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Think its a stupid qns, but I'm a car mechanics newbie... can anyone tell me what is being down when the engine is tuned? Tune it for what? And what does tuning do to your engine? And what do they mean by CO level? Think its also got something to do with fuel consumption huh?

http://people.msoe.edu/~yoderw/oilfilterst...udy.html#l30001 Check the link out.

I've just replaced my radiator unit. Old one seized up. New unit is a 2-layer radiator. Cooling is efficient. Too efficient! The car takes a long time to warm up to the mid-point. Only in traffic congestion conditions it warms up to mid-point. Else if I'm travelling at 80-100 on E'way, the needle is at 1/4 mark or lower. The wind chill seems to be a big factor. Also noticed that the engine has a vibrating idle when it is still cool. Anyway to solve this?

Just sharing my thought; For my Skoda, I would follow the recommended oil & filter change at 15,000 km interval from now on. If I'm not able to clock that mileage in a year then, I will change the oil and the oil filter once a year. And my sparkplugs, reckon should last about 20,000 km without problem. Air filter - only change when its dirty. Should be about 2 years. Battery shd lasts about 1.5 years (still using the original since day one) Tyres - replace when worn or after 3 years usage. Wheel balancing - One and the half yearly or when necessary (steering vibrate) Hope others can share their views.

More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Motor Oil by Ed Hackett Choosing the best motor oil is a topic that comes up frequently in discussions between motorheads, whether they are talking about motorcycles or cars. The following article is intended to help you make a choice based on more than the advertising hype. Oil companies provide data on their oils most often referred to as "typical inspection data". This is an average of the actual physical and a few common chemical properties of their oils. This information is available to the public through their distributors or by writing or calling the company directly. I have compiled a list of the most popular, premium oils so that a ready comparison can be made. If your favorite oil is not on the list get the data from the distributor and use what I have as a data base. This article is going to look at six of the most important properties of a motor oil readily available to the public: viscosity, viscosity index (VI), flash point, pour point, % sulfated ash, and % zinc. Viscosity is a measure of the "flowability" of an oil. More specifically, it is the property of an oil to develop and maintain a certain amount of shearing stress dependent on flow, and then to offer continued resistance to flow. Thicker oils generally have a higher viscosity, and thinner oils a lower viscosity. This is the most important property for an engine. An oil with too low a viscosity can shear and loose film strength at high temperatures. An oil with too high a viscosity may not pump to the proper parts at low temperatures and the film may tear at high rpm. The weights given on oils are arbitrary numbers assigned by the S.A.E. (Society of Automotive Engineers). These numbers correspond to "real" viscosity, as measured by several accepted techniques. These measurements are taken at specific temperatures. Oils that fall into a certain range are designated 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 by the S.A.E. The W means the oil meets specifications for viscosity at 0 F and is therefore suitable for Winter use. Multi viscosity oils work like this: Polymers are added to a light base (5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot. Multi viscosity oils are one of the great improvements in oils, but they should be chosen wisely. Always use a multi grade with the narrowest span of viscosity that is appropriate for the temperatures you are going to encounter. In the winter base your decision on the lowest temperature you will encounter, in the summer, the highest temperature you expect. The polymers can shear and burn forming deposits that can cause ring sticking and other problems. 10W-40 and 5W-30 require a lot of polymers (synthetics excluded) to achieve that range. This has caused problems in diesel engines, but fewer polymers are better for all engines. The wide viscosity range oils, in general, are more prone to viscosity and thermal breakdown due to the high polymer content. It is the oil that lubricates, not the additives. Oils that can do their job with the fewest additives are the best. Flash point is the temperature at which an oil gives off vapors that can be ignited with a flame held over the oil. The lower the flash point the greater tendency for the oil to suffer vaporization loss at high temperatures and to burn off on hot cylinder walls and pistons. The flash point can be an indicator of the quality of the base stock used. The higher the flash point the better. 400 F is the minimum to prevent possible high consumption. Flash point is in degrees F. Pour point is 5 degrees F above the point at which a chilled oil shows no movement at the surface for 5 seconds when inclined. This measurement is especially important for oils used in the winter. A borderline pumping temperature is given by some manufacturers. This is the temperature at which the oil will pump and maintain adequate oil pressure. This was not given by a lot of the manufacturers, but seems to be about 20 degrees F above the pour point. The lower the pour point the better. Pour point is in degrees F. % sulfated ash is how much solid material is left when the oil burns. A high ash content will tend to form more sludge and deposits in the engine. Low ash content also seems to promote long valve life. Look for oils with a low ash content. % zinc is the amount of zinc used as an extreme pressure, anti- wear additive. The zinc is only used when there is actual metal to metal contact in the engine. Hopefully the oil will do its job and this will rarely occur, but if it does, the zinc compounds react with the metal to prevent scuffing and wear. A level of .11% is enough to protect an automobile engine for the extended oil drain interval, under normal use. Those of you with high revving, air cooled motorcycles or turbo charged cars or bikes might want to look at the oils with the higher zinc content. More doesn't give you better protection, it gives you longer protection if the rate of metal to metal contact is abnormally high. High zinc content can lead to deposit formation and plug fouling. The synthetics offer the only truly significant differences, due to their superior high temperature oxidation resistance, high film strength, very low tendency to form deposits, stable viscosity base, and low temperature flow characteristics. Synthetics are superior lubricants compared to traditional petroleum oils. You will have to decide if their high cost is justified in your application. The extended oil drain intervals given by the vehicle manufacturers (typically 7500 miles) and synthetic oil companies (up to 25,000 miles) are for what is called normal service. Normal service is defined as the engine at normal operating temperature, at highway speeds, and in a dust free environment. Stop and go, city driving, trips of less than 10 miles, or extreme heat or cold puts the oil change interval into the severe service category, which is 3000 miles for most vehicles. Synthetics can be run two to three times the mileage of petroleum oils with no problems. They do not react to combustion and combustion by-products to the extent that the dead dinosaur juice does. The longer drain intervals possible help take the bite out of the higher cost of the synthetics. If your car or bike is still under warranty you will have to stick to the recommended drain intervals. These are set for petroleum oils and the manufacturers make no official allowance for the use of synthetics. Oil additives should not be used. The oil companies have gone to great lengths to develop an additive package that meets the vehicle's requirements. Some of these additives are synergistic, that is the effect of two additives together is greater than the effect of each acting separately. If you add anything to the oil you may upset this balance and prevent the oil from performing to specification. The numbers above are not, by any means, all there is to determining what makes a top quality oil. The exact base stock used, the type, quality, and quantity of additives used are very important. The given data combined with the manufacturer's claims, your personal experience, and the reputation of the oil among others who use it should help you make an informed choice.

Hi Guys Anyone know where I can find single grade Engine Oil? Or a multi grade with the narrowest span of viscosity. e.g. Redline 20W50. Has anyone tried any of these...... (1) Agip (2) Amsoil (3) Elf (is it only for motorcycles?) (4) Fuch (5) Pennzoil (6) Redline (7) Royal Purple (8) Yacco How do they compare to the overly advertised & hyped Caltax, Mobil and Shell? Check out this extract from http://www.vtr.org/maintain/oil-overview.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multi viscosity oils are one of the great improvements in oils, but they should be chosen wisely. Always use a multi grade with the narrowest span of viscosity that is appropriate for the temperatures you are going to encounter. In the winter base your decision on the lowest temperature you will encounter, in the summer, the highest temperature you expect. The polymers can shear and burn forming deposits that can cause ring sticking and other problems. 10W-40 and 5W-30 require a lot of polymers (synthetics excluded) to achieve that range. This has caused problems in diesel engines, but fewer polymers are better for all engines. The wide viscosity range oils, in general, are more prone to viscosity and thermal breakdown due to the high polymer content. It is the oil that lubricates, not the additives. Oils that can do their job with the fewest additives are the best.

Check this out ! Seems like Honda just released a 3.0L SOHC iVTEC engine that runs like a 1.5L capacity when low load and 3.0L during high load ! http://www.honda.idv.tw/fact/030701.htm

Now this is one engine I would love to have in my car , whatever car it is Facts and figures: Output of the BMW P83 is over 900 bhp. Maximum engine speed is 19,200 rpm. In a race, engine speed is limited to 19,000 rpm. Idle speed is 4,000 rpm. The engine weighs less than 90 kilograms. It completes a distance of 500 kilometres before undergoing revision. Total production of the BMW P83 is 200 units, ten of which the team takes to each race. Before being phased out the engine will have received 1,388 upgrade modifications. It comprises around 5,000 individual components, 1,000 of them different. The air intake volume is 1,995 cubic metres per hour. Maximum piston acceleration is 10,000 g. Piston speed peaks at 40 metres per second and averages 25 metres per second. Exhaust temperatures of up to 950 degrees are reached. Maximum air temperature in the pneumatic system is 250 degrees. The ultra-high-speed 130R turn at Suzuka with its lateral load of 4g poses the greatest challenge to the oil system. The BMW P83 endured the highest full-throttle proportion on the Monza circuit at 73 per cent per lap. At the Monaco Grand Prix, the transmission and engine have to withstand an average 3,100 gear changes. The engine block and cylinder head are made of cast aluminium and are manufactured at the BMW Formula One foundry in Landshut using a special thin-wall casting method. BMW Munich handles, among other things the manufacture of the crankshaft (steel), camshaft (case-hardened steel) and camshaft covers, as well as processing of the cylinder head and crankcase. The oil system and engine electronics also stem from BMW Munich. BMW 83 engine timeline from concept to culmination: Concept: November and December 2001 Design: January through May 2002 Model construction at the BMW foundry in Landshut: March through May 2002 Components manufacture: April through July 2002 Initial assembly: July 2002 First bench test: 31 July 2002 Test phase development stage 1: August 2002 through January 2003 First deployment in car: 18 September 2002 Development to race readiness: October 2002 to mid-February 2003 Further development: mid-February to season

ALFA ROMEO FORTHCOMING ENGINES The Powertrain ( GM/Fiat ) developed 'Electron' HFV6 engine will be made available to Alfa Romeo in all three dimensions: 2.8, 3.2 & 3.6-lites. Features of the new engine include: all-aluminum construction, dual overhead camshaft (DOHC), 4-valve-per-cylinder valvetrain, roller-finger follower valvetrain, continuously variable cam phasing, electronic throttle control (ETC), durable forged-steel crankshaft, piston-cooling oil jets, coolant-loss protection software, GM

Is there any advantage to change engine oil after the first 1000km? Pls advise thanks.

Hi people! Long time no post. Anyway, would like to have your opinion. My Fabia has been behaving weird lately. The engine feels very sluggish when I start driving. Then after about 500m, it's ok. Never had this problem before. Car is due for its 10K servicing soon. Anything wrong, you think?

Hi everyone, There's a very interesting Q&A thingy by this person Ken4Camry at STC in Delphi. For those who are patient to read through the many many postings, it can provide quite an insight to anyone interested. http://forums.delphiforums.com/SGToyota/messages?msg=14093.1 He might be in the chemical engineering related line. At least what he is interested in discussing is based on science and facts.

Hi, A workshop mentioned that the following are most recommended for Nissan Sunny 1.5A. As this car needs "hotter" plugs to be more efficient. Am wondering has anyone tried these 2 items in combination before, and what was the end result? Any improvements, minor or drastic? Would also appreciate it if anyone can advise on where to find them @ the cheapest price. 1. NGK: BK R5 ES 2. Caltex: 5W-ES (energy saving oil) Btw, is the Caltex oil fully synthetic? Was quoted $80/bottle for the engine oil. And the plugs @ $5/pc. Thanks.

Hi All, Has anyone tried Red Line Engine Oil before? Any comments? Tempted to use it but the price is quite steep as compared to the rest.

Anyone can advise me where to get my car engine bay wash?? Is it chemical wash or just soap and water?? I heard there is a steam wash??.... good or not? advise me about the price also can?? address also please...

Need to get Castrol SLX 0W-30...anybody got lobang or know where it's selling cheap...workshop that does servicing with castrol oil also can... As well, anybody got any 0W-20 engine oil to recommend? Thanks!

Hi, Was wondering if any one of you had encountered flashing engine oil pressure indicator while driving? Mine started flashing, and i felt the car losing power which caused the car to grind to a halt almost immediately. Very strange as i had just sent my car for 40K servicing last week. Thank God i managed to re-start the car and move off since i was on the fast lane when it happened. Happened on Saturday night and i am not sure if the rain or the low fuel had anything to do with it? Am sending car for a check-up. Pls share experiences. Thanks. spotty

Vacuum Gauge Though little understood, the vacuum gauge is probably the best single indicator of your engine's health you can get. A Little Background When your car is idling-whether it's fuel injected or carbureted-the throttle plate or plates are restricting the amount of air the engine can breathe in. The pistons are attempting to "suck" the mixture past the throttle. (Of course, in reality, it is atmospheric pressure that is attempting to "push" air into the engine as the pistons travel downward on their intake strokes.) When throttle is closed, vacuum is high in the intake manifold, from the throttle plate(s) to the combustion chambers. By contrast, at wide open throttle there is relatively little restriction to outside air entering the intake manifold, so vacuum in the manifold is very low. A vacuum gauge reads pressure differences from atmospheric pressure, so the reading is zero in our "normal" sea of air. By convention, vacuum gauges in the US read "inches of Mercury." Reading the Gauge Unlike a fuel gauge, the vacuum gauge will keep you entertained with its instantaneous, wide-ranging movements. When you floor the accelerator pedal, you can watch manifold pressure (another word for vacuum) swing from strongly negative to nearly zero (atmospheric pressure). When your engine is "on the overrun," like using engine braking down a steep hill at high RPM, you'll see really high vacuum readings. Naturally, turbocharged and supercharged will show very different results, with readings swinging into the positive at high speed. IAP's vacuum gauge is not designed for turbo or supercharged vehicles. Your vacuum gauge is also a sort of "poor man's" fuel mileage indicator; when vacuum is low, you are burning more fuel. Absolute readings are not as useful as changes over time. That is, if you establish baseline readings under a variety of circumstances, you will know what to look for if your engine begins to deviate. Everything else aside, a high vacuum reading tends to indicate a healthy engine. Having said this, we can make generalities about the readings you can expect. Note that engines with performance camshafts tend to read lower vacuum. Readings are also lower at higher altitudes; the rule of thumb is approximately 1 inch of mercury for every 1,000 feet of altitude gain. The following readings will not apply to turbocharged engines, or cars with a separate venturi for each cylinder (like Weber DCOE or Dellorto carbs). All readings are inches of mercury (in. Hg.). ENGINE STATE VACUUM GAUGE READING INDICATION Steady idle (800-1200rpm) Gauge steady, 17-22 Normal & healthy Steady idle (800-1200 rpm) Intermittently drops several needle divisions Sticking valve or broken valve spring Steady idle (800-1200 rpm) Steady, low reading, 8-14 Small vacuum leak or valve timing off; could have low compression/worn rings (verify with a compression or leakdown test). Steady idle (800-1200 rpm) Steady, low reading, under 8 Vacuum leak (check brake booster, vacuum lines, etc.) Idle (800-1200 rpm) Needle drops sharply on a regular rhythm Burnt valve, or a valve with clearance too tight Idle (800-1200 rpm) Needle drifts up & down, along with rpm drift Mixture off or small vacuum leak Idle (800-1200rpm) Vacuum gradually drops Excessive exhaust back pressure (plugged muffler or catalytic converter) Idle (800-1200rpm) Intermittent fluctuation Ignition miss; sticking valve Idle (800-1200rpm) Steady, above 22 Ignition timing may be too advanced Open & close throttle quickly Drops to about 2, jumps to about 25 Healthy engine Open & close throttle quickly Drops to 0, jumps to about 20 May confirm worn rings (especially if idle shows only about 15-20) Verify with a compression or leakdown test. More over here: http://www.earlycuda.org/tech/vacuum2.htm http://www.centuryperformance.com/vacuum.asp http://www.international-auto.com/vacgauge.html

Have you guys come across this article??? http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Anyone tried this coolant before? Cos thinking of changing to this. Any feedback and comment? Thanks

Hi all, Guess what, my engine just stalled at the traffic lights (near paterson rd), whilst waiting for the lights to change green. Engine stuttered, batt light came on and engine stalled. It was fine from woodlands to there and fine from there to tampines as well. Hasn't happend yet. Did some reading up on all the old threads in the lounge and found there was some talk abt cars left on the warehouse for a month or so , and the batts concking out soon after the owner takes delivery. Just wondering if mine could be due to that. Does anyone's boot light blink when the hatch is open or does it stay on continuously. Mine stays on for a min then goes off for a split second and comes back on. and it repeats this way. Could this be a sign of a dying battery???

Hi, i tried reading the previous posts by some of the forumers and have concluded that mobil one and castrol remains the most popular and supposedly best engine oils. However, i'm puzzled as to which one is the better one: SLX or RS? The web site doesnt really mention abt RS..... and since all the comments for all types of engine oil make them look so good, i can't differentiate which 1 is the best? I was thinking of using 10w40 type of engine oil so can u guys/gals recommend some good engine oil?

Hi to all, I've recently measured my water/coolant temperature from the ODBII socket (which I assume is the most accurate) and got a reading of 101degreeC during idle ! Someone commented: "100+degC is pretty normal for a car with a compression ratio close to 10:1 Also, hot water can be a good thing, it can mean you're getting better heat exchange, i.e. the coolant is drawing out more heat from the block. I did notice that when i went to a 75/25 water/coolant mix, my coolant temps went up a notch. I took it to mean that the coolant was taking up more heat from the block. I do notice that my fan doesn't kick on as much when waiting at a stop light, so my theory seems to be sound." Does the above sounds logical ?

Was at Servo last week and I saw them selling the Engine Oil cooler that is a fin like cooling unit. Cost $180 but dunno whether got include installation or not. Is this unit necessary for normal cars? I reckon its useful for Turbo cars.

Just wanna show some of the Interesting stuff Be prepared on how to control the EXTRA power