underhood service

®A MAGAZINE

■ The Changing Diagnostic Outlook ■ Dodge Cummins Diesel Service ■ Probing Electrical Problems

Reader Service: Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

CONTENTS

EditorEdward Sunkin, ext. 258email: [email protected]

Managing Editor Jennifer Clements, ext. 265email: [email protected]

Technical Editor Larry Carley

Contributing Writers Gary Goms, Scott “Gonzo”Weaver, Bob McDonald and Randy Rundle

Graphic Designer Dan Brennan, ext. 283email: [email protected]

PublisherJim Merle, ext. 280 email: [email protected]

Ad Service Director Cindy Ott, ext. 209email: [email protected]

Circulation Manager Pat Robinson, ext. 276email: [email protected]

2 May 2013 | UnderhoodService.com

46Memory LaneWelcome to My World

Looking back over 25 years ofbeing in business, Randy Rundlerealizes that his typical customerhas changed in much of the sameway he has by tuning out a lot ofthe modern world. Discover howowning and servicing antique vehicles can give you a differentperspective on how cars work.

24

4632

32Engine SeriesDodge’s 6.7L Cummins Diesel

In 1989, Dodge made a bold movein the automotive market byoffering the Cummins diesel forits mid-size truck line. Diesel spe-cialist Bob McDonald explains theservice needs and updates onthese engines that have beenaround for nearly 25 years.

TECH FEATURE: Honda Civic Hybrid Service

DEPARTMENTS

6 Gonzo’s Tool Box

10 Directions

12 Aftermarket Update

14 Diagnostic Dilemmas

52 Tech Tips

61 Rapid Response

62 Products

63 Classifieds

68 Guess the Car

A Publication

Brent Crago, ownerTop Tech AutomotiveCleveland, Tennessee

Marc Duebber, owner Duebber’s Auto ServiceCincinnati, Ohio

Audra Fordin, owner Great Bear Auto Repair Flushing, NYwww.womenautoknow.com

Marvin Greenlee, owner Meade & Greenlee Inc.Salem, Oregon

Anthony Hurst, ownerAuto DiagnosticsEphrata, Pennsylvania

Roger Kwapich, owner Smitty’s AutomotiveToledo, Ohio

Rick O’Brien, technicianCoachworksPortland, Maine

Tom Palermo, general managerPreferred Automotive SpecialistsJenkintown, Pennsylvania

Van Pedigo, ownerRichfield Automotive CenterRichfield, Ohio

Paul Stock, owner Stock’s Underhood SpecialistsBelleville, Illinois

Michael Warner, owner Suburban WrenchPennington, New Jersey

Editorial advisory Board

UNDERHOOD SERVICE (ISSN 1079-6177)

(May 2013, Volume XVIII, Number 5): Published monthly by Babcox, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Periodical postage paid at Akron, OH44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to UNDERHOOD SERVICE, 3550 Embassy Parkway Akron, OH 44333. UNDERHOOD SERVICE is a trademark of BabcoxMedia, Inc. registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All rights reserved.

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Columns

14

AUGMENTED REALITY CONTENT IN THIS ISSUE:

Auto-Video Inc. 41 and 51Hybrid Service 24Cummins Diesel 32

52

Awork order comes toyou with this com-plaint: “My turn signal

indicators light up when I stepon the brake pedal or whenI’m driving at night.” Do youhave a good idea what theproblem is? Or, are you com-pletely lost and debating send-ing this job to another shopbecause it’s not something youthink you can handle?

Let’s see if I can simplifythe problem for you andretain this customer for yourshop. Before making therepairs, it’s important to firstunderstand how things aresupposed to work.

So, what are you looking at?Essentially, you’re witnessingan electrical current trying tofinish its journey from posi-tive to negative. This can onlyhappen if the vehicle isequipped with a dual-filamentbulb in the rear of the car,where the turn signal andbrake are combined into onebulb filament.

In order for this to happen,there has to be a good bulb inthe circuit. (If there is a bro-ken filament in the bulb, youwon’t see this phenomenon.)In regard to the original com-plaint, this cannot happen anyother way than what was

described in the work order.There is a similar occurrencewith the front bulbs, but, inthat case, only the indicator ison and the brakes do not affect it.

Very simply put, it’s a badground signal at or near thebulb or bulb housing. A lot ofmanufacturers have gone tothese one-piece bulb housingsin the rear sections and theycan be very problematic andlead to many false diagnosesif they are not properlychecked. The housings canmelt the connection from thebulb to the socket or, in manycases, melt the connectionbetween the harness and thehousing. Always disconnectthe housing from the harnessand examine both the connectorand the housing for deformation, melted leads ordiscoloration.

HOW TO SPOT THEPROBLEM

The first thing to do in any diagnostic procedure is to duplicate the problem. Sincethis can only happen with adual-filament bulb where thebrake/turn lights are com-bined, you can safely assumethat the problem is comingfrom the rear of the vehicle. As

you turn on the signal, observethe condition on the cluster asyou apply the brakes. Unlessboth rear bulbs have lost theirground signal simultaneously,you should easily spot whichside is the problem area.

Keep in mind that as you flipon the turn signal (with combined turn/brake light systems), you are essentiallyturning “off” one of the brakelights, thus blocking the electri-cal signal to that individualbulb filament. One side willwork correctly while holdingthe brake on, and when flippingthe turn signal in the oppositedirection, the feedback willshow up on the dash with oneturn signal indicator lighting upat the same time that the otherone is flashing.

CONFIRM THE DIAGNOSIS

The only tool I use for this pro-cedure is a good old-fashionedtest light. Before getting out ofthe car, turn on the hazardsand the parking lights. (This isanother good pre-test.) Now,go to the rear of the vehicleand you’ll notice one side ofthe car is not illuminated. Thisshould coincide with yourearly test results.

Next, remove the housing

By Scott “Gonzo” Weaver

» Gonzo’s Toolbox

Understanding ElectricalCircuits Will ExpediteDiagnostic Repairs


and find a good ground foryour test light. Then, testthe three leads to the bulb.With the hazards and theparking lights on, two ofthem should be working —one will be flashing and onewill be on solid. If you’re inthe right area, you’ll findout there’s going to beanother lead showingpositive current.

Since your testlight is grounded,you’re actuallyseeing a com-pleted circuitwhen youtouch the test light to the(bad) ground lead. Thisall starts from the truepositive lead, thenthrough the bulb fila-ment, then throughthe ground leadand, finally,through your testlight. (A goodground wouldnot light up thetest light.)

In a lot ofcases, the bulb filaments might even startto show signs of a dim output, because you haveprovided a small trace of anegative feed into the circuit by way of your testlight. At this point, I’ll use ajumper wire attached to agood ground and touch it tothe “real” ground wire forthe circuit. If there are noother breaks in the connections through thehousing or the wiring, thebulb should start workingnormally.

SPECIAL NOTES Keep your test light probelead as sharp as possible.Also, when probing a lead,do not use the probe in the

actual socket; instead go from the

backside of the con-nector. This way, you

avoid spreading theconnector open and cre-

ating a new problem. When

I’m in anarea where I

can’t get tothe rear of the

connector, or it’ssealed, I use a

sewing needle-sizesafety pin or a quil-

ter’s pin (it has a “T”handle top that’s easy to

hold on to) to stab thewire. It leaves a very small

mark that almost completelydisappears when removed.I also make up my ownjumper wires from a roll offlex wire (not standardwire); I try to make them allabout 2-½ feet in length.This seems to be the bestlength for maneuveringaround and from side-to-side in a car.

It’s an easy repair and aneven easier diagnosis onceyou understand the funda-mentals of how these elec-trical circuits operate.

With a bit of practice,you’ll find electrical repairis easier than you thoughtand you’ll be able to retaina lot more work in yourshop, as well as keep morecustomers coming to yourdoor. ■

» Gonzo’s Toolbox


Driving Services in the Bays

» Directions By Edward Sunkin | EDITOR

Oil really can be black gold for automotive repair shops. According to The NPD Group,oil change service is the leading driver of

traffic through service bays and represents the great-est opportunity for cross-selling other services.NPD’s car care consumer tracking research finds

that tire rotations, air filter replacements and carwashes are among the top services purchased at thesame time as an oil change.

“With consumers driving less and softer demandfor automotive maintenance and repair, automotiveservice outlets need to maximize each service occa-sion,” said David Portalatin, NPD executive direc-tor and aftermarket industry analyst. “Serviceproviders who are providing just the oil and filterservice are missing out on significant revenueopportunities.” NPD’s Car Care Track, which monitors purchase

behavior details of the “do-it-yourself” and “do-it-for-me” auto aftermarket and repair consumer,finds that 24% of customers are purchasing tirerotations with their oil change, 17% buy an air filter

or cabin air filter replacement, 12% of oil changecustomers purchase a car wash or car detailing, and11% purchase wiper blades or brake service.NPD’s Car Care Track also reported that independ-

ent repair shops are getting a higher percentage ofbrake service and a variety of repair and replace-ment-oriented needs, such as steering and suspen-sion, fuel system, electrical and engine work, where-as car dealers and tire shops are much more effec-tive at cross-selling tire rotating or balancing. Quicklubes are more likely to cross-sell air filter replace-ments in conjunction with the oil change, but lagbehind other service channels in all other categories.“Each car that enters a service bay represents a

finite opportunity for revenue growth. Once thatcar exits the bay, unperformed maintenance andrepair represent lost sales that may prove difficultto capture on some future occasion,” saysPortalatin. “Suppliers and service providers, work-ing together, can evaluate the service mix and findopportunities for growth, while also offering con-sumers complete car care service.” ■

ASRW Moves to Two ExpoDays, Three Education Days


For free e-mail updates with the latest aftermarketnews, tech tips and supplier promotions, log onto AutoCarePro.com.

Bobby Pierce, a 16-year-old highschool student who is also one of thenation’s top Dirt Late Model drivers,is the $50,000 grand-prize winner inthe “Search for a Champion” racingsponsorship contest from Federal-Mogul Corporation’s Champion SparkPlug brand. A sophomore at Oakwood (IL) High

School, Pierce was one of 15 finalistsselected from hun-dreds of entries inthe popular con-test, which requiresparticipants to sub-mit a two-minutevideo describinghow a Championsponsorship willhelp them dominatethe competition.Finalists and the grand-prize winner

were selected on the basis of votesreceived at thewww.AlwaysaChampion.com websiteas well as through input fromNASCAR Sprint Cup driver andChampion spokesperson KevinHarvick. Pierce, currently ranked

fourth in points in the Lucas Oil DirtSeries, garnered more than 13,000 ofthe total 114,000 votes cast in thecontest. Finalists represented virtuallyevery form of engine-driven racing,including circle track, drag,motocross, boat and snocross competition.“Bobby looks, acts and drives like a

champion, and his video projectedthe passion that’srequired to build andmaintain a successfulracing career,” Harvicksaid.Bobby’s passion for

racing comes naturally:His father is NationalDirt Late Model Hall ofFame driver and pro-

fessional car builder Bob Pierce,who was among the most successfulSuper Dirt drivers of the 1980s and’90s. His mother, Angie, and sister,Ciara, are members of his crew.To learn more about Bobby and to

follow the success of his Champion-powered No. 32 Dirt Late Model car,visit www.bobbypierceracing.com.

» Aftermarket UpdateBrought to you by:

16-Year-Old Dirt Late Model Driver from IllinoisWins $50,000 ‘Search for a Champion’ Grand Prize

Identifix has announced that ithas added the Direct Quote esti-mating feature to its online tool,Direct-Hit, at no additional costto subscribers. Direct Quote pro-vides quick and easy access tothe most current and reliableestimating information, helpingrepair shops to be even moreproductive.“The ability to generate accu-

rate estimates is critical for bothaftermarket shops and dealer-ship service departments, whichis why it was so important for usto include the Direct Quote

feature within Direct-Hit,” saidJeff Sweet, president of Identifix.“Ours is not the only estimatingtool available in the repair indus-try, so we made sure that DirectQuote delivered functionalitythat was unique to Direct-Hit,enabling shop owners and count-er staff to easily build customizedestimates in a reader-friendly format that their customers couldunderstand.”Call 1-800-745-9649 to take a per-

sonal online tour of Direct Quote,or visit identifix.com for moreinformation.

Identifix Launches Direct Quote Estimating ToolEstimating tool enables shop owners and counter staff to easilybuild customized estimates in a reader-friendly format that customers can understand.

Beginning with the 2013 event,Automotive Service & RepairWeek (ASRW) will become atwo-day expo, with three days ofeducation. The show floor will beopen Oct. 17 and 18 from 9:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. TheASRW Conference Program willtake place Oct. 16-18, and theevent remains at the MandalayBay Convention Center in LasVegas.

The change is in response tofeedback gathered from exhibit-ing companies as well as atten-dees, and will offer significantbusiness and financial efficien-cies for all ASRW participants.With this updated schedule, par-ticipants will enjoy the samenumber of Expo hours as in thepast, but streamlined into twodays.

To deliver the maximum experi-ence and value to ASRW atten-dees, several key events willevolve for 2013, including theASRW Industry Forum panel dis-cussion and the creation of a newon-floor networking event.

“After diligently compiling, re-searching and examining feed-back from our loyal participants,these changes reflect the culmina-tion of months of work, and weare so pleased to reveal ourplans,” stated Ron Pyle, ASApresident. “This new show struc-ture was carefully crafted to fos-ter a deeper level of networkingand community among attendeesand within the industry, and pro-vides a solution to a longtime in-dustry need identified throughour research.”

For additional information, goto www.ASAshop.org. ■


Everybody likes to readabout a DiagnosticDilemma that has been

solved to everybody’s satisfac-tion. But this month I have anunsolved Diagnostic Dilemmathat is more about customersthan cars. This particulardilemma involves a 2005 FordCrown Victoria with head-lamps that randomly losepower during night driving.According to its 80-year-oldowner, a flick of the dimmerswitch will reactivate theheadlamps for several days,weeks or perhaps a month.Based on a prior experience hehad with intermittent head-lamps on a 1978 Ford LTD,the Crown Victoria’s ownerrequested our local Ford deal-ership replace the light switch,which, of course, didn’t solvethe problem.

Because the two lightingtechnologies are completelydifferent, the customerarrived at a false conclusion.As I explained to him, aheadlamp switch on a 1978Ford LTD is mechanicaldevice containing a circuitbreaker that’s designed tomomentarily interrupt cur-rent to the headlamps if thelamp wiring circuit shorts toground. The headlamps willblink off, but they will comeback on. In contrast, his 2005Crown Victoria uses a fusebox to protect the lightingcircuits and a module to con-trol the lighting system. Thelights blinking off and onprobably, according to myexperience, has more to dowith the lighting modulethan with a faulty lightingswitch.

I also explained that thediagnosis might be compli-cated by his vehicle beingequipped with the optionalautomatic dimmer and day-time driving light modules.

At this point, I was fairly certain that I was talking wayover my octogenarian customer’s head, but hopesprings eternal. When Ichecked the light module fordiagnostic trouble codes, Ifound five trouble codesaddressing different parts ofthe system, including thenewly installed light switch. Ihate to use the word“assume,” but to make senseof the codes, I had to assumethat most of these codes werestored when the dealer techreplaced the light switch. If itwere me, I would have clearedall codes after replacing the

»DiagnosticDilemmas Troubleshooting Business

Changes In OurDiagnostic OutlookBy Gary Goms, contributing editor

» DiagnosticDilemmas Troubleshooting Business


switch. But, since this wasn’t the case, I spent anhour running the headlamps, checking for loosefuses, and doing a wiggle test on the light moduleand failing to duplicate the problem.

So, with my suspicions and experiences point-ing at the lightingmodule, I’m faced atthis point with makingan educated guess onthe cause of the inter-mittent loss of lightcomplaint. Since theowner is living on afixed income, I recom-mended clearing thecodes and driving thevehicle until the lightsagain failed. At leastthen I would havesome valid codes towork with.But, I actually had

two DiagnosticDilemmas, the firstbeing technical and thesecond being clearlycommunicating withthe customer. Given arealistic approach, the technical part I can dealwith. But the customer communications partbegan to give me trouble. After I patientlyexplained the situation, this retiree seemed tounderstand that replacing suspect parts would beexpensive and with no guarantee of success. When I called back a week later, he told me that

he had driven the car on a 300-mile trip with noheadlamp failures and I haven’t heard to the con-trary since. I had to ask myself if the customerhad any confidence whatsoever in my technicalknow-how. Is a repair possible in this circum-stance? Probably only if my customer drives atnight, which might not be the case.

OUR AGING VEHICLE FLEETBecause we work on different types of vehicles indifferent situations, most of us in automotivediagnostics become the products of our experi-ences. With that said, let me expound for a bit on

the changes that might be affecting our futurediagnostic outlook. While I’m certain that diag-nostic techs working in rust-belt areas don’t havethis problem, in my end of the world we havevery little rust and, as long as it’s economically

feasible to continue repair-ing a vehicle, many vehi-cle owners seem to bechoosing that option. Infact, after the economycrashed in 2008, many inour rural mountain areaactually began rehabilitat-ing some of the “goldenoldies” parked in theirback yards. On some days,I’ve been using my old 60-pin Ford break out boxmore than I’ve been usingmy scan tools. But, thediagnostic reality is thatelectronic parts are becom-ing less available for manyof these vehicles and Ibelieve more will findtheir way to the scrap yarddue to major electronicsfailures than due to

conventional mechanical failures.When I first began working as a gas pump atten-

dant in the late 1950s, engines would last onlyabout 70,000 miles on average before developinga burned exhaust valve or a knocking connectingrod bearing. Even worse, the interior upholsterywould last only about half that long. Back in thatday, it wasn’t hard to find a five-year-old vehiclerusting away in a salvage yard simply because itwas worn out and its technology had becomeobsolete. But now, the average age of our nationalvehicle fleet is pushing 11 years, with much ofthis longevity being attributed to better enginesand powertrains and far more durable exteriorpaint and interior appointments. So, given somedecent maintenance, it’s not unusual for a mod-ern vehicle to last well over 250,000 miles and 10years of age. While much of the maintenanceneeds on older vehicles disappear into the DIYmarket, most owners still need the services of a

In contrast to the “good old days,” thebest way to diagnose an intermittentfailure in the headlamp circuit is to usea scan tool to retrieve trouble codes.

» DiagnosticDilemmas

trained diagnostic technician todeal with the vehicle’s elec-tronic failures. Given the agingof our national vehicle fleet,we’re probably going to see aninteresting mix of new and oldcoming through our shopdoors.Thanks to more vehicle recalls

and more information avail-able through various technicalhotlines, I’m also seeing fewerpattern failures among out-of-warranty vehicles. Other pattern failures have simplydisappeared due to better fuelsand oils. For example, mostveteran techs have repaired thesticking fuel injector poppetvalves on the late 1990s 5.7LChevy Vortec truck engines.As you may recall, a stuckpoppet valve would result in acylinder misfire. A reformula-tion of our gasoline and con-version of the poppet valvesystems to conventional fuel

injectors has since eliminatedthis once troublesome prob-lem. As a matter of fact, I’mseeing no contaminated fuel orfuel-quality problems whatso-ever in our current market. Icouldn’t say that 10 years ago.

On the other hand, I’m seeingmore problems caused by thelack of familiarity with oldersystems. Case in point, I had aclient ask me about the causeof a minor, but irritating, no-code surging complaint at lowengine speeds and light throt-tle applications on his 19965.7L Chevy Vortec. At 140,000miles, I recommended replac-ing the original spark plugs,wires, distributor cap androtor just to eliminate the pos-sibility of secondary ignitionproblems. Since the problemremained, I next recommendedre-synchronizing the distributorcam sensor, which was running at about -7°, due to

Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

Leaking fuel pressure regulators were very commonon this early 2000 Chevy Vortec truck engine. Thanksto better replacement parts, I haven’t seen a similarfailure in the past several years.


timing chain wear. While -7°cam synch normally wouldn’tcause any problems, it mightaggravate a minor lean-fuelcondition brought on by dirtyfuel injectors. Re-synching thecam sensor did remedy thecomplaint. Here again, thisvehicle is now 17 years old andwe’re diagnosing a non-patternfailure that is related more toage and mileage than to anyparticular design or componentfailure.

OUR MODERN VEHICLEFLEETAlthough some techniciansbelieve that hybrid, electric andalternative fuel vehicles aremore a fad than technical reality,I believe quite to the contrary.During the early 1990s, I cov-ered much of the technologythat various auto manufactur-ers were racing at Colorado’sfamous Pikes Peak hill climb.Even then, at least one majorpetroleum company was doingdevelopmental work onpropane and natural gas- powered vehicles. One automanufacturer had even set anew class record with a battery-powered compact pickup truck.

The fact is, much of the devel-opment work on all hybrid,electric and alternative fuelvehicles is at least severaldecades old. Two of the world’slargest motor companies areheavily invested in producinghybrid and electric vehicles andnow we’re beginning to seehybrid technology adapted toconventional platforms in theform of idle/stop technology.

Some OEMs are handling thisdeluge of technical information

by certifying their techniciansto be “service-ready” to repairspecific platforms like hybridsand electrics. Their objective, ofcourse, is to have their techni-cians trained to a high level ofservice readiness when the newgeneration of vehicles appearson a show room floor. Thanksto longer manufacturer warrantyand extended warranty periods,the aftermarket lags about threeto four years behind dealer-ships on the types of mainte-nance and repairs we see com-ing into our service bays. So,although service readiness isn’tcurrently seen as a majorrequirement in the aftermarket,we do need service-ready train-ing before we attempt to domajor repairs on revolutionarydesigns like hybrid, electric,idle-stop and alternative fueltechnologies. The current deluge of the “ser-

vice-ready” knowledge neededto diagnose and repair hybrid,electric and alternative fuelvehicles is of such breadth anddepth that it’s difficult to teachon a piecemeal basis. Thebreadth and depth of knowl-edge has also increased to thepoint that it’s becoming moredifficult to present live trainingin a classroom situation. A sec-ond current reality is that manytrainers need at least two-dozenpaying students to form a class.And, last, any service-readytraining must be sequential andin order of ascending difficulty,which are two qualities thataftermarket training has strug-gled to provide. Since very littleaftermarket training meetsservice-ready standards, we’rebeginning to have a dialog




about how our training mighttrend away from generalizedlive instruction to more self-directed, on-line learning.

We’re also beginning to dis-cuss why Career TechnicalEducation (CTE) must changeits role in educating futuretechnicians. To illustrate, thecurrent task-based systemworks more effectively atacquiring factual knowledgethan it does at promoting theunderstanding of that knowl-edge. For example, solving thelow-beam lighting problem onthe above 2005 Ford CrownVictoria requires far more criti-cal and logical thinking skills(understanding) than it does

hands-on repair skills. The leastcritical hands-on skills areknowing how to replace a light-ing module or light bulb,whereas the most criticalhands-on skills are knowinghow to acquire data by using aprofessional multimeter andscan tool. But logical and criti-cal thinking skills are alsoneeded to understand how thelight switch, light module,automatic dimming moduleand daytime driving light mod-ule interact with each other tooperate the exterior lightingsystem and what type of diag-nostic strategy might berequired to verify and diagnosethe customer’s complaint.Without logical and criticalthinking skills (understanding),the hands-on skills become use-less in the modern world ofauto repair.

TOOLING ANDEQUIPMENTThe rubber really hits the roadfor independent shops whenit’s time to update their diag-nostic tooling. I’m sure thatmany of us have bought “lead-ing-edge” tooling only to see itgather dust in the real-worldenvironment of a productionshop. As a result, many of usare approaching the topic of OEtooling with caution. But let’skeep in mind that in the nearfuture, more vehicle operatingsystems will be “drive-by-wire”and will be operated by mod-ules that will need to be initial-ized or programmed when theyare replaced. While various J-2534 reprogramming tools aredesigned to re-flash or programpowertrain control modulesGo to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

COST OF OWNING,OPERATING VEHICLEIN U.S. INCREASES

NEARLY 2%

AAA has released the resultsof its annual 'Your Driving

Costs' study, revealing a 1.96%increase in the cost to own andoperate a sedan in the U.S. Theaverage cost rose 1.17 cents to60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 peryear, based upon 15,000 miles ofannual driving."Many factors go into the cost

calculation of owning and oper-ating a vehicle," said JohnNielsen, AAA director of auto-motive engineering and repair."This year, changes in mainte-nance, fuel and insurance costsresulted in the increase to justover 60 cents a mile."The costs associated with

maintaining a vehicle had thesingle largest percentageincrease from 2012 to 2013,growing by 11.26% to 4.97 centsper mile on average for sedanowners. AAA's estimates arebased upon the cost to maintaina vehicle and perform neededrepairs for five years and 75,000miles including labor expenses,replacement part prices and thepurchase of an extended war-ranty policy. Driving theincrease in maintenance costsare significant increases in laborand part costs for some modelsand a major increase in theprice of extended warranty policies due to high loss ratiosby underwriters.Source: AAA


(PCMs) for exhaust emissionsrepairs, many aren’t as adept atre-flashing modules that controlthe various operating systems inthe vehicle. On the other hand, it’s impractical

for the average independentshop to maintain a dozen ormore OE scan tools and theirsoftware updates and databasesubscriptions to support whatinevitably turns out to be amodest volume of initializationand reprogramming servicework relative to that invest-ment. Unless we’re speaking ofa large, high-volume or multipleoutlet shop, it’s also impracticalto expect the most adept techni-cian to gain enough trainingand technical proficiency toprofitably repair each of the1,000-plus vehicle platformsbeing sold on the domestic market each year. Of course, this leads us to the

topic of specialization. The mostprofitable independent repairshops in recent years are theones that focus their operationson specific services or vehicleplatforms. The math is prettysimple: A Subaru technicianneeds only one scan tool, oneinformation system, one set ofspecial tools and one relativelyshort learning curve to produceeight hours of billable labor. Incontrast, the general repair tech-nician needs the same tooling inmultiples of 12 or more to bill anequal number of hours. Whilespecialization isn’t possible in allmarket and economic bases, thenarrowing of a shop’s servicefocus is not only possible, butwill become a major require-ment for economic survival inthe near future. �

» TechFeature Hybrid Service

By Larry Carley, technical editor

24 May 2013 | UnderhoodService.com Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com �

The Honda Civic Hybrid is now in its thirdgeneration, with more than 200,000 cars soldto date since its introduction to the U.S. mar-

ket back in 2002 as a model year 2003. The CivicHybrid was Honda’s answer to the Toyota Prius,and was its second hybrid offering following itstwo-seat Insight that was introduced in 1999as a model year 2000.The first generation Civic

Hybrids in the U.S. market arethe 2003-’05 models, the sec-ond generation cars are the2006-’11 models, and thethird generation startedwith model year 2012.The Civic Hybrid models

are a different breed ofhybrid than the more sophis-ticated Toyota Prius in thatthere is only a minimal full-elec-tric mode of operation. Unlike thePrius that can start up and drive on bat-tery power alone for a limited distance andspeed, the Civic uses its Integrated Motor Assist(IMA) system primarily to boost engine powerwhen extra oomph is needed to accelerate, pass orclimb a hill.The electric motor produces only 13 hp in the

first generation Civics, 20 hp in the second gener-ation models and 23 hp in the third generation, so

the amount of assist isn’t that much. The gasolineengine, by comparison, makes 85 hp in the firstgeneration Civics, and 93 hp in the second andthird generation cars, so most of the power thatdrives the car comes from the gasoline engine, notthe IMA electric motor.

The IMA electric motor is attached to theengine’s flywheel, so the engine has

to be turning for the electric motorto contribute power to the dri-

vetrain (unlike a Prius, whichcan decouple its electricmotors from the engine).Consequently, there is nostart-up electric-only modeof operation in a CivicHybrid as there is with a

Prius.However, on the second and

third generation Civic Hybrids,there is a full electric mode that

may occur briefly depending on thecharge level of the IMA battery while cruising

under light load between 15 and 20 mph. Whenthis happens, the engine’s cylinders are temporar-ily deactivated and the car is propelled by batterypower alone to save fuel.The first- and second-generation Civic Hybrids

are powered by a 1.3L VTEC engine that candeactivate three cylinders (first generation) or all

four cylinders (second generation) during decel tosave fuel. The third generation cars get a larger1.5L VTEC engine, but the power output is thesame as the previous models.

HONDA BATTERY PROBLEMSThe number one problem with Honda CivicHybrids has been the high-voltage IMA battery.The first generation cars use a 144-volt nickelmetal hydride (NiMH) battery, while second gen-eration cars use a higher voltage 158.4V NiMHbattery. Third generation cars use a totally differ-ent kind of battery, a Lithium-Ion 158V batterythat is about 30% more powerful than that in theprevious models.The problem with the first and second generation

batteries is that they can fail prematurely for a vari-ety of reasons. Undercharging is one, and overheat-ing is another. According to some sources, averagebattery life in these vehicles is only about sevenyears, and the second generation cars are worse thanthe first.For the high-voltage IMA battery to last, it must be

kept at or above a 50-60% State of Charge (SOC)most of the time. That means driving the car fre-quently enough to keep the battery charged (at leastonce every month). If the car sits for more than amonth in extreme conditions like heat, the batterymay get so low that it never fully recovers and even-tually fails. What’s more, if the battery sits fullycharged (over charged 80% SOC plus) for more than90 days, it will often fail within a matter of months.According to one report in the Los

Angeles Times, more than 4% ofthe high-voltage batteries

in 2006-’08 Honda Civic Hybrids have been replaced— a figure that’s unacceptably high according to theCalifornia Bureau of Auto Repair.Many of the premature battery failure problems

have been blamed on the driving habits of the vehi-cle owners: not driving the cars often enough or farenough to keep the battery fully charged. To addressthis issue, Honda came out with a software updateto extend battery life. Honda blames its prematurebattery failure problem on “frequent stop-and-gocity driving with the A/C on, especially duringwarm weather. This type of driving can leave theIMA battery in a low state of charge. Over time, thiscan cause battery deterioration and failure.”The Honda TSB software update (09-058 and more

recently 10-034) essentially “detunes” the IMA sys-tem so it uses assist less often, and, thus, puts lessload and stress on the battery. Some Civic ownershave complained that their cars feel more sluggishor don’t get the same mileage after they’ve had thecontrol software updated (which actually involves reflashing the IMA battery software, the PGM-FI engine control software and the CVT transmissionsoftware).If an IMA battery fails, it’s expensive to replace.

Honda dealers are reportedly charging $3,000 to asmuch as $4,000 to replace batteries that are not cov-ered by warranty — which is another issue in itself.

HONDA BATTERY WARRANTY ISSUESCivic owners who have had a hybrid battery call itquits have frequently encountered confusing and

misleading informationabout their battery’s

warranty

� Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com UnderhoodService.com 25

» TechFeature


coverage. We looked into thisissue and found that basically thebattery’s warranty coverage willvary depending on the emissionscertification of the vehicle, thestate where it was originally reg-istered, its VIN number, and itsage and mileage since it wasmanufactured.In California and other states that

have similar SULEV and PZEVemission rules (which includesCA, NY, VT, ME, MA, RI and CT,plus NJ, OR, WA, PA, NM and FLsince 2010), the IMA battery war-ranty is 10 years or 150,000 miles.On the third generation vehicles,Honda says the battery warrantyin these states is 15 years or150,000 miles. For every otherstate, the battery warranty is eightyears or 80,000 miles, whichevercomes first.If a failed battery is still under

warranty, Honda will replace it atno cost to the owner. If the batteryis out of warranty, Honda sells a“refurbished” battery for around$2,200 plus installation (whichcomes with a one-year warranty)

or a new battery for around $3,000plus installation (which comeswith a three-year warranty).Aftermarket refurbished batteriesare also available for around$1,700 to $2,200 (plus the car’s oldbattery) from sources such as re-involt.com or hybrid-battery.com.Most hybrid experts caution

against replacing a dead batterywith one from a salvage yardbecause chances are a used batteryhas been sitting in a dischargedstate for a long time and won’t lastif it’s returned to service. Theproblem is that some NiMH cellsdischarge at a different rate thanothers. This upsets the internalcharge balance of the battery andprevents the battery from recharg-ing normally, which will eventuallycause it to fail.

BATTERY DIAGNOSISHonda’s self-diagnostics cover theIMA system pretty well, and willusually detect most problems inthe IMA system or battery. Whensuch a fault occurs, the system will



set a fault code and turn on the IMAwarning light. So, if the IMA warninglight is illuminated on a customer’s car,plug in a scan tool to find out what’sthe matter. Some aftermarket scan toolscan display IMA fault codes, but othersmay not have all of the codes or becapable of accessing all of the systemdata or self-tests.Craig Van Batenburg of ACDC

Hybrid training (www.fixhybrid.com)recommends using a Honda scan toolfor diagnostics, such as the VetronixMastertech for 2003 models, or aTeradyne scan tool for 2004 and latermodels.Any of the following codes usually means the car

needs a new battery: P0A7E, P0A7F, P1435, P1446 orP1570. Other battery-related codes include: P1447,P1449, P0A9D, P0A9E, P0AC7, P0ACD, P1574,P0A27 and P0AE1. These codes indicate battery-related faults that may or may not require replacing

the battery.If you’re clearing codes with an aftermarket

scan tool, Van Batenburg says the 2003Honda Civic Hybrids have a quirk thatrequires you to clear the codes twice beforethe IMA warning light will stay off. He alsosaid these models may have P1440 and P1679codes, which are false codes and can beignored.If the hybrid battery in a Civic is discharged,

Van Batenburg offers the following advice forrecharging it (since no high-voltage batterycharger is available for such purposes): Juststart the car and let the engine recharge thebattery. Remove the #15 fuse from the under-hood fuse panel and run the engine at 3,000

rpm to fast-charge the battery. When all of the statusbars on the dash charge indicator are illuminated,the battery is fully charged.Something else to keep in mind about the Civic

Hybrid is that it has a conventional 12-volt starter asa backup in case there is a failure with the high-volt-



age IMA system. If the IMA battery has sufficientcharge, the IMA electric motor on the flywheel willstart the engine, otherwise the conventional 12Vstarter will kick in to crank the engine to life. The12V starter is also used in extreme cold. The high-voltage hybrid battery can be dangerous

because of the potential shock hazard. There is oneHonda-approved way to disable the high-voltageIMA system. Turn off the ignition and disconnect thenegative ground cablefrom the conventional 12-volt battery in the enginecompartment. This willdisable the IMA con-troller and prevent itfrom routing high voltageinto the IMA system.Then, remove the back

seat, remove the smallswitch cover on the bat-tery pack and turn off theswitch (down). Wait atleast five minutes for thesystem’s high-voltagecapacitors to dischargebefore working on thebattery or other IMAhigh-voltage components.If any work needs to be

done on the hybrid bat-tery junction board orcontrol module, wear insulated gloves and use insu-lated tools.For normal maintenance and repairs to non-IMA

system components, there’s no need to disconnectthe hybrid battery or disable the IMA system. Justmake sure the ignition is off. Even so, avoid touch-ing any orange-color-coded, high-voltage cables.

OTHER REPAIRS/MAINTENANCE There have been few problems with the IMA elec-tric motor on the back of the engine, but if youhave to pull one you’ll need a special $700 pullerto get it off.The engine in the Civic Hybrid requires 0W-20

motor oil. If a heavier-viscosity motor oil is used, itmay adversely affect the operation of the VTECvalve control system. Not changing the oil oftenenough can also foul the VTEC valve control systemand set a P1259 code.

On first generation Civic Hybrids, the oil filterneeds to be prefilled with oil before it’s installed.Most technicians don’t take the time to do this, butnot filling it can allow air to be pumped into theVTEC control system, causing a P1021 code to be set.Another common code on these cars is a P1491

EGR code. This can be caused by a buildup of car-bon under the engine’s EGR valve. Cleaning theEGR port every 60,000 to 90,000 miles will prevent

this from happening.The Continuously Variable

Transmission (CVT) requires a special Hondafluid, and also requires aspecial relearn driving pro-cedure if the battery hasbeen disconnected orreplaced.Van Batenburg says if a

Civic Hybrid is experiencing a driveabilityproblem and you’re notsure if it’s the gas engine orthe IMA system, removethe IMA fuse and drive thecar in gas-only mode. If theproblem goes away, thefault is in the IMA system.If the fault is still there, it’sin the gas engine controlsystem.

On the second and third generation Civic Hybrids,a combination belt/electric drive A/C compressor isused. It requires a special insulating compressor oil:Sanden SE-10Y (P/N 38899-RCJ-A01). The A/Ccompressor works in conjunction with the engine’sidle stop system to keep the A/C going if the engineshuts off when the vehicle is stopped. Normally, theengine stop system will kill the engine momentarilywhen the vehicle comes to a halt after being drivenat 7 mph or faster.However, the idle stop system won’t kill the

engine if the car is suddenly braked (panic stop),when the engine temperature is too low (coldengine), when the defrosters are on, when there arehigh electrical loads on the system, when ambienttemperatures are too high and the A/C is runningon the fourth or fifth high-speed setting, when thehybrid battery is too low, or when any IMA-relatedfaults are present. ■



When you hear the name Cummins,what is the first thing that comes tomind? Most of the time, if you have

any knowledge of trucks, a Dodge truck is thefirst thing that comes to mind. The Cumminsdiesel engine has always had a great reputationfor reliable diesel power. Though the Cumminsdiesel engine can be found in many applications,it seems to obtain most of its credit from driversof over the road trucks. In 1989, Dodge made abold move to the automotive market by offeringthe Cummins diesel for its mid-size truck line.Now, almost 25 years later, the Dodge mid-sizetruck with a Cummins diesel still holds an awe-some reputation for efficiency, reliability and de-pendability. Something you have to realize is that when this

truck debuted in 1989, the diesel engine was real-ly not sought after by consumers for the use intheir mid-size truck. At this time, diesels wereconsidered to be nothing but slow and loudclanking buckets of bolts. But, when Dodgeoffered a turbocharged Cummins, the public start-ed taking notes. These engines were considerably

quieter and offered great pulling power alongwith fuel mileage. Since the public already knewabout the reputation of the Cummins diesel, itwas really a no-brainer that the truck wouldprove to be a reliable workhorse that would actually sell itself to the masses. The Cummins engine we are talking about is

» EngineSeries CUMMINS DIESEL

Coming of Age:CUMMINS DIESEL POWERS DODGE FOR NEARLY 25 YEARSby Bob McDonald, diesel specialist

UnderhoodService.com 33

» EngineSeries

commonly referred to as the6BT. The 6BT stands for sixcylinders, “B” series engineand it’s Turbocharged. Manyenthusiasts always wanted toknow what the “B” stood for.The “B” series family was usedby Cummins to identify thosediesel engines that shared thesame bore and stroke. The “B”series engines could be four orsix cylinders that both shared a4.020” bore and a 4.72” stroke.This is very similar to otherdiesel engines that Cumminshas produced such as the N14.This was an “N” series engine,which had a displacement sizeof 14 liters. There were otherdisplacement sizes of the “N”series, but they all had the

same size bore and stroke. They were justdesigned for different applications. The “B” series engines are commonly referred to as

the 4BT and the 6BT. These are four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines that produced 1 liter per cylinder.Both of these engines shared a lot of the same valve-train components along with the same pistons andconnecting rods. Both of these engine designs wereused many years in agriculture long before the 6BT

engine was introduced in the Dodge truck in 1989.They were primarily used in Case tractors in theearly 1980s. They can also be found in other applica-tions such as air compressors, back hoes, boats, gen-erators and buses. So, they were long proven in reli-ability before seeing production in a Dodge truck. The 6BT starting in 1989 and continuing through

1998 were commonly referred to as 12 valves. Thesecan be easily identified by six individual valve cov-ers on top of the cylinder head. From 1989 to 1991,the 6BT was introduced without an intercooler and aCAV-style rotary injection pump.In 1991, an intercooler was added along with a

Bosch-style rotary injection pump. This style ofrotary injection pump was used until 1994, and thenthe engine was fitted with a Bosch P7100 injectionpump. The reason for the injection pump changewas to lower emissions. Diesel emissions regulationswere first imposed by the government in 1994. TheP7100 pump was a piston-style pump that could beused for more precise fuel and timing control, whichdelivered more efficiency along with more powerand produced less smoke. Throughout production from 1989 to 1998, there

are only a few problems that have occurred thatare worth mentioning. One would be known as the“Killer Dowel Pin.” This is the dowel pin that isused in the front of the engine block to align the

In 1989, the Cummins Turbocharged diesel enginewas introduced into the Dodge mid-size truck.These engines were non-intercooled, as you willnotice the pipe on top of the engine that comesfrom the turbo to the intake manifold.



aluminum front engine cover.This aluminum front cover isbasically the timing gear coverfor the front of the engine. Overa period of time, the pin hasbeen known to back out of theengine block. When this hap-pens, three things can occure.One, the dowel pin falls to thepan and no harm done. Two, thedowel pin will force against thealuminum front cover and causethe front cover to crack. Three,the dowel pin falls into the tim-ing gear of the crankshaft caus-ing major engine damage. A common problem on the 1994-

’98 models is cracking of the alu-minum front cover. Since theinternals of a diesel engine cancause a lot of torsional enginevibrations, sometimes the rest ofthe engine components cannotendure the stress the vibrationsplace on them. The aluminumfront cover of these models is atwo-piece design. There is aninner structure that bolts to theengine block that the outer alu-

minum cover bolts to. The innerstructure of the front cover on thedriver’s side of the engine is usedto support the power steeringpump along with the injectionpump. Even though these enginecomponents have braces that arebolted to the engine block thathelp support their weight, theyoften crack the inner structure ofthe cover due to stress over time.This crack will often cause asevere unwanted oil leak at thefront of the engine. When the inner structure of the

front cover finally cracks, therepair can be somewhat extensiveand somewhat expensive. Inorder to repair the cracked support for the inner cover, thefront of the engine will literallyhave to be removed along withthe cylinder head. The reason forthis is, when removing the outerfront cover, you will find that theinner structure is completely surrounded by the engine’s geartrain. This means that all the components such as the injection

The Cummins engine specstag is located on the sideof the front cover of theengine. The I.D. tag will listthe size, model, horsepow-er rating, timing, firingorder, etc.


pump, power steering pumpand camshaft have to beremoved in order to remove theinner structure. This is the rea-son that the cylinder head willhave to be removed. Let me explain in a little more

detail. In order to remove the

injection pump, you must placethe engine in “time.” The injec-tion pump is timed by Cumminsand there is no woodruff key inthe pump shaft to align the gear.In order to remove the pump,you must first remove the valvecover for the #1 cylinder toexpose the rocker arms. Belowthe injection pump, there is asmall plastic dowel that has beenplaced in the front cover byCummins to assist in timing theengine. You must rotate theengine with a ratchet and socketplaced on the damper of theengine while pressing in on theplastic alignment dowel on thefront cover. When the engine isat top dead center on the #1cylinder, the alignment dowelwill push in to the gear of thecamshaft. To verify that the tim-ing is in the correct position, therockers will be loose on the #1cylinder.

However, there is another wayto check to make sure that theinjection pump is timed correct-ly. Toward the back of the injec-tion pump, on the lower portionof the pump, there is a plug. Ifyou remove the plug (there willbe some oil that will come outwhen the plug is removed),you’ll notice that there is also aplastic line-up tool. You have totake the small alignment tool outof the plug and turn it aroundand place the tool back in theplug. This small alignment toolwill slide right into a small open-ing inside the injection pump ifthe timing is correct. If you can-not slide this tool into the slot,then the slot is not properlyexposed and the injection pumpmust be rotated in order to bringthis window into sight. You can however, take a small

mirror with a light and see up

inside the injection pump to seeif the timing window is insight. The window for proper


The Bosch VE-style rotary pumpis mounted on the driver’s side ofthe engine right under the intakemanifold.

The ISB-CR was introduced in 2003.The 2003 model can be identifiedby the throttle control linkagelocated in front of the intake mani-fold elbow. In 2004 and later, thethrottle linkage was eliminated inthe engine compartment and con-cealed to the throttle pedal underthe dash.



timing should line up evenly in the small openingin which the plug was removed. If the valves forthe #1 cylinder are loose and the plastic alignmentdowel will push in on the front cover along withthe window in the injection pump being centeredin the small opening for the plug, the engineshould be in time. Then the gear for the injectionpump can be removed. This will have to be donewith a gear puller. Once the gear has been removed, the injection

pump, along with the high-pressure lines, can beremoved. The rest of the valve covers, along with therocker arms and push rods, can be removed as well.The reason for the removal of the cylinder head is tomake things a little easier to work on. I have seensome prefer not to remove the cylinder head, but atthis point, a lot of things are at stake. The problem is the camshaft has to be removed.

But you have to remember one thing: the lifters are amushroom-style, meaning that they are installedfrom the bottom of the block during assembly withthe engine upside down. You will remove the cylin-der head, but you’ll need to use some 1/2” woodendowel rods to support the lifters. Yes, wooden dowelrod. You can purchase 1/2” wooden dowel rod atany hardware store generally in 3’ lengths. You’llneed to purchase enough dowel rod to make 12 10”wooden dowels. The wooden dowel rod will be softenough to drive into the top of the lifter where thepushrod goes. Once all 12 wooden dowels are driv-en into the tops of the lifters, each one can be sup-ported to the other with a rubber band. Onceinstalled, you can pull up gently and the liftershould rise up also and stay with the rubber bandssupporting each other wooden dowel. I know thissounds crazy, but this instruction is provided indetail in the Cummins service manual. Once the radiator and intercooler are removed, the

camshaft can be removed from the engine block.There are retaining bolts behind the camshaft gearthat hold the camshaft in the block that have to beremoved first. Once the camshaft is removed, theinner structure of the front cover can be removed.This is a lot of work, but it’s the only way to replacethe inner structure. Like I mentioned earlier, thereare some who prefer not to remove the cylinderhead, but if the wooden dowel is not properlyinstalled into the lifter in a tight fit situation, the

lifter will fall into the oil pan. Then the engine willhave to be removed from the vehicle in order toremove the oil pan to extract the lifter from theengine. One other problem on the ’94-’98 models was the

fuel shut-off solenoid. When the P7100 injectionpump was introduced, the fuel shut-off solenoid

The ISB-CR was introduced in 2003. The 2003model can be identified by the throttle controllinkage located in front of the intake manifoldelbow. In 2004 and later, the throttle linkage waseliminated in the engine compartment and con-cealed to the throttle pedal under the dash.



was mounted on top of the rear of the injectionpump near the throttle control cable. The solenoidbasically moved the external fuel shut-off lever.The older style rotary pumps had a solenoidmounted externally, but internally the solenoidstopped fuel from flowing by releasing a rubberplunger when the solenoid was de-energized. Onthe P7100 injection pump, the solenoid basicallymoved an external lever, which would shut off thefuel to the pump. This basic style was great untilthe solenoid went bad. Owners would crank their vehicle and when

reaching their destina-tion, would realize thatthey could not cut theirengine off. They wouldhave to go under thehood into the enginecompartment and lowerthe fuel shut-off levermanually. Really no bigdeal until you had to pur-chase the solenoid. Thiswas a terrible marketingdesign by Cumminsbecause the fuel shut-offsolenoid was $350. (For alittle electric motor,Cummins wanted $350?)So, when working on

this year model ofCummins, it’s notuncommon to find a“choke” cable off of alawnmower installedwith a handle mounted somewhere below the steer-ing wheel at the lower part of the steering column.This $25 apparatus worked well. All you have to dois cycle the ignition switch to the off position andpull the cable and the engine would shut down. Ifyou wanted to crank the vehicle, just simply push inon the cable and normally start the vehicle with theignition switch. Now, after some 12 years, there aresome aftermarket companies who are manufacturingan electric fuel shut-off solenoid for about half theprice. Some owners had become pretty inventive byadapting some similar fuel shut-off solenoids fromindustrial and agricultural equipment. In mid 1998, Cummins introduced another version

of the 6BT. This would be known as the ISB. Thisstands for Interact System B. With growing demandsfrom the government to lower emissions, Cumminsreleased a 24-valve design engine with an electronichigh-pressure injection pump and electronic injec-tors. The electronic injection pump is also known asthe Bosch VP44. These engines produced a littlemore power and torque with more fuel efficiencyand less smoke. The ISB engine with the VP44 injec-tion pump was only produced until 2002, but gainedmore power each year.One of the biggest problems these engines

suffered from was theinjection pump. The VP44did not like fuel starvation.When first introduced, asmall fuel pump wasplaced on the back of thefuel filter housing. It wasdiscovered that this type offuel pump would not lastand would burn up. Thepurpose of the fuel pumpwas to draw fuel from thetank and pressurize it tosupply the VP44. Over a period of time, the fuelpump would lock up andnot function. But, the crazything is, the fuel pumplocking up would notcause the engine to imme-diately shut down. Theinjection pump itself wasable to siphon fuel from

the tank into the chamber of the pump. Driverswould continue to operate the vehicle noticingonly a small stumble or cut-out sometimes. Thewhole time the VP44 was siphoning fuel from thetank, the pump itself was actually deterioratingfrom starvation. When the owner finally realizedthat there was a problem, it was too late. Theinjection pump would have to be replaced alongwith an updated fuel system to remedy the prob-lem. The updated fuel system was an upgrade forthe fuel pump. This upgrade consisted of apump-in-tank with all the necessary hardwareand lines to remove the existing pump on theback of the filter housing and mount an electric


relay from the fuse box under the hood to powerthe fuel pump. Some aftermarket companies offer fuel pump

upgrades for the VP44 fuel system. This consists of aframe-mounted high-pressure pump that constantlysupplies fuel to the injection pump. Either updatehas decreased the failures of the VP44. But, keep inmind that this injection pump has an electronic mod-ule integrated in it, which is the pump’s “brain.”This electronic module can also fail at any time.There are numerous running conditions that canoccur with this style of pump when the module isgoing bad. This will happen even when there isample supply of fuel to the pump. These injectionpumps are expensive, so make sure to purchase onefrom a reputable supplier. Often owners may findone at a third of the price, but have not seen any reli-ability or dependability.Another problem from the ISB was the block cast-

ing number 53. The casting number for the engine ison the side of the block. Number 53 was manufac-tured from 1999 to 2001 from a Brazilian named



The PCM for the Cummins common-rail ismounted on the driver’s side of the engine nearthe oil pan rail.


company called TUPY. The prob-lem with the 53 block was thethin water jackets that surround-ed the cylinder walls. The waterjacket would usually cracktoward the rear of the block onthe driver’s side, causing a smallcoolant leak. As time went by, thecrack would grow by severalinches in length, causing majorcoolant loss and overheatingissues. Many attempts have been made

to repair the crack, but only somehave succeeded. Most of the time,the engine is replaced with a different casting number from asalvaged vehicle. If you’re anowner of this year model and areconcerned, look for a castingnumber. If there is no castingnumber on the side of the block,

then it is likely that the block wasmanufactured in Mexico andthere were no issues. Cumminscorrected the situation by increas-ing the thickness of the waterjackets and working with theBrazilian manufacturer by devel-oping a stronger block. This blockcan be identified with a castingnumber 54.In 2003, Cummins released the

ISB-CR. As growing emissionsdemands were being placed ondiesel manufacturers, Cumminscame out with a complete elec-tronic common-rail diesel engine.Common rail uses high-pressurediesel injection with electronicinjectors to increase fuel atomiza-tion for better efficiency.The common rail injection can

use multiple injection events per

cycle to increase maximum poweralong with a reduction in emis-sions. The Cummins common railengine thus far has not had anymajor failures or problems. Thereare some situations where therehas been an injector failure ormaybe a high-pressure pump orsome other electrical sensors, butno major mechanical problemsthus far. In 2007, to meet the needs of

greater demands of emissionsreduction and more power,Cummins released the ISB 6.7.This is a 6.7L engine that yields408 cubic inches. Why this is con-sidered a “B” series engine isunknown due to the fact that itdoes not have the same bore andstroke as the existing “B” seriesfamily. The bore of the 6.7 is 4.21”and the stroke is 4.88”. Therewere a few recalls that dealt most-ly with the 2007 model year,mainly dealing with some issuesof the diesel particulate systemand some soot buildup issues.The power of the 6.7 is almosttriple of the original 12-valvedesign. For turbocharging, Cummins

has always used Holset manufac-turing. The Holset turbochargerhas always proved reliable withvery few failures. Of course, asdemands for emissions andpower became an issue that war-ranted a design change, so didthe design change for the turbojust as everything else? For the6.7L, Holset introduced a vari-able geometric design, whichallowed for less spool time atlower rpm and more boost atupper engine speeds creatingmore efficiency throughout theentire rpm range. ■

» EngineSeries

As fuel is pressurized by the common-rail injection pump, the fuelenters a storage area known as a common-rail. Notice that all thehigh-pressure lines for each cylinder are attached to the rail. Do notloosen the lines while the engine is running. The high-pressure fuelcan pierce the skin and enter the blood stream resulting in death.Fuel pressures can reach as high as 26,000 psi.

Ihave often been accused of living in a timewarp. And, I would have to plead guilty, butwith an explanation. All of my customers are

working on vehicles that are 60+ years old orolder, so that’s the environment I am in everyday. When you’re surrounded by antique vehiclesfor 10 hours a day, six days a week, that becomesyour world. I tend to tune out the modern world.

I recently celebrated 25 years in business as FifthAvenue Antique Auto Parts. (I’ve worked onantique vehicles since I was about 10 years old.) Itwas a time of reflection to look back at how andwhy I got in this business in the first place, andhow things have changed in the past 25 years.That lead to writing a book (see page 44) about thehistory of Fifth Avenue Antique Auto Parts ($20post paid) that highlights the cars I’ve worked on,the places and events I’ve been involved in, alongwith some of my more “entertaining customers.”In looking back, I realized that my typical cus-

tomer had changed much like me. When I startedFifth Avenue, many of my customers were work-ing on the cars of their youth. They had gone outand bought a 1950 Ford Club Coupe like they hadin high school and were going to recreate one justlike their old one. Because most of them hadgrown up with the cars they are working on now,they had the mechanical ability to fix most anything on these cars. They knew how every-thing worked, including the good points and badof the electrical cooling and fuel systems, but theyjust needed a little help making things more

reliable. They really wanted to not have to workon their antique vehicle, just drive it.

Many of those customers came to me because ofmy involvement in the Great Race. They knewthat I was the guy who could make an antiquevehicle reliable enough to be driven 4,500 milesacross the United States in 10 days and they“wanted a piece of that knowledge.”

When the Great Race stops for an overnight stopin a city, the cars are on display for about threehours in a downtown location. You can look atthe cars up close, talk to the driver and navigatorsand ask all of the questions you want. Then theteams drive to the parking lots of the motel towork on their cars and prepare for the next day’sevents. As a spectator, you can follow them backto the motel parking lot and watch them preparefor the next day.

»MemoryLane TODAY’S CUSTOMERS OF YESTERDAY’S CARS


By Randle Rundle, owner of Fifth Avenue AntiqueAuto Parts www.fifthaveinternetgarage.com

Welcome to My World


When antique vehicle ownerssee a car entered in the GreatRace that is the same make andmodel as theirs, naturally they aregoing to look things over prettyclose to see what is different withthe Great Race car as compared totheirs. Thus the education processbegins and it could not comefrom a better source. Who betterto learn from than the guy who isdriving his car, the same modelas yours across the county, 4,500miles in 10 days? When that antique vehicle

owner calls me the next morn-

ing, it almost always startsout like, “I was at the GreatRace overnight stop in______ and saw one of youralternators on a _____, whichis the same car I have, and Italked to the car owner andhe said you set up his carand that you made his carreliable…I want what hehas.”

That’s how it was for thefirst 15 years I was in busi-ness. Then my educationbegan. Along came anothergeneration that didn’t growup working on the old carsand did not have the “com-monsense” knowledge thatthe prior generation had.

They weren’t around when theseantique cars were driven on adaily basis, and, as a result, theystruggle. They’re more easilyfrustrated; not understanding thetechnology of the era and whythe fix is not an instant fix.

One day it hit me I was in atransition phase. I still have theold, educated customers whoknow what they want and howthings work, and “if you send mewhat I need I can get it installedand make it work.” But now Iwas also having to educate a newgeneration — one that had never



Ford Model T’s on display during the car’s 100th anniversary.



ROAD RALLY ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI The Great Race is an antique, vintage and collec-tor car competitive controlled-speed enduranceroad rally on public highways. It is not a test oftop speed. It is a test of a driver/navigatorteam’s ability to follow precise course instruc-tions and the car’s (and team’s) ability to endureon a cross-country trip. The 2013 Great Race starts in St. Paul, MN, on

Saturday, June 22. From there, it will run southwith overnights in Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri,Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi, towards

its finish line in Mobile, AL on Sunday, June 30.In all, the race will cover 2,100 miles, cross into 10 states in nine days, and

afford numerous sights and crossings over the Mississippi River.No matter the route, Great Race participants have, over the years, viewed

some of the most amazing scenery this country has to offer, and toured someof the coolest back roads to get there. These pre-World War II cars aren’t exactly cut out for interstate driving, so

the intricate routes were designed to suit antique cars and their capabilities,in terms of speed and durability. The competition, which was founded in 1983, contains numerous timed endurance rally stages. Vehicle

entries must have been manufactured in 1969 or earlier with a competition crew of a driver and a navigatorin each competing vehicle. For more information on the Great Race visit www.greatrace.com.

been around a generator charging system, had neverdriven a car without air conditioning or a stereo,never driven a car that overheats, never driven a carthat vapor locks on a 100° day, and had never seen aplain AM radio…what the heck is that? Oh, and amanual transmission is also a new concept and thecar with the manual three speed with overdrive, thatwas a mindblower.

Their expectations were also different. When they“work” on an antique vehicle they are sometimesnot prepared for the physical effort required toperform a simple task. In some cases, spendingmore than an hour or two on a task is ridiculous,so I am told.But once you explain to them how the technology

of the day works and how automobiles have pro-gressed in the last 60 years — just like computers,telephones and the rest of modern technology —they start to understand and appreciate what theyhave. They are amazed at how simple it is to diag-nose and fix a problem, and they like the uniquestyling of the antique vehicles. And, there are “all ofthese different brands like Studebaker, Willys andPackard I have never heard of,” they say.So I explain that it’s part of owning and driving an

antique vehicle, you’ll have the pride that goes alongwith working on and learning how to fix yourantique vehicle yourself, and you get to drive some-thing unique. You’ll be the envy of your neighbor-hood, just like when your antique vehicle was new.You can join a car club and meet people who willshare their knowledge and help you enjoy your caras you get out and drive it. It goes beyond just own-ing an antique vehicle. The whole family getsinvolved, people talk to each other. You’ll have asense of belonging. After they give it some thought,that usually seals the deal. �

» TechTips BMW / Ford / Mercury / GM, Isuzu / VolkswagenThis month is sponsored by:

Vehicle Application: 2003 Z4 2.5L and 3.0L, and 2004 Z42.5LCustomer Concern: The electric power steering is notworking properly.Potential Causes: Defective electric motor power steering(EMPS), blown fuse or damaged wiring harness.

Tests/Procedures:1. The electric power steering system on this vehicle is a

one-piece unit that has the control module and the powersteering assist motor.

2. Check for proper power and grounds at the module.Fuse 22 and fuse 64 both feed the assembly. They providebattery voltage on the red wire and the green/white wire.3. The brown wire should be chassis ground.4. Other wires are for communication and a signal from

the steering angle sensor. These values can be checked inthe datastream of a scan tool, but should not be a problemif there are no related codes stored for them.

Tech Tips: The power steering assembly should alwayshave a centering clip installed on the shaft whenever it’sremoved from the vehicle. Once installed, the clip can beremoved. A new module should have the clip installed; ifnot, return the module and get another one. Never installa used one because they will not be centered and clippedproperly. New modules also require coding and steeringangle initialization after installation.Courtesy of Identifix.

BMW’s Electric Power SteeringIs Not Working Properly


Transfer Case MotorTypical Failures andPrevention

Applies To: Chevy/GMC, Ford,Mazda and Isuzu 4-wheel-drivevehicles equipped with transfer casemotors.Problem: Unable to change to 4-

wheel-drive mode. Possible transfercase motor failure.

Solution: Replace defective originalmotor with a CARDONE remanufac-tured unit.

Installation Tips: Most units fail because of water ormud intrusion. Carefully inspect themotor boot or protective coverings.Be sure the connector seals can keepwater and debris out. Check thewiring harness and connector.

Replace or repair wiring as neces-sary. After installation, periodicallyselect 4-wheel-drive mode to ensureoperation when needed.

Replacement motors for GM vehiclesare supplied in 2-wheel-drive position. If necessary, select or movethe transfer case into 2-wheel-drivebefore installation of the replacementmotor. GM applications will require ascan tool to clear the codes from the transmission control module (refer tothe vehicle service manual for correcttool and procedures).

Ford applications require transferof wire connector pins. Be sure torecord pin location before removingthe original unit.Courtesy of CARDONE Industries, Inc.

Vehicles affected: 2007-’08 Ford Escape and Mercury MarinerSome 2007-’08 Escape and Mariner vehicles equipped with a

CD4E transmission may experience a loss of second andfourth gear.

Service Procedure1. Check the transmission fluid condition. Refer to Workshop

Manual (WSM), Section 307-01A.Does the fluid condition pass evaluation?a. No - this article does not apply, refer to WSM, Section 307-

01A for normal diagnostics.

Ford/Mercury Experiences Loss ofSecond and Fourth Gear

b. Yes - proceed to Step 2. 2. Remove the automatic transaxle.3. Remove the torque converter and pump shaft

from the transmission.4. Remove the turbine speed sensor (TSS) from

the pump; discard the TSS O-ring seal.5. Position the transaxle so the pump assembly is

facing upward.

6. Remove the servo cover retaining ring, servocover, servo piston and return spring.7. Remove the pump assembly while holding the

rotating parts in place using a screwdriver insertedthrough the turbine speed sensor hole in the pumpwhile removing the pump assembly. See Figure 1.8. Remove the intermediate and overdrive band

assembly from the case. Be sure to get all piecesand make sure no contamination is left inside thetransmission. See Figure 2.

– Choose the correct band for application from the kit:

– four-cylinder engines require light-colored

» TechTips Ford / Mercury


Figure 1

Figure 2


friction material; and– six-cylinder engines require dark-colored friction material.9. Install the intermediate and overdrive band assembly

into the case.10. Install the #1 pump support thrust bearing onto the

pump support with petroleum jelly. 11. Install the pump assembly into the case with a new

pump separator plate gasket and outer pump body O-ring. 12. Measure servo travel; select and install the correct

length servo rod assembly.13. Install a new servo cover and retaining ring. 14. Install a drain plug using thread sealer on the

threads, torque to 25 Nm (18 lb.-ft.).15. Install a new O-ring on the TSS sensor and install the

sensor into the pump. 16. Position the transmission top side up. 17. Install the pump driveshaft and torque converter.18. Install the automatic transaxle.Courtesy of Mitchell 1.

» TechTips Ford / Mercury / Volkswagen

Model(s) affected: All 2000-’10 models, allengine codesand VINsOne or more

of the followingsymptoms ispossible:

• Dischargedbattery;• Engine does

not start because of low battery voltage; • Voltage display in the combination

instrument displays too low; and/or • “Low battery” fault codes in various

control modules.

ServiceTip: Refer to ElsaWeb for other

technical bulletins that apply tospecific vehicles with dischargedbatteries. These bulletins provideinformation about intermittentfaults and correct battery test-ing/charging procedures.

Note: Perform all steps to system-atically test for faults and toavoid repeat repairs.

Note: The power supply to thevehicle must not be cut off. Do notperform terminal 30 reset. Do notremove or disconnect the battery,battery cables or fuses.

Check the fault memory. • Compare control units on the

fault memory print-out withvehicle equipment (PR numbers).Are all necessary control unitslisted on the print-out? Any con-trol units not listed may be faultyand could be indications for thefurther fault finding.

• Check which non-genuineparts are installed, e.g. tow bar,animal protection, radio, DVD,etc. If an increased closed-circuit

Volkswagen’sBattery Is Discharged,Engine Won’t Start



current is found, check these components first.

Step 1: Verify Battery Condition

1. Connect Midtronics INC-940 (or equivalent) tothe battery.2. Check and/or charge the battery based on

applicable technical bulletin.3. If INC-940 test fails the battery, replace the

battery before continuing.

Step 2: Verify Sleep State Current

1. Connect a 50-amp current clamp to the VAS5051A/B.2. Calibrate the current clamp.3. Connect the current clamp to the negative bat-

tery cable with the arrow pointing away from thebattery. Tip: Current flows out of the battery to the chassis

of the vehicle.4. Close all doors, trunk or hood latch so vehicle

control units detect that all doors are closed.

5. Arm the vehicle’s anti-theft system with theremote.Tip: • If the vehicle has easy entry handles, then it

is necessary to keep clear of all handles to avoidbus communication/wakeup message.

• On vehicles equipped with air suspension, afterthe engine is turned off, the system will stay instandby for up to five minutes.6. Observe the sleep state current draw after vehi-

cle is left untouched for TWO HOURS. 7. If after two hours the vehicle exceeds maximum

sleep state current draw, proceed to Step 3:Consuming Circuit Isolation. If the vehicle does notexceed maximum sleep state current draw, performa long-term (overnight) measurement test. Recordthe long-term measurement using the MIN/MAXsetting of the scan tool.

» TechTips Volkswagen

VEHICLE: PHAETON ALL OTHERMODELS

NOMINAL SLEEP CURRENT: 50 MA 40 MA


• Excessive current = Measured current > nominal sleep current

Tip: Periodic spikes in current draw are normal.

STeP 3: Consuming Circuit Isolation

Tip: Due to the state of the CAN bus communica-tions in the vehicle, it is no longer acceptable topull each individual fuse one at a time to try and

identify which circuit is consuming current.Removal/reinsertion of a fuse while the vehicle isin a sleep state may wake the bus of the vehicle,and invalidate the test. Identifying “consuming”circuits must be done by measuring a voltage dropacross the fuses and aligning with the value in theCurrent Consumption Matrix, an example of thematrix is shown on page 57. For a pdf of the com-

plete matrix, email Ed Sunkin [email protected].

Starting at interior fuse boxes,perform the following tasks:Tip: Use the VAS 5051A/B multi-

meter function, Fluke 83 multime-ter or equivalent.

• Use the “mV” scale on the meter.• Measure the voltage drop

across fuse by placing the positivelead on one side of the fuse andthe negative lead on the other side.

• Take the absolute value ofreading of voltage drop (ignorenegative signs) and then referencethe voltage drop chart to deter-mine how much current the cir-cuit is currently consuming.

• Check all fuses until the fusewith approximate excessive cur-rent draw is identified

Identification of Component:

1. Once the fused circuit is iden-tified, use the service repair andwiring diagram information inElsaWeb to identify all compo-nents on the circuit.2. Disconnect the components

from the circuit one by one andallow sleep current to stabilizeafter each elimination. 3. Measure the vehicle current

consumption and voltage dropacross fuse once again. If withinnormal range, as specified in thematrix, the component with exces-sive consumption is identified. 4. Repeat steps above until com-

ponent is identified causing exces-sive current draw.

Courtesy of Mitchell 1. �

» TechTips Volkswagen

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WIX Filters has launched a new XP line of high premium oil filtersengineered to withstand the toughest of driving conditions andscientifically designed to maximize the performance of syntheticmotor oils. XP filters are ideal for vehicles subject to: towing trail-ers, boats and heavy equipment; high idling conditions in stop-and-go city driving; harsh driving environments, such as dusty andmuddy roads; and extremely high temperatures. Premium oil filterssuch as XP provide several benefits, including: wire-backed, fullysynthetic media to trap more dirt, dust and grime, and a greater resistance to hardening and cracking due to silicone anti-drain-back valve.Reader Service: Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

NAPA Ultra Premium disc brake pads are the ideal choice forkeeping vehicle braking systems in like-new condition, even underthe harshest conditions. All pads are designed to exactly matchthe fit, form and function of the vehicle, just like OE pads. Plus,they are designed with exact OE noise-dampening characteristicsand backed by a noise-free guarantee for the life of the pads. VisitNAPAonline.com to learn more.Reader Service: Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

Corroded filler necks are a major source of evaporative emission leaks. With the increasein states requiring vehicle emission testing,replacing the corroded filler neck is not onlyimportant because of the ecological benefit, it’s also important because arusted and corroded filler neck will contaminate a vehicle’s fuel system, potentially causing premature fuelpump failure. Spectra Premium’s100% testedfiller necks aredual-coatedfor enhancedcorrosion protection, andare built to meet or exceed manufacturer’s specifications. Reader Service: Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

BendPak’s new ToughPads fit later yearBendPak two-post lifts and offer the grip ofnatural rubber combined with the ultimatein abrasion- and tear-resistance ofpolyurethane. The durable, wear-resistantpolymer compound extends the life of thecontact pads, which helps increase work-place safety and reduces operating costs.The round slip-over design makes installa-tion quick and easy. Other features include:abrasion-resistant, oil- and solvent-resistant,higher load bearing capacity, tear-resistant,heat- and cold-resistant. ToughPads replaceearlier BendPak contact pads made of natural rubber.Reader Service: Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

The latest TechSmart Tech Session features the TechSmart PMD RelocationKit (S39001), which presents a real-life solution to the problem found in manyGM 6.5L diesel engines. With the TechSmart kit, technicians can relocate thePMD anywhere they choose in the engine bay. View the video atwww.youtube.com/TechSmartParts and www.facebook.com/TechSmartParts. Reader Service: Go to www.uhsRAPIDRESPONSE.com

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Experian Automotive released findings from ananalysis of the hybrid vehicle segment in honor ofEarth Day. The analysis showed that market share

of hybrid vehicles has increased by 40.9% since 2011,going from 2.2% in 2011 to 3.1% in 2012. While hybridvehicles still only make up slightly more than 1% of thetotal vehicles in operation, the segment has witnessedsteady market share growth over the past several quar-ters.“With more than 50 hybrid vehicle models from vari-

ous manufacturers available in the U.S. today, hybridson the road are saving nearly 500 million gallons ofpetroleum annually in this country,” said TonyMarkel, senior engineer with the U.S. Department ofEnergy’s (DOE) National Renewable EnergyLaboratory (NREL), in Golden, CO.Markel recalled that DOE and NREL’s collaborative

research with the auto industry, which started 20 yearsago, spurred the development of hybrid-electric tech-nology for the mainstream market to help reduce thecountry’s dependence on petroleum.“With millions of hybrid vehicles on the road today,

hybrid powertrains are mainstream market reality,”Markel concluded. Toyota and Lexus said its hybrid vehicles make up

70% of the U.S. auto industry’s total hybrid sales.

Toyota and Lexus sell 19 hybrid models and one plug-in hybrid in 80 countries and regions around theworld. Twelve of the models are available in the U.S.Between now and the end of 2015, Toyota will intro-duce 18 new hybrid models and expects global sales ofits hybrids to be at least 1 million units a year in thesame period. The company forecasts that about one-third of those will be sold in the U.S. Toyota’s hybrid vehicle sales in the United States

began in July 2000 with the first-generation Prius. “The first Prius was a surprising success and we never

imagined the market would become as vast as it has forthe hybrid powertrain,” said Bob Carter, Toyota MotorSales senior VP of automotive operations. ■

Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Vehicles Gain Traction

» Test Drive

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April Solution: Kia SephiaSolved by: Bryan Shurger, technician, Wilson’sGoodyear, Odenton, MD

CONGRATULATIONS Bryan

What vehicle MAKE uses the engine shown in the pictureon the left? Submit your guess with our online contest form by visitingwww.UnderhoodService.com/guessthecar or scan the QRcode to the right with your smart phone.

The winner will be randomly selected from correctentries and awarded $50. Entries must be received byJune 1, 2013.

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Twelve Toyota and Lexus hybrid models are currentlyavailable in the U.S.

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