admin

You’re cruising toward a column of cars waiting at a stoplight. You apply your brakes and are rewarded with a sound that, like fingernails on a chalkboard, raises goose bumps on your neck – and maybe the blood pressure of the driver in front of you. Sound familiar?

Like everything else automotive, an annoying noise can be one of the first signs that something is wrong, or it might mean nothing is amiss. It’s up to you to quickly figure out which. Keep in mind that in most cases, a persistent noise, even after the brakes have warmed up, indicates that a repair is in order. To help determine whether squealing brakes are simply a nuisance or an ominous sign, here’s a quick run-through of the disc brake action that starts with the foot on the brake pedal and ends with a stopped vehicle.

Car brake action
The pedal pressurizes a hydraulic system that pushes the brake caliper pistons out of the calipers, contacting the brake pads and pressing them against the spinning brake rotors. The contact of the pad’s friction material on the rotors converts kinetic energy into heat and slows the vehicle. The obvious first step in the squeal search is to eliminate serious system problems. Brakes do not simply fail – they deteriorate. One element of the system wears and, over time, takes the rest of the system with it.

Brake system wear
The most common example of deterioration is a badly worn brake pad, a simple and inexpensive fix. The next component in line for wear is the brake rotor that the pad rides against when the brakes are applied. A brake pad, worn down to its backing plate, will eat grooves in the rotor, which is not an inexpensive fix. To avoid the domino effect of worn brake parts, check for excessive pad or shoe wear. Look for oil or grease on pads or shoes, warped or scored rotors or drums, misaligned or loose calipers and sloppy wheel bearings. Also be on the watch for glazed pads or rotors or sticky pistons. If there are rust or corrosion deposits on brake elements, this could be a sign that the piston is sticking. If pads or shoes are worn unevenly, side to side, a sticking piston could also be to blame. Even after you and/or your mechanic have determined your brake system is in tip-top shape, the squeal, out of sheer automotive spite, can sometimes continue. All you get for your trouble is peace of mind that the brakes are functioning more or less normally.

Reducing car brake noise
There are a few options, though, to quiet the noise. If you’ve recently purchased high-performance carbon-metallic brake pads, know that this material is prone to noise. So you may have to either live with the squeal or go back to original equipment pads. If the squeal occurs only when your brakes are hot, that’s normal. If you’re using your brakes to control speed down a steep grade, you may want to let the engine do the work by shifting to a lower gear. As brakes heat up, they become noisy and less effective. If the noise pops up just before your vehicle comes to a complete stop, as opposed to squealing throughout the entire range of braking, the cause could be a brake pad that is vibrating against the rotor. A set of brake pad vibration damper pads could cure the squeal, but there’s no guarantee. The vibration damper pads are made of a self-sticking fiber material that sticks to the back of the brake pad backing plate. Some come with a mushroom-shaped button spring in the center. The theory is that the pad and button spring cushion the vibration and create extra clearance to either reduce or completely eliminate the vibration or squeal.

More options for reducing car brake noise
Another solution to the pad vibration problem is a good coating of anti-squeal compound, either in spray or liquid application form. These heat-resistant polymer adhesives go on the back of the pad to cushion it from the caliper pistons. Be sure to apply it only to that part of the back that comes in contact with the piston. If it ends up on the front contact area of the pad or shoe, the stopping function of the component will be reduced. The spray helps the pad retract from the piston and quiets the squeal. Another option for reducing the vibration is to use a thin coating of a high-temperature anti-seize compound applied to the same area indicated for the anti-squeal compound. This is a less effective anti-squeal solution, but it also facilitates easier brake pad changes. Unless you use your vehicle on the track and go through brake pads quickly, stay with the first two solutions. There’s no guarantee with either the vibration damper pad or the anti-squeal compound. Used together, they eliminate the squeal or at least reduce it to a much less irritating decibel level.

By Debbie Murphy, automedia.com

Perhaps one of the most annoying problems you’ll find in a vehicle is an annoying noise. While not necessarily a hazard, that irksome rattle or squeak can drive you batty on even a short trip.

You may be able to live with those auditory interruptions – just turn up the volume on your sound system and forget about it.

Or, you can figure out how to track them down and eliminate them.

If you have mischievous small children or purchased your vehicle used, you might be surprised at what you’ll find behind the air-conditioning vents.

Noises coming from underneath the dash
Since noises coming from beneath the dash are the closest in proximity to the driver’s seat (and therefore the most annoying), we’ll focus on how to eliminate them.

Under-dash noises, in the form of squeaks, rattles, clicks, pops and buzzes, are often signs of trouble in their early stages. Left unattended, they could lead to more serious consequences, such as wiring harness abrasion and subsequent circuitry problems, under-lubrication and vibration-related component failure, or, at least, inefficient function of components.

That proverbial “squeaky wheel” needs to get the “grease.”

Which brings up an interesting point: On many passenger vehicles, some under-dash component lubrication is actually required periodically – a point often missed even by those who should know better.

Let’s first consider potential noisemakers, and then we’ll discuss how to isolate the offending component and the proper technique to silence it.

Weak links
All of the control pedals – accelerator, brake, clutch, parking brake (if so equipped) – have linkage systems that periodically need cleaning and lubrication.

This is also true of many control lever designs used with parking brake handles. Steering columns often have universal joints near the base of the floorboard, requiring some sort of a protective boot that may have been knocked out of alignment, causing noise.

Wiring harnesses are generally held in place by ties or clips, but these clips can weaken or break. The ties need to be tightened periodically, too.

Relay units are often mounted or secured by clips, ties, bands or screws, and those come loose or fail periodically. Screws, bolts, nuts or clips usually secure service covers and shields, and they, too, need periodic maintenance.

Let’s not neglect the variety of aftermarket accessories that mount under the dash as well: alarm controls, trailer brake units, cruise control, air-conditioning units (less common these days), sound system components, etc. These units are often not mounted as securely as original equipment components and can often be the source of under-dash noises. You may be required to come up with some creative solutions to secure and immobilize them.

Feedback
As far as isolating noises in other areas of your car, it’s pretty straightforward: If the noise occurs while using a component like a pedal or lever, you’ll need to remove the lower dash cover, if so equipped, and make a visual inspection of the linkage.

If things look extremely dirty where it may be necessary to disassemble the linkage, it might be a good idea to refer the work to your favorite service pro – safety being the main consideration here.

If it’s completely clean and well adjusted, and it appears that there are no permanently lubricated (plastic) sleeves used, try applying some long-bodied grease to the critical pivot points on the linkage. Work the pedal/lever a few times, and the grease will get worked in enough to stop the noise.

Fasten up
If the noise occurs when you hit bumps, you’ll need to simulate such a bump. A smack with the palm of your hand is a good tool for this purpose. Just be careful not to bump the dash too hard, or you’ll have an extra expense to deal with (and perhaps some damage to your hand as well).

Again, with the lower cover removed, you’ll be able to isolate the offending component by systematically damping each component (relay, control unit, harness section, etc.) as you bump with the other hand. Make sure you’re familiar with the frequency or pitch of the noise you are after or the search can get confusing.

For safety’s sake, only perform this procedure with the vehicle parked, on a level surface, with the engine off.

When you find the trouble area/component, determine if a mere tightening of existing fasteners will remedy the problem or if new fasteners or ties will have to be added.

Sometimes, industrial grade “hook-and-loop” fastening material may be a good medium to use, but your creativity and familiarity with your options and the existing circumstances are the best guides here. Experimentation is encouraged, along with forethought and common sense.

With a little practice, you can become proficient at isolating and eliminating under-dash noises – not to mention the fact that being able to make effective repairs and getting in the habit of regular car maintenance while working upside down in close quarters is an empowering experience.

If you can do that, you can do anything!

By Phil Coconis, automedia.com

At Syncrowerkz, we have a couple of ways we like to connect our BlackVue cameras. We tend to want to keep things simple so there’s no headaches for all of us. Let’s establish some quality questions here:

1. All wires are hidden and out of sight
2. We will always to sought to have the camera view dead-center and as high as we possibly can mount them
3. We will always mount the camera out of sight but have it accessible whenever you need the SD card

Installation Methods

1. Direct Ignition – In this method, we wire the camera up such that it switches ON and OFF together with your vehicle.
2. Parking Mode – An additional module that taps on your cars’ battery is added to allow your camera to stay on for as long as there is excess power from your cars’ battery. We’ve found that to be only a couple of hours.
3. Extended Parking Mode – An additional module with an in-built battery is added to allow your camera to stay on for as long as there is power available. We’ve found that to be around 4-5 hours in practice.

We currently stock the

1. DR550GW-HD (Installation & Training Time: 2 hrs)
2. DR600GW-HD (Installation & Training Time: 1 hr)
3. DR650GW-HD (Installation & Training Time: 2 hrs)

Let us know how we can assist in ensuring the safety of your car and journey!

Tyres are one of the most underappreciated and most overworked components of cars in Singapore nowadays. Let’s be honest, when was the last time you checked the side walls for damage or even know what tyre pressure your tyres should be at? Fear not! Oil Servicing at Syncrowerkz has its benefits. Pressures will be checked for you as part of the service.

Did you know that an incorrectly inflated tyre can:

1. Reduce the lifespan of the tyre
2. Increase braking distance
3. Cause excessive and sometimes localised wear
4. Cause the sidewalls to be at risk of damage
5. Affect your fuel consumption
6. Adversely affect the handling of your vehicle
7. Be unsafe

Your car would have come with a little sticker at either the door jamb or the fuel lid for Volkswagens. Knowing how to read the sticker and how to apply could mean an improvement in at least – shall we say – 100% of the above; We’re not kidding here!

Here are some places where Tyre Pressure Stickers can be found and what they look like:

Manufacturers do have their own ways of defining when a specific tyre pressure should be applied but the consistency between them is that the pressure figures are applied Cold. It’s terribly impossible to do that unless you own an air pump at home or at work when you feel the sudden desire to inflate your tyres. But let’s take that with a pinch of salt and apply those figures anyway – That’s unless you believe in driving it like you stole it; even to the service station.

The other consistency is the attention to detail, denoting the recommended pressure based on the passengers in the vehicle. The chart is split into two parts, one for the front and one for the rear.

For example, the Volkswagen Scirocco Inflation Chart has conveniently and considerately marked out the various SI units kPa, bar and psi together.

So, for us PSIers, it’s an easy read of 33psi, a near equivalent of 230kPa or 2.3 bar. Still following? Good!

Look to the left and you’ll see a few human figures and gold bars; no, luggage sadly. If you happen to only be carrying a few passengers and possibly her shopping bags, refer to the upper row. This means you should have at least 230kPa / 2.3bar / 33psi in both the front tyres and rear tyres.

Should you be carrying double siamese twins – what are the chances of that? – and their shared luggage. Inflate the front tyres to 36psi and the rear tyres to 42psi.

At Syncrowerkz, we manage tyre pressures for you during your visit for our Safety Inspections. Click here to find out more about our services.

This week we’re starting on an essential fluid – Ethylene Glycol-based Coolants.

Coolant in the Engine is a critical requirement due to the heat involved when the engine is in operation. As such, the various parts of the engine depend wholly on the presence of a liquid that can handle the pressure and heat generated by a healthy engine.

This Coolant write-up was conceived weeks before the release, which coincidentally is after one of our new Skoda customers had the engine overheat slowly on him. Cooling issues happen anywhere and anytime. We’d rather detect it when it’s in the workshop than on the street or even the highway to Malaysia.

Cooling System
The cooling system in a typical Audi/Volkswagen/Skoda/Porsche/Seat has the following components:

• Glycol Coolant (G13)
• Radiator
• Water Pump
• Engine Block
• Thermostat

Water Pumps pick up coolant from the base of the radiator and pushes it through the engine block to cool the combustion chambers. From there, it returns to the radiator for heat dispersal and then the cycle repeats. It is a simple yet important method of ensuring the engine block doesn’t overheat and seize up. However, if the failure of the cooling system occurs, many things can happen like the warming of your air-conditioning – Even though the fans are spinning hard or the presence of steam from under the bonnet or even the sound of boiling, which accompanies said-steam.

Thermostat
The thermostat deserves a section of its own as it is a simple but essential component, contributing to the success of the entire cooling system.

The thermostat is a gatekeeper and a good one at that. Without it, the engine would take ages to warm up. It allows your engine to warm up to operating temperature relatively quickly. When the engine is closer to being warmed up, the thermostat slowly introduces the cool coolant from the radiator into the  and eventually the thermostat stays open to ensure the engine gets a good supply of cool coolant from the radiator to cool the system down.

The trouble begins when the thermostat no longer functions as it should. When the thermostat doesn’t open and release the coolant stuck on the side of the combustion chambers, the coolant starts to exceed its boiling point. This causes overheating to occur as the coolant exceeds its maximum operating temperature. In addition to that, copious amounts of steam might appear under the bonnet. Don’t be alarmed and don’t open anything under the bonnet till the car has cooled down.

Distilled Water
During our parents time, the common practice would be to top the radiator up with plain water or even better distilled water as we noticed low levels in the reservoir bottle. It was good practice as it was cheap to fill up with water when the coolant was low – but how often do we know how much water has been introduced into the cooling system and most importantly, what the ratio of coolant to water is at that point in time. We might even want to run on water!

Pure water might initially appear to be an excellent coolant for use. Unfortunately pure water also has a few undesirable properties. These include:

• Pure water is corrosive to metals due to the very low dissolved solids content (ions)
• Water promotes oxidation of metals also known as corrosion
• Water typically contains small quantities of various microorganisms, which may grow and multiply over time

Corrosion
Metals corrode on contact with water. Corrosion is the primary means by which metal components are attacked, causing the deterioration of metal surfaces. Corrosion is an electrochemical process known as oxidation. When metals are exposed to water, they oxidize. During oxidation, the metal surface will begin to slowly dissolve, releasing metallic ions into the water. At the same time, free electrons accumulate in the metal. All ferrous metals have a tendency to oxidize – some faster than others. If not prevented, corrosion can rapidly degrade a system’s performance due to decreased heat transfer across corroding surfaces and in the worst cases lead to component failure.

The follow are some pictures of rust in cooling systems: