DO THE HOKEY POKEY

Jeff Sweet

President

Bill Sauer

Founder

Perhaps you are like us, and have been to a wedding where the band played ‘The Hokey Pokey,’ to get everyone to dance.

The lyrics say: “You put your right foot in, You put your right foot out, And you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.” This song became popular in the United States in the 1950s, but it is said its origin goes back to the 1940s during the Blitz in London.

From our perspective, it seems like a lot of automotive repair these days requires you to follow what, on the surface, appears to be nonsensical directions. But woe to the technician who doesn’t follow them exactly or even worse, gets an incorrect set of instructions to follow.

A 2005 Chevrolet Astro 4.3L shows up in your shop. It bucks, jerks, and misfires under load. The technician has tried new secondary ignition components with no change. You check CARQUEST Direct-Hit and find a Hotline Archive for this problem. The first 3 steps have you check the crankshaft position sensor. You follow those procedures and sure enough, you find that fix is correct, and that it is the top Confirmed Fix since 14 other technicians have reported that is what fixed it. The part has an MSRP of $103.90 and labor time of 1.2 hours.

CARQUEST Direct-Hit provides easy access to the OEM recommended removal (6 steps) and installation (8 steps) Looking at the illustrations and the recommended steps, you figure 1.2 hours is about right. But then you see that the last step in the installation is ‘Perform the CKP System variation learn procedure.’ In the OEM document you are looking at, there is a link that takes you to the procedure. But once you click on it, you wish you hadn’t.

Here is what you see:
Crankshaft Position System Variation Learn
Engine Controls - 4.3L
Document ID# 1418323

1. Install a scan tool.
2. Monitor the powertrain control module (PCM) for DTCs with a scan tool. If other DTCs are set, except DTC P0315, refer to Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) List - Vehicle for the applicable DTC.
3. Select the crankshaft position variation learn procedure with a scan tool.
4. The scan tool instructs you to perform the following:
   1. Accelerate to wide open throttle (WOT).
   2. Release throttle when fuel cut-off occurs.
   3. Observe fuel cut-off for applicable engine.
   4. Engine should not accelerate beyond calibrated RPM value.
   5. Release throttle immediately if value is exceeded.
   6. Block drive wheels.
   7. Set parking brake.
   8. DO NOT apply brake pedal.
   9. Cycle ignition from OFF to ON.
   10. Apply and hold brake pedal.
   11. Start and idle engine.
   12. Turn the A/C OFF.
   13. Vehicle must remain in Park or Neutral.
   14. The scan tool monitors certain component signals to determine if all the conditions are met to continue with the procedure. The scan tool only displays the condition that inhibits the procedure. The scan tool monitors the following components:
       • Crankshaft position (CKP) sensors activity—If there is a CKP sensor condition, refer to the applicable DTC.
       • Camshaft position (CMP) signal activity—If there is a CMP signal condition, refer to the applicable DTC.
       • Engine coolant temperature (ECT)—If the engine coolant temperature is not warm enough, idle the engine until the engine coolant temperature reaches the correct temperature.
5. Enable the CKP system variation learn procedure with the scan tool. Important: While the learn procedure is in progress, release the throttle immediately when the engine starts to decelerate. The engine control is returned to the operator and the engine responds to throttle position after the learn procedure is complete.
6. Accelerate to WOT.
7. Release throttle when fuel cut-off occurs.
8. The scan tool display reads 'Test In Progress'
9. The scan tool displays 'Learn Status: Learned this ignition.' If the scan tool indicates that DTC P0315 ran and passed, the CKP variation learn procedure is complete. If the scan tool indicates DTC P0315 failed or did not run, refer to 'DTC P0315.' If any other DTCs set, refer to 'Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) List - Vehicle' for the applicable DTC.
10. Turn OFF the ignition for 30 seconds after the learn procedure is completed successfully.
11. The CKP system variation learn procedure is also required when the following service procedures have been performed, regardless of whether or not DTC P0315 is set:
    • Engine replacement
    • PCM replacement
    • Harmonic balancer replacement
    • Crankshaft replacement
    • CKP sensor replacement
    • Any engine repairs which disturb the crankshaft to CKP sensor relationship

Yes, that’s right—14 steps were required to remove and replace the CKP but it took 23 steps to complete the relearn procedure. Is that crazy or what?

When the car owner comes to pick this vehicle up and sees the bill for R&R CKP at 1.2 hours of labor, do you think he will have any idea what it took to actually repair this car? Maybe you need to create a new line item on your repair orders: R&R&R (Remove, Replace and Relearn). In fact, you may want to think about attaching the relearn procedure to the repair order just to give the car owner an idea of what was involved, and to help convince him that the days of D-I-Y for engine repair have passed into the sunset.

At least this procedure could be performed in the bay and did not require you to drive the vehicle at certain speeds for defined times like a lot of procedures. It was great that you had the correct procedure. But what happens if you have an incorrect procedure?

Recently we received a call on the Repair Hotline on a 2011 Ford Fiesta 1.6L that came in for an oil change. Today that job is not complete until the oil change reminder light on the dash is turned off. The shop went to their aftermarket information system — it listed the 5 steps necessary to turn off the light. Unfortunately, those 5 steps were rewritten and listed in an incorrect order.

The aftermarket information system the caller was using directed him to turn the key on first (and to turn it to the 'accessory' position, not the 'run' position as Ford states), THEN press the brake and accelerator pedals for 20 seconds.

Ford states: Press the brake and accelerator pedals FIRST, then turn the key to the 'run' position, and keep holding the pedals for at least 20 seconds. So the steps are basically there, but out of order (along with being told to turn the key to the incorrect position). This caused the shop to waste a half day trying to get the oil change reminder light to turn off!

So the next time you need to follow a set of procedures, just turn yourself around, and use the OE procedures in CARQUEST Direct-Hit because … that's what it's all about!

─Jeff and Bill