How the Air Conditioner Works

Air conditioning system and the flow of refrigerant

Any automotive air conditioning system employs four basic parts-a mechanical compressor, driven by the vehicle's engine; an expansion valve, which is a restriction the compressor pumps against; and two heat exchangers, the evaporator and the condenser. In addition, there is the refrigerant that flows through this system. The belt-driven compressor uses engine power to compress and circulate the refrigerant gas throughout the system. The refrigerant passes through the condenser on its way from the compressor outlet to the expansion valve. The condenser is located outside the passenger compartment, usually in front of the vehicle's radiator. The refrigerant passes from the expansion valve to the evaporator, and after passing through the evaporator tubing, it is returned to the compressor through its inlet. The evaporator is located inside the vehicle's passenger compartment. When the compressor starts running, it .... READ MORE

Where Can I Ask A Car Question?

You will find that all you have to do is type your car question in the box provided and click the tab at the bottom of the box. Follow the step by step instructions. There are mechanics online 24/7 ready to answer your question. You can decide if you want to pay them for there time and how much you would like to pay them if at all. its up to you. You can even choose the mechanic you wish to have your question answered by.

what are possible reason for water getting in the engine

Some of the most common causes are a bad head gasket or depending on the vehicle it could be an intake gasket leaking. Some other causes could be a cracked head or a cracked block causing water to get into the engine. If it just a very little bit of water and you are not loosing coolant it could be just condensation. You should have the vehicle pressure tested and depending on the results from that you may need to do a compression test.

where is the right front 02 sensor

QUESTION:

Where is the right front 02 sensor at on a 1998 Chevrolet ss z28 Camaro 5.7liter and do I just unplug the old one and plug in the new to get the engine lite to go off?

ANSWER:

The right front O2 sensor would be on the passenger side exhaust before the catalytic converter. It requires a 7/8 wrench to remove it. As for the light going off, if this is why the light is on, then yes, replacing it will make the light go out.

check engine light came on and a mechanic read the code and it came up P1400

QUESTION: Recently my check engine light came on and a mechanic read the code and it came up P1400 which is the manifold differential pressure sensor circuit. I have a 2000 Mitsubishi Galant; does this need to be repaired by a Mitsubishi dealer or can I take it to any auto repair facility? ANSWER: P1400 is an MDP sensor. on turbo equipped engines a special sensor is used to measure manifold pressure (MDP=Manifold differential pressure)...or the difference between manifold pressure and barometric pressure. the engine controller has seen values outside of what is programmed normal and therefore set the code. manifold pressure sensing is critical to fuel management. if the sensor is remote mounted and has a hose going to it...check the hose for splits, holes, soft places that might collapse, kinks or anything else that might prevent the pressure signal from reaching the sensor. if it's not that simple...you may a have a failed sensor or engine controller. to sort that out you need to do some specific pinpoint testing using the trouble tree for that code plus a DVOM...at the very least. Most auto mechanics would probably just change the sensor and send you on your way, after charging you a hefty fee for the part. If it were my car I'd check for vacuum leaks everywhere, including all devices that use vacuum (especially the ones going to the sensor). While it could be a bad sensor just the same, I have a suspicion that the code is giving you a symptom and the real problem might be a vacuum leak or valve cover gasket, etc.

2002 Buick Century, Low oil light stays on.

QUESTION:

Have a 2002 Buick Century, Low oil light stays on. is the sensor at bottom of oil pan, have cleaned connection. can i disconnect wire to sensor. or ground wire, don't think this light is necessary anyway. or can bulb on dash be removed.

ANSWER:

Grounding that wire should make the light go off unless there is a problem in the wiring to the sensor, removing the bulb could be a bit of a job.

Another School Year is Here

The Warm Days of summer are fading fast as kids head back to school and parents scramble to get every thing organized. Each year it gets more expensive to outfit you child for school. The price if every thing just keeps going up and up. A great way to safeguard your back to school investment is to make sure each item is labeled. The he Dymo label maker is a handy tool than lets you identity all your child's belongings. Color labels can be applied on books, gym clothing, lunch boxes and just about any other item you can think off. Dymo makes several easy to use label makers than have unlimited uses. Once you get your hands on one of these compact label machines you will be busy organizing your home or work for weeks. Label material comes in different colors and styles plus you can even make embossed labels. Dymo even has a label machine that prints out USPS approved postage stamps. Help prevent your kids from loosing their back to school supplies and get a label machine to identify their property.

How do I extract the check engine light codes?

QUESTION:

I have a 1995 Ford Mustang GT and my check engine light is on. How do I extract the codes? Do I need a scan tool or can I do it without one?

ANSWER:

You do not need a scan tool to extract the codes on this vehicle. This vehicle is OBD I and does not switch till 1996 so you do not need a scan tool. Basically you install a jumper wire or paper clip in the diagnostic test port located under the hood toward the passenger side firewall. Once the jumper is in place, you turn the key on (do not start engine) and the check engine light will flash the code. Here is a link to Complete Instructions and a full list of Ford OBD I Check Engine Light Codes with descriptions of each code: EXTRACT FORD CODES

Where can I find out what my check engine light codes mean?

QUESTION:

Where can I find out what my check engine light codes mean? I took my car to the dealer and paid them to scan my codes. After paying them for this, i had to argue with them to get them to tell me what codes they found. I want to look up the codes for myself. Can you help me....

ANSWER:

In the future when your check engine light comes on, if you purchase a Scan Tool, you can skip the trip to the dealer. Once you have the codes, you can look them up easily.

COMPLETE LIST OF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TROUBLE CODES. You will even fine out how to extract the check engine light codes without a scan tool on older vehicles.

HYBRID - To Buy or Not To Buy ?

2010 Honda Insight Concept

If you are in the market to buy a new car and have decided that a Hybrid is the way you want to go, you may just want to wait a bit longer. I have said this before and I will say it again. The Hybrids are still too new and have changed from year to year, so it is to soon to know what kind of problems your are going to have to deal with. The manufacturers have changed there designs almost every year since introduced to try and handle these issues. There is hope however for more reliability and a better price.

The 2010 Honda Insight, all new Hybrid. The Insight will be smaller than a Civic and CEO Takeo Fukui says it will be priced significantly below current hybrids. We expect it to start about $19,000, in keeping with the automaker’s goal of pricing it competitively against conventional small vehicles in its segment. “This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value,” Fukui says in a statement.

The Insight rides on an all-new platform as a bespoke hybrid, as opposed to offering a hybrid version of an existing vehicle as is the case with the current Honda Civic hybrid and the Honda Fit hybrid planned by 2015.

The on-sale date for the Insight is April 22—Earth Day—and the automaker is projecting global annual sales of 200,000, half of which are for the North American market.