Talk To My Car - Uganda

Had an interesting evening today with a 4.0L 1995 RangeRover (Bafudde) whose owner complained about high fuel consumption.

I failed to communicate with any module on the car using all my scantools so I couldn't get direction early. I decided to give the oscilloscope some work. I scoped secondary ignition events with inconclusive results. I then added added ignition coil current and injector current into the investigation. The coils and injectors passed this test. Then I scoped relative compression syncing off the No.4 plug wire. Engine timing looked intact.

Then I decided to scope the MAF sensor signal and the problem revealed itself. This MAF sensor signal was skewed high at idle as you can see in the final image.

Talk To My Car - Uganda updated their address.

Talk To My Car - Uganda updated their address.

2006 VW Passat. 2.0L FSI engine with a camshaft slow response fault code after cylinder head was taken off. Scoped camshaft and crankshaft position sensor signals at idle and again under load. Variable timing cam phaser does its job as seen from these pictures. Sent it back to workshop where the engine work was done so they can get the timing right.

BMW DSC Mischief

Rust trouble.

BMW DSC Mischief What is the connection between rust and multiple warning lamps on the instrument cluster?

BMW No Drive

This Beemer is going no where soon :-(

BMW No Drive In this video I hop into a 2002 BMW X5 for a quick decision on which end of the workshop to send it - mechanical or electrical.

ULTRASONIC CLEANING SERVICE

If you operate a repair workshop and frequently have to clean the internals of transmission valve bodies, carburetors, intake manifolds, cylinder heads, etc, we have arrived with something that will make your life a lot simpler - ultrasonic cleaning service.

Forget using jet sprays or scrubbing which physically damages your parts. The transducers in our equipment generate myriad miniscule bubbles in the cleaning solution that implode violently when they contact the parts being cleaned. The implosion is called cavitation action, which quickly and safely blasts away all contaminants on your parts. The bubbles penetrate all cracks, crevices and blind holes – areas almost impossible to reach by hand scrubbing in wash tanks. Generally the process is completed in 10 – 15 minutes although actual cleaning time depends on the condition and number of products placed into the solution.

Note that we can also use this technology to restore air, fuel, transmission, hydraulic, etc filters back to near factory efficiency without affecting their physical integrity at all. If you have expensive or difficult to source filters whose functionality you need to restore, feel welcome to contact us too. Call or whatsapp +256782772392.

2006 Toyota Estima straight out of the customs bonded warehouse with a check engine light. The fuel ratio sensor heater was open on this one.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS

Recently I am noticing a trend where people turn up with cars that have a check engine light on, only to interrogate the engine computer it and have it throw up the P0420 or P0430 fault codes or both. Both codes relate to exhaust catalyst system efficiency. Increasingly, the vehicles are recent imports just out of the dealer's or customs warehouse. Surely there is something fishy going on!

For any affected or worried car owner to understand what is going on, I need to explain a little bit about catalytic converters and why they are important. In order to reduce air pollution, modern vehicles are equipped with a device called a catalytic converter that reduces emissions of three harmful compounds found in car exhaust: Carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas), Nitrogen oxides (a cause of smog and acid rain) and unburnt hydrocarbons (a cause of smog). These are converted into less harmful compounds before leaving the car’s exhaust system. This is accomplished using catalysts, which gives the device on the exhaust pipe its name. The catalysts used in these converters are platinum, rhodium and palladium. The metals (especially platinum) are quite expensive. That explains why a new catalytic converter is quite expensive. I hope we are now together and you can see where this is going.

Some unscruplous garages/mechanics are colluding with collecters of these metals to break the material out of catalytic converters on vehicles owned by unsuspecting owners or dealers. Usually, because this results in the engine computer taking offence and turning the check engine light on, they will blank the light on the instrument cluster out too for good measure. If you have a car newer than around 1995, please check that your check engine light comes on with the key in the ON position and then goes out within a few seconds after the engine cranks and runs - otherwise you have probably been had already.

Of course there are other different reasons why your check engine, ABS and airbag lights would stay on once the engine starts but that will be a story for another day.

Range Rover Sport Xmas Tree

Dealing with Range Rover Sport zibs.

Range Rover Sport Xmas Tree In this video, I hop into a 2008 RangeRover Sport whose instrument cluster bothers the owner.

Lexus RX450h Linear Solenoid Calibration

The era of plug and play spare parts on cars is coming to an end. Soon you will need to come to T2MC to successfully complete many spare parts swap procedures.

Lexus RX450h Linear Solenoid Calibration

Toyota LandCruiser Crank Run Stall

Interesting car problems.

Toyota LandCruiser Crank Run Stall In this video, I get involved with a 2007 Toyota LandCruiser whose engine cranks, runs and then stalls. At times, it doesn't even bother cranking.

Toyota Hilux Revo APPS

Here is our latest vehicle diagnostic video.

Toyota Hilux Revo APPS Here is a lesson on why you shouldn't throw parts at a car just because some other repair shop says so.

Results for some beneficiaries of free diagnostics scans today.