Tech Tips: More of Identifix’s ‘favorite fixes’
Every week, we get 100s of new confirmed fixes submitted to Direct-Hit by technicians across North America.
These fixes get added to our archives so they can be accessed by any of our customers that may be working on a car with the same issue.
Every month we pick out some of our favorite submissions.
2016 Hyundai Tuscon – AutoCare Plus
When scanned, this vehicle showed code P0441—incorrect purge flow. The purge valve, when commanded on with scan tool, could be heard audibly clicking and during engine idle valve would sound like it was working as well. We put a vacuum gauge on the valve purge line side and watched the live data on the scan tool.
The purge valve first turned on at 5 percent duty cycle but the vacuum gauge wouldn’t show any flow, so we replaced the purge valve and reinstalled the vacuum gauge. When 5 percent duty cycle fist came on again, the vacuum gauge then showed flow. Even though the valve sounded like it was clicking, it wouldn’t produce any flow. Replacing the purge solenoid took care of the issue.
2010 Lexus RX350 – McDonald Auto Repair
This vehicle’s tailgate wouldn’t operate with the remote and had to be opened and closed manually. Close command from the up position would only result in the chime sounding with no initiation.
We didn’t have access to software to check switches, so we took a guess and replaced the hatch struts since they were weak and not fully opening the hatch. The new struts allowed the tailgate to reach the full open position, allowing for proper operation. The hatch then worked normally with the remote.
1999 Honda CR-V – Ivy Truman Automotive
The customer complained that the shifter was stuck and the car couldn’t be shifted out of park. We also noticed the brake lights were not working. We found no power going into the brake light switch terminal 4 (WHT/GRN).
Power is supplied to the brake light switch through 15amp STOP/HORN Fuse #52 (in the underhood fuse box) and it was blown. We put a 15amp fused current loop with an amp clamp in place to observe the amp draw on the circuit.
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Everything worked as expected; the amp draw was low and looked completely acceptable while operating the brake switch and the shift interlock.
However, when operating the horn, the amperage would shoot straight up and the 15a fuse would blow. We unplugged the horns (located behind the front grill and in front of the radiator) one at a time to find which one was shorting out. We replaced the rusted shorted out horn, fuse #52, and all was good.
