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Month: April 2021

Volkswagen Wiring Harness

Ways to Repair a Failed Wiring Harness in Your VW in Canoga Park

In your Volkswagen, a wiring harness is basically an assembly of cables in which wires that transmit the electrical energy of the car are housed. These wires are necessary because they will transmit all of the electrical power to all of the different components in the car.

The wiring harness in your Volkswagen is designed to last a long time. No one wants their car to stop receiving electricity since it is necessary for almost every system of your vehicle. However, the wiring harness in a VW is known to malfunction from time to time, so it’s prudent for VW owners to know the signs of this type of failure.

What the Wiring Harness Does

Volkswagen owners must first recognize the purpose of the wiring harness. This housing is important for protecting the wires of the car, preventing exposure to the outside elements and to unnecessary friction.

When these wires become exposed, they are a big accident waiting to happen. Exposed wires can interfere with how well they transmit information to sensors that alert the onboard computer to all sorts of important data and commands. If wiring interference or degradation occurs for long enough, the wiring may cause certain systems in your Volkswagen to fail and it could leave you stranded.

When the wiring harness is in place, all the wires stay protected by its housing. The wiring harness will need replacing over time, but it can usually do its job for a long time. While protecting the wires, the wiring harness can also significantly reduce the chances of accidental fires in the vehicle.

Causes of Wiring Harness Failure

The wiring harness will be affected by normal wear and tear after being in use for a long time. This wear will often show up in the form of the harness being stiff. While the wiring harness may still perform its job and be in good shape, it may get softer and bend easier. This makes breakage less likely. When the harness stiffens, it is easy to break.

External factors often cause the wiring harness to stiffen. Extreme weather conditions may cause the rubber material to contract and expand, affecting the flexibility of the product. One hot day is not enough to cause damage, but over the years, this constant shift in temperatures can ruin the wiring harness and eventually make it crumble and expose the sensitive wiring.

Signs of Wiring Harness Failure

VW owners can look for some of the common signs of wiring harness failure. The first sign that you may notice is that the car will not start when you turn the key in the ignition. When the wiring harness is not able to send an electrical current to the fuel, the necessary spark and ignition sequence will fail, and your VW won’t start.

Another indicator that the wiring harness does not work is flickering or dimming lights within the cabin of your car or of the headlights, fog lights, blinders, and taillights. Often the rear and front lights rely on the power of the car battery. When there is a problem with the wiring, the lighting will be inconsistent and may make driving at night difficult.

Failure to fix the wiring harness may result in the front and rear lights not turning on at all and making it impossible to drive in bad weather or at night.

Volkswagen Failed Wiring Harness Repair Ways

Euro Plus Automotive Will Repair Your Wiring Harness Fails

A damaged wiring harness makes it dangerous to drive. Your lights may not work properly and there is the potential of a fire in your car. The best way to fix a failing wiring harness is to take the Volkswagen into a trusted auto repair shop for maintenance. This needs to be done as soon as your see electrical problems. You should suspect the wiring harness is failing and come visit one of our trusted mechanics.

Our professional mechanics Volkswagen Wiring Check at Euro Plus Automotive are here to provide you with high-quality maintenance and repair on any vehicle you own. We are proud to serve the residents of Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles County, CA. Contact us today to set up your appointment. We look forward to earning your repeat business.

Toyota Engine Overheating

Top Reasons Behind Engine Overheating Issues in Your Toyota

Toyota is hailed as one of the most reliable vehicle manufacturers in the world. This doesn’t exempt them from developing different mechanical problems. A common issue in Toyota models is overheating engines.

With the engine being the powerhouse of a car, overheating can have serious consequences on the other car parts, which will in turn affect your overall driving experience. So why then, you would ask, does the engine in your Toyota overheat?

How Your Engine Can Overheat

An overheating engine can be scary, especially if it gets so hot that there’s smoke coming out from under the hood while you are driving. If you are driving and this happens, your best course of action is to turn on your hazards and immediately pull over and turn the car off. Failure to do so could cause further damage to the car parts and pose a safety hazard to you.

The moving parts in your engine give off tremendous energy. Part of this energy is what burns in the engine, propelling your car forward. The remaining energy, on the other hand, is converted into heat. While some of this heat is expelled from your car through the exhaust, a portion of the heat remains in the engine compartment, raising the temperature in your engine.

Your Toyota is, however, fitted with a cooling system that is responsible for cooling the engine in your car as it runs. This system is made up of pipes containing coolant. This refrigerant is often in liquid form, and it works by absorbing the heat off the moving parts of the engine.

Reasons for Overheating in your Toyota Engine

There are a number of factors that can be attributed to your overheating engine in a Toyota. Top on this list is a malfunction in the coolant system. When the coolant liquid runs out or low, it will not be able to take as much heat from the engine as it should at optimum. This will result in more heat being retained in the engine compartment as opposed to being expelled.

In relation to low coolant levels, your engine could also be overheating due to leaking in the coolant system. Over time, the pipes that carry the coolant liquid through the engine can become worn out and develop leaks. If you have noticed a sweet smelling liquid that comes in either a green, blue, or orange color under your car after parking somewhere for a while, then your car might be leaking coolant. This will result in the low coolant levels that we’ve discussed above.

Because the coolant system takes heat from the engine and takes it to the radiator where the liquid refrigerant is cooled by the radiator fans, an overheating engine can be as a result of a faulty radiator. When the fans in the radiator break down then the radiator’s ability to remove the heat from the coolant is lowered, causing the temperature in the engine bay to rise.

Another potential reason for an overheating engine is a broken down water pump. The water pump helps in cooling the engine by pumping the coolant liquid which is usually one part coolant and one part water through the engine. The water pump often breaks down due to the presence of dirt and dust particles that find their way into it while driving. These impurities can build up in the coolant pipes preventing the movement of coolant fluid through the engine, thus failing to take away the heat.

A faulty thermostat is another reason why your engine could be overheating. The thermostat is also responsible for regulating the temperature in the engine. This it does by allowing coolant to flow through the pipes in the engine taking away the heat.

Toyota Engine Overheating Issue Reasons

What to do when your Toyota Engine Overheats

When your Toyota’s engine overheats, your best bet is putting on your hazards and pulling over safely to let the car cool off. This is best because when the temperatures get too high, sometimes it can ignite in the engine, causing a fire. Leaving your engine overheating for long periods can also damage your engine beyond repair, causing you to pay for an expensive rebuild.

At Euro Plus Automotive, Toyota Coolant Filling we have experience in servicing Toyotas in Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles County, CA. Visit us today and we’ll help you take care of your engine. Call us for an appointment or stop in. We look forward to meeting you.

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