MECHANIC'S CORNER: Mitsubishi Pajero Alternator

Installing the new alternator

This week a Mitsubishi Pajero (Surplus) came in the shop and had an issue with the irratic charging rate of the alternator, in which sometimes it charges the battery and sometimes it doesn't.

Diagnosing and repairing electrical and alternators is a tricky thing as there are numerous factors especially with dealing with surplus units from Japan where the vehicle is converted from right hand drive to left hand drive. Given such, the wiring is also tricky to diagnose as it does not follow the typical set-up of those vehicles that are originally left hand drive.

In any matter, the simplest fix to the problem is to replace the alternator with a new one and observe whether the issue still persists. Luckily, replacing the alternator fixed the issue.

Oftentimes in mechanical work, it is not a sure thing but rather more like a trial and error by eliminating one cause unto the next to find the solution to the problem.

The Annual Cost of Owning a Car in the Philippines

With the booming economy of the Philippines and the income made available from OFW's up to the BPO industry, numerous Filipinos are out looking for their next ride. However many of them are unaware that there is more cost to owning a car than the initial downpayment and the monthly car mortgage.

From the depreciation, fuel cost, insurance, registration and maintenance costs to name a few.

Check out the infographic below about the annual cost of owning a car in the Philippines:

Now that you're aware of the annual cost of owning a car, check out next week's post on what to look out for when purchasing your first car.

Photo courtesy: http://www.imoney.ph/articles/annual-cost-owning-car-philippines-infographic/

MECHANIC'S CORNER: Toyota Hilux Transmission Problem

Hilux on the lifter for pull-down of transmission

This week a Toyota Hilux came in the shop having an issue with the lack of responsiveness of the pick-up when shifting gears. Obviously this is a transmission problem and is easily fixed by replacing a few parts within the transmission.

So in order to begin the repairs, it is necessary to pull-down the transmission and disassemble it in order to reach the necessary parts to be replaced.

As seen in the image below: is the clutch disc, clutch brake and clutch pressure (highlighted in red) which is the usual culprits for replacement as it gets worn out over time and heavy use. Once these parts are replaced with new one's, the transmission would be put back together and installed.

Image of the propeller shaft, flywheel and clutch disc assembly to be replaced

When driving your car please be vigilant with any noise, smell or other signs that may alert you that something is wrong with your vehicle. At your utmost convenience, have your vehicle inspected by a professional. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Happy Driving!

Note: When having your vehicle inspected and it seems that the mechanic or shop is providing you with a high expense for the repair other than your initial concern, you can always opt for a second opinion by dropping by another shop and asking for their view. You never know that a fix to your problem is something very small and have minimal costs.

MECHANIC'S CORNER: Isuzu D-Max Power Window Problem

Checking the wiring of the power window

This week a 2012 Isuzu D-Max came in complaining that the rear left power window was not functioning. So to diagnose the problem, the side panel of the door was removed to reveal the power window mechanism as seen on the picture.

The first thing that was inspected was the wiring and whether there was a supply of current to the power window. Upon inspection, it was found that there was no problem with the wiring.

The next step was to check the motor itself. There seems to be no physical damage but once the mechanic started banging on it, the motor began to operate. Based on experience, dirt may accumulate in the motor which would hamper it's operations. So banging on the motor would shake loose the dirt and allow it to work like normal.

Motor is dirty and just needs to be shaken loose

Cleaning the rubber channel

Provided that the root cause of the problem was the dirt that accumulated, cleaning the motor along with the rubber channel of the window was done to remedy the situation. As seen above, the motor was shaken loose of dirt and the picture below shows the mechanic cleaning the interiors of the channel utilizing a WD-40 solution to make the window clean and operate smoothly.

MECHANIC'S CORNER: Toyota Avanza Aircon Cleaning

Removing dashboard to make way to clean the aircon

This summer aircon maintenance is an important thing to keep the cool air flowing in your vehicle as you drive around town.

This week a Toyota Avanza came in and had their aircon cleaned as part of their maintenance asides the fact that their aircon is not that cool anymore.

So the first step in cleaning the aircon is to remove the dashboard to reach the evaporator located behind it as seen below. Upon doing so, the freon will be drained and will be replaced including the o-rings, expansion valves and other small parts after the cleaning process has been completed.

Evaporator to be uninstalled for cleaning

Removing the evaporator

The process of cleaning the aircon is pretty simple from washing the condenser, evaporator and compressor with flowing water as well as spraying air through the filters to make sure all the dust and dirt is removed. However cleaning the aircon is a lengthy process as many portions of the vehicle would have to be removed and cleaned. On average it takes a whole day (6-8 hours) to fully clean the air-condition.

A clean air-condition unit not only guarantees cool air to flow in your car but also a clean and fresh air without the undesirable odor. So have your aircon scheduled for a cleaning before summer ends and before you get busy with dropping the kids to school.

Auto Insurance 101: Documents Required to Claim Insurance

Coming from an accident and all the trauma that comes with it, the next step is to submit all the documents required so that the insurance company can begin to process your claim.

Submit the following documents:

1) Original copy of duly accomplished Accident Report Form or Police Report

2) Photocopy of the Vehicle's Registration Certificate (CR) and Current Official Receipt (OR)

3) Photocopy of Driver's License and Official Receipt

Once you have compiled all the necessary documents and submitted it to your insurance company, the next step is for you to take your car to the accredited repair shop to have a photo taken of the extent of the damage along with a price estimate of repairing your vehicle. When this is done, the repair shop will forward all these requirements to your insurance and so all that is left for you to do is wait for the approval from the insurance company for you to bring in your vehicle to the shop for repairs.

Note: Accredited Auto Repair Shops facilitate the processing and approval of your insurance claim. So if ever you are looking for a convenient way to claim from your insurance company, approach any accredited auto repair shop and they will do all the necessary legwork to have your vehicle repaired.

To learn more or have questions about auto insurance, please leave a comment below or visit our Facebook page.

Photo Courtesy: Google Images

MECHANIC'S CORNER: Overheating Honda Civic

Checking Pressure on the Aircon System

The other week, a Honda Civic came in the shop having an issue with their aircon. One look and it was clear that there was a malfunction on the compressor. Seeing the problem, it was quickly resolved by installing a new compressor and voila cool air once again.

This week, the same unit came back and the owner said that the aircon is doing well except that now the car has a tendency of overheating.

Upon troubleshooting, it was diagnosed that the cause of the engine to overheat is a mistake in the wiring of the fan. Instead of operating in a clockwise motion, the fan was mistakenly wired to run in reverse.

Rewired Fan Wiring

In this regard, the fan operating in the opposite direction creates a lack of ventilation to the cooling system of the car which in turn causes the overheat. To fix the problem, we just rewired the fan to operate correctly.

On another note, it is quite possible that the fan's inability to operate properly may also be the reason that the aircon compressor may have malfunctioned a week prior to this incident. The heat generated due to the lack of air ventilation from the fan may have led to the compressor getting busted.