Keeping Brakes Quiet

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive is your complete auto repair specialist. Call us for any need. We are here to service your vehicle with the up most care and concern.

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive

2335 E Orangethorpe Ave.

Fullerton Ca. 92831

1-714-871-9810

http://www.etires4less.com/

eberhardtstire@hotmail.com

"My brakes are squealing..."
Common complaint, but not one any shop wants to hear AFTER they just completed a brake job.  Any time a customer has to return after a repair to have an issue addressed, whether related to the repair or not, is a mark against your shop.  Customers don't know how their car operates, and don't understand...all they know is they had to return and they really didn't want to.  Anyway, I digress...back to the topic at hand.
I've found a few ways to minimize brake noise when performing brake service, and we'll focus on disc brake systems today.  First, I like to use a pad that is consistent with the OE formulation.  This is a personal thing, but certainly using a semi-metallic pad in place of a ceramic will add to the possibility of noise.  I've even had a few cars that had to have the OEM pads to stay quiet, and I prefer OEM pads for any high end car I work on.
Second, I like to get a good, clean finish on the rotors.  I use my die grinder with a brown ScotchBrite pad, running at a medium speed and applied to the turning rotor with light to moderate pressure.  This is, of course, after refinishing the rotor, and helps to knock down the surface irregularities left during the machining process.  Even better is the use of a sanding block and some 200-400 grit paper held to each side of the rotor for about a minute.  Then it is cleaned in a bath of hot, soapy water.






I reinstall the rotor, and use an oversized nut over the stud, then the lug nut over the stud, to hold the rotor in place.  Don't touch the surface or get the surface greasy...that's a sure way to cause noise complaints.  I make sure before hand that the rotor to hub mating surfaces are clean and free of rust to avoid adding in any lateral runout.  Then I take care of the calipers.  I like to use new hardware for the pad mounts...loose pads rattle and squeal.  I clean the caliper pistons and boots before compressing the pistons back into the bores, and apply a light coat of high temperature silicone to the piston/pad contact points, and the caliper/pad contact points.






Some pads come with an adhesive backing...don't apply lube to these, or you'll defeat the purpose.  Do be sure the contacts are clean, so the adhesive will stick.

I torque down the caliper mount, and the caliper.  The wheel assembly is also torqued to avoid causing any rotor warpage.  Even a small amount will lead to premature rotor wear and pedal pulsation...and noise.
Noise is usually caused by the pads vibrating in their mounts, or by contaminated linings.  Take a few extra steps during the reline, to avoid having to do it again as a comeback.

Goodyear Research Targets Self-Filling Tires

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive is you complete auto repair specialist. Call us for any need. We are here to service your vehicle with the up most care and concern.

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive

2335 E Orangethorpe Ave.

Fullerton Ca. 92831

1-714-871-9810

http://www.etires4less.com/

eberhardtstire@hotmail.com

A new concept under development at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. could put an end to the need for manually inflating tires.

The tiremaker's Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) will enable tires to remain inflated at the optimum pressure without the need for any external pumps or electronics.

Research in the Air Maintenance Technology is taking place at Goodyear Innovation Centers in Akron (pictured here) and Luxembourg.

According to Goodyear, all components of the AMT system – including the miniaturized pump – will be fully contained within the tire.

“While the technology is complex, the idea behind the AMT system is relatively simple and powered by the tire itself as it rolls down the road,” Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear senior vice president and chief technical officer, told the Akron Beacon Journal. “A tire that can maintain its own inflation is something drivers have wanted for many years. Goodyear has taken on this challenge and the progress we have made is very encouraging. This will become the kind of technological breakthrough that people will wonder how they ever lived without.”

Goodyear did not specify when this technology would be available, but said the timetable would be accelerated due to recent government research grants in the U.S. and Europe.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technology Wednesday announced it has awarded a $1.5 million grant for research, development and demonstration of the AMT system for commercial truck tires. The grant will be administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory and work will be conducted at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Akron, Ohio, the newspaper reported.

In addition, AMT research will be conducted at Goodyear’s Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, after the company received a grant from the Luxembourg government

“While similar in concept, there are significant differences in AMT systems for consumer and commercial tires,” Kihn told the Beacon. “The tangible support from both the U.S. and Luxembourg governments underscores the value of these projects and the many positive benefits they can provide drivers around the world.”

In addition to the AMT project, The Office of Vehicle Technology also will award a $1.5 million grant for a joint project between PPG Industries and Goodyear to improve the rolling resistance and fuel efficiency of tires through the use of new tread and innerliner technologies.

“Advanced technologies that are invisible to the human eye – like those we are working on with PPG – will help to dramatically improve fuel efficiency of tires while maintaining other important qualities such as traction and tread-life,” said Kihn

Huge Differences Even Among Affluent Consumers

(Marketing Daily) – Hard to believe, but back in 1977, if you made $40,000 a year, you were affluent.

Of course, that was 35 years ago, when "Star Wars" episode IV led at the box office, "Laverne and Shirley" was a top TV show, and the gotta-have automotive technology was CB radio. Okay – maybe CB peaked in 1975.

These days, Ipsos Mendelsohn defines affluent consumers as those who make $100,000 and up (and while the survey size for the firm's annual Affluent Survey has grown from 1,463 to over 14,000) some things don't change: now as then, TV is the top medium for reaching the well-to-do, although the media picture, like the width of a flat-screen TV, has gotten a lot broader.

Bob Shullman, president of Ipsos Mendelsohn, says that while billboards, mail, TV, magazines, and radio are still the strongest channels in terms of reach and influence, the influence of digital media is growing rapidly.

"Print remains highly relevant, and readership for the 147 magazines we track has remained stable, while accessing print by digital means is growing," he said.

According to the firm, in 2010, 5% of affluent households owned an e-reader. This year, 14% own one. Last year, 33% owned a smartphone versus 43% this year. This year, affluent consumers spent, on average, 30.3 hours on the Internet versus 25.3 hours last year.

Also rising is affluents' use of social media. According to the study, 57% of affluent households visited Facebook in the past 30 days vs. 50% last year. Ipsos Mendelson noted similar increases for YouTube, Amazon, Netflix and Pandora.

The company has also boosted its estimate of the sheer numbers of affluent Americans, from 44.1 million to 58.5 million by reconfiguring its definition basis from "heads of households" to "affluent adults," which includes anyone in an affluent household over 18 years of age, whether parent or child.

It's not just an exercise in statistics because the stakes are high. While the 24.5 million or so affluent households are only 21% of total U.S. households, they represent 60% of all U.S. household income. They hold 70% of U.S. net worth, are twice as likely to purchase goods and services in the over 150 categories Ipsos Mendelsohn tracks, and they spend 3.2 times more than the average in those categories, per the firm.

Steve Kraus, chief research and insights officer at the firm, who sliced and diced the data into affluent segments, points out that within the affluent market, the very wealthy control most of the capital. While those households making $250,000 or more per year are 11% of affluent households, they constitute 33% of affluent income. Households making $2 million or more are 10% of affluent households but 46% of affluent net worth.

Kraus showed that the differences between affluent Millennials who are 18 to 29 years of age and affluent Gen Xers 30 to 44 are profound. For example, while 80% of affluent Millennials are unmarried and only 20% of them have children under 18, 70% of Gen X affluent households include kids under 18 and only 15% of affluent Gen Xers are unmarried.

"Gen Xers face much different life-stage challenges," says Kraus. "We went through the data and found that they score higher on things like watching movies together. They are more likely to agree that their job is not just a job but a career. They are more interested in wines; they see value in spending more on gourmet food."

Boomers are, of course, the sandwich generation: one-third has a child under 18, a third have an over-18 kid, and many more are taking care of elderly parents.

"This contributes to a 'home as castle' mentality," says Kraus. Per the study, they are more likely to read shelter publications, they are more likely to be interested in remodeling, and 66% say they feel the pinch of the economy. They are more likely to be "do it yourselfers," more likely to say the kitchen is the center of the living space, and more likely to say they are trying to simplify their lives.

Affluent consumers 65 years of age or older are also the wealthiest, with a $1.6 million dollar net worth on average. A quarter of them own a luxury car, and 16% are in a country club, twice the percentage of Boomers. Seventy-three percent of affluent seniors wear a wristwatch, while only 30% of Millennials wear one. "They are also most likely to have a 'buy America' mentality," says Kraus. "And they are most likely to have indulgences, keep up with financial news, and they tend to get the top-of-line luxury vehicle with the most luxury options."

Even More and More Price Increases

It didn't take long for the North American tire industry to set a new price increase mark as Goodyear and Toyo combined to record the 87th through 89th individual hikes for the calendar year.

Goodyear told its dealers but not the media that it was boosting prices on all of its Goodyear, Kelly and Dunlop medium truck tires, retreaded truck tires and tread stock sold in the U.S. by up to 8% as of Sept. 1.

Goodyear Canada, meanwhile, informed only its dealers that as of July 1 it was upping prices on all of the replacement medium truck tires it sells by up to 6%.

Toyo Tire Canada Inc. said that as of Oct. 1 it was boosting prices on its medium truck radials sld in that country by up to 10%.

Could Frog Feet Point to Next Tire Innovation?

The biology of tree frogs could provide innovative solutions to tire design problems, according to a Scottish academic.

"Tree frog feet may provide a design for self-cleaning sticky surfaces, which could be useful for...tire performance and even long lasting adhesives," said Niall Crawford a researcher at the University of Glasgow.

“Interestingly the same factors that allow tree frogs to cling on also provide a self-cleaning service. To make their feet sticky tree frogs secrete mucus, they can then increase their adhesion by moving their feet against the surface to create friction,” Crawford claimed. “We have now shown that the mucus combined with this movement allows the frogs to clean their feet as they walk.”

White's tree frogs also have tiny hexagonal patterns on their feet, he pointed out, which allow some parts of the pad to remain in contact with the surface and create friction, whilst the channels between allow the mucus to spread throughout the pad. This mucus at once allows the frog to stick and then, when they move, also carries away any dirt. If this can be translated into a man-made design it could provide a re-useable, effective adhesive.



Crawford made his remarks at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Glasgow on July 3. (Tyres & Accessories

Don't Chase Ghosts

Yesterday, one of the techs I work with drew a ticket on a 2006 Jeep Liberty with a strange complaint.  The customer told him that, when pulling out of her driveway and making the turn on to the main street, the car would just stop going…no matter how much gas she tried to give it.  It didn't happen all the time, but enough to be annoying.

The tech first thought of a possible transmission problem, and took the Jeep out for a drive.  Finally, he was able to duplicate the complaint by making slow speed S-turns on the side street near our shop.  Sure enough, when the problem occurred it felt like the engine wouldn't accelerate, not even with the pedal floored.  Not a transmission issue as he first theorized, but an engine performance one.

He pulled into the shop and told me the story.  He thought maybe a TPS issue, or a problem with a wire harness being stressed only in turns.  The MIL was not on, however, and there were no codes recorded.  He wasn't sure of how to proceed.  The car only had about 35,000 miles on it, and neither of us knew of any pattern failure that met these symptoms.  Sure, I've seen a few power steering pressure sensors fail, but we both thought that would affect idle quality only…not cause the engine to refuse to accelerate.

I asked if he had checked for TSBs, and wasn't to surprised at the answer.  Depending on the source, nearly 40% of drivability issues, especially on low mileage, fairly new vehicles, are related to programming.  That is one reason to make sure you always check for applicable TSBs on any issue you're diagnosing.  Sure enough, he found a TSB covering this exact issue. 

TSB# 18-049-07 applies to the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander, and Liberty.  The fault is a programming issue for the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) system.  Apparently, during "cloverleaf" style turns at speeds ranging from 25-40 mph, the ESP system thinks the vehicle is loosing control.  It will then limit engine power and apply the brakes to the wheels it thinks are affected…in other words, it won't let you go.  The problem is momentary, and you may or may not see the TCS light on the dash illuminate.  No codes are stored, because the system is functioning as it thinks it is supposed to.  The cure is a reprogramming to update the software.

Without researching the TSBs first, this tech could have been led on a wild goose chase, looking for a problem he would never find.  Checking TSBs should be one of the first things you do when faced with a problem that you haven't faced before.  It's not always a silver bullet, but it sure beats wasting hours chasing ghosts!

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive
2335 E Orangethorpe Ave.
Fullerton Ca. 92831
1-714-871-9810


Hi all, we are quite new to this so bare with us and give us your thoughts. We have been part of the Fullerton community sense the 60's. Family owned and opperated and are here to stay. We have all of the latest state of the art equipment knowlege, resources and education for the most mundane to most elaborate repairs that your vehicle may need. If you would like please click here to view our website. Or if you would care to contact us by email please click here.

Ignition Coil Tips

Ignition Coils Do’s and Don’ts

The basic function of an ignition coil is to provide adequate energy to ignite the compressed air/ fuel mixture during the compression stroke of a gasoline engine. An accurate and robust flame initiation will lead to successful combustion under all engine conditions. An electronics circuit (driver) is used to control the timing of the firing event (switch the coil on & off). Driver circuit could be integrated with the coil as one package, it could be a standalone unit as in the case of an ignition module, or could be located inside the engine controller (PCM/ECM/ECU).

When selecting an ignition coil for repair it’s important to make sure you go with a product you can trust to help deliver no comebacks. It’s important to you, it’s important to your customer… and it’s important to us. So, why Delphi ignition coils? Simple. OE quality equals reduced comebacks and satisfied customers. Delphi uses its OE engineering and heritage to deliver OE technology ignition coils for the aftermarket. The Delphi name on the box is your assurance that the product inside will deliver the performance you expect.

Below is a list of best practices when performing ignition coil repair and replacements.

Recommendation	Reason
Coils should not have any visible damage and the boot should be fully seated. While assembling coils to the engine, if noticing any visible damage like a cracked coil housing, broken anti-rotational tabs or broken connector, disregard that coil.	Any damage part could lead to a premature failure and a poorly seated boot could lead to engine misfire.
Never remove or disassemble the boot from the coil.	Disassembling the boot from coil could lead to losing the spring and / or suppressor, leading to engine misfires and RFI noise.
Do not scratch the HV towers or the coil housing.	Scratching the coil body could lead to a cracked case and / cracked HV tower which would lead to arc thru and coil failure.
Never strike any part of the ignition system with a tool or other object.	This can lead to physical damage (micro-cracking that can’t be seen), which can cause a system malfunction or failure.
Never use hammers or other striking devices to install plug wire to the coil HV tower. Installation of the plug wire to the coil HV tower should be done by hand.	The striking process could induce micro-cracking (invisible to the human eye) at the coil HV tower and could deform / damage the plug wire terminal that may lead to premature failure.
Don’t apply any non-approved material to the surface of the high voltage tower which mates with the high voltage secondary leads.	This can jeopardize the seal integrity of the mating surfaces, which in turn can create a secondary high voltage leak path and carbon tracking.
Do not permit paint or other sprayed materials to be sprayed onto the electrical connectors.	Insulating-type spray can create a high resistance or open connection. Conductive-type spray can create an electrical short condition.
Always apply the specified torque to the specified mounting thru-bolt.	Loose thru-bolts could lead to failure under vibration. Over-tightened thru-bolts could lead to cracked coil mounting ear and / or premature thru-bolt failure.
Do not support the ignition system by the wiring harness or plug wire.	These leads are not designed to support the weight of the ignition system. It can create a poor electrical connection or become disconnected allowing the system to fall and subjected to potential physical damage.
Never force feed the engine wire harness mating connector into the coil connector. Always ensure the mating connectors are entirely seated and locking mechanism is engaged. A snap should be heard / felt upon a good connection.	This maintains a proper connection and prevents intermittent electrical connections leading to an improper ignition system operation.

Premium Sales Up? And Why Would Consumers Even Buy Them?

Years after the credit crunch bit and the recession took hold in the North America and Europe, financial analysts are now asking if the de-segmentation phenomena that saw cheaper tire

sales increase could be coming to an end.

So, does this mean premium tyre sales are on the up?

Thus far this year there have been signs that the wider European market has witnessed some degree of increase in sales volumes. According to Michelin data, demand increased by approximately 2% in July. Overall demand was said to have been stronger in OE than in the replacement sector. European demand reportedly grew 5% across the continent, while growth fell back in the NAFTA region (-2%). Growth was markedly stronger in the truck segment (+5%), than the flat progress with passenger car tyres (0%). These figures have to be put into context with the fact that July (like August) is traditionally a relatively low volume month and September, October and November are seen as key months for influencing the overall second half result.
Interestingly, earlier in September Bridgestone announced is facing a capacity shortage of 500,000 passenger car tires and could not fulfill additional demand in Japan since its plants are all running at full capacity. Two months before Renault announced that it was short 500,000 tires too.
Reflecting on these developments, financial analysts at Deutsche Bank described the two points as “interesting examples, which give us comfort on the pricing discipline in the industry.”  


Whether linked or not, what is happening in the wide context could also lead to a small decline in market volumes, which as we have seen, are around currently growing at 2%-3%, according to Morgan Stanley. Writing in an investor’s note dated Sept. 13, the bank points out that “these come more from concerns on GDP growth than actual data points from tire markets,” but there is growing evidence that the outlook is by no means clear.

While, as the Michelin tire market demand data show’s, Europe as a continent is growing, the situation within the different constituent markets is less clear. Leading figures in the U.K. tire business (including representatives from influential manufacturers and wholesalers) for example report that they expect a drop in tire sales of around 10%-15% by the end of 2011.
While 15% might be at the alarmist end of the spectrum, even more conservative estimates see firms bracing themselves for around a double digit drop.

Across the pond however, Morgan Stanley reports that the North American market looks most at risk. “While consumer tires will be at risk of declines, truck tires should perform better…but trucks are indeed more cyclical hence more at risk.”

In the emerging markets growth is expected from the Latin American region and China, thanks to continued increases in the size of the car parc and miles driven.
The premium element ‘set to outperform’

Interesting as these figures and perspectives are, so far they all refer to “tire demand” and the market as a whole. And this is an area that is scrutinized in depth and at length every month. What is arguably more interesting is Morgan Stanley’s suggestion that the premium tire segment is “set to outperform.” According to the analysts, the significant out-performance posted by premium tire sales in the last few years (see chart) is “a direct consequence of the increase in premium car population.”


Citing Pirelli’s view, the analysts go on to explain that the leading Italian tire manufacturer is convinced premium tires will continue to outperform in 2012. The analysts agree and believe “Pirelli is the best positioned to exploit this structural global trend.”


Looking ahead to 2012 the analysts expect Pirelli to aim for “Conti-like margins in the consumer business” of around 15% and maintain 9%-10% profitability in “industrial tires,” which probably refers to commercial vehicle products. And much of this off the back of what they call the “premiumization” of the car parc that is expected to naturally lead to increased to tire demand.
While this is true in terms of tire size and performance characteristics necessary, this analysis doesn’t offer an argument as to why – in the context of rising macro-inflation and rising prices in the tire field – consumers will continue or increasingly buy premium branded tires.

Vehicle Safety Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive

2335 E Orangethorpe Ave.

Fullerton Ca. 92831

1-714-871-9810

www.etires4less.com

eberhardtstire@hotmail.com

A bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate by John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) and Mark Pryor, (D-AR) touches on several issues relevant to the collision and automotive repair industry, according to the Automotive Service Association.

The bill, titled Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2011, includes provisions for broadening the authority of the secretary of transportation to:

• Conduct motor vehicle safety research, development, and testing programs and activities, including new and emerging technologies that impact or may impact motor vehicle safety

• Collect and analyze all types of motor vehicle and highway safety data and related information to determine the relationship between motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment performance characteristics.

In addition, the legislation requires that the U.S. Department of Transportation conduct a study of crash data collection and report, after one year, on the quality of data collected through the National Automotive Sampling System, including the Special Crash Investigations Program. NHTSA would then conduct a comprehensive review of the data elements collected from each crash to determine if additional data should be collected.

The bill also includes efforts to further explore green methods, including a council to research the inclusion of emerging lightweight plastic and composite technologies in motor vehicles to increase fuel efficiency, lower emissions, meet fuel economy standards and enhance passenger motor vehicle safety, ASA said.

Lastly, the bill requires that, beginning with model year 2015, new passenger motor vehicles sold in the U.S. be equipped with a vehicle event data recorder. The language includes that any data in an event data recorder, regardless of when the passenger motor vehicle in which it is installed was manufactured, is the property of the owner or lessee of the passenger motor vehicle in which the data recorder is installed. The bill also states that data recorded or transmitted by such a data recorder may not be retrieved by a person other than the owner/lessee of the vehicle unless authorized by the owner/lessee or a court as part of a legal proceeding, or if the information is retrieved for the purpose of determining the need for, or facilitating, emergency medical response in the event of a motor vehicle crash.

Japanese Dealer Starts Over After Losing Everything to Tsunami

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive

2335 E Orangethorpe Ave.

Fullerton Ca. 92831

1-714-871-9810

www.etires4less.com

eberhardtstire@hotmail.com

[Mainichi Daily News] Ofunato, Japan – A tire retailer here restarted his business and his life from scratch late last month after he lost his shop, home and mother to massive tsunami triggered by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Tsuyoshi Niinuma at his temporary workshop in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture. (Photo courtesy of Mainichi Daily News)

Tsuyoshi Niinuma, 64, opened a temporary office and workshop at the same site his shop, Chitose Shokai, had stood until it was swept away by the waves.

"I have no choice but to go ahead, doing everything I can do now," Niinuma told the Mainichi on Aug. 11 as he opened his office in the morning. The nightmare is still fresh in his memory. "A tsunami is coming!" yelled his 41-year-old son, who ran the store with him.

Niinuma rushed out of the store to rescue his 95-year-old mother who was in their home next door, carrying her on his back. He had only taken five or six steps before the tsunami engulfed them. After that, everything was a blur, but when he finally regained his bearings he found they were trapped between their home and shed. After he managed to get his mother out, some neighbors called an ambulance for her.

However, the ambulance never arrived. He could only watch helplessly as his mother lay on the road, her body growing slowly colder.

Niinuma later got irritated whenever he remembered his pre-disaster life. He began drinking, something he'd given up 30 years before. "Things would be far easier if I died," he said to himself.

Shortly after the tsunami, he went to his store – reduced to a skeleton – because he was able to relax there. He pulled his sea water-soaked machines and tools out of the ruins and cleaned them repeatedly.

"I'm alive. People must try hard as long as they're alive," Niinuma says. He gradually became optimistic and enthusiastic about resuming his business.
A prefabricated structure he was building with the help of a carpenter friend was completed on the site of his shop in late July. He uses it as his office, workshop and storage.

The number of contracts he receives now remains relatively small, but he feels enthusiastic when he's handling tires. "I want to work and earn money as long as I can," Niinuma says.

He has no Buddhist altar at the home where he is taking shelter, but he offers flowers to a portrait of his mother. "I have no choice but to ask her to endure this until I rebuild my house," he said before going to work on the morning of Aug. 11.

He is now working hard to put his business back on track and rebuild his house. The backyard of his shop commands a panoramic view of the tsunami-ravaged city, still covered in rubble. When he looks over the devastation, he occasionally feels it would be easier just to stop living.

However, he says, "You can have more pleasure if you have experienced hardships." He is encouraged by smiling disaster survivors who occasionally visit his shop.

Who we are

Eberhardt’s Tire & Automotive

2335 E Orangethorpe Ave.

Fullerton Ca. 92831

1-714-871-9810

Hi all, we are quite new to this so bare with us and give us your thoughts. We have been part of the Fullerton community sense the 60's. Family owned and opperated and are here to stay. We have all of the latest state of the art equipment knowlege, resources and education for the most mundane to most elaborate repairs that your vehicle may need. If you would like please click here to view our website. Or if you would care to contact us by email please click here.