a aN ae Se SL STO ~\ HOW NEW CARS WORK ° HOW TO BREAK THEM IN WHAT YOU CAN STILL FIX e SERVICE INTERVALS DO-IT-YOURSELF KNOW-HOW « OPTIONS AND ACCESSORIES THE MYSTERY OF WARRANTIES e AND MUCH MOREParts for imports arent foreign to NAPA. them to fit right and work right, mile after mile. All the right places. Over 6,500 parts stores and 50,000 garages and service outlets do business under the NAPA sign. That means it's never far tothe part you need to get you ‘going. And every one of those locations is manned by car care professionals, who do the job and do it right. They sell great parts and give away great advice. ‘Next time your import car seems to et’s talk foreign. Parts for _ over 100,000 different parts foreign cars, that is. Because and products in the NAPA when it comes to keeping your _ inventory, odds are, your local import car running right, no- NAPA auto parts store will body speaks: your language have the part you need, when like NAPA. you need it. All NAPA brand parts are made to precise standards of quality, finest manufacturers in ie oe the automotive parts FUnEINS 4 , i business. In fact, look for the NAPA sign of quality. All the right parts. For over sixty years, NAPA’s been stocking and selling the auto parts Amer- NAPA parts are as good es, or ‘bettey than original factory equipment. ican drivers many NAPA We've got all need. In to- eS parts are bet- _theright parts day’s mar- @, ter than your mall the NAPA ket, that J a car's original ‘Tight places. means ‘ = factory : ; pete hie ed Geaent. All the right parts in imports. \ jae , You all the right places: And with — Call 1800LET-NAPA for the NAPA store closest fo you. Count ON (Check your Yellow PagesGAR GARE SUIBE HOW TO KEEP YOUR NEW CAR NEW PM's guide to prolonging the life of your pride and joy. THE INSIDE STORY Atochnical tour of how new cars work. AGOOD START Froper breakin routinesand | recommendations tor new cars. | CAN YOU STILL DO IT YOURSELF? What you can repair on new carsand what you shouldn’ touch BE A BOOKWORM | The complete directory of where to obtain factory shop manuals. FINE PRINT Ins and outs of getting all that the new car warranty offers. GAS PAINS Learning 'o live with today’s pump gasoline. JAZZING IT UP Options and features that can be addedto the car you already own, CARE AND FEEDING The whole scoop on maintaining and repairing late-model cars. ieee Cotesia aera Cover There's special ilo the purchase o gleaming neve car far beyond the need of basic transportation and Mercury's Sibe elves the freshest peal lth year crop. Proto by B Ashe. Car Care Guide preted ty the PM Auto Dept fra conus Ci Gromer, Mort Sue Pau Sega ‘Protea Aste, Cit Gromer Hank ke Ea ph Jeff Mangia Ken Fie, Bob Sime POPULAR MECHANICS # MAY 1566 eC workshop Cee OFF Planer Molder Saw Three power tools in one— @ real money-maker for you! ‘The Planer/Molder/Saw isa versatile iece of machinery. It turns out prof- itable precision molding, trim, floor- ing, furniture... in all popular pat- terns. Rips, planes, molds se] rately... or allat once. Used by indi vidual home craftsman, cabinet and Picture framing shops, lumber yards, enntractors and carpenters. Never before has there been a three-way, heavy-duty woodworker that does so many jobs for so little cost. Saws to width, planes todesired thickness, and molds to any choice of patterns. Cuts any molding pattern poucesi ‘Providse trouble tree per- formance. And is so simple tooperate even beginners can use it! 30-Day FREE Trial! excrine tacts ‘NO OILIOATION-WO SALISMAN WILE CALL RUSH COUPON '015%38.34W 00 FELD. TODAY! —Kaxcas'sty, wo. 641 DEES q ie Oy bn 1 Soames eo Jc eeeey NS BW ae Spe pL HOW NEW CARS WORK THE INSIDEced Ned ia necoad iawaks Reece ests aa he last few years have been exciting for ear buffs whose interest DO RCC UCU oe Co Ge pressure of emission, safety and fuel consumption conce Pou Dea Ee eS ee OSes consumer demand for genuine high-performance cars combined to stimulate a period of unprecedented progress. In the follow eR RC CE URS ae ua eee eed ‘The heart of an electronic engine control system is a computer. This com- puter is equipped with a readonly memory chip (called ROM, or sometimesPROM, for programmable read-only memory) that provides the computer's central processing unit (CPU) with a system plan and operating parameters for the engine. Armed with this infor- ‘mation, the computer knows howto run the engine under different driving and atmospheric conditions. ‘The computer determines what those conditions are by means of clectronie sensors that measure things like engine coolant temperature, throttle opening, manifold pressure, ‘barometric pres- sure, air flow into the engine, engine speed and other factors. By combining this information with the directions in ROM, the computer makes its operat- ing decisions. ‘The computer then directs its output signals to the various control points. In most cases, these include the air/fuel mixture, ignition spark timing, exhaust gas recirculation, emission canister purge, idle speed, air pump switching, torque converter clutch application and a variety of other engine accessories. The computer ean control an engine much more accurately than meckanical devices like carburetors, conventional distributors or vacuum-triggered com- ponents. This means engineers can tune the engine much closer to the limits imposed by spark knock, exees- sive feautess and other factors. If ev- erything works as designed, the result is better fuel economy, improved drive- ability, reduced emissions and higher power outpat. ‘Most computer operating programs include a diagnostic routine, which checks various components as well as the computer itself as you drive. When it recognizes a fault, it stores a code in its memory. The technician who repairs the car can then read the trouble codes, which help him pinpoint the problem. Distributorless ignition Because the computer controls spark advance according to the parameters in ROM, a distributor is an unnecessary complication. All the computer needs to determine spark timing is input from a ‘rank position sensor on the flywheel or harmonic balancer. The computer eon trols primary cireuit voltage to the ignition coils, causing the plugs to spark at the optimum time. This type of system can be designed with one igni- tion coil per eylinder, as used on future Saabs, or one for every two cylinders, as on the current Buick V6, Fuel injection ‘The computer can regulate air/fuel mix of either a fuel-injection system or a ‘carburetor fitted with a eomputer-con- trolled enrichment device. However, since this type of eontrol is very easy to achieve with fuel injectors that ean be switched on and off to regulate mix, 130 . 3 \ RAS roma Antiskid brakes electronically sense lockup ‘and back off fluid pressure to compensate. ‘moreand more carsare being built with fuel injection as standard equipment. ‘What's more, direct-port fuelinjection systems (with one injector percylinder) offer considerable advantages over car- buretors in high-speed mixture volume and distribution accuracy. Where port injection is too expen- sive, throttle body injection (TBD sys- temsare used. These mount one or two injectors on a throttle plate housing in the center of an intake manifold. This syster atlapts easily Uo an engine al ‘was originally designed for a carbure- tor, but does not offer the accurate distribution or high-speed performance benefits of a direet-port system. Fast burn combustion chambers Advances in cylinder-head combustion chamber design have helped engineers deal with the problems that arose when lead-free, low octane fuel became the standard. By providing turbulent fuel/ air mix at low engine speods, the s0- called fast-burn design combustion chamber achieves a more complete combustion in a shorter time. Conse- quently, less heat is transferred to the head, allowing the use of a higher com- prescion ratio or higher turbocharger boost pressure even when fuel octane ratings are moderate. Because combus- tion is improved, fuel economy num- bers and low speed torque also benefit. Dual overhead cams Dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) en- gines have been used for more than 70 years. Because the position of the cams allow intake and exhaust valves to be placed on opposite sides of a hemispher- ical or pentroof combustion chamber, twin-cam engines are ideal for racing applications where they offer big ad- vantages in high rpm mixture flow. ‘What's more, because valve train mass isreduced, higher engine speeds can be achieved, Today, with Ure demand for high performance from small engines, DOHC passenger-car engines are be- coming common. Port fuel injection systems deliver atomized gas Just ahead of the intake vaive. Air flow is routed through long tuned Intake runners. which optimize all-around performance. POPULAR MECHANICS # MAY 1986Motorcraft races with success on Sunday OCR UM ela Ce Trccnitie eee Cac Renn RCs eecs icc cu) Sunday, so you're not tested during the rest of the week ROU tc CEng ur og ‘quality parts.So does your car. And Motorcraft spark plugs, fiers, batteries and motor ea ee nC ecu OE ani nc emu S Motorcraft quaity parts have been instaled as original equipment in more than 35 milion Ford, Mercury, Merkur and Lincoln cars and Ford light trucks. But no matter what kind of car or truck you drive, there's oniy one logical choice. Quality Motorcraft parts from Ford—so you'll know you're getting reliable original-equipment quality ‘replacement parts. Race-proven parts. Trustworthy parts. Motorcraft, of course. Se oes Veena!‘The DOHC design offers some dura- bility benefits as well, because failure- prone pushrods and rocker arms can be climinated. The reduced mass of the valve train means that lower tension valve springs ean be used. Four-valve cylinder heads Dual overbead cams lend themselves well to the use of a4-valve-per-cyli combustion chamber. Arranged in pairs ina pentroof chamber, the valves ‘ean be operated directly by two cams bearing on bucket type tappets. ‘A d-valve head offers excellent mix- ture flow at high engine speeds as the total circumference of two small valves exceeds that of a single large valve sized for the same engine bore size. ‘This allows the 4-valve head to fill the cylinders much better at low valve lifts, when the valves first start to open. When used with a butterfly throttle plate in one intake port of the pair used for each cylinder, a 4-valve head im- proves engine performance throughout the entire rpm range. At low speeds each eylinder breathes through a single intake valve that en- sures high mixture velocity for a good throttle response. At high rpm, the throttle plate opens to allow more flow, maximizing horsepower, The Toyota 16-valve Four uses this setup. Some motoreycle engines with four valves per cylinder use oil pressure to activate the rocker arm for the second intake valve, providing a similar effect. Turbos ‘Turbochargers—rare just a few years ago—are now very common. Using an exhaust-driven turbine to drive a een- trifwgal compressor, they provide a high-pressure air charge in the intake manifold. This allows more complete filling of the eylinders, inereasing the engine's horsepower. The turbp’s popularity is due to the present-day need to produce more pow- er from small engines, and has been made possible by advances in turbo engine technology. Turbos require a high volume of exhaust gases to operate efficiently, so turbocharged engines act, like normally aspirated engines until rpm and load reach a certain level. By regulating exhaust flow with a waste- gate and shaping the turbine inlet and turbine blades for maximum efficiency, this “boost lag” time can be reduced. Cooling the turbocharged mix with an air-to-air heat exchanger, called an in- tercooler, will result in a denser and more powerful charge being delivered to the engine. Future’ turbochargers willbe equipped with adjustable turbine blades or inlet areas to further reduce lag. A limited number of variable ratio turbochargers are in use today. 12 Superchargers Engine-driven superchargers are be- sinning to appear on passenger-car en- fines as well. Unlike turbos, positive displacement blowers provide mas mum boost at very low engine speeds. This gives excellent throttle response with no lag, but fuel economy suffers. ‘The use of an electronically controlled bypass valve that equalizes pressure above and below the supercharger, in combination with a supercharger drive «luteh, has solved that problem. Computerized suspension and drivetrain Computer controls are being applied to components outside the engine com- partment as well. A number of Japa- nese ears now offer electronic systems that adjust shock absorber damping rates automatically. These allow the driver to select a NORMAL oF SPORT setting—or he ean choose an automatic setting that leaves it up to the eomput- struts hydraulic circuitry with a solenoid. ‘er. With the system on the AUTOMATIC setting, sensors provide information on car speed, acceleration, braking, cor- nering and road surface, and the com- puter chooses the correct shock valv- transmission gearshift points are another candidate for com- puter control, and the automakers have responded accordingly. Utilizing the same hardware as the engine control computer, transmission regulating de- vices determine optimum shift points ‘based on engine speed, load and throt- tle position for better fuel economy. Integral chassis and space frames ‘Today, most cars have integral body/ chassis units in which both the body and its inner panels serve as structural members. Properly constructed, this design is more rigid than the weighty metal frame rails and non-load earrying body used in the past. But even minor crash damage requires special welding techniques, and realignment of the ve- hicle can only be done on special equip- ment. Rust in critical areas can danger- ously weaken suspension and drive- train mounts. For its Fiero sports car, Pontiac has abandoned the integral chassis in favor of a stamped steel space frame and plastic body panels. The space frame consists of welded steel stampings, shaped like the tube chassis and roll cage of a NASCAR stock car. The plastic panels are more resistant to Gamage than metal and are easily re- placed. Antilock braking ms In keeping with the do-everything-bet- ter philosophy of today’s engineer, a number of vehicles are now equipped with antilock braking systems (ABS), ABS prevents skids caused by wheel lockup during braking. ‘An induetion-type sensor and a toothed ring, mounted on the wheel or rear axle pinion shaft, measure wheel speei. The computer analyzes the in- formation from each wheel sensor and determines the amount of wheel slip that should be allowed. The computer then controls brake-line pressure by means of solenoid valves, releasing pressure to a particular wheel when it Just begins to lock. Coming attractions ‘The future should provide even more excitement for the high-tech enthusi- ast. Electronic controls will be expand- 1 to include more systems, while diag nostic functions will become more precise. Engineers are discovering ways to reduce internal engine friction, resulting insignificant power and econ amy gains. ™ POPULAR MECHANICS # MAY 1956When the Big Q flows, America goes. The Big Q stands for quality. Always has. Always will.CAR GARE GWE A GOOD START eee long life for your new car depends on proper break-in procedures ‘ome carmakers claim their 1986 models dor’t have to be broken in; others state that they do. As you'll see in our chart, manufacturers suggest some period of restraint to prevent unnecessary stress on new vehicles During the break-in period, your goal should be to keep load levels iow while the internal engine parte get acquaint ed with each other, as wear is most rapid in this period. ‘When carmakers talk about severe service conditions, they are referring to almost every driving condition known to modern man, from off-road racing to normal stop-and-go commuting, short trips in which the engine barely warms up, trailer towing, and so on. Their idea of normal service is limited exclusively to long trips at 55 mphon level roads. In other words, the vast majority of new car owners ‘should follow the severe service recommendations. ‘As a general rule, most carmakers recommend that you net only avoid drag race starts and panie stops for the first 500 to 1000 miles, but that you vary engine speed frequently. Driving at the same speed for long periods can cause abnormal wear patterns ina new engine. Letting off the throttle from time to time pulls oil up onto the eylin- der walls. ™ POPULAR MECHANICS @ IVAY 1986 NEW CAR BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS BREAKIN PERIOD BREAKIN MANUFACTURER (miles) PROCEDURE ‘AMC/Jeep/Renault— Don't exceed 50 mph for frst 100 miles ‘alvexcept altance {ang 36 mph for next ‘and Encore ‘© Don't drive at constant! speed for long and avoid excessive idling, full throttle, fast starts and hard stops, but an occasional frm brake application is recommended Saemtugsal sdtiven dont ue vehicle snow plowing © Operate 4wd vehiclesin 4-wheel drive for fist 200 miles and atleast 10 miles per month thereafter First service due at 7500 miles." © Don'texcead 55 mph; don't tow. '* Follow allother procedures above that apply. Alliance & Encore Buick Dont exceed 55 mph: dont drive at con- stant speed for long and do crive at moder- ‘te speed untl engine is warm. “Avoid wide open throtie starts and hard oe Avoid towing during restraint period; a- terward, don't exceed SO mph fornext 800 miles. Fest service due at 7500 miles or 12 months ®, whichever occurs ist Cadilac Chevrolet Ghryster ‘See Buick ‘See Buick ‘See Buick and footnote! * Don't exceed 50 mph for frst 60 mies ane 3 mph for next 240, dont ve at con- Speed OF Ges eng of fulthrottle Scssoraion win ints of wails but void wide open throtie in low gear © First service due at 7500 miles or 12 months, whichever occurs frst—t a tubo, 7500 miles oF 6 months." * Donttaxceed 55 mph: dant av at con Stan’ speed or long: evod heawy brat S*Donttow for fest S00 nes: Sen add ot ot Forkrbocharyed engnee—dort exceed . exc {soo rpmin our errr gear for trt 2000 mls with marl vangmision orn Seno pres oft ay estroctercveoon Suds boot level. For Bronco, Aerostar, Ranger, Ecenolne, fohtruce, Sub wagon--ighton single rear 7000 1SChoose from 29 Career Opportunities Get Your Specialized Associate Degr tr Coser Diploma ot me i Spas =| heoee tenes igeuredueecce mheoinioet ead Saneoaet Sees erences meron sees aoancemertonjourpresen oa (Se All Scans area ist ‘Sniuait coUrgw TooaY 1 1 1 ! CHECK ONE Box on ! eee | cca =o ! 1 ne es ol aed 1 i= fe | i= Ae 1 - 1 [ exsus i be! _ Lee ts Sarre we Sa Name City. Stat ‘heal lug rls fo speicain 01500 and 1000 mis: tghion cual rear whee! ug ruts 2000 and £00 mies bret sorvce cue si 7600 milag oF 12 months, whichever occurs first. © Avoid fulthote starts and ising Tor Extended peiods ata censtan speed, "Fox thfrat 200 mies, avod hard raking. & Frat serve cue at 500 mig or tnonthe.wnchovoraosure tat azda 36 ¢ Dive ning speed witou sainirg the engine: dont taco the "avoir stops and tal rote stars Fret serve cue at 2000 mies, ereedes Bene 1000 Drive at moderate speed ‘rowulvotie og, hgh engne pm Sng autemaie tranemisson Wekdown iitoubishi 305 ® ‘Dive at moderate speed: allow the er Sineto warn up afte staring eThvadracng te engine: avo abrupt ast Saree gpeed ca ar abut aoe Estero * ‘Don tovetload the vehicle: don tow & Prat service aue st 7500 mils or 12 tron, whichever ceca t= Nissan ~—~—~—~«'1000.~=~=~S«S «(Dont rive.athigh speedbelorethe en dine is warmed up, avoi fast starts and fll Sccelerason, vary dvr # Bontlt the engine labor nary ont race te engine: avoid exteried i and heavy rear "s 2 Dontuse awe forthe rst300 miles ¢ Firat service for gasoline engines due at 1509 mies or © morihs, whichever occurs first®; first service for diesel and turbo- es deat S000 males oF 6 mnths, whichever occurs fist ‘See Buick Sen Paik 1000 ‘© Don't drive at ull trate except for brie? periods. First service due at 1000miles Subaru 1000 "© Don't exceed 4000 rpm: don't race the engi; con de atconstan| speed oon. #Avoidrapd starts andacceleraion, se- ‘rere braking, overloading ard high-speed