Haik's Auto Blog

Mercedes Electonic Anti-theft Key

2011-08-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

I received a phone call from a distraught driver last week. He wanted to know how much it would cost to replace the ignition switch on his 2003 Mercedes C320. I asked who diagnosed the problem. He told me he had been on the Internet. Well, I said, you may not need an ignition switch. What's it doing? The key won't turn, he said. I explained to him that the key is electronic. It has a chip built into it. The key must communicate with the computer otherwise it will not turn in the ignition switch, nor will it start the vehicle. It is meant to prevent theft. Only authorized keys will start the vehicle. If someone forces the lock, it still won't start.

The car was towed to my shop and after an hour of preliminary work, charging the battery, checking the fuses and the power supply, I asked the customer if he had another key. He didn't. So, I instructed him to purchase another key at the Mercedes dealership. The keys lose their program. After some grumbling, he ordered the key, which cost $175. The new key worked immediately. It turned in the ignition switch and started the engine. But there was another problem. The shifter would not go into drive. Well, that's another story. It had nothing to do with the key. So, I fixed that too.

Check Engine Light Code P1142

2010-08-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Code 17550 (P1142)
(Load Calculation Cross Check Lower Limit Exceeded)

Subject Vehicle: 2003 VW 4 cylinder 2.0 AVH engine

December 2008. In testing the engine electronics with a Ross-Tech tester, we determined that the adaptation was at 17%. It should have been around 0. The four areas of suspicion were: vacuum leaks; air mass meter; throttle body actuator; and throttle pedal actuator. After running the tests, we replaced the air mass meter and test drove the car on the freeway for six miles. The same code returned.

Even though all the following units tested good with the Ross-Tech tests, we subsequently replaced one by one: the coolant temperature sensor, the fuel pressure regulator, the fuel filter, the throttle body actuator and the throttle pedal actuator. We test-drove the vehicle after every part installation. The code persisted.

After talking to a helpful Volkswagen dealership manager, we finally called Ross-Tech and spoke with Jeff. His knowledge was impressive, but he still scratched his head. He asked what kind of air mass meter we used. I told him Huco, a German brand. He told me to use the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) which was Bosch and try again.

This time, after a 20-mile test drive, the code did not return. The check engine light stays off. All is well, except I lost a lot of time and bought a lot of parts for nothing.

Car Noises as Diagnostic Tool

2010-06-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

BMW Noise

Car Sounds and Tracking Them Down

Car noises can be annoying, but they are often symptoms of trouble a car may be having, and the noise itself can become a valuable diagnostic tool. Each noise is unique. Identifying the noise will point to the source of the problem. Some noises represent serious problems, while other are merely annoying or some even a part of the normal functioning of the automobile.

Noises are not always easy to identify. Some squeaks, growls or rumbles, can be produced by a myriad of parts and places one might never expect. Sound also travels and is often not where you expect it to be. In such cases, where the source of the noise is not obvious, it becomes necessary to trace it down. At our shop, we have the latest in audio technology for tracing down and locating the source of a noise. When using our ears is not enough, we resort to the stethoscope. Like a doctor’s listening tool, we can probe various areas under the hood or under the car and listen for the particular noise we are hunting. Most often, it is with success, but sometimes it becomes necessary to go further.

If the noise only occurs while driving or under certain conditions, it is much more difficult to trace down. In such a case, we use another tool called “electronic ears.” The tool is composed of ear phones, six noise pickup sensors which can be clamped to areas suspected of being the origin of a noise and an amplifier. This is an invaluable asset in the arsenal of tools we use. But there is an expense involved. It is not only the purchase of the tool, it is the time involved using it. If the noise is suspected to be coming from under the car during driving, it requires raising the car in the air, clamping the sensors in the suspected vicinity of the noise and test driving the car. The sensor with the loudest sound resembling the noise we are tracking becomes our new starting point. We must again raise the vehicle on the lift, clamp the sensors around the smaller suspected area of concern and again test drive the car. We must do this until we find what is creating the noise. This can become a redundant and time-consuming affair. In the case of an intermittent noise, the problem becomes even more difficult. As intermittent means “comes and goes,” “not consistent,” or “random,” we cannot always duplicate the sound at the shop or even on an extended test drive. And if we are so lucky to produce the sound, how long the noise continues is vital. Just hearing it may not be enough to identify it.

One classic example which comes to mind regarding this process was that of a BMW 530i brought to us with a horrible noise. The buzzing sound was so loud I could hardly stand being in the car. But it only lasted three or four minutes when the car was first driven in the morning, then the noise went away and did not return until the next morning.

The customer told us he had taken his car to three other shops with no success. It was a good warning. I told him he would have to be patient and leave the car for an extended period. I gave him an estimate of three hours. After my mechanic and I had spent over five hours on the car, (charging for only three), I called the customer and told him we had not yet heard the noise. Of course, he was upset and reluctant to spend any more money on the problem. I made him a special offer. I asked his permission to drive the car home at night to avoid any further diagnostic drives we would have to perform during work time. He agreed.

The next morning as I drove the car to work, the noise blasted my ears. I drove to the shop and told my mechanic I found the problem. It was under the rear seat on the left side. I was sure it was an electrical relay buzzing. We should check there and, if we couldn’t determine which relay it was, we could pack foam rubber around each one, one at a time, until we quieted the noise and found the source. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

The next morning the noise was back as bad as ever. It was not until several days passed that I came to work and saw my mechanic’s grinning face. “You found It?” I said. “Which relay was it?” “Not a relay,” he said. “The problem isn’t even under the rear seat. It’s in the engine compartment.” “No way,” I exclaimed. “I heard it.”
He pointed to the fuel pressure regulator in the engine compartment. “There’s the problem. The buzzing sound it makes tracks along the fuel line which passes right under the rear seat on the left side.” What an experience! The solution was simple, but the process of locating and isolating the problem took over ten hours. And of course, we’re in business to make money. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

Intermittent Car Problem

2010-06-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

A 1988 911 Porsche came to us with a dying problem. The customer stated that the engine died randomly while driving, but as soon as he pulled to the side of the road, it would start again. He said that two other shops had checked it, but couldn’t find the problem. They suggested he drive it until it totally failed and would not restart. He said that the problem was getting worse, and he was afraid of getting stranded some place.

This was a scary proposition for me. Two other professionals could not find the problem. I was on the spot. First, I would have to duplicate the problem and then determine the source. But if the problem only occurred randomly, I might never experience the failure, and if I experienced it so briefly, I still would not know which system was failing, nor would testing each system prove anything, since it wasn’t failing while I was testing it. How would I proceed? A clue came from the customer himself. He said that the problem was happening more often now. That was helpful. I was hoping to shed more light on the problem by asking him when the dying occurred, while the car was cold or hot, at high speeds or in town, around turns. However, he told me there was no pattern. I realized this could take some time. I told him he would have to leave the car indefinitely. I would have to work on his car between other jobs. Luckily he had other transportation.

My first test was to drive the car around the block several times within walking distance of my shop in case the car died and failed to restart. It was on the third time around the block that the car died on me. As the customer stated, the car restarted immediately at the side of the road. I suspected the electrical system such as the ignition or fuel pump, but… I built some tools for testing the car while driving and especially to test during the short-term failure period like ten or fifteen seconds.

I decided to test the two primary systems, the fuel delivery and fuel injection system and the ignition system. Attaching a long fuel hose to my fuel gauge, I tapped into the fuel injection return line and placed the fuel gauge on the seat next to me. To test the ignition system, I attached long electrical wire leads to my ignition spark tester and placed it on the seat next to me.

On the following test drive, the car failed. I immediately looked at the spark tester and found no spark as the engine had died. But it was the fuel pressure gauge which astounded me. The needle on the gauge was banked at the extreme pressure. Unlike I had suspected, the fuel pressure had not dropped off because of a bad fuel pump or fuel pump relay, the pressure had gone up to the extreme. It was clear to me at that point that the fuel pressure regulator was the culprit. When I replaced the part, I noticed a tiny spring pop out. That was that.

Going Beyond the Book

Sometimes you have to go beyond the book. There is no magic wand in our business. There is no source where we can find all the answers. It’s all work, and often it’s detective work.

Honk Meters

2010-06-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hate honking cars and horn honkers as much as I do? I have a solution. Honk meters on every car. The car can only be honked a given number of times per month. After that, the car will not start unless the driver feeds it quarters. Lot's of them! Let 'em pay for their noise and neuroses.

Haik

Jumping Your Car Battery

2010-05-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

When your engine won’t crank, it could be a dead or low battery, but first check the obvious. If your car has an automatic transmission, make sure the gear selector is in park or neutral and depress the brake pedal. If it’s a stick shift, depress the clutch pedal. Now turn the ignition switch to the start/crank position. If there is a clicking noise or no noise, the battery charge is probably too low to crank your engine. A battery charge or a jump may be required to get you going. But the cause of the problem must be addressed as well. Batteries do not heal themselves. The three causes of a dead or low battery are: a draw on the battery (some electrical usage is staying on when the key is turned off); a faulty charging system such an alternator; a worn out battery. Battery life expectancy is five to six years. Any more than that, consider yourself lucky.

Before going on to the nuts and bolts of battery jumping, some notes of caution are in order. Jumping your car battery is dangerous. Batteries have been known to explode. Your car battery is a potential bomb. It is filled with sulfuric acid and lead. Explosions have caused many severe injuries. This is usually caused by sparks or static electrical charge near the battery causing the hydrogen gas given off by the battery to ignite. Sparking your battery can also cause serious and costly damage to your vehicle’s electronics. Some manufacturers do not recommend jumping the battery. They recommend removing the battery from the vehicle and charging it or replacing it if it’s bad.
*If the battery case is cracked do not jump the battery!!

It is safest to follow your manufacturer’s recommendations as laid out in the owner’s manual.
*Towing companies such as AAA jump batteries as well as tow cars.

SOME SAFETY TIPS BEFORE STARTING
If you decide to jump your battery after reading your owner’s manual, always take the following precautions:
1. Key off or removed from ignition switch
2. Never let the jumper cable ends touch each other once hooked to a battery
3. Do not hook up the jumper cables backwards!!!
4. Final jumper cable hook up is made to the chassis not to the battery
5. Wear a clear plastic face shield
First. The ignition key switch must be in the off position. On some modern cars such as Mercedes, pull the key out of the ignition switch. The keys are electronic and can be damaged.
Second. Do not allow the jumper cable ends (clamps) to touch each other or either car chassis. *Once one pair of ends is clamped to the battery, touching the remaining leads will cause sparking.
Third: Do not hook up the jumper cables backwards on the battery. This is a sure fire way of creating problems!
Fourth: Final battery connection (negative lead) is best made away from the battery on a good metal surface of the chassis to avoid the volatile hydrogen gases generated in the battery.
*Some modern cars actually provide jumper points for the positive and negative terminals in the engine compartment. These are the safest places for hooking up the jumper leads.
Fifth. As ridiculous as it may sound or appear, wearing a plastic face shield could save your eyes or face in case of an explosion.

THE JUMPER CABLE SET
The jumper cables are a set. There are two cables each with clamps at either end. Each cable or clamp is marked as red or black. Red is positive. The symbol is (+) a plus sign. Black is negative. The symbol is (-) a negative sign.

Each battery likewise has a corresponding positive (+) terminal and a negative (-) terminal.
Connections are made: Red cable to positive (+) battery terminal. Black cable to negative (-) battery terminal.

CLAMPING SEQUENCE
First. Clamp one red clamp to the positive post of the dead battery.
Second. Clamp the black clamp to the negative post of the dead battery.
Third. Clamp the remaining red clamp to the positive post of the good battery.
*Make sure the red and black leads do not touch.
Fourth. Clamp the remaining black clamp to the chassis of the car with the good battery. *Clamp away from the battery.
*If either car has jumper points, use them!

Once all four connections are made, the car is ready to crank. Put the key in the ignition switch of the car with the dead battery and turn it to the crank/start position. The engine should start. Once it is running, remove the jumper clamps in the reverse order of hook up. First remove the black negative lead which was clamped away from the battery, then the others. *Do not allow the cable ends to touch each other.

That’s it. Good luck and happy motoring.

If you must have a battery jumped, I recommend a professional towing service.

2010-05-30T09:15:00.001-07:00

Auto Noises

2010-05-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

When trying to figure out what's wrong with your car, noises are a frequently a very valuable tool. Often it is the only symptom mechanics have to work with. If the noise is intermittent (or stops when the car goes to the doctor) it becomes imperative for the customer to properly describe what he/she is experiencing. There are so many noises. All point to a different cause. Sometimes it is obvious to the mechanic what the noise is from hearing it, and sometimes it is not so easy to decipher. At any rate, give your mechanic the best opportunity to help you. Listen carefully to the noise you are hearing. Categorize the sound. Do not try to diagnose the problem unless you are very skilled in automotive repair. Most suggestions I get from customers take me down the wrong path and waste time and money. But describing the "symptom" you are experiencing is very valuable. When it comes to noises use words like growl, rumble, knocking, clicking, tapping, clacking, scraping, squealing, cyclidrical (like a wheel hitting something every time it turns to the same point). It the case of intermittent problems, try to figure out when the noise occurs, when the car is cold, hot, on start before driving, on hot restart, when you're stressed, only on Sundays. In describing noises, the best words are "onomatopoeia." These are words which sound like the sound such clicking, clacking, tapping, knocking. But an even better way to describe sounds is by duplicating them. Don't be shy. It's fun, like singing in the shower. Don't worry about your image. Don't be mamby-pamby. Go ahead. Be bold. Let your mechanic know what you've got. Make the sound as well as you can. !!!&%#@*! Maybe you'll want to practice before demonstrating it. See you next week.

Be Able to Afford the Car You drive

2010-05-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

The purchase is only the beginning. There are maintenance and repair costs to consider as well. Expensive cars like BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, break down as any other vehicle. In general, expensive cars cost more to repair. How many times I have heard, “I bought an expensive car so it wouldn’t break down.” Cars are only machines. With all the modern comfort features and safety devices on board, they are complicated. If you’ve ever walked away from a major crash without a serious injury, you can thank the sophistication of modern technology for the air bag deployment or the ABS braking system steering your vehicle out of a skid. Nevertheless, wisdom dictates an affordable car. So many of my young customers drive cars they can’t afford. It is disheartening to hand them a laundry list of essential repairs they can’t afford. It is the obligation of every conscientious mechanic however, to explain the repercussions of neglect. We are only the messengers. What the customer does with this information is their responsibility. Often their parents come to the rescue, but not always. Some drive away with a serious condition. In the past two years, I have heard more complaints from customers not being able to afford the repairs than in my last 30 years of business. Middle-aged and older people are not exempt from this. Whatever the reason, some having lost their jobs, many only come in when their car breaks down. I often see the vehicle months after the symptoms began. Often, the problem is worse by then and costs more. Servicing and good maintenance will prevent most breakdowns. So, the message is, be able to afford the car you drive. Research the anticipated repairs and maintenance costs before purchasing. And be careful when buying a used car. They are already worn. Have the car checked by a specialist in that model of car.

Rats and Cars

2010-05-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Rats! Rats can and do infest automobiles. And they can cause a lot of damage. They make their nests in air and cabin filters. I've even found live babies, and dead adults. They chew the electrical wiring, the insulation and hoses. I've even found signs in my car. Rats caused one of my customers three thousand dollars damage to their Mercedes. They usually climb into the car's engine compartment when the weather is cold, seeking shelter. The engine stays warm for hours, giving them a comfortable place to nest. Finding a way to safeguard your vehicle is essential if you find this a problem in your area. I'm still looking for solutions. Some ideas: Parking in a garage, some kind of rat repellent, a cat or dog on guard duty. Traps and poison will not get rid of them all. Any ideas out there?

The First Automobile

2010-04-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

Throughout the 1800’s there had been many attempts at building a motorized carriage, but engine technology hampered progress. The steam engine, which was used in early trials, was far too big and bulky to be practical on a small vehicle. Gas-powered internal combustion engines also had problems, lacking power for their large size. It was not until the design of a compact and powerful internal combustion engine with self-contained fuel and ignition systems, that the automobile was even possible.

Karl Friedrich Benz, born, raised and educated in the southern region of Germany around Stuttgart, in a city today known as Karlsruhe, (in the greater region called Swabia), graduated from Karlsruhe’s Polytechnic College. He moved to Mannheim, Germany in the 1870’s where he worked in an engine factory as a mechanical engineer. In 1883 he founded his own company, Benz and Company, which produced industrial engines. He then began designing a “motor carriage.” Benz designed his engine (958cc, 0.75hp) with a four-stroke engine (based on Nicolaus Otto’s patent), a body for the three-wheeled vehicle with electric ignition, differential gears and the engine was water-cooled. Unlike earlier designs, his vehicle was not a remodeled carriage, but rather a specially constructed steel three-wheeled design with a power unit (engine). It resembled a giant tricycle with an engine in the rear behind the bench seat and a bicycle chain. The single front wheel was used to steer. The tube frame construction was supplied by the Adler cycle factory.

Karl Benz and Company created the first practical working model of a motorized buggy, thus Karl Benz is credited as inventor of the automobile. In 1885 he demonstrated the success of his invention with a drive through the streets of Mannheim, Germany and was granted a German Imperial Patent on January 29, 1886 for a “vehicle powered by a gas engine whose fuel is produced by fuel gasification by a means of a device carried on the vehicle.” In July 1886 he began selling his automobile to the public. When his “Patent Motorwagen” was test driven on Ringstrasse on September 5, 1886, it received wide-spread publicity. He built his first four-wheeled automobile in 1891. Benz & Company became the world’s largest manufacturer of automobiles by 1900. In 1901 it became incorporated as Benz & Cie. From the beginning, he had a complete vision of the car as a whole. He designed his own air/fuel mixture system, a forerunner of the float-type carburetor. He developed a high-voltage ignition system.

Gottlieb Daimler was another great engineer and inventor living at the same time. Also a Swabian, born near Stuttgart, he studied at the Stuttgart Polytechnic and then went to work for Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz (a gasoline engine building plant) for ten years. In 1882 Daimler left his senior staff position at Deutz and took with him his friend and later partner, Wilhem Maybach, (a genius inventor, as well). The two moved to Bad Cannstatt where Daimler developed a new valve timing gear and a hot tube ignition system which was patented in 1883. Maybach developed the surface carburetor which provided a fuel/air mixture by means of evaporation. Together, the two had built a horizontal engine and then an upright engine with one-half horsepower capacity. It ran at 600 RPM in contrast to the sluggish 180 RPM of his previous employer, Deutz. It was much smaller and lighter. In 1895 Daimler and Maybach invented the motorcycle. The test was the three kilometer (1.9 mile) ride from Cannstatt to Untertuerkheim. One year later, Daimler’s fast-running internal combustion engine was installed in a boat. In 1886 his motor was installed in a four-wheeled four-seater automobile. Though Daimler’s car was overshadowed by Benz’s, at the time, he founded (with two other men) the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellshaft (DMG) in 1890 for the purpose of utilizing his gasoline engine inventions. By 1901 Daimler was marketing automobiles. The Benz Company and the Daimler Company became fierce competitors.

Gottlieb Daimler died in 1900. Karl Benz resigned his post as president of the Benz Corporation the same year. Amazingly, Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz had never met.

It was not until l924, due to severe financial hardships, that the two corporations merged and became Daimler-Benz. The name “Mercedes” which had entered the Daimler camp as early as 1901, (name of a rich investor’s daughter), became in 1926 the brand name of the vehicles which the Daimler-Benz Corporation produced.