Repair And Fix it

The drive shaft is a long rod or tube used to carry rotational force from a vehicles engine to the wheels. Drive shafts vary in size, configuration and features. One variation is a hollow drive shaft, used for several reasons.

Rotational Inertia

The engine would have to power the rotation of a solid piece of metal. With a hollow drive shaft, there is less mass for the engine to push and the force it produces is able to accelerate the drive train faster.

Low Cost

Making a hollow drive shaft uses less material than a solid one. With some good engineering, manufacturers can make hollow drive shafts with the same structural integrity as their solid counterparts. The saved material lowers the cost.

Fuel Efficiency

Because of the reduced rotational inertia, the engine can get the same push with less work. This translates into fuel efficiency. With less material to push, it takes less fuel to get the same acceleration.

A boron-based additive makes motor oil more slippery, according to the Argonne National Laboratory. Boric acid particles can reduce friction between engine parts in an automobile and thus reduce metal wear.

History

In 1991, scientist Ali Erdemir discovered that boric acid could make surfaces slicker than Teflon. He also found that reducing the boric acid to nanoparticles enhanced this quality by staying in suspension in motor oil rather than separating.

Fuel Savings

Reducing friction reduces the amount of energy lost as heat and results in up to a 5 percent decrease in fuel consumption. Furthermore, boric acid is cheap to make and is neither a hazardous or toxic material.

Further Developments

Some commercial motor oils with boron-derived nanoparticles are available. Erdemir expects such particles will have wider applications in other industries, including medicine, aviation and air conditioning.

An exhaust valve allows cylinder head gasses to escape, Expensive engine work is often necessary when an exhaust valve breaks. Though repair is needed once this occurs, having information on what caused the valve breakage might be important.

Types

There are two types of breakage to which exhaust valves can fall victim. One type involves a breakage where the head and the stem connect. A break can also occur at the point of the stem where the keeper-grooves have been built in.

Head Breakage

Exhaust valves can experience this type of breakage because of stretching that occurs due to constant heat. Thermal shock negatively effects exhaust valves, because sudden drops in the engines temperature causes them to break.

Stem Breakage

Heavy wear in the keeper grooves will cause the stem to snap off an exhaust valve. Constant sideloading can cause stem breakage if the stem height has not been installed correctly.

When routine maintenance is needed or when car problems arise, three main options are available. The car can be taken to the dealership, an auto repair chain shop or an independent repair shop. Auto repair chain shops offer certain advantages over the other two options.

Reduced Cost

Auto chain shops in general offer lower prices for routine maintenance, such as oil changes, explained AutoMD President Shane Evangelist. Auto repair chains often offer specials or promotions for oil changes and other basic services. Because an auto repair chain has less overhead and lower labor pricing, it can afford to offer lower prices to its customers. Also, an auto repair chain generally uses aftermarket high-quality auto parts instead of dealership factory parts. Auto repair chains often publish coupons in flyers or over the Internet that offer additional discounts.

Reputation

Because they have a reputation to uphold, auto chain shops strive to provide quality service on the first visit. According to one auto repair chain, Cottman Transmission & Total Care, many auto chain facilities are registered with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and many technicians are listed with the AAA-approved auto repair list. Like dealerships, most auto repair chains honor extended warranties on vehicles.

Various Locations

Because an auto repair chain has stores in several areas, the repair history of the vehicle will be saved in the chains computer system. This is convenient for customers who have moved to a new location or for those who for some reason need their vehicles fixed while out of town. Also, since a number of shops form part of the auto repair chain, more company resources can be shared for fixing car problems.

Knowledgeable Technicians

As many chains specialize in a certain aspects of auto repair, their technicians gain experience and efficiency in these specific fields. Unlike a dealership, they have knowledge of many different types of cars, not just one make or model. That being so, they can offer service for all the cars that a family owns. Dealerships also have to focus on selling cars, but auto repair chains are devoted exclusively to performing auto repair and maintenance.

When it comes to troubleshooting the dying battery on your 1984 BMW 318I it can be a bit tricky as there may be several reasons its happening. The most common issues involve manual error or electrical faults.

Alternator Belt

When you own an older vehicle you need to make sure youre keeping up with all maintenance, including tightening or replacing your alternator belt. If your belt is loose it will not crank the alternator properly which, in turn, will not generate electricity for you.

Key-off Drain

This model BMW has a computer on board, so having the ignition in off position and having the key removed should produce very little battery drain. If you hook up a voltmeter to the battery it should read between 20 to 50 milliamps. If its higher, then you may have an electrical device draining your battery when the cars off.

Bad Battery

Battery life is limited, so after several years of owning one if its giving you trouble, the issue just may be a bad battery. Take your car to a local mechanic, or even a parts store, and he will typically test for free and let you know if your battery is bad.

HEMI engines are some of the most powerful automobiles engines in production. According to some Dodge owners, occasionally, HEMI engines make a "ticking" noise. For the most part, the noise level increases as more miles are driven

Possible Causes

Some mechanics have reported the "ticking" noise is normal with the Dodge Ram, and several owners have stated they have had no significant problems with their HEMI engines. However, other owners have replaced the injectors, spark plugs and fuel emission system to try to lower the noise level.

Considerations

The HEMI engine is meant for a heavy duty workload. Dodge Rams with HEMI engines are meant to be work trucks and not luxury vehicles. Engine horsepower and durability should be the major concerns for Ram owners rather than noise level.

Theories/Speculation

Dodge Rams come with Check Engine lights that turn on if there is a major problem with the engine. If the Check Engine light is not on, but the noise level is still getting louder, then the noise is not interfering with the engines functionality. The noise might be more of an annoyance than a mechanical problem.