Posted on 7/17/2022
Who thinks about their fuel gauge? You probably don't… until it doesn't work any more. Then you have to guess how much fuel is in your tank, and that's no way to live life on the road. Fuel gauges, like every other part in your vehicle, can fail. And when yours stops working, you will probably want to head over to your service facility soon, because no one relishes running out of fuel. The fuel gauge system is much more than just the gauge you can see on your instrument panel. Most systems have a float inside the fuel tank that goes up and down depending on the fuel level. It's called the fuel sending unit, and it sends an electrical signal to the gauge (on the dash) telling it to display how much fuel is left in the tank. So, what could go wrong? Well, a few things. For one thing, corrosion from bad fuel can cause it to stick and it won't move up and down any more. So you could fill up your tank and the gauge would still rea ... read more
Posted on 7/10/2022
Vehicle emission testing has become ubiquitous in North America and for a good reason. Clean air quality is important for the environment and all of us. Since vehicle emissions are among the main causes of air pollution, emission testing can alert you to problems in your vehicle than can be fixed so it won't needlessly pollute. Emissions tests are looking for certain toxic gases internal combustion engines produce, such as nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, non-methane organic gases and formaldehyde. Emissions control systems reduce these gases if they are working properly. The best way to minimize pollution is to keep those vehicle systems working properly, and periodic inspection and maintenance is the key. So if you want to make sure your vehicle will pass an emissions test, it helps to know what might go wrong. Let's start on the easy one. Your gas cap could be loose, allowing vapors to escape into the atmosphere. The most common solution ... read more