car

Car Ac Only Work on High Speed

OMG! Why Does My Car Ac Only Work on High Speed

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You go to turn on your car’s AC and realized you have only one speed, and that’s the high speed. That leaves you puzzled and the question you ask yourself is why does my car AC only work on high?

This can be so annoying only hearing that fan blow it’s air all over you when it is not needed.

You don’t pay it too much attention because it’s summer and you enjoy the convenience of the burst of cool air. Winter rolls around, and you quickly realize that hot heat in your face is unbearable.

I did this too, so I know first hand. Before you head over to the repair shop this easy to understand article will give you a breath of fresh air, NO PUN INTENDED! Into why your car AC only work on high speed.

Possible Causes

Blower motor resistor

Main Ac switch

Electrical short

what is a blower motor resistor?

Blower motor resistors are used to control the fan speed of automotive blowers motor. The fan speed can be changed either by switching the blower resistor resistance mechanically, or by using the main AC switch, and also electronically by the air conditioning system.

How a blower motor resistor work

The change in resistance then limits the current through the motor, which dictates the speed at which the blower fan works. Blower resistors, being a mechanical component, are prone to wear and are the most common point of failure in a vehicle’s air-conditioning system. This article will focus on mechanical blower resistors, their construction, and troubleshooting.

What’s bad the AC switch or the blower motor resistor?

The majority of the time when dealing with a symptom as such only blowing on high speed is usually a bad blower motor resistor. Very rarely the main AC switch goes bad but, but don’t count it out completely.

I would say replace the blower motor resistor first before. If the blower motor resistor is replaced and the condition still exists, the main AC nob is faulty.

How to replace blower motor resistor

Just about every vehicle have the blower motor resistor in the same location, but every car’s procedure to remove the blower motor resistor is different.

My Car Wobbles When I Accelerate

My Car Wobbles When I Accelerate | Here Are Possible Reasons Why

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When a customer says to me my car wobbles when I accelerate, there are a few possible reasons why this might be happening.

Possible reasons for the car to wobble while accelerating

  1. Worn front end parts I.E Bad wheel bearings 
  2. Separated tire belt  
  3. Bent or out of round rim

How do I know if I have a bad wheel bearing?

First, let us start off by educating you about what a wheel bearing is and what role it plays in a vehicle operation.

A wheel bearing can be found located behind the rotors or brake drum of every vehicle in the front and also the rear.

Wheel bearing in the rear of a vehicle.

Wheel bearing in the front of a vehicle.

The wheel bearings purpose is to allow the wheels to rotate with minimal function, and they also support the vehicle’s weight.

Wheel bearing symptoms

  1. growing noise/Groaning noise
  2. Abnormal tire wear
  3. Wobble while driving
  4. Trouble rolling the car

Risk of driving with a bad wheel bearing

  1. Run the risk of damaging the drive axle if wheel bearing locks up
  2. Run the risk of damaging the transmission if wheel bearing locks up
  3. Run the risk of having a crash, injury, and possible death due to uncontrollable steering from the wheel bearing separation.

How do I know if I have a separated tire belt?

A separated tire belt is dangerous and you should never drive your vehicle if you see signs of separation.

When a tire is separated it bulges on the interior of the tire as in the image below. Separation in a tire can also be found by performing a simple little inspection of the tire.

There are times when a tire is separated and it is not noticeable to the eye. So what you have to do is raise the vehicle of the floor and take your hand and rub it along the tire’s surface and spin the wheel at the same time.

Close your eyes block out everything else and become one with the tire, no seriously no joke. You’ll know the tire is separated trust me.

How to tell if have a bent or out of round rim on your vehicle

The best way to find out if your rim is bent is to take it to a shop that solely specializes in fixing and diagnosing this condition. In a nutshell, they’ll remove all 4 wheels and place them on a machine similar to a wheel balancer and spin the wheels various miles per hour.

How much does it cost to find out if my rims are bent?

It could cost you anywhere from $10-20 per wheel. Most shops will forget about the cost of the diagnosis if you do the job with them.

 

 

what is an alignment on a car

My Car Needs an Alignment | What Is a Car Alignment?

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Most people know that I know about cars, but they always seem to find a way to try and diagnose their car problems by saying and asking me indirect questions like my car needs an alignment.

I ask how do you know that your car needs an alignment? I get a blank steer, and then I get the next question. I am not a mechanic, by the way, what is a car alignment?

What is a car alignment?

Accurate car alignment is an important part of car maintenance in order to avoid excessive wear on the tires of your vehicle and various components of your car in general.

In simple terms, car alignment is the process of adjusting the wheels to manufacture wheel alignment specifications in degrees, so that the wheel can be in line with the body of the vehicle minimizing tire wear and increase driving stability while driving.

How much does wheel alignment cost?

Wheel alignment cost can vary depending on if you choose to do a two wheel alignment or a four wheel alignment.

Some cars only require a two wheel alignment because there is no adjustment at the rear wheels, meaning less work for the repair shop which then makes your alignment cost cheaper.

Most repair shops vary their alignment cost based on the rim size. Most may have a standard cost for rim sizes ranging from ’14inch rim-19 rim for a set price of about 50. Any rims ’20 inches and high can pay as much as $150-200 ouch!

  1. Two-wheel alignment cost

$20-$50

  1. Four wheel alignment cost

$75-$150

How do I know if my car needs an alignment?

Were you ever driving your car and noticed your steering wheel did not match the direction that the car was driving in? That’s on sure indication that your car needs an alignment.

wheel alignment symptoms

  • A vehicle pulling to the left or right.
  • Uneven or rapid tire wear.
  • Your steering wheel is crooked when driving straight.
  • Squealing tires.

 

how hard is it to do an engine swap

My Car Engine Blew up | How Hard Is It to Do an Engine Swap?

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How hard is it to do an engine swap?

Just thinking about how hard it is to do an engine swap makes my head spin without even doing the actual work. I am a professional technician writing this article, and even with my many years of experience I still have a difficult time sometimes with engine swaps.

Not all engine swaps are created equal. Some are easier than others, and vice versa. An engine swap can definitely be done by a total newbie, but you’re going to pay the price for doing it for the first time.

What I mean by that is you have to figure out how to do everything in that instance, and it can be discouraging.

Not only it can be discouraging, but it is also very dangerous if you do not know what do when it is time to extract the engine from the vehicle.

Let’s not forget about all the tools that are needed to get the job done. A total newbie performing this task with cheap tools is playing with fire. An example of a cheap tool: include dollar store tools from China.

How do I know my engine is blown?

When an engine blows it does a few things. it makes noises that sound like marbles in a can, and that noise usually comes from the bottom end of the engine. The engine turns over but doesn’t start. it will give the indication that there is no fuel or spark going to the engine.

Test that indicates blown motor

Compression test– test allows you to see the engine is able to produce enough compression to start the engine. If an engine compression is too low, the engine will not start.

Leak down test– A leak down test allows you to see if the piston rings inside of the engine are able to hold pressure within a particular specification.

Visual inspection– A visual inspection allows you to see if there is any damage to the engine. Sometimes when engines blow up it shoots the engine rod through the engine block or puts a hole in the engine pistons.

How to do a compression test on a car

To do a compression test in its simplest form is done as stated below. You will need a compression tester to complete this test. Source: Gregsengine.com

  1. Charge the battery if the battery is not fully charged.
  2. Disable the ignition system.
  3. Disable the fuel injection system.
  4. Remove all of the spark plugs.
  5. Block the throttle plate wide open.
  6. Start with the compression gauge at zero, and crank the engine through 6 compression strokes (6 puffs).
  7. Make the compression check for each cylinder. Record the reading.
  8. If a cylinder has low compression, inject approximately 15 ml (one tablespoon) of engine oil into the combustion chamber through the spark plug hole, recheck the compression and record the reading.
  9. The minimum in any one cylinder should not be less than 70% of the highest cylinder. No cylinder should read less than 100 PSI. For example, if the highest pressure in any one cylinder is 150 PSI, the lowest allowable pressure for any other cylinder would be 105 PSI.

Interpreting the readings.

  • Normal: Compression builds up quickly and evenly to the specified compression for each cylinder.
  • Piston Rings Leaking: Compression is low on the first stroke. Compression builds up with the following strokes but does not reach normally. Compression improves considerably when you add oil.
  • Valves Leaking: Compression is low on the first stroke. Compression usually does not build up on the following strokes. Compression does not improve much when you add oil.
  • If two adjacent cylinders have lower than normal compression and injecting oil into the cylinders does not increase the compression, the cause may be the head gasket leaking between the cylinders.

How to do a leak down test on a car

Why did my engine blow up?

An engine can blow up for many reasons.

  1. Lack of oil change in a timely manner
  2. Worn over time resulting in failure of engine parts
  3. Abuse I.E. racing and such
  4. overheat of the engine
  5. Driving with no engine oil in the engine

How long does it take to swap an engine?

The amount of time that it takes to do an engine swap solely depends on the amount of experience that person has and if you have the right tools to get the job done.

As said, in the beginning, some engine swaps are easier than others.

At the time of writing this, I am doing an engine swap on a 2004 Honda accord 4 cylinder engine. Because I have experience and the right tools to get the job done it took a total of 6 hours.

An inexperienced person doing this would have taken them maybe two full days or more. In order to have an idea of how long it will take to do an engine swap on your particular vehicle, you will need to get access to an online car repair manual.

How much for an engine swap?

I’ve seen engine swaps go for as much as $$2500-$3500. An engine swap depends on the year make and model of the vehicle. The car brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi will cost at least 1000 more than other vehicles to repair.

I’ve used repair pals auto repair estimator on more than one occasion to see what it cost to repairs on a particular vehicle.

What to look for when buying a used engine

There is a certain kind of precaution that needs to be followed if you want to buy a salvage engine. Salvage yards and junkyards intentionally and unintentionally leave information from customers in order to make a sale.

What I’ll share with you next will allow you to not be blindsided by miss information by salvage yards.

Don’t ask too many questions because they’ll never tell you everything. They’ll only give the sweet stuff to get you to buy. Do these few things and you’ll be more than equipped to buy any salvage engine from most makes and models.

Step 1.

Remove engine oil cap and look for any milky residue. If you see a milky substance that is a sign of either a blown cylinder head gasket or maybe water leaked inside the engine while being stored and the salvage yard.

Step 2. Turn crank pulley to verify that engine goes through full motion cycle.

Step 3. Remove the oil pan and oil filter if accessible and inspect for metal shavings or oil and water mixing.

For the oil filter remove it and drain into another container and look for any metal particle in the oil or attached to filter microns.

If you find any of these abnormalities, then pass on the to the next engine.

 

 

car charger not working

My Car Charger Is Not Working Does My Car Have an Electrical Short?

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Possible Causes

  1. Bad cellular phone charger wire
  2. Bad cellular phone charger base
  3. A blown fuse that supplies power to the cigarette lighter port
  4. Electrical short at the cigarette lighter port

How do I know if it is a cigarette port fuse problem or car charger

This can be quite tricky so what I want you to do is grab a spare good working charger wire and charger base and plug it into the cigarette port. If it doesn’t power up then you have power supply problem to the cigarette lighter port or possible electrical short at the cigarette lighter port.

Car charger fuse replacement location

What you want to do next is look for the fuse panel location. Don’t be too worried this won’t be too technical for you, you can do this test. Some fuse panel location can be found in the interior of the vehicle or under the hood of the vehicle.

If your vehicle still has it’s owners manual, it will show you exactly where the fuse box location is.

There are two ways that you can check the fuse. You can pull it out to see if it is broken at the contacts and look at it or test it with a circuit tester. You can grab a cheap circuit tester at the auto parts store. Here is what a good and bad fuse looks like below.

How to use a circuit tester on a car fuse

Once you find the location of the fuse that gives power to the cigarette lighter port then you can test it to see if it is good. In your case, I hope it’s just a blown fuse because electrical issues can get really messy and frustrated.

First turn the car’s ignition to the on position without starting the car. Connect your circuit tester to a suitable ground. That means find bare metal without paint on it to connect the other end of the circuit tester too. Then go to the location of the fuse that gives power to the cigarette lighter port. Now every fuse has the two metal tabs at the very top. This is what allows power to pass throughout the fuse because it is connected. When the wire inside of the fuse breaks than power is not allowed to pass through and supply power to its source.

The fuse breaking is a safety feature so that electrical fires do not happen. Use the circuit tester to touch the two tabs on at a time. If the circuit tester lights up when you touch one side and the other doesn’t light up when you touch it, the fuse is no good.

Conclusion

Let’s just say you had a blown fuse and you followed all steps above and checked it, and replaced the fuse. If you replace the fuse and it breaks again, then you have an electrical short in your vehicle. It is now time to seek professional technician assistance.

step by step process to get out of a car title loan

[Loophole] How to Legally Get Out of a Car Title Loan

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While an auto title loan provides quick access to the equity you have in your vehicle, the loan can prove to be very expensive. According to a March 2008 Associated Press article, the interest rate for these loans can be in the triple digits, making them difficult to repay.

For example, a borrower in Missouri borrowed $2,215 and agreed to a 300-percent interest rate, according to a March 2012 case heard by the Missouri Supreme Court. After making two payments, both for more than $1,000, she had only reduced the principal balance to $2,214.94. Short of paying the entire balance, it is difficult to eliminate title loans.

Instruction Notes and Warning

Contact an attorney to determine if your contract is void or voidable in your state. A contract is void if neither party involved can complete the agreement because it breaks a law. It is voidable if it is a legal contract, but a law gives you the right to cancel it.

The interest rate on title loans made to military service members and dependents cannot be more than 36 percent.

You might be able to keep your car after declaring bankruptcy, depending on its value.

If your contract contains a forced arbitration clause that forbids you from suing, you will have to go through arbitration with a mediator assigned by the title company instead of opting to sue.

The Loophole

Step 1

Read your loan paperwork. Pay attention to the interest rate and any additional fees charged by the lender.

Step 2

Review the laws in your state regarding title loans. Many states have laws regulating the interest rate and fees charged by title lenders. If you signed a contract with an interest rate that is higher than your state allows, the contract might be void. This means that the title lender cannot force you to repay the loan.

Step 3

Claim mental incapacity if you were intoxicated when you signed for the loan. This defense is only available if the representative for the title lender knew that you were drinking. The impairment must negate your understanding of the contract for it to render the contract voidable. If you were under the legal age of consent — 18 years old in most states — the contract is voidable.

Step 4

Tell the lender that the contract is voidable and you will not pay. According to McFarland Law Group of Denver, the lender cannot repossess your vehicle if the contract is voidable.

Step 5

Declare bankruptcy. If you have no other option, seek the advice of a bankruptcy attorney to help you decide if bankruptcy is the only way you can legally get out of the loan.

 

List of states that this process may work with

  • Alabama – AL
  • Alaska – AK
  • Arizona – AZ
  • Arkansas – AR
  • California – CA
  • Colorado – CO
  • Connecticut – CT
  • Delaware – DE
  • Florida – FL
  • Georgia – GA
  • Hawaii – HI
  • Idaho – ID
  • Illinois – IL
  • Indiana – IN
  • Iowa – IA
  • Kansas – KS
  • Kentucky – KY
  • Louisiana – LA
  • Maine – ME
  • Maryland – MD
  • Massachusetts – MA
  • Michigan – MI
  • Minnesota – MN
  • Mississippi – MS
  • Missouri – MO
  • Montana – MT
  • Nebraska – NE
  • Nevada – NV
  • New Hampshire – NH
  • New Jersey – NJ
  • New Mexico – NM
  • New York – NY
  • North Carolina – NC
  • North Dakota – ND
  • Ohio – OH
  • Oklahoma – OK
  • Oregon – OR
  • Pennsylvania – PA
  • Rhode Island – RI
  • South Carolina – SC
  • South Dakota – SD
  • Tennessee – TN
  • Texas – TX
  • Utah – UT
  • Vermont – VT
  • Virginia – VA
  • Washington – WA
  • West Virginia – WV
  • Wisconsin – WI
  • Wyoming – WY