While fault codes help you with the diagnosis, there are just too many of them. But without them, you wouldn’t know where to begin when fixing your engine.The SPN 639 FMI 9 fault code equals Cummins
Continue readingOnce the electronic and technological age took over, there had to be a method to guide repairs. The simplest solution was to create fault codes. Some are easy to understand and others are not. It is a
Continue readingThat is the way it is with new systems or any system for that matter. Once you understand how they work, they become very easy. The same can be said for finding what fault codes mean. Once you understand
Continue readingWith all the new diesel regulations and standards finding the small parts can get tough. They are usually placed in out-of-the-way spots and are often hard to view as other larger parts block your view.
Continue readingOver the years the SAE has developed a fault code system to help mechanics and DIY mechanics figure out what was wrong with their modern engines. This system is supposed to make repair work a little easier
Continue readingThere are a myriad of fault codes. That is one thing about these modern engines. The regulations engine makers have to meet are astronomical. Thus the engines themselves have far too many parts that can
Continue readingNo matter who is to blame, the car or truck owner is stuck with clearing those fault codes that let them know what is wrong with their vehicle.To clear fault codes, you would need a code reader, a scanner,
Continue readingWhen you are looking at buying a Detroit 60 series engine, you will find that there are three types to choose from. The 11.1, the 12.7, and the 14 L are the models that are available but they do not always
Continue readingIt seems that whoever made up this code system, decided to put a code for the codes. What that means is if you are driving under another code too far, this code will appear and tell you that you are in
Continue readingIt seems that all Allison fault codes begin with a P. At least they do with the 1000 and 2000 series transmissions. This change makes it hard to find the real problem. One mechanic needed the MID number
Continue readingDon’t be surprised if Cummins is not forthcoming about the 53 block it used to build. It was a travesty from the start and who n their right mind would acknowledge this issue? It was not a pretty picture
Continue readingOne of the facts of engine life is that belts will stretch and need to be replaced. This is an easy task if all you are doing is replacing the belts on a regular engine. It becomes more difficult when
Continue readingIdentifying the block is not going to be a hard task as there were only about 100,000 of them made at the time. Unfortunately, these problem blocks went beyond the Dodge Ram trucks and just about anyone
Continue readingIt used to be that you could sit in the engine compartment of your pickup truck and work on the engine. Today, after all the technological upgrades, you are lucky if you can see half the engine. Technology
Continue readingThe vehicles that have a diesel engine under the hood have lots of devices to be worried about. These devices all come with their own sensors and warning lights. The key is not to get confused or you may
Continue readingBigger isn’t always better. There are many RV or trailer owners who like the biggest size possible. They feel that having more room and more features is the best way to go. However, when they go big,
Continue readingMany RV owners want to squeeze more power out of their CAT engines. They look for just about any trick they can use to boost their power and tow more weight. This behavior may not be as simple as some
Continue readingWhen it comes time to look for a specific sensor, you need to be aware that there are 9 of them in all and they are all over the engine. Sometimes it takes a treasure map to find their locations.The coolant
Continue readingGetting more power has been the goal of gearheads since muscle cars were first introduced. The owners of these cars looked high and low for those parts that would give them an extra 5 or 10 or more HP.
Continue readingDo not be alarmed if you do not find this code on other lists you have checked. There are too many, along with the different FMI codes to include on every error code list. Kind of makes this a tough system
Continue readingFault codes seem to be the brainchild of the Society of Automotive Engineers or SAE. This is the group that has designed the fault code system and it is not done in simple, easy-to-understand English.In
Continue readingAutomakers strive to make great motors that will satisfy their customers and outdo the competition. This means that they will use the technology available to produce a great engine, most of the time. Which
Continue readingWhen you are finding evidence of leaks, those leaking spots can be difficult to find. All you have is a puddle of fuel and a few drops to go by to start your search. Finding the actual leak will take some
Continue readingIt seems that Dodge had decided to build their transmissions to work with specific motors only. The Aisin transmission works with the high-output 6.7-liter Cummins I6 turbo-diesel. The 68RFE is attached
Continue readingIt may not always be a simple problem. Usually, you start with all the simple possibilities to fix a problem. This spares you the embarrassment of paying a technician for something you could have fixed
Continue readingIt is supposed to be compatible, that is the most recent word on this topic. Transmission fluids have changed over the years and now the Dexron number may be up to VI. But VI is supposed to harm the seals
Continue readingWhen it comes to RV and tow vehicle engines, it is nice to have the information where you can reach it quickly. Especially when you are trying to know how much oil you need to buy for an oil change. Having
Continue readingWhen you see a fault code, there could be a variety of sources that trigger a specific one. Figuring out what is wrong takes a little work and requires you to have a fault code guide handy to look up the
Continue readingWhile a lot of attention is given to the motor under the hood, it is important to pay attention to the type of transmission handling the gears. With a bad transmission, your engine will not perform up
Continue readingThe 6.0 is a top Chevy engine that has seen an over 20-year production run. If it was bad, it would not have lasted as long as it has. With recent production models about $2000 less than the newer 6.6,
Continue readingThe jury is still out. There are some people singing the praises of supercharging your RV’s Triton V10 engine. Others are not so enthusiastic as they wonder if it is a good idea to supercharge an engine
Continue readingWhen it comes to smaller engines like the Beetle’s 1600 cc motor, you won’t be talking about quarts and gallons when it comes to oil. That is because the amount of oil this motor needs is listed in
Continue readingWhen you compare diesel engines to gas ones, you will always be told that the former will outlast the latter. That is not hype but a statement of fact. Diesel motors do last longer than gas engines. There
Continue readingIf you have a newer motor, you may see an oil temperature gauge on your dash. However, according to some owners, there is no oil temperature sensor and the gauge may just be estimating what the actual
Continue readingError codes are not always clear. Some are very hard to understand. They refer to parts you may not know you had under the hood of your RV. Another problem is that the company you think is responsible
Continue readingDiesel has more power. There should be no debate about which is better to tow a trailer. While some gas engines do a good job, a diesel just does it better. It may get better gas mileage than the gas engine
Continue readingIt is getting to be a confusing world in the automotive industry. In today’s world, you have one brand that uses two different but top technologies to run their vehicles. The problem is these technologies
Continue readingSome people swear by it. With new gadgets like this, you will find both skeptical people and fanatics. The latter will swear that they have improved their mpg to miraculous heights while others do not
Continue readingIt is possible to buy a used RV with a 454 motor inside and not get any information about lubricant capacities. When this happens you need to search and search until you get the right information. When
Continue readingModern machinery, especially for cars and trucks, is not the same anymore. In the old days, you could run a vehicle forever without too much maintenance. Today, however, you need to watch out for all the
Continue readingMaintenance-free does not always mean maintenance free. This is the problem with a lot of products. They are advertised as being maintenance free but that terminology may refer to the length of time you
Continue readingIt is an older engine. But many of these powerful motors have lasted and passed the test of time. They are good workhorse-type motors that get your older RV down the road and to your next destination safely.
Continue readingThe more things change. The more they stay the same. That is the way it seems as transmission and engine and other manufacturers keep trying to put out new and improved products. They may seem different
Continue readingAnother item under the hood to worry about. That is the trouble with modern engines. You got a lot of components that can go wrong and DEF is a system that doesn’t take much for it to trigger an alert.
Continue readingIf you do not like DEF, the best solution would be to buy a truck or vehicle that was built prior to the year it became mandatory for automakers to install DEF systems. This mandatory benchmark is not
Continue readingFluids are important. Not only are the right fluids vital to your health, but your truck’s or RV's engine also needs the right fluids to stay healthy. To be sure those engines last a long time, you should
Continue readingIf you need one, it is going to be expensive to replace. The cost of the DEF system is high no matter which part of the system you are working on. The trick is finding a new one so you can replace it.
Continue readingFirst, the good news. There seem to be 430 Speedco outlets where you can get your oil changed. 5 more just opened up in July of this year. The bad news is that there are no advertised prices for oil changes.The
Continue readingYou may have 3 operating temperatures. One would be the oil operating temperature, another is your coolant operating temperature, and your third will be your water operating temperature. It may be hard
Continue readingIt is okay to be worried. Everyone hears the horror stories about the C7 engine made by Caterpillar. These stories are few in number. What people do not factor in are the thousands they do not hear about
Continue readingThe key is when to use it. There are many features on a diesel engine that many RV owners do not know or are unsure of how to use. One of those features is called the high idle and it is there to help
Continue readingGood engines are hard to find. Just when you think you have the best engine possible, it starts to fail on you. No matter how good an engine is, it is only as good as its weakest part. That weak part may
Continue readingDriving has become more complicated. In the old days, all you had to worry about was having enough oil, gas, and water in their respective containers. Now with more fluids, like DEF to worry about, you
Continue readingWhen in doubt, always go to the source of the engine to get the exact figures you need. Some websites seem to list a larger amount of oil is needed for this engine than is necessary so be careful. You
Continue readingThe problem is the blow by. This is the term used when you over-fill your oil tank. The excess oil is expelled by the engine and it is called blow by. This expelling does cause a mess which is why many
Continue readingGood engines have bad moments. No matter how well an engine is made, there can always be some minor or major flaw that ruins its reputation. You won’t get 100% performance, reliability, or longevity
Continue readingThis is a simple code to decipher and fix. When you see this code on your screen all it is saying to you is that the DEF tank is below 10% and you need to add more fluid to the tank.The exact wording for
Continue readingIn most cases, the range inhibit light only comes on in 2 situations. One is that the transmission is locked out for shifting. The other is when you have low transmission fluid. The key to this is understanding
Continue readingTechnology has created many codes. This is something you should come to expect when you buy an RV or a more modern truck or car. Because of technological advances over the decades, error codes are common.
Continue readingAccording to the design, this system is supposed to bring more power to the wheels. It is a system that is supposed to use the power in the engine better without creating more. One benefit to this system
Continue readingDon’t be surprised when you get more than one answer to this firing order question. Some people may think they know the answer and simply say it like they are an expert. Make sure to double check as
Continue readingIn some cases, there may be a little $1 plastic part that fails. The bad news is that it can’t be replaced. You have to pay for a new reductant heater which can be very expensive. Thankfully, there was
Continue readingIs a 10-speed transmission worth it? That is the question as there are many complaints about how these new transmissions operate on the road and while towing. The Allison may be the best of the bunch
Continue readingYou may not be aware of it but even fluids have their limits. These are not magical liquids that can perform at any temperature. You have to watch how hot they get or you could damage a vital part like
Continue readingIt is a mess. Whoever thought to green-light the CP4 pump certainly made a mistake and created a legal mess for different automakers and Bosch. Of course, not covering warranty secure repairs was another
Continue readingUsually, when you get a powerful engine, it drinks up the fuel very quickly. The more power the fewer miles per gallon. That has been the standard procedure ever since the first cars were built. It takes
Continue readingLubrication is king. Without proper lubrication, no matter how powerful your motor is, it just won’t run. With the lubrication filled to capacity, you should be able to reap the benefits of that top
Continue readingProspective owners wonder about driving a diesel engine for daily errands. Since it is not gas and is more powerful than a gas engine, they think that doing daily drives is not good for the motor. They
Continue readingModern engines come with modern problems. Technology has been used to upgrade a variety of engines. The trouble is that owners cannot keep up with all the possible error codes or problems created by technology’s
Continue readingIt is thought of as one way to lower emissions. When the DEF system breaks down it does its job. No one can drive anywhere thus lowering emissions. Repair shops may not be that helpful as they get booked
Continue readingA tractor can be a farm vehicle or a semi-trailer truck cab. A reefer can be a marijuana cigarette or a refrigerator semi-trailer. When it comes to fuel, those definitions may confuse you when there is
Continue readingBack in the old days, you had about 3 gas choices and 2 diesel options. Now, you have to worry about biodiesel fuel mixtures and other fuel options to get your car running at optimum levels. It is not
Continue readingWinnebago was one RV maker that tried to make this type of RV and there may have been one or two others. You may not be able to find that many rear engine gas RVs because the concept did not catch on.
Continue readingThere are many mechanical reasons for these issues but one of the most damaging would be word of mouth. Once someone has a problem it is spread all over the internet sometimes blowing the issue out of
Continue readingWhile error codes are your friend, they are not that friendly when they malfunction. In fact, it can be downright annoying when they light up and nothing is wrong. This means you have to find the malfunction
Continue readingEngine longevity is a must. No one wants to pay a large sum of money only to have the engine fail within the first year. To reach that long lifespan, you do need to maintain your new engine and make sure
Continue readingBelt diagrams help. It is not easy to remember where every part goes or how it is to be routed. A good diagram should give you the edge you need to put an engine’s belt on without too much difficultyIt
Continue readingWhen metal slides against metal, the two surfaces heat up. When they get hot enough they can weld themselves together. That problem becomes oil’s vital role. It stops welding from happening and makes
Continue readingWhen it comes to engines and error codes, there are too many components in the motor, and too many error codes to know their meaning. Unless you have the code book in your glove box, it will be too hard
Continue readingSome models are good, some are not. In the case of engines, when they are upgraded, a lot can change. The good engine becomes bad because of all the new parts that have ruined anything that made it good.
Continue readingThere are plenty of engines. This should make powering your RV easier but you do not always get a choice in what engine is doing the powering. If you are serious about RV life, then you should do some
Continue readingDon't always expect the problem to be major. Sometimes the issue may be something very minor. You can never tell with these modern motors. They are very finely tuned and leave very little room for error.
Continue readingSuccessors are not always good. When you have to replace something that is good or excellent, the next invention may not be so good. This is the case with the Cummins ISX engine. It was the successor to
Continue readingIt may seem like a unique part to use to make engines go but without a belt, your RV is not going very far. Just like a person who is wearing oversized pants. They are not going very far either without
Continue readingIf someone builds one, someone else will build three or four. The technology age has made it easier to create similar products, like monitors, so people have a good choice. This selection gives you plenty
Continue readingGovernment regulations & technology. The more these two items change, the more you will see error codes. Not every error code is real nor do they explain what is wrong. That is why you either need
Continue readingKnow your oil tank capacity. One of the problems people have with the performance of their engine is that they over fill the oil tank. This is worse than if you under filled it. Always know how much oil
Continue readingWith all the modern technological equipment on car and truck engines these days, it can be confusing when different error codes pop up on your screens. Engines are not simple anymore. It may take a master’s
Continue readingYou may be wondering why we are talking about a Cat C7 belt diagram. This engine and belt design are not limited to Caterpillar construction equipment. It is also used in large buses (think Skoolies) and
Continue readingModern engines come with a lot of bells and whistles and due to the upgraded technology, you also receive a lot of error codes. Owning a Nexus code reader may not help to clear any error codes that pop
Continue readingDo not overfill this engine. One of the things you have to be careful about is refilling the oil tank. There are some older C7 engines that may take over 20 quarts of oil, but most only take 19 or 20 including
Continue readingOnce it is assigned a code, it seems that the definitions remain the same for a very long time. The trouble with engines having a set of fault codes, it may take you an hour to find the right one. They
Continue readingGood diesel engines are found everywhere. Cummins is not the only diesel engine maker out there. Caterpillar is a fine company as are many other diesel makers. They produce top engines like the C7 to make
Continue readingYou can monitor your transmission temperature through this app. All you have to do is download either the free or the paid version and connect with your vehicle’s computer through Bluetooth. The app
Continue readingModern engines are not as simple as the original motors on vehicles. There are a lot of extra parts added to motors these days due to government regulations. That means it is more difficult, and expensive,
Continue readingOwners use this switch for different reasons and they are all valid. You want the high idle switch on to protect your engine when you are not moving down the road but sitting still for a long period of
Continue readingBigger is not always better. This large engine did not last very long. It was featured in a few truck models between 2001 and 2007. One reason may be that the engine came with too many problems to overcome.
Continue readingIt is an 8 cylinder. Unless car companies make big design changes, you can count the number of cylinders to get the number of spark plugs an engine has. 4 cylinders equals 4 spark plugs. This rarely changes
Continue readingDue to the many new parts and the modern design of engines, you may not find every part right away. When you do find them, you may have a lot of work to remove them and install the replacement part. The
Continue readingCar repair has been made more complicated by the different upgrades made to different motors. If you do not know the codes, you will have a hard time repairing your motor. Then you need to keep up with
Continue reading