Suggestions on Automotive Diagnostic, Maintenance and Car Repair Procedures

by: Chris Lontok

Car repair procedures like auto AC repair, brakes repair, transmission repair and engine repair can add up to represent a huge expense in any vehicle owner’s budget. If they are done frequently and successively, a vehicle owner can deplete his savings. A vehicle owner can, however, scale down the need for undue and recurring car repairs by strictly complying with the required automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures laid out by the vehicle manufacturer. With this one
simple step, therefore, a vehicle owner can already realize significant cost cutting and savings. In this time of economic problems, any means to cut costs and gain savings would indeed be very welcome.

As a vehicle owner you can save even more by learning how to do several of the basic maintenance procedures by yourself. This way you will not always have to depend on the paid services of your auto service mechanic. Of course, you do not have to completely let go of your trusted auto service mechanic. In fact, there are a lot more automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures and car repair jobs that are way beyond the layman’s capabilities and are best left to the skills and expertise of professional mechanics. These will surely arise despite all your best efforts at proper and timely maintenance. No vehicle can totally avoid car repair because any machine undergoes normal wear and tear even with the most careful use. Having a trusted highly skilled auto service mechanic is the means to get proper automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures and car repair when needed.

It is expected that each and every responsible vehicle owner has thoroughly read through the vehicle’s owner’s manual. All the basic things that should be known about the vehicle and its use and care are in this document. Although it is not necessary for the owner to memorize the manual, it should be kept safe and easily accessible because it will be needed very often as reference material. All the automotive maintenance procedures required by the manufacturer are spelled out in the manual, along with the proper calibrations, schedules and frequencies. Strictly complying with all those specifications will keep the vehicle in optimum running condition for a longer service life.

With day to day use, it is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to observe and take note of any strange noise, weird odor, vibration or leak from the vehicle because these are the first signs of vehicular problems. These should be promptly reported to the auto service mechanic regularly handling the vehicle. Some signs are to be considered as emergencies, though. For example, if smoke is seen coming from the vehicle, it should immediately be pulled over and the engine should be turned off before calling for assistance.

When taking the vehicle to the auto service mechanic for a diagnostic check up, the vehicle owner should require an official written report that explains the problems found and the recommended repair solutions. His should be accompanied by an official written quotation which contains a detailed listing of the services to be provided and parts to be replaced along with their respective costs. The time schedule for the entire job should also be specified.

A vehicle owner already expects to spend for auto AC repair, brakes repair, transmission repair, engine repair or any other car repair at some point in time. These can be accommodated in the budget as long as they do not occur too frequently and successively. With the right automotive diagnostics and maintenance procedures in partnership with a reliable professional auto service shop, these car repair procedures will be kept at reasonable frequencies.

Some Important Automotive Diagnostic, Maintenance and Car Repair Procedures

by: Chris Lontok

The cost of auto AC repair, brakes repair, transmission repair, engine repair and all other car repair procedures can pile up into a very large sum that can drain a vehicle owner’s budget. A vehicle owner’s goal is, therefore, to find ways to minimize unnecessary and repetitive car repair. This can be accomplished through strict compliance with the proper automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures specified by the vehicle manufacturer.


All the proper automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures recommended by the vehicle manufacturer are contained in the vehicle’s owner’s manual. This includes all the necessary calibrations, frequencies and schedules. By observing all these instructions faithfully, the vehicle will be kept in its best running condition for the longest possible period. The vehicle owner, therefore, needs to have read the manual thoroughly as soon as the vehicle was received. The manual should also have been kept safe and accessible at all times.

Although every vehicle needs a mainstay auto service mechanic who can be relied on to know its entire service history, the vehicle owner is also expected to do certain day to day diagnostic and maintenance procedures. Your auto service mechanic can teach you how to do these checks and procedures properly. Of course, the more complicated automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures still have to be delegated to your professional mechanic.

Despite all the proper diagnostic and maintenance procedures done in a timely fashion, normal wear and tear will still cause the need for car repair at some point. These car repair jobs are again within the scope of the expertise of your professional auto service mechanic.

You will know when to take your vehicle to your auto service mechanic if you observe it closely each day you use it. Look out for any unusual noise, unexpected odor, vibration or leak from the vehicle. Any of these can signal various vehicular problems. The vehicle owner should log these observations and give a copy to the vehicle’s mainstay mechanic. Certain signs, however, are emergency signals that need to be seen to immediately. When the vehicle owner, for example, sees smoke coming from the vehicle it should be pulled over promptly and the engine should be turned off. In this case, the vehicle should not be driven to the shop but help should be called for on the spot.

When the vehicle is in the shop for diagnostics, the vehicle owner should expect to receive an official written report from the auto service mechanic containing the problems found and recommended repair procedures, as well as an official written quotation containing the specific costs of parts and services and the time schedule for the entire job.

Of course, every vehicle will have to go through auto AC repair, brakes repair, transmission repair, engine repair and other car repair procedures. There is no way to totally avoid these. With proper automotive diagnostics and maintenance procedures, though, only the truly necessary car repair procedures have to be spent for. Make sure you are working with a truly trustworthy professional auto service shop that will take care of your best interests.

Notes on Automotive Diagnostic, Maintenance and Car Repair

by: Chris Lontok

These days even the budgets of vehicle owners have been shrunk by the economic crisis that hit the nation. Such a reduced budget is even further drained when auto AC repair, brakes repair, transmission repair, engine repair and all other car repair procedures are taken into account. All vehicle owners, therefore, seek measures to lower costs. Unnecessary and repeated car repair should be avoided. Proper automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures that comply strictly with the specifications of the vehicle manufacturer can contribute toward this goal.


To get a detailed rundown of all the proper automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures specified by the vehicle manufacturer, all that the vehicle owner has to do is to read the owner’s manual thoroughly from cover to cover. Ideally, this should be done upon receipt of the vehicle and the manual. All the required maintenance tasks, calibrations, frequencies and schedules are indicated in the document. Only by strictly complying with such instructions can the owner ensure that the vehicle is at its optimum running condition and that it will have a maximized service life. The vehicle’s owner’s manual should, therefore, always be kept accessible as a reference material.

It is advisable for the vehicle owner to find a reliable auto service mechanic to be regular long term caretaker of the vehicle so that its maintenance and repair history is always taken into account. In addition to this, the vehicle owner is also responsible for various diagnostic and maintenance procedures that are done day by day. The mainstay auto service mechanic can advise the vehicle owner in the proper ways to do these tasks. The more advanced automotive diagnostic and maintenance procedures, however, should be done only by the professional mechanic.

By doing daily check ups on the vehicle, the owner will immediately detect when the vehicle needs to be brought to the auto service mechanic. Various vehicular problems can be signaled by weird noises, strange odors, vibrations or leaks from the vehicle. Any of these should be logged in detail by the owner to be reported to the mechanic. Certain symptoms are deemed as emergencies, though. For instance, any time the owner sees smoke coming from the vehicle it should immediately be pulled to the side and the engine should be killed. Under no condition should the engine be restarted.

After the auto service mechanic has done a complete diagnostic check up on the vehicle, the owner should ask for an official written report that explains the problems found, repair procedures recommended and the specific costs of the services and replacement parts involved. The time frame for the proposed job should also be specified.

It is expected and inevitable that all vehicles do have to undergo auto AC repair, brakes repair, transmission repair, engine repair and other car repair procedures even after the most stringent automotive diagnostics and maintenance procedures. No vehicle lasts forever, after all, and even the most careful use results in normal wear and tear. When the need for car repair does arrive, it is best to be prepared by having a reliable professional auto service shop to work with.

2011 Martinsville: NASCAR Sprint Cup - Tires Have Cup Drivers Skittish

 Sprint Cup drivers say they are concerned about tires for Sunday’s race as the Goodyear tires are leaving marbles of rubber on the track and have not rubbered in the Martinsville Speedway.

The .526-mile racing surface is a mix of asphalt with concrete corners. Goodyear brought a
different tire to prevent grating on the left-side tires as they slide across the concrete. Softer right-side tires were selected to add grip and compensate for the change in grip of the lefts.

Tire issues, which surfaced Friday, are not rare for the track. Some teams saw significant wear, but it’s not necessarily an issue about wear as much as grip and getting the track rubbered in to avoid the marbles.

"The tire is not failing," NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said. "The tire has some different drivability characteristics that everybody is dealing with in both the truck series and Cup series.

"It’s a combination of a little tougher left side and a little softer right side; it makes the cars feel different. It’s really hard to make a judgment either way right now until we see 500 laps of racing."

If the tires continue to marble, it will make passing difficult because drivers won’t want to take a higher line in an attempt to advance through the field in Sunday's Goody's Fast Relief 500.

"The tire is really crappy, but that’s just the way it is," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "There’s not much they can do about it. … Once you get in the marbles, you ruined that set. There’s no way to get them off.

"We don’t go fast enough here to really get them off. It was real messy all day (in practice)."

Because Cup drivers had both practice sessions on Friday and were on the track for only two laps of qualifying Saturday, they hope that the track rubbered in during Saturday afternoon’s Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series race.

"We have seen (these issues) before here on a clean racetrack," Jeff Gordon said. "I’m just surprised it never really laid rubber. … Great intentions (by Goodyear), and we all want that more grip.

"But we’re really struggling a lot with some really bad loose conditions, getting in the corners and getting off the corners. I’m just glad we weren’t alone in that."

Kyle Busch said the tires are wearing out in 25-30 laps more than usual but not yet to the cords. He said it feels as if they’re just spinning without grip. Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano crashed his primary car when it just spun around on him during practice Friday.

"They just go away really quick," Busch said. "It’s unfortunate we’re not seeing rubber down—that’s what we’re worried about."

2011 Spain GP (Jerez): MotoGP Starting Grid & Race Preview

Official statistics compiled by Dr. Martin Raines

For the first time since the San Marino Grand Prix in 2009 there are no Spanish riders on pole in any class.

There are German riders on pole in two of the three classes for the first time since the Austrian GP in 1991 when Helmut Bradl was on pole in the 250cc class and Ralf Waldmann in the 125cc class.

MotoGP

The top three qualifiers in MotoGP are in the same grid positions as at the opening race of the year in Qatar.

This is Casey Stoner's first pole at Jerez in any of the GP classes. Stoner will be aiming to become the first rider to win the opening two races of the year in the premier-class since Valentino Rossi in 2001, the final year of the 500cc class.

Second fastest qualifier, Dani Pedrosa, has finished either first or second in each of his five MotoGP races at Jerez.

Jorge Lorenzo has finished in the top four at the last 21 successive MotoGP races. Lorenzo will be aiming to become the first Yamaha rider to win in the premier-class in successive years at Jerez.

Heading the second row of the grid is Ben Spies, who retired on lap eight at Jerez last year with handling issues

Marco Simoncelli twice won at Jerez during his time competing in the 125cc class - in 2004 and 2005.

Sixth place on the grid is Andrea Dovizioso's best qualifying result since he was 3rd fastest
qualifier at Sepang last year.

Randy de Puniet leads the third row of the grid and is the highest qualified Ducati rider.

Following his eighth place finish in Qatar, Colin Edwards will be aiming to open the season with back-to-back top ten finishes for the first time since 2007 when he was in the factory team.

Cal Crutchlow has qualified in ninth place on the grid on his first racing appearance at the Jerez circuit.

Hiroshi Aoyama has qualified in tenth which equals his best ever grid position in the MotoGP class.

Valentino Rossi starts from twelfth place on the grid, which is his lowest grid position since he was twelfth fastest qualifier at the Australian Grand Prix in 2008. He went on to finish second in that race.

Moto2

Stefan Bradl starts from pole for the second successive race. He will be aiming to become the first German rider to win back-to-back races in the intermediate class since Ralf Waldmann in 1996.

Yuki Takahashi is second on the grid, which equals his best ever qualifying in Moto2, which he achieved last year at the French and Catalan GPs. He went on to win the race in Barcelona.

Thomas Luthi was leading the Moto2 race at Jerez last year at the start of the final lap before eventually being pushed back to third.

Marc Marquez's third place finish in the 125cc race two years ago is the only occasion he has reached the chequered flag at Jerez.

Bradley Smith, who starts from fifth place on the grid, had his first ever GP win in the 125cc class at Jerez two years ago.

125cc

Sandro Cortese starts from pole for the third time in his Grand Prix career. He has failed to finish on each of the previous two occasions he has started from pole: at Assen in 2009 he crashed on lap 5, and at Mugello last year he crashed on lap two then re-started, but suffered another crash.

Second on the grid, Nico Terol has finished in the top three at every race since the Czech GP last year - a sequence of 10 successive podium finishes.

The final rider on the front row is Hector Faubel, who is making his 150th Grand Prix start.

Efren Vazquez, who is fourth fastest qualifier, crashed out at Jerez last year on lap nineteen when battling for a podium finish.

Johann Zarco's fifth place on the grid equals his best ever qualifying result he achieved at the British Grand Prix last year.

Luis Salom is in sixth place on the grid - his best ever qualifying result in Grand Prix racing.

Jonas Folger has failed to reach the finish in both his previous appearances at Jerez, having crashed on both occasions.

Miguel Oliveira's eighth place on the grid is the best ever qualifying result in Grand Prix racing by a Portuguese rider

2011 Spain GP (Jerez): Monster Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP Race Recap

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow both mounted a brilliant challenge for the podium in an incident-packed and dramatic Spanish MotoGP race at the Jerez circuit in Spain today.

The 27-lap race got underway under grey and gloomy skies and conditions proved to be some of the most challenging imaginable as light rain fell throughout a pulsating encounter, the conditions though contributing to a memorable afternoon for a crowd of close to 125,000 fans.
Despite only having 20-minutes of wet track time on his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 before the start of the race, Crutchlow thrived in the tricky conditions and on lap 12 he moved into fifth position in a crash-strewn opening half to the race.. Sensing he could fight for a sensational maiden podium, Crutchlow launched a terrific pursuit of Nicky Hayden and was less than two seconds behind the American when he crashed at Turn 9 on lap 20.

Crutchlow was able to remount and still finish ahead of Toni Elias, John Hopkins, Andrea Dovizioso and Loris Capirossi to claim his first MotoGP top ten with a superb eighth position.

Crutchlow's fall moved team-mate Edwards into fifth position and the American produced a stunning series of fast laps to hunt down compatriot Hayden. With Ben Spies tumbling out of second on lap 25, Edwards seized third place just moments later and looked certain to claim his first podium since the 2009 British Grand Prix at Donington Park when he suffered late heartache.

Having caught and passed Hayden, Edwards had quickly opened up a 2.5s advantage at the start of the last lap when he was forced off the track at the first corner by a minor technical issue and had to retire.

Cal Crutchlow 8th - 13 points "I never thought I'd crash in MotoGP and still get a top ten 10! That was an unbelievable race and not one of the easiest I've had in my career. The conditions were so unpredictable that it was hard to get any grip and I was having lots of moments with the front and rear tyre, but so was everybody else. I could see people were making mistakes but I just tried to keep my head. When I got into fifth I felt pretty comfortable though I wanted it to rain again because the tyres were wearing pretty fast. I was gaining on Nicky really quick and he was in fourth, so there's no doubt the way I was catching him that I was thinking about a podium. I've nothing to lose so I was pushing and I went down at Turn 9. I actually lost the rear but then pushed the front and I was down. I'm not going to be too hard on myself crashing when I was battling for a podium in MotoGP. I'm happy because before this morning I'd never tried the bike in the rain, so to be where I was is a good sign. I was in the top ten in the wet and dry on a track I'd never seen before Thursday, so I'm making good progress."

Colin Edwards DNF "That's pretty tough to take because getting a podium in MotoGP is not something you get chance to get every week. The race was unbelievable because it was all about who could keep it on two wheels the longest. I was quite a way back at one stage but just didn't want to do anything stupid and crash and I just felt more and more confident to push. Nicky came back to me really quickly and I knew I'd have no problem passing him because he was in trouble with his tyres. I didn't have a lot more grip but I pulled away from him and the podium was right in front of me. The bike didn't feel great coming out of the last corner to start the last lap and by the time I got to the first corner it just stopped. Obviously I'm disappointed but I can't change what happened. I wanted that podium for my guys at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 because they are awesome. But we move on and try to bounce back at Estoril."

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager "That was an incredible race today. We knew in those conditions it would be very hectic, but I never thought so much would go on during the race. Cal and Colin started well and pushed hard and halfway through they were both inside the top six. With more crashes we were getting nearer and nearer to the front and we started to dream of a podium but then Cal unfortunately crashed. It was a mistake and it was a pity as he could have had a really strong result in just his second race as a rookie in the World Championship. But the good point was that he picked up the bike and continued to push hard to finish eighth. I am really upset and sorry for what happened to Colin. He was one of the fastest guys out there and once Ben crashed he got third and he was easily quicker than Nicky. Unfortunately a technical problem didn't allow him to finish the race. This is really a pity as I think it would have been a very strong result for the team. Colin did not deserve that as he rode a really strong race, but that's racing. But I feel a bit bitter about how he was denied through no fault of his own."

MotoGP : 2011 Spain - Race result – Jorge Lorenzo wins at home in Spanish 1-2

MotoGP results of the race at the circuit in Jerez - World Champion Jorge Lorenzo brought the Yamaha Racing M1 to the chequered flag ahead of the Repsol Honda of Dani Pedrosa after inheriting the lead early in the race when a low-side by the GP11 of Valentino Rossi, while working his way to the head of the field from his lowly grid starting position, ended in frustration for the Australian Casey
Stoner on the Repsol Honda who had his front wheel taken out from under him by the Desmosedici.

Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda held on to second place until he was passed, with 4 laps to go by a hard charging Ben Spies on the second factory Yamaha, having tracked the Spaniard for most of the latter part of the race and offered the position when the Honda had a ‘twitch’ in Turn 5, just to return the position moments later when the Texan was let down by his Bridgestone tyres and crashed out into the sand at the side of the circuit.
Veteran Colin Edwards kept his Tech 3 Yamaha upright and almost returned to the podium after a long hiatus, but had to face disappointment in what appeared to be a mechanical failure on the second last lap to present his fellow American Nicky Hayden on the Ducati with the last podium place.

Fourth over the line was Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyam on the San Carlo Honda Gresini, offering some compensation to the team whose Italian rider Marco ‘Super Sic’ Simoncelli, while in the lead and looking good for his first victory, lost grip to also slide out of the race.

Multiple champion Valentino Rossi worked his way back up the field to fifth as numerous riders were loosing traction and falling off from worn wet weather tyres in the worsening conditions, to take the chequered flag ahead of the satellite Aspar Ducati of Hector Barbera in sixth.
In what some commentators confessed to be controversial circumstances involving the track side marshals, who were deemed to have assisted Rossi return to the track without offering much help to Stoner, the disenchanted Australian retired to the back of the team garage and then after the race accepted the apologies from Rossi, jokingly suggesting to Vale: “Your ambition outweighed your talent?”

Weather: Wet | Air temp: 17ºC | Track temp: 15ºC | Humidity: 90%

MotoGP race results:

Pos. Rider Team Bike Speed Time / Gap
1 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 141 50'49.046
2 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team Honda 140.1 +19.339
3 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team Ducati 139.7 +29.085
4 Hiroshi AOYAMA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 139.6 +29.551
5 Valentino ROSSI Ducati Team Ducati 138.2 +62.227
6 Hector BARBERA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP Ducati 137.9 +68.440
7 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati 137.7 +74.120
8 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 137.4 +79.110
9 Toni ELIAS LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 136.4 +102.906
10 John HOPKINS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 136.2 +108.395
11 Loris CAPIROSSI Pramac Racing Team Ducati 136 +111.876
12 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Repsol Honda Team Honda 133.6 1 lap
NC. Colin EDWARDS Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 140 1 lap
NC. Ben SPIES Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 141.3 3 laps
NC. Randy DE PUNIET Pramac Racing Team Ducati 140.3 11 laps
NC. Marco SIMONCELLI San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 143.9 16 laps
NC. Casey STONER Repsol Honda Team Honda 144 20 laps