Automotive and diesel
Fuel Systems, Ignition and Engine Performance
A rough idle, a stumble under load or a drop in mileage usually traces back to fuel, spark or air. We diagnose it before replacing anything, including smoke testing for vacuum leaks.
What it usually turns out to be
You do not need a diagnosis to call. Describe what it is doing and we will tell you whether it is a shop job.
It idles rough, or stumbles when you pull away
Fuel, spark or air, and the trick is deciding which before buying anything. We read what the engine's own sensors have recorded, then test the thing they point at. A misfire code names a cylinder, not a reason, and the reason is what you are paying us to find.
The mileage has dropped and nothing else seems wrong
Worth taking seriously, because the engine is compensating for something and telling you so with fuel. Sensors that have drifted rather than failed do this, and so does a vacuum leak too small to feel.
The check engine light is on and the vehicle drives normally
Still worth reading. A steady light is a stored fault, and some of them quietly cost you fuel or will fail a test later. A flashing light is different and means stop driving, because that is a misfire that can damage the catalytic converter.
It hesitates under load, going up a grade or towing
Load-dependent faults are the ones that hide from a workshop idle test. Fuel delivery under demand, ignition breaking down under cylinder pressure, or a restriction that only matters when the engine wants everything. Around here there is no shortage of grade to test it on.
It is hard to start when hot, or when cold, but not both
Which one narrows it a long way. Hot-start and cold-start problems point at different parts of the fuel and ignition picture, so tell us which one you have rather than just that it is hard to start.
What we do
- Engine performance diagnosis
- Fuel injection service and component analysis
- Fuel pump replacement
- Fuel tank replacement and sending unit service
- Diesel injection service
- Throttle body cleaning and repair
- Standard and electronic ignition systems
- Carburetor rebuilding and setup
- Vacuum leak diagnosis with smoke testing
What we do not do here
- We are not an emissions testing station. Nevada emissions testing is a licensed program and we are not claiming it here. We can diagnose and repair why a vehicle is running badly, which is a different thing, and it is worth being clear about because the two get confused.
- We do not do performance tuning or dyno work, and we do not publish power figures. Fixing an engine so it runs the way it was built to is what this page is about.
- We do not name scan tool brands or claim coverage for every make. What we will tell you is whether we can read your particular vehicle, before you book it in.
- We diagnose before we replace. Parts fitted on the strength of a code alone is the most common way people spend money twice on this category.
Before you call, have this handy
None of it is required. It just gets you a real answer on the first call instead of the second.
Whether the light is steady or flashing
Steady is a stored fault. Flashing means stop driving, because it is an active misfire and it can take the catalytic converter with it.
When the symptom appears
Cold, hot, idling, under load, uphill, towing, at a steady cruise. Fuel and ignition faults are highly conditional and this is most of the diagnosis.
Anything already replaced for this
Plugs, coils, a sensor, a pump, and whether it changed anything. If parts have already been thrown at it we would rather build on that than repeat it.
The fuel you normally run
Grade, and whether anything changed around the time the symptom started. Also worth mentioning if the vehicle sat for a long stretch, because old fuel causes a lot of this.
Questions
Questions we get asked
Can you do my smog check?
No. Nevada emissions testing is a licensed program and we are not claiming to be a testing station. What we can do is find and fix why a vehicle is running badly, which is often what somebody actually needs when they ask.
The light is on. Is it safe to drive?
If it is steady, usually yes, but get it read. If it is flashing, stop. A flashing light is an active misfire and it can destroy the catalytic converter, which turns a small repair into a large one.
The parts store read the code for me. Is that enough?
It is a starting point and it is genuinely useful, so bring the code. It is not a diagnosis: a code names the circuit or the cylinder that is unhappy, not the reason it is unhappy. That gap is where most wasted money on this category goes.
Do you do carburetors?
Yes, rebuilding and setup, which is increasingly hard to find. Older vehicles are a real part of what comes through here.
Do you work on diesel injection?
Yes. There is a separate page for diesel trucks and one for diesel coaches, since the questions differ, but the injection work is the same bench.
Talk to someone who works on these
Call the shop and we will tell you the soonest realistic date rather than book you and hold your rig. Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00, Saturday 8:00 - 12:00.