Fixing Cars

If the “MIL” (check engine light) does NOT light up, and a car suddenly goes WOT, would it be classified as a problem that the OEM would be legally obligated to resolve?

NHTSA does not have any ability to evaluate vehicles from either a safety standpoint or from an engineering standpoint if they don’t employ the staff that has knowledge to inspect and understand them.

This problem is much bigger than Toyota, this is a major problem with consumer protection.

NHTSA claims to “ask” manufacturers when there seems to be a problem, but what is the purpose behind their inquiry?  What if the OEM just says “nope”, is NHTSA off the hook for protecting consumers and ensuring safe roads?

If the OEM says “we think maybe theres a problem” then what does NHTSA do at that point?  NHTSA says ok whats the problem, OEM says we think the windshield washer fluid could leak onto some wires causing a short so we are going to recall the windshield washer tanks.  NHTSA says ok, we suppose you know what your doing, so go for it.

Meanwhile, accidents are killing people.

Meanwhile, lawyers are preparing documents.

Meanwhile, NHTSA is telling people that vehicles are safe, or maybe not safe.

Meanwhile, Federal government gets involved and starts pointing fingers.

Right NOW, people are driving to work, picking their kids up from school, and putting every other car they encounter on the road in danger.

Nobody knows anything, but as long as cars are getting worked on - cool right?

tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock

This is all BS.

If safety was my number one priority, and it was my organization to ensure the safety of people, I would not make a SINGLE claim that any vehicle was SAFE unless I had access to ALL the data, proprietary or not.
NHTSA does not have all the data.

NHTSA when asked whether or not federal regulations should make OEM’s obligated to provide full disclosure of proprietary engine management systems, they said “we’ll have to get back to you on that”

The “Check Engine Soon” light is an indicator light on your dashboard or instrument panel. The light is triggered when a sensor in your car reports a problem to the computer. There are many sensors in your car that could set a check engine light, these sensors monitor different vehicle systems. The problem can be serious or as simple as a gas cap not tightened.

The description of the problem is located in a diagnostic trouble code. The code in the computer can be read by a scan tool. A technician at a dealership or someone with a code reader can obtain the code number.  Blinking check engine lights can be a serious issue so getting those codes would be a priority.

Some auto parts stores will do a code scan. Stores like AutoZone will read the code and tell what it indicates. This is a good way to find out what is wrong before scheduling a repair.  You can sometimes search online repair guides or print out free manuals on step by step directions to reset your cars computer.

If the code indicates the problem isn’t serious, they may be able to clear the code. Basically what this means is they erase the code from the computer and the light goes off. However, if your vehicle is still under warranty, the auto maker might have an issue with this if you have a serious problem. Take heed.

Another reason the light might come on is if you are driving around in low gear with an automatic transmission and forgot to shift into OD when you got on the freeway.  When the RPM rises to a high level, the flashing engine light could be your vehicles way of protecting itself from going too high in the RPM range.  Vehicles have diagnostic codes for indication of a repair that you need to have checked out, some are simple so letting it go for too long can lead to high repair costs for your car.

Many newer cars flash warning indicators briefly. If this happens, it could be something simple or could be serious. You may feel it is okay to ignore this warning but it’s always safer to call your technician if you’re in doubt.  Vehicle repair questions you may have can be also researched online where you can find free repair manuals that have all the information about doing the repair yourself.  Have the proper tools and consider your time though, repairing your own car can be an expensive endeavor.

Other similar warning lights like the ABS indicator light will illuminate under similar troubles indicated by the vehicles ECU.

You could see that this ABS light may come on if braking conditions become compromised but it’s not the same as the Check Engine Light.

The ABS warning is simply a light on your instrument panel that is near the check engine light.

This indicator light is there to inform you of a situation where your vehicle has detected something in the abs brake module, or sensors in your wheels and set a condition to switch back to conventional braking, meaning that the computer is not controlling the braking anymore.

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News Release Issued: January 19, 2010 11:46 AM EST

DETROIT, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ — Students will play a crucial role in the continued growth of the automotive industry’s future and can start getting direction in those fields when they attend Automotive Education Day presented by State Farm Insurance at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Southeast Michigan and surrounding area school groups in grades 9-12 and at the college level are invited to attend Automotive Education Day presented by State Farm Insurance at the NAIAS on Jan. 20, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cobo Center in Detroit.

The sixth annual Automotive Education Day will allow students to explore the many different career pathways available in all automotive fields through breakout sessions, lesson plans and one-on-one discussions with various human resources representatives.

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2011 Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept car 

Posted via email from DIY Car Repair Blog

Update, we added more information on our Auto Repair Manuals and Car Repair Diagrams page with links to some helpful resources.

If you are trying to learn how to paint your car or perhaps you want a few books on doing your own car repair then these books are a great start. They contain great information for the beginner or even those who have been working on cars for years.

A good technical understanding of cars along with the correct car repair manual for your vehicle will help you familiarize yourself with doing your own repairs. Even if you’d don’t intend on starting right away, just having these materials will give you the proper introduction of what is to come.

Automotive Detailing Manuals will show the proper steps to maintain your vehicles paint using mechanical buffing machines. Its critical that you understand the various types of buffing compounds that are available.

An Automotive Electrical Manual will show wiring diagrams and wiring harnesses. The wiring diagrams or schematics will show your vehicles electrical system for finding bad grounds or locating the testing leads for verifying the proper signal or voltage is being sent.

Automotive Electronic Reference Manual: Illustrated / Print / Diagnostic Trouble Codes / Articles / Bulletins / Scheduled Maintenance
If you haven’t used these types of manuals before, it will be a little overwhelming with data at first. They have “exploded diagrams” of every single nut and bolt that your car has. You’ll know the part #’s and descriptions so you know what the particular part is called. This is helpful when trying to identify parts for replacement. Or even trying to figure out what goes where after tearing into your car to do repair work.

Additional Categories: There are many categories for finding books and reference materials for working on your project. Here are a few categories that have an abundance of selection when it comes to finding the manual you need:

Cars
Pickups, SUVs, Vans
Racing
Motorcycles
Hot Rods & Customs
Muscle Cars
Build Horsepower,
Haynes Books and Chilton Manuals
Trucks & Heavy Equip.
Railroads
Tractors
Ships
Collectibles
Calendars
DVDs & Videos
Prints & Posters

In addition to the repair books, you can find books on how to build horsepower, restore and customize your vehicle. There are categories like restoration, turbocharger, supercharger and nitrous, fuel systems, tools, brakes, and many more.

If you are ready to dive in Click here for Automotive Repair Manuals and have access to the same info your mechanics use.