| Do it yourself car repair and troubleshooting | | | | The next step would be to test what turns on |
| car problems needs to be handled in a very | | | | the cooling fan motor. In most cases, they |
| scientific way, as opposed to just guessing. | | | | will be a temperature switch and a fan relay |
| | | | that complete the circuit to the electric |
| In most cases, when I guess or even take an | | | | motor. Both the temperature switch and relay |
| educated guess, I pay the price. Even though | | | | can be tested. |
| my educated guess comes with 24 years of | | | | |
| hands on experience it is wrong nearly 50% of | | | | As you can see from the above examples, when |
| the time. This means I have just increased my | | | | you are troubleshooting car problems. There |
| diagnosis time, and wound up replacing a part | | | | may be multiple answers to what is causing |
| that was not required. | | | | the problem. Just guessing, and throwing |
| | | | parts at the vehicle may cost you more than |
| This brings me back to the proper | | | | if you took the car into a repair center and |
| troubleshooting of car problems. Get a good | | | | had somebody else do the work. |
| auto repair manual and perform all the | | | | |
| step-by-step diagnosis that the | | | | The reason that we work on our own car and |
| troubleshooting manual provides. When you | | | | perform do-it-yourself auto repairs is to |
| feel like you have found the problem take the | | | | save money, down time on the vehicle and |
| extra step and test the individual component. | | | | learn something about the troubleshooting of |
| | | | car problems in the process. Using the above |
| For example, let's say you are diagnosing and | | | | example again, let's say that your vehicle |
| overheating condition. Your educated guess | | | | overheating problem was a poor connection to |
| says that you should replace the thermostat. | | | | the temperature switch that operates to |
| Why not go the extra step and actually test, | | | | cooling fan motor, which I've seen many |
| the operation of the thermostat by throwing | | | | times. If you replaced the cooling fan motor |
| it in some boiling water and observing if it | | | | and the thermostat, you have just spent about |
| opens? If the thermostat does open while it | | | | $300 in parts and a full day's work on things |
| is soaking in the boiling water you now know | | | | that did not need to be replaced. Your |
| that this was not your overheating problem. | | | | overheating problem could have been solved |
| Using the same example, you may feel that the | | | | for free with no parts by repairing the loose |
| electric fan motor needs to be replaced. | | | | connection. |
| Again, let's take the extra step and test the | | | | |
| operation of the electric fan motor. Applying | | | | Don't forget why we are repairing our own car |
| 12 V to the power side of the fan motor and | | | | in the first place. We want to learn |
| grounding the negative side can test the | | | | something new about our car and save money in |
| cooling fan operation. If the fan motor kicks | | | | the process. Make sure to stay on track and |
| on and runs, you know that this is not the | | | | fully diagnose your vehicle and do not |
| problem with your overheating. | | | | replace parts until they are thoroughly |
| | | | tested. |