The scoop on trackside tech inspections

Summer is track season for our sports car aficionados.  We’ve got the Porsches,  Bimmers, and Ferrari lining up for their track credentials.  Every now and then people ask what we look for at track tech inspection.  Exact requirements vary by club, class and track but the list below gives you a good idea.  The main goal is to make sure the cars are safe to run at speed.

General – no excessive body or chassis corrosion.  You can’t go on the track if it looks like the chassis is weakened by rust.  Scruffy paint is ok.

Windshield Wipers – must be functional and in sound condition.  That means blades are good, arms are tight, and washers work.  And the tank has to be full of washer juice.

Windows – must be secure and in good condition.  Nothing coming out.  No cracks in the glass.  All retaining moldings and trim have to be tight.

Mirrors – must be securely mounted and adjustable.  Car must have an inside rear view mirror.  Requirements for one or two outside mirrors vary.

Pedals – must be secure and exhibit free return (no binding.)  Pads must be secure and in good condition.  Brake pedal must be form without excessive travel.  Some events allow “roughened” metal pedal surfaces but many require rubber pedal pads be in place.

Seats – must be securely mounted, in sound condition.  Stock seats are usually ok, as are competition seats.  If you are in an event where a passenger or instructor is carried the seats generally have to match.

Brake fluid – level must be correct and fluid must be fresh within the last six months.  Most clubs recommend changing fluid before each driving school event.  Most checklists ask the date of the last change.

Brakes – must have sufficient lining thickness (friction material at least as thick as backing plate/no warning lights lit) and rotors or drums must be within wear limits.  Rubber hoses must be free of damage and less than ten years old.  Master cylinder must not show leakdown when steady pressure is applied.  Brake balance must be checked on road test.

Battery – must be securely mounted with no fluid leaks or corroded mountings. Battery must be held down so it will not fall out or short if the car rolls over.

Drive belts – must be in good condition and properly tensioned.  No big cracks, and no noises that warn of impending roller failure.  Fan (if fitted) must be in good shape with no cracks or damaged blades.

Throttle linkage – must work freely without binding, and return properly when released.  Not applicable to drive by wire cars.

Drive shafts and axles – joints must not have excessive play and they must be secure in their mountings.  Rubber boots (if fitted) must be free of damage.

Engine transmission and differential mounts – must be secure and free of damage or deterioration.  We judge this by looking at them and watching to see how much the engine twists if we gun it against the brake with the hood open.

Steering – must be tight but smooth and free of binding throughout the travel.  Steering wheel must be secure.  Power steering system must be free of leaks and properly filled.  All linkage joints must be tight; no torn rubber boots and no slop in anything.  Check control arms and other high strain areas for stress cracks.

Wheel bearings – must be properly adjusted and free of excess play.  No lube leakage onto brake linings.

Wheels – no cracked or bent rims.  Tires must show at least 3/32 tread, except for racing tires.  Tires must have appropriate speed and load ratings.

Leaks – no coolant brake fluid or fuel leaks allowed.  No “excessive” oil leaks.   Excessive generally means no risk of leaking oil on the track.  That means we would pass drips on the oil pan, but a drip on an oil cooler hose fitting could be a sign of impending blowout, so we would fail that.   Coolant must be actual coolant (not water) and at correct level.

Fuel and coolant hoses – must be tight and in good condition with no leakage, swelling, or cracking.

Exhaust – must be secure and in good condition.  All vehicles must be muffled.

Brake lights – must work

Other lights – head lamps may be required; otherwise light units must not be cracked or damaged.

Seat belt, fire extinguisher, and seat belt/harness rules will vary by track and event and class.

Inspection of all Belts and Hoses on your vehicle

 May 30, 2012

Your belts and hoses are basically the blood line to keeping your engine operating at its peak performance.  When a hose or a belt fails, can or will cause an engine to overheat, loss of power steering and loss of the electrical charging system.  When a hose leaks coolant or the main belt turning the water pump snaps, the entire cooling systems becomes inoperable. If you engine overheats, this could cause serious internal damage to the engine with a very expensive repair bill.

Check your Coolant and heater hoses

Hoses are the weakest part of the coolant systems structural components. Hoses are made of flexible rubber compounds so it can absorb vibrations between the engine and the radiator or the case of a heater hoses, the engine and the body’s firewall. Hoses are designed to hold coolant under high pressure; hoses will fluctuate with different extremes of heat, cold, dirt, oils and sludge.

One of the most common failures of hoses is called electrochemical degradation (ECD), not an easy thing to detect by many automotive experts. The main reason is the damage starts from inside the hoses, causing tiny cracks; acids and contaminants in the coolant can then weaken the yarn material that reinforces the hoses.  Eventually pinholes will develop or the weaken hoses will finally rupture from the intense heat, pressure or the constant flexing.

Basic Maintenance in preventing coolant hose failure

-Always check the coolant-recovery tank often ensures proper fluid level. You will see marks on the tank indicating the proper level of engine coolant when engine is either cold or hot. Keep an eye for white, light green or pink coolant traces in the engine bay, which is residue left from a leaking coolant

-When the engine is cool, squeeze the hoses with your thumb and forefinger near the clamps, this is where (ECD) mostly occurs. A good hose will have a nice firm but pliant feel to it.

-Inspect for cracks, bulges or nicks, do this when the engine is still hot.

-Check for parallel cracks around the bends, hardened glassy surface (heat damage) or it could be abrasive damage caused by hose rubbing.

-Always flushing your coolant system by follow the recommendation on your owner’s manual, this will definitely help prevent (ECD)

-NEVER remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot, also keep in mind that an electrical fan may come on at any time.

Some of the automotive experts suggest that all hoses should be replaced every four years as the compounds in the rubber have hardened and become weak from (ECD) and all the other factors we talked about. If you change your hoses, have your coolant system flushed and checked as recommended in your owner’s manual, you will save much grief and a lot of money on avoidable repairs to your vehicle.

Accessory belts on your vehicle

Many of the same damaging factors that attack and weakened your hose will also have similar effects on your belts, heat, oil ozone and abrasion. With today’s technology  almost every car or truck on the road have a single multi-grooved serpentine belt that operates the alternator, water pump, power-steering pump as well as your air conditioning compressor. The serpentine belt is rated to with stand a life expectation of approximately 36,000 miles or 57,600 klms. The crucial point of a serpentine belt is at 50,000 miles or 80,000 klms. These belts should be change when you see any signs of excessive wear, some of the composite belts don’t show any sign of wear until failure occurs.

Tips for Inspecting belts
-check for any visible cracks, fraying, or splits on the top cover.
-check for any signs of glazing on the belt's sides
-Glazed or slick belts can slip, overheat or crack.
-Also twist the serpentine belt to look for separating layers, cracks, or missing chunks of the groves on the underside of the belt.

When you do encounter any of the above factors you should have your serpentine belt replaced, the length and width  should be the same size. Serpentine belts are kept tight with an automatic tensioner. If you ever hear a loud high pitched whining, chirping or vibration noise, this is a sign your belt tensioner is failing and needs attention and in most case has to be replaced.

Automatic Tensioner
will keep your belt tight and running properly

RJ PICK UP SERVICE
241A Main Street North
Uxbridge, Ontario, L9P 1C3
Phone 905-852-4238
Email: rjpickupservice@hotmail.com
TIRECRAFT!!   We're driving towards a cure with every car we serviceshow your support and go pink!!

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Why you should use trailer tires on your trailers.

May 24, 2012


Trailers tires are defined by the symbol "ST" which stands for Trailer Tires, "P" stands for passenger vehicles and "LT" stands for light duty trucks and SUV's. "ST" tires are made specifically for use on trailers and differ considerably from automotive tires. If you own a trailer you should be using only tires that where manufactured specifically for trailers with the symbol "ST"on the side walls.

The main benefit of using "ST" tires is it has about 10 percent more load capacity then an equivalent "LT" tire and about 40 percent more then a "P" tire when filled to the proper psi rating. The "ST" mold of the tire is designed to fit and accommodate trailer rims which are most often narrower then "P" and "LT" rims. This provides an advantage since the tires are narrower and designed to carry the necessary payload that the tire is rated for.

Another important advantage is the sidewalls provide a much stiffer and stronger ply especially in its lower section. This definitely reduces sidewall flexing, helping it to track straighter and diminish the risk of trailer sway and risk sidewall blowouts.

Two Types of "ST" Bias or Radials

Radial tires have since pretty much swept the tire industry. The main difference between Bias and Radials are the plies, in Radials the plies run perpendicularly, Bias have a crisscrossing cords of polyester or nylon on the sidewalls as well as on the tread.

So which tire is the better Radials or Bias, each one has a specific advantage over each other, when deciding which one will suit your needs the best, you should talk to a tire specialist so he can choose the correct tire to fit your trailing needs. The Bias tire would certainly have an advantage with payload and speed and Radial will have an advantage when it comes to tread wear.

Bias tire tread wear life is approximately 18,000 miles or 28,800 klms and the Radials would have a tread wear life of approximately 40,000 miles or 64,000 klms. This is under a perfect world; you may get more miles or klms depends on many conditions, weather, wheel bearings and how you maintain your trailer and how much your payload is on normal use.

Make sure you always check your psi on your "ST" tires no different then "LT" or "P" tires, under inflated tires will wear much quicker. As an example of an under inflated tire by 20 percent will cut 25 percent of the tires life expectation. so make sure you check your tires psi at least once a week.

Overloading your trailer is a huge cause of tire failure. You should always know the actual way that you are towing. This would included the boat, trailer, fuel in the boat and all other types of gear you will be carrying. When you are overloaded with additional carrying weight the overloaded tire will produce an inordinate amount of heat, which can cause tire degradation or a possible blowout.

RJ PICK UP SERVICE
241A Main Street North
Uxbridge, Ontario, L9P 1C3
Phone 905-852-4238
Email: rjpickupservice@hotmail.com

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How to read tire codes and understand what they mean.

May 23, 2012

You will find a series of codes that is engraved into each side wall of every tire, that represents useful information to the consumer regarding that specific tire, such as brand of the tire, whether it is a tubeless or a tube type, tire grade, speed rating, maximum load and maximum inflation. lets review what each series of codes stand for, whether it is a passenger tire, light duty, SUV tire, or a trailer tire.

The Example of the Tire we will use : P245/65/16 102T

The first letter we see is a "P" this means that this specific tire is manufactured for a passenger car as opposed for a tire that is made for a truck or other vehicles.  The P-metric is the US version of a metric tire-sizing system. "LT" designates the tire is a light duty truck or SUV tire also we have an "ST", which is specifically manufactured for trailers and large payloads.

"245" Section Width:  This is the measurement of the width of the tire measured in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall. This all depends on the width of the rim the tire will be mounted to, larger on a wider rim and smaller on a narrow rim. This calculation is measured with the tire fitted to the tire tires manufacturers recommended rim width. 

"65" Aspect Ratio: The ratio of height to width, in this case the tire's height is 65 percent of it's width.

"R"Construction: This provides you with information on how the piles are constructed in the tire carcass or you may also found these other letters in place of the "R".

"B" in place of the "R" means that this tire is a belt bias type of construction.

"D" In place of the "R" means means that this bios diagonal bias construction.

The majority of the of the modern cars and SUV's use radial tires.

"16" Rim Diameter: This is the diameter of your steel or aluminum rim, that the tire will be mounted on.

"102" Load Index: This tire has an industry-standard maximum of 1,874 pounds. Different numbers will correspond to different loads. The maximum load is shown in lbs (pounds) and in kg (kilograms), and maximum pressure in PSI (pounds per square inch) or in kPa (kilopascals).

"T" Speed rating:  This tire has an industry-standard maximum service speed of 118 mph or 188 KLM. Tires that use an older European system carry the speed rating in the size description: 245/65/HR16, again different letters would indicate different speed ratings for that specific tire

Here are some of the most conman speed ratings, you will encounter when your buying a set of tires.

Rating Max Speed

Q 99 mph or 158 klm, S 112 mph or 179 klm, T 118 mph or 189 klm, U 124 mph or 198 klm, H 130 mph or 208 klm, V 149 mph or 238 klm,  W 168 mph or 269 klm, Y 186 mph or 298 klm, Z Above 149 mph or 238 klm

One other piece of information a consumer should also check out is the date that the tire was manufactured, you will also find this information on the side wall of your tire. Misconception of tires is not how much tread is left; but when it was produced will determine how much life the tire will have. This is the end result when the tire is old and the compounds in the tire have dried up. View the picture of a three month old tire that a consumer purchased. Thinking and investing in a current year tire, what you would expect, not at a 2 year old tire.

This is an ST tire which is
specifically manufactured to haul trailers with a 14 ply rating 

RJ PICK UP SERVICE
241A Main Street North
Uxbridge, Ontario, L9P 1C3
Phone 905-852-4238
Email: rjpickupservice@hotmail.com

TIRECRAFT!!   We're driving towards a cure with every car we serviceshow your support and go pink!!

How to Read Tire Codes and Understand What They Mean from jfbmarketing

How often should l change the oil on my vehicle?

May 17, 2012

As a rule of thumb, you should have your oil changed every 5,000 KLMS or every 3 months for normal driving conditions. If you live out in the country where the roads are much dustier, then you should revise it accordingly to every 3,000 KLMS or every 2 months. Always check your Air filter every second oil change making sure it is clean and allow the engine to breathe properly.

The main functions of motor oil, is it lubricates metal parts that slide pass each other. This will reduce wear and prevents friction that would make the engine too hot to function properly. When there is no oil in the engine, parts then would start scraping against one another this would cause the piston’s precise machining would degrade overtime, increasing the friction, rate of wear and operating temperature. This would cause the engine to get even hotter burning all the oil off. The end results, the metal surfaces of the cylinders and piston could melt, seizing the engine and making it unsalvageable.

When the oil becomes dirtier, semi-solid dirty particulates precipitate out. The sludge can build up and clog your oil filter, not allowing oil to flow naturally through the oil filter. Without proper filtration, the oil gets dirtier quicker and this increase oil viscosity, causing to reducing the speed of your (RPM’s) engine turns.

2006 Dodge Ram 3500
with 5.9 Cummings Turbo Diesel Engine  

So make sure you keep on top of your scheduled oil changes


RJ PICK UP SERVICE
241A Main Street North
Uxbridge, Ontario, L9P 1C3
Phone 905-852-4238
Email: rjpickupservice@hotmail.com

TIRECRAFT!!   We're driving towards a cure with every car we serviceshow your support and go pink!!

Those dreaded P0420/P0430 catalyst efficiency codes and what to do

Is your BMW’s check engine light on, with the scanner showing the dreaded P0420 or P0430 catalytic converter efficiency below threshold fault codes?   If so, you may have already been shocked and horrified by a $3,000+ repair estimate and you’re wondering what to do next.  This article has some answers, and an explanation of what the codes mean . . .

A catalyst efficiency fault means the converter is no longer able to do its job.  The only cure is a new converter.  However, before replacing parts we need to know which converter has failed.

We see quite a few of these faults at Robison Service, especially on 2002-2006 vintage cars.  We begin by connecting the scan tool and reading all the faults.  In this photo you can see a typical set of readings, these from a 2002 330 convertible.

We’ve got oxygen sensor, fuel trim, and catalyst faults – a common combination.  Sometimes the converters just wear out, and you get catalyst faults all by themselves.  However, that is rare in my experience.  Most times, we see fuelling faults and efficiency faults together, and my sense is the fueling errors cause stress on old catalysts, which helps them fail.

They were probably weak already, but the other fuel management issues are the thing that puts them over the edge. So it’s vital that we fix all the problems in a situation like this.

The next step is looking at the live data stream to see if the converters have really gone bad.  Modern cars operate by switching between rich and lean states, sometimes as often as several times a second.  The cycling is seen in a constant oscillation of the oxygen sensor signals before the catalytic converter. 

When things are normal we see that signal swinging back and forth between 0.05 volt and 0.75 volt or so.  You can see an example in the live data view below.

The catalyst should be smoothing the exhaust flow, so that the rear oxygen sensor should show a hear constant signal, somewhere in the middle of the range.  In this car, we see the post-catalyst oxygen sensors swinging in tandem with the front sensors – a sure sign that the cat has failed.  It isn’t doing anything at all anymore.

A look at the live data allows us to see which converters are working and which are not.  We can also observe the oxygen sensor performance, as the sensors are threaded into the catalysts.  If the sensors are old we recommend changing them with the cats because they are probably nearing the end of their useful life and the stress of removal of refit may lead them to fail tomorrow anyway.

Another thing the tester allows us to do is conform which side is which.  Some fault codes refer to Bank 1 or 2, while others refer to Bank A or B.  I’ve seen quite a few capable home mechanics defeated when they read a fault for a Bank A converter, and changed it, only to discover their identification of Bank A was wrong.

Here’s what I suggest:  If you are only changing one cat in the system, unplug its oxygen sensor while watching the live data.  You should see the reading fall to zero, and you know for absolute certain which side is which.   If you unplug what you thought was the right side, and you turn out to be wrong, you’ll thank me for that tip!

     

Next we looked at the fuel trim faults.  In this car, those were quickly traced to a split intake boot, but there are certainly many other potential fueling issues on these cars.  Be sure you tackle all the faults, otherwise you risk shortening the life of the expensive new converters you are about to install.

The final thing to think about is parts – should you buy original or aftermarket?  Genuine BMW catalysts tend to run near $1,000 each, and our cars have several.  Given that price many people turn to the Internet and the chain stores, where cats can be found for as little as $200.

In my experience, the only cats that work in these cars are the ones from BMW.  You may be able to put a generic converter in a Buick, but BMW seems to ask more of its parts and a generic converter that works when installed will often be giving that same efficiency fault a month or two later.

Frankly, I don’t see how some of these parts are sold, as they are failing before any reasonable warranty period is up.

After a run of bad experiences, all we use are genuine converters.  I have no problem buying the oxygen sensors from Bosch, Denso, or other reputable sources.  I wish there was such a place for converters, but if there is, I have not found it.

This article was written around BMW, but the fault is common on many cars and my advice is applicable to most any modern vehicle.

Good motoring!

John Elder Robison

Founder, J E Robison Service

Springfield, MA