clang, clang or chug, chug, snort instead of whirr-purr? Something is wrong. A trained, experienced mechanic can tell a lot about an engine just by listening to it run. A crude comparison is the physician who uses a stethoscope to listen to your breathing and heartbeat. You, the amateur do-it-yourselfer, cannot possibly become an expert at diagnosing the multitude of things that could be ail¬ing your car by reading books.

In this chapter, we will look at a few common symptoms and discuss what they might mean and what you can do. You may need a helper and a few basic tools to correct some of the troubles.

THE ENGINE WILL NOT START

The battery has plenty of power to spin the engine, and the gas gauge indicates at least a quarter tank of fuel. The engine has been running recently, but now it will not crank. Either an electrical problem or an impedance in the flow of gas to the carburetor is the likely cause; two tests will help you to determine the cause. Make the electric test first for safety reasons.

To make a simple electric test, locate the wire in the center of the distributor. (The distributor is the round, octopuslike device with wires leading to each spark plug.) Grasp the center wire firmly and pull straight up. Hold the wire you remove about Vs-inch from a metal part of the engine. Get a helper to turn the ignition key to turn the engine over several times. The electrical system is probably all right if a spark is produced by the distributor wire.

Suppose you do not see any spark when you hold the wire from the distributor to within Ms inch of the metal engine. The other end of the wire in your hand goes to the top of the coil. (The coil resembles a metal can about 2Vi inches in diameter and about 5 inches high.) 

Push this end of the wire firmly into the receptacle on top of the coil. Then try the spark test again. If there is still no spark between the wire from the distributor and the engine, the problem is in the electrical system and could be one of many things, most of which you probably cannot repair: coil, condenser, points, rotor button.

Another possible problem you can fix is when a wire inside the distributor is shorted against the metal side of the distributor. This hap-pened to me. I was driving along when the engine suddenly stopped, just as though the ignition switch had been turned off. 

Another person and I made the simple spark test, and I saw no spark. I took a screw-driver and turned the holding screws on the side of the distributor one-half turn counterclockwise so I could remove the distributor lid. Then I noticed a wire with a bare spot, touching the inner side of the distributor. 

This bare wire shorted out the electrical system. I wrapped plastic electrician’s tape around the wire, covering the bare place to prevent shorting. I replaced the lid on the distributor and turned the holding screws clockwise to fasten the lid securely. Then I replaced the wire in the center of the distributor, started the car easily, and was on my way. The wire that shorted was replaced later with a new wire

To make a fuel test, open the hood and remove the air cleaner in order to look in the top of the carburetor. Ask a helper to pump the accelerator two or three times. You should see gas being pumped into the engine, or a white vapor coming out of the top of the carburetor. 

You may smell a strong odor of gasoline. Sometimes you can hear a slight hissing noise caused by the gas being sprayed through the jet as the accelerator is moved up and down. Do not smoke or have a flame of any kind near the engine while doing this test! In vapor form gas ignites easily. If you see no gas and your tank is at least one-fourth full, something is stopping the flow of gas between the tank and the carburetor. You need the help of a mechanic.

If the gas is flowing, but the engine still will not start, it may be flooded. Let the engine sit for five minutes, then depress the accelera-tor, holding it down to the floor. Try cranking the engine two or three times, giving it five-second bursts of rotation. If the engine does not start, wait another five minutes, and try again.

THE ENGINE SKIPS

If the engine skips when you stop for a traffic light but seems to run smoothly at 40 to 50 mph, you may have one or more defective spark plugs. Make this simple test for a defective spark plug. Start the en¬gine, open the hood, and use gloves to carefully remove the wire from each plug, one at a time. Pull the spark plug boot, not the wire. The boot is a rubber cover that fits over the plug.

Listen to the effect on the engine as each wire is removed; then replace the wire. Removing each wire should have the effect of slowing the engine and causing it to skip worse. Removing a wire with no effect indicates the source of the trouble. 

Have a plug installed at that location; the new plug should have the numerical designation given in the Owner’s Manual or an equivalent number in another reputable brand. Information on how to change spark plugs is not given in this book because the spark plugs are usually changed when a mechanic tunes the engine. 

Whether you can change one faulty plug depends on the engine and the difficulty of getting to that particular plug, the tools you have, and your mechanical ability, though it is a relatively simple task. If the engine idles smoothly after the new plug is installed, the trouble was a faulty plug. If that does not help, it is time for a mechanic.

TOWING TIPS

Your car with automatic transmission will not run, and you need a mechanic. You have a second vehicle or a friend who offers to tow your car to the shop to save the towing fee. Do not do this! Towing a car with automatic transmission, even in neutral, will damage the transmission of many cars and cause expensive repairs. Your Owner’s Manual will tell you if your car can be towed without damaging the automatic transmission. 

The drive shaft can be disconnected so the transmission will not be damaged, but that is a job for a mechanic, not an amateur. A tow truck operator will lift the rear of the car to save the transmission. Another reason for not towing your car with another car is that you may be breaking the law in some municipalities. If your car has manual transmission, you may tow it without damaging the transmission, but be careful. Towing is risky, as you may damage one or both cars if they collide.

AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATER PROBLEMS

If the fan that blows cold air from the air conditioner or hot air from the heater stops, first check the fuse block for a blown fuse. You can have a blown fuse replaced or do it yourself. If the fan works when you turn the air conditioner on but the air that is blown out is not cold, turn off the engine, open the hood, and examine the belt that drives the air conditioner compressor. Have a loose belt tightened or a broken or frayed belt replaced; you can also do this task yourself. Go to an air conditioner repair shop if the drive belt is not the problem.

A car air conditioner sometimes cools perfectly for thirty minutes or an hour. Then the air flow decreases and the cooling stops. Try turning the air conditioner off for twenty or thirty minutes. It may work perfectly for a time and then stop cooling again. 

An explanation is that the cooling coil is building up a layer of ice, which effectively blocks the air flow and the cooling power. Turning the air conditioner off for a period of time allows the ice to melt, and the air conditioner again will work perfectly for a while. The trouble will not get any better, so take the car to an air conditioner repair shop.

Do not forget to operate your air conditioner at least ten to fifteen minutes a week all year round, even during winter months

TIRE VIBRATION

What can you do if you feel vibration as you drive down the road? First, try the car on a smooth road, because the trouble may be caused by road conditions. If you just bought new tires, one or more may need to be balanced or trued. If you have had the tires several months and the vibration has just started, one or more weights may have fallen off the wheel(s), and you need to have the balancing checked. If the vibration shakes the steering wheel, the problem is probably a front wheel or the front end. Take the car to a reputable shop.

PULLING BRAKES

You are driving, apply the brakes, and the car pulls strongly to one side. What is the problem? Some water may be on your brakes if you have been driving in rain or on wet roads. Drive for about one-tenth of a mile with your left foot depressing the brake pedal slightly. 

The heat produced by friction should dry out the brakes. Then try stopping to see if the brakes still pull. Try this procedure once more if you notice an improvement. If there is no improvement and the brakes continue to pull to one side, you may need just a new brake pad, or you may have a more serious brake problem.

Never take chances with faulty brakes! See a mechanic at once if brakes make unusual noises, feel “spongy” when you push the foot pedal, pull to one side, or act up in other disconcerting ways. Brake repair is not a do-it-yourself job. You need a mechanic who is knowledgeable, experienced, and honest to do your brake repairs

SLUGGISH STARTER

Which is the culprit if the starter just barely turns the engine over when you turn the ignition switch: starter, alternator, or battery? If the engine is cold, the battery is probably weak, which may be the result of a defective alternator. 

Have the battery checked where you purchased it or at a service station. If it is defective and still under warranty, the dealer will give you a financial adjustment. If all the cells are low and are not shorted, have the alternator checked. If the starter spins a cold engine but barely turns a hot engine, the trouble is probably a defective starter.