Common maintenance questions

Kunle Shonaike

What is routine maintenance on a car?

Oil changes and air filters are very important parts of engine maintenance. However, a thorough inspection of all engine, transmission, cooling, brakes and suspension components should also be performed regularly. The owner’s manual provides a routine auto maintenance schedule based on engine mileage for most cars.

What gets checked on a car service?

Each type of service builds on the previous level; so a basic service will typically include an oil and filter change and a visual inspection, but there will usually be a top-up of all the key fluids in the engine (washer fluid, brake fluid, anti-freeze and steering fluid) and a check of many components.

How often do you have to service your car?

As a good rule of thumb, we suggest you have your car serviced every four months or 5,000 kilometres, whichever comes first. Heavy car users, who drive many miles a year, should aim to have at least an interim service every three months or 4,000 kilometres.

NB: Parts of this piece were culled from the internet.

Feedback

I have a 2007 Toyota 4Runner. The dashboard is showing VSC OFF, VSC TRAC and CHECK ENGINE signs. Please, where is your workshop? I live in Lagos. Best regards, Cletus Chibuko.

My workshop is presently inside Lagos Television Complex on Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja.

Thank you for the great job you are doing. I bought my 2003 Honda Accord last year (2017). My mechanic inspected it before I bought it and asked me to go on and make the purchase. Two months after the purchase, when I changed the oil (I used Mobil XP1000), it started producing grey smoke when I would start the engine in the morning for like two to five minutes and it would stop.

So, I called my mechanic and he said the former user was not servicing it regularly, hence this smoke and that when the oil gets thicker, like when due for another servicing, it would stop. He then added smoke stop liquid.

Although the smoke has reduced drastically as the oil is dark now and was very low at a point before I added more oil to it, he concluded that I should plan to change the engine as a final solution. He also recommended Seahorse since it is thicker for my next oil change. What should I do?

—Frank

You really don’t have to change the engine. I would advise you get a second opinion on the challenge you are having with the engine. Yes, it could be smoking but the problem could be as a result of a faulty valve stem seal or weak oil rings, which can be replaced.

Diagnostic codes

P0365: Camshaft Position Sensor ‘B’ Circuit Bank 1

The Camshaft Position Sensor is an electronic device used in an engine to record the rate at which the camshaft is spinning. This information is used by the Engine Control Module (ECM) to control ignition and fuel injection. The camshaft position sensor senses the retraction of camshaft (intake) to identify a particular cylinder. The camshaft position sensor senses the piston position. The sensor system consists of a rotating part, typically a disc, as well as a static part, the actual sensor.

When the engine is running, the high and low parts of the teeth cause the gap with the sensor to change. The changing gap causes the magnetic field near the sensor to change. The change in the magnetic field causes the voltage from the sensor to change. When the crankshaft position sensor (POS) system becomes inoperative, the camshaft position sensor provides various controls of engine parts instead, utilising timing of cylinder identification signals.

The code is detected when the camshaft position sensor signal is not detected by the ECM during the first few seconds of engine cranking.

Possible symptoms: Engine Light on (or Service Engine Soon Warning Light), Lack/Loss of Power Engine Stall.

Possible causes: Faulty Camshaft Position Sensor, Camshaft Position Sensor harness is open or shorted, Camshaft Position Sensor circuit poor electrical connection, faulty starter motor, starting system circuit, dead (weak) battery.

P0366: Camshaft Position Sensor ‘B’ Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1

The Camshaft Position Sensor is an electronic device used in an engine to record the rate at which the camshaft is spinning. This information is used by the ECM to control ignition and fuel injection. The camshaft position sensor senses the retraction of camshaft (intake) to identify a particular cylinder. The camshaft position sensor senses the piston position. The sensor system consists of a rotating part, typically a disc, as well as a static part, the actual sensor.

When the engine is running, the high and low parts of the teeth cause the gap with the sensor to change. The changing gap causes the magnetic field near the sensor to change. The change in the magnetic field causes the voltage from the sensor to change. When the crankshaft POS system becomes inoperative, the camshaft position sensor provides various controls of engine parts instead, utilising timing of cylinder identification signals.

The code is detected when the camshaft position sensor signal sent to the ECM during the first few seconds of engine cranking is out of range.

Possible symptoms: Engine Light on (or Service Engine Soon Warning Light), Lack/Loss of Power Engine Stall.

P041A – Exhaust Gas Recirculation Temperature Sensor ‘B’ Circuit

The ECM monitors the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Temperature Sensor ‘B’ Circuit Performance, which measures the temperature of the exhaust gas. The EGR Temperature Sensor functions by increasing the resistance with increasing exhaust gas temperature. The ECM sets the OBDII code when the EGR Temperature Sensor signal is not to factory specifications.