So Fix it

Most Harley-Davidsons are powered by technologically primitive engines. Critics call them "de-engineered." The basic nature of the machines is part of their charm for an aging customer base. The V-Rod is Harleys modern motorcycle intended to appeal to both younger and traditional customers. The V-Rod was designed to look more traditional than it actually is, so Harley designed its "air box" to look like a gas tank. Older bikers often assume it is the gas tank. The air filter is inside this air box; once you understand what to open and how, changing this filter should take less than five minutes.

Instructions

1

Stand on the right side of the motorcycle and lift the right side of the seat. After a gentle tug, the seat will pivot up.

2

Turn the retaining ring on the back of the outer air box cover 1/4 turn counterclockwise. The outer air box cover is styled to look like a conventional Harley gas tank. Lift the outer air box cover off the bike and set it aside.

3

Disconnect the intake air temperature sensor at the rear of the inner air box cover by pulling the two halves of the connector apart. The sensor is clearly visible on recent V-Rods. Early V-Rods located this sensor on the engine, and if it is there, you do not need to disconnect it.

4

Unfasten the eight clips that secure the top of the inner air box, using a flathead screwdriver. There is one clip in front of the box, one in back and three on each side of the inner air box.

5

Unscrew the wing nut that holds the air filter in place. Remove the old filter by pulling up, and either reinstall the original after servicing or install a new filter. Drop the new or serviced filter back on the mounting stud and retighten the wing nut.

6

Resecure the inner air box top to the mounting clips. Reconnect the air temperature sensor.

7

Push the outer air box cover back in place. Push down the seat.

The Z3 made its first appearance in the U.S. in the 1996 model year with only a 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine. In 1997, BMW added in an optional 189-horsepower, 2.8-liter in-line six-cylinder engine to complement its standard 138-horsepower, 1.9-liter engine. The base-level four-cylinder on the 1997 Z3 uses two oxygen sensors, one before the catalytic converter and one after it. These oxygen sensors are responsible for keeping close tabs on the air-to-fuel ratio and harmful exhaust emissions, by testing the oxygen density in the exhaust system. Replacing the 1997 Z3s oxygen sensors is a straightforward task that most DIYU mechanics can complete with relative ease.

Instructions

Removal

1

Lift the front of the Z3 with a floor jack and slide jack stands under its frame rails. Lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.

2

Crawl under the center of the vehicle and find the catalytic converter the muffler-like object just after the exhaust goes from two pipes to one pipe. The upstream oxygen sensor is screwed into the exhaust pipe just before the catalytic converter and the downstream sensor if screwed into the pipe just after the catalytic converter.

3

Trace the failed oxygen sensors wiring upward until you find where it connects to the vehicles main wiring . Unplug the sensors wiring harness from the Z3s wiring harness. Pull the oxygen sensors wiring from the routing clips. Remove the failed sensor, using a ratchet and oxygen sensor socket. Repeat this step for the other sensor, if needed.

Installation

4

Apply a thin coat of an anti-seize compound to the new oxygen sensors threads. Use caution not to get any anti-seize on the tip of the sensor. Thread the new sensor into its respective hole in the exhaust pipe by hand.

5

Tighten the oxygen sensor to 37 foot-pounds using the torque wrench and oxygen sensor socket.

6

Route the oxygen sensors wiring upward toward the Z3s wiring harness, pressing the wiring into its routing clips as you go. Plug the oxygen sensors wiring harness into the Z3s harness.

7

Repeat steps 1 through 3 to install the other oxygen sensor, if you removed it.

8

Raise the vehicle off of the jack stands and remove the jack stands. Lower the vehicle to the ground.

Automotive wiring systems arent the simplest thing on the planet, but they arent the most complicated either. When you break the electrical system down into its component parts, you find that it consists mainly of simple circuits and equally simple switching gear. Relays are one type of electrical switch that manufacturers install to minimize production costs and maximize safety.

Electrical Basics

A relay is essentially a switch that you dont have to flip. Electricity is the movement of electrons, and moving things, by definition, have an origin and a destination. Think of electrons like cars on a racetrack that move around it at the speed of light; if you suddenly remove a section of track, then the race stops because all the drivers fall into the hole and get smashed into atoms. Electrical circuits work the same way. As long as the circuit or track stays intact, the electrons can continue their race.

Relay Basics

A relay is basically just a switch that you dont have to flip, and a switch is a means of removing a section of the circuit. When you flip a light switch to the On position, its internal connections close the circuit and allow electricity to flow through it. Now, imagine the switch lever is made of metal instead of plastic and youre standing next to it with a magnet. Using the magnet, you can flip the switch on and off without touching it. But moving the magnet isnt practical, so what you need is a magnet that you can leave in place but turn on and off.

Induction Coils and Electromagnets

Anything moving through a gravitational field produces a magnetic wake, and it doesnt matter if that moving thing is an electron or a Boeing 747. Most metals have small regions of magnetism inside called magnetic domains, but those domains point in all different directions so they cancel each other out. Wrap a coil of wire around a metal rod and send electrons flowing through the wire and you create a magnetic "tornado" around the rod. This vortex gets all of the magnetic domains temporarily pointing in the same direction, turning the metal core into an electromagnet.

Relay Construction and Function

Youve undoubtedly connected the dots by now: a metal armature arm inside the relay is spring-loaded to stay open, but when the electromagnet under it activates, the armature comes down and closes the circuit. The idea behind using a relay is that it takes far less current to energize the electromagnet than the circuit would normally use. That means that, although your starter may require 50 amps of current to spin the motor, your ignition key mechanism only needs to pass 0.50 amps to energize the magnet. This allows manufacturers to use thinner-gauge wire and lighter-duty switching gear without risk of frying the wire or the switch.

On October 22, 2009, General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall of 69,139 vehicles including 2006-2007 model year Chevy Cobalts for fuel pump problems. Registered vehicle owners should have been notified by mail and instructed where to bring the vehicle for free repair.

Defect

General Motors initiated the recall for certain 2006-2007 Chevy Cobalts because the plastic supply or return port on the modular reservoir assembly could crack. If a crack happens, fuel will leak from the area. If the crack becomes large enough, fuel may be observed dripping onto the ground.

Consequences

Per the NHTSA, vehicle performance could be affected in these vehicles. More importantly, a gas leak in the presence of an ignition source could potentially result in a fire.

Remedy

Registered vehicle owners were expected to be notified by mail of the recall on or around February 4, 2010 with instruction on which authorized dealers will replace the fuel pump modules for free, according to General Motors and the NHTSA. Vehicle owners who did not receive notice or are concerned about the recall may contact General Motors or the NHTSA to determine whether their vehicles might have been affected.

Some car alarms are more sensitive than others. If somebody is walking by the car and nudges it, the car could go into frenzy. Car alarms are also annoying when trying to make repairs to the cars. If you want to disable the alarm on your Pontiac Grand Prix, you can easily turn it off by accessing the alarm transmitter. This is located under the steering wheel. By engaging the valet switch, the alarm automatically disables.

Instructions

1

Open the Grand Prix and put your key in the ignition. Turn the ignition until you have turned on the cars electrical system, but not the engine.

2

Pry off the dashboard panels around your ignition cylinder with your fingers or a flat-head screwdriver.

3

Locate the alarm transmitter in the ignition cylinder. This is a small black box.

4

Locate the "Valet Switch" and turn it off. This switch will be labeled. When you turn it "Off" the LED light on the transmitter will go off.

5

Replace the dashboard panels around the ignition cylinder.

Losing your car keys is an annoyance no one wants to deal with. However, losing your keys isnt as annoying as knowing exactly where your keys are: locked in your 2002 Chevy Tahoe with no means of obtaining them. When you lock your keys in a late-model car, its not a good idea to attempt to retrieve them the same way your parents did when you were a child. Sticking a wire hanger into the door frame of your newer-model car could damage your lock mechanism, which means adding the expense of having your vehicle worked on to your already annoying day.

Instructions

1

Call your local police or sheriffs department or a professional locksmith or towing company. All are equipped with the necessary tools to open your Tahoes doors without damaging your locks.

2

Inform the representative on the phone of your vehicles location and ask to have someone sent out right away to retrieve your car keys for you.

3

Provide the tow truck driver/locksmith/law enforcement officer with proof of your identity and ownership of the vehicle. You can do this by presenting your drivers license along with your title, registration or insurance card. If you generally keep your vehicle information in your glove compartment, explain your situation, and you will be permitted to retrieve your information once your doors are unlocked.

4

Pay for any services rendered. Police and sheriffs officers dont charge for helping you break into your own car.

The emission controls on an Oldsmobile Cutlass are fully integrated with ignition and fuel system controls. All of these control systems work together to ensure the engine works efficiently with minimal production of harmful exhaust gases.

Crankcase Ventilation System

The crankcase ventilation system controls unburned fuel vapor that leaks from the pistons into the crankcase. Normally these vapors would leak into the atmosphere since they are under pressure. If left alone they contaminate the engine oil and allow sludge to build up in the crankcase. The crankcase ventilation system recycles these gases back into the air intake so they can be re-burned in the pistons. The Positive Crankcase Valve (PCV) controls how much of the gas is recycled at any given time.

Evaporative Emission Control System

The Evaporative Emission Control System (EEC) is a carbon canister that reduces emissions of fuel vapors from the fuel system. It stores fuel vapors and vents them through a filter containing activated charcoal. The charcoal absorbs vapors while the engine is not running. The charcoal releases the vapors into the air intake manifold when the engine is running. A solenoid closes the canister to air when the engine is turned off so that fuel vapor is not lost to the atmosphere.

Exhaust Gas Recirculation System

The Exhaust Gas Recirculation System, or EGR, reduces oxides of nitrogen emissions. Nitrogen oxides are often written as "NOx" and they are harmful to human and animal health. The EGR is a valve which, under certain conditions, allows some exhaust gas to recirculate into the intake manifold. The exhaust gas then cools combustion temperature and controls detonation of the fuel/air mixture. The EGR valve is mounted on the intake manifold and uses manifold vacuum to open up and vent some exhaust gas into the intake manifold. It is activated only when the engine reaches normal operating temperature. Too much exhaust flow into the intake manifold can cause stalling after a cold start or during deceleration.

Thermostatic Air Cleaner

The Thermostatic Air Cleaner (THERMAC) warms air entering the carburetor when the engine is cool and maintains a controlled air temperature into the carburetor. This reduces the amount of time the choke needs to be on and results in better fuel economy and lower harmful emissions.

Air Management System

The Air Management System injects oxygen into the exhaust ports, exhaust manifolds and catalytic converter to burn off any fuel vapor left in the exhaust gas. The system shuts off only during deceleration or rapid acceleration to prevent backfiring. The system reduces the levels of hydrocarbon and carbon-oxygen combinations in exhaust gases.