_Sometimes we see rear main seal leaks work their way onto the flywheel surface causing a slipping problem. But the other day I stumbled onto a good one you don't see every day. How about an engine flywheel problem that caused slipping of a newly installed clutch.

I was called over to a friend’s house to see what went wrong with his clutch installation side job on his 95 Ford F150 pickup. He installed a complete clutch kit and had the flywheel resurfaced at a machine shop. The truck would move forward slightly when the clutch was let out but it was clear that it was slipping badly with all new parts.

_Unfortunately for diagnosis it had to come back apart. As in removing the transmission, which is no fun in the driveway. When we pulled the transmission out I didn't see anything wrong. We pulled off the clutch and pressure plate and you could see that the resurfaced engine flywheel was already starting to get a purplish color from the slipping clutch.

To make a long story short I truly did get lucky on this one as the cut or resurfaced job on the face of the flywheel didn't look so good. So we pulled it off and I went and got my micrometer to measure the flywheel. The flywheel was resurfaced in excess. Meaning that the flywheel was well undersized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle owner was not notified by the machine shop and wasted a lot of time and money on his driveway clutch replacement project.

When it comes to clutches and manual transmissions there are not a lot of articles or information on the Internet about the subject overall, compared to other automotive systems. This is why I have built a complete section over at my you fix cars website that talks about manual transmissions and clutches.

_The flywheel is an important part of the engine. It is also the main driving member of the clutch in a manual transmission set up. An engine flywheel is normally made of modular cast-iron which means that it is one of the heavier parts on the automobile. Another important component that sometimes causes problems is the ring gear that is pressed onto the outside diameter of the flywheel.

This is the area that the starter drive meshes with to turn the engine over during the engine start cycle. When a grinding sound is heard when the key is turned this is the starter drive grinding away at the ring gear of the flywheel. This grinding sound is not a good thing. If this happens many times you will probably have an engine flywheel problem and replacement of just the starter will not solve it.

_In this situation replacing the two components involved being the starter motor and the flywheel is usually recommended and in the end necessary. The rear surface of the flywheel is a friction surface machined very flat to ensure a smooth clutch engagement. As in the above example the flywheel itself can cause a few problems. If it is undersized the clutch will slip. If the surface is wavy you will have a clutch pedal pulsation and increased wear of the clutch disc.

The engine flywheel also provides some absorption of torsional vibrations from the crankshaft. Which is a fancy way of saying that it helps smooth out the engine as it spins it further provides some inertia to help rotate the crankshaft through the four strokes of engine operation.

There is a precision bore at the center of the flywheel that holds the pilot bushing this supports the front end of the transmission input shaft and maintains proper alignment with the engine crankshaft. Sometimes the pilot bushing is a brass insert and sometimes it is a needle bearing set up instead. Excessive vibration in the drive-line can cause problems in this area.

If you need more information about engine flywheel problems you can visit my page about what to do when having automotive clutch problems. For more articles posted here on this website is next link will take you back to the online auto repair blog.

_It is a normally open switch that prevents the starter from operating when the transmission is in any other gear except park or neutral. This eliminates the possibility of a situation that could make the vehicle move forward unexpectedly or in reverse as well.

These starting safety switches or neutral safety switch whichever you want to call it are more commonly used with automatic transmissions but in this case of the 89 Z it was a manual transmission vehicle.

I am familiar with the Nissan ZX as I owned a 1988 model. In fact I have written quite a bit about my Nissan 300ZX problems. And although I had a lot of problems with my little sports car this was not one of them. I had to find the component location diagram and verify the color of the wires to properly by pass and test the switch.

_Neutral safety switches can be located in either of two places within the circuit. One location is between the ignition switch and a relay or solenoid. When it is located in this position the safety switch must be closed before current can flow to the relay or the starter solenoid.

Sometimes the location of the neutral safety switch is between the relay and ground. Same as in the first position the safety switch must be closed before current can flow from the relay to a grounding location. When the relay has a ground it lets current flow to the starter solenoid and therefore engages the starter into the teeth of the flywheel.

The starter safety switch can also be used with an automatic transmission and can be electrical or a mechanical device. Sometimes these switches are mounted near a shift selector or on the transmission housing near the linkage. Often the switch contacts are wired in series with the control circuit so that no current can flow throughout the starting system unless the transmission is in neutral or park.

Although I have never seen them I hear on some Asian and German vehicles mechanical safety switches can also be used. Mechanical safety switches for automatic transmissions are simply devices that physically block the movement of the ignition key when the transmission is in gear. The ignition key can only be moved if the shift selector isn't park or neutral.

_The neutral safety switch on a late 80s Nissan 300ZX is mounted on the outer case of the transmission. But I did not go straight for this component because there is another safety switch mounted on the clutch pedal. Since this switch is easy to gain access to I tested that one first.  Both of these switches are easy to test because it is a simple two wire circuit that is completed by the movement of the clutch pedal.

I used my automotive meter to check for continuity and the test passed so I moved on to the starter safety switch mounted on the transmission. When I pulled the wires off the starter safety switch and verify that the vehicle parking brake was set in the wheels blocked and further verified that the vehicle was in the neutral position for gear selection. I jumped the safety switch for testing only and was able to start the vehicle.

At this point I knew that the neutral safety switch was bad but when I pulled it out physically unscrewed it from the transmission I could see that the mechanical part of the switch was damaged. For some reason the owner of the vehicle decided to go to the junkyard and purchased a used part.

I urged him to find out if a new one was available aftermarket through a parts supplier. On Amazon a new safety switch for old Nisan's is about 10 bucks. Note that on some models the replacement parts are a lot more. For more of the latest articles this next link take you back to the blog for auto repair. There you can browse through older stories related to car repairs.

I know how it feels to be broke. When the economy crashed in 2008 I was not immediately affected. But now that we are at the end of 2011 I am totally engulfed in the destruction that the crashing economy has caused. I purchased (what I thought was) an affordable home in 2007. It was the cheapest house in town (and crappie). I paid 185K and put 20k into it to make it livable. Now I have abandoned houses on both sides and the house is valued at $55,000. I know what it's like to be underwater.

So when people send me questions and I tell them they should find a cheap service manual they e-mail me back and say... what "do you think I'm rich".  I say it's only $12 and they say if I had $12 I could buy a new car. I then tell them that if I had to do this specific repair that I would find a service manual to follow. If I didn't follow the service manual I could do damage to the vehicle and extend the repair time.

This is why car repair manuals can often be much more valuable than the money it costs to secure access to it. When it comes to things going wrong on automobiles chances are someone has experienced the same exact problem and fixed it several times. More often it will be a professional mechanic that works on that particular model vehicle often dealership technician) that will be the first one to put it down in writing.

Yes there is a chance that you can go on the Internet and browse through different automotive forums and find the answers. But when it comes to fixing the vehicle it is hard to beat the information that originates from the factory. The service manual for your vehicle has extremely efficient diagnostic charts for solving many car problems.

When the diagnosis has pinpointed a failed component this very same service manual can provide instructions on how find (component location diagrams, part numbers, average costs, repair time) and replace that specific part. With diagnosis and repair procedures available in one location it really is hard to beat these reference materials that have been specifically prepared for your individual make and model.

A lot of people go to the Internet to find the information they need for free. I don't blame you for trying and if luck is on your side you may find exactly what you need at no cost. But when the information that you need and more is available for cheap, you should set a time limit when it comes to searching the web for free service information. I don't care who you are, time is money.

The price that we put on our time varies with the individual. Some lawyers feel that their time is worth $487 an hour. Others feel that their time is worth eight dollars an hour. If your time is worth eight dollars an hour spending two hours on the Internet trying to find a service manual for free has eclipsed the $12 it would cost to buy the professional factory version.

I know how you feel when $12 is a lot of money. In my town unemployment is around 25% and you can get a pizza for under $10. When faced with the decision of whether to get a pizza or an auto repair manual as long as your car is still driving you will probably choose the pizza. Just remember that if you can't find the information that you need to fix your car for free then it is available at a reasonable cost.

When it comes to free information I provide a lot of it on this website. I have drive belt diagrams for free that are very popular. The problem is that it may not be the stuff that you are looking for. But just in case it is this next link will take you to the blog homepage for online auto repair. There you can see the most recent articles and see if the information can help you out or not.

What pushed me over the edge was nobody in town had matching tires for my 2009 Cadillac SRX in stock ready to go. When they tried to hard sell me into bogus house brand with all kinds of extras like a lifetime alignment package, I wrote an article about getting tire estimates and what to look out for.

Since my vehicle only needed two tires I wanted to match the ones that I would be keeping on the vehicle. Even though they where a popular Goodyear Eagle model tires the size was a bit odd and no one in town could get them quickly.  When I got price quotes I was shocked at the cost and the wait time.

We know where to get cheap tires online.  The Tire Rack runs ads on TV and is probably the most popular site in operation when it comes to getting tires online.  A quick side note: I wrote a popular article a couple months ago about how to know when to replace tires it can shed some light on tire replacement.

The first thing to do when you get to the tire rack site is put your cars in the online garage. I selected my year make and model car and tire sizes this created an account. It took about five minutes to complete and was the hardest part of the process. I probably wouldn't have even gone through the account set up if I wasn't sure I was going to make a purchase.

After that was done I clicked on my garage and picked the rear tires for my Cadillac verifying that they had the correct size on file. Note that if you're not sure about your tire size I recommend that you check the doorjamb of your vehicle or the owners manual. This provides the factory original size and speed rating.

We all want to get cheap tires but, it's highly recommended that you stick with the factory installed sizes to maintain the vehicles handling characteristics. A lot of times when you get tires cheap they will be a different speed rating. Lower speed ratings have softer side walls and can feel very different on your vehicle.

Especially when you are talking about emergency avoidance maneuvers. This could be described as yanking on the steering wheel at highway speeds to avoid something. A lower speed rated tire will flex and make the vehicle slower to respond to the movements of the steering wheel. This is where tire rack shines.

You can do your research on tire pricing and not only get the feedback of other automotive consumers but also from the tire rack test track. In my case after I selected my tire size I was provided with 12 different choices. I decided to stick with the factory installed option which was the Goodyear Eagle because I was matching the front tires that did not need replacing.

I was tempted to switch to the continental brand that did receive good ratings and was less expensive but I would've had to purchase all four tires to be happy. Since this was my first time buying tires online I wasn't sure what to expect as far as delivery and installation. This is where I was the most pleasantly surprised about the service that they offered. I ordered the tires on a Monday and I received them on a Wednesday.

The two tires were strapped together and had a shipping label clear taped on, they were not boxed. The very next day being a Thursday I took them to my local Firestone and they installed these tires at a special price. When I say special price I'm referring to the deal that the tire rack online website has with local vendors like Firestone and Goodyear.

The stem and balancing package is a few dollars cheaper than if you went in there with tires that you got off of let's say eBay or something like that. My timing was good and I was done with the tire installation in about a half hour. Note that I have become a tire rack affiliate and could get paid if you buy tires from a link on this page.

But I did save money on the tires and got exactly what I wanted and the installation process couldn't have gone any smoother. Will your results vary if you try to get cheap tires online? Yes they could, but you will never know unless you try it out for yourself. So the next time you are looking for tires give the online option a try. This next link takes you back to the homepage for the online auto repair blog.

Do not buy tires from this link! ( I could get 4%)

The difference in gap was so drastic that he thought may be something was wrong, or he had received the wrong replacement spark plugs. The Gentleman decided to buy the correct automotive special tool and gap them as stated in the service manual.

His e-mail question was why the distance was so large on the old plugs that he removed and so small on the new ones. On his vehicle the spark-plugs last 100,000 miles. In that time the center electrode or the tip of the spark plug wears and a large gap is created. After 10 years 100,000 miles this can be noticeable even with the naked eye. Also not all new plugs are gapped correctly at the factory or can change during shipping.

Both new and use spark-plug should have their air gaps not only checked but set the precise manufacturers specifications. On some vehicles the spark plug gap is included on a tag that is often applied to the radiator shroud or sometimes on the inside of the hood. This is also where the size of the engine and the model year are also indicated.

Some manufacturers especially in the case of Toyota provide the spark plug gap in the owner’s manual. On other vehicles you may have to purchase an auto repair manual to achieve the specifications. Mechanics both driveway and professional should use a spark plug adjusting tool.

This is an inexpensive tool specifically designed to measure the gap between the electrode and the ground strap and also to make adjustments to that air space. These tools are especially designed to perform these adjustments without damaging the spark plug.

I have seen mechanics use screwdrivers and tapping hammers to make these adjustments. Although you can get lucky with this procedure is recommended to spend a few dollars to get the proper tool. This could save you time in the long run.

Always check the air gap of a new spark-plug before installing it. Never assume the gap is correct just because the spark plug is new. Although it might be tempting you should never try to reduce the plugs air gap by tapping it on the ground or hard surface. Try to make small adjustments and check it often. The ground strap is made of a soft material and can be adjusted easier than people think but you do not want to go back and forth more than needed.

Some engines are equipped with sparkplugs that have more than one ground strap or electrode. The gap between the center electrodes in each ground strap should be checked. If the gap between the center electrode and one of the straps is less than the others the spark will occur at the smallest gap.

This is also true of the V-shaped ground strap plugs that have become popular aftermarket replacements in recent years. There are also ring fire type plugs that jump from the center to the edge. This is sometimes known as a surface gap and the electrode cannot be adjusted with conventional tools and therefore most manufacturers recommend that the gap be left alone.

Replacing spark plugs has always been a favorite of do-it-yourself driveway mechanics. On some vehicles it is just as easy to replace spark plugs as it was years ago. On other vehicles it has become extremely difficult and should only be done by a professional technician. A good way to determine the difference is to review the procedure in the service manual and decide whether it's within your skill level. For more articles this next link will take you back to the blog about auto repair.

Recently it was in the news that average fuel economy will be 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025. Each time the C.A.F.E. goes up car makers respond by pushing their fuel injection technology to the next level. In the 80s car makers abandoned the carburetor for fuel injection systems.

The first type to come on the scene was called throttle body injected and where more like a carburetor then the modern fuel injection systems. As emissions standards got tighter car-makers developed Port technology that was much more efficient. Gasoline direct injection takes this to a new level.

Direct injection has been around for many years on diesel engines. With this type of fuel delivery the gasoline is injected directly into the combustion chamber. To do this specially designed injectors shoot the fuel into the high pressures and extremely high temperatures that exists as the cylinder comes up to be fired.

To prevent the heat from igniting the fuel in the line these injectors are designed to quickly and completely seal after the fuel is sprayed. They must also be able to spray with pinpoint accuracy at these increased pressures. If this did not happen the fuel would not enter the cylinder or overcome the compression that was building in the combustion chamber.

The direct injection fuel delivery system allows for very lean operation at cruising speeds. When operating under heavy loads the GDI can provide the needed increase in the air fuel mixture by means of high speed computer controls that are now available at much lower prices. Being able to run at such a lean ratio at cruising speed or highway conditions can increase fuel economy on average by as much as 40% while decreasing emission levels.

Spraying the fuel directly into the cylinder also increases the volumetric efficiency because the intake manifold only delivers air to all cylinders. In the past with multi port, vortec or CPI (central port injected) the air and fuel was mixed in the intake manifold and swirled as it entered the combustion chamber. With GDI it can be injected on demand as needed.

One of the more interesting things about a direct injection fuel delivery system is the fuel pressure itself. It is highly pressurized typically between 500 and 1500 PSI when it is sprayed into the cylinders. Just 20 years ago when automobiles still used carburetors the fuel system was only pressurized to about 6 PSI.  When F.I. came on the scene they bumped it up to about 35 PSI.

The 1500 pounds per square inch that is used in the direct injection delivery system is similar to the pressures that diesel engines use. Under this massive pressure the fuel charge arrives as a vapor. The injectors release a relatively small perfectly shaped spray of fuel around the sparkplug just before it ignites. This means only the area around the sparkplug has air and fuel to trigger combustion.

For more information about diagnosing problems with cars visit the online auto repair homepage. For more of the latest automotive technology articles like this one visit the blog for diy car repair.

I can not say that it is real common to have a problem with the catalytic converter and probably many vehicles go to the junkyard with the original one installed on the automobile.

The key word would be many and certainly not all. Certain vehicles seem to require replacement more often than others. One symptom that would be common when a catalytic converter suffers a catastrophic internal failure would be a lack of power that is sometimes coupled with a stalling condition after the engine is started.

You can get a popping or backfiring from the throttle body when the converter is severely plugged. I have never seen it but I have heard of a converter being completely blocked and causing a no start condition.

My favorite way of testing a catalytic converter would be to use a vacuum gauge to monitor the engine vacuum while the RPMs are raised. Testing engine vacuum is an efficient way of finding several different kinds of engine performance problems. When a catalytic converter is restricted or plugged engine vacuum will be lower than normal and fall off fast with higher RPMs.

Since a rubber mallet and a vacuum gauge are pretty cheap these are two tests that can be accomplished at home for those who have some DIY auto repair experience. There are several other ways of testing catalytic converters that are available to your auto repair shop.

Proper diagnosis is so important especially in the case where the converter is recommended to pass emission testing and the car runs fine.

One of these tests is called an O2 storage test that checks the ability of the converter to store oxygen. There are also converter efficiency tests that can be performed with a four gas emission analyzer that many auto repair shops will have on-site.

Just because a vehicle fails an emissions test does not mean it needs a catalytic converter replaced. The fuel control system needs to work properly and should adjust the air fuel mixture so it goes back and forth from a lean to rich. If it stays lean or rich for too long emission levels will rise no matter the condition of the catalytic converter.

If your auto repairs shop states you need a new catalytic converter it may very well be true. But why not ask them a few questions about the tests they used to diagnose the problem. If you're going to spend a lot of money on replacing this part you have the right to know why it failed and some sort of guarantee that it will help your vehicle pass the smog emissions testing.

The online auto repair website posts new content on the Blog for Auto repair homepage about twice a month if not more. See the latest do it yourself car repair articles from the previous link.

In a fuel injected computer-controlled situation idle speed is being regulated by controlling the amount of air that is allowed to enter the engine with the throttle plates closed. Some engineering types would call this a calculated vacuum leak. If you're idle speed problem is a stalling condition when coming to a stop, start by looking for the obvious problems like vacuum leaks from deteriorated gaskets or broken vacuum hoses and lines.  On vehicles from the 80s and 90s many were equipped from the factory with plastic vacuum line that joined a small rubber hose where it was then mounted onto a vacuum fitting of varying types.

Now that these vehicles are 20 years old these plastic vacuum lines are extremely brittle and it doesn't take much to break them. Also note that rubber doesn't last forever and in some cases very thin or poor quality rubber was used on these cars from the 80s and 90s. Basically the older your vehicle is the more chance that an idle speed problem could be caused by a vacuum line that has broken.

If everything checks out and you don't have any broken vacuum lines or any intake manifold gasket leaks, it is possible that a throttle body service and a resetting of the base idle could be necessary. Again this is more likely on older vehicles as with more modern vehicles they have the ability to compensate for both a dirty throttle body and idle speed in general.

On vehicles from the 80s and 90s you will find instructions listed on the emissions decal that explains the necessary conditions that must be met prior to attempting an idle adjustment. On older GM vehicles for example, the vehicle is placed in a diagnostic mode that extends the IAC motor to its outward limit. The IAC motor is then disconnected and the diagnostic mode exited in that order. Now when the vehicle is started it is on the base idle setting which at this point can be adjusted.

If you cannot read the emissions label anymore then I recommend you get a service manual for your specific vehicle because these procedures vary greatly throughout year’s makes and models. Some manufacturers will require the removal of metal plugs to gain access to adjustment screws. Other vehicle manufacturers require an adjustment of the other throttle position sensor in conjunction with the base idle setting.

If you find an adjustment screw on the throttle plates turning it without following the procedure will not accomplish anything. This is because the computer is designed to adjust idle speed and keep it in a specific range. If you're not in the setup mode the adjustment will not hold.

If you just want to set you’re idle and you are looking for professional help with that task visit the help with car repair page. There you will be able to connect with technicians that are familiar with your specific year make and model. For more free auto repair articles this next link will take you back to the homepage from this page about idle speed problems.

These car-makers put together easy to follow diagnostic procedures in their factory auto repair manuals that walk the technician through a logical order of diagnosis known as a ladder diagram. You can get your hands on the very same diagnostic tree charts and I have more information about them on my pages dedicated to factory service manuals.

But this post will concentrate on why you should seek out this diagnostic information before you tackle problems you believe are associated with fuel injection.

Taking a hit or miss approach to diagnosing fuel injection problems can quickly become frustrating for even the most experienced mechanics not to mention time consuming and costly.  Most fuel injection systems are tightly integrated into the engine control systems.

The self diagnostic modes of these systems are designed to help in diagnosis when problems are experienced. Unfortunately when a problem does surface many driveway mechanics feel as if the problem will most likely be traced back to the car's computer. But in my opinion the vast majority of fuel injection problems are found in places other than the computer.

Before you start replacing or ordering sensors remember that poorly operating or weak engine components can often affect the sensor readings. As an example if you have worn piston rings or slack has developed in the timing chain this can affect the air fuel mix resulting in unbalanced exhaust gases that could possibly set an oxygen sensor code.

If you pulled this oxygen sensor code and replace the sensor without repairing the piston rings or the slack in the timing chain than this code will reset. So before you run out and get an oxygen sensor that may not be returnable take a few minutes to check the more basic items.

These items can be checked even before you purchase a factory repair diagram that contains the diagnostic tree chart that will help keep you on track. Some of the things to check would be that the battery is in good condition and fully charged with clean terminals and connections with no corrosion build up on system grounds.

You also want to check that all of the fuses and fusible links are in good condition and not blown. Perform a visual inspection of the engine compartment area and the wiring harnesses to make sure that they are properly routed and not damaged by unwelcome visitors such as mice and rats.

Checking the fluid levels such as the engine oil level and the level and condition of the coolant is also a basic check that only takes a few minutes if that. When fuel injection problems are suspected it is also a good idea to check that the gasoline in the tank is in good shape and has not been substantially diluted with alcohol or water. I wrote an article on my other blog that provides information on how to test fuel quality.

In the end it is possible that there is a problem with the computer and its network of sensors. In my opinion it is probably slightly less likely than uncovering problems with basic systems such as dirty air filters, clogged fuel filters or worn spark plugs. But nevertheless it is still possible. I had an automotive instructor that used to say the best way to approach problems on modern vehicles is to treat it as if it didn't have any computers or sensors.

Visit this next link for more of the latest articles posted to the online auto repair blog. For a rundown of what’s available on this car repair site this next link will take you to the homepage where you can find out how to get auto repair help.

I remember when I was a little kid often my mother would go out to the family car and it would not start. You could hear her cranking the engine for an extended period of time without the engine starting. After a few more tries she would come inside and tell my father the car won't start.

He would start screaming at her (as we where a dysfunctional family) saying that it was her fault and she flooded the engine. Of course the car I speak of had a carburetor on it and it was possible to flood the engine. In most cases when this happened my dad would go out and hold the accelerator to the floor while cranking and most of the time the engine would fire up.

My mother didn't understand how she could be flooding the engine. And after the engine was all warmed up she had no problems at all starting it. This was because when the choke is applied on a carburetor there are increased chances of the engine flooding with a crank no start as the result.

On this old carburetor equipped vehicle there were many adjustments that could be made to the choke assembly, such as choke angle and choke pull off which would help increase the amount of air that was allowed to enter the engine cold.

The question is can an engine be flooded today to the point where it will not start? The short answer to this question is yes, an engine can still get flooded. But these modern fuel injected vehicles will not flood out unless there is a problem.

I should also mention on most modern vehicles the computer provides a clear flood mode if an engine becomes flooded automatically. This clear flood mode can be entered manually by pressing the gas pedal to the floor while cranking the engine. On a fuel injected vehicle this will turn off the fuel injectors when the engine is not running and after several rotations of the engine the cylinders will be cleared.

On modern fuel injected vehicles the right amount of fuel is added to the right amount of air to provide optimal starting regardless of the engine temperature. So how would extra fuel get into the cylinders and cause a flooded engine no start condition.

I will give you a couple of examples of things that I have seen myself. Back in the early to mid 90s General Motors came out with a fuel injection system known as CPI. This stands for Central Port injection. There was one large fuel injector with little hoses (looked like an octopus) that ran into each cylinder. This setup was most common on the 4.3 L v6 Vortech engine.

The CPI injector was mounted inside of the intake Plenum and could not be seen without removing the upper part of the intake manifold. What would happen is the CPI injector would start to leak and raw fuel would pool up inside the intake manifold. This unmetered raw fuel would be drawn into the combustion chamber and would cause all kinds of problems associated with a flooded engine.

Another situation that can cause an engine to become flooded would be a leaking fuel pressure regulator that is vacuum controlled. This type of fuel metering system was used from the mid 80s to the late 90s on all different kinds of vehicles. When this fuel pressure regulator which had a rubber diaphragm became dry rotted it was possible for a fuel leak to develop. The vacuum line that controlled the fuel pressure regulator could in some cases suck the raw fuel into the intake manifold.

This unmetered raw gas would also cause symptoms that are associated with an engine that is flooded. The case that comes to mind was so severe that the unburned fuel wound up leaking past the piston rings and into the engine crankcase. The first sign that I detected of this problem was that the engine will was way overfilled and smelled like gas.

So even though an engine flooded causing a no start condition is not as common as it used to be back in the days of carbureted vehicles it can still happen. For more information and other problems that can still happen to your car visit the blog for online auto repair.