ENGINE 102 - Trouble Identification
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Fleet Owner
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From: Drummonds, TN USA
ENGINE 102 - Trouble Identification
Defining the problem.
"Its making a funny noise" is a common description, but not very useful in isolating to a cause (ordinarily).
Ask yourself some of these questions, they may help refine the trouble description:
Is it running too hot (cooling, but could also be a lean mixture, or vaccuum leak)?
Does it have markedly less power?
Does it ping, or hesitate (often caused by running too hot - can also be caused by bad timing, or failed oxygen sensor)?
Won't start. ALL systems need to be checked...
Runs for a while, then it dies. -Most often fuel related.
Black smoke at tail pipe/Bumper discoloration from smoke. Prime symptom of plugs gapped to closely, or misfire. Can be caused by over-rich mixture, but that is not very common.
MASSIVE Overheating. You WILL know if this is going on! (NOTICE: DO NOT EVER DISCARD a thermostat to get around this problem).
A noise all by itself is not necessarily a problem - though it may indicate one on the way. A real (quantifiable) change in performance IS indicative of trouble, and it is important to be able to describe it in terms that are useful.
I invite the experienced members comment on trouble symptoms and what they mean at this point, since I feel a broad discussion of "What went wrong" or/either "What seems to be wrong" can provide a reference for people to look at and pick out a better example of what their machine is doing from such a list. Besides which - I can't possibly remember all of what I have seen over the years.
-A "KEY POINT" in later discussion will be the concept:
"How do I PROVE that (something) is either WORKING, or NOT WORKING?"
~Wolf
PS: We'll break it down next.
"Its making a funny noise" is a common description, but not very useful in isolating to a cause (ordinarily).
Ask yourself some of these questions, they may help refine the trouble description:
Is it running too hot (cooling, but could also be a lean mixture, or vaccuum leak)?
Does it have markedly less power?
Does it ping, or hesitate (often caused by running too hot - can also be caused by bad timing, or failed oxygen sensor)?
Won't start. ALL systems need to be checked...
Runs for a while, then it dies. -Most often fuel related.
Black smoke at tail pipe/Bumper discoloration from smoke. Prime symptom of plugs gapped to closely, or misfire. Can be caused by over-rich mixture, but that is not very common.
MASSIVE Overheating. You WILL know if this is going on! (NOTICE: DO NOT EVER DISCARD a thermostat to get around this problem).
A noise all by itself is not necessarily a problem - though it may indicate one on the way. A real (quantifiable) change in performance IS indicative of trouble, and it is important to be able to describe it in terms that are useful.
I invite the experienced members comment on trouble symptoms and what they mean at this point, since I feel a broad discussion of "What went wrong" or/either "What seems to be wrong" can provide a reference for people to look at and pick out a better example of what their machine is doing from such a list. Besides which - I can't possibly remember all of what I have seen over the years.
-A "KEY POINT" in later discussion will be the concept:
"How do I PROVE that (something) is either WORKING, or NOT WORKING?"
~Wolf
PS: We'll break it down next.
Last edited by Greywolf; Jul 26, 2005 at 07:52 PM.
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