Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
BARACK OBAMA
Friday, January 23rd, 2009Congratulations Barack Obama!
All my best wishes for President Obama and for his family.
I am personally thrilled that he is now our president. I anticipate many good things to come from this administration, most of all a real dedication to protecting the earth, our only home.
To that end, I will be posting more pages and blogs with an environmental message. I hope you all will take advantage of this website to have a dialog on how best to protect living things from extinction and promote a beautiful planet Earth.
Do not feel restricted to automotive topics. The discussion should be wide open.
walt
AIR BAGS
Saturday, October 25th, 2008Vehicle Air Bags
Recently National Public Radio ran a story about air bag fraud.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95844517
Air bag fraud is when you buy a vehicle believing that the air bag system is functional, but an unscrupulous person has covered up air bag problems in order to sell the vehicle without the expense of a proper repair.
Here are a few things I know about air bag systems used in cars and trucks.
- They are also known as Passive Restraints because they do not require the vehicle operator to take any action for them to work. Another passive restraint is the automatic shoulder belt which was used as a transition from seat belt only systems to air bags. Non-passive or active restraints are things like seat or shoulder belts that you have to buckle yourself.
- Air bag systems are primarily electronic devices that employ an electronic module to work. This module not only determines when to deploy the air bags in a crash, but constantly monitors the system for faults.
- If a fault is detected, the system is shut down and a warning light is turned on to tell the driver that there is a problem.
- Any time the warning light stays on or flashes after prove-out, the air bags will not work.
- The warning light will be turned on, briefly, (called prove-out), each time the ignition key is turned from off to on.
To prevent yourself from being caught in a air bag fraud scheme, or just in the honest mistake of an individual seller who is unaware of the vehicle problems, do these things:
- When looking at a car you want to buy, make sure the air bag warning light proves out
- After prove-out, watch to see if the warning light comes back on, either steady or flashing.
- Read the car owner’s manual to understand the particular system.
- Inspect all the air bag components you can find. These include the driver’s air bag located in the steering wheel, the passenger air bag located in the dashboard in front of the passenger, and, if equipped, the side air bags which may be located in the seat back of the front seat or in the body around the doors. Look for covers that are not attached well, are not the right color or appear tampered with in any way.
- If the warning light does not behave properly, take the car to a dealer to be inspected, BEFORE YOU CLOSE THE DEAL!
If you have any other questions, please ask a question in the comment link at the bottom of this page.
Good luck, Walt
Catalytic converter bad?
Thursday, September 11th, 2008
Downstream O2 Sensor or Catalytic Converter?
I had a question recently about replacing an oxygen sensor on a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer. The vehicle failed an emissions test and the code indicated a bad downstream sensor. This can be a tricky diagnosis because if the sensor is reading outside of normal limits, it could be because the sensor is bad, or it could be because the catalytic converter is bad, or both. Certain tests can get to the bottom of this.
First though, let’s review the oxygen sensors, their purpose and function. The oxygen sensor is screwed into an exhaust pipe or manifold so that the sensor’s business end is in the exhaust stream. This sensor is a voltage generator. That is, when hot enough, the peculiar metal compounds in the sensor can produce up to one volt in the presence of oxygen. The vehicle computer uses the information to control fuel. When the sensor reports a rich condition, the computer reduces injector ‘on’ time. When it detects leanness, injector ‘on’ time is increased. This cycle repeats many times per second to maintain optimum fuel to air ratio. It is possible to watch this all happening if one has the right equipment. A graph of the action would show a wave form that, typically, goes from about .2v to .8v.
In about 1994 the U.S. Federal government required cars and light trucks to be able to tell if a catalytic converter is functioning properly. To do this, manufacturers used the same O2 sensors as always, but put them in the exhaust stream behind the converters. If the catalytic converter is doing its job, the sensor reading should be steady, less than .5v, and not cycle like the upstream sensor. When a converter is bad, it no longer converts the excess fuel and oxygen and so the downstream sensor mimics the upstream sensor by cycling and producing a wave form. This is clear evidence of a bad cat converter.
To test a sensor, one can force a rich or lean condition and watch how the sensor responds. If it does respond, then it is probably okay. If you cannot force a sensor to go rich or lean, then it is not functioning.
These tests are not something the average person can do at home. In my experience, a code for a bad sensor usually ends up with a diagnosis of a bad cat converter. Generally, only an experienced dealership mechanic can get to the right answer and so avoid the expense of replacing good parts.
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FEMA Stratified Gasifier information
Friday, July 25th, 2008Hi readers,
Pasted below is an article about an old technology that is becoming very applicable to our present situation. With this gasifier system you can heat and power your home in a way that is low cost and very environmentally responsible. And a big plus is that you can be more self-sustaining and live with only a thin connection the grid, or non at all.
Hi Folks,
I fear my response may have a bit of lectuing and fingerpointing in it, but
also some potential, if small, solutions to the problem.
Let me know what you think,
Greg
think small!!!
A project committee of Sustain Jefferson (WI), recently built a FEMA
downdraft stratified gasifier. The gasifier stove creates hydrogen and
carbon monoxide, both combustible gases, out of bio-mass. The gasifier stove
has a number of positive features that are out-lined below. If you¹d like to
see the stove in operation, we have posted videos to YouTube. They can be
accessed at the weblinks below.
Please be forewarned; these video are similar to watching the Red Green show
on PBS and may not be appropriate for adult viewers. Some discretion is
necessary. Still, there is a lot of useful and practical information to be
gathered from watching the videos. Please watch for update videos about our
gasification project and related sustainability issues. Rating and
commenting on the videos, draws attention to the issue.
The FEMA Downdraft Stratified Gasifier Stove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBsG32n_8oc
Running an Internal Combustion Engine on a Gasifier Stove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzox3lW9zok
Attaching a Generator, Battery and Inverter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzox3lW9zok
Cleaning the Gasifier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCr8Xux8QD8
Sustain Jefferson is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring
social and ecological systems thru The Natural Step (TNS) framework and
methodologies. TNS is a system thinking approach to managing complex systems
that uses four science and ethics based conditions to define ecological and
social sustainability. An ABCD Compass methodology is used to Accept
conditions, provide Baseline annalists, create a Compelling vision and
Direct action. Sustain Jefferson strives to enable people, skills and ideas
to come together in a fertile atmosphere that enables restorative ideas to
grow and thrive. The Gasifier Project is one of those ideas.
Bio-mass Gasification
Small-scale, distributed, biomass-gasification, co-gen energy systems could
be an agriculturally restorative and profitable enterprise, if done in a
Holistic, local and ethical manner. Heat/electricity/carbon dioxide/Bio-char
(charcoal) can be produced in this system from a perennial woody or
cellulosic rich, feedstock crop. Heat, power and electricity can be produced
for local, direct consumption, providing most of the farmstead energy needs.
Much of the carbon (over 50 %) from the feedstock flowing into the
gasification stove remains sequestered in the form of charcoal (agri-char)
that can be returned to the soil, thereby enabling a carbon-negative energy
system.
Bio-mass Gasification and the Environment
Woody and cellulosic plants capture solar energy and store it in a form that
is readily utilized in gasifier stoves. The crop, if a perennial and diverse
plant community, will grow and add organic matter and carbon to the soil in
the form of yearly leaf drop and sympathetic life processes. The bio-mass,
when harvested causes some root die-back adding more organic matter to the
soil. Other ecological services; such as pollination, niche building, soil
friability, fertility, bio-diversity, also occur in the diverse crop
planting, adding an important economic and ecological contribution to our
social condition. And finally, the bio-char by-product of this energy system
can be returned to the soil adding still more carbon that acts as an
ecological catalyst, contributing significantly to the ecological services
of the land. This represents a truly restorative kind of agriculture that
can be a small local part of the solution to our energy crisis.
Local Scale System
These biomass stove/energy systems can be built at nearly any scale from
back-yard/household, to farmstead, to neighborhood, to community scale. I
believe the community scale is as large as practical, if the system is going
to be sustainable in the long term, because of the external costs of
shipping, transport support of biomass to the gasification site. Small,
local, distributed, gasification energy systems are more aligned with
sustainable ideals and ethical values than large central energy systems.
Bio-mass Gasification and the Economy
These gasification energy systems can function within current economic
conditions and thrive because they are built on an agricultural methodology
that is restorative and ethical, yet complimentary to Classical Capitalism.
Feeding electricity back into the grid may be an option for the producer in
some communities. District heat is an option in others. Even power can be
utilized in some instances. The localness of the system increases economic
multiplier effect and builds social and economic capital in the community.
These systems work to internalize the cost of production and restore and
build social and ecological capital in the community.
Permanent plantings can reduce erosion and actually create soil creating the
ecological capital for agricultural to flourish. Permanent plantings require
greatly reduce input; no fertilizer (except Bio-char and site produced
organic matter), no pesticides (unless you want to), and long cycle harvest
methods. Most of the costs of industrial agriculture (many of them
externalized) can be eliminated. Bio-mass gasification, co-gen systems that
are local in nature are not subject energy price fluctuations and
availability, or to take over by corporate interests.
In short, Bio-mass Gasification, if done in a holistic, ethical manner, can
create social and ecological capital and foster a restorative Permacultural
energy system. It can provide profitable jobs for farmers and entrepreneurs,
especially as Peak Oil and other fossil fuels come mainstream. And it can
add to the energy security of the farm, the farmer and the community.
Sincerely,
Greg David
New Questions
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008I have gotten some recent questions about both heating and air conditioning in cars. One was: “how cold should my ac get?”
Lets consider this. Factory shop manuals will say that you should see a 20 degree difference between outside air, (ambient temperature), and the air coming out of your car’s vent ducts. So, if it is eighty degrees Fahrenheit outside, for them sixty degrees would meet the standard of a functioning A/C system. This would probably not satisfy most customers. I most often see, in the summer months here in the upper Midwest U.S., register temperatures at close to forty degrees, even when the outside temperature is eight-five-ish. Sometimes I see down to thirty-five degrees, and also up to fifty of fifty-five degrees in what seems to be a correctly functioning A/C system. What can account for this wide range of temperatures? Refrigerant charge. In other words, how much chemical is in the system compared to what amount would be ideal. For efficiency there needs to be some liquid refrigerant in the bottom of the evaporator. This is because heat transfer occurs at change of state of the refrigerant. Change of state means going from gas to liquid or from liquid to gas. If the refrigerant boils, (changes state), in the middle of the evaporator then it is able to collect the most amount of heat. Too much refrigerant will put the liquid level high in the evaporator, too little refrigerant may mean no liquid in the evaporator to boil and grab heat.
Another important thing is releasing the heat from the inside of the car to the outside air. A dirty condenser, (for definitions, please go to the glossary), that does not flow air well will not lose heat and thus waste all the effort of the compressor and the other components. Refrigerant levels are hard for an owner to determine. A plugged condenser is easy. A fairly cheap, simple thermometer is useful here. Measure the vent temperature at a low blower speed, with the A/C on and temperature set to the coldest position. Then, inspect and clean the condenser. You may have to remove a plastic or rubber seal and use a flashlight to see between the condenser and the vehicle radiator. After cleaning, rerun the test and see if the temperature is lower than the first reading. Remember, if there is water still present from the cleaning, this will improve condenser efficiency and give you a false reading. make sure the area is dry for an accurate test. Did you see some improvement? Last summer I saw several Ford Taurus cars with debris stuck between the radiator and condenser. A simple cleaning greatly improved the comfort in the car. And it was cheap!
Glossary of car terminology
Sunday, February 17th, 2008Glossary of car terminology
A/C compressor: One part of an A/C system that separates the low side from the high side by pressurizing the refrigerant.
Alternator: A modern generator that produces alternating current which is converted to direct current and (usually) regulated in the unit.
Codes (trouble codes): Vehicle electronic modules can detect and store faults in the systems they control. These faults are named and given a number by auto engineers. Codes, faults and their numbers are standardized in the U.S. by law, with generic (three-digit) trouble codes common across all manufacturers. Four digit codes are specific to a manufacturer.
Coolant: Commonly a 50/50 mixture of water and ethylene-glycol that circulates through the engine. A correct mixture is more resistant to freezing and boiling that plain water.
Climate control system: See HVAC.
Condenser: The part of the A/C system where hot, liquid refrigerant loses heat, usually located in front of the vehicle radiator.
Evaporator: The part of the A/C system where liquid refrigerant boils and absorbs heat from the passenger compartment.
Firewall: The sheet metal separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment.
Freeze-frame: The information on a system that a module captures in a snap shot fashion at the time a trouble code is set. This information can be useful in diagnosing a problem.
Heater core: A metal heat radiator using tubes and fins to circulate engine coolant past an air stream heating the air. The heater core is located inside the passenger compartment in the HVAC plenum.
HVAC: Heating-ventilating-air conditioning. The climate control system in a car or truck.
Instrument cluster: The group of gauges and lights that inform the driver of a vehicle.
Module: An electronic component that uses a computer program to control a system. Examples include the PCM, (powertrain control module), ABS module for anti-lock brakes, the Passive restraint module for air bag systems. A single car may have six or more modules, each communicating with the others.
Oscillation: linear back and forth motion.
Orifice: One part of the A/C system that separates the high side from the low side. This is accomplished by forcing the high pressure liquid through a small hole where it can change state. See: A/C systems page.
Passive restraint: Any passenger restraint that works without passenger effort. Includes air bags, automatic seat belts, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags.
Plenum: A chamber for air circulation and control. The HVAC plenum handles air for passenger comfort. The intake plenum handles air the goes into the engine.
Radiator: An engine cooling system component that circulates coolant through a series of thin metal fins. It is located in front of the engine and cooled by outside air and a fan.
Serpentine belt: The reinforced rubber belt that drives engine accessories like the alternator, power steering pump, A/C compressor, etc. Usually has a flat side and a V ribbed side. Serpentine because one belt drives all accessories by looping around and under them, using both sides to do work. Very tough, reliable and quieter than single V belts found on earlier cars.
Specs; Specifications, the manufacturer’s design tolerances, parameters and so on that are required for optimum performance. Common specs include spark plug gap, tire size, ride height, wheel alignment etc.
Thermostat: A heat sensitive and temperature controlled valve, usually located at the top of the engine, that maintains correct engine temperature by controlling coolant flow through the radiator.
Water pump: A belt-driven engine accessory that circulates coolant from the radiator through the engine to cool the engine.
Wheel speed: The frequency that a wheel rotates.
QUESTION ABOUT CAR REPAIR?
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008In the comment space below you can write your car repair question and it will get to me via the internet. Wonderful, huh?
When I get your car or truck repair question I will answer it directly to your email. I may select your question for publication and provide an answer for all to see. If you have a car concern, it is likely that others do too, so let’s spread the word, okay?
When you ask a car question, please include this information as possible: year, make, and model of vehicle; miles on vehicle; engine and transmission info, two or four wheel drive; complete description of concern, (like when it occurs, sitting still or driving, under acceleration or coasting or braking, on turns, when cold or hot, only at startup or all the time, every time I drive or intermittant or seldom or once, and so on); previous repairs in this area. The more information the better.
Try to not get flustered. If you know any mechanics, you may have observed that they are usually pretty calm individuals. Hotheads who fly off the handle when frustrated do not last long in this business. It is too stressful. When things get tough, take a break, get some coffee or go talk to someone on a different topic. Take a deep breath, think of a fun vacation you had, then go back to the task. A few minutes away will often yield a fresh perspective or new idea and get you back on track.
Though I have many years of car repair experience, I do not know all. Where I lack information, I will call friends in the business or direct you to a source that might help. The important thing is to relax and have fun. It is probably not the end of the world. I will submit a sample question to get you started.
While you are thinking of your question, check out our local park at: http://www.koshkonongwi.com/mushkoseday.shtml.
walt