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Does it pay to shop around - You betcha!
2007-11-18 18:15:00
 This little snippet of information I find both amusing and in a way bloody annoying.  My sister-in-law recently had trouble with her VT Commodore. It has been stalling on the odd occasion and starting again straight away. I checked the computer for fault codes and it gave us a code 49, indicating a fault in the Crank Angle Sensor or Cam Angle Sensor. Seeing as though the symptoms pointed to a faulty Crank Angle Sensor I suggested she have it replaced. With two slipped discs in my back I wasn’t going to put my hand up for this job.  I went down and bought the part for her from our local Repco and she started ringing around to see if she could get it done that day. First of all she rang the Holden dealerships around our area. We have two within around 20km of each other and they are both owned by the same person.  Dealership number one wanted fifty dollars but couldn’t do it until the following Tuesday - it was a Friday and she didn’t want her weekend ruined...
More About: Shop , Etch

Balancer locking tool for the Mitsubishi V6
2007-11-12 07:18:00
 If you’re wondering why we are doing a post on this subject please read our post on why it is soooo important to correctly torque the balancer bolt on these engines.  The tool I have made suits a ‘99 model Challenger with the 3.0 24 valve engine however with a simple modification it should suit any model Mitsubishi V6. The Challenger has two holes in the balancer that aren’t threaded so it was necessary to weld the two bolts on the tool, however the earlier model Pajero’s and the like have threaded holes I believe so it won’t be necessary to weld the bolts, just use the correct bolt and screw them into the balancer to achieve the same result.  The tool is made from a flat length of steel, two bolts of different length ( to allow for the thickness of the steel ), and a bolt,nut and spring washer. Without being rude, this is what my tool looks like and it’s dimensions should you want to make one like mine!                         ...
More About: Tool , Locking

Changing Spark Plugs - Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 24valve
2007-11-12 02:40:00
 If your late model Pajero, Challenger or Magna is due for it’s 100 or 200,000km service it is possible to save yourself quite a bit of dough by replacing the spark plugs yourself. It is a reasonably straight forward job to do and can be done with a basic spanner, screwdriver and socket set. Allow yourself plenty of time though, quite a few hours will be needed to finish the job.  There are a few precautions that you need to be aware of, nothing too drastic just little things that will make the job easier for you and they are outlined below. I had actually got halfway through this job before growing a brain and realising that this information might be useful to our readers so I’m all the steps in reverse so please don’t shoot me if there is anything I have left out! I will try my best to cover everything.  OK, dust off the tools and let’s get down to it. Important Notes to Remember.  Allways replace the spark plugs with Platinum or Iridium plugs. ...
More About: Mitsubishi , Changing , Spark

The 2009 Chevrolet Camaro
2007-11-06 16:55:00
 If good ‘ol American muscle cars are your thing then do yourself a favour and head on over to the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro website. This concept/production car simply has to be seen to be believed. I’m not big on American muscle cars myself, however GM have really turned out something special with this one.  The flowing body lines, big pumped out rear guards, awesome looking front end, 400 horsepower LS2 engine, ahh better stop there, I’m drooling too much! Might have to go and talk to the bank manager in a couple of years, by 2009 I will probably be completely bald, single and desperate and what a perfect car to enjoy an early mid-life crisis in.  So head on over to the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro website to see what all the fuss is about, I’m pretty sure you will like what you see. Craig
More About: Amar

Race Wars (almost) Update No. 2
2007-11-03 16:24:00
 Due to work comitments for one of our team members, Race Wars had been put off for at least six weeks. It seems like this thing will never get off the ground the way we are going!  The first scheduled race was abandoned due to the ‘losing team’ finding their car had a blown head gasket and now Travis has to go to Thursday Island for six weeks to work. At least we now have plenty of time to think of more low-budget mods for the Starion and plenty of time to sabotage the Telstar!  Race Wars is what we are calling a friendly bet between four mates, divided into two teams, a budget set at one thousand dollars (which includes buying a suitable car) and a trip to Willowbank Raceway to see who is the quickest down the quarter mile.  To read more details please check out the first post and the first update. Craig 
More About: Update

Mitsubishi Pajero V6 - crankshaft pulley issues
2007-11-01 13:44:00
 Here at Autofix we have recieved a number of questions relating to the crankshaft pulley bolt working it’s way loose on a number of V6 Pajero’s and I though it worthwhile to add my two cents into the subject. This seems to be a very common problem and due to the damage that can be done to crankshaft, owners contemplating changing the timing belt themselves need to be aware of this issue.  Nine out of ten times when this has happened a timing belt change has not long been done which leads you to think that the crankshaft pulley bolt may not have been tightened adequately which is more than likely the case, however I know of a few occasions where the bolt has worked it’s way out during normal use.  I think this highlights the need for regular checks of the crankshaft pulley bolt torque, perhaps every six months or so would be a good idea. Although checking the bolt torque without the right tools is not a simple job, a replacement crankshaft is definately more in...
More About: Mitsubishi , Issues , Pull , Issue , Cran

Roadside Drug Tests for Queensland Drivers
2007-10-28 15:32:00
Source: Drive.com.au   In what can only be seen as a long overdue measure against people getting behind the wheel after using illicit drugs, Police finally have the power to carry out random drug tests of drivers. Queensland premier Anna Bligh has announced that drug tests will soon be carried out alongside random alcohol breath tests.  The number of drug tests carried out will pale in comparison to the number of alcohol breath tests however, with an expected 20,000 drug tests compared to an estimated three million alcohol tests. It’s a start I suppose and something is better than nothing. The tests involve taking a swab of saliva from the driver to detect drugs such as speed, ecstacy and cannabis, with the tests taking between three and five minutes.  The maximum penalty for motorists caught driving under the influence of drugs is a $1000 fine, three months imprisonment and a suspended driver’s license.  One grey area that still remains is drivers using prescrip...
More About: Drivers , Drug , Tests

‘New’ Brock Commodores
2007-10-22 15:55:00
 After the death on September 8th, 2006 of Australian driving legend Peter Brock , his ‘Brock Commodores’ have become one of the most sought after cars in the country. Record prices are being reached for both the cars and any memorabilia associated with the nine-times Bathurst 1000 race winner.  After reading an article on drive.com.au about the sale of Brock’s Holden Dealer Team and the subsequent plans to release ‘all new Brock Commodores’, I for one thought that it may have been a plan to cash-in on the legends death however after reading about the new owner of HDT it seems that there was a close relationship between the two and the ’new’ cars were on the drawing board before Peter Perfect’s untimely death.  The new owner of the Holden Dealer Team, Peter Champion, knew Peter Brock very well and owns no less than 40 Brock Commodores, from road going to race versions. Peter Champion was also a driving force behind the build ...

CarSeek.com
2007-10-22 14:33:00
A popular site with new car shoppers, CarSeek.com has recently added new features, in addition to car reviews, photos, and news. CarSeek.com now helps connect potential car buyers to desired models, and connects the appropriate car dealers to customers who are ready to buy. Consumers are relying on the Web for comparing new car prices, options, and dealerships more every year. The quicker they find the car they want, the more likely customers will make a purchase. For car manufacturers, it is critical that their models are seen on the Internet, due to the way people now shop for cars. By the same token, auto dealerships recognize that more people come in to close a deal after researching online. The new CarSeek.com is now fully active with 2007 vehicle reviews online, and new 2008 model reviews being published every week. CarSeek.com offers current EPA emission specs, fuel economy, and crash tests in its reviews, as well as special articles dealing with topics like: Road Rage, Hybr...

Classic Japanese Car Show
2007-10-14 16:40:00
The second running of the Classic Japanese Car Show put on by the Z Car Club of Queensland was held today in Brisbane. And what a show it was! A good turnout of around 150 entrants saw everything from V8 powered Celica’s to Subaru Micro cars being entered for judging.  After the rain and storms that we have had in Brissy over the last week there was some doubt as to whether the event would go ahead. There must be a god of classic japanese cars though as the day produced blue skies and mild temperatures. The only let down was the amount of flies that were around. Thousands of the buggers, apparently a bit of a problem around the area at the moment.  With me being out of action due to continuing back pain the camera duties were assigned to my better half Belinda, and I think she did a great job. It was also our mate Jerry’s first show outing with his twin turbo RA28 Celica and it certainly got it’s fair share of attention. See the full picture gallery.
More About: Car show

Race Wars (almost) Update
2007-10-06 03:22:00
 The date for the race has been set. The cars are well, as ready as they can be and the scene set for the funniest event since Paris Hilton got locked up. To get an idea of what is happening take a look at the original Race Wars post.  The Starion has gone on a diet big time and lost all un-necessary interior fittings. I only wish we could replace the doors and rear hatch with something a bit lighter, those things must weigh a ton.  The engine is another story in itself and to be honest it has me doubting whether it will make the three passes under it’s own steam. The head gasket is blown and we have never had less mosies around here since we got it going.  A bottle of chemi-weld has helped the head gasket issue and a helping of stop-smoke has been added to control the oil situation. Not a good start! On the “performance” side we’ve made up a cold air intake which houses the original air-flow meter, advanced the timing as much as possible without huge amo...
More About: Update

How to replace Spark Plugs
2007-09-27 17:49:00
 Yeah okay, this is a very basic procedure and can be done with your eyes closed after you have done it once, but for the novice there is a few tips and tricks that can make the job easier and prevent any potential disasters.  When you go to buy your replacement spark plugs you will see that there are letters and numbers that categorize each different spark plug. We will run through what these mean quickly so you can understand what it all means. The example I am using is a spark plug manufactured by NGK. Each brand of spark plug has it’s own ‘code’ of numbers and letters however this example will give you a rough idea of what they mean. The code for our example spark plug is ; BPR5ES-11. The first letter stands for thread diameter, of which there are five variants running from 8mm up to 18mm. The second letter refers to three different types of plug configuration - Projecting insulator type, Small spark plug and surface gap, semi-surface gap or supplementary...
More About: Spark , Spar

Spark Plug Condition Guide
2007-09-27 14:01:00
 Spar k plug’s can tell alot about how an engine is running and it’s overall condition. Take a look at this guide to determine how your engine is doing. Spark Plug Condition Guide .

How to Clean a Throttle Body - Update
2007-09-13 14:04:00
 After reading my post on how to clean throttle bodies, John Rhook, e.f.i. expert and all round nice bloke had a few things to say regarding the cleaning of throttle bodies on late model vehicles. This is what he had to say; Hi Craig, just discovered the blog. well done on getting involved in ICT. I find most in the motor trade are reluctant to adopt technology. I would like to add to you post a word of caution. Late model throttle body’s are coated and cleaning with solvent based cleaners is not recommended. There are some detergent based cleaners now finding there way into auto parts suppliers. Also some sensor failures have been linked to the use of Propelant type solvent cleaners. Regards, John  As I have been off the tools since 2005 and have only seen a handful of vehicles where throttle body cleaning is not recommended, I asked John to clarify this information further. HI Craig, yes, throttle body coating is pretty much the norm now, especially since drive by wire has b...
More About: Body , Clean , Update

How to Clean a Throttle Body
2007-09-09 10:02:00
 Clean ing the throttle body on a fuel injected engine is one of the most effective ways of restoring idle quality, performance and fuel efficiency. It is a simple job for the DIY’er and should be carried out every 10,000km if you want to keep your engine running at it’s best.  The tools and supplies required are; Screwdriver or spanners/sockets for removing air intake at the throttlebody Can of throttle body cleaner. There are dedicated Throttle Body cleaners and Carb. Cleaner, either will do the job as the majority of carby cleaners available are sensor safe. A Toothbrush. Preferably an old one, I do not recommend ever putting it back in your mouth after doing this job! A rag to be placed under the throttle body to prevent spills on painted surfaces. Eye Protection is recommended, see below.  PRECAUTIONS - Throttle body and Carb. cleaner is corrosive and must be used with caution. It will strip paint so imagine what it can do to your eyes and skin.  Step 1 is to ...

How to check for a blown fuse
2007-08-29 05:14:00
 There are two different methods for checking for blown fuses. The first one is simply to find the right fuse for the circuit or component in question and remove the fuse and check it visually.( There is usually a diagram on the inside of the fuse panel cover that explains which fuse is for which circuit/component.)  The second method, which I prefer, is to use a test light and run through all the fuses one at a time. This way if there is any other blown fuses that you weren’t aware of you can find and replace them. If you don’t have a test light you can rig a simple one up with an automotive bulb and holder and some short lengths of wire (see picture). A test light at a Auto Parts store can cost as little as five dollars though and are a handy tool to have.  So where are the fuses located? There are two blocks of fuses in most cars, one located in the engine bay (which usually contains relay’s as well) and one inside the car, either behind a pull-out panel in ...
More About: Check

How to change a flat tyre
2007-08-28 18:52:00
 To try and create some sort of structure around here I have decided to start a category called ‘Back to Basics’ which will contain tutorials on changing tyres, replacing bulbs and fuses, basic tune-up info, that sort of thing and slowly work up into the more complex stuff. The old tutorials are still here and won’t be getting replaced, just added to. So here we go with the first installment, I hope you find them useful. How to change a flat tyre. (and yes, I know the tyre in the picture isn’t flat, just work with me on this one okay!)  First and foremost, NEVER EVER get under a car that is supported by the jack alone. If something goes wrong you’re a gonner.  Okay now that is out of the way, make sure that the car is on firm, flat ground, and ensure that the handbrake is firmly applied and the car is in Park(Auto) or First or Reverse gear(Manual).  Remove the jack and spare wheel from the car. This is where you usually find out why checking the pr...
More About: Change , Chang , Chan , Tyre , Flat

Escape from the Rat Race
2007-08-27 16:40:00
 Getting way off track yet again, I want to share with you another one of my ‘projects’. It is a blog called ‘Esca pe from the Rat Race ’ and covers all sorts of things relating to freeing yourself from the 9 to 5 life that everybody loves so much!  I want to raise the question of ‘what if you could break away from the rat race’ and start living the life that you deserve and I aim to explore every opportunity available to make this dream a reality not only for myself but for my readers as well. Exciting times!!  Please take the time to check it out and if you feel you have something to add, comments are more than welcome.  Click on this link to see what it’s all about. Take care Craig  
More About: Scape , Rat Race

Are you paying too much for your Auto repairs?
2007-08-20 14:55:00
 After touching on the subject of what is reasonable when it comes time for your vehicle to be repaired in The Workshop Owner versus The Consumer and recieving heaps of emails from people that felt they were being taken for a ride I decided to put together some sort of a practical guide for consumers. That was until I did a bit of research and found a great e-book called ‘A Mechanic comes clean - and you save thousands’.  The book has all the points covered that I would have written about, so I can highly recommend it. Written by Austin Davis, an ex-workshop owner who has good ‘insider’ knowledge of how the Auto Repair industry works and the tricks-of-trade that are used to increase the owner’s profits.  As much as I would love to say that all mechanics are honest, that statement just simply is not true and from what I have seen as a workshop owner and the constant emails we get from concerned consumers it seems that honest mechanics are few an...

Has anyone experienced this problem with their Falcon Transmission?
2007-08-19 08:58:00
 We had a comment posted today from Zachary regarding his EL Falco n with a transmission that suddenly starting slipping and lost all drive. I am far from a Automatic expert so I thought I would throw the question out to our readers and see if anyone has had the same drama. Zachary wrote; Talking about problems.. Mine is a 98 el Auto with only about 135 000 km on the clock. Out of the blue, and under normal conditions it started losing power (slipping). Before I could get home, lost power all together and not even one of gear settings would engage. Imagine getting stuck in the middle of a busy intersection, at night, while lights turning red and car is moving backward instead of forward!! Bloody dangerous scenario, especially if you don’t expect it. Now if I turn engine off and wait for a few minutes gears would engage, but only for about half a mile’s drive, and then same thing all over again. Went looking for dip stick but it looks like designers forgot to put one in!! Havenâ€...
More About: Problem , Peri , Erie

Race Wars (almost!)
2007-08-16 15:37:00
 What do you get when you combine four petrol-heads, a couple of thousand dollars and knowing these guys, way too many amber fluid cans? An invitation to prove their manhood via the motor car of course!  Travis (see Knob of the Week Award - no offence dude!) and three of his mates decided to split into two teams, set a budget of one thousand dollars per team which includes purchasing a suitable car and head out to Willowbank Race way and see who’s contraption is the quickest down the quarter mile.  I don’t know about you but I thought for one thousand dollars we’d be towing the thing down the quarter mile but so far all is looking good. On our side of the fence we have a Mitsubishi Starion Turbo bought for the grand sum of $650 and on the other side they have a Ford Telstar TX5 that set them back a measly $500.  The Starion was bought without the engine running and a few nescessary bits lying in the boot! On the positive side it came with the mother of all fr...
More About: Wars

Car Insurance tips for young drivers
2007-07-28 03:32:00
  Young drivers face an uphill battle when trying to get Car Insurance at a reasonable price, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. The Car Insurance companies see young people as a high risk, particularly us male’s and for good reason. Drivers under 25 are more likely to make an insurance claim than any other portion of the population. So what steps can you take to ensure you get the best deal?   Where possible stay on your parents Car Insurance policy. The extra amount that it costs them will pale in comparison to going out and purchasing your own policy. Another advantage is if you have your own car your parents can put this car on their policy and they may recieve a discount for multiple cars on the one Car Insurance policy. When you turn 25 you can go and get your own policy at a reasonable premium.   Putting yourself through a Defensive Driving Course can sometimes earn you a reduction of your premium. Aside from being a great idea anyway some Car In...
More About: Tips

Car Insurance
2007-07-28 02:49:00
Having adequate insurance cover for your vehicles is just as important as having regular maintenance carried out. I don’t think anybody would want to find out the hard way why Car Insurance is so important. Accidents do happen, it’s a fact of life and not having Insurance can make the experience a very costly one. Gone are the days of metal bumpers and solid bodied cars that take a decent hit to bend, now we have cars with crumple zones that are designed to take the force of the impact and protect the car’s occupants. The downside to this is that the repairs needed for minor collisions can run into the thousands and if you are not covered by Insurance that money comes out of your pocket. Insurance companies are making things easier for us motorists these days by offering a pay-by-the-month service for most policies. If you are under 25 or have a shocker of a driving record this can be a great way of keeping your car insured without having to fork out a large lump ...
More About: Car Insurance

The Holden Epica - what were they thinking?
2007-07-27 09:51:00
  In the latest round of badge engineering Hold en have decieded to market a re-badged Daewoo Tosca as their entry in the mid-size category, competing with cars like the Toyota Camry and the Mazda 6. After the success of the all new billion dollar VE Commodore, you’ve got to wonder if Holden hasn’t shot themselves in the foot with the Epic a .   This is the fourth Daewoo sourced vehicle for Holden. The Barina, Viva and Captiva are all products of the South-Korean factory and given the public’s seemingly strong dislike for previous models in the Daewoo range, I wonder if that stigma will follow the Epica. There is no doubt that the build quality across the Daewoo range has increased ten-fold in the last few years but it could be a case of too little, too late.   Speaking from a mechanics point of view, nothing that came out of the Daewoo factory before 2005 looked like it would stand the test of time. I am not qualified to offer an opinion on post-2005 cars as ...
More About: Thinking

Can I Drive My Car 300,000 miles? Yes, With Excellent Basic Maintenance
2007-07-22 13:31:00
Most late model automobiles (those manufactured in the last 10 years) will run well for 200,000 plus miles if correctly maintained. This does NOT mean that repairs will not be required.    Minimum Basic Maintenance Change oil and filter every 3000 miles. This means every 3000 miles even if the manufacturer recommends 6000 miles or more between oil changes. Oil is cheap compared to replacing the car or funding major repairs. I recommend a tune up every 20,000 miles. Many times this require nothing more than changing the spark plugs. Check with your technician and repair shop on this. If you have an honest mechanic he or she will tell you what you need. This is the major reason for finding an honest shop and mechanic and sticking with them. Check your air filter with every oil change. It will not need changing every time but under dusty and dirty conditions most owners do not change the air filter often enough. Have your brakes inspected at least annually depending upon the amount...
More About: Drive , Miles , Lent

Cool JDM site
2007-07-10 13:27:00
  For the uninitiated JDM stands for Japanese Domestic Market, and GrandJDM.com stands for awesome old school japanese car site! If old school cars are your thing - you know the ones that were actually built to last - then a visit to this site is highly recommended. There are plenty of links to some really cool stuff, an excellent documented build-up of a RA29 Celica, heaps of pictures and articles on cars that we rarely ( if ever ) see here in Oz, even a story of some clown that built a twin-turbo RA28 - oh hang on that was me! Do yourself a favour and check it out, very entertaining reading.  Check it out here.
More About: Cool , Site

Automotive Charging Systems
2007-07-04 21:47:00
Electricity is the life blood of the automobile. This has always been the case as nearly all gasoline internal combustion engines use electricity to ignite the fuel. Today the total automobile is controlled and operated by electricity and electronic equipment. This include fuel control, emission control, accessories such as the heater and air conditioning system, steering control, brakes, lights and many more. It is obvious that the charging system that provide this power is a very important system.      The charging system usually include a method to generate electricity and a battery to store the power. This sound pretty simple but it is no longer a simple system. The typical system consist of an alternator that is usually belt driven by the engine. The out put of this alternator must be regulated to control the voltage with in a specific range. The usual range is 12 volts to about 14.2 volts. If the voltage gets to high or too low electronic and electrical components will no...
More About: Automotive , Systems , Motive , Charging , Char

Tips for improving fuel economy
2007-06-26 18:34:00
  I can remember my first few years of being legally allowed to drive on our roads, I had a V8 Ford Fairlane and it was nothing to drive to the Gold Coast on Friday night (just over 100km each way), come back Saturday and then drive to the Sunshine Coast (80km one way) for the street drags that night and then go for a cruise on Sunday! All on $50 worth of fuel. 50 cents a litre was considered expensive back then. How I long for those days!   Getting back to reality now, those days are long gone and with our natural resources slowly depleting fuel is not likely to get any cheaper. So what can you do to increase your car’s fuel effiency? Lots of little things that together should see you spending less time and money at the fuel station.   First and foremost ensure that your car’s engine is in good shape. A tune-up carried out every 10,000km will help ensure this. If you prefer to do this yourself pay particular attention to the condition of the spark plugs, ignition le...
More About: Economy , Tips , Fuel , Fuel Economy , Econ

Triedntested.info
2007-06-25 18:34:00
 Things have been a bit slow here at Autofix of late, the cold weather is wreaking havoc with my back pain. I say it every winter, but before next winter I AM going to get a wood heater.  If you have a pressing issue of the Automotive nature don’t forget you can leave your question on the ‘Advice’ page. I’m hoping to get back into the garage soon and post a whole heap of ‘do it yourself’ guides. Might have to dust the tools down a bit though!  Another project that we have been working on is http://www.triedntested.info/ , which is basically a blog with links to reviews of products that are available on the internet. There are links to the different product sites in the reviews as well. With so much being available on the net these days it’s hard to work out what will suit you and what won’t. Hopefully we can take some guesswork out of it for you. Different categories are being added all the time and so far we have; Computer S...
More About: Info , Tried , Este , Tested , Trie

Senseless tragedy
2007-06-18 19:18:00
  It is just me or is there something wrong with letting a 1500hp drag car loose on a road with crowds of people no more than four feet away? Why would the organisers allow such a thing. I feel for the seven people that lost their lives and I have a contact that has spoken to the driver Troy Critchley and he was quoted as saying “I feel numb, I don’t know where I’ll go from here”. What a senseless loss of life and perhaps a senseless end to a career spanning twenty years. Check it out… Craig        
More About: Tragedy , Senseless , Less , Sens , Sele