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Articles by John Anello
Out-of-the-box thinking
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," or so goes the old saying, and this often applies to disassembly and reassembly procedures. I was called to a shop for a complaint on a 2024 Alpha Romeo Tonale (Figure 1) with a parking sensor system malfunction. Parking sensors now play a major role in ADAS. Some have advanced by being replaced by short-range modules, while others work directly with short-range modules to aid in cross-traffic technology.
Right place, wrong direction
This article has been updated from its original Jan. 25, 2022 publication. What you will learn: • Always Identify the terminal designation • ECUs test circuits for integrity • Comparing a suspect circuit's operation to a known-good is an efficient strategy I was called to a body shop with a complaint on a 2019 Honda Civic with an airbag light on. The vehicle was in a recent front-end collision while it was parked on the street.
Hidden ADAS information: 'A guy named RoB'
One of the body shops I service was working on a 2023 Lexus RX350 (Figure 1) with a complaint of instrument cluster lights on. The vehicle was involved in a major rear end collision with repairs done to the bumper and the right rear quarter panel. The shop finished all the repairs and performed a post scan on the entire vehicle to make sure there were no underlying issues that needed further attention. To their surprise, there were no codes in the system, but there were icons lit up on the dash.
Key Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guidelines in 2017
Authors and Disclosures Author(s) John Anello Executive Editor, Medscape Drugs & Diseases Brian Feinberg Section Editor, Medscape Drugs & Diseases John Heinegg Section Editor, Medscape Drugs & Diseases Yonah Korngold Section Editor, Medscape Drugs & Diseases Richard Lindsey Section Editor, Medscape Drugs & Diseases Cristina Wojdylo Section Editor, Medscape Drugs & Diseases Olivia Wong, DO Section Editor, Medscape Drugs & Diseases
Calibrating a 2019 Honda HRV blind spot camera
Developing a reputation as a solid and reliable source of technical solutions definitely means knowing what you are doing. Familiarity with procedure and using the tools you have (properly) is definitely a must! But spotting deficiencies in tooling or procedure as well as being willing to adapt and evolve is what it takes to keep your business moving forward in a positive direction.
A homemade calibration target leads to a domino effect of issues
I was recently called to a body shop for assistance to calibrate a new blind spot camera on a 2018 Honda Clarity that was involved in a passenger side hit. The vehicle had work performed on the passenger side and the side view mirror assembly was replaced. The shop did not realize that the mirror had a camera incorporated into it for aiding in passenger side viewing.
Solving the puzzle of a 2016 Audi S7 salvage vehicle
Growing up as a teenager in the ’70s, I learned that my parents were not in a position to buy me a new car and I quickly conditioned myself to work hard for something I wanted and went on a mission to cut many lawns, deliver newspapers, provide grocery valet service in the ShopRite parking lot and even selling seeds door to door. This is what we did as teenagers to have the revenue to purchase what we wanted.
Fixing a Chrysler suffering with automotive amnesia
I was called to a body shop on a 2015 Chrysler 200 with a 2.4 L engine with an automatic transmission (Figure 1). The vehicle was involved in a minor collision and was moved around the shop to different bays during the repair process. The vehicle encountered an issue where it would no longer go into drive or reverse and it was stuck in the neutral position. There was no shifter handle in the vehicle, but rather a knob on the center console that was turned to select a gear.
Tackling a 360-camera system issue on a 2018 Mercedes
Growing up I always knew about the phrase “doing a 360,” and what it meant to me was that someone was doing a total change in their life or simply doing a full circle on a skateboard. Times are changing so fast in the automotive arena and now we’re applying this terminology to working on advanced camera technology in cars today that incorporate front, rear and side cameras.
When an oil change mistake leads to complications for all involved
There was a local repair shop that had an oil change go wrong on a 2011 Kia Optima with a 2.4 L engine (Figure 1). The shop mechanic had an easy task of simply replacing the oil filter and removing and reinstalling a drain plug to drain and refill the engine with oil. The oil filter was installed properly and the correct oil type and quantity was put in the engine but the drain plug was never secured with a wrench and only hand tightened.
The case of the blind-sided Jeep
I was called to a shop for a complaint of a Blind Spot Monitoring Issue on a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Figure 1). The Jeep was recently repaired after a rear end collision and was delivered to the customer who drove the vehicle for about a week.
Post-repair scan on a 2019 VW Golf leads to a complicated diagnosis
I was called to a shop to do a post-repair scan on a 2019 VW Golf (Figure 1) that was all finished and ready for delivery. This shop is a high-volume shop, and they move many cars in and out of the door and they make it their own policy to scan all cars when they are done just to get peace of mind knowing that vehicles are safe and free of any issues prior to releasing the car to the customer.
Diesel charging system diagnostics
I had a shop call me for advice on a 2002 Dodge Ram Truck with a 5.9L diesel engine that had a charging system issue (Figure 1). I probably field at least 50-70 calls a day and there are many times that I will provide my shops with free tech advice over the phone. This issue seemed simple to me because Chrysler, for many years, has used a strategy to control their alternators externally.
Calibrating the headlight control system on a 2016 Audi A3
I was called to a shop to calibrate the headlight control system on a 2016 Audi A3 with about 18,000 miles on it that was recently involved in a front-end crash (Figure 1). This is not an uncommon practice on most vehicles today with advanced headlight control systems. The internal motors in the headlights will move the headlight beams vertically or horizontally while the car is in motion depending on the position of the steering angle or inclination sensors.
Tackling corrective repairs
I was recently hired by a body shop at the request of an insurance company to evaluate a problem with a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Figure 1). This vehicle was previously repaired by a different body shop and had a post-repair issue that was not being resolved. Apparently, the prior body shop had done extensive repairs to the front of the vehicle and after the repairs were all done, there was a problem with the front radar control system.
Motor Age Garage: Automotive IV
I was recently called to a shop on a 2012 BMW X5 with a 3.0 Liter Engine (Figure 1) that needed a new Engine Control Module (ECM) programmed. The shop had determined that the ECM was internally damaged and needed to be replaced. They purchased a new ECM from the dealer because a used one would not work on this vehicle due to the fact that BMW will not allow it.
Bringing two vehicles back to consciousness after an accident
I was recently called to two different shops working on vehicles that would not start after being involved in accidents. It is not uncommon for this to happen, especially if there has been damage to wiring harnesses or possible blown fuses that would render certain operating systems that are vital to cranking or starting a vehicle inoperable.
Did a rear impact or a rodent cause this engine problem?
Did a rear impact or a rodent cause this engine problem? I was called to a body shop with a hard start and CEL lamp illumination on a 2013 Toyota Sienna with a 3.5 Liter engine (Figure 1) that was recently involved in a rear-end collision. The vehicle had been in the shop for quite a while due to extensive repairs. The car was finally finished but it was hard for the shop to know for sure if this issue was caused by the impact or whether it was a preexisting problem.
A visual inspection reveals that 'one of these things is not like the other'
I was called to a shop with a complaint of an ABS light on. The vehicle was a 2017 Subaru Impreza with a 2.0L engine (Figure 1). It was involved in an extensive front-end collision and experienced severe damage to the right front suspension. The shop had replaced a lot of suspension parts including a right front wheel speed sensor. They cleared all onboard control modules of error codes in memory after all the repairs were completed, but the ABS codes still remained in memory.
Experiencing the radar learning curve with collision avoidance systems
I was called to a shop for a 2017 Honda CRV (Figure 1) that was recently involved in a front end collision. The shop was concerned about the Collision Avoidance & Lane Keeping Assist System icons being illuminated on the instrument cluster (Figure 2). The shop owner was well educated in the constant advancement in technology of today's vehicles. He believed that it had something to do with the new radar control assembly that he had replaced behind the front grill.
Tackle an A/C curveball with a solid diagnostic process
I was called to a shop early in the summer for a complaint of no air conditioning operation on a 2010 Nissan Sentra with a 2.0 Liter engine (Figure 1). The shop had done all the preliminary checks such as A/C pressure tests and scanning the A/C system for trouble codes. There were no blown fuses in the vehicle that would prohibit the operation of the compressor clutch coil and everything electrically visible seemed okay including the wiring at the A/C compressor.
Pay attention to details when swapping an engine or transmission
I was called to a shop for a simple task of reprogramming a new ECM on a 2012 Ford Focus with a 2.0L engine (Figure 1). There are a lot of shops in the industry that do not want the responsibility of programming a new ECM due to the liability and costs involved in doing the job.
Properly program replacement components for optimum performance
I was called on a 2014 Audi RS7 that was recently involved in a front-end crash. The vehicle sustained quite a bit of damage to the front suspension, hood and bumper fascia. The onboard airbag control module measured the impact of the hit and deployed the necessary components to keep the passengers on board the vehicle safe. This is usually done by internal and external sensors that can measure area, rate, direction and force of impact.
Fixing a Passenger Airbag Active Vent error code on a 2017 Hyundai Sonata
I was called to a shop to program a newly installed air bag module on a 2017 Hyundai Sonata with less than 700 miles on the odometer (Figure1). This vehicle was involved in a front-end accident with deployment of the front driver air bag and the driver seatbelt. The air bag module had to be replaced because on this particular vehicle once crash data is stored in the control unit, it cannot be cleared.
Properly tackle camera system repairs on today's vehicles
I was called to a shop for a complaint of a camera issue on a 2016 Honda Accord (Figure 1). The vehicle was recently involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustained damage to the front of the vehicle. The air bags and seat belts were deployed due to the impact. The shop had done all the final repairs to the vehicle but noticed that the rear camera grid was not in the proper location when the vehicle tires and steering wheel were straight (Figure 2).
Diagnosing automotive intoxication in a Chevy Avalanche
A 2008 Chevy Avalanche (Figure 1), with a 5.3 liter automatic engine, was setting codes P0172 and P0175 (System rich, banks 1 and 2). This vehicle, which had 94,000 on the odometer, had this problem for well over a year according to the vehicle owner and there were times the spark plugs would foul to a point where the engine would experience an engine misfire. The fix at that point was to pull the spark plugs, replace them, clear the codes and head down the road for another few months.
The case of the automotive Chia Pet
I was called to a shop on a 2003 Hummer H2 with a 6.0 L engine with about 120,000 miles on it (Figure1). The complaint was a no start condition. The owner of the vehicle said that he had parked the truck to go into a store and when he came out about an hour later the truck would start up and then immediately cut out. The shop could not communicate with the Engine Control Module but they were able to run the truck with carburetor cleaner. The truck had spark & fuel pressure but was losing fuel pulse.
Collision avoidance technologies pose new service challenges
I was called to a shop on a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 5.7L with only 15,000 miles on it. The shop’s concern was with a warning message on the dash that read "Front Radar Sensor Plant Mode." The vehicle was recently involved in a front-end collision and had minor damage to the front bumper fascia. In addition to repairing the cosmetic damage, the shop had also replaced an electronic component located in the lower bumper fascia.
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