SEP 18, 2015 | BY BARRY ZALMA


Just a quick refresher. Take a look.

Evaporator Core Leakage

Recent inspection: The dash board, and evaporator housing and core were removed. The field agent confirms there is dye in the A/C system that was added prior to the time of inspection. The evaporator has oily dye on it near the lower right side seam, with dust and dirt accumulation exhibited. There is also moderate term leakage stains in the evaporator case. There was no corrosion, or impact seen. The repair facility did not demonstrate any other AC system related problems. The failure is consistent with a material failure of the evaporator core. 

The evaporators role in a A/C system 

The evaporator actually removes heat from the inside of the car when you have the A/C on.  The evaporator core is part of the air conditioning system that is located on the low side. Evaporators are usually made of aluminum. They look like, and in fact are similar to radiators, only thicker and smaller in overall size. Like radiators, evaporators consist of a series of internal tubes or “flow paths” with fins attached to them. Air can pass freely through the fins, just like a radiator. But unlike a radiator, where the internal tubes carry moving engine coolant, the passages in the evaporator carry moving refrigerant.

VANOS for timing was used beginning in 1994 with a single VANOS. 

The VANOS has the ability to adjust the valve timing which improves the engine power dynamics and reduces the tailpipe emissions. It optimizes the camshaft angle for all ranges of the engine operation, as both intake camshafts, and exhaust camshafts are continuously adjusted to the optimum.

Here are just some of the benefits of the VANOS.

• It increases torque at lower to mid range engine speeds with no loss of power in the upper range engine speeds.
• It allows for increased fuel economy due to optimized valve timing angles, and reduced emissions.
• You enjoy a smoother idle quality due to optimized valve overlap. (Who could have guessed)!

The engine control module activates the VANOS solenoid valve based on the particular DME program mapping. Then hydraulics kick in and directs the flow of the engine oil. The controlled oil flow acts on the mechanical component of the VANOS to position the camshafts.

You may wonder why we showed the internal parts of a VANOS; note the small seals or o-rings in that photo. When one or more of those become fatigued with age, they begin leaking oil. So, if someone tells you that you have a leak in the VANOS, and you cannot begin to understand what that is all about, (because it looks like just one big heavy hunk of steel), now you know! It will be an internal leak that will affect the engine’s performance. You will probably not see any oil at the VANOS or drips as expected. 

What makes a Car Bad?

Is it the car with the worst exterior styling? The most dreadful interior? The most uncomfortable ride? The least reliable/most poorly made? Or is it a dismal combination of all these factors? For our purposes, the worst car in the world is not only the vehicle that incorporates the most of these negative traits, but also more importantly, has no redeeming qualities of what makes a car great whatsoever. 

Over the years, car designers and manufacturers have produced many vehicles which unfortunately have rolled out into dealerships and, even more unfortunately, purchased from those dealerships. There is a large sample of particularly bad vehicles to choose from. The late 1960's - early 2000's offered up the majority of the nominations in making this list.

Article source The street By J.R. deBart

http://www.thestreet.com/story/12959767/1/20-worst-cars-of-all-time.html 

What is natural gas?

Natural gas is an abundant, naturally occurring gas, which is found deep beneath the earth’s surface, in large pockets that are located inside porous rock.  It is called a fossil fuel because scientists believe it to have been created by the gradual decomposition of ancient organic fossil matter, such as plants and tiny sea animals. Layers of this organic matter built up over time until the pressure and heat from the earth cooked this mixture into natural gas.

The principal chemical ingredient of natural gas is methane. Very small amounts of other gases also are contained in natural gas, including ethane, propane, butane and pentane.

What are the properties of natural gas?

Natural gas is odorless and colorless and produces very few emissions. It is considered the cleanest fossil fuel because of its clean-burning qualities.

What are the uses of natural gas?

The natural gas delivery system brings natural gas to about 70 million homes and businesses in all 50 states. Natural gas has become the most popular energy used for home heating:  about 64 million American homes use natural gas because of its comfort, ease of use and efficiency. Because of its environmental advantages due to low emissions, the use of natural gas is also rapidly increasing in electric power generation and cooling and as a transportation fuel.

How safe is natural gas?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the natural gas delivery system has the best safety record of any energy delivery system.

Improvements in technology and materials have contributed to a steady decline in natural gas pipeline-related incidents. In fact, from 1991 to 2004, the number of incidents on natural gas distribution pipelines decreased by more than 25 percent–yet the amount of natural gas traveling through the delivery system increased by 30 percent, and an additional 650,000 miles of pipeline were added to the system.