Fix It

You can reset the service engine light on your Chevrolet S10 by using an OBD-II scan tool. This on-board diagnostic tool can be purchased from your local auto parts retailer, although many such stores will check the code and reset the light at no charge.



The service engine light will turn on at regular intervals when your vehicle needs routine maintenance. After the maintenance is completed you will need to manually reset the light to turn it off. This is an easy adjustment that will only take a few moments.

Instructions

1

Look for the OBD II port located near the emergency brake on the lower dashboard. The OBD II port will be the receptive end for the connector on the OBD II scanner tool. Examine the connector end of the tool and the receptive port to make sure you have the correct port. Plug the OBD II scanner tool into the port.

2

Close the doors, roll up the windows and turn on the OBD II scanner tool. Put the key into the ignition and turn it to "on," but take care not to start the engine. Turning the vehicle on will start the electrical system which will power the OBD II scanner tool and allow it to do its job. The engine needs to remain off for the scanner to work.

3

Wait for the screen on the scanner to stop flashing. The service engine light will have turned off. Turn the key in the ignition to "off" and unplug the scanner.

4

Restart the engine and verify that the service engine light is still off on the instrument panel. Turn off the car.

The General Motors Oil Life Monitor System first appeared in GM trucks in the 2000 model year. The system measures the remaining service life of an engines motor oil based on several factors, including the number of engine starts, miles driven at operating temperature and total hours of engine operation. The Oil Life Monitor System determines intervals between oil changes based on operating conditions. You should reset the oil light to initiate a service interval after you change the oil.

Instructions

1

Turn the ignition key to the "on" position.

2

Depress the accelerator pedal three times to the floor in rapid succession within five seconds. Turn the ignition key off and wait for ten seconds.

3

Turn the ignition key to the "Start" position, and start the engine. The Oil Life Monitor system has been reset.

2001 Chevrolet Silverados use a hub-mounted wheel sensor system that consists of an electro-magnetic sensor and a notched reluctor wheel on each front wheel. The reluctor wheel spins at the same RPM as the wheel and the electro-magnetic sensor records this information in pulses. The PCM and ABS computers decode this information and use it determine wheel speed. By determining the wheel speed, both computers can tell if a wheel is locked up or spinning faster than the other. In order to diagnose a faulty wheel sensor, you must monitor the data stream with a scan tool and also confirm that each sensor is receiving voltage.

Instructions

1

Lift the front portion of vehicle with a jack and support it with jack stands; both front tires must be at least 6-inches off of the ground. Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels and apply the parking brake.

2

Switch the ignition to the ON position and connect a scan tool to the trucks data port under the dashboard below the steering wheel. Navigate to the live data menu and monitor the wheel speed sensors; they should both read zero.

3

Turn on the engine and lightly depress the throttle while monitoring the scan tool. The wheel speed sensor output readings should match the speedometer output. If one sensor does not then it is most likely faulty.

4

Turn off the engine but leave the ignition on and lie down on a mechanics creeper. Roll underneath the car and examine the wheel speed sensor wires for fraying or cuts.

5

Unplug the connector from the wheel speed sensor. Probe the light blue wire for the left-front wheel sensor and the tan wire for the right-front wheel sensor with a digital multimeter. The specified voltage value is 1.8 to 12 volts. If the multimeter reads less than 1.8 volts then find and repair the short in the wire and retest the sensor. If the voltage reading is within specification then replace the wheel speed sensor.

Chevy engine problems have led General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall 1,497,516 automobiles including 2000-2003 model year Chevrolet Impala vehicles equipped with 3.8L V6 naturally aspirated engines. This recall was announced by the NHTSA on April 8, 2009. Consumers were notified by General Motors of the recall in May 2009.

Type of Engine Problems

Nearly 1,500,000 General Motors vehicles with model years of 1997-2003, including model year 2000-2003 Chevy Impalas may have potentially dangerous engine problems. Per the NHTSA, some of these Chevrolet Impalas may have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.

Safety Risk

If oil runs below the heat shield when the manifold pressure is hot enough, the NHTSA warns that a flame may ignite and spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond. An engine compartment fire may occur, putting drivers, passengers and property in harms way.

Remedy

Chevy Impala registered vehicle owners should have received notice of the recall in May 2009, according to the NHTSA. Consumers affected by this Chevrolet Impala recall were offered free repairs by the manufacturer, as required by law. Authorized dealers were instructed to remove the potentially dangerous spark plug wire retention channel at the front of the engine and to install two new spark plug wire retainers at no charge to the consumer.

Chevrolets 454 Big Block engine has been through several phases over its production span. The engine began as a major player in the muscle car wars of the 1970s, gaining notoriety for its ability to generate serious horsepower and torque. Displacing 7.4 liters, this V8 was never intended to be fuel efficient, but rather was paired with a four barrel carburetor for maximum output.

Background

In the height of the muscle car era, as car manufacturers focused on designing engines that were larger and faster, Chevrolet introduced the 454. This throaty powerplant was reserved for high performance upgrades on Camaros, Chevelles and Corvettes. The 454 especially enhanced the reputation of the Chevelle as a muscle car.

Shortly after its introduction, climbing gas prices and increased regulation on auto emissions influenced auto makers to focus on smaller engines. The 454 was transferred to Chevys truck line and used in its heavy-duty half and three-quarter ton pickups. In the mid-1990s the engine was redesigned and renamed the Vortec 7400, before being phased phased out of production in 2000.

Performance Specifications

The 454 was available as an LS5, LS6 and LS7 in the 1970s. The most powerful version available to the public was the 1970 LS6. When installed in the Chevelle or Camaro, this engine could deliver 450 horsepower at 5,600 rpm. In the Chevelle, the LS6 had a maximum torque of 500 ft-lbs at 3,200 rpm. Camaros could also achieve this torque at 3,600 rpm. The horsepower was decreased when the 454 was transferred to pickup trucks. When the 454 was first introduced as the Vortec 7400 in 1996, it was rated at 290 horsepower.

Engine Specifications

This 7.4 liter engine is one of the larger engines made by Chevrolet. The 1970 to 1974 high performance versions had a 4.00-inch stroke and 4.251-inch bore. The timing order is 18436572, with a distributor cap that spins clockwise. Engine oil is the primary lube or sealer, and is used on the main caps, connecting rod bolts, cylinder heads, oil pump and pan, timing cover, valve cover, centerbolt and on the bellhousing between the transmission and the engine block.

The Chevrolet 230 is a six-cylinder inline engine. The engine is quite reliable and was used in many General Motors, Studebaker and Checker vehicles. General Motors produced a large number of inline six-cylinder engines of the same configuration with different bores. High production equates to affordable and readily available parts; new ignition and tune-up parts for the Chevrolet 230 can be found on the shelves of many auto parts stores. Worn contact points and oxidized distributor cap electrodes are a few good reasons for a tune-up.

Instructions

Tune-up

1

Trace the spark plug wire from the first spark plug in the engine to the distributor cap and mark a corresponding line on the distributor housing straight down from the spark plug wire. Be sure the mark is visible on the distributor after the cap is removed.

2

Remove the distributor cap and rotor button from the distributor. The distributor is located on the left side of the engine when viewed from the front and the rotor button is inside the distributor cap.

3




Loosen the nut on the wire post of the distributor, using the small ignition wrenches, and remove the contact points and condenser wire. Remove the screws that attach the contact points to the distributor plate and remove the points.

4

Loosen, but dont remove, the screw that holds the condenser band to the distributor plate and push the condenser out of the band. Dont remove this screw because it is tough to get back in place and if its dropped in the distributor it is difficult to retrieve.

5

Install the new contact points with a gap set at .019-inch with a feeler gauge. Push a new condenser into the condenser band, re-tighten the band screw and attach the wire to the wire stud on the contact points.

6

Place a new rotor button on top of the distributor shaft and install a new distributor cap. Be sure the rotor button seats into the grove on top of the distributor shaft or it may aim at the wrong distributor post and cause harmful back firing.

7

Pull the spark plug wire off the first spark plug on the engine and remove it from the distributor cap. Remove that spark plug and replace it with a new one. Place one end of a new spark plug wire on the new spark plug and the other end in the hole of the newly installed distributor cap that corresponds with the mark made on the distributor.

8

Proceed in a clockwise direction and remove the next spark plug wire from the old distributor cap. Trace that wire to the spark plug, remove the spark plug and replace it with a new one. Install a new spark plug wire on this plug and place the other end of the plug wire in the next hole of the newly installed cap proceeding in a clockwise direction.

Repeat this procedure until all the spark plugs and wires are replaced with new ones.

9

Unscrew the wing nut on top of the air cleaner and remove it. The 1949 Chevy is equipped with an oil bath air cleaner. The oil bath air cleaner has a wire mesh type filter in it and contains oil to trap the dirt.

Dump the oil from air cleaner in a container for proper disposal. Internally clean the air cleaner with a spray brake cleaner. Refill the air cleaner with oil to the level line marked and reinstall it.

Engine Timing

10

Connect the timing light induction clamp to the spark plug wire of the number one spark plug. Connect the lights red clamp to the positive terminal of the battery and the negative clamp to any grounded bolt on the engine.

11

Loosen the distributor hold down screw a half turn. Disconnect the vacuum line from the distributor housing and start the vehicle.

12

Locate the timing marks through the bell-housing access hole, located on the front right side of the bell housing by aiming the timing light pulse at the hole.

13

Set the engine idle at 500 rpm, align the circle ball mark on the flywheel with the indicator mark on the bell-housing under the timing light strobe, by rotating the distributor shaft until the marks align perfectly. Lock down the distributor hold down bolt once the marks are aligned and recheck the timing to be sure it did not change after it was tightened.

Rust can appear on all areas of a car or truck. The 1957 Chevrolet truck is a classic car that can be very prone to rust because of its age. The rear of a truck is exposed to many dents, bumps and scratches. This leads to the rust-proof coating on the truck to wear off more easily, leaving the rear more susceptible to rusting. Rust is an electrochemical process in which the molecules of water and metal combine to create rust. Fixing rust on the rear of a Chevy truck prevents the rust from spreading and causing more serious damage like rust-holes, which can interfere with the operation of the truck.

Instructions

1

Scrub off the rust on the rear of the car with a scrubbing pad or wire brush. This gets rid of any surface rust.

2

Put on rubber gloves to protect hands when using rust removers. Rust removers use very strong acids to dissolve rust. These acids include oxalic acid and phosphoric acid.

3

Pour rust remover onto a scrubbing pad. Scrub the remover into the rust and let stand for about 5 minutes or for the length of time suggested on the label.

4

Wipe away the rust remover with a rag or cloth.

5

Apply a rust-proof primer with a paintbrush. This stops any further rusting on the rear of the truck.

6

Apply touch-up paint to necessary areas of the rear of the truck.

Many Chevrolet pickup trucks manufactured from 1999 to 2007 are powered by a 4.8-liter, eight-cylinder engine called the Vortec 4800. Such is the engine in the 2007 two-wheel-drive Chevrolet Silverado. The engine uses fuel injectors to deliver fuel to the engine in a precise sequence. If the fuel injector fails, you can replace it but the job requires the removal of several components.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the cable for the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench to minimize the possibility of electrical shock. Place a container under the radiator drain and remove the radiator drain plug. Allow the coolant to drain from the radiator and replace the drain plug.

2

Remove the electrical connector for the air cooler inlet duct from the turbocharger on the left side of the engine. Detach the electrical connector for the barometric sensor. Remove the electrical connector for the glow plug controller.

3

Remove the main electrical wiring harness from the engine and release the clip from the wiring harness. Disconnect the bolts for the wiring harness bracket with a socket wrench and remove the bracket.

4

Disconnect the positive crankcase ventilation hose and remove the air cleaner outlet duct on the right side of the engine with a socket wrench. Release the clamp that attaches the air cooler outlet duct to the air intake and remove the outlet duct. Remove the mounting bolts for the fuel filter bracket with a socket wrench and disconnect the fuel filter.

5

Remove the fuel injection control module and disconnect the fuel lines to the fuel injectors with a socket wrench. Detach the electrical connectors for the fuel injectors. Remove the mounting bolts for the fuel injector bracket and disconnect the mounting bracket.

6

Place injector removal tool, called the J-46594, into a hole for the mounting bolt for the fuel injector bracket and attach a flare nut wrench to the injector removal tool. Pull the injector removal tool away from the fuel injector with the flare nut wrench to remove the fuel injector from its seat on the engine. Remove the injector removal tool from the hole for the mounting bolt.

7

Install the new fuel injector. Torque the mounting bolts for the fuel injector bracket to 22 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench. Torque the connecting bolts on the fuel lines for the fuel injectors to 30 ft. Connect the cable for the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench and refill the cooling system.