Oil gas vent line heater fault

Mercedes-Benz C200 CDI 

To reduce the presence of oil in engine components such as the air intake manifold, intercooler, turbo, etc., vehicle manufacturers are working to make improvements in this area, and have introduced the "Oil gas vent line heater” into the engine's oil vapour recovery system.

Mercedes-Benz C200 CDI fuse box

Excessive mechanical noise and lack of power in Renault petrol engines

Detail of the variable valve timing system

This fault affects models of the Renault group that have the following cylinder capacities and engine codes:

1.4 16V - K4J
1.6 16V - K4M
2.0 16V - F4R



*Only in engines equipped with a variable valve timing system.





SYMPTOMS

With the engine running, excessive mechanical noise is heard from the top of the engine, specifically on the camshaft side on the timing side. The system displays different symptoms in the event of this fault:

- Fault indicator light on
- Excessive noise
- Unstable idling
- Lack of response
- Engine shaking or jerking
- Lack of power
- Engine rattles or is noisy
- Exhaust smells


When reading the fault codes using the diagnostic machine, the related codes are as follows:

How does it work?: Mazda Skyactiv technology

Skyactiv technology is a manufacturing strategy implemented by Mazda. It is not only based on engine improvements but also affects the body and transmission. This technology is focussed on weight reduction and efficiency improvement, in order to improve the performance, handling and safety of the vehicle.


Petrol engines (Skyactiv-G)


Thermodynamic improvement has been the focus for the petrol engines, the compression ratio has been increased to 14:1, until now only reached in competition engines.

Petrol Skyactiv engine

The advantage of increasing the compression ratio is that it increases the thermal efficiency, which brings with it a reduction in fuel consumption.

The disadvantage in a conventional engine is self-ignition, so various measures have been taken to prevent it:

Skyactiv exhaust manifold in a petrol engine

IMA Hybrid System

Caution!! The Honda IMA system uses high-voltage circuits (158 V). For this reason, prior to working on the IMA system, turn off the main switch to cut off the electric circuit. Moreover, the operator must respect the security measures corresponding to work with cables and high voltage components.

The Honda Civic IMA (Integrated Motor Assisted) uses a hybrid system which operates in parallel with the heat engine. The heat engine is normally driven, while the electric motor assists the heat engine. The electric motor acts as a generator during deceleration and braking.

Charging electric vehicles

Charging electric vehicles 

The main advantage of an electric vehicle is that it does not emit any polluting gases during operation.

There are studies that show that with the introduction of 1000 electric vehicles in a city, 30,000 kg of polluting gases and more than 2 tons of CO2 would not be emitted per year.


The main disadvantage of these vehicles is that they are expensive and their range is usually short (100 km approximately).

Another problem that arises after purchasing an electric vehicle is where to plug it in to charge its battery. There are still insufficient charging points on urban roads, and we would need at least a regular charging point adapted for connecting a SAVE (Sistema Alimentación Vehículo Eléctrico) (Electric Vehicle Power System).

Fault in the Ford Mondeo IV adaptive headlights

Affected vehicles:

The Ford Mondeo IV has been produced since 2007 with the adaptive headlight system.

The adaptive headlight system AFS is operated by means of an automatic adjustment control for the dipped headlights which adjusts their position in accordance with the speed and steering of the vehicle under different circumstances.

The purpose of the system is to improve visibility and reduce risks due to possible dazzle that may occur while driving at night.

Noise and judder from the front brakes

In this post, a fault is considered that causes noise, vibration and judderfrom the front axle of the Audi A6 on operating the brake pedal.

The affected models are:

Audi A6 from 2002

PR: 1LB, 1LT, 1LF, 1LG, 1LA, 1LX

Note: The PRs make reference to the vehicles equipment level and are shown on the first page of the maintenance service manual.

Detail of the PR in the vehicle's service manual

Thus was Volvo born. The history of a brand

Torslanda Volvo factory, Gothenburg, Sweden

The Swedish brand Volvo, with headquarters in Gothenburg, is one of the world's leading automotive manufacturers in terms of driving safety.

In 1998, Volvo Cars became independent from the Volvo Corporation, which continues to manufacture trucks and buses and was acquired by the Ford Group.

Beginnings of the factory

Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson

On the 25th July 1924, engineer Gustaf Larson and
economist Assar Gabrielsson meet at a Stockholm restaurant, the Sturehof. After several hours of discussion, they decide to build a

Swedish car.                                                    

Volvo was established as a subsidiary of the Swedish bearings manufacturer SKF. It ceded one of its trademarks to give the name Volvo, which in Latin means "I roll", a slogan to prove the principal virtue of these bearings.

Its Initial Public Offering was in 1935 in Sweden, and SKF sold most of the shares of the company.

The first car design is completed in 1925. The first car came out of the factory on the 14th April 1927 and it was launched commercially in 1928. It was called "Jakob". Its success was so great that in six months the production planned for the model had been accomplished.

AGM Battery (Absorbent Glass Mat)

The AGM battery type application in vehicles is becoming increasingly common because manufacturers equip their vehicles with technological systems which require huge power supply for their equipment.

It should be noted that AGM batteries have become widely used as a result of the introduction of vehicles fitted with the Start & Stop system. As of today, most vehicles are equipped with this kind of batteries due to their great performance.

What is an AGM battery?

The AGM-type batteries belong to the VRLA battery family which stands for Valve Regulated Lead Acid, that is to say, they are lead acid batteries regulated by valves.

Their constitution is similar to conventional batteries; they are wet lead calcium batteries. The AGM battery has the same number of positive plates (lead peroxide) and negative plates (sponge lead) and they provide a 12-Volt nominal voltage.

The new aspect of the AGM-type batteries is that they are based on a fibreglass grid placed between the plates that absorb the electrolyte and the distilled water.

Problems with the position lights in the Renault Megane II

In this post we discuss a typical failure in the lighting system of the Renault Megane II model (all engines).

                                    

SYMPTOM

A failure in the position lights on the right side prevents them working properly. There is a high probability that the respective fuse has blown and that after replacing it the problem persists.

If the error codes are read, no stored failure will be detected concerning this problem.

MAINTENANCE SERVICE

1-  Check fuse -F7A-, of 7.5 A of the Switching and Protection Unit, which manages the following elements:

 

Right rear position lamps

Right front position lamps

Lighting of the speed control knob (if equipped with it).

Lighting of the ESP system control knob (if equipped with it).

Lighting of the sunroof control switch (if equipped with it).

Lighting of the heating button on driver and passenger seat (if equipped with it).

Lighting of gear display (automatic transmission).

   

2- Disconnect the right front and right rear pilot and operate the position light switch
. If fuse -F7A- does not blow, the problem will be in one of the two lamps, otherwise continue with the intervention plan.