Gasoline-fueled piston engines require an ignition source to set off the explosion that converts the chemical potential energy of the air-fuel mixture into thermal energy which the engine can convert into mechanical energy. Each type of ignition source has advantages and disadvantages (which we’ll get to soon), but all have the same basic objective, which …
(Basic) Engine Compression Diagnostics by John Gelsimino Jr. A brief comparison of dry compression, wet compression, and leak-down tests. Read Article at MH Network Dynamic Duo by Mark Warren How to use a current clamp and oscilloscope combination to check cranking compression and the starter motor. Read Article at Motor Magazine Lab Scopes and Pressure …
Fuel Injector Circuit Waveforms by Andrew Markel This article explains the basics of a solenoid injector’s voltage and current waveforms. Read Article at Tomorrows Technician Testing Piezoelectric Injectors by Joe Clark A look at some methods of testing piezoelectric injectors, both on-engine and off-engine. Read Article at TechTips.ie Diagnosing and Servicing Gasoline Direct Injection …
Secondary Ignition: The Art Of Spark by Scott Weaver This article describes the components of a conventional distributor ignition system, and how they produce a spark. Scott also shows what a (secondary coil) ignition waveform looks like, and describes its different parts. Read Article at Tomorrow’s Technician Maintaining Engine Spark by Mac Vandenbrink An explanation …
Corrosion is an unfortunate and inevitable effect that attacks most metals. There are a few common causes of corrosion, and you’ve probably encountered all of them, even though you might not have recognized or identified them at the time. Understanding what’s going it can help you detect and prevent it in the future. This post …
Types of Corrosion Found on Cars, Trucks, and Boats Read More »
Most call them ‘outboards’, some call them ‘outboard motors’, and a rare few call them ‘outboard engines’, but what are these enigmatic beasts sitting on our transoms? You can make a case for any or all these names, but which one’s right? We’ll go through some arguments for and against each one, to see if …
Diesel engines are notoriously smoky, producing much more blue, white, and black smoke than their gasoline-powered counterparts. The fundamental reasons for this are that diesels operate at higher pressures, with lower-purity fuel, and variable fuel-air ratios. This post covers the different types of smoke, and their (complicated) causes.
Almost every compression testing guide tells you to hold the engine’s throttle wide open during a compression test, but most won’t tell you why it may (or may not) matter.
Long and short-term fuel trim are very useful indicators of engine performance relative to the manufacturer’s specifications, but before we get into what they tell you, we’ll go over what they are.
There are a few different tests for oxygen sensors (also known as lambda sensors), some of which can be run without dedicated tools. The most effective tests tend to be done under normal operating conditions, on a sensor installed on an engine system, though there are some tests which can be done off-vehicle. You can …