By P Sanchez
In the previous installment of this two part blog, we discussed the often poorly understood (or under-appreciated) emissions control device called the Exhaust Gas Re-circulation system and how it not only helps curb tailpipe pollutants but also provides additional protection from engine knock.

We continue acquainting with the EGR system and see how filling cylinders with burnt gas can actually help the engine run better. We’ll also touch on common problems that come upon the EGR (including problems that come about messing with it) and other cool related automotive tidbits. Let’s dive in!

By P Sanchez

I find that one of the most interesting and often times misunderstood component of the modern engine is the Exhaust Gas Recirculation or EGR system. Fitted in most gasoline and diesel engines since the ’70s to meet emission standards, it’s an emission control system that lowers nitrous oxide byproduct in engine exhaust.

It does this by “recirculating back some of the exhaust into the intake which helps reduce combustion temperatures.” Wait, what? Isn’t exhaust hot in the first place? And isn’t nitrous oxide the same as “NOS”, that tank of special gas that racer boy types install on their heavily modded cars to make them go crazy-fast? But why some people think EGR is a performance-limiting device to put-up with? So many questions.

It took some digging on my end to demystify the deceptively simple but ingenious EGR system which I will share with you in this installment of the Auto Repair Blog and hopefully it’ll clear up some of the smoke.

By P Sanchez

If fixing cars was like treating people, mechanics will be analogous to doctors, auto repair shops comparable to hospitals, and medical treatments like replacing a hip-joint, a face-lift and an open-heart surgery will be much like a lower arm ball-joint replacement, body panel repaint, and an engine rebuild respectively. Diagnosis is close to exact as they can be, while treatments are proven best, direct, methodical, might be invasive at times but success rates are pretty good.

But we’re not here to talk about the cost-effectiveness of transmission replacement nor are we discussing the latest dealer-grade OBD scan tools capable of the most advanced bi-directional testing of our increasingly hi-tech vehicles. We’re here to talk about the herbal capsules and health supplements for our hot rods, the latest holistic diets for our daily drivers, the acupuncture and alternative medicine for our automobiles. We’re talking about car care solutions that conveniently come in a bottle.

By P Sanchez
Last time, we discussed tire sealants and radiator sealants that offered quick solutions in an emergency. But whenever a company claims that they have found a way to conveniently bottle the expert services of a mechanic, consumers should always take such an incredible claim with caution.

Sometimes the product is more of a hit-or-miss affair. Other times the product only works in very specific scenarios but the company’s marketing efforts have been a little too liberal in showcasing the product's application. At worst, they rely on the placebo effect and are in general, a big waste of money. We’ll discuss some of these “baddies” and see what most experts think.

By P Sanchez

Panaceas have long been a fixture of culture since ancient times. From magical elixirs that promise eternal life, to aftermarket fuel additives that promise to double the horsepower for your econobox, history has shown that miracles can be bottled and sold. With regard to products for your car, quite a few can be easily dismissed as quack alchemy – like anything that over-promises (too good to be true? Well probably, it is.) while others might be harder to prove or disprove. 

In this installment of auto repair blogs, we’ll tackle a few types of these pour-in repair solutions and see how experts weigh-in about their effectiveness. Which ones actually work as designed, which are just a lot of marketing BS that count on consumer gullibility, and which could actually do more harm than good.

By P Sanchez
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Last time, we discussed the traditional types of headlight bulbs, the incandescent bulb of classic cars, halogens – the current global standard, and the high-performance HIDs of the last decade. But there’s a new technology that has been implemented virtually everywhere that needs light generation: from smartphone and flatscreens, to indoor and portable lighting, and of course, headlights. we’re talking about LEDs.

By P Sanchez

​There was a time when the only kind of light bulb that automobiles had was the incandescent.  Yes, the incandescent light bulb, the same kind that you now only see as an emoji icon for “idea”. Modern production methods of the last century made the incandescent light bulb cheap and reliable enough for the masses and it enjoyed decades of ubiquity as a primary electrical lighting source, including headlight bulbs for cars of yester-years

But its design changed little since the days of Thomas Edison and even with its last iteration, the incandescent light bulb is still relatively inefficient in converting electricity to light, with most of the energy wasted in heat. By today’s standard, the typical incandescent light bulb’s soft yellow-tinted glow is only good for setting a romantic ambiance to an indoor space, and not so good for lighting the evening highway.

But it’s almost 2020 and we’re closer to the perfect evening driving vision with the advancements in headlight bulb technology. We got choices now, three types of lighting, in fact, differing in performance and cost. We’ll go through each of them and by the end, you can hopefully determine which is best for you.

by P Sanchez

Does your beloved car squeak and creak when driving over a rough patch of road? Is your car showing its age and you’re longing for the days of quiet ride and confident handling? Is this line of questioning starting to sound like an introduction to a cheesy infomercial for a cure-all automobile product? Well, it’s not because we’re continuing our little discussion on understanding those annoying sounds our car aging cars make. 

By P Sanchez

Squealing, squeaking, chirping, creaking and moaning. Does driving your car sound like you’re listening to a podcast of National Geographic’s “Night in the Rainforest”? If so, you’re in for some potentially serious car trouble. Realize that all machines will breakdown eventually, it’s just a matter of time. Simpler machines have it good, fewer parts, fewer things to go wrong. And the modern automobile? Hundreds of moving parts. It’s a minor miracle that a few of them can last more than a decade with just minor maintenance (I did only say “a few”).

Of course, only an experienced mechanic can tell for sure what ails your beloved car but it helps a mechanic greatly in diagnosing your car trouble if you can specify the symptoms best you can. (Another word of advice: don’t just leave your car at the auto shop without giving the mechanic a rundown of what’s wrong. They’re mechanics, not psychics.)

By P Sanchez

It’s interesting that there is at least one situation where going “neutral” actually polarizes people. This is a certain case when driving cars with automatic transmission. The use of neutral gearing has stirred more debate among regular drivers and car enthusiasts than the blue-or-gold dress, or even the Laurel vs Yani sound clip. Even experts in the field like long-time mechanics and purported engineers have opposing opinions whether shifting to neutral is advisable at any point of typical driving.

In this installment of the Auto Repair Blog, we’ll weigh in on the merits of both camps and hopefully arrive at a conclusion regarding the use of neutral gearing.