| Case Study |
 | A Penny for Your Thoughts
-by Sam Bell
An old friend once said that if he didn't find a workable theory about a driveability problem in the first half hour, he had ignored something basic. I've used his sage advice so often that I've adopted it as my own. The following case study is for anyone who still believes that basic tests are for sissies.
Starvin' Marvin
The 2000 Lexus ES 300 was towed in after hours and dropped off in our back lot. It started easily enough, but I noted the MIL was ON.
The Lexus idled well...
|
| |
|
|
| Case Study |
 | Red Triangle of Doom
- by G Truglia
Hybrid repairs may be coming your way, if they haven't already. Is your shop ready? If you still think of hybrids as "new," you may be surprised to find that the following case study involves a seven year old Prius with almost 100,000 miles on the odometer!
Three's Company
I recently became involved in the second act of a two-stage repair that included a local Toyota Dealer and an independent transmission specialist.
Our story begins with our vehicle owner seeing the Red ...
|
| |
|
|
| Emerging Technology |
 | Gas Direct Injection
-by Ralph Birnbaum
This month's New Technology article deals with Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI). An old technology shelved for many years, GDI is being dusted off and called back to the active duty roster in response to growing concerns about rising fuel prices, harmful emissions, and global warming.
What is it? Gas Direct Injection (GDI) sprays highly pressurized gasoline directly into the cylinders, working a lot like the direct injection (DI) systems found in many modern diesels. This a...
|
| |
|
|
| Emerging Technology |
 | Honda IMA
-by Ralph Birnbaum
Honda settled on a hybrid design that sandwiches a thin but powerful motor/generator between the ICE and transaxle (where the torque converter/flywheel used to sit), an approach they refer to as IMA (Integrated Motor Assist). Honda has been tweaking and refining IMA since its introduction in the tiny Insight two-seater, and their approach to technology is always innovative.
In the second generation Civic, introduced in the 2006 model year, the IMA is a 15 kilowat ...
|
| |
|
|
Subscribe in a reader
