Face it you can have a lot of problems with cars & other vehicles. Sooner or later you'll find yourself trying to fix a car, lawnmower or other miscellaneous item in your garage. That being the case I'd like to share a few of the things I've had to deal with in my garage.
Problem: My car is leaking oil from every opening!
Solution Difficulty: Moderate
Volkswagens are notorious for consuming oil over the span of a regular oil change. I've talked with many VW owners who have to periodically add oil just to get by for 3000 miles. Rumor has it that the rate of oil consumption is related to the break in period of the new engine and if it is done "incorrectly" will result in an oil burning motor for the remainder of it's service life. Minor oil consumption is not a bad thing as long as there is no carbonization in the engine.
However if you find that your car is consuming more than a quart per 3000 miles and there is no noticeable smoke from the tailpipe then you may have an oil leak. The problem is often masked by the noise insulation beneath the car as it tends to catch small droplets before they can accumulate on the concrete. Typically you will first notice an oil leak either by visually seeing the oil or more frequently smelling a slight burning smell. Depending on location and heat of the component this smell can range anywhere from burning plastic to a slight petroleum stench. Regardless of the smell an oil leak is often a warning sign of other trouble.
There are several major maintenance procedures that most cars require in their lifetime. At the forefront of this list would be inspection /changing of the timing belt or chain. Typically it's recommended that you begin checking the belt or chain and accompanying pulleys and gear on a regular basis after your car hits 75,000 miles.
The importance of checking and replacing your timing system can not be understated. If the engine timing fails it can lead to serious damage of your engine. Likewise, improperly changing the timing system can also damage your engine. This operation is recommended for experience shade tree mechanics with the proper tools and factory service repair information. When in doubt visit your local car care professional.
There are several major maintenance procedures that most cars require in their lifetime. At the forefront of this list would be inspection /changing of the timing belt or chain. Typically it's recommended that you begin checking the belt or chain and accompanying pulleys and gear on a regular basis after your car hits 75,000 miles.
The importance of checking and replacing your timing system cannot be understated. If the engine timing fails it can lead to serious damage of your engine. Likewise, improperly changing the timing system can also damage your engine. This operation is recommended for experience shade tree mechanics with the proper tools and factory service repair information. When in doubt visit your local car care professional.
I've conducted several timing belt changes over the years. Below you'll find a link to two different changes that I've made. The first was done several years go to a '99 VW New Beetle which has a transverse mounted four cylinder engine in which the timing belt accessed via the passenger side of the car. The second procedure was conducted more on a 99 VW Passat in which the timing belt for the longitudinally mounted engine is accessed from the front of the car.
It had been a while since I'd had any trouble out of my Passat. Then a few months went by and I began to notice a distinct oily smell from the car. I would only catch a whiff of it every now and then so I figured it wasn't a serious oil leak. Just incase I kept and eye on the level of engine oil so I could avoid any serious damage.
The oily smell continued for a while and then one day when I had the car in the shop to change the oil I made a discovery. While checking the brake pad thickness on my driver's side I noticed that the inside of the wheel hub was incredibly dirty. In fact it was all greasy, more so than if I'd just splashed some gunk up from the road. So I removed the tire and took a look around. To my surprise I found wads of grease everywhere. On the wheel well, on the spindle and all over the brake caliper.
