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The cylinder head gasket is probably one of the most important sealing components in the engine. One of the telltale signs when this gasket fails is that coolant will mix with the engine oil. When this happens the engine oil will turn to a milky color and a jelly like consistency. Often the more severe the leak the milkier the oil becomes.
Picture of head bolt tightening procedure
Head Bolt Tightening Pattern

One of the biggest causes of repeat repairs when a head gasket is replaced would be the procedure for tightening down the bolts was not followed correctly. Head bolts must be tightened in the correct order and to the proper amount of torque. Tightening sequences and specifications are available in your car service manual that will also include the step by step repair procedure for your model.

Most cylinder heads are tightened in a sequence that starts in the middle and then moves out towards the ends. The bolts are generally tightened in two or three stages. If the final torque is 100 foot-pounds the bolt may first be tightened to 50 foot pounds all away around before the final specification is reached.
 
 
Sometimes when our cars begin to leak fluid we can blame leaking engine gaskets. Often these fluid leaks begin as seepage and developed into a problem that needs to be addressed for the health of the vehicle and the driveway or parking area.
Picture of engine gasket leak
Engine Gasket Leak

For as long as there have been engines there has been a gasket. Over the years the technology has advanced that makes these sealing components more efficient. But every once in a while when they try a new technology sometimes it's actually a step backwards.

A quick example of this is just my personal opinion. The latest in Gasket technology sometimes referred to as a composite looks and feels like plastic. An example of a step backwards is in the reliability of the Gasket in the General Motors V6 intake manifold. This part looks like a strip of plastic with embedded rubber seals.
 
 
The check engine light is turned on when an engine misfire is detected because unburned fuel pouring into the exhaust manifold will cause extremely high tailpipe emissions. Also if the situation continues raw fuel entering the catalytic converter can cause internal damage to the catalyst.

This will also increase tailpipe emissions and will most likely lead to having to replace the catalytic converter which happens to be a very expensive part on most vehicles. For this reason computers can be very sensitive to engine misfires and illuminate the check engine light even if the problem is intermittent.

Misfire monitors

Picture of crankshaft sensor
Crankshaft Sensor
The onboard computer is capable of quite complicated misfire monitoring. The engine control module uses the crankshaft angle measurement to detect this misfire. It's actually quite amazing how it is performed. Click the read more button to see how it works.
 
 
Power sunroof problems reviewed. Many malfunctions in the sunroof system fall into 2 categories that can often be related to each-other. Water leak issues and electrical problems. Sometimes wiring or switch corrosion can be caused by the water leaks.
Picture of power sunroof
power sunroof

A power sunroof can slide the roof panel open or closed. You can also tilt the roof panel up in the back to allow fresh air into the passenger compartment. When driving down the road this can also pull a vacuum and remove stale air from the interior cabin.

In most cases power sunroofs are not that much different than electrically operated power window systems found in most automobiles. Many common parts are shared such as system relays, a master control switch and the motor assembly to perform the movement.

Note that most power sunroof systems are protected by a circuit breaker instead of a fuse. This is in case the sunroof begins to bind. It protects the motor by opening the circuit breaker. Often when people have power sunroof problems they will begin to look for the fuse when there is actually none. A circuit breaker will reset automatically when it cools down.
 
 
The 4 liter Ford belt diagram is another one that is hard to do without. Lots of pulleys and a somewhat odd belt routing make it hard to get the belt back on without a diagram. The 4.0 Liter Ford engine is a popular engine and most commonly found in the Ford explorer.
Picture of 96 ford explorer
96 Ford Explorer
Engine belts are important anytime of the year and not just on the 4 liter Ford engine. In my opinion the summer months put the most stress on your drive belts. When outside temperatures are over 100 degrees it is this rubber drive belt that provides air-conditioning to the interior compartment and coolant flow to the engine via the water pump.

When the serpentine belt breaks on a cold winter day the outside temperature may allow you to drive to the nearest service center. On a hot summer day when this happens if you don't pull over quickly and turn off the engine serious damage could occur. So print out this 4 Liter Ford Belt Diagram and throw it in a storage compartment along with a new serpentine belt and the needed tools.

4 Liter Ford Belt Diagram

Picture of 4.0 Liter Ford V6 belt diagram
4.0 Liter Ford V6
 
 
Repairing car power seat problems can sometimes be as simple as removing a penny from the seat track. Or they can be as complicated as having to test switches, relays and motors. Most power seats are not protected by a fuse but instead use a circuit breaker.
Picture of power seat switch
power seat switch

Before we get into what to look for when your power seat is not working let's talk about why this issue is more common.

Vehicles that are equipped with a power seat option are becoming much more common than they were just a few years ago. Where as they use to be exclusively deployed on luxury cars you can now find this popular option on even the most basic models.
 
 
In a gasoline engine the importance of good sparkplugs cannot be denied. The electrical arc between the electrode and the ground strap is like a miniature bolt of lightning that ignites the air fuel mixture and in turn generates the power that drives the wheels.
Picture of good sparkplug
good sparkplug

These miniature lightning bolts are commonly called sparkplug firing by most mechanics. If the sparkplug doesn't fire, the engine doesn't start. When diagnosing a no start condition some mechanics will say the reason the engine won't start is because there is no fire.

It is the ignition system that produces the electrical energy that fires the plug. Spark also must be maintained long enough to allow complete combustion of the air fuel mixture in the cylinder. The ignition system then has to deliver this electrical energy to each sparkplug at the right time.
 
 
Some helpful facts about airbags. A brief history of the available systems but more importantly what to do after an airbag deployment from an auto repair point of view. A quick education can help assure that after the repairs are completed your airbag is ready to deploy as per design intent.
Picture of daul airbags
Daul Airbags

As you might know an airbag is much like a heavy-duty plastic balloon that inflates fully within fractions of a second during a collision. A deployed airbag protects the driver or passengers from injury by limiting and cushioning movement during a crash.

One of the biggest things to remember is that the airbag was designed to be used in conjunction with a seat-belt. The seatbelt holds the person in place so that the airbag provides maximum protection.

These restraint systems have been around for quite some time and therefore vary greatly in the types of technology they use to deploy the bag.
 
 
Sometimes auto repairs are not completed as agreed upon. In some cases it can be a miscommunication between you and the service writer. In other cases it can be lack of communication between the service writer and the mechanic.
Picture of Dodge van
Dodge Van

This problem is probably more common than most automotive consumers realize. What spurred me to write this short post about it was a site visitor named Greg posted a story to my other website that described how his auto repair work was not performed.

Greg purchased a dodge van from a dealership that needed some work done. He was told that the needed repairs would be covered under the power train warranty. But after the papers were signed he was told that they would not be covered.

After working a deal out with the service department they agreed to do a long list of repairs for a discounted rate. When Greg got his Dodge van back he decided to take a look at the repaired areas. He was extremely disappointed to find that many auto repairs were not completed as agreed upon.
 
 
Below is a picture of the Chevrolet V6 belt diagram. This is for the 4.3 L V-6 Chevrolet engine. This happens to be the same engine that is in my own personal vehicle which is a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer ZR2.
 
Picture of 2004 Chevy Blazer
2004 Chevy Blazer
The 4.3 L V-6 has been around for a long time. In fact I probably should have done some research on just how long. But I do not that this engine has been around since at least the mid-80s and I believe it was discontinued in 2005 in favor of the Isuzu line of engines.

Of course in the mid-80s there were several v-belts instead of the one serpentine belt assembly that are on the more modern engines. I thought that I would be able to go out to my vehicle and take a picture of the Chevrolet V6 belt diagram. To my surprise it was missing.

Since it is missing on my 2004 model year Blazer I figured it would be a good idea to post one for the convenience of site visitors.