Tech Tips

Checking the Condition of the A/C System Oil

Leak detectors and UV lights can assist in diagnosing the outer parts of the system, like the surfaces, connections and seals, but how can you check the inside of the AC system? ...Read More

The Importance of TX Valves

A thermostatic expansion valve (TX Valve) controls the flow of liquid refrigerant into the evaporator. ...Read More

Bed-In Procedure for Brake Pads & Brake Disc Rotors

Find out how to improve brake performance ...Read More

Brake Pad Service & Repair Tips

Find out how to identify and solve the most common problems with brake pads ...Read More

3 Steps to Replacing Diesel Glow Plugs

Find out the 3 key steps when replacing Diesel Glow Plugs ...Read More

Fault Diagnosis at a Glance: Glow Plug Faces

Find out how to diagnosis when a Glow Plug stops functioning ...Read More

A/C Compressor Oil Balancing: Why It's Important

Oil balancing is a critical process when replacing Automotive Air Conditioning Compressors....Read More

How to Correctly Measure a Radiator, Intercooler or Heater Core

Incorrect way to measure ...Read More

How Radiator Caps Can Lead to Radiator Failures

The radiator cap keeps the coolant level in the radiator at the desired amount. The cap releases coolant to the overflow bottle, at a certain pressure, then draws it back as the engine cools, to maintain the correct coolant level. ...Read More

Ford Falcon BA & Territory SX Cold Start/Hard Start Problem

My Falcon BA or Territory SX is very hard to start or does not start when cold. ...Read More

Holden Cruze JG Timing Belt Issue

CoolDrive technicians often find they receive from workshops Holden Cruze JG ECUs for testing with a comment they think the ECU is faulty because the car is misfiring on one or more of the cylinders. Testing proves the ECU is good and that the camshaft sensor fault codes are often caused by a faulty timing belt. ...Read More

Common Rail Injector Compensation Codes

The replacement of most modern Common Rail Diesel Injectors necessitates a calibration procedure. This ensures the vehicle’s electronic injection system is set up to compensate for the finite variances between the injectors. Close attention to the correct procedure is a must! ...Read More

Turbocharger Fact Sheet

Turbochargers are very reliable: less than 1% of turbo’s fail due to a manufacturing fault with the turbo itself. 95% of turbo failures are because of problems with oil starvation, oil contamination or foreign object damage. ...Read More

Diesel Injector Installation

Diesel Injector Installation Tips To Prevent Premature Failure. When fitting diesel injectors it is critical to ensure the injector sealing area at the cylinder head is free of contamination. ...Read More

Holden Astra Misfire Faults

Some of the causes and fault finding procedures in diagnosing combustion misfires. Engine misfires and associated fault codes stored in the ECU memory can be a result of many electrical and or mechanical malfunctions. ...Read More

Holden HFV6 Timing Chain Stretch

Excessive timing chain wear ultimately resulting in timing chain link elongation can cause the Malfunction Indicator Lamp Check Engine Light (MIL) to illuminate ...Read More

The Importance of Oxygen Sensors

Oxygen sensors are vitally important and highly misunderstood. They are pivotal for providing feedback to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to trim fuel supply to the engine ...Read More

Mazda Tribute Ford Escape V6 Common Problems

As this model has been in Australia for over 10 years, we are now getting many tech calls relating to the Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape V6. Listed within are some common problems and remedies ...Read More

Nissan Pulsar and Maxima ECU Idle Problems

Pulsar and Maxima ECU Idle Control Problems such as low idle, stalling, erratic idle and high idle. ...Read More

VW Golf Ignition Misfires

The Volkswagen 1.8L turbo engine (AGU) is used in many VW and Audi models from 1996 - 2003 including Golf, Bora, A3 and A4. This engine is known for ignition misfires. ...Read More