RockAuto
now has complete rear axle assemblies!
Customers can now efficiently replace
high mileage, worn, noisy, or damaged
rear axles with a fresh, whole axle.
These remanufactured axles are new
to the RockAuto catalog and are available
for select Chevrolet, Dodge Ram, Ford,
GMC, Jeep, and Lincoln cars &
trucks.
The Process:
Crush Sleeves,
Axle Bearings, Carrier Bearings,
Pinion Nuts, Friction Modifier,
Inner Pinion Bearings, Axle
Seals, and Outer Pinion Bearings
will always be replaced with
new, OE grade parts.
Axle and
Wheel Studs, Spider and Axle
Gears, Pins, Backing Plates,
Ring and Pinion, replaced
with new if required.
Backlash
and tooth contact pattern
are precisely inspected on
both drive and coast sides.
The Finished
Product:
Is built
complete and sealed
Contains
oil and friction modifier
Comes with
axle shafts and backing plates
Is banded
down to a custom pallet and
shrink wrapped
Find the Famous
Brand complete rear axle assemblies
in the "Drivetrain" category
of the RockAuto
catalog.
RockAuto
on TV
Our
friends on TRUCKS! have some nice
things to say about RockAuto!
The Two-Sixties
is a forum for owners (and potential
owners) of the limited edition MG
ZT. With the collective knowledge
of its members this is the one stop
shop for anyone owning a MG ZT 260.
The Car: The ZT 260 is
a fully engineered evolution of the
front-wheel drive ZT. Clever installation
techniques have permitted the larger
capacity engine and rear-wheel drive
power-train to be incorporated within
the robust body-shell, without major
visual changes. Below the skin, the
platform is largely new with significant
changes to many functional vehicle
systems to accommodate the revised
drive-line layout, producing a car
of great driving character.
If you are the
administrator or member of a forum
and you would like to see your website
featured in an upcoming newsletter
and receive a discount code to share
with your members, contact cynthia@rockauto.com.
Repair Mistakes & Blunders
The
driver's side low-beam headlight went
out on my wife's 2006 Toyota Prius.
I went online and found that the proper
procedure for replacement begins with,
"Remove the front bumper..."
Further research indicated that the
bulb could be removed from the top.
In order to do so, however, you need
to remove the relay cover and basically
work blind, unable to see the fixture.
Need I mention that this is a halogen
bulb that you need to be careful to
NOT get your fingerprints on, lest
the oils from your skin lead to premature
failure of the capsule?
Now, I'm not a small
man, and my hands are much like two
small canned hams. After much twisting,
contorting, sweating, crying, and
bleeding I managed to get the original
bulb out. I could see where the filament
had burned out. It was pretty dark
by this time, but I figured that since
I couldn't see the socket anyway,
I would go ahead and put the bulb
in.
After another round
of bleeding, scratching, and sweating,
I got the bulb in and the assembly
put back together. I turn on the light
and, TADA!!!---it still doesn't work.
Let the troubleshooting begin! Fuses
are OK, wiring looks fine, multimeter
says that I have power at the plug.
Hmmm...I look at the packaging and
see that the bulb is correct. Then
I notice...I re-installed the bad
bulb!
Thanks,
Jim in Virginia
Tell us about
your most infamous auto repair blunder
or unconventional fix. Use your woe
to help others avoid similar mistakes
or share off-the-wall solutions that
worked (at least for a while!). Please
email your story to flamur@rockauto.com.
Include your mailing address and if
you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt
(please let us know your shirt size)
or Hat if we publish your story. See
the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools
& Universal Parts in the catalog.
The story will be credited using only
your first name and your vague geographic
location (state, province, country,
continent, etc.) so you can remain
semi-anonymous!
Automotive Trivia
To
help lower gas prices, the governor
of California recently allowed "winter
gasoline" to be sold earlier
than usual. What is the primary difference
between "summer" and "winter"
gasoline?
A. Summer gas has
more ethanol. Ethanol increases octane
and lowers certain emissions. The
additional ethanol raises the cost
of summer gas.
B. Summer gas contains
less butane. Less butane means less
gasoline evaporates and pollutes the
air on warm summer days. Winter gas
contains more butane. Butane is relatively
inexpensive so winter gas costs less.
C. Summer gas must
be 59 deg. F (15 deg. C) or less when
it leaves the oil refinery. Additional
summer-only restrictions work to keep
the gas cool by controlling how long
it can be in transit and stored at
gas stations. Cooler gas in most cars'
fuel tanks means less gas evaporates
into the air and a denser fuel charge
reaches intake manifolds leading to
less pollution exiting tailpipes.
The temperature and inventory restrictions
push up the cost of summer gas.
“The
Family Handyman” magazine’s
Rick Muscoplat answers a customer’s
question below about diagnosing intermittent
A/C problems. The A/C Evaporator Core
for late ‘90s Dodge trucks and
Jeeps is one of RockAuto’s most
popular parts, but Rick’s answer
is interesting to all of us that are
curious how a typical modern A/C system
works!
Tom Taylor
RockAuto.com
Q.
(Bernie in Kansas) I have a RWD 1999
Dodge Ram 1500 Sport Quad Cab pickup
with the 5.9L gas engine and automatic
transmission. I replaced a leaking
evaporator core in the dash, pulled
a vacuum and recharged it with the
correct amount of refrigerant. It
blows cold air but then starts blowing
warm air. The compressor stops cycling
when that happens. The next day it
will blow cold again and then warm.
I’ve replaced the low pressure
switch but that didn’t fix the
problem. I don’t want to keep
replacing parts. What do you think
it is?
A.
Bernie, there are basically three
sections to the A/C system; the sensors
(high and low pressure sensors and
the A/C on/off switch), the command
unit (the powertrain control module-
PCM), and the “doing”
components (the compressor clutch
relay, compressor clutch, and the
compressor). The sensors inform the
PCM if system pressures are too high
or low. And the low pressure sensor
provides the information on when to
cycle the compressor on and off. Based
on that information, the PCM toggles
a ground connection to the control
coil on the compressor clutch relay—the
unit that actually powers the compressor
clutch. Finally, there’s the
compressor clutch and compressor.
Since you get cold
air on occasion, we can assume the
compressor clutch works at least some
of the time. When the clutch stops
cycling, the first thing I’d
want to know is if it’s getting
power from the compressor clutch relay.
You can check that by removing the
electrical connector from the clutch,
starting the engine, turning the A/C
to MAX, and testing for battery voltage
on the dark blue/black wire. If you
see voltage there, check the other
wire for good ground. The ground for
the compressor clutch runs on a black/white
wire from the clutch connector to
a splice on the top of the transmission.
From the splice, the ground continues
and terminates at the front of the
engine. If you’re getting power
and ground at the clutch connector
but the clutch isn’t engaging,
you most likely have a bad clutch.
My guess is that it’s heating
up and creating an open in the clutch
coil winding or the connector. If
you’re NOT getting power at
the clutch connector, then I’d
check the compressor relay to see
if it’s actually getting a ground
connection from the PCM.
Power flows to the
compressor clutch relay contacts from
fuse J (10A) in the power distribution
center (PDC). Power flows to the relay
control coil from fuse 11 (10A) in
the junction block in the left kick
panel. Remove the compressor clutch
relay, start the engine, and turn
the A/C to MAX. Check for battery
voltage on terminals 86 and 30 in
the relay socket. If you’re
getting voltage, check for PCM ground
on terminal 85 in the same socket.
Good ground on terminal 85 means that
the high and low pressure switches,
the A/C control switch and the PCM
are all working properly, the PCM
is asking for compressor operation
and providing the proper ground for
the relay control coil. If you’re
seeing voltage and ground, try swapping
the relay with another one with the
same part number. Then check for power
at the compressor clutch connector
again. If you still aren’t seeing
power at the clutch, you may have
a corrosion issue inside the PDC,
or an open in the dark blue/black
wire going to the clutch.
Now, if you’re
NOT getting ground on terminal 85
in the relay socket, then the PCM
isn’t seeing the proper input
from the sensor switches. Here’s
how those sensors work. The PCM supplies
power to the A/C switch in the heater
control head on the light green/white
wire. When you turn the A/C switch
to ON or MAX, the switch completes
the path to ground on the black/orange
wire terminating in the center of
the dash. The PCM sees the voltage
drop and that’s its signal that
you want A/C. Next, it checks the
high and low pressure switches. It
sends power out to the low pressure
switch (located on the top of the
A/C accumulator) on a brown wire.
If the refrigerant pressure is above
the low limit, power flows through
that switch and out to the high pressure
switch (mounted on the back of the
A/C compressor) on a dark blue wire.
If the refrigerant pressure is below
the high pressure limit, the power
flows out of the high pressure switch
on a light green/white wire and terminates
at the A/C switch in the control head.
So the path goes from the PCM, through
both the low and high pressure switches,
through the A/C switch and to ground.
The PCM is basically looking for continuity
through the sensor switches and then
to ground. If everything is working
properly, the PCM will see almost
0 voltage on that circuit. That’s
its clue to provide ground to the
A/C compressor clutch relay.
The system must
have at least 43-psi at the accumulator
to close the contacts in the low pressure
switch. With the contacts closed in
both the low and high pressure switches,
the PCM provides ground to the A/C
compressor clutch relay. The high
pressure switch contacts open at 450-490-psi
and close again at 270-330-psi.
So the most likely
suspects are: intermittent compressor
clutch coil, bad compressor clutch
relay, corrosion in the PDC, open
in the wire to the compressor clutch,
intermittent ground on the sensor
side.
Have a question about
a challenging car repair? Rick Muscoplat
is a former ASE Master Technician
who was also certified in Advanced
Engine Diagnostics (L-1). Currently
he writes the automotive section for
“The Family Handyman”
magazine. Rick has kindly offered
to answer some technical questions
from RockAuto customers. He cannot
answer all questions but will pick
a few that are likely to also be of
interest to owners of other makes
and models. If you have a repair question
for Rick then please send it to flamur@rockauto.com.
Be sure to include the year, make,
model and engine for the vehicle your
question is about.
Please note Rick
does not work at RockAuto. He cannot
answer questions about shipping options
in Europe, core returns, etc. Accurate
diagnosis of a remote vehicle based
on a single question is difficult
or impossible. Please view Rick’s
answers as simply ideas that might
help you better develop your own diagnosis
and repair strategy.
Scott's 1979 VW Transporter
Here's
my daily driver, a 1979 VW Transporter.
I bought it three years ago as a non-running,
multi-color mess. It was previously
used by a theater group out of Boston
to haul the troupe around until the
required repairs were more than they
had the skills or funds for. When
I got it, my daughter named it Ducky
so when it came time to paint it,
the only reasonable choice was bright
yellow.
Having RockAuto as
a parts source for CV boots, ignition
parts, injectors, and other needed
engine bits saved me big money and
time. Thanks RockAuto for making this
project wrap up quick and easy!
Scott in New Hampshire
Share Your
Hard Work
Do
you purchase parts from RockAuto?
If so, RockAuto would like to
feature you & your car or
truck in our monthly newsletter.
New, old, import, domestic,
daily driver, trailer queen,
classic, antique, we want to
see them all! Please e-mail
flamur@rockauto.com
with your vehicle's history,
interesting details, your favorite
images, and what parts from
RockAuto you have used.
Let
RockAuto Help
Are
you organizing a car show or
other auto related event? From
goody bag stuffers to gift certificates...we
can help. We can even publicize
your event in our newsletter.
Just
send us an email
with information about your
show.
Automotive
Trivia Answer
To
help lower gas prices, the governor
of California recently allowed
"winter gasoline"
to be sold earlier than usual.
What is the primary difference
between "summer" and
"winter" gasoline?
A.
Summer gas has more ethanol.
Ethanol increases octane and
lowers certain emissions. The
additional ethanol raises the
cost of summer gas.
Answer:
B. Summer gas contains
less butane. Less butane means
less gasoline evaporates and
pollutes the air on warm summer
days. Winter gas contains more
butane. Butane is relatively
inexpensive so winter gas costs
less.
C.
Summer gas must be 59 deg. F
(15 deg. C) or less when it
leaves the oil refinery. Additional
summer-only restrictions work
to keep the gas cool by controlling
how long it can be in transit
and stored at gas stations.
Cooler gas in most cars' fuel
tanks means less gas evaporates
into the air and a denser fuel
charge reaches intake manifolds
leading to less pollution exiting
tailpipes. The temperature and
inventory restrictions push
up the cost of summer gas.