What really does cause induction contamination? - TAT - The ...

February 2012 Issue 25 

www.tat.net.au 

What really does cause 

induction contamination? 

$115 gives you: 

• 12 months subscription to TaT 

• Six magazines mailed to your postal address 

• Access to illustrated solutions on line 

• Technical assist service 

APPLY ON PAGE 28 

‘s a fact 

problem solving 

• Second-hand can sometimes 

be the key to a fix 

• Audi fans sprung in 

heated exchange

Now Available! - an OEM generic scan 

tool for DIESEL, PETROL & HYBRID 

Electrical Vehicles! 

OEM Generic Automotive Scan Tool 

Hottest new scan tool 

on the market today! 

www.gscan.com.au 

Trucks, Cars, Hybrids, 

4WD’s, Gasoline, Diesel 

& Electrical models 

call (02) 9905 8055 

for your nearest Distributor

You are no doubt familiar 

with the phrase ‘keep it 

simple, stupid’? 

It is commonly called the KISS 

principle, an acronym coined 

by a guy called Johnson, 

a senior engineer at the 

Lockheed aeroplane plant. 

The story goes that Johnson 

gave a team of design 

engineers a handful of tools, 

with the challenge that the jet 

aircraft they were designing 

must be repairable by an 

average mechanic in the field 

under combat conditions with 

only these tools. 

I’ve often wondered why the 

word ‘stupid’ was added, 

but apparently it refers to 

the relationship between the 

way things break and the 

sophistication available to fix 

them. 

Johnson’s KISS principle is 

obviously unknown to the car 

design industry. 

with Ken Newton 

It seems to be a race between 

sophisticated technology, and 

the sophisticated tools needed 

to fix it. 

Which brings me to the point. 

The vehicle world has become 

so complex that the skills and 

tools of the mechanic who was 

once able to fix anything and 

everything are now more likely 

to be found in a museum than 

in a workshop. 

I once knew an old mechanic 

who showed me his main 

diagnostic tool. It was huge 

screwdriver, the old fashioned 

type where the metal shaft 

extended through to the top of 

the wooden handle. He would 

start an engine and used the 

screwdriver like a stethoscope, 

placing it on top of or against 

various parts of the engine. 

He cupped his hand around 

the handle and pressed his ear 

against his hand. He claimed 

he could hear the innards of 

the engine and the sounds and 

vibrations he picked up would 

tell him where the problem 

was. 

So working on the premise that 

no single human being can 

possibly know enough to be 

able to fix any problem in any 

make of vehicle, one can only 

conclude that technicians and 

mechanics today need a lot of 

help. 

There’s plenty of it around, 

including TaT. 

But there is a real danger of 

being swamped by too much 

information. More information, 

you might think, should be 

useful, but only if you can 

interpret it. 

Our own TaT specialists are 

often heard to say ‘Google it’. 

It’s amazing what you will find 

on the internet. But beware, a 

lot of it is rubbish. 

Beware of social media too. It’s 

not so much the accuracy of 

the information you will find on 

Google or on social media. It’s 

about wasting time. 

A recent survey of companies 

and their workers revealed 

that all workers are already 

overloaded, with a majority 

claiming they can’t make sense 

of the data they already have. 

And it’s getting worse. 

The deluge of data is expected 

to grow by 40 times in the next 

seven years or so. 

So here’s my contribution to 

your New Year’s resolution list. 

Concentrate on a handful of 

known and trusted sources 

of information. Of course I 

will nominate TaT at the top 

of the list, but it could contain 

data and wiring diagram 

providers like Autodata and 

Boyce, networks like Bosch, 

or perhaps some friendly 

wholesaler reps. 

But keep it simple. That’s what 

we aim to do at TaT. 

Simple, straight forward 

information from people just 

like you who work on the 

workshop floor every day. Trust 

me, it’s one network you can 

trust. 

The TaT team 

Contents 

Publisher 

The Automotive Technician Pty Ltd 

ABN 27 121 589 802 

72 Holtermann Street 

CROWS NEST NSW 2065 

tat@tat.net.au 

Ph 1300 828 000 

Fax 1300 828 100 

Editor in chief 

Ken Newton 

knewton@tat.net.au 

0438 569 517 

Fax 1300 828 100 

Editorial and online 

assistant 

Tony Wragg 

twragg@tat.net.au 

Technical editor 

Jeff Smit 

jsmit@tat.net.au 

1300 828 000 

Technical research 

Deyan Barrie 

dbarrie@tat.net.au 

02 9476 6277 

Technical advisers 

Jack Stepanian 

Nick Murphy 

nmurphy@tat.net.au 

Wayne Broady 

www.broadyauto.com.au 

Gil Sher 

gil@bigpond.com 

Columnists 

Julian Hentze – Georgia USA 

Hayley Windsor – Australia 

Reader 

Bron Robinson 

Advertising inquiries 

Jeff Smit 

jsmit@tat.net.au 

02 9966 8600 

Graphic design 

Russell Jones 

Russell Jones Graphic Design 

07 5532 2840 0411 817 012 

rjdesign2@optusnet.com.au 

Printing 

McPherson’s Printing Group 

5-7 Dunlop Rd 

Mulgrave VIC 3170 

www.mcphersonsprinting.com.au 

Affiliated associations 

VASA secretary@vasa.org.au 

AAAA member info@aaaa.com.au 

Capricorn Society Alliance Supplier 

•TaT Assist •TaT Chat •TaT Train 

•TaT’s a fact •Tips for TaT • TaT Biz 

are all registered trade names of 

The Automotive Technician Pty Ltd. 


publishes technical advice and 

actual case studies for the 

purpose of educating technicians. 

These advices are given in good 

faith, and are based on actual 

workshop repairs. No guarantee is 

given, nor any liability accepted in 

respect to any published advice. 


is not responsible for the accuracy 

of any information contained in 

material submitted by third parties 

and published in this magazine and 

accepts no liability in relation to 

such materials or their content. 

Newsworthy articles or comments 

are welcomed, and should be 

submitted to the editor in chief. 

All material appearing in The 

Automotive Technician is copyright. 

Reproduction in whole or in part is 

illegal without prior written consent 

from the editor in chief. 

All advertisers agree to indemnify 

the publisher for all damages or 

liabilities arising from their published 

or unpublished material. 

Induction contamination……………4 – 7 

You get what you pay for………………7 

Regular a/c service saves plenty…………9 

A car full of ideas………………………9 

Throwing some light on the lights………10 

Good vibrations for accessory unit drive…11 

Strike a light on a weird problem………14 

Top Tools – ignition analyser……………15 

Tat’s a facts………………………16 – 17 

Murphy’s Law – a diagnostic path………18 

Mitsubishi plug-in SUV…………………19 

Don’t ignore the pollen filter…………21 

Street Cred with Hayley Windsor………22 

Oil and water just don’t mix……………23 

A/c and communication……………24 – 25 

V8 racer stays cool on the track………26 

Letter from America……………………26 

The quick and the dead………………28 

When all else fails, try cleaning it………28 

TaT’s interesting………………………30 

Geoff Mutton’s business tips…………30 

The Automotive Technician is a member of the 

Circulations Audit Board. 

Audit period, 1st April to 30th September 2011. 

Average net distribution 9,974. 

The Automotive Technician 3

Induction is the stage of the 

working cycle of an engine 

in which the fuel and air is 

drawn into the cylinders. 

Contamination means to 

make impure by exposure 

to or addition of a polluting 

substance. 

Induction contamination means 

any change from the original state 

of the complete intake system, fuel 

or air, of a vehicle. The air intake 

system includes the air filter box, air filter, 

air intake hoses, throttle body or butterfly 

unit, inlet manifold, engine valves and even 

the cylinder bores. 

The incidence of vehicles losing power 

and performance because of some form of 

induction restriction is increasing greatly. 

TaT sees evidence of this problem through 

the increasing numbers of TaT assist 

requests. Some of the pictures showing 

serious build-up of carbon have come 

from TaT workshops and others from our 

subscribers. 

It raises the 

question – what’s 

changed? 

And what do the aftermarket workshops 

need to know? Is there a need for some 

education of the motoring public? Can the 

contamination trend be slowed or reversed 

through some preventative measures? 

Many things are blamed for the build-up of 

carbon in inlet manifolds – poor fuel quality, 

poor or incorrect engine oil, engine design 

and even driving styles. 

Sometimes technology generates new 

problems. Is the build-up of carbon in the 

intake system one of them? 

Take the inlet manifold, for example. Once, 

there was a carburetor sitting on top of 

the engine. Fuel was delivered above the 

throttle plates, which were awash in petrol, 

one of the world’s great solvents. 

So carbon could not build up because of 

the washing action of swirling, fuel laden 

air. 

It’s fairly common now to find vehicles 

with very dirty inlet manifolds and throttle 

bodies bad enough 

to cause some 

The Automotive Technician 4 

The next 

plague… 

INDUCTION 

CONTAMINATION 

by Jeff Smit 

components to stick and fail. Customers 

complain of a loss of power or poor fuel 

economy. 

Vehicles began suffering from induction 

contamination with the introduction of the 

first electronic fuel injection (EFI) systems. 

While these systems bring many benefits, 

including improved performance, fuel 

economy and lower emission output, they 

are subject to intake and throttle bore 

contamination problems. Once fuel was 

stopped from passing through the throttle 

bore, contaminants began to build up. 

Eventually, those carbon deposits must be 

removed to restore engine performance. 

Strict environmental controls, Euro 4 

emissions standards, and consumer 

demands for better fuel economy and 

performance forced design engineers to 

develop direct injection systems for both 

petrol and diesel engines. These systems 

took the introduction of the fuel away from 

the inlet manifold altogether. 

So yet again the introduction of new and 

supposedly better systems has by their 

very design caused a spin-off problem. 

There appears to be no single reason for 

a build-up of contaminants in the intake 

systems, and it seems some makes and 

models suffer more than others. 

Source of 

contamination 

Carbon build-up around the throttle body, 

throttle bore and inlet manifold restricts 

the airflow into the engine cylinders. 

Such an obstruction will result in a poor 

idle, a stalling condition and a drop in 

performance and fuel economy. The 

most common source of 

these deposits is from the 

combustion and crankcase 

gases. 

The combination of the 

gases from the positive 

crankcase ventilation (PCV) 

system and from the exhaust 

gas recirculation (EGR) system 

will, in most cases, cause the 

intake contamination, more so when 

the PCV and the EGR points are 

positioned near the throttle 

plate. The EGR gases mix 

with the gases from the PCV 

system to form the gummy or 

waxy residue. 

The piston strokes and the 

negative to positive pressure 

pulsations direct the gases 

towards the throttle body, 

where they are baked on due 

to the intense heat. Foreign and 

domestic vehicles suffer equally. 

Engine PCV system 

The vapours that end up in an engine’s 

crankcase contain moisture as well as 

combustion by-products and unburned 

fuel vapours. The crankcase is sealed to 

prevent the escape of these gases into 

the atmosphere, but the vapours must 

be removed to prevent oil contamination 

that leads to sludge formation. The PCV 

system siphons these vapours from the 

crankcase and routes them into the intake 

manifold so they can be reburned in the 

engine. 

The main component in the PCV system is 

the PCV valve, which is usually located in 

the valve cover. A hose connects the PCV 

valve to the intake manifold. 

The PCV valve is spring-loaded with a 

specific orifice size designed to restrict the 

amount of air siphoned from the crankcase 

into the intake manifold. This is necessary 

because air drawn through the valve from 

the crankcase has a leaning effect on the 

fuel mixture, much the same as a vacuum 

leak. So airflow through the valve must 

be controlled within certain limits. At idle, 

air flow is reduced because little blow-by 

is produced. When the engine is cruising 

and vacuum is high, airflow through the 

PCV valve is at a maximum to purge the 

vapours from the crankcase. 

EGR system 

A chemistry lesson on NOx first. 

The ‘x’ in NOx stands for the various 

oxides of nitrogen that are created. Among 

them are: NO (nitric oxide), a colorless, 

poisonous gas; NO 2 

(nitrogen dioxide) 

which is a reddish brown, toxic gas; and 

N 2 

O (nitrous oxide) which is commonly 

known as laughing gas. 

Environmental imperatives will demand 

continuing control of nitrogen oxide 

emissions. Most of the carbon monoxide 

and almost 50 per cent of the nitrogen 

oxides and hydrocarbons come from 

burning petrol and diesel fuels in cars and 

trucks. Nitrogen oxides are only created at 

very high temperatures and pressures, as 

found in automotive engines. 

Basic EGR operation 

NOx forms under high pressures and 

temperatures found in the combustion 

chamber, so it can be controlled by

educing the compression or the 

temperature in the combustion chamber. 

Emission control engineers chose the 

latter. Temperature is controlled by 

introducing a metered amount of inert gas 

into the cylinder to partially quench the fire. 

The result is that the fire in the combustion 

chamber is less intense. EGR exhaust 

gas occupies space that would otherwise 

contain air. With EGR, the fire is more like 

a smoldering pile of leaves than a blast 

furnace. Exhaust gas was chosen because 

it is free and plentiful. EGR reduces the 

formation of NOx up to 60 per cent. The 

cat usually cleans up much of the rest. 

The EGR valve would normally open 

during light throttle and warm engine 

cruising and channel the exhaust gases 

back into the engine’s inlet air. It doesn’t 

take much. EGR accounts for less than 

10 per cent of the total air/fuel mixture but 

even this small amount of non-flammable 

stuff is enough to quench the flame 

somewhat. 

There are a number of EGR system 

types: 

• Ported 

(late 1960s to present) 

• Positive backpressure 

(1970s to present) 

• Negative backpressure 

(1970s to present) 

• Pulse-width modulated 

(early 1980s to present) 

• Digital–electronic 

(late 1980 to early 1990s) 

• Linear–electronic 

(early 1990s to present) 

It’s the later model types that are linked 

with the direct injection systems which 

concern technicians today. 

Symptoms of EGR 

malfunction 

The EGR system is often misdiagnosed 

or blamed for problems that may not be 

its fault, including hard starting, stalling 

and hesitation during warm-up, rough 

idle, missing, spark knock, backfiring and 

loss of power. Sure, the EGR system can 

cause these symptoms, but so can other 

components and systems. Don’t jump to 

any conclusions until you have checked 

the basics. One common reason is carbon 

build-up in the intake system. 

It appears that with the introduction 

of the Euro 4 emission standards, the 

EGR system may be operating in many 

more situations than in previous models, 

sometimes at idle. 

The build-up of contamination in the intake 

system can be caused by a number of 

possible factors. First, the engine needs 

to be in good working order so that the 

PCV gases are as low as possible and as 

clean as possible. This is 

where correct and regular 

servicing, as well as quality 

and correct engine and drive 

train oils, are very important. 

It is TaT’s belief that many 

technicians would claim that the 

servicing schedule for the modern 

vehicle is too stretched out. 

Car makers have been promoting 

low cost service, but this has had 

the effect of teaching vehicle 

owners that they can get away 

with one service a year or even 

worse, every 18 months. This 

puts the engine under high stress, 

causing excessive build-up of PCV 

gases. 

Then we add the EGR to the 

equation. The EGR valve is now 

operating more frequently and even at idle, 

this high heat coupled with the excessive 

PCV gases entering the intake system 

triggers the process of carbon build-up. 

At first it doesn’t cause too many problems. 

But as time goes on, with stretched out 

servicing and a quick oil and filter change, 

the build-up continues. Eventually, the 

build-up causes more issues with poor 

performance and fuel economy which in 

turn cause more PCV gases. Eventually 

the EGR valve won’t seat correctly and 

allows EGR gases to enter the throttle 

body at idle and compound the problem. 

Some of the worst cases we have seen 

have been on common rail diesel vehicles. 

A lot has been said about the quality of 

diesel fuel, and perhaps this is a small 

contributor to the problem. There have 

been issues with vehicles losing power 

and becoming barely driveable. The top 

part of the inlet manifold is found to be 

choked with carbon. In some cases the 

inlet manifolds have had to be replaced 

because of the extent of the contamination 

and damage to the manifolds. 

There have been stories that some 

technicians have even blocked off the EGR 

system and fitted oil traps in the PCV lines. 

TaT has heard that manufacturers are 

working on software upgrades to try and 

minimise the problem, but this may not be 

enough. 

There are many good products available 

which can help clean and maintain the inlet 

manifold. 

The BG product for both petrol and diesel 

engines is one that we know works very 

well, and there are no doubt others. 

It’s a problem which will need some 

customer education so that the clearning 

and servicing of the throttle body and inlet 

manifold are included as an important 

part of every service. You owe it to your 

customers to let them know about this 

issue so that you can at least ensure 

continued top performance of later model 

vehicles. 

TaT invites 

technicians 

to share their 

knowledge of this 

problem because the industry 

is only now seeing the early stages of 

contamination. 

Please send your photos and your 

remedies. 

TaT will continue to cover this important 

subject. In the meantime, the TaT field 

specialists were invited to share their 

experiences. 

Anthony Tydd: 

From what I have seen it’s the turbo 

diesels that have the biggest problem, 

probably due to the engine trying to 

recirculate soot back into the inlet. 

The Mercedes Vitos and the VW soot up 

big time in the inlet. I have seen them so 

bad I have tried to scrape the carbon out 

so the engine could breathe. 

I am surprised manufacturers have not 

played more with water injection at the 

throttle body to cool the charge and clean 

the inlet shiny new. 

Ask any mechanic who has done a Ford 

head gasket and you will find that the 

cylinder that has been getting water into it 

will have a shiny piston top and polished 

like an exhaust valve. 

The diesel engine may not be as 

accommodating to my idea as the petrol 

engine. 

A lot of turbo engines seem to seep oil past 

the turbo bush and back into the inlet tract 

which is another compounding problem for 

inlet contamination. 

I believe the biggest cause of carbon 

build-up would be the use of low grade oils 

or too long an interval between services. 

Either of these would cause carbon buildup 

and feedback into the inlet via EGRs 

and rocker cover breather (the baffles 

inside to separate oil from blow-by gas). 

I have seen rocker cover breathers block 

up due to lack of oil changes. The vent 

galleries close up and become venturi-like, 

increasing the air speed and dragging oil 

into the inlet. 


In one such case, a dealership quoted on 

a new engine because of oil usage. The 

customer wanted a second opinion and we 

cleaned out the rocker covers and it was all 

fixed with no more oil usage. 

The early Daihatsus had a breather 

hose from the rocker cover to the intake 

manifold. It had a restrictor in it. When 

it got blocked, a new vacuum hose was 

usually fitted, ignoring the restrictor and of 

course it started sucking oil while driving. 

Most of the Saab diesels would have 

logged a fault code before 110,000 

kilometres due to the EGR being blocked. 

They are easy to unblock and free up if 

seized and my take on it is that the diesels 

are made for long driving, not for putting 

around town like Miss Daisy. Turbos hate 

this too. People who have no intention of 

using the turbo, shouldn’t buy one. People 

buy diesels because they can get seven 

litres per 100 kilometres but they putt 

around their suburbs and rarely give the 

engine a chance to breathe. This is why a 

lot of them have blocked particulate filters 

as well. 

Jason Smith: 

Petrol engines 

I have been cleaning throttle bodies for 

more than 20 years expecially in the 

early days when no one else would do it. 

If the car had a rough or low idle, many 

mechanics would wrongly adjust the 

throttle plate stop screw to bring the idle 

up. This then created a problem. After 

cleaning the very dirty throttle body, the 

car would idle far too fast. A base idle reset 

had to be done to make the car right again. 

I have always used a toothbrush and the 

appropriate cleaning solution and found 

this did the job quite well. A large workshop 

I once worked in reported a saving in 

the amount of throttle body cleaner they 

were using after adopting my toothbrush 

techique for all the mechanics. 

Cleaning throttle bodies has now become 

a crucial part of servicing late model 

vehicles. 

A 120 series 2006 Prado which had always 

been dealer serviced was brought to me 

for a major service. The throttle body was 

extremely dirty. Having said that, I admit it 

is not an easy throttle body to check and 

clean. 

After cleaning the throttle bodies on these 

cars, the engine idles all over the place. A 

tip – either perform a relearn with the scan 

tool or take the car for a long road test. 

Even after this, the car will still need a day 

or two for the idle to settle down. 

Dedicated throttle body and intake cleaning 

and decarbon machines are available now. 

These can clean the throttle body, butterfly 

face and behind the butterfly face. 

They can also do the inlet runners, the 

backs of the valves and some claim the 

oxygen sensor as well. 

I am getting excellent results from one 

of these machines, especially with BAs, 

BFs and Territories which are a little off at 

idle. Perform the upper engine clean and 

decarbon, replace the plugs and they purr 

like kittens. It’s also another way to make 

a dollar. 

More tips – It is a good idea to replace 

the spark plugs after performing the upper 

engine clean and decarbon and not before. 

Sometimes, when performing the clean, a 

fault code can be logged in the ECU, so it 

will need to be cleared. 

Diesel engines 

Complaints about late models with very 

dirty inlet manifolds are increasing. There 

are rumours that manufacturers might have 

to rethink their EGR strategy, so stay tuned 

for this. But I don’t know how they will get 

around this to comply with strict emission 

specs. 

Maurice Donovan: 

Many people blame the EGR for the 

carbon build-up. This is justifiable because 

the EGR is recycling exhaust gas back into 

the induction system. There is a general 

opinion that unburnt fuel gas is the biggest 

cause of the build-up inside the intake 

system. 

* 

Tougher driving, 

quieter braking... 

Bendix 4WD brake pads now come 

with STEALTH Advanced Technology, 

delivering smoother and 

quieter operation. 

Bendix engineers have used high tech laser and dynamometer equipment to 

study the surface contact between each individual brake pad and rotor, and 

identified the optimum contact surface area. The result is STEALTH Advanced 

Technology. These new 4WD pads deliver whisper quiet braking, silky smooth 

operation and noticeably less dust. 

This revolutionary innovation means: 

» Whisper quiet braking 

» Noise and vibration virtually eliminated 

» Silky smooth operation 

» Unrivalled stopping performance 

» Noticeably less dust 

» Long wearing 

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

Freecall the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 

(8am-5pm Monday to Friday EST) or +61 3 5327 0211 from overseas. 

Or visit bendix.com.au or bendix.co.nz 

Bendix is a trademark of Honeywell International Inc. 

*Not applicable to all part numbers. 

LEADING 

TECHNOLOGY 

BEST 

RANGE 

WIDEST 

COVERAGE 

OF CARS 

Put your foot down with confidence 


I still believe if a fuel is poor quality or if 

the mixture is over rich caused by leaking 

injectors, more of this unburnt fuel will be 

left in the intake system and cause sludge. 

However, I am starting to think that 

crankcase oil caught up in the breather and 

entering the intake system may be a bigger 

issue then we realise. Some years back I 

was involved with the import and servicing 

of the Toyota Surfs 2 litre and 1KZ engines. 

They had a major problem with oil entering 

the intake system. 

At the time I put it down to bad design 

in the engine breathing system. I had 

modified the breather, fitting steel wool 

inside, and when that did not work I 

redesigned the inside of the rocker cover 

with bigger chambers and more baffles and 

even this did not work. I also had turbos 

rebuilt to ensure that they were not the 

culprit. 

No matter what I tried I could not solve this 

problem. The Toyota Estima with the layon-the-side 

3CT engine is even worse. 

I have this unproven theory that when the 

turbo is on boost it would pressurise the 

engine through the breather. When the 

turbo comes off boost, the pressure being 

released from the turbo creates a vacuum 

and draws the oil up into the intake system. 

I have in the past blocked off EGR systems 

in Surfs due to running factors, but this 

has not stopped the build-up forming in the 

intake system. The issue of poor quality 

fuel being the cause is another argument 

and possibly has some truth, but I have 

witnessed badly sludged build-up in the 

diesel intake systems on used engines that 

are straight out of Japan. I have been told 

that Japan has a better quality of fuel than 

ours. 

With the advent of common rail direct 

injection, it would seem that the intake 

build-up has escalated to plague 

proportions. 

I admit I have been 

blaming the poor fuel 

and the EGR. But after 

my experience with 

a Hilux I am starting 

to think back to all my 

past experiences and I 

continue to question the 

main cause of this sludge. 

I do not know why common 

rail systems appear to have a 

much bigger issue and this is another 

issue I would like to investigate. 

Many people blame everything to do with 

diesel sludge as a fuel issue and I know 

this is not always the case. It’s a problem 

we all need to understand. 

It is not enough to have the best product on 

the market to clean this sludge out of the 

induction system. The fact is, there should 

never be this much sludge in the first place. 

I realise petrol engines also have problems 

and I am comfortable with the fact that our 

fuel quality has a lot to do with this as well 

as other factors. Generally speaking, petrol 

engines, if serviced regularly and with the 

right fuel treatments and the necessary 

induction servicing, will keep most petrol 

engine intake systems under control. 

I have been using the BG products for 

both the petrol and diesel engines for 

some time and have found 

them to be very good. Most 

customers comment 

on how well their 

vehicles are running 

after the induction 

system has been 

cleaned. It’s not 

hard to understand 

that the engine can 

then breathe properly 

again. 

TaT and its specialist 

workshops are highlighting this 

growing problem in the hope that some 

answers might emerge, either from fellow 

workshop technicians or from engine 

specialists. 

In the meantime, working on the principle 

that shared knowledge is worthwhile, TaT 

invites technicians to send in their photos 

and ideas about contamination build-up in 

engines. Only by sharing examples and 

techniques will we ever find the truth. 

YOU 

SAID 

IT! 

You get what 

you pay for 

This fuel filter was removed 

from a customer’s Jackaroo. 

Once out of the car, I did the 

normal procedure and drained 

it, and then I noticed a jingling 

noise coming from inside the 

filter like something was loose.  

My curiosity was aroused, so in 

an idle moment I cut it open and 

flopping around inside was the 

inside end cap which had come 

away from the glue that bonds 

it.   Therefore, the fuel filter was 

not working at all.   When I see 

things like this, it justifies my 

decision to always use premium 

quality parts.     

Jason Smith  

JDS Automotive  

MOOROOLBARK VIC 

(The real question this little 

story raises is: would a supplier 

of a cheap filter, used in a late 

model vehicle, come to the 

party when serious damage 

is caused to the engine 

because of contamination. 

In our view, it’s possible for a 

high performance engine to 

be destroyed if particles in the 

fuel were not captured by an 

effective filter. Why would you 

use cheap and nasty parts 

which can often come back and 

bite the person who installed 

them. Money is no longer an 

excuse in these situations. Ed)  


At last, an 

air conditioning 

cleaning service 

supported by 

science. 

Air conditioning service programs have often been synonymous with 

gimmicky science and questionable effectiveness. The Rid Odor Pro service 

is supported by independent testing and the reassurance that thousands of 

workshops, hire car fleets, emergency services, taxis and even airlines use 

Rid Odor Pro worldwide, as their air conditioning service product of choice. 

• FIVE MINUTE service (cars) 

• $60.00 + GST service cost to motorist 

• No quibble, twelve month effectiveness guarantee 

• Free reception area point of sale & mirror hangers 

• Available in both ‘New Car’ and Leather scents 

• Free applicator tool for new customers before 

December 31st 2011 (conditions apply) 

View the Rid Odor Pro demonstration video at: 

http://www.ridodor.com/videos.php 

• Permanently destroys tobacco, food and 

beverage, body and dampness odours. 

• Full point of sale promotional support for 

participating service centres. 

Streptococcus pyogenes 

Ulocadium chartarum 

Aspergillus niger 

Penicillum purporogenum 

Staphylococcus aureus 

MRSA 

Trichophyton metagrophytes 

100% kill 

100% kill 

100% kill 

100% kill 

100% kill 

99% kill 

99% kill 

Authorised and exclusive Australian distributors of: 

Essential Service Programs 

Ph: 02 9911 4096 

Email: enquiries@espro.com.au 

www.espro.com.au 


Regular a/c service saves plenty 

Vehicle air conditioning 

specialists have been advising 

their customers for years that 

a minimum annual service on air 

conditioning systems will save money 

in the end. 

Now, one of the world’s leading suppliers 

in the field of thermal management, Behr 

Hella, has delivered proof that commercial 

vehicle air conditioning units, serviced at 

least every six months, will save money. 

The company’s thermal experts 

say regular servicing reduces the 

fuel consumption caused by the air 

conditioning system. 

Air conditioning units which are not 

serviced properly are veritable gas 

guzzlers. Behr Hella research has 

revealed that a commercial vehicle air 

conditioning unit consumes around 0.6 

litres more fuel per 100 kilometres when 

not serviced regularly. 

A commercial vehicle that travels 125,000 

kilometres each year and uses the air 

conditioning unit 60 per cent of the time 

on average, will consume up to 450 litres 

more fuel each year. 

Fuel saving aside, regular servicing will 

also prevent high repair costs. 

For example, the oil circulating with the 

refrigerant lubricates the air conditioning 

compressor. Every year, up to 10 per cent 

of this refrigerant escapes through natural 

evaporation, which can cause compressor 

failure due to lack of lubrication. The 

evaporator can become the cause of many 

problems given that it is a significant part 

of the air-conditioning unit. 

Condensation forms in its fins and over 

time bacteria, fungi and micro-organisms 

accumulate. This can endanger the health 

of the driver and passengers so the 

evaporator must be disinfected regularly. 

Behr Hella 1800 061 729   

custservice@ha.hella.com 

A car full of ideas 

The German auto manufacturing giant, Schaeffler Group, 

has developed a car full of ideas called the Schaeffler 

Hybrid. 

The vehicle is part of a project that enables a practical comparison 

of the options available for e-mobility (mobile and wireless 

communication). 

Various driving conditions can be switched on and off in the 

Schaeffler Hybrid. These options range from using a combustion 

engine, operation as a parallel hybrid or serial hybrid to operation 

using the electric motor only. 

The combustion engine can power the vehicle and be coupled 

for use as a range extender. An automated manual transmission 

increases the options available. 

The transmission incorporates clutch products specially matched 

to the requirements of hybrid vehicles from the Schaeffler brand 

LuK. The energy store, which is a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery 

(400 V, 400 A), is charged by means of energy recovery, the range 

extender and also via an external power supply (plug-in hybrid). 

The unit comprises a liquid-cooled 50 kW and 95 Nm electric 

motor. ‘eWheel Drive’ is the name that has been given to the 

wheel hub motors. Motors mounted in the Schaeffler Hybrid have 

an output of around 50 kW each and torque of around 530 Nm. 

Accordingly, these wheel hub motors form a compact unit that 

integrates wheel bearing, drive and brake. 

An important advantage of these drive units is the fact that they 

can be integrated into an existing vehicle platform without any 

major changes to the vehicle architecture. 

The eWheel Drive features an appealing torque development as 

well as a remarkably low noise level. 


YOU 

SAID 

IT! 

Throwing some light 

on the lights 

corrosion on the pins where 

the controller plugs onto the 

headlight. 

The controller pushes up onto 

the headlight and the seal isn’t 

good enough. Bumper removal 

is required. 

This car came in with one 

headlight out. 

Anthony Tydd 

Briggs Automotive 

BENDIGO VIC 

It was fitted with the Xenon 

type globe, which cost a mint. 

The hardest bit to figure 

out with most vehicles that 

incorporate the Xenon 

headlight is whether it’s the 

$200 globe or the even more 

expensive igniter. 

If the fuse is blown for the 

relevant headlight it will most 

likely be water damage in 

the controller, which causes 

(Thanks Anthony. And here’s 

another story. A trade customer 

came to me with a globe in 

his hot little hand and asked 

if I had one. He had no clue 

what he was holding. It was an 

HID globe worth a couple of 

hundred bucks. He asked if I 

could test it. The answer was 

‘no, bring me the car’. 

Guess what – he gets a new 

globe from Honda, and it 

doesn’t work. 

He brings the car back to 

me and bleats that he is 

now in trouble because he 

underquoted the job for 

insurance and would be out of 

pocket if I charged him a lot to 

fix it. 

We grabbed the old globe 

and put it into the good 

headlight and it worked. Next 

we checked the fuses and 

replaced a blown fuse in the 

offending headlight. It blew 

again. To prove it was the 

controller we removed the 

other headlight assembly and 

swapped the modules over 

and sure enough the other side 

blew the fuse. The customer, 

armed with the bad news, 

ordered a new module and 

we fitted it as required. Deyan 

Barrie) 


Good vibrations for accessory unit drive 

The engine combustion cycle 

accelerates and decelerates the 

rotary motion of the crankshaft. This 

rotational imbalance is transferred to the 

front end accessory unit drive. 

1. 

and improve the service life of belt drive 

components and fuel consumption. 

For a long time, the rigid belt pulley (pic 2) 

was the standard pulley used on an alternator. 

With a design pre-dating V-ribbed pulleys with 

3. 5. 

recommends replacement at a service interval. 

A decoupler (pic 3) is an alternator belt pulley 

that powers the alternator by means of a 

soft torsion spring. It absorbs the rotational 

imbalance, thus preventing torque fluctuations. 

Sample assembly drive indicating vibrations caused 

by the use of a conventional rigid belt pulley on an 

alternator. 

As a result, the belt is subjected to strong 

vibrations (pic 1) causing unpleasant juddering 

noises. Increased torque fluctuations and 

extreme forces can occur on the alternator in 

particular. 

Two key pieces of technology have been tested 

with the aim of combating these negative 

effects on the assembly drive – overrunning 

alternator pulley and decoupler. These 

components will enhance driving comfort 

2. 

Rigid belt pulley 

Decoupler 

(1) Ball bearing (2) Clutch (3) Friction bearing 

(4) Torsion spring (5) Outer ring with moulded race 

(6) Cover 

one groove, the rigid belt pulleys have been 

developed further so that they can be used with 

modern V-ribbed belts with multiple grooves. 

The sole function of the rigid belt pulley is to 

drive the alternator by means of the looped 

belt. The belt needs to be replaced only in 

the event of damage, corrosion or significant 

wear and tear, unless the vehicle manufacturer 

4. 

Overrunning alternator pulley 

(1) Serrated inner ring (2) Radial support bearing 

(3) Overrunning clutch unit (4) Seals (5) Outer ring 

with moulded race (6) Cover 

Special tools for fitting and removing different 

overrunning alternator pulleys. 

The dynamic forces on the component bearing 

points within the assembly drive decrease, 

while the belt tensioner and the V-ribbed belt 

are protected against damage. 

An overrunning alternator pulley (pic 4,5) 

features an overrunning clutch unit. This 

enables the alternator to be decoupled from the 

rotational imbalance on the crankshaft and the 

effects of the alternator’s moment of inertia on 

the assembly drive and the belt vibrations are 

significantly reduced as a result. 

The force within the assembly drive is reduced, 

and the tensioner, pulleys and belts are 

subjected to smaller loads and have a longer 

service life. 

Schaeffler provided valuable assistance in the 

preparation of this article.To order your copy 

of the INA technical movie comparing Overrun 

Alternator Pulley (OAP), Overrun Alternator 

Decoupler (OAD) and solid pulleys, please 

contact: 

02 8977 1038 INA-AS.au@Schaeffler.com 


PERFORMANCE INNOVATION 

DEVELOPED EXCLUSIVELY 

BY, WITH AND FOR EXPERTS 

Introducing our new range of Castrol Professional 

engine oils, now micro filtered to some of 

the world’s leading new car manufacturer 

requirements when filling new vehicle engines 

for the first time. When supported by the strong 

and powerful Castrol brand, this latest Castrol 

Professional product innovation has been proven 

through customer research to be an advantage 

your customers value. 


Please contact your local Castrol Account 

Manager or Regional Manager to hear more 

about these exciting Castrol Professional 

innovations and the host of additional service 

programmes developed exclusively for you and 

your Professional Workshop. 

Castrol Regional Managers 

QLD Bob Scholz 07 3850 9311 

NSW Gary Macbeth 02 9795 4822 

VIC/SA/TAS David Mellington 03 9268 4294 

WA David Gibson 08 9268 9196 


YOU 

SAID 

IT! 

Strike a light – what 

a weird problem 

The tail light fuse 

A Toyota Corolla, an ex hire 

car, had a dodgy headlight 

switch. 

It was a 8/2007 Toyota 

Corolla ZRE152 with a 

2ZR-FE engine and 82,000 

kilometres on the clock. 

The customer complained 

that the dash lights didn’t 

work sometimes. 

I found the park and tail lights 

were not working either when 

the dash lights failed. When 

this happened, sometimes 

if the switch was left on for 

a few minutes, the park lights 

would eventually start working 

and sometimes stop working. 

It was a weird problem. 

Other lights checked OK 

as did the fuses under the 

bonnet. The fuse box is inside 

the car just under the glove 

box. 

I found no power to the 

tail light fuse with the park 

lights switched on and park 

lights not working. When they 

started working, the fuse then 

had power. Performed basic 

wiring checks and then moved 

to the headlight switch. 

Removed the steering 

column shroud to expose the 

headlight switch wiring and 

connector. 

Later I pulled the rear cover 

off the old headlight switch 

and found the park light 

switch contacts and pin 

junction appeared to be the 

problem. 

The action of unplugging 

and reconnecting the wiring 

harness at the back of the 

headlight switch made the 

lights start working most of 

the time. The slight movement 

of the pin inside the light 

switch was just enough for 

the circuit to work. 

In case anyone is wondering– 

Inside the fuse box 

The headlight switch wires 

were given a good tug and 

they seemed OK. The power 

and earths were OK. The 

problem was so unpredictable 

and intermittent. 

Instant Credit with hundreds of Top Name Suppliers | One Consolidated 

Monthly Statement | Reward points with every purchase | FREE Online 

Service Data | Social Events ...and more 

Established in 1975 as a buying co-operative for the automotive service and repair industry in Australia, 

Capricorn Society Limited has grown to represent over 14,000 members in three countries, that collectively 

purchased over AU $900 million in products and services from a network of over 2,200 preferred suppliers 

accross three countries. With member benefits such as our own travel agency, our own insurance alternative 

and many great financial services, shouldn’t you be a member too ? To find out more, please visit our 

website at www.capricorn.coop 


if YOU run 

a business 

in the 

Automotive 

Industry... 

...then you 

NEED to 

know about 

Capricorn..... 

Capricorn Society Limited - Registered under the Corporations Act 2001 ACN 008 347 

When I disconnected and 

reconnected the wiring 

harness to the headlight 

switch, the park lights would 

start to work most of the time. 

The wiring connector and pins 

were also checked but the 

problem didn’t appear to be 

in the wiring. It seemed to be 

the headlight switch. I tapped 

the headlight switch and still 

no luck. 

After using a test light I 

was able to confirm that the 

headlight switch internal 

contacts were the problem 

and that explained why it was 

so intermittent. 

To replace the headlight 

switch, the driver’s airbag, 

steering wheel and clock 

spring must be removed, so 

follow all precautions when 

working with airbags. 

The suspect headlight switch 

was replaced, all parts refitted 

and the system tested. 

Everything, including the park 

lights were working fine. 

Time taken was approximately 

two hours. 

Inspecting the 

old switch 

The switch location 

yes, you probably could 

clean the contacts and better 

secure the pin junction, but 

I would always recommend 

replacing the switch to avoid 

any possibility of lights failure 

at night. 

Jason Smith 

JDS Automotive 

MOOROOLBARK VIC

with Jeff Smit Multisystem 

Ignition Analyser 

W 

orkshops are 

constantly on the 

lookout for equipment or 

tools that make the job 

of diagnosing problem 

vehicles easier and more 

accurate. 

A good one to start the year 

is the TA500 Multisystem 

Ignition Analyser. 

The very first day of working 

with this great little tester, in 

came a vehicle with a miss. 

A quick removal of the 

covers over the coil-onplugs 

and we were able to 

test each cylinder’s ignition 

performance within a couple 

of minutes. 

It immediately showed that 

number three cylinder was the 

offender. 

A quick check of the inputs 

to the coil-on-plug and the 

diagnosis was done. The 

workshop has since used it 

in a number of situations and 

found it to be very effective in 

every case. 

The TA500’s unique and 

proprietary technology allows 

workshops to perform quick 

and reliable diagnostics of 

non-starts, misfires, fouled up 

or damaged spark plugs, or 

spark plug wires by comparing 

digital read-outs of the spark 

plug voltage and spark burn 

Spark plug wire, testing position 

time between cylinders on 

engines using coil-on-plug, 

coil-near-plug, conventional 

distributor/ignition coil, 

DIS (distributorless) or 

waste spark and magneto 

technologies. 

It’s so simple to use. The 

TA500 requires no special 

adapters or cables and is 

equipped with a large digital 

display that shows spark plug 

voltage, spark burn time, 

RPM, as well as minimum 

and maximum readings in real 

time. 

The user handbook is very 

well laid out with complete 

operating instructions – that 

in itself is a bit rare these 

days. The user manual 

also includes a section on 

diagnosing problems using 

spark burn time and spark 

KV readings. This includes 

common causes for long and 

short burn times and common 

causes for high and low KV 

readings. 

It’s certainly pleasing to see 

a user manual that makes 

sense, and that educates the 

reader at the same time. 

Rest assured that this 

little diagnostic gem was 

purchased by this workshop 

and is now one of the most 

used diagnostic tools for 

checking vehicles that are not 

running well. 

Coil-on-plug, dead 

cylinder, no spark 

Coil-on-plug, testing position 

Coil-on-plug, good cylinder 

Spark plug wire, good cylinder 

Specifications: 

• Measures spark plug voltage 

from 0 to 50,000 volts 

• Measures spark burn time from 

0 to 10 milliseconds 

• Special antenna sensor allows 

quick testing of coil-on-plug and 

coil-near-plug modules, and 

easy hook-up to spark plug and 

ignition coil wires 

• No ground wire connections 

required enables fast 

troubleshooting 

• Multiple diagnostic 

applications are described in 

a comprehensive handbook 

included with the tester 

Tachometer function: 

• For 1 to 12 cylinders and 

suitable for 2 and 4 cycle 

engines with special 

distributorless ignition system 

mode 

• Measures from 200 to 20,000 

RPM on a 4.5 digit LCD display 

• Advanced microcontroller 

technology gives 0.5 per cent 

accuracy 

• Works on coil-on-plug, coilnear-plug, 

DIS (distributorless 

or waste spark), conventional, 

magneto and other spark 

ignition system 

Simple and easy to use 

• Ignition analyser: Place the 

antenna’s capacitive sensor 

on top of the coil-on-plug 

module, or over a spark plug 

or ignition coil wire. Spark peak 

voltage and spark burn time are 

displayed 

• Tachometer: Set the number 

of cycles and type of ignition 

system, and then place the 

capacitive sensor either on a 

coil-on-plug module or spark 

plug wire, and RPM is displayed 

• Selectable display functions: 

The display can be set to show 

all three (RPM, spark burn 

time and spark plug voltage) 

measurements simultaneously, 

or one of the selected 

measurements with real time 

maximum and minimum 

readings 

• Spark capture mode: Maximum 

and minimum captures the 

spark peak voltage and spark 

burn time for testing of ignition 

systems for no-start conditions 

diagnosis 

Information: 

Dayle Thomas 0466 909 653 

www.olct.co 


‘s a fact 


FORBA03414 

FORD BA 

2003 

6 Cylinders 

Customer Complaint 

Losing accessories. 

Problem Summary 

When the key is turned to start position and released, the key 

does not spring back to the full ignition and accessory position. 

Diagnostic Sequence 

Checked the operation of the ignition switch and key. 

The key felt very rough and would not come back to accessories. 

The fault was isolated to the ignition switch electrics internally 

collapsing. 

Fault Description 

The electrical part of the switch will not come out, only the 

barrel and key assembly. 

Through Ford, the part is only available by purchasing the 

complete steering column assembly. 

Fault Solution 

A second hand part was located. 

The original barrel and key assembly was fitted to the 

replacement column and refitted to the vehicle. 

No programming was required because of the use of the original 

barrel and key assembly. 

Recommended Time 

Labour time was 3 hours, taking into account research time, 

location of parts and actual time spent fixing the problem. 

tips for 

ideas division 

When acquiring a second-hand column make sure it is identical 

to the original because there is a difference between models. 

It is the barrel and key housing that varies and the barrels will not 

interchange. 

Correct position 

column unlocked 

Make sure the second-hand unit is not in the steering locked 

position without the barrel and key, because this becomes 

impossible to unlatch unless you release the pin. 

Check TaT’s a fact FORBA04414 


‘s a fact 


AUDA401114 

AUDI A4 1.8T 

2001 

4 Cylinders 

Customer Complaint 

Vehicle was overheating. 

Problem Summary 

Scan tool code relating to coolant 

temperature sensor was incorrect. 

A new sensor had recently been 

fitted. 

Diagnostic Sequence 

The system operation was 

checked. The engine temperature 

climbed beyond the required 

levels for fans to cut in. There 

was no action from the engine 

fans on high or low speeds. 

Tested the circuits and found the 

signal was going to the control 

module (as indicated in pic 3) but 

still no fans. 

The engine fan control module is 

located on the fan shroud behind 

the radiator on the inner top 

passenger side. 

Checked both fan motor circuits, 

in and out, and had no continuity. 

Found both fans internally open 

circuited. 

Fault Description 

The fan assembly is located 

between the engine and the 

radiator. 

6 

7 

To access the fans and 

remove the complete 

assembly, the front end 

has to be disassembled 

including the front 

bar and headlights so 

that the radiator and 

condenser section can 

be pulled forward. 

When the fans and 

shroud assembly were 

finally removed and 

pulled apart they were 

found to be totally 

worn out. They were 

so bad that both of 

the commutators were 

cut clean by the brush 

spring arms. 

As can be seen in these 

images, the brushes 

had broken up, allowing 

the springs to contact 

the segments and work 

as the brush until they 

cut right through to the 

insulating bakelite. 

Fault Solution 

A new engine dual fan and 

housing assembly was indentified 

and supplied. The control box had 

to be swapped over, the assembly 

was refitted and the front end 

reassembled. Functions tested 

and all were OK. 

Recommended Time 

Labour time was 8.5 hours, 

taking into account research time, 

location of parts and actual time 

spent fixing the problem. 

7 

6 


Murphy’s 

Law 

by Nick Murphy 

This is a story of a late model Nissan 

Maxima V6 that had a fellow technician 

a bit perplexed. 

The technician had been told that the car had 

not started after being switched off the night 

before. One would first assume that everything 

mechanically had to be OK, if it was switched off 

after driving well. The vehicle had to be towed to 

a TaT workshop for diagnosis. 

Was the information received correct? The 

info could be second-hand and could lead a 

technician down the wrong path. 

Our advice is to listen and then ask basic 

questions. In this case, did the car start and run 

OK the last time it was driven? Did the car not 

start after it was switched off? Did it have enough 

fuel and was the driver using the regular key? 

The answers – the car started and ran normally 

until this fault and there was no second key. 

A simple deduction could be that the car wouldn’t 

have a mechanical fault if it ran normally right 

up to switch off. Sometimes drivers might not 

know if their vehicles were not running properly 

so information like ‘it was running fine yesterday’ 

may not be accurate. 

The scan tool showed code P0340, indicating 

that one of the cam shaft sensors had a fault and 

there was no other indication of anything that 

might stop the car from starting. 

It was at this point more questions had to 

be asked of the original repairer, such as, 

had anyone previously checked codes or 

disconnected anything prior to us receiving the 

vehicle. Yes, they said, the front and rear cam 

sensors had been unplugged to do some tests 

and there were no codes prior to that. 

So the basics, like fuel, injector trigger, spark 

and compression were checked. The rear spark 

plugs are very hard to get to on a V6 Maxima 

so only the front three cylinders were tested 

for compression and all came back with good 

results. 

There was fuel pressure and one lot of injector 

pulse only for every cylinder when first cranked 

over. This occurred every time. There was no 

spark or coil trigger at any of the coil-on-plugs, 

yet no crank or cam positioning sensor codes 

were recorded. 

At this point a piece of notepad paper was 

spotted on the passenger’s side floor. It was 

a road service note on which was scribbled 

(P0011) and (P0021). Back to the original repair 

for more grilling. 

It turned out that the road service was called to 

the car before it was towed to the first repairer. 

They had used their scan tool, extracted the 

codes and cleared them hoping the vehicle 

would start, then left the note with the two 

numbers, but kept the owner in the dark. 

A very crooked diagnostic path 

It was at this point the technicians started looking 

at the problem from scratch rather than relying 

on previous information or expecting that others 

had properly checked the basics. 

The job was to diagnose the problem, give an 

accurate report and get the vehicle running 

if possible. The coolant system level and the 

engine oil were checked. The oil was down 

about 1.5 litres. 

The importance of the level of oil in this specific 

engine and its predisposition to not run if the 

oil was low was known to the technicians on 

the job. The correct type and quantity of oil was 

added, but still no go. 

The blue sig is crank, red is good cam sig 

and green is faulty cam sig 

Not wishing to guess a solution right then, 

the next step was to go for the serious stuff. 

The code logged was related to cam phasing 

issues so why not start there. Scan tool live 

data showed an irregularity in the cam phase 

percentages. The oscilloscope showed the cam 

and crank signal patterns were spot on with 

good voltage levels and the signal was pulled to 

ground. So what was wrong with this car? 

One tip when testing components is to increase 

the time base on the oscilloscope. It’s like looking 

through a bigger window, and the view is more 

extensive. Looking at the crank and both cam 

signals at the same time, the problems became 

more evident. The rear bank camshaft was not 

in line. 

Variable cam shaft timing can be a bit tricky. 

There is a lot that can go wrong and it’s not 

unusual for the mechanism to seize or lock up. 

Poor oil or lack of oil changes are killers in this 

area. 

In this case, the rear camshaft timing was 

misaligned by more than 45 per cent of its basic 

idle speed or crank position. The back cam 

sprocket, which is a two-piece sprocket, had 

slipped, so the alignment of the three sensors, 

crank and two cams was incorrect. We believe 

this was because the lack of oil to the top of the 

motor caused the rear camshaft to start to grab 

or seize causing the two-piece sprocket to slip, 

similar to some harmonic balancers. 

Crank and cam misalignment can be the cause 

of a number of trouble codes in some vehicles. 

The ECU is programmed to pick up a signal and 

work out if it’s within specs and react accordingly. 

If a camshaft is out of alignment, some makes of 

ECUs won’t have a code criterion for it, so it may 

not log a code for the crank or cam sensor. The 

German makes are generally pretty accurate 

when it comes to identifying cam misalignment. 

You may see common code explanations such 

as ‘no correlation between crank and cam, crank 

and cam shaft out of time, cam shaft out of 

specification or cam shaft not returning to TDC’. 

Common faults with misalignment are 

sometimes created by an incorrectly fitted timing 

belt or variable camshaft mechanism sticking. 

The quickest way to determine if there is a fault 

is by looking at the data on your scan tool. Some 

manufacturers have a lot of data involving the 

cam timing, such as actual timing compared to 

desired timing. 

Looking at data can tell you within seconds what 

the valve timing is doing. At idle, the cam shaft 

will not have moved much. If, for example, the 

data is showing 15 degrees of timing at idle, 

that would have to be enough to show there is a 

problem. 

BMW now have a variable cam lift, where the 

rocker shaft is moved by a geared motor to 

change the angle of the rocker. Valve timing 

and cam lift is going to be a very big thing in the 

modern vehicle as we try to achieve low fuel 

consumption and high output. 

In the wash-up, the problem this vehicle suffered, 

as with many others, was the lack of proper 

maintenance. 

Its oil level was very low, its service history very 

hazy. The inevitable occurred. 

In retrospect, it all made sense why one injector 

pulse was present and there was no spark per 

cylinder. It was the powertrain control module 

protecting the engine by shutting it down. 

Cam layout on rear bank 

Another gut feel the technicians had was that an 

unusual noise was noticed from the starter motor 

while cranking, which turned out to be caused by 

no compression on the back cylinders. 

Going back to the basics and scoping the voltage 

on cranking would probably have identified no 

or low compression on the back bank and nailed 

the diagnosis a bit earlier. 

Many TaT subscribers are reporting that poor 

maintenance is coming back to bite many clients 

with later model vehicles. The problem is that 

motorists are treating them the same way as 

their previous vehicles which were a lot more 

forgiving about spaced out services. 

Once again, client education would seem to be 

more necessary than ever. 

Happy diagnoses 

Nick Murphy 


Mitsubishi rolls out a plug-in SUV 

Two Mitsubishi cars made their 

debut at the 42nd Tokyo Motor 

Show in December 2011 – the 

Mirage and the Concept PX-MiEV II with 

its unique plug-in hybrid drivetrain. 

Also on show was their MINICAB-MiEV 

light commercial electric vehicle due to be 

released in the Japanese market during 

December 2011, and the i-MiEV newgeneration 

electric vehicle which is currently 

on sale in Australia. 

The Concept PX-MiEV II is Mitsubishi Motors’ 

idea for a mid-size plug-in hybrid with long 

cruising range. 

The plug-in hybrid system fuses electric 

vehicle technology with a small conventional 

engine, delivering more than 60 kilometres 

per litre, far ahead of a conventional 

engine-driven car, with the bonus of high 

environmental performance. 

It will cruise on a par with conventional 

engine-driven vehicles for more than 800 

kilometres. 

High capacity batteries will allow the 

vehicle to cover more than 50 kilometres 

in all-electric mode alone, allowing it to be 

driven solely as an electric vehicle for most 

the system will start the engine automatically 

as a generator, and the engine can also be 

used to help drive the wheels. 

With the push of a button, the driver can 

select battery-drive mode for a quiet, 

emissions-free journey and at the same time 

switch to battery charge mode while on the 

move, controlling use of battery power and 

using the engine as a generator to charge the 

batteries. 

A socket on the vehicle allows the electricity 

stored in the drive batteries to be used to 

power electric appliances. 

The Concept PX-MiEV II drivetrain uses a 

twin-motor four-wheel-drive system mated to 

Mitsubishi’s Super-All Wheel Control traction 

control system. 

In addition to superior handling, the MiEV II 

provides 100 percent instant off-the-line 

torque inherent to electric motors, giving it 

acceleration comparable to that of a 3-litre V6 

engine. 

The Mirage is a five-seater compact, with 

high fuel efficiency and low emissions. It 

claims 30 kilometres per litre thanks to weight 

reduction, aerodynamic body and other 

efficiencies. 

everyday AD_AUS_NOV11_TAT_HP:AD_AUS_JUN11_BURSON_HP situations. Depending on power Thailand 17/11/2011 will see the 16:37 Mirage Page first, early 1 in 

consumption and remaining battery charge 2012. 

Technical 

data 

Timing belts 

chains & gears 

Service 

indicator reset 

procedures 

Key 

programming 

Manufacturers’ 

service 

schedules 

Service 

illustrations 

Repair times 

Wheel 

alignment 

Tyre sizes 

and 

pressures 

Known fixes 

and bulletins 

EMS 

component 

testing 

EMS pin 

data 

EMS 

troubleshooter 

Airbags ABS Air 

conditioning 

Electrical 

component 

locations 

Wiring 

diagrams 

(for EMS ,ABS, 

AC & Body) 

Fascia 

warning lamp 

identification 

Guided 

diagnostics 

Tyre pressure 

monitoring 

systems 

Guided 

diagnostics 

Electric 

parking brake 

Diagnostic 

trouble codes 

Battery 

disconnection 

& 

reconnection 

procedures 

Clutch 

replacement 

instructions 

(online only) 

Diagnostic and technical phone support 

Monthly technical bulletins 

4 updates per year (Online) 

Monthly payments 

1300 764 432 

www.autodata.com.au 

AD_AUS_NOV11_TAT_HP 


Of course it’s INA under the bonnet! 

INA engine and transmission components have a 

reputation for enduring quality. It’s a reputation that’s 

been handed down from generation to generation. 

Just ask Granddad. 

A global leader for more than 60 years, INA’s local 

presence goes all the way back to supplying Ford 

in 1971. These days, INA’s broad range of OE quality 

replacement parts are ideal for Australian, European 

and Asian cars. 

INA – Innovative products in OE quality! 

Schaeffler Australia Pty. Ltd. 

Automotive Aftermarket 

T +61 (2) 8977 1068 

F +61 (2) 9452 4242 

E INA-AS.au@schaeffler.com 

W www.schaeffler-aftermarket.com 

INA is dedicated to making mechanics’ lives easier 

with industry-leading products and services. We give 

you what you need when you need it. 


Jason 

Smith Don’t ignore the 

hidden pollen filter 

have seen a lot of changes in the 

I automotive industry in the past 20 

years, most of them in electronics. 

But there is one big change that has 

nothing to do with electronics, but 

which nevertheless has become a daily 

servicing task. It’s the often quite hidden 

pollen filter, or cabin air filter, which 

filters the air delivered to the passenger 

compartment.   Pollen filters are fitted 

to a lot of HVAC systems and because 

of the job they do, they need to be 

checked, cleaned or replaced regularly, 

depending on the type of filter. 

It’s a service essential in many parts 

of Australia that suffer from drought 

conditions. Clouds of dirt and dust are 

the by-products of drought. In some 

areas, pollen filters 

will need to be 

replaced more than 

the service schedule 

recommends.   On 

most cars, the pollen 

filters are located 

inside the dash and 

on many models 

the glove box has Old dirty pollen filter 

to be removed or 

dropped, and cover 

or blanking panels 

have to be removed 

before you can get 

to the filter. 

On some vehicles, 

checking and 

New pollen filter 

replacing pollen 

filters can be a time 

consuming job. 

On this model of the Mazda 3, it 

became almost major and time 

consuming surgery to get to the filter. 

On later models, it gets easier and the 

glove box doesn’t need to be extracted. 

The top glove box garnish is rather 

tricky to remove and could easily be 

broken. The fuse box had to be moved 

out of the way. This vehicle has two 

pollen filters stacked one on top of the 

other, because of the tight space in the 

center at the bottom of the dash. It takes 

about half an hour to do this job.   Other 

vehicles have pollen filters under the 

bonnet below the windscreen. 

The moral of this story is: 

Get to know where the pollen filters 

are on the cars your customers bring 

in, because the task of checking and 

replacing the humble pollen filter can 

make you money or cost you time and 

money, and you don’t want the latter. 

A few tips: 

Be careful with the glove box retaining 

clips, they are mostly made out of 

plastic and are easily broken.   An old 

piece of wire or stainless steel rail from 

an old wiper blade with a 90 degree 

bend can be a useful tool to help slide 

the old pollen filter out enough so you 

can then reach it with your fingers, but 

be careful not to scratch the dash with 

the makeshift tool.    

Check for and remove any leaves in 

and around the pollen filter. This applies 

particularly when replacing Ford BA 

to FG models and the Territory. Stray 

leaves can fall into the heater fan and 

cause an annoying noise. Also with 

Fords, make sure the heater fan is 

turned off, or you 

may end up with 

sore fingers.    

Make sure you 

put the new 

pollen filter in the 

right way. Most 

of them have an 

arrow, indicating 

direction of air 

flow.  Recheck 

that you have 

fitted all parts. 

Some glove 

boxes have a 

damper (like a 

little shocker) and 

they are easy to 

forget to refit.   

On BA through FG Falcons and 

Territories, pollen filters are similar to a 

high efficiency particulate air type filter 

which can mostly be cleaned, washed 

out, dried and re-used, just like the filter 

in the domestic split system aircon. 

My final tip is to remember to put the 

cost of the new pollen filter and the 

associated labour in the job estimate. 

It’s one of those jobs easily forgotten, 

especially if it is not already on your 

routine service schedule list.    

Customers don’t mind paying for a new 

pollen filter if you go to a little trouble to 

explain what it does. 

I find most customers are surprised 

that their car is even fitted with a pollen 

filter and when I show them the old 

contaminated filter, they can’t believe 

how dirty and potentially unhealthy it is. 

I have even had customers ask to take 

the old pollen filter home for a show and 

tell. 

Be careful of the top garnish removal 

Glove box removed to access pollen filter 

Location of pollen filter 

Old filter removed 

Fitting the first ot the two new filters 


STREET 

CRED 

with Hayley Windsor 

Move over McLaren MP4-12C 

supercar, the resurrected 

2013 Dodge Dart, the highly 

acclaimed compact Cadillac and 

unveiled vehicles with unprecedented 

fuel-efficient technologies. 

The four-wheeler that hogged the 

limelight at the recent North American 

International Auto Show was none other 

than a ride-on mower — a first for the 

show since its 1907 inception. 

The Craftsman CTX caught the attention 

of the most humble of acreage owners, 

boasting a 23kW fuel-injected Briggs and 

Stratton engine, the same brand which 

once raced around the hills of Harrietville, 

Victoria, settling an alcohol-fuelled 

dispute and marking Australia’s first 

mower race. 

As the story goes, the five-man challenge 

was initiated in a small country pub in 

1978. The resulting race began with the 

slow, smoke-belching chug of unmodified 

mowers up the slopes of the hill, around 

a gum tree and downhill in neutral to the 

finish line — watched by half the town’s 

All I want next Christmas 

100 people, 300 sheep 

and 150 dogs. 

Today’s members of 

the Australian Ride-On 

Lawn Mower Racing 

Association, which 

holds eight to ten 

races a year, would no 

doubt be impressed by 

the new Craftsman’s 

13 km/h speed and 

18-inch turning circle. 

But speed is not the 

Craftsman’s likely 

selling point and 

racing not its purpose. 

The so-called ‘luxury 

lawn tractor’ has 

been designed for the 

distinguished rider. 

Features such as electronic cutting 

height adjustment would impress any 

Jim’s Mower-man, while power steering, 

a digital dash, cruise control, a 12-volt 

adapter, iPod adapter and a cup holder 

mean that acres of grass can be trimmed 

in relative comfort and to the driver’s 

preferred taste in music and brew. 

An Australian version equipped with a 

cooler box would mean there’d be no 

need to leave the driver’s seat until the 

job is done. 

You’d also have the kids begging to take 

on the once-dreaded chore of mowing 

the lawns. One for the Christmas wish list 

next year, perhaps. 

AUSSIE MADE QUALITY 

JUMP STARTERS & 

BATTERY CHARGERS 

Eliminate down time and save money on batteries with our Jump Starters, 

Battery Chargers, and genuine Carbon Pile Battery Load Testers. No matter 

what you’re looking for, our entire product range features the strength, quality 

and reliability that Durst offers as proud Australian manufacturers since 1918. 

Market Leading Jump Starters 

• From small to massive trolley units 

• Available in 12V or 14 V 

or combined 

• Fuse protected for 

OH&S compliance 

• Anti Spike equipped 

to protect electronics 

• Reverse polarity 

warning buzzer 

• Powder coated steel case 

for long life 

• Long leads for easy access 

• Used by the Australian 

Defence Forces, 

Government, Mines & 

TAFE 

Durst SmartWasher 

• Solvent-free, 

no fumes to 

breathe in 

• Don’t change 

solution 

• Minimal 

maintenance 

• OH&S compliant 

• Fully recycles 

• Environmentally friendly 

• Won’t harm skin or 

lungs 

Battery Chargers that stand 

the test of time 

• Available from 6V to 36V, and 

3A to 100A 

• Larger models with Boost Start 

function 

• Powder coated steel case for long life 

• Carry or trolley versions 

• All components are heavy duty for years of 

trouble-free operation 

• Easy to use, instructions on front panel 

• Used by the Australian Defence Forces, 

Government, Mines & TAFE 

DURST INDUSTRIES 

189 St Johns Rd Glebe NSW 2037 

Ph: 02 9660 1755 Email: sales@durst.com.au 

Sales, Service and Repairs. 

Ask us about purchase options including leasing 

Genuine Carbon Pile Battery Load 

Testers 

• Available in various 

models to cover 6, 

12 & 24V 

• High capacity 

models for 

all batteries 

including 

N200 size 

• Powder coated steel case for 

long life 

• Carry or trolley versions 

www.durst.com.au 

Thanks to our sponsors 


YOU 

SAID 

IT! 

Oil and water just don’t 

mix in a VW Transporter 

Vehicle: VW Transporter  

Engine: AXE/TDI  

Kilometres: 117,358  

Transmission: manual 6 

speed    

The vehicle was losing water 

into the crank case, with no 

sign of overheating.  

We first investigated the 

engine oil cooler because there 

were no visible leaks and no 

discernable drop in pressure. 

The vehicle was then driven for 

about 45 minutes before the 

coolant low light came on.    

The air conditioning 

compressor was removed 

to gain access to oil filter 

housing.   The engine oil cooler 

is bolted onto the oil filter 

housing via five torx screw and 

four o-rings to seal between oil 

and water. 

The oil filter housing is bolted 

onto the engine block via a 

metal gasket. Water is fed by 

an external hose through the 

cooler and then back into the 

block – so only one hose.    

You cannot bypass the oil 

cooler to test and it would have 

been too hard with the a/c 

compressor in the way.    

The oil cooler, o-rings and 

gasket were replaced. 

Watermarks could be seen 

bypassing the o-ring into the 

oil, so we thought we had hit 

the nail on the head.   After 

flushing the oil and cooling 

system, it pressure tested OK.  

Drove the car for about 45 

minutes and the coolant level 

low warning appeared on the 

dash. Back in the workshop, 

there was water in the oil. 

Now we were scratching our 

heads.  On further diagnosis 

we found that the water pump 

is gear driven and is inside the 

rear of the engine block. The 

inspection plate was removed 

and we found the water pump 

bearings collapsed.    

Also, because of free play 

on the water pump shaft, the 

gear drive had been hitting the 

securing bolts and shaved half 

of the head away. Luckily we 

managed to get them off with a 

bit of a struggle.    

So for anyone getting a 

water-in-oil problem with this 

engine, with no evidence of 

external leaks and the car 

not overheating, replace the 

engine oil cooler and water 

pump at the same time. 

Don’t forget to order water 

pump bolts and receiver drier 

for the a/c.    

Parts list:  

VW-070121011DX 

Water pump VW-N91046902 

Water pump screws 

(stretch bolts by the way)  

VW-071115562C 

Oil filter  VW-070117021D 

Oil cooler VCP 17C6 13  

VW-070198389 

Seals VCP 17C6 1328 (comes 

with four o-rings)  

VW-070115441A 

Gasket, oil filter HSG VW- 

7L0898191A 

Drier, air conditioning  oil 

flush, coolant flush, coolant 

and oil.    

Total time taken over 8 hours 

including oil and coolant flush, 

but can probably do it in 4-5 

next time without messing 

around.  

Hope this helps a fellow 

technician.  

Bruce Yeung  

Autoactive Car Solutions  

ARTARMON NSW     

Remove the a/c compressor 

Oil cooler and oil filter housing 

Worn water pump bolt heads 

inside the rear of the motor 

Water in the oil on the filter 

Worn and damaged water pump 

Note the corrosion around the 

o-ring marks on the oil cooler 

mounting 

Water pump mounted at the 

rear of the motor 


Air conditioning and serial data 

BUS communication by Jack Stepanian and Sam Nazarian 

A 

VX Holden Commodore 

presented itself to the TaT 

research workshop with 

inoperative air conditioning along with 

a note that all it blew was ‘hot air’. 

It was revealed, during history taking, 

that a third party had attempted to 

diagnose the cause and told the 

customer that the system had enough 

gas and it should be OK, even though it 

wasn’t. 

We decided on a text book approach 

to diagnosis. This story will reveal how 

the dashboard air conditioning switches 

alert the multifunction control unit, often 

referred to as body control module, and 

how it communicates with the power train 

control module via a serial data BUS line, 

to enable activation of the compressor 

clutch. First, the fuses and the high and 

low pressure hoses were checked and 

we even had a play with the dials on 

the dash, with no result (pic 1). Manifold 

gauges were connected and both high 

and low pressures measured. Yes, 

compressor on and off via a relay 

based on two parameters a) input from 

air conditioning pressure sensor and 

b) serial data BUS request message 

received from the multifunction control 

unit. The multifunction control unit in 

turn initiates a request message to 

the power train control module based 

on two parameters, the activation of 

air conditioning master switch and the 

heater blower relay. 

So where do we start? Perhaps 

communication between the two control 

units. 

Serial data BUS 

communication and block 

diagram 

While there are many ways of checking 

whether there is communication between 

the two control units, including using an 

oscilloscope, we opted to use the scan 

tool and check if communication was 

present (pic 2). 

Multifunction control unit 

and circuit diagram 

The circuitry of a multifunction control 

module is arranged such that the body 

control module needs to see two active 

inputs. 

One is the grounding signal of zero volts 

produced by the blower inhibitor relay 

which in turn enables the operation of 

the blower motor via the blower motor 

resistor pack and the other is a 12 volt 

supply signal generated by the master 

a/c switch. 

Appropriate terminals were checked and 

both were OK. 

Power train control module 

and circuit diagram 

Since the power train control module is 

responsible for turning the compressor 

on and off via a relay, the controlling 

relay was identified and bridged to check 

compressor clutch operation and all were 

OK (pic 3). 

1. 

there was enough gas for the system 

to operate but the compressor was not 

engaging. 

A scan tool was connected to the on 

board diagnostic connector and we 

looked for any trouble codes in every 

control module. While there were a few 

unrelated codes, these were promptly 

noted and erased and the process 

repeated, again with no result. A quick 

look at data lists of some of the control 

modules proved to be indecisive since 

we were not sure of the process. It was 

time to profile the chain of command to 

facilitate a defined prognosis. 

Chain of command 

A quick glance at the block diagram 

revealed that the power train control 

module is responsible for turning the 


2. 

Communication channel was not isolated 

(it was normal) and the search continued 

elsewhere. 

Power train interface module 

(PIM) 

In the block diagram it was also noted 

that the multifunction control unit at 

times communicates with the power train 

control module via an interface module. 

This interface module is only used for V8 

engines where PIM translates universal 

asynchronies receive transmit (UART) 

messages into CLASS II. 

By the way, a V6 engine uses UART as 

a form of protocol to communicate with 

other control units and since this car was 

a V6 it was one less item on our agenda 

to check. 

3. 

Closer examination of the circuit diagram 

revealed that while the compressor 

clutch solenoid is controlled by a relay, 

there seemed to be a ‘spy’ or a form 

of feedback wire from the compressor 

solenoid winding side back to the control 

unit (being pulled up to supply voltage). 

A quick look at the data list revealed 

no such data information available and 

a physical measurement of the wire to 

and from the power train control module 

proved to be OK. 

Prognosis 

Now we had a set of dashboard 

switches that were OK, a serial data 

BUS communication that was OK and 

the compressor relay circuit which was 

OK. So our attention turned to the air 

conditioning pressure sensor (pic 4).

4. 

The sensor is a pressure transducer that 

generates a voltage proportional to the 

amount of pressure in the high side. In 

order to simulate a similar output voltage 

5. 

range of between zero and five volts, a 

linear potentiometer (pic 5) was arranged 

with 10 kilo ohms resistance. This is 

to minimise impedance loading effects 

on the control unit (see TaT issue 23, 

October 2011). 

The potentiometer was fitted with the 

wiper centre arm in the centre of the 

sensor’s connector terminal (pic 6) 

and resistance slowly varied from one 

The turning on and off thresholds were 

double checked with a scan tool data list 

and all were OK (pic 7). 

Range of hysteresis 

Hysteresis is where the operating 

parameters such as the cutting-in and 

cutting-out are not at the same setting. 

This is to minimise the hunting effect. 

Here are the two set of 

hysteresis: 

a) Thermo fan operation – the second 

fan (driver’s side) cuts in at 2033 kPa 

3.46 volts and cuts out at 1552 kPa 2.83 

volts. 

b) A/c clutch drop out – when 

excessive pressure is noted, perhaps 

due to malfunctioning cooling fan, and 

pressure begins to build up the a/c clutch 

drops out at 2928 kPa 4.6 volts and the 

clutch cuts back in at 2336 kPa 3.9 volts. 

Fan operation 

a) First thermo fan and clutch cuts in at 

240 kPa 1.02 volts 

b) Second fan (driver’s side) cuts in at 

2033 kPa 3.46 volts 

The culprit was the sensor. The system 

was degassed and a new sensor fitted 

(pic 8). It was then evacuated and 

the correct amount of refrigerant was 

introduced into the system while the 

output voltage was being measured from 

the new sensor (pic 9). 

9. 

10. 

11. 

The first was to directly illustrate the 

intricacy of the chain of command and 

how to follow this chain of command 

using appropriate tools such as circuit 

diagrams. 

6. 8. 

extreme to the other. Presto! Everything 

came to life.The compressor clutch did 

cut in, fans started to operate and as it 

was dialled more the compressor cut out. 

Pure magic. 

In order to measure dynamic current 

draw (spikes, slippage, ripples and all) a 

0.1 ohm 5 watt ceramic resistor (pic 10) 

was positioned in place of relay terminals 

30 and 87 and the current draw noted 

(pic 11). Current draw was 3.5 amps 

and there were no spikes in the pattern, 

which is good. 

In conclusion 

The second was to indirectly illustrate 

that sometimes replacing components 

to remedy symptoms may not be 

the appropriate solution without fully 

appreciating how the system ought to 

work. 

Armed with this information, where would 

your next starting diagnosis point be? 

Should you be confronted with the same 

symptom, would you simply replace the 

pressure sensor or relay? Where does 

one stop and step back to opt for an 

informed holistic approach. 

7. 

You’re probably asking yourself did we 

really have to go through all this effort to 

decipher the cause of the problem. While 

the answer may seem simplistic, the 

thrust of this article was twofold. 

Invest in a 10-kilo ohm linear 

potentiometer and substitute it for the 

air conditioning pressure sensor and 

note the range of hysteresis as fans and 

clutch are cutting in and out – it’s fun. 


Upcoming 

V8 racer stays 

cool on the track 

‘The brake spray may be triggered eight 

times per lap, generally just into the braking 

zones.   Tim can adjust how long each brake 

spray operates, so he can wind it up a bit if 

he thinks the brakes are suffering,’ Matthew 

explained.  

 ‘We will program into the onboard computer 

system the distance to turn one, which may 

be around 300 meters, and then we will set 

the brake spray to be triggered from around 

300 to 450 metres. 

 ‘This water spray cooling system is not 

common in the V8 Supercars Fujitsu Series 

but is used widely in the main Championship 

Series.’ 

From the driver’s perspective, Tim is sold on 

the brake spray technique. 

Victorian car racer Tim Blanchard 

might be a rookie, but the 24-yearold 

is well on his way to stardom, 

both in the driver’s seat, and back in his 

V8 Supercar workshop where good ideas 

can mean the difference between first and 

second place. 

Not that Tim hasn’t had his share of firsts. 

He took the 2004 Australian and Victorian 

championships, and in 2007 was the 

Australian Formula Ford Champion. He 

took second in the British Formula Ford 

Championship in 2008, and second in the 

Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series last year. 

His rookie title came with it, the Mike Kable 

V8 Supercar Rookie of the Year Award. 

Tim also currently races alongside David 

Reynolds in the Enduro rounds of the V8 

Supercar Championship Series for Kelly 

Racing. Tim and his engineering team have 

adopted a unique technique to maintain 

consistent brake temperatures. It involves 

a water vapour spray fired directly into the 

front brake disks at specific points around the 

track to reduce the extreme heat created by 

the brake system.  

 Matthew White, Blanchard’s engineer and 

team owner, explains the finer points. ‘The 

brake sprays are controlled by computer, 

so when a brake temperature goes above a 

certain level, it triggers a spray condition that 

activates going into a corner. 

‘‘All we’re trying to do is keep the 

temperatures under 900 degrees Celsius the 

whole way around the lap, so that Tim can 

experience optimal braking.  

 ‘The window you want to stay within is above 

600 and below 900 degrees Celsius for the 

entire lap. The brake spray sends a fine 

mist into the front disks, so all the cooling 

comes from the front of the car, dramatically 

improving the efficiency of cooling the 

brakes.  

 ‘Brakes start working well at 600 degrees, 

with good friction between the pad and the 

disk. 

‘Performance starts to drop off around 850 

degrees. Anything above that and you start 

losing efficiency and damaging the pads. 

‘The brake system is critical to the overall 

performance of a V8 Supercar. 

‘On street circuits like Townsville, where the 

roads get extremely hot, it is very important 

to keep the brakes’ temperatures down so 

they can operate at their peak performance.  

 ‘The brake temperatures are monitored from 

the pit wall, so the team will let me know 

when they think more brake spray is needed, 

but most of the time, it’s just done on feel. 

‘I have a rough idea that four or five laps in 

you have to turn it on, and then four of five 

laps later I have to turn it up to the next level 

to increase the amount of spray. 

‘I wait until I can feel a pedal go a little bit 

soft, or I start to lose braking efficiency, and 

then I start winding it up,’ Tim said.    

Blanchard was recently announced as the 

brand ambassador for Jaylec, suppliers of 

automotive electrical products.        

Letter from 

America 

At the end of this year’s MACS Convention 

in Las Vegas, I stayed behind to join a 

committee set up to examine the future of 

refrigerants and their safe disposal in the US 

and Canada. 

One of the main questions is how to persuade 

the trade, not just automotive, but all sectors 

of the refrigerant industry, to better reclaim and 

dispose of refrigerant correctly with industry 

best practice. This committee comprises 

ex EPA employees and heads of industry, 

some of whom have now acknowledged that 

It’s great to be an Aussie 

by Julian 

Hentze 

opportunities for better refrigerant handling 

were lost when R134a was introduced and as a 

result, over here we have the problem of small 

cans of refrigerant on sale to anybody, and even 

on the shelves of places like Walmart. 

The committee’s aim is to write a white 

paper to present to all sectors of industry 

and government on how to tackle refrigerant 

problems as well as offering solutions, basic 

and scientifically in-depth, down to such detail 

as to measure the energy input involved in 

transporting and disposal of refrigerant. 

I was asked to join this committee for one 

reason. I am an original holder of the Australian 

refrigerant handler’s licence, and the others 

were very interested in how Australia has 

tackled refrigerant management and disposal 

issues. MACS had received a lot of information 

from Australia’s showcase stewardship scheme, 

Refrigerant Reclaim Australia and the industry 

network VASA, and my job was to describe how 

the system works through the eyes of a licence 

holder and a wholesaler. 

Here is where Australia can hold its head high. 

Everyone agreed that the Australian model is 

the world’s best and a great example of how 

industry and government can actually work 

together. All were extremely impressed with the 

model. The only issue that was mentioned was 

Julia Gillard’s carbon tax which threatens to put 

a spoke in the works – but that’s another story. 


No Future? 

Or Bright Future? 

Are you; 

• Keeping pace with technology? 

• Accessing world class technical training? 

• Improving business practices? 

• Getting support with technical issues? 

• Supported by a strong brand? 

• Utilising the latest diagnostic equipment? 

Joining the Bosch Car Service Network can help 

you fill the gaps in your current business model 

and put you in touch with a rapidly growing 

network of like-minded professionals. 

With 15,000 workshops worldwide the Bosch 

Service Network is clearly doing something right. 

Call us now so we can brighten up your future. 

For enquires contact Rob Johnson on: 03 9541 7317 or robert.johnson@au.bosch.com 

Bosch Car Service 

... we simply know more about your car. 

www.boschcarservice.com.au 


ADV0239F

Many people who run a business are 

often too busy to sit down and look 

for improvements. The mentality 

seems to be ‘if we are busy, what’s to 

improve?’ 

Recently I spent the money and went to a 

TaT business seminar. The biggest surprise 

was the number of people not there. I 

thought it would be packed. 

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve been to 

business improvement sessions before and 

you’ve heard it all. 

You take the view that you’ve run your 

business pretty successfully for years, so 

what’s a guy in a suit who knows nothing 

about running a workshop going to teach 

you. 

If you take that view and you don’t try these 

things, you certainly won’t learn anything 

new. 

It’s like watching a movie the second time. 

You see things you didn’t see last time 

although you may well have been paying 

attention – things like booking out your 

hours, wasting time on freeloaders, and 

working smarter and not harder. 

There are loads of good ideas out there that 

only work if you act on them. 

The quick 

and the dead 

by Anthony Tydd 

Most businesses have a niche. 

Even if your workshop does pretty much the 

same as the guy around the corner you are 

different in some way. Your niche is what 

you’re good at and where you usually make 

good money. Your niche is your golden 

goose. 

Trainer Geoff Mutton talked about keeping 

up with the times by using the internet. I 

jotted it down but didn’t follow it up because I 

didn’t rate it that highly. I was already busy. 

I know my niche and when other techs ring 

me I don’t mind helping. It’s not like I spend 

an hour on calls every day fixing other guys’ 

jobs over the phone so if I put a little good 

karma out there it’s OK. 

A workshop rang me recently for specialist 

advice for the second time in three weeks. 

I don’t mind as they are nice guys. Then I 

had a call from a customer who was new in 

the area. He was told to bring his car to us 

because someone told him that his vehicle 

problem was our speciality (our niche). 

‘You’re hard to find’, he tells me. 

I guess we are. We don’t advertise and our 

building has only two small signs on it. But 

we’re still busy. 

So I did a little Googling. I looked up our 

town and the make of car we specialise in. 

And slap, double slap. 

Who do you reckon was at the top of the 

list? The guys who have been calling me for 

help the last few weeks. 

They had stolen my golden goose. At least 

they had been rounding up the stray geese 

in my part of town. I was the real goose. 

With Geoff Mutton’s voice pounding in my 

head, I called in an IT mate and we are now 

planning a website.  

My point is that you can never know too 

much. If you go through life thinking you 

won’t learn anything new at a trade based 

seminar, I wish you luck in your next 

business . 

It’s worthwhile even if enforces what you 

already thought or motivates you to act on 

just one thing. 

Thanks TAT Biz and Capricorn for the night.  

YOU 

SAID 

IT! 

When all else fails, 

just try cleaning it 

Had a problem with a Subaru misfiring 

when hot. After replacing the airflow 

meter, trying an igniter pack, coil, spark 

plugs and leads, it was still misfiring. 

The problem was there were no codes 

on the computer. Solution was to clean 

the oil and dirt covering the crank angle 

sensor. You may be able to share our 

experience. 

Richard Shaw 

MT MAUNGANUI, 

New Zealand 

train 

training division 

Training events featuring TaT and 

TaT Biz trainers are currently being 

formulated for 2012 and will be 

announced first at www.tat.net.au 

and in this magazine. 

YES! Please sign me up for my magazine subscription and access to your technical solutions! 

Mr Ms Mrs Miss (circle) First name: __________________________________Surname: ______________________________ 

Postal address: _____________________________________________________ State: _____________PC:______________ 

Work phone number: (_____)________________________________ Mobile number: ______________________________ 

Email: ____________________________________________________ 

Method of payment 

CHEQUE: Payable to The Automotive Technician 

CAPRICORN ACCOUNT: Account No:_________________________________ 

Account Name:______________________________ 

Signature:__________________________________ 

The Automotive Technician 

AU$115 (NZ$150) covers 12 months access to 

technical solutions and six issues of this magazine 

Want more information? 

In Australia, call 1300 828 000 

In New Zealand, call +61 2 9966 8600 

CREDIT CARD: Mastercard Visa Card Number: 

Name on Card:____________________________________ Expiry Date:____/____ Amount: $115 AUD $150 NZD 

Signature: ________________________ Date: __________ 

PLEASE FAX OR COPY AND SEND WITH YOUR REMITTANCE TO: 

The Automotive Technician 72 Holtermann Street, CROWS NEST NSW 2065 

or FAX TO 1300 828 100. From New Zealand, please fax your form to +61 2 9906 1947 


TECDOC keeps track 

of spare parts 

Negotiating your way through about 2.9 million vehicle spare 

parts would be a daunting exercise for any workshop if it were 

not for the unique database called TecDoc. 

Established in Germany in 1995, TecDoc is owned by a 

consortium of 26 aftermarket parts manufacturers that, along 

with Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket brands LuK, INA and 

FAG, includes the largest and highest quality aftermarket 

brands in the world. 

TecDoc supplies the independent aftermarket with current 

and extensive data for the identification of spare parts for 

private and commercial vehicles all over the world. The system 

consists of a database with current comparison numbers of 

cooperating parts manufacturers that is used by some 30,000 

resellers and repairers worldwide to accurately allocate spare 

parts to vehicle types. 

 The database currently includes about 2.9 million parts for 

private and commercial vehicles sourced from 300 parts 

manufacturers. 

Video shows induction 

cleaner at work 

Essential Service Programs (ESP), the Australian distributors 

for BG Products USA, have added a new diesel induction 

service video to the BG section of their website to show the 

procedure and effect of the new BG diesel induction system 

cleaner. 

The BG diesel induction system cleaner will liquify and remove 

the most stubborn oil deposits and unburned fuel formed by 

EGR and PCV gases as they pass through the air intake and 

intake valves.They are then burned in the normal combustion 

process. The cleaner should be used only with BG specified 

tools and adaptors. 

BG already has a two-part petrol intake and fuel system service 

to help technicians cope with the growing issue of intake and 

induction contamination on a range of vehicles. 

The new video can be viewed at: 

www.espro.com.au 

ESP 02 9911 4040 

enquiries@espro.com.au 

The cooperation between Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket 

and TecDoc Australia has resulted in the production of the first 

Australian and New Zealand LuK clutch catalogue this year, 

which is probably the most comprehensive of its type ever 

released in Australia. 

According to Schaeffler’s aftermarket business development 

manager, Pierre Marshall, ‘TecDoc also allows Australian 

manufacturers of aftermarket components to take their products 

to the global aftermarket in a cohesive and standardised 

manner’. 

The benefits of having acccurate and regular broad vehicle 

data applicable to each country’s specific car parts ensures 

that independent workshops have access to the best quality 

replacement parts at all times. This data also ensures that 

independent repairers can compete on a more level playing 

field with dealer workshops and their factory supplied data. 

LuK-AS.au@Schaeffler.com 

TecDoc information: 

Andrew Mattock 03 9534 7802 or 0420 277 240 

 andrew@tecdoc.com.au 

A gong for 

ZF Services 

A company which began in Germany in the late nineteenth 

century producing gears for airships, ZF Services Australia, has 

been named Automatic Transmission Specialist Business of the 

Year by the Motor Traders’ Association of New South Wales. 

Through its bases in Sydney and Perth, ZF Services Australia 

caters for the Australian and New Zealand markets with 

complete transmission units and parts as well as a repair and 

overhaul service for its range of passenger car, commercial 

vehicle, bus, marine and industrial transmissions. 

ZF began operations in Australia in 1987, initially to support the 

fitment of transmissions to locally-made cars. 

Today ZF provides sales and servicing which supports ZF 

transmission and chassis products, and powertrain, steering 

and suspension products from its Sachs, Boge, Lemforder and 

ZF Parts subsidiary brands. 

Narva lights up 

expedition vehicles 

Australian adventure 4x4 motorhome builders, SLR Caravans 

& Motorhomes, has selected Narva Extreme Driving Lights as 

standard equipment to meet the demands of harsh outback 

driving conditions. 

The decision followed exhaustive trials on a range of 

alternatives. 

‘Our vehicles carry up to six of these lights and we selected the 

Narva Extreme due to their rugged construction, strength and 

design features,’ said Director, Stuart Boswerger. 

‘Both halogen and high 

intensity discharge 

Extremes are being 

used and our clients 

are amazed at the 

light performance and 

strength especially on 

corrugated outback 

roads,’ he said. 

These expedition 4x4 

vehicles, based on the 

Isuzu MPS300 chassis, 

are designed as all 

terrain multi-purpose 

vehicles capable of 

tackling Big Red, 

Australia’s biggest 

sand dune just west 

of Birdsville, and the 

Simpson Desert. 


1. New REDARC 

catalogue 

South Australian 

electronics designer 

and manufacturer 

REDARC has released 

a new components 

catalogue jam-packed 

with specifications, 

installation 

tips, frequently 

asked questions, 

troubleshooting 

guides, glossary of 

technical terms, application guide and 

photographs of product installations 

and applications. 

08 8322 4848 

power@redarc.com.au 

www.redarc.com.au 

2. Socket and bit set 

Kincrome has released a 

handy 25-piece 

socket and 

bit set with a 

range of metric 

sockets from 

4mm to 14mm 

and 12 of the 

most popular 

driver bits 

including hex, 

torx, Phillips 

and blade bits. 

The set also includes 

a 48-tooth ratcheting 

T-handle and a 100mm 

wobble extension bar. 

www.kincrome.com.au 

3. Durst jump starters 

Durst call it the ‘Rocky 

Balboa’ of jump starters – 

Workshop for sale 

Auto electrical, air conditioning and 

mechanical workshop for sale in the NSW 

far north coast area. All equipment and 

stock included. A secure compound. $120K. 

All enquiries Kevin Palmer. 

Mobile: 0407 721 700 


3. 

1. 

‘s interesting 

New products and equipment for the auto industry 

2. 

the BJT-200 – a work horse that will start just about 

anything and can even be used as a mobile power 

supply. The NSW State Transit Authority uses the 

BJT-200 to start their 

5. 

Sydney buses. 

02 9660 1755 

sales@durst.com.au 


4. 

4. Durst battery testers 

Carbon pile load testers 

are a specialty product 

from Durst. Ranging from 

200CCA to 2,000CCA, 

Durst load testers will handle 

all batteries up to and 

including N200s. The most 

popular models are the 

BT-2003F 500 amp 6/12 volt 

and BT-3006F 1,000 amp 

6/12/24 volt. They provide an 

accurate load current control 

incorporating heavy duty carbon 

pile load rheostat. 

02 9660 1755 

sales@durst.com.au 


5. Green fuel hose 

A new high temperature, 

low permeation, multifuel 

compatible hose that 

eliminates fuel vapour 

loss, called Barricade, 

has been released 

by Gates. The hose 

has high environmental 

credentials and copes 

with today’s more 

corrosive fuels and is 

compatible with virtually 

all fuel. 

Gates Customer 

Service 03 9797 9688 

This magazine is just the 

tip of the iceberg! 

www.tat.net.au 

This is where you find the database of repair 

solutions, stories from all TaT issues, training 

programs and much more. 

This is where you reap the real benefits of your 

subscription to TaT. 

Draw up your wish list 

for 2012 

The best 

businesses 

in the world 

are always 

striving to get 

better. 

by Geoff Mutton 

They know they have to improve their 

operations every year in order to stay 

ahead of the competition. This is the 

kind of attitude that has positioned 

them successfully in the marketplace. 

The situation is no different in the 

vehicle repair industry. 

I am amazed at how owners of highly 

profitable workshops are always 

striving to get better. They are always 

asking questions and networking with 

other businesses, trying to pick up 

ideas. 

By contrast I find that struggling 

workshops think they know everything 

and they don’t particularly take much 

interest in too much happening outside 

their workshop. 

Theirs is a classic attitude ‘I have been 

in business for 20 years so what can 

anyone possibly teach me that I don’t 

already know?’ 

I am sure every one of us knows at 

least one workshop that has shut down 

in the past year. There will be many 

reasons for this, but I’m suggesting 

that a significant one will be that the 

owner struggled with change and failed 

to continually improve the business. 

The new year is a good time to think 

about what you are going to improve 

in 2012. 

You might need to purchase new 

equipment, invest in staff training, work 

on your marketing, give the office a 

makeover or recruit a new technician. 

Honestly evaluate your business 

and list all the things that need 

improving. If you have staff, run an 

after hours planning session and 

get them involved. This will help you 

generate your list and also give your 

staff a sense of interest and a bit of 

ownership in the future success of your 

business. If the business is successful, 

everyone will benefit. 

Making a list of target improvements 

for the year is not rocket science. 

Everyone can do it if they have the will 

to improve. 

If you can’t generate a ‘things to 

improve’ list, I guess your business 

must be perfect and you’re making 

millions. 

So what are you waiting for. Organise 

a session with everyone concerned 

with your business and get cracking. 

Stay ahead of the game and ensure 

your business doesn’t become one of 

this year’s statistics. 

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks

ULTRASCAN P1 

Built-in CAN Bus System 

512Mb Memory Card 

Live Data 

Activation Test 

Parameter Reset 

Key Coding 

Blackbox Flight Record 

4 Channel Oscilloscope 

Ignition Pattern Analyzer 

USB Direct PC Interface 

3 year warranty 

2 year software subscription 

Interstate Reseller 

Enquiries Welcome 

MULTISCAN P1 

A high quality and professional 

compact scanner that mirrors original 

factory equipment with over 20 years 

of scanner knowhows integrated. 

Boasts all features and fully 

functioning software & hardware. 

HEAD OFFICE 

147 Rooks Road 

Vermont VIC 3133 

PH: 1300 334 334 

Fax: (03) 9873 7009 

DINGLEY 

15/42-44 Garden Blvd. 

Dingley VIC 3172 

PH: (03) 9551 6222 

Fax: (03) 9551 6888 

TULLAMARINE 

17a Carrick Dve. 

1300 

Tullamarine VIC 3043 

PH: (03) 9338 7666 

Fax: (03) 9338 4400 

PHONE TOLL FREE 

334 334 

EFI EFI 



WWW.MY-UTE.COM.AU

What really does cause induction contamination? - TAT - The ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?