THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The carbon canister may be full of petrol if the fuel tank is full and may start to overflow with petrol.  The carbon canister should be checked at least every 20,000-50,000kms to operate correctly.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
The carbon canister is rarely replaced.  If it needs to be replaced, go to your local spare parts outlet or the wreckers.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
A fuel pressure regulator should have a vacuum hose connected to it.  If not, this will affect the performance of the fuel pressure regulator.  Also a power loss or a non start may occur due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
A fuel pressure regular costs around $80.00-$90.00 and is best fitted by your local mechanic.
TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
A fuel pressure regulator can be replaced but it has to be proved that the regulator is faulty and this can be difficult.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The cold start injector time switch and a cold start injector enrichment program may decide to malfunction and not operate at all or it continues to run rich when the engine is warm.  Either way, hard to start or the engine cutting out when it is cold could be an indicator that the program is not operating correctly.  Any engine cutting out when it is cold is a problem and needs to be attended to ASAP.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
It is difficult to estimate how much it will cost depending on where the problem is but it does require the attention of a specialised auto electrician.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If the cold start injector is causing a problem by cutting out and is very difficult to start, try holding the throttle a third of the way and don’t pump it but crank the motor.  Once you start it, get it warm before you drive off.  This is a short term remedy only.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Ignition leads either deliver high voltage or they start to isolate and end up open circuiting thus creating a misfire.  This shouldn’t be ignored as a misfire may be causing damage to the exhaust system.  Also it may cause damage to the ignition coil as the high voltage can create a carbon track from the secondary lug to the primary lug destroying the coil.  A faulty lead may make the engine difficult to start.  All leads should be tested for resistance. 

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Ignition leads should be purchased in a set as they are replaced all at once.  When purchasing leads buy a well-known brand as even new leads can be faulty and testing is required before fitting to make sure that the leads are not faulty. 

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
Testing or fitting any leads must be carried out one at a time as ignition leads are designed to fire in a firing order.  For this reason it is best to remove and replace one lead at a time to prevent messing up the firing order, thus creating a potential backfire.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The most serious light indicator is a brake light staying on because the system is leaking excessive fluid.  The first step is to check the fluid reservoir.  If it’s exactly at the full mark while you have the cap off, push the level indicator down to see if the light goes out.  Also check the hand brake lever to see if the light fades or goes out if you manipulate the on and off on the handbrake.  If either works, disconnect the connection to the master cylinder.  If the light goes out have your mechanic inspect it before you drive it anywhere as the light connected to the master cylinder, the warning brake light, is a brake fluid loss indicator.  This is a serious problem.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Costs may vary, depending on the source of the problem.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
Disconnecting the warning lamp to prevent the light from coming on is not the way to go as it’s designed to prevent the brakes from failing.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
The problem with brake lights is that it’s hard for the driver to know if they are operating or not.  One way to check this is to reverse close to a wall at night and view the reflection of the brake lights in the rear vision mirror.  Also you can ask a friend to view the rear lights while you depress your brake pedal with the ignition on.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
Brake globes are cheap at under $2.00 each.  If you decide to fit a globe make sure  that the new globe has the same voltage and wattage as the old one as this will affect the brightness of the globe.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
If you find that the globe is out, give the assembly a light tap or remove the globe and refit it.  This may resecure the connections and the globe will become operational again.  A discoloured globe is a dead globe that needs to be replaced.  There is only one way to fit a globe.  It has offset mechanism.  This will be explained in the video.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Check the belts for tension.  If they feel loose, tighten them up.

COST
Nothing; if you do it yourself!  When you check the fan belt make sure there is no oil around the fan belt and it isn’t cracked.  An oily or cracked fan belt is a fan belt that is no longer useable.  With an oily fan belt you will have to get the oil leak fixed ASAP as it will affect the belt until it is repaired.  Also the oil leaks onto the road and that can become a safety hazard.  Fan belts cost between $5.00-$65.00 depending on the make and model.  Some fan belts are difficult to changeover, so it might be a good idea to get your mechanic to fit a new fan belt.  When checking one belt, check all of them, as they all seem to go at the same time.
This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
A thermo fan should switch on periodically when idling.  If it does not, make sure the connection to the thermostatic fan switch is okay. A fan fuse might also have gone.  Check all the fuses. Find the thermo fan relay, wiggle the relay or swap that relay with an air conditioning relay, provided that the amperage on the relays are all the same.

COST
Depending on why it’s not switching on.  If it’s the fuse it will only cost 50 cents but if it’s the thermo fan switch it could cost around $90.00.  The thermo fan itself could cost $150.00.  The wiring could cost $30.00 to correct.  The thermo fan not switching on may be bypassed or bridged at the relay or at the connection, just to get you home.

This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
It’s always a good idea to look at the thermostatic fan to understand how it operates.  Because thermostatic fans are thermostatically controlled, they should switch on and off.  A good thermostatic fan in a very good cooling system will switch on for between 20-40 seconds.  If the fan switches on for longer than 60 seconds this might be a cooling system that is unable to cool down with the thermostatic fan. If the fan stays on for 5 seconds then this is an excellent cooling system as it never requires a lot of effort from the thermo fan.

 
This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009

THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Most bells resistors are open circuit making it impossible to start ..The most effective indication of this is when cranking the engine, the engine nearly starts and as you release the key, the engine will stop.  Using a test light, a faulty resistor will only have power to one side with the ignition on. 

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR?
The bells resistor is probably the most inexpensive component to replace costing between $5.00-$15.00.

TEMPORARY REPAIR AND LONG TERM REPLACEMENT
A faulty bells resistor may be bypassed but don’t leave it as it will affect the ignition system.  The only time to bypass a bells resistor is when it needs to be tested to prove that it is the bells resistor that is faulty by connecting and bypassing it.

 
This article is found in the Virtual mechanic CD Rom
You can download it for the price of a latte, but you will learn not to buy a lemon
By Darren Gow-Brown, Melbourne Australia ©2009