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CAN Bus fault finding tips and hints – Part 1

|Date: June 26, 2012

CAN Bus fault finding tips and hints – Part 1

Since the introduction of the CAN (Controller Area Network) Bus in production cars in 1991, this technolo ...

Since the introduction of the CAN (Controller Area Network) Bus in production cars in 1991, this technology has grown from luxury models to virtually all levels of vehicle today. In the past few years ...

June 26, 2012
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Lambda sensors – installation tips and common problems

|Date: June 26, 2012

Lambda sensors – installation tips and common problems

Diagnosis and investigationTo correctly test and diagnose a Lambda problem it is important to understand ...

Diagnosis and investigationTo correctly test and diagnose a Lambda problem it is important to understand what measurements you’re looking for as output. Early O2 sensors work on voltage, Titania senso ...

June 26, 2012
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CAN Bus fault finding tips and hints – Part 2

|Date: June 26, 2012

CAN Bus fault finding tips and hints – Part 2

In the previous article on this subject, we illustrated how to recognise a healthy CAN Bus using a PC-bas ...

In the previous article on this subject, we illustrated how to recognise a healthy CAN Bus using a PC-based oscilloscope to observe the CAN frames, and using a simple ohmmeter to check the bus connect ...

June 26, 2012
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Battery charging – safe and quick charging processes

|Date: June 26, 2012

Battery charging – safe and quick charging processes

We’re all aware that battery technology has evolved over the years, from a battery that used to need wee ...

We’re all aware that battery technology has evolved over the years, from a battery that used to need weekly attention and a very limited lifespan, to a one that is sealed and will last up to five yea ...

June 26, 2012
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Fitting an ASB wheel bearing – best practice

|Date: June 26, 2012

Fitting an ASB wheel bearing – best practice

The ASB wheel bearing has a magnetic encoder fitted within the seal which in conjunction with the ABS sen ...

The ASB wheel bearing has a magnetic encoder fitted within the seal which in conjunction with the ABS sensor measures the speed of each wheel independently. This information is used by the ECU for the ...

June 26, 2012
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How Electric Parking Brakes (EPB) work – Part 1

|Date: June 26, 2012

How Electric Parking Brakes (EPB) work – Part 1

The evolution of the motor car over the last 100 or so years has been punctuated by frequent design devel ...

The evolution of the motor car over the last 100 or so years has been punctuated by frequent design developments; some obvious and others more subtle. One thing that has remained fairly consistent is ...

June 26, 2012
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Rear brake replacement – Renault Megane II

|Date: June 26, 2012

Rear brake replacement – Renault Megane II

BRAKE PADSRemovalPosition the vehicle onto the lift and release the parking brake. Remove the rear wheels ...

BRAKE PADSRemovalPosition the vehicle onto the lift and release the parking brake. Remove the rear wheels before releasing the parking brake cables. Now remove the lower calipers’ stud mounting bolts, ...

June 26, 2012
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Steering system component repairs – the golden rules

|Date: June 26, 2012

Steering system component repairs – the golden rules

Before replacing any electrical or electro-hydraulic steering systems or their components, you must make ...

Before replacing any electrical or electro-hydraulic steering systems or their components, you must make sure that you have all of the required diagnostic tools to check and reset the system. Without ...

June 26, 2012
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Link rods – their purpose and why they fail

|Date: June 26, 2012

Link rods – their purpose and why they fail

Link rods are subjected to massive shock loading – more so on increasingly pot-holed roads. The safety of ...

Link rods are subjected to massive shock loading – more so on increasingly pot-holed roads. The safety of the vehicle depends on the smallest and most vulnerable part of the whole steering and suspens ...

June 26, 2012
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How to perform a DSG gearbox filter and oil change

|Date: June 26, 2012

How to perform a DSG gearbox filter and oil change

Before you start this procedure, make sure that the engine (pictured below) is properly switched off. Pla ...

Before you start this procedure, make sure that the engine (pictured below) is properly switched off. Place the oil-collecting tray underneath the transmission and leave this in place until the end of ...

June 26, 2012
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Vacuum pumps explained

|Date: June 26, 2012

Vacuum pumps explained

In many cases, vacuum pumps (highlighted in red, image below) are located directly on the cylinder head, ...

In many cases, vacuum pumps (highlighted in red, image below) are located directly on the cylinder head, and are driven by the camshaft. ...

June 26, 2012
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EPB servicing – avoiding rear caliper damage

|Date: June 26, 2012

EPB servicing – avoiding rear caliper damage

Electronic Parking Brake systems (EPB) have been fitted to VAG models since 2006, starting with the Audi ...

Electronic Parking Brake systems (EPB) have been fitted to VAG models since 2006, starting with the Audi A6, A8 and the VW Passat. Most of the later Audi models from 2008 onwards are fitted with EPB a ...

June 26, 2012
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Hybrid technologies – battery types

|Date: June 26, 2012

Hybrid technologies – battery types

Hybrid vehicles are defined as those with the ability to use two forms of power, which in most cases in t ...

Hybrid vehicles are defined as those with the ability to use two forms of power, which in most cases in the automotive sector means an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Therefore, desp ...

June 26, 2012
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A/C system servicing – circuit leak testing

|Date: June 26, 2012

A/C system servicing – circuit leak testing

Many leaks are caused simply by vibration which causes refrigerant line connections to come loose, but re ...

Many leaks are caused simply by vibration which causes refrigerant line connections to come loose, but refrigerant gas can also escape through the walls of the rubber hoses or at the drive shaft oil s ...

June 26, 2012
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How Electric Parking Brakes (EPB) work – Part 3 (service and diagnosis)

|Date: June 26, 2012

How Electric Parking Brakes (EPB) work – Part 3 (service and diagnosis)

At some point vehicles fitted with electric parking brakes will have to go through an MOT test. Normally, ...

At some point vehicles fitted with electric parking brakes will have to go through an MOT test. Normally, the tester will test a conventional parking brake on a roller brake tester by applying the bra ...

June 26, 2012
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