Automedia.com - CarCare Articles

Adjustable Shocks

Shock absorbers (or dampers, as some call them) are, in effect, hydraulic devices that resist chassis movement by passing oil through a set of orifices and valved passages. Inside an adjustable shock, manipulating the fluid movement through the valving of the shock changes the dampening characteristics. That means you can control how the suspension in your car or light truck functions (essentially fine tuning it for a given application). Many quality externally adjustable shocks are rather similar when it comes to adjustment. Once installed in the car, all changes are usually handled externally by way of the adjustment knob. After installation, the knobs on each of the shock absorber are accessible, either through the side of the spring (typical front applications) or on the body (typical rear applications)...

Engine Oil Filters: Tips and Types

Oil is the lifeblood of the engine in your car or truck (motorcycle, boat, airplane, tractor and so on). Plain and simple. But as the oil circulates through that engine, it picks up any number of different contaminants (in simple terms, dirt). That dirt can obviously damage your engine. And over time, that dirt can bring the engine to its death...

Money-Saving Car Care Steps

Seasons come, seasons go. That’s a given. And your car likely works its way through those seasons with determination and diligence. It’s not surprising since today’s automobiles tend to be some of the most durable goods we own. But there’s a catch: While there’s a good chance your automobile or light truck will function perfectly for a considerable period of time with little or no maintenance, it will definitely last a whole lot longer if given regular care. On the other hand, though, if your automobile falls into neglect, you could be in for a costly surprise. The truth is, repairs are expensive—much more so than regular maintenance costs. And with today’s economy, making something last longer and work better just makes good sense...

Dumb Things Drivers Do to Their Cars

Some people make a lot of mistakes with their cars. Not on purpose, but because they just don’t know the damage that can be done when assuming certain, simple things about their vehicles. Here are five particularly dumb things drivers should NOT do to their cars...

Nitrogen for Tires

Today, you’ll notice green nitrogen “filling stations” at tire shops across the continent. Typically, filling a tire with nitrogen costs in the range of $10 per tire (although a few shops include it for free when they sell you a new set of tires). Using compressed nitrogen instead of compressed air isn’t really new. The military, commercial airplanes, racecars and even the space shuttle have used it for years...

Maintenance Check: Everything But the Engine

In the last segment of “Maintenance Check: Under the Hood”, we examined some of the things you need to inspect before embarking on a serious (or even not so serious) road trip with your car or light truck. For us, at least, road trips are an adventure. But fixing your vehicle on the side of the road shouldn’t be part of it. Last time, we spent time under the hood. This time, we’ll look at the rest of the vehicle...

Winter Car Care Antifreeze

For 20 years, this writer lived, toiled and drove cars and pickup trucks smack dab in the middle of the frigid Canadian Great White North. For the uninitiated, normal low, nighttime temperatures in the driest and coldest winter months (January and February) range from -15 to -25°C (translated, that works out to 5 to -13°F), while daytime temperatures range from -5 to -15°C. Winter temperatures can be as low as -30 to -40°C (-22°F to -40°F) and, when the wind is taken into consideration, temperatures feel even colder. The further north you go, the colder it becomes (the record for cold in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan is -70.6°F — and it can get colder in other places)...

Maintenance Check: Under the Hood

The road beckons. It’s the thrill to see what’s around the next curve or over the next hill. It’s adventure, pure and simple. But what about the health of your car or light truck? The last thing you need is lack-of-maintenance induced car trouble, especially when you find yourself stuck between middle and nowhere. What follows here is a list of “pre-flight,” underhood checks you should accomplish before turning the key and hitting the road. Check it out. It’s important (and by all means, consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual):..

Smart Battery Chargers

Battery chargers are battery chargers. Need one for a common 12-volt battery? Buy one and hook it up. Done deal. Some of those chargers have automatic trickle functions. Others don’t. If they don’t, you’ll likely need a trickle charger. What if you have a deep cycle battery in your boat or RV? You’ll likely need a specialized charger. If you have a racecar, there’s a chance you’re using 16-volt batteries. That too means you’ll need a special charger for the application. But there’s more: If you trickle-charge batteries, and you forget the charger is in place, or if you charge the battery too fast, you run the risk of toasting the battery (or worse). So what’s a body to do?..

Finding Auto Repair and Service Manuals

In our travels into automotive repairs and time spent with wrenches there is often mention of consulting the service or repair manual. When it comes to a removal and replacement of something fairly straightforward and simple like an air filter or an oil and filter change, the procedure is more or less universal. A service or repair manual is probably a good idea when it comes time to tackle a more esoteric task like finessing the SPICA fuel injection system on a 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal into a steady idle...

Engine Leakdown Test

An internal combustion engine makes power by first drawing air and fuel into the combustion chamber. Next is the compression of the mixture and the addition of a spark. The harnessing of the resulting contained explosion is ultimately what powers the car. As an engine gets on in miles, the containment of this power can be lost due to piston ring, valve, or cylinder wall wear. Engine performance will suffer as a result...

Steering Rack Replacement

The easiest way to think about rack-and-pinion steering is as two gears. One round. One flat. The round gear is called the pinion and is connected to the end of the steering wheel shaft. As the steering wheel turns, so does the pinion gear. The flat gear is called the rack. As the pinion turns, the rack travels either left or right. The front wheels are connected to the rack by way of tie-rods and steering knuckles. The rack and pinion are enclosed in a housing and mounted to the chassis. It’s the miracle of steering!..

Fuel Pump Pressure Test

Modern electronic fuel injection systems are at once simple and at the same time a marvel of modern technology. The fuel pump draws fuel from the tank and sends it through the fuel line. Fuel works its way through a fuel rail and into the fuel injectors. The fuel pressure regulator senses engine vacuum and maintains the ideal fuel pressure. Fuel injectors spray fuel according to varying engine loads and speeds. In a perfect world fuel is perfectly metered into each cylinder through the fuel injectors at exactly the right moment to produce the best combination of power and efficiency...

Rear Drum Brake Diagnosis

This particular weekend started with a call from a pal who had a vexing problem. His usually trustworthy and freewheeling Toyota pickup truck had rear wheels that refused to turn. The pickup truck was a basic Eighties model with even more basic drum brakes out back. Running through possible problems and finding solutions is what we were going to do on this given Saturday. Freeing the rear wheels to return to their usually rolling selves should be basic, or so we thought...

Turbo Care and Rebuild

The first big wave of automotive turbocharging came to auto showrooms during the Eighties. Everything from grocery getting Chrysler K-car station wagons to high-end Porsche sports cars packed a turbocharger under the hood. It seemed a requirement that these turbocharged cars of the '80s could not leave the factory without the word TURBO emblazoned somewhere, if not all over the car. The fact is that a turbocharger can add performance on demand to an otherwise economy minded engine. Turbochargers are again becoming more common as consumers demand more horsepower along with better fuel economy. With this ever-increasing number of cars and trucks using turbochargers as part of their power equation come an equal number of turbochargers that will wear out and require replacement...

Valve Cover Gasket Replacement

An engine that's burning oil spews obvious signs and signals. Clouds of smoke at startup or when getting on and off the throttle visually show where that quart of oil every 500 miles is going. If the dipstick is reading low and there's no sign of oil smoke, suspect an oil leak. While the source of oil leaks can be hard to locate, a common and relatively easy to repair source of oil leaks is from where the valve cover meets the cylinder head. If oil is going missing and the area around and under the valve cover is soaked then it could be time to replace the valve cover gasket...

Engine Rehab

Rebuilt is a relative term. This is especially true when used in conjunction with the word engine. On the low side of an engine rebuild is a can of motor honey poured into the crankcase and a set of crossed fingers behind the salesman who hopes the rod knock will go away just long enough to get the car off the lot. Legitimate rebuilt engines are in reality remanufactured. Engine teardown and inspection is followed by machine work. Every part is returned to original or better-than-factory tolerances. The process essentially brings an engine back to new. The middle ground is anywhere in between the motor honey and remanufacture, and why the phrase 'rebuilt engine' holds broad meaning. The catch is that determining if the engine needs a complete rebuild or will benefit from a freshen-up only becomes apparent with the engine out of the car and apart...

Door Panel Removal

There are a great number of reasons to remove an interior door panel in a car or truck. At the core of the problem is something behind the panel either broken or in need of upgrade. Electric window motors sometimes go kaput. Window registers can skip off their track. Weather strips can stop fighting the elements. Factory door mount audio speakers can sound better with an upgrade. A ding or dent may require convincing via its backside. The list of reasons can go on and on, but the task at hand is always the same. Remove the door panel to access and repair the problem at hand...

10 Top Tools from SEMA 2006

The Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas rolls out every year the latest and greatest of what the world of aftermarket automotive performance has to offer. From super dorifto sport compact cars to land speed diesel pickups powered purely by peanut oil, SEMA has something for everybody. While gawking at diamond encrusted dubs and just-finished project cars is all fine and good, some of us are just as interested in a set of wrenches as we are a flamed Mustang. Tools may not get the same media fanfare at SEMA, but should never be left out. Here are 10 of the more interesting tools we saw out at SEMA in 2006...

4x4 Hub Swap

A few of the great reasons to own a 4x4 truck, SUV or Jeep-type vehicle are practicality, a sense of self-sufficiency and the confidence to explore remote roads or venture outdoors in inclement weather...

6 Simple Tire Tips

Here's a true story that highlights an important aspect of car care: A pickup is tooling down a two-lane highway. The driver notices something's not quite right when the truck hits 55 mph. There's a vibration, a resistance, some weird thing that's definitely amiss. And, surprise, surprise, it doesn't go away. The driver heads to a mechanic and tries to describe this strange malady. The mechanic walks around the truck and says, "The problem could be that big bulge in your back tire." Oops. Could this be one of the reasons why everybody keeps telling you to check your tires' health regularly?..

ABS Speed Sensor Service

One of the most common omissions in maintaining a modern Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is checking out the speed sensors. These sensors are often located at each wheel hub/rotor on four-wheel disc systems. Alternatively, on rear-drum applications, you'll usually find them mounted on the differential housing. Whatever their location, they supply information regarding wheel speed to the ABS computer. Under braking, if wheel speeds are not equal, indicating wheel lockup, the computer modulates the anti-lock feature until the speeds are equal again...

Adding Seat Covers

Seat covers can be both functional and aesthetic. Some of us have only owned vehicles whose drivers' seats are reminiscent of the "birth" scene in Alien: padding and springs bursting through the upholstery. The more-upscale motorist might be interested in kid- or pet-proofing the upholstery in their new minivan or SUV, so seat covers can both hide the old and protect the new...

Adding Tubular Sidesteps

Even the most rough-and-ready off-road enthusiasts don't mind dressing up their 4x4s, especially if the components make them look all the more tough and rugged. These mods may or may not be all that practical, but as long as they look good, all the better. Brush guards, sidesteps and bed extenders are typical examples. Yes, they keep away errant twigs, help you get in and out of the cabin easier, and provide more cargo capacity, but they also add some pizazz to your pickup, which is probably the main reason for their popularity. Given that, here's how to install some really snazzy and useful items to your truck using this Dodge Ram as an example...

Affordable Exhaust Manifold Swap

Historically, most cars and trucks have used cast-iron exhaust manifolds to scavenge spent gasses from the engine's cylinder heads. The rationale: Cast iron has good thermal properties, so such items such as spark plug wires can be routed closer to it than to other materials which expel more heat. Also, cast-iron manifolds are apparently cost-effective to produce in mass quantities...

After-Winter Car Care

Every region has its version of spring. For those who live in snow-free Southern California, it's the March Santa Ana; in the South, spring starts when the dogwoods bloom; Midwesterners look for the first crocus. Those who live in heavy snowfall areas or high altitudes simply look forward to that day when they instinctively know that the last severe winter storm has come and gone. But that doesn't mean there won't be a late freeze or surprise snow flurry. It does mean, however, that these hardy souls can start attending to their cars after a too-long winter, a process shared by everyone in varying degrees...

Aiming Headlights

How many times have we all been blinded by an oncoming vehicle and flickered our high beams, only to have the other driver melt our corneas by responding with their brights? The conclusion: Those low beams are jacked up (both literally and figuratively)...

Air Conditioning Troubleshooting I

Even though it's stifling-hot inside your vehicle, you know that relief is just a twist of a key, a push of a switch, and a few blocks of driving away. Except that this time, something is amiss: Only hot air is coming out of the dash vents—or no air at all. So now, besides the discomfort you're feeling, you're also anxious over the thought of a visit to the repair shop...

Air Conditioning Troubleshooting I

Air Conditioning Troubleshooting Part II

When your car's air conditioning blows hot instead of cold, you should start by checking out the controls of the Air Management System on the dash, as covered in Part 1 of this article. If that doesn't do the trick, the next step is to look under the hood at the Refrigerant Cycling System. Before you do anything, though, take a look at a service manual for your car, not only for information on how the system works, but also specifics involving its pressure and temperature control features. The manual can tell you both procedures to follow and how far you can go with the basic testing that we're going to discuss. It will also inform you of the hazards and safety precautions when working on the system...

Air Conditioning Troubleshooting Part II

Air Filter Fundamentals

There is no great mystery to the operation of an internal combustion automobile engine. An automobile engine is essentially an air pump. The pistons and valves work together to draw in and expel air into the combustion chambers as the engine assembly spins round on the crankshaft. The faster this assembly spins, the more air the engine can draw through. Add fuel—in the right amount and spark at the correct moment to this air pump—and the internal combustion equation is complete. Power! With so much air being drawn into the engine from the outside, it is of utmost importance this air enters the engine as clean as possible. It is also important that this flow of air is not restricted in any way...

Air-Line Controller

Here's the symptom: When you start your mid-'90s or newer Toyota 4-cylinder car, the engine starts okay, but the idle speed is extremely low. You might even have to keep your foot on the accelerator pedal for a minute or so, just to keep it from stalling. The check engine M.I.L. is not illuminated and, when the engine warms up, all seems to be normal, or at least a bit better. Perhaps the idle compensation function—a noticeable idle speed boost when the transmission is put into "D" or "R," or the A/C is turned on—is not spot-on either, but the cold-running problem is getting really irritating. For a relatively quick fix, here's the lowdown on the low-down idle for this common Toyota engine and many others similar to it...

Align It Yourself

Most people think that wheel alignment is best left to the professionals. This is true in many respects, but some alignment specs are easy to check yourself, and toe is one aspect of alignment that can be checked at home. This can come in handy after replacing steering or suspension components so that the vehicle won't be wildly out of adjustment for the trip to the alignment shop, or at the very least provide a better understanding of the alignment process...

Align It Yourself

Aluminum Wheel Repair

The typical American use-it-up-then-toss-it-out mentality makes us overlook a lot of things that can indeed be repaired rather than replaced. In fact, most people probably don't know that aluminum wheels fall into the repairable category. Whether you want your wheel(s) rebuilt because a new one is really expensive or you simply have a soft spot for a wheel that's no longer available is irrelevant...

Auto Accessories for Moms

Ask men what automotive accessories women want and you'll get answers like cup holders, vanity mirrors and safety enhancements. Ask women, more specifically, mothers, what accessories they're considering for their daily drive and you'll get something a little more interesting. That's what the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) did, recognizing the impact of women on vehicle and accessory purchases...

Auto-Trans Rear Seal Replacement

Automatic transmissions are one of the least self-serviceable components on a vehicle. The complexity of these transmission's internal parts requires specialized knowledge to rebuild them. However, a few auto-trans woes can be cured at home...

Automatic Transmission Maintenance

Like the human body, your vehicle runs on fluids: gas, engine oil, lubricants and the lesser-known transmission fluid. Without a sufficient supply of all the above, your vehicle can come to a grinding halt or, worse yet, a vital and expensive component completely dies...

Automatic Transmission Service

Vehicles' vital fluids normally perform two important functions: lubricating and cleaning. As the fluid circulates through the parts, it gathers the dirt and metal shavings that can accumulate over time. If you're lucky, this debris will settle on the bottom of the pan or housing and not circulate through the system...

Automatic Transmission Service

Automotive Carpet Cleaning

The United States is a fast-food culture. Even those of us who swear we'll never eat in our cars eventually yield to the modern realities of not enough time to do too much work and having to spend too much time in traffic. Consequently, food and drink spills on automotive carpet are a modern reality when we eat and drink on the go...

Automotive Chemical Disposal and Recycling

Professional mechanics and businesses that deal with fixing cars are held to the strictest of rules concerning disposal and recycling. These rules apply whether the business just changes automotive oil or only sells tires. In fact, automobiles are one of the most recycled consumer goods on the planet. Fluids, metals, plastics, and every other part of the modern automobile is salvaged and reused—sometimes even for another car or truck...

Automotive Gauge Selection

Installing aftermarket gauges can give you an eagle's eye view into what's going on deep inside your vehicle. Monitoring your engine's oil pressure, coolant temperature, and keeping tabs on your charging system can alert you to conditions before damage or breakdown occurs. For the performance enthusiast, a vehicle's interior seems naked without proper gauges, and no racecar hits the track without an array of gauges...

Automotive Glass Cleaning

Cleaning automotive glass seems like such a no-brainer that it shouldn't warrant explanation. However, household cleaners aren't always auto-glass friendly...

Automotive Wire Splicing

Sometimes you'll find a certain make and year of vehicle with a common problem that warrants a specific article, which covers both the cause and proper fix. In this case, we'll focus on a potentially baffling drivability symptom on the Hi-Lux pickup and 4Runner dating back to the mid-'80s. This malfunction typically appears on higher mileage, off-roaded (in the wet) and/or frequently "steam-cleaned" examples of these otherwise fine machines...

Autumn Automobiling

Just as you should check your smoke detectors' batteries every autumn, preventative procedures can keep automotive disaster from striking. The weather can change overnight—the Colorado Rockies (both the mountains and the baseball team) often get snowed on as early as Labor Day. Applying the infamous Boy Scout motto to colder-weather motoring can make the difference between getting there and back— or not...

Auxiliary Horn Install

Silly little bolt-on. Silly little part. Silly little truck. There was a set of angry Hella horns sitting in the garage that had come off another car during its previous life. Coincidentally, there was a cute little trucklet sitting in the driveway with a set of wussie OEM horns what's freeway presence would benefit from some anger in its voice. Seemed like an easy project to entertain an evening drinking beer with friends in the garage. Now repeat: You got your chocolate in my peanut butter...

Back-to-School Car Care Tips

Selecting and maintaining back-to-school vehicles is a somewhat difficult undertaking, fraught with the usual battle of wills and wallets. Be it a high-school hauler or a college cruiser, this choice is one to be made wisely. Given the choices themselves, every kid in the world would go off to school in a brand new convertible that could also do his or her homework to boot. Parents, on the other hand, would most likely elect to send Junior off to school in Grandpa's old Ford Pinto with Dad saying something like, "This old crate will run forever," as he hands over the keys and a 2X4 with a notch in it required to prop up the deck lid...

Balance Tires

Tire vibration can be extremely annoying. Tire dealers and car dealers wage a constant battle to provide the customer with a smooth ride. Balancing equipment technology has come a long way and tire technicians are better trained, but for some reason replacement tires never seem to have that same new-car smoothness. Even new cars suffer from road vibration. In some cases, it is severe enough that new car dealers have to take back a new vehicle or suffer the consequences of an unhappy customer. It's not just a tire imbalance problem...

Basic Auto-Body Repair

Whether your daily driver is a used vehicle that came with its own set of dings and scratches, or you've just suffered the first assault of an errant shopping cart on a new auto, don't worry. Repairing minor body damage is neither a difficult nor intimidating task. With the help of conventional workshop tools (such as a sander and an electric drill) along with a little elbow grease and some common supplies from your local auto parts shop, these scratches and dings can all disappear...

Battery Care

Unlike most toys, your vehicle actually comes with a battery. But, unlike that energetic little bunny, your car battery won't keep on going and going without some diligence on your part. Before we get into the maintenance tips, there are a few things worth knowing about automotive batteries, which will help you understand exactly what they do...

Battery Replacement

Needless to say, if you don't have a powerful battery residing in today's electricity-dependent automobile (42-volt systems are right around the corner), your car becomes a large, curb-hogging paperweight. Proper care (topping off electrolyte levels with distilled water, making sure terminals aren't corroded) can extend battery life to as much as five years, although harsh climates can cut that figure in half. Today, modern electronics incrementally drain a battery non-stop, even when your car is sitting in the garage; if you've parked your car at the airport for a week and had a moment of anxiety firing it up when you return, this is why. Vibration, wacky alternators delivering too much or too little of a charge, or plain old abusive behavior will lead to premature battery death as well...

Battery Terminal

You turn the key to start your car and you instead of the expected vroom you hear a slowly more sickening sound followed by the dreaded click...click...click. Even worse, you hear nothing at all. No whirr. No vroom. No action. Chances are the battery isn't getting the juice through the wires to turn the starter. And without that juice you're going nowhere. So how did your battery go dead?..

Bed Extender Installation

If you have more stuff to contend with than your truck can carry, a bed extender may help to increase your cargo capacity. This cargo system is ideal for when you have to haul motorcycles, personal watercraft, large tools, landscaping equipment and practically anything else that can fit in your truck bed. Depending on how it's positioned, it can also help to secure loose items. If you flip the bed extender outward it creates a long bed truck, two feet longer than stock. Flipped inward with the gate closed, and the bed extender safely keeps gear like tools, gas cans, or camping equipment from sliding around. Whether your load is little or large, you can get more from your truck with a bed extender. And if it gets in the way of a particular load, it can be removed in seconds...

Behold Your Timing Belt

Mechanics sometimes refer to the camshaft as the brain of your engine because it keeps all those pumping valvetrain parts working together so the air/fuel mixture enters and exits the cylinders on cue. If that were the case, perhaps a better analogy would be stage manager. Still, there's something else behind the scenes of this automotive drama that helps run the show, yet looks far less impressive than those finely ground cam lobes. It's your timing belt (or chain), that vital link between the rotation of the crankshaft and that of the camshaft. Knowing what it does and how to take care of it can save you a bundle on engine repair...

Belt-Less Water Pump Replacement

The stereotypical water pump has a fan attached to its snout. The engine's accessory-belt system spins a pulley, which in turn rotates the pump's impeller to circulate coolant through the engine...

Big Wheels

Custom wheels and cool tires adorn more new vehicles than any of the never-ending menu of aftermarket products. Makes you wonder why the auto manufacturers don't just have their new models sitting on chocks in the showroom, so customers can customize right there. In fact, the OEMs have responded to the wheel craze by upping the stock size on their top-line light trucks and sport compacts...

Bleeding Power Steering

Power steering works by way of hydraulic pressure. Fire up some hydraulic pressure in something like a backhoe, and moving giant rocks around is as easy as pulling a few levers. A forklift uses hydraulic pressure to lift pallets full of concrete blocks high onto this shelf or that. This miracle of hydraulic pressure also makes a great deal of the everyday driving experience easier. Turning the steering wheel from left to right in a car or truck is effortless thanks to power steering by way of hydraulic pressure. Things that work by way of hydraulics have no room for pneumatics. Power steering systems are one of these things. Air can be compressed whereas fluid cannot. Air has no place in a hydraulic power steering system...

Blower Fan Repair

It can slowly creep up, intensifying with each passing day, or hit from seemingly out of nowhere. It can be barely noticeable, easily ignored, or so hugely annoying that you don't even want to turn it on. It can be characterized by an alarming shake at high operating speeds, and sound like a garbage disposal chewing through an errant utensil...

Bolt-On Brush Guards

In another article, after installing a bed extender we briefly covered how to bolt on brush guards for the taillights since those are relatively easy to install. Front brush-guard installation is more complicated, however, largely because they're part of a massive piece with big, police-style push bars. These are not your basic black units found on cop cars, but instead made of chromed stainless steel, which should inspire envy among the local constabulary, not to mention your fellow 4x4 enthusiasts...

Brake Bleeding

Brake bleeding is something that no sane person finds enjoyable. It can be messy and often involves bodily contortionism to access the bleeder screws. However, properly bled brakes are one of the most vital services you can perform on your car...

Brake Boost

To achieve big power, it's basically a given that high-performance cars run a radical camshaft. Trouble is, many hot rodders think more about the go rather than the slow. So when they're ramming around town with a performance grind on your bumpstick, they may encounter a problem with stopping if their rod relies on a factory-style, vacuum-powered brake assist unit. This system can present a substantial problem with braking at low engine rpm, due to an inadequate vacuum supply to the brake booster because of the cam's extreme lobe shape. On top of that, other areas of the car, such as automatic transmissions and A/C systems, also need vacuum, which then takes it away from the brake system...

Brake Noise

You're cruising toward a column of cars waiting at a stoplight. You apply your brakes and are then rewarded with a sound that, like fingernails on a chalkboard, raises goose bumps on your neck—and maybe the blood pressure of the driver in front of you. Sound familiar?..

Brake Shoe Replacement

Whoever said that people are only interested in bad news was obviously thinking more about newspaper sales than the maintenance of their own personal motor vehicle. Back in the beginning of the twentieth century, during the very infancy of the automobile, F. Peter Dunne observed, "One man's news is another man's troubles." I'm not sure if he was thinking of the automobile when he made that statement, but it certainly is true—it's a whole different story when the troubles are yours!..

Buffer How-to

There's absolutely nothing that makes an automotive finish shine like a coat of top quality wax. While the end results are worth the effort, the task of waxing a vehicle top to bottom can require an almost superhuman effort. With prices on random orbital buffers dipping into the boy-that's-a-good-deal zone, it's tempting to grab onto the handles of a power buffer and jump right in. Yet, as with any application of power, one must be careful...

Bulb and Lamp Replacement

Even though the activity has been at the core of many jokes, changing a light bulb at home is by most accounts a fairly painless experience. Switch goes to off. A ladder or similar comes out. Out screws the old bulb, and in with the new. Presto! The procedure is largely the same when it comes to automobiles, with the main difference being the different types of light bulbs involved. While tripping over the cat might be the result of a burned out kitchen bulb, staying afoot of automotive bulbs is of vital importance for safe driving. More modern vehicles will tell you when a bulb or lamp has burned out, and even when it's time to file taxes, or mow the lawn. Older vehicles require the driver to occasionally inspect bulb and lamp condition...

Bumper Safety

In the olden days, bumpers protected a vehicle from body damage in low speed collisions. Don't get us wrong, they still do; but, as bumper designs have evolved, so have their level of protection. To make the bumper even more vulnerable, the federal government's impact-test requirements were dropped from 5 mph to 2.5 mph in 1982. Think about that: a healthy person walks faster than 2.5 mph...

Buying a Battery

Automobile batteries will usually last as long as they're supposed to unless neglected. If your car came to you new off the lot then there is no mystery involved in when and what kind of battery to choose when the time comes. The battery under the hood of that mint condition 1991 Dodge Colt Vista Wagon you just picked up off eBay may be of more uncertain origin. Worse is that your car might not even have the right battery for it. New car or used, the best time to choose and buy a new battery is before the one presently under the hood gives up all together...

Buying Used Auto Parts Online

Recently, a friend needed a rearview mirror for a classic car. Trouble was, it was the dead of winter in Michigan, and this guy is a tightwad against which all other tightwads can be measured. He wasn't about to lay out cash for a new part, but there aren't any swap meets when the snow flies...

Camber Caster Toe Adjustment

A suspension alignment is one of those automotive maintenance chores that most of us put off until a set of tires worn to unusable tells us it's already too late. Bringing the three key alignment measurements into the numbers specified by the manufacturer can prevent expensive tire replacement bills, and vastly improve vehicle handling, braking, and safety...

Car Care Quiz

With the sheer number of automobiles in the world, it's only natural that a number of myths, untruths, and misconceptions surround modern motoring. Some of these myths are harmless, while others can actually be dangerous! A blowout caused by an under-inflated tire can cause an accident. Other mistruths can result in neglect and end up as expensive repairs...

Car Care Resolutions

As long as you're making lists of New Year's resolutions, go ahead and add a few to help your auto make it through 2004...

Car Care Tips

Most people take pride in owning a reliable, attractive car or truck. The key to keeping a vehicle dependable and aesthetically pleasing is a normal maintenance regimen. To some, taking their vehicle to the car wash every two weeks and to the quick-lube joint every 3,000 miles is their idea of routine maintenance. But cars and trucks need more than this to maintain their showroom appearance, to continue to run correctly, and to optimize the factory's safety features...

Car Covers

All vehicle covers are not created equal. There are many types and weights of fabric, all designed to do a specific job. Selecting a vehicle cover is not something to be taken lightly, particularly if you're serious about protecting your favorite ride. Various factors should enter into your selection, but the most important is where you are parking or storing your vehicle. Do you need a simple dust cover or a super cover that can stand up to seriously bad weather? Both types, and everything in between, are available from several suppliers, but here we'll look at some of the criteria surrounding vehicle covers and how to select the right one for your application...

Car Covers

Car Interior Cleaning

Has your vehicle become a second family room? That is, are you surprised what you find wedged between the seats or lying underneath the floormats? You know ... mashed fries, cookie crumbs, or a funky, multicolored object that you can't identify but might qualify as a biohazard. The problem is, even when you get rid of this crud and various other stains, their odors may linger. Here are a few tips for clearing the air...

Car Modification Style Trends

The huge 2003 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas was the ideal place to see what the most radical cars and trucks will look like in the near future. Over 1,800 exhibitors, from major vehicle manufacturers to trim fabricators, showed up with products and services that will (hopefully) define the coming Cool Look...

Car Painting Tips

Remember that old refrain about being "Young enough to repaint, but old enough to sell"? If your vehicle falls into the former category—or even the latter—applying a fresh coat of paint can truly transform that faded finish into a good-as-new look. The decision isn't so much IF you should paint, but HOW. Should go the custom route or just take your vehicle to one of those production paint shops?..

Car Theft Prevention

Every 26 seconds someone in the United States becomes a victim of auto theft. If you become one of the statistics, the chances of your vehicle being recovered are slightly more than one in two, so protecting your property is well worth the extra effort and expense. While no one is immune from auto theft, those who live in large metropolitan areas, close to a major port or international border, or own a sports or luxury vehicle (including SUVs) are statistically more likely to be a target for theft. Ownership of an older vehicle will not rule your vehicle out as a possible victim. Newer vehicles may come equipped with theft deterrent devices, so the professional thief is more inclined to go for the easier mark, an unprotected vehicle that's six to eight years old...

Catalytic Converter Replacement

To car enthusiasts, catalytic converters are often viewed as a government conspiracy to limit horsepower. This is because catalytic converters are the least-understood emissions-system component. In reality, the "cat" performs a vital function: converting many toxic byproducts of internal combustion into harmless carbon dioxide and water vapor...

CD Player Maintenance

It's impossible to imagine zipping down the highway without the dulcet tones of Kid Rock, U2, or Keith Urban being wafted through the car. To make sure you keep rockin' while you're rollin,' we have a few tips on the care and feeding of your CD player. First, though, a brief look at the history of automotive audio...

Changing Motor Mounts

THUNK upon acceleration can be unnerving. It can also foreshadow an expensive fix if not diagnosed and corrected before serious damage is done...

Changing Your Air Filter

Think of your engine as a giant air pump. It takes in air, mixes the air with fuel and ignites this mixture in order to produce the power to get your vehicle down the road. Over the course of even a minute, your engine takes in a massive volume of air—and all of it enters through the air filter. A small 2-liter engine can breathe nearly 3,000 liters of air per minute at comfortable cruising speeds. Imagine 1,500 empty 2-liter bottles of soda, and you get the idea...

Choosing a Vehicle Rack

It's winter. It's snowing. You've got your car, your friends, everybody's stuff, and you're ready to roll. Except that you can't see out the back of your car because the gear is piled so high. And it's hanging out the back. And it's bungee-corded together. And if you make one quick turn, everything will go flying. Scratching your head, you watch as your buddies make a valiant attempt at solving the problem by tying everything atop the vehicle with some kind of rope-through-the-window get-up. Then, from behind the trees, through the snow, a ray of light strikes the shiny steel of the rails on your roof, and the bright beam of sunshine illuminates your imagination: what you need is a roof rack...

Choosing Tire Chains

People who live in snow country are all too familiar with tire chains. They know the agony of painful fingers experienced when installing chains in a blizzard. Many other drivers only deal with chains during occasional ski trips. "Chain laws in effect" prompts people to buy tire chains, then hope they won't actually have to install them...

Choosing Tire Chains

Choosing Wax

The car-care aisle in the average auto-parts store has a mind-boggling array of products. The wax section alone offers products formulated for new paint, old paint, clear-coated paint, scratched paint, oxidized paint—just about everything but roller-applied paint. Many of these products claim to restore routinely maintained paint to its original factory finish (when used as directed). So how do you know which wax is best for your car? We'll attempt to boil it down to the basics...

Choosing Wiper Blades

Replacing windshield wiper blades is a low priority task for the most of us. One only and suddenly remembers that the wiper blades are worn out when it rains or snows. This thought is usually and quickly forgotten when the skies clear up. This on and off act of procrastination continues, often until the wiper blades are worn well beyond usefulness. The fact is that worn and poorly operating windshield wiper blades can be dangerous. A split second of impaired vision holds potential for an accident. Replacing and even upgrading wiper blades takes minutes and can provide improved visibility even in the worst of weather conditions. This is a task best performed on a balmy day with a cold drink in wait, instead of during a freezing rainstorm at the superhypermart parking lot...

Classic Master Cylinder Rebuild

There is no black magic involved in rebuilding a master cylinder. They are simple hydraulic pumps and come in single- and dual-chamber configurations. Many Detroit vehicles equipped with manual or power drum brakes through the mid-Sixties have a single-chamber master. When disc brakes were introduced around that time, dual-chamber master cylinders were required: one chamber for the front brakes and one for the rear...

Clean and Condition Leather Interior

Ask a random sampling of automotive consumers what single thing most typifies luxury in a car and the first answer is likely to be "leather upholstery," even though leather can be had in cars with nameplates that are much more associated with low price and thrifty transportation than those we more commonly think of as luxury models. All that leather is nice in the showroom, but many car owners are at a complete loss when it comes to caring for it...

Clean Screen for Fluid Changing

Without a doubt, one of the challenges of changing your engine oil or other vehicle fluids is avoiding the matter of splatter. It's really difficult to stay spic-and-span when removing radiator hoses or servicing your automatic transmission. And the last thing you want to do is turn your part-time workstation into your own personal haz-mat site. Here are few tips for how to handle vehicle fluids with a minimum of mess...

Cleaning Leather Upholstery

Leather upholstery has always been synonymous with luxury. Leather costs more than cloth or other textiles used in cars, but it's actually more durable than most of these fabrics. With the possible exception of vinyl, leather is usually easier to clean than other upholstery materials. In fact, some detail shops even charge less to de-gunk leather and vinyl than fabrics...

Clutch Replacement

Think of the clutch as a switch between your engine and the transmission. Every time you press on the clutch pedal, you turn the switch off, and no engine power gets to the transmission. Light goes off. When you let the pedal back out, the switch turns back on and away you go. Light goes on. If you let the clutch pedal halfway out, the clutch transmits roughly half the engine power to the transmission and acts more like a dimmer switch...

Clutch Replacement - How to fix or repair

For the average auto owner, farming out major repairs is usually wise. Sure, saving on labor charges can be enticing, but hidden costs often undermine good intentions. (As a worst-case scenario, one emergency-room trip can make any at-home auto repair extremely non-worthwhile.) Besides, most shops offer some kind of warranty on their work, so the car owner has some recourse should the repair fail within a specified length of time. (Parts-failure warranties can be denied if the manufacturer deems that they were improperly installed by a do-it-yourselfer.)..

Clutch Replacement - How to fix or repair

Cold-Weather Comfort

Cold is relative. To prove that little axiom, tune into the SuperBowl when (and if) the Green Bay Packers are playing in a warm-winter stadium, like the Qualcom in San Diego. January temperatures have plummeted to the '60s and the Cheeseheads are doing tailgate parties in tank tops and shorts while the natives are bundled up in parkas and earmuffs...

Computer Chip Upgrade

In the good old days, car buffs could fiddle with their carburetors, make a few adjustments and end up with improved performance. The power increases focused on the enthusiast's particular application, ranging from outrunning the other guy's Camaro or heavy-duty hauling for a functional pick-up truck...

Convertible Top Fabric Cleaning

Whether your automotive top is canvas or vinyl, dirt will accumulate there in the same way it does on your paint and other exterior surfaces. But, unlike your paint and other exterior surfaces, a fabric top is a textile and has a grain and, thus, little pores and grooves. The same is true of pseudo-convertible lids and tonneau and boot covers of all sorts. The look and feel of real fabric carries with it a tradeoff: it's more vulnerable to environmental fallout, grime and all the other airborne filth. Sadly, those cracks and crannies in the surface give dirt a place to hide from typical car cleaners. So how do you clean a fabric top correctly?..

Cool Tools: The Advanced

If you've read other "Cool Tools" articles about the different types of tools, you'll be familiar with a variety of basic hand tools and some simple diagnostic ones. Here we address some more advanced equipment for electronic testing. Beginning mechanics shouldn't be put off by that lofty-sounding description, since the following tools have been selected for their usefulness, ease of operation, and low cost...

Cool Tools: The Basics

For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost. Now, if you've ever experienced the automotive equivalent of this old saw (or wrench, if you prefer), then you know that for want of the right tool, a repair job can turn into a pain in the knuckles...

Cool Tools: The Diagnostics

Having covered some practical hand tools in earlier "Cool Tools" articles for repair and maintenance of your vehicle, we now can scope a few simple diagnostic tools. In spite of the fact that vehicles are getting more and more complicated, all of these test tools can still be used to great effect on even the newest of passenger cars and light trucks. So, even if the manufacturers aren't exactly keeping it simple, you still can...

Cool Tools: The Specialized

In "Cool Tools: The Basics," we addressed some necessary tools that make a wide range of jobs go much faster and easier. Now we'll move on to tools with a more narrow purpose. While these tools may not be very versatile outside of their specifically intended use, they are extremely good at doing what they do, and will save you time and collateral damage by the bucket...

Cooling System Diagnosis

An overheating car can make anyone hot under the collar. The old cliché "heat kills" especially applies to engines: high temperatures make hoses and gaskets brittle, can cause cylinder heads to distort, and create other unhappy problems. Granted, some heat is needed during start-up to burn off condensation that accumulates while the vehicle isn't running (which explains thermostats, EGR valves, and such). But once the vehicle is warmed up, excessive heat becomes the engine's archrival...

Cooling System Diagnosis

Cooling System Flush

Draining and filling your cooling system used to be a whole lot simpler. Back in the early days of ethylene glycol coolant/antifreeze, all you had to do was reach for the drain petcock at the bottom of the all-metal radiator and let it dribble into the drain pan. Then you refilled the radiator with a fresh 50/50 mix of coolant and water until you could see it at the "Full" line embossed into the radiator tank. After tightening down the radiator cap, off you went, with nary a need for a second look at your work. Try that procedure on a modern passenger car or truck today and you will likely end up with an abbreviated drive and maybe a "cooked" engine to go along with it!..

Custom Fit Performance Spark Plug Wires

The concept behind high performance spark plug wires is simple. A stronger current to the plugs helps them to make a hotter spark, and burn the fuel-air mixture inside the cylinders more completely. A better burn means more power, smoother idle, and can even bring along a bit more mileage thanks to an increase in efficiency...

CV Joint Axle Replacement

For many years, the much-ballyhooed invention of the wheel has overshadowed the most likely, near-simultaneous invention of an equally important modern innovation: the axle. Without the axle, the wheel would not do anyone much good. Rocks can roll as well and, while this may be great for music, it's not very useful for transportation purposes...

CV Rehab

Front-wheel-drive vehicles transfer the power from the transmission to the wheels through drive axle assemblies. These drive axles have constant-velocity (CV) joints at each end. The joints are protected by rubber boots whose purpose is to keep contaminants out and lubricant in. Cracks or tears in the boot can lead to CV joint failure, as can normal wear and tear. Signs of worn or damaged CV joints include lubricant leaks, clicking sounds during turning, clunks during acceleration or abrupt deceleration and frontend vibrations...

Dash and Console Care

Manufacturers of car-care products often liken vinyl or leather automotive interiors to human skin. That's a valid comparison, especially when it comes to protecting those surfaces. Regular cleaning and application of dressing (akin to a cosmetic moisturizer) is the key to preventing damage. Careful maintenance will keep your dashboard's skin plump and smooth, looking years younger than its actual age...

Dash and Console Care

Dash Painting

Even if your car's interior isn't showing signs of age, one of the most cost-effective and dramatic enhancements you can make is to paint the dash. We don't mean just slopping on a few coats of paint with a brush or trying to mask off the stereo and A/C vents and get silly with a spray can. The process is fairly involved and may require a pro, depending on your tools and level of experience. Here's an overview of what's required, using a Lexus IS 300 as an example...

Dealer Add-Ons for Customizing Your Car

Personalizing a plain-vanilla production vehicle with all sorts of eye-catching toppings is more popular than ever. About $27 billion worth of accessory items were sold last year to vehicle owners, according to SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The range of products available to vehicle owners is astounding, including everything from roof racks to custom wheels, front bumper bars to taillight guards. You can add performance parts under the hood and entertainment systems for the interior, whatever you want to enhance the performance and appearance of your vehicle...

Degrease Your Engine

We all know how hard it is to keep dirt and debris off the outside of our vehicles, but there's one essential part that often gets neglected. Ironically it's the very thing that enables you to keep making a mess of your vehicle in the first place. This thing is under the hood. This thing is your engine...

Dent Repair

As anyone who has gotten into a fender bender knows, there's nothing inexpensive or quick about well done automotive paint and bodywork. Professional paint and bodywork is something best left to professionals. The materials and equipment required to reproduce a factory finish are beyond the scope and the budget of most do-it-yourselfers. That said, a $3,000 repair bill for a car that's worth $500 doesn't add up. Sometimes pulling or hammering out a dent and painting the word "ouch" on the fender are all that's required to restore function and utility...

Distributor Cap Replacement

In automobiles, most plastic parts have finite lives. The distributor cap is a prime example of a component that eventually succumbs to heat and vibration. But even if its plastic housing hasn't broken or cracked, carbon deposits and eroded metal terminals can cause distributor-cap failure...

Distributor Rotor Replacement

Technology often improves performance and efficiency. Automotive ignitions received a notable technological advance in the Seventies when "points" type systems began giving way to more-modern electronic ignitions. Before then, many grizzled old-timers were local legends for their points "twiddling" skills. These spark masters would file the ignition points to remove carbon buildups, expertly set the point gap, adjust the dwell through a slide-up door in the distributor cap and perform others acts of black science that sent the spark to the plug at precisely the time the fuel arrived. As a result, engine "miss" was cured...

Do-It-Yourself Bedliner

Everyone who uses their pickup bed realizes the value of protecting the box against dings. For years, the only solutions were drop-in plastic bedliners or cut-your-own rubberized mats. The main drawback to plastic liners is that they trap moisture, which encourages rust. Mat-style liners protect the floor, but don't do much for the sides...

Drum Brakes - Rear Brake Drum Adjustment

Even though four-wheel disc-brake systems are the preferable way to go—or rather, stop—many vehicles still come equipped with front disc/rear drum systems. And while rear brakes only handle about 25 percent of the braking load, they're still a very important piece of the proverbial braking "pie." If they're not working at peak efficiency, the load they're not carrying, and subsequent wear-related problems, gets foisted on the front brakes. Also, if the vehicle's braking system is a bit under-designed to begin with, the results can be dramatic. Brake rotor "hot-spotting" or even surface cracks, brake pad wear or surface "glazing" can develop—part of a vicious cycle that translates to the driver as a vehicle becomes more and more difficult to stop...

Electric Cooling Fan Install

It's no secret that engine accessories rob your engine of horsepower. Ever notice how the idle slows slightly when your air conditioning kicks on? That's because it's siphoning off power to operate the system...

Eliminate Rattles

Perhaps one of the most annoying problems you'll find in a vehicle is a nuisance noise. While not necessarily a hazard, that irksome rattle or squeak can drive you batty on even a short trip. Maybe you figure you can live with those auditory interruptions—just turn up the volume on your sound system and forget about it. Or, you can figure out how to track them down and eliminate them. If you have mischievous small children, or you purchased your vehicle used, you might be surprised at what you'll find behind the A/C vents...

Engine Bay Billet

It's been said that the last five-percent of a project vehicle is the hardest. That may or may not be true—it depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you're just adding some trim pieces to the engine bay, then it's icing on the cake. For an interior dress-up, things can get a bit more complicated...

Engine Cleaning

When cleaning your car, you normally think in terms of washing the outside and sprucing up the interior. How about under the hood? There are a number of practical reasons to include engine cleaning in your regular maintenance...

Engine Compression Test

An automobile engine's most crucial task is to make power. The engine performs this task by taking in a mixture of fuel and air, pushing the mixture into a confined space, setting the mixture aflame, and harnessing the energy from the explosion and redirecting it into the power that gets you moving down the road. The ability of that confined space to contain the energy of the explosion is what enables an engine to utilize the energy instead of letting it escape uselessly out of the confinement. The valves and seals, pistons and rings, and cylinder walls all work together to create a tight seal so that the explosive energy pushes the piston back down into the cylinder...

Engine Gasket Replacement

Composite and silicone gaskets seal metal-to-metal surfaces in today's engines. Plenums, carburetors, head covers, valve covers, exhaust systems and oil pans all use gaskets to match surfaces perfectly, control air and fluid pressure and to prevent leaks. Composite gaskets are just that—a variety of materials (cork, paper, rubber, felt) combined together and designed for specific applications. A gasket sealant or adhesive usually aids their assembly and function. Silicone (or formed-in-place) gaskets are created from a special compound that is applied directly to the parts in question and is allowed to cure in place...

Engine Maintenance

We all know that regular tune-ups and engine maintenance are investments that pay off with improved fuel economy, longer engine life and cleaner air. However, many of us procrastinate until the first signs of car trouble—or later. Assuming that all car enthusiasts are capable of checking fluid levels and tire pressure, this story addresses a slightly meatier side of maintenance. We'll show basic upkeep on a throttle-body-injected (TBI) engine. Regardless of the vehicle/engine, check your owner's manual for routine maintenance intervals, and refer to a service manual for more detailed information...

Engine Swap: An Overview

It's probably one of the worst mechanical scenarios you could imagine: your late-model vehicle has just suffered a catastrophic engine failure, and since it wasn't a warranty-related problem, you'll have to pay for it out of your own pocket. Even though you may not know the exact cause, it will help to determine the problem since that will help you decide exactly which repair option is best...

Engine Swap: Tips and Tricks

Once you understand the basics of what's involved when replacing an engine, whether or not you've decided to go ahead with the project, here are some tips and tricks to help you with the actual mechanical procedure...

Erase Chalky Paint

Automobile paint is by far one of the toughest, most resilient, and flexible types of paint that exists. With proper care, the paint on your vehicle can withstand harsh weather, debris, burning hot sun, masses of flying insects, even kids—and still survive it all looking shiny and new. Even so, every Superman has his Kryptonite...

Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valves Explained

Under certain temperature conditions inside a running engine, nitrogen and oxygen combine to form sky-darkening nasties known as nitrogen oxides, or NOx. These compounds combine with other tailpipe crud known as hydrocarbons and, presto, smog—the kind of air that can be seen. One way to help an engine reduce these smog-forming gases is to recirculate spent exhaust back into the engine by way of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system...

Exhaust Manifold Gasket Replacement

Few things are as annoying as the incessant sputtering of an automobile exhaust leak. Worse, the leak is often difficult to locate and sometimes only heard during hard acceleration, which makes it all but impossible to find while the vehicle is stationary. Fortunately, knowing a few simple tricks will help you quickly identify and correct problem areas...

Exterior Trim Renewal

A variety of car-care products are available to restore and protect painted finishes against the effects of oxidation, ozone and other atmospheric contaminants. However, waxes and polishes can actually create problems when they're over-applied onto plastic bumper covers and other non-metal trim pieces. Trim renewal products are formulated to cut through errant wax and other surface contaminants...

Fan Upgrade

An internal combustion engine needs three precious ingredients to create power: air, fuel and spark. On the path to more power, the automotive performance enthusiast will endeavor to squeeze more air, fuel and spark into the engine in order to get more power back out of it. More power is always welcome, but as with any performance modification there is always a tradeoff. As anyone who has thrown a few more logs on a fire knows, the more fuel, air and spark added to any combustion situation, the more heat produced...

Fast Vehicle Detailing

In a perfect world, we'd have time to wash our cars every weekend and wax them as necessary to maintain the factory finish as long as possible. In reality, few of us spend as much time on car care as we should...

Fighting Vehicular Rodent Damage

Nobody believed my tale of woe...

Finding a Good Mechanic

So how's your car running? At the moment, everything's just fine, right? Then this is the perfect time to find yourself and your wheels a good mechanic...

Finding a Good Mechanic

So how's your car running? At the moment, everything's just fine, right? Then this is the perfect time to find yourself and your wheels a good mechanic...

Front End Rehab

The myriad parts that comprise the steering system of an automobile are often referred to collectively as the front end. This phrase is often uttered by your mechanic directly before the word 'rebuild' then followed by a large repair bill or estimate. When and if you regain consciousness after the heart palpitations, visions of budget tightening measures, and your mechanic waterskiing across a lake behind a shiny new boat, you will surely be thinking, "I can do this myself, and save money!" This statement may or may not be true. Rebuilding a front end is a difficult but not impossible task for the do-it-yourselfer...

Fuel Filter Replacement

With practically every new car on the road today powered by fuel injection, keeping the fuel system clean is more critical than ever. A tiny grain of dirt can clog injectors, leading to erratic performance and lousy gas mileage. Changing your fuel filter every 10,000 miles or so will guard against contaminants that can cause engine damage and burn out the fuel pump. (As always, check your owner's manual for recommended maintenance schedules and procedures.)..

Fuel Filter Swap

Back in the days of carburetors and mechanical fuel pumps, changing out the fuel filter was a simple affair. A sharp knife or scissors, a few hose clamps, a foot or so of fuel line, and a new fuel filter took care of things for ten thousand miles or so...

Fuel Injector Connectors

"That program is buggy" is the oft-heard phrase used to describe a computer program that isn't working right. Oddly enough, the phrase originates from the days when computers worked by way of on-and-off mechanical relays. The very first computer bug mistakenly crawled into one of those relays and met its maker when the relay slammed into the closed position. Since the relay could no longer complete a circuit, the computer malfunctioned. The hapless computer bug was discovered during troubleshooting, and the name stuck. Today, computers have come a long way from relays, and are an integral part of everything from toasters to automobiles. But wait a minute; what the heck does this have to do with fuel injection?..

Fuel Pump Replacement

An engine needs fuel to run. Since fuel is flammable and generally explosive, it is kept in a tank a safe distance away from the explosions going on inside the engine. This presents the problem of how to get the fuel from the tank to the carburetor or fuel injection system that feeds the engine the fuel. Employing gravity would be the simplest, but driving around with 30 gallons of fuel above the vehicle would not do much for handling, or safety. Enter the fuel pump...

Fuse Replacement

The electrical system in your vehicle is something you never think about until something goes wrong. Wipers stop wiping. Blowers stop blowing. Mirrors stop adjusting. Then what? Any number of things could cause an electrical component to fail, but if something that was working fine quits suddenly, suspect a blown fuse. The good news is replacing a fuse is something you can easily do...

Garage Storage and Working Space

When you wander into pretty garages stuffed full of expensive autos and tools with everything on display, is your first question, "Where's the dirt—" Does a sparkling three-car garage that doesn't appear to have ever witnessed a wrench turned leave you wondering what the owner is supposed to be proud of? When a garage is just a pretty car hole, the items you keep inside need only look the part, nothing more. But when your garage is the center of a fully actualized automotive experience, it has to be functional. This includes the all-important supporting cast of shelving, drawers and countertops—they have to W-O-R-K. Pretty is immaterial when functionality is the rule, and $14,000 of special-order cabinetry won't solve your industrialized shortcomings...

Gear Shift Tightening

Is that manual transmission in your front-engine/rear-drive import requiring a lot more movement than you care to expend in order to select a gear? For instance, are you ramming your fist into the radio controls to find 1st and 3rd gears? And also committing what might be interpreted as an act of aggression on your front-seat passenger's left thigh when engaging Reverse? Unless this is somehow working to your benefit, you might consider the following simple repair...

Getting Windows Back on Track

We take windows for granted when they work properly. Once they come off their rollers and derail from their tracks, though, our tunes change. Bad weather and bad guys looking to get into your vehicle are just two reasons to repair non-rolling windows...

Goodyear Eagle MS EMT

Sports car enjoyment was once a seasonal affair. Every fall, owners faced the prospect of tucking away their pride and joy for a long winter's nap while the wind blew cold and the roads were slippery. Adding the fourth season necessitated a long list of improvements—tighter sealing convertible tops, more powerful climate control systems, and fuel injection capable of responding to temperature extremes. Corvette shouldered that challenge and led the way with innovative solutions to problems posed by winter driving. The addition of Acceleration Slip Regulation (traction control) in 1992 and this year's new Active Handling (yaw control) option are just two of the engineering breakthroughs aimed at stretching the Corvette's performance envelope to encompass every nastiness that Mother Nature has in store. For Corvette owners on a mission, neither rain nor sleet nor snow shall keep them from their appointed rounds...

Greasing Parts

While regular changing of the motor oil and filter is the path to take for long engine life, it's also important not to forget the multitude of other wear items that require regular lubrication that are in, on or attached to a vehicle. Any time two surfaces rub together they wear each other out. Without the precious molecules of grease in between them, the two halves can stick, squeak, groan, wear out before their time, or fail altogether. While grease comes in many different flavors, the important part is to get it in between the parts, and use the right grease for the job...

Grille Replacement

Auto manufacturers are under increasing pressure to improve fuel economy. One solution is to use lightweight materials, so many parts that used to be made of metal are now manufactured in plastics. The compromises here are often durability and aesthetics...

Hands-Free Car Care

Effective car care doesn't require oil on your jeans, busted knuckles or burned fingertips. Just as you can keep your own body healthy without owning a scalpel, you can keep your vehicle running better without being able to able to identify a ratchet in a lineup of kitchen tools. Call these hands-free car care tips. For both cars and humans, knowing when professional attention is needed a key to longevity...

Hatchback and Hood Lift Repair

If the hatchback or hood of your vehicle isn't holding up its end of the bargain anymore, it may be time to replace those tired old lift supports. Using broomsticks, baseball bats, old family photo albums, emergency roadside kits, spare tires, or some other makeshift support in place of factory engineered equipment is a head injury waiting to happen. You may not think much about it, but the materials that comprise the hatchback or hood are heavy. Real heavy. All that steel, glass, insulation, wiper motor, rubber trim, lock mechanisms and whatever can add up to a couple hundred pounds in a hurry, and are the absolute last thing you need to knock you on the noggin while attempting to retrieve that errant pint of ice cream that rolled out of the grocery bag. The lift supports work in much the same way as shock absorbers, and like shock absorbers they eventually wear out and lose their lift...

Hatchback Rattle Repair

As your ride ages, small things wear out and generate far more angst than their worth should justify. As the owner of an oft-driven '92 Mustang GT that has seen more than 150,000 ticks on the clock, I can attest to the general deterioration of the little things that must be kept up with. There is a part named Steve, which will wear out on the Fox-body Mustang. It is the hatchback receiver post (called striker assembly PN F1ZZ-61404A42-A on our 'Stang) which is engaged by the lock mechanism mounted on the hatch lid itself. If this glorified bolt becomes maladjusted or defective, the hatch may not close properly...

Head Gasket Basics

Understanding why a relatively inexpensive head gasket costs so much to replace means first realizing what it sits between. In the engine block are pistons that travel up and down in cylinder bores. The pistons are connected to rods, which in turn are connected to a spinning crankshaft from which the vehicle takes its power. Bolted to the top of the engine is the cylinder head. Inside the cylinder head are valves that open and close to let air and fuel into the cylinders and expel the spent exhaust gas...

Headlight Bulb Upgrade

Unless you're driving a high-end luxury car or sport-utility that is factory-equipped with the latest in lighting technology, your vehicle can probably benefit from an easy headlight bulb upgrade. Nothing enhances night driving safety more than better vision. Several headlight bulb manufacturers offer replacement bulbs that will significantly improve your vehicle's lights. Best of all, you can do it yourself in about 15 minutes for under $100...

Headlight Replacement

Oddly enough, many of us will drive with a non-illuminating headlight for weeks—until someone alerts us. (With any luck, it won't be a person wearing a badge.) There's no reason for this: most headlights are relatively simple to replace...

Headlight Types and Functions

Drive through the countryside on any given night and you'll see a circus of lighting variations. You'll encounter good, old-fashioned stock headlamps with their yellow blur, pinpoint blue-white lights on high-end imports, and pick-ups with lights hanging off every available surface. What's the deal?..

Heater Care

The eternal optimist in all of us anticipates that a simple flip of the heater switch on that first really cold, blustery day of winter means that our vehicle will instantly be as warm and cozy as the toasty home we just left...

Heater Care

High Octane Fuel

Every time gas prices creep higher, you might find yourself wondering if you really need to pay the extra change for the upgrade to premium or super duper grade gasoline. The answer to that question is no. Unless you're driving one of the very small percentages of performance vehicles with an engine designed specifically to utilize the properties of higher-octane premium gasoline, there is no performance gain in using premium. It might make you feel better, but your engine won't know the difference...

How Air Conditioning Works

There was a time not all that long ago when automotive air conditioning was considered something of a luxury. Today's drivers don't share that view. Now standard on just about every make and model of car, truck and SUV, air conditioning is as familiar as, well, the steering wheel...

How Automatic Transmissions Work

Transmissions have a tough job. They must help keep the engine in its powerband (usable rpm range) and transmit that power to the drive wheels over a huge speed range. Pulling power must be available when towing a trailer from a dead stop, yet the engine rpm must be at a comfortably low speed for efficient high-speed cruising...

How Brakes Work

Your vehicle's brake system is one of those things you only think about when it fouls up (or you do). Like when the service guy says, "You need your rotors ground and it's gonna cost $200," or you're surprised by a yellow light at an intersection. Suddenly your brakes are of acute interest. Why wait for unpleasant surprises? A general understanding of your vehicle's brake system can save you money, and may allow you to drive more safely and save a lot more than just cash. After all, the more you know, the better you can care for your car...

How Gasoline Engines Work

Gasoline is incredibly powerful stuff. Just a single soda can of it packs enough energy to blast a typical car close to three miles. Not in one huge explosion, of course (that would definitely spill your latte), but in a series of about 13,000 small explosions contained in your engine. Still plenty impressive, albeit somewhat less dramatic...

How Gauges Can Save Your Engine

The average driver could really care less about what's going on under the hood of whatever they're driving. Around they drive, oblivious to their engine's operation. Enthusiast drivers, however, want to squeeze as much reliable power out of the engine as possible. So if performance is your game, then learning to improve upon your engine's fuel and air delivery systems should be as well. S quality set of automotive gauges is, therefore, the first step on the path to more horsepower...

How Manual Transmissions Work

Transmissions can be a bit baffling. That's understandable, since your vehicle's transmission must convert the engine's power (which is delivered over a fairly narrow range of rpm) into something usable at the drive wheels over a huge speed range. Strong pulling power must be available when accelerating away from a stop, yet the engine rpm must be at a comfortably low speed for efficient high-speed cruising. How does your transmission do that? Depending on the anticipated use and price point of a given vehicle, manufacturers draw on a wide assortment of technologies to fit each application. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about how your vehicle works, the better you can maintain and care for it. Let's pop the clutch on the discussion, shall we?..

How Run-Flat Tires Work

Decades ago, the steel belt tire revolutionized the auto industry by making tires and cars safer than ever thanks to their increased resistance to puncture. Despite this giant leap forward, thousands of accidents still continue to occur on our roadways every year as the result of tire failure. Responding to the need for improved auto rubber, tire makers have developed the next generation of on-road safety in the form of run-flat tires..

How Steering Works

Back when we were kids, we were happy to steer our home-built go-karts with a piece of rope. Add a few decades of personal driving experience, a few thousand pounds of metal and a lot more speed, and suddenly the issue of vehicle steering becomes far more critical. Making a modern automobile answer a driver's fingertip commands takes a significant amount of technology...

How Suspension Works

Ask two drivers—a regular driver and a racer—to explain the purpose of suspension, and you may get two different answers. The regular Joe says it's easy: suspension keeps your teeth from rattling out over bumps. It's a comfort thing. The racer looks perplexed with that answer, and pipes up with the assertion that the job of suspension is to keep the wheels on the ground over bumps so you can drive faster. It's a control thing...

How to Change a Flat Tire

Picture this: You're in a sporty little car that has just suffered a flat tire. You've pulled safely out of traffic, turned on your flashers and found the pieces of your jack system. You weren't too good at Rubik's Cube, and the collection of metal you've just retrieved doesn't look any less complicated. All you really have to do, assuming there's any traffic at all, is stand there with tire iron in hand and look confused. In no time, somebody will surely stop to help...

How to Change Differential Oil

It's time to face facts. Every once in a while your rear end needs a little help. Whether you drive a rear-, front-, or all-wheel-drive vehicle the wheels spin by way of a differential. The gears inside the differential distribute engine energy to the axles and the axles spin the wheels the right way at the right speed when you hit the gas...

How to Eliminate Water Spots

Water should be a fairly harmless liquid. After all, we drink it, we bath in it and we even use water to wash our vehicles, so how bad could it be? The answer to that question depends on where you live and the minerals that are present in the local water supply. For example, the water in the Southwestern portion of the U.S. is full of hard mineral deposits that will literally etch themselves into paint and window glass if they are left on your vehicle for an extended period of time. Lawn sprinklers are the worst. Leave your vehicle where it gets water-spotted by the sprinklers, then baked by the sun, and the spots are not only difficult to remove, but they may do irreparable damage as well...

How to Eliminate Water Spots

How to Pass a Smog Check

Like it or not, more and more states are starting to adopt California's stringent smog check standards as part of their own pollution control efforts. In theory, smog check programs are designed to keep the air clean. Clean air to breathe is a good thing. In practice it can seem for the consumer that the program amounts to another source of expensive repair bills. A big repair bill is a bad thing. The fact of the matter is if that engine under the hood has seen its better days and is spewing enough toxic crud into the air to give Chernobyl a run for its money, then it should be fixed as soon as possible. If a smog check program forces motorists to address and repair poor running, worn out, polluting engines, then it does what it is supposed to do...

How to Wax Your Car - Part II

In part one ("Wax Wisdom") of this saga, we discussed the key things you need to know before you embark on the journey to flawless paint. Now you're ready for the real work...

How to Wax Your Car - Part II

In part one ("Wax Wisdom") of this saga, we discussed the key things you need to know before you embark on the journey to flawless paint. Now you're ready for the real work...

How to Wax Your Car - Part I

It's been said that a clean car is a happy car. Okay, maybe it's never been said, but who's going to disagree? A clean car may not run any different under the hood, but your driving experience will change dramatically. Would you rather be behind the wheel of a dirt encrusted bird target complete with "wash me" inscribed in the rear window or a blindingly brilliant ride bound to turn heads at every traffic signal? Those who prefer the latter will recognize that the weekly washing in the driveway is barely enough for regular care of that precious high shine...

How to Wax Your Car - Part I

Ignition Timing Adjustment

Regardless of make or model, basic automotive engine maintenance is generally divided into four categories: lubrication, fuel, intake/exhaust, and ignition. Most do-it-yourself enthusiasts have no trouble with routine oil changes or air filter replacements, but giving your ignition system a tune up is a little more technical and is often met with some apprehension. It is true that some specialized electronic gadgetry is required, but the equipment usually costs less than a single trip to the local mechanic and will become a welcome addition to your automotive tool arsenal. You'll need a timing light (available at nearly any auto parts store), a tachometer (if your vehicle's instrument panel doesn't already have one), and a small selection of basic hand tools...

Inexpensive Wheel Upgrade

Not long ago 16- and 17-inch tall wheels were found only on exotic cars. Today, minivans have 17s as standard equipment. Also, many spend thousands to replace perfectly good 16s and 17s with 18-, 19-, 20-inch and taller wheels. This expensive trend has spawned a cottage financial industry to loan money for wheel purchases: Maybe it's God's way of saying you can't afford to be that stylish...

Inexpensive Wheel Upgrade

Inside an Engine

Back in the salad days of automobile manufacturing the engine under the hood was something to show off. Musclecars proudly displayed HEMI or BOSS 302. A twin-cam four-banger let you know what it was by the valve cover design, not only showing off the internals of the engine, but also having "Twin Cam" in raised letters on the valve cover. What went on inside the engine was equally important to the operation of the vehicle. The words Hemi, Turbo, or Twin-Cam were often displayed as part of the car's badging or graphics package. To the beaming vehicle owner these badges were a source of pride...

Inspect, Replace and Repack Wheel Bearings

Every wheel on every vehicle spins around thanks to smaller wheel bearings. The bearings themselves contain rollers that spin around inside a cage to bear the load of the vehicle on the axles. The rollers are often tapered, or angled, against the cones in which they spin in order to handle the immense loads placed against the wheels when turning right or left. With proper care and lubrication, most wheel bearings should roll down the highway for over 100,000 miles with no complaints...

Inspect, Replace and Repack Wheel Bearings

Installing Auxiliary Lights

You've just selected a set of nifty auxiliary lights for your 4x4 or sport compact car. Now, where do you put them, and what's the best approach to installation?..

Installing Tire Chains

Tire chains can approximately double your vehicle's starting and stopping traction on snow and ice. For this reason, many states that have mountainous roads require chains to be installed during low-traction conditions. (Chains are illegal in some states because of the damage they can inflict on bare pavement.)..

Interior Fabric Cleaning

Agitation is the key. Get dirt and discoloration loose and all will become cleaner. Or so we'd like to have you believe. Is there a stain or two in the interior of your car? Do the seats, carpet and other fabrics have that obviously used look? Treating them with a carpet and upholstery cleaner and a little patience will bring a strong pulse back to that interior...

Interior Upgrades

In another story, we tackled the easy stuff first: dress-up items for the engine bay. Now we're ready to move on to something a bit more challenging—the interior...

Isolating and replacing problematic relays

Coursing through the copper, inside a myriad maze of wires stuffed into the nooks and crannies of the modern automobile is the electricity required to run primary systems such as the starter motor, and secondary gadgets, like heated rear view mirrors. Since different levels of electrical power are required for running some devices over others, the automobile incorporates a relatively old-school electromechanical device to activate more modern innovations...

Jack Safety

While the scissor jack in your trunk is fine for emergency wheel changes, when it comes time to working underneath your vehicle a floor jack and two or more sturdy jack stands are the tools for the job. A heavy-duty floor jack used in conjunction with jack stands will provide safe vehicle support. Never work under a vehicle supported by a jack alone...

Jump Starting a Dead Battery

Many people would rather call for roadside assistance than lift their own hoods. The rest of us know how valuable time is and know we can be back on the road in less time than it takes for assistance to arrive. Particularly when the problem is a dead battery, jump-starting it yourself can be more efficient than waiting for help...

Keep Your Eye on the Thermostat

The sudden failure of an inexpensive part can leave you and your vehicle stranded by the side of the road. This is especially true of the cooling system thermostat. The thermostat resides in between your engine and your radiator and acts as a temperature controlled engine coolant valve. If the valve fails, so does your cooling system and an overheated engine, and driver, often are the unfortunate end result. The good news is thermostats are inexpensive and relatively easy to replace...

Kid-Proofing Your Car

Finding a gummy worm or collection of worms permanently fused to the rich Corinthian leather of Grandma's Cordoba, or syrupy soda staining the utilitarian fabric seats of your station wagon is but one of many examples of just what can happen when kids and cars come together. While completely kid-proofing a vehicle against things spilled, hurled, tossed and sprayed is one of those "we can send rockets to the moon, but can't protect leather seats against gummy worms tasks," the best bit of advice is this: remember when...

Leather Interior Cleaning and Care

Leather automobile interiors, once reserved for only higher end models, are now available in a variety of vehicles from compact coupes to gargantuan SUVs. Yet with the comfort and luxury of leather also comes a degree of added maintenance. As most of us don't have a butler and staff to clean and condition the leather interior of our motor coaches, we end up having to do it ourselves...

Leather Preservation

As anyone who's ever been to Palm Springs realizes, skin preservation is big business. Chemical peels, Botox, moisturizers and wrinkle creams are apparently making a lot of dermatologists and washed-up-actresses-turned-infomercial-hostesses a lot of money. But, just as your skin needs care and moisture, so does your leather upholstery...

Leather Preservation

Maintaining and Recharging Your AC

Despite what you may have read on the Internet, or heard from certain late night AM radio hosts, there is no secret government agenda to make us all run banana oil or mind control serum cleverly disguised as refrigerant in our automotive air conditioner systems...

Maintaining and Recharging Your AC

Malfunction Indicator Lamps

My, how times have changed. Back in the days when leaded fuel was sold at "service stations," as they were quaintly called, motorists had to be concerned with only a few warning lights that each monitored the condition of an important vehicle system. Colorfully dubbed "idiot lights" by the gauge-reading contingent, these did little more than indicate it was time to get your car off the road as soon as possible. Today's instrument panels, however, display a Christmas tree of warning lights that provide a wealth of information (some might say too much). Question is, what do those lights all mean? Are life, limb, and property at risk if you continue to operate your vehicle? And isn't it going to take a lot more than an idiot to interpret them all?..

Malfunction Indicator Lamps

Manual Transmission Maintenance

Is your manual transmission getting harder to shift? Does it feel like it just doesn't grab like it used to? Or maybe it's starting to chatter or vibrate? A worn clutch may be the culprit here. Or it could be the result of something else, such as a transmission misalignment. One obvious sign that this is the problem would be rust residue on the disc and pressure plate...

Mirrors and Towing

Towing a trailer can be a challenge. With the added length and width of a trailer behind your tow vehicle, there's a lot to keep track of so having adequate mirrors is essential. Without them, your chances of running into trouble increase greatly. The problem is, the outside mirrors that come standard on your vehicle often are not satisfactory for towing because they usually don't allow you to see around and beside your trailer...

New Twist on Taillamp Replacement

Although most newer vehicles use push-in style bulbs for the tail, signal and running lamps, there are still a few equipped with the push/twist type metal socket bulbs, and innumerable older models sport the same setup...

New Wheel Attire

No single vehicle modification is as popular or as immediate as changing your wheels and tires. It's often the first thing people notice when they check out a customized ride—or the only thing that makes them notice it at all...

Newly Tired Dually

Ever notice how different makes of footwear vary slightly in fit, even if they're both exactly the same size? That's even truer when it comes time to replacing your tires. Recently we had to put some fresh rubber on a '96 Dodge dually pickup, but found that we couldn't just use the same code on the sidewall of the existing tires (LT235/85R16). Those, from a different manufacturer, were larger than the factory-recommend size (LT215/85R16)...

No-Toil Oil Check

Of all the fluids in your vehicle, one is absolutely crucial to the survival of your engine—oil. A thin layer of oil molecules rides between every surface inside your engine. These molecules lubricate surfaces and prevent heat-producing friction from destroying your engine in short order. Keeping an eye on your engine oil level is not only important—it's easy!..

No-Toil Oil Check

Oil Change 101

The American drive-through mentality is a boon to the quick-lube industry. After all, we can sometimes get our fast-food fix and car's oil changed during our lunch hour. Convenience comes at a price, though...

Oil Change for Beginners

With various oil change franchises from coast-to-coast offering oil-and-filter jobs for cut-rate prices, it's getting tougher to rationalize changing your vehicle's oil yourself as a way to save money. So, if you get dirty and grimy, you don't necessarily save any money, and when you're through you have to find someplace to get rid of the old oil, why bother?..

Oil Change for Beginners

Oil Change Service Centers

If something sounds too good to be true, it likely is. This often repeated but rarely heeded adage moves well into modern times, and especially applies to oil and oil filter changes. Miracle tonics and snake oils will never be a substitute for regular oil and filter changes. Period. Staying on top of maintenance is where a division between the sides begins. One side says doing it yourself is the only way. The other side says let someone else do it and be done with it. The important part is that an oil change gets done...

Oil Filter Form and Function

Oil is often referred to as the lifeblood of an automobile engine. The thin layer of oil molecules that rides in between engine parts is in reality all that prevents the friction between these moving parts from creating excessive heat and turning the engine into a useless heap of expensive scrap metal. If oil is the engine's lifeblood, then the oil filter is the liver. Like the liver, the oil filter takes in dirty oil and removes the particulates and crud. This engine damaging crud remains trapped in the filter media and the oil filter returns the clean oil back into the engine. This is important for in addition to providing essential engine lubrication oil also scrubs the inside of the engine clean. Changing the oil and filter on a regular basis gives the engine a fresh transfusion for longer life...

Oil Grading 101

Probably most folks who do their own oil changes are at least somewhat familiar with the oil viscosity ratings. What may be less understood, however, are the service grades. Just as it's important to pour the correct viscosity oil into your car's engine, it's also important that oil have a service grade that's appropriate to the engine's needs...

Oil-Pan Gasket Replacement

Puddles of oil on the ground beneath your car's engine are annoying. For the lucky few, the source can be a loose oil-pan drain plug, a dipstick tube that's come unseated from the engine block or an oil filter that's either not screwed down or has a cracked gasket...

Optimizing Tire Pressure

About the only positive result from the current Ford/Firestone situation is that more people are now aware that proper tire inflation pressures can be crucial. Luckily, running the correct pressure is relatively easy—but how do you know what it is? That depends on a number of factors, including vehicle weight, tire specs, air temperature and even personal preference. Newer vehicles have the manufacturer's recommended pressures on a decal in the door jam or glovebox, but those numbers are for a stock vehicle with a full load...

Organizing your Garage

In every well-fed garage there is a surplus of chemicals clogging the shelves. The "That could work!," the "This might help," some "I thought you'd like it!," and a selection of "What the heck" will, in an active or post-active garage of any serviceable standard, indubitably inhabit one or two shelves and a box or three. We are not to ask ourselves "Why—" but "How," and never "Should I—," but "What if!—"..

Oxygen Sensor Replacement

Tune-ups aren't what they used to be but, in a sense, that's good. These days, one of the few things that needs to be replaced on a regular basis in a late model vehicle is the oxygen sensor. Putting in a fresh oxygen sensor is easy, not unlike changing a spark plug, although it may be a bit harder to get to in some cases...

Paint Chip Repair Advice

Chips happen. No matter how carefully we choose our parking spots or how far behind rock-spewing trucks we drive, no vehicle is immune from the occasional paint chip. Although repairs don't require going to an auto body shop, we're not going to fool you into thinking paint touch-ups are a breeze. The basics are simple, but they require patience and finesse. Think of the process as both a skill and a character builder, and you'll get through it easier...

Parts and Labor

As an individual that ekes out a living writing about automobiles, I often get asked a question followed quickly by another question. Something like: "Oh, you know about cars, can I ask you a question"? This loaded question then leads into a story about how someone's car or truck went to a mechanic or dealer for repair, and whether the price they paid, or are about to pay, was worth the services rendered. The underlying implication is that most mechanics are somehow crooked, and that there is some sort of bamboozling going on. While there may in fact be some unethical behavior going on out in the garages and service bays of the world, this is an unfortunate aspect of any industry. The key to avoiding misunderstanding and unnecessarily high repair bills is communication and common sense...

Pattern Failure: Crankshaft Pulley

The term "pattern failure" literally means a failure along a pattern, i.e. a similar and repeatable failure both in time and nature. Many of the typical auto parts failures discussed in my car-care articles are of a design-specific nature. That is, certain part designs tend to fail along a pattern, irrespective of vehicle make and model...

Pattern Flaws: EGR Valve

This report introduces a series of articles that addresses common "pattern failures"—basically design flaws that affect a large number of vehicles. The term literally means failure along a pattern, that is, similar and repeatable failures both in time and nature...

PCV Valve

Countless explosions occur every minute your engine runs. While the good majority of this internal combustion is confined to the combustion chambers, a small amount of the controlled explosion sneaks by the piston rings and creates blow-by gases inside the engine crankcase. These combustion by-products must be vented away for proper engine operation...

Pedal Cover Replacement

Driving a motorized vehicle in the modern world commands the utmost attention. Even though we often take driving for granted, it is actually a perilous activity. Ever changing road conditions. Never ending obstacles. Attention grabbing electronic devices. Traffic! With all the action unfolding before your eyes and in your hands, it's easy to forget the constant fancy footwork going on out of sight, under the dash...

Performance Air Filter Cleaning

Oil-coated cotton-gauze air-filter elements tend to free up horsepower because they allow more air to flow into the engine than standard paper-type filters. These oilable elements trap even minute dust particles, but when excessive crud collects on the pleats, air flow through the filter becomes hampered—and the engine's performance suffers. Then it's time to clean and re-oil the filter element...

Performance Brakes

If the time has come for you to R&R the brakes on your car, stop and think. How much can you improve the performance of the original setup? Will substituting high-performance aftermarket parts for the factory-replacement pieces make a big difference?..

Pinstripes and Vinyl Graphics

Pinstripes and fancy automotive graphics have origins that stretch back, really, to cave paintings. We humans like to make things our own, and automobiles are no exception. A plain paint job on a plain old car says simply, "I'm a plain old person." Add some pinstripes or otherwise differentiating accents and another picture emerges. A subtle stripe around a gas cap sends one signal, while a full-blown flame job sends another. Either way things are no longer plain...

Plastic Polishing

Clear and semi-opaque car parts really show their signs of wear. Scratches, smudges, stains and yellowing can make light lenses, gauge covers and even convertible-top windows look prematurely old...

Plus Sizing Rims

Imelda Marcos isn't the only one who knows that fashion begins at the ground and works its way upward. The automotive equivalent of Imelda's obsession is "plus-sizing," the practice of upgrading to tires that take taller-than-stock wheels. In culinary terms, the diameter of the donut doesn't change, the hole just gets larger...

Polishing Plastic Headlight Lenses

One of the casualties of the 1970's safety blitzkrieg forced upon American-sold cars was glass headlamp covers. Used to be that durable, sleek glass could mirror the hood profile and streamline the front end (think early Jaguar XK-E). Seems that the glass was a bit of a hazard to pedestrians and in frontal collisions. Apparently one or two Nader ideas made sense, even if the Corvair never recovered. That aside, though, we're now stuck with durable, cheap and relatively easily scratched and faded plastic in front of our headlights...

Power Steering Box Replacement

Unless you drive a car or truck equipped with rack-and-pinion steering, there's a good chance your vehicle utilizes a frame-mounted powering steering gearbox. Durable and relatively simple in design, these steering boxes (or "steering gears" as they're often called) multiply driver input and generate an impressive amount of force with which to steer your vehicle. Though they lack the precise feel of a modern rack-and-pinion assembly, the basic mechanical design of the steering box has been used since the turn of the century and is found under countless domestic and imported cars and trucks. These mechanisms eventually wear out, however, and require adjustment or complete replacement. The difficulty of either task depends greatly on the amount of engine compartment space available, despite the relatively simple work involved...

Power Steering Fluid Maintenance

Pint-for-pint, the one or two quarts of power steering fluid required by your passenger car are probably some of the least appreciated fluids under the hood. Considering what it does, and how much a motorist depends on it, we're talking about the lifeblood of your steering system. Yet keeping it clean and doing its job doesn't require all that much effort...

Power Steering Pressure Hose Replace

A power steering pressure hose failure can be dramatic. Even a small hole in a pressure hose can cause power steering fluid to rapidly exit the system, usually landing all over something hot like an exhaust manifold or pipe. Combine this smoke show with a steering pump screeching from the sudden loss of fluid, and you might think world war three was commencing under the hood. Power steering system maintenance is the best way to avoid any smoke shows or sudden loss of power steering ability. The best time to replace a power steering pressure hose is before catastrophic failure. Monitoring fluid levels will provide an alert to power steering system leaks...

Power Steering Repair and Maintenance

Power steering was first used on a vehicle way back in the 1920s. While systems have grown more refined, the operating principle remains largely unchanged. The power steering system brings together the strength and power of hydraulic pressure with the mechanical miracle of steering linkages. The power steering pump pressurizes the power steering hydraulic system. The power steering fluid runs through hoses and by way of valves, plungers, or pistons moves the mechanics of the steering back and forth as you turn the wheel. When the pump stops pumping, the pressure drops and the power steering system loses its hydraulic power. Worse yet is that small bits of the rapidly disintegrating pump may lodge themselves in the dark reaches of the system and cause even more potentially expensive problems...

Power Window Switch Cleaning

Back in the early days of the automobile, things got started by hand-turning a crank. A large crank was inserted into the front, or side of the car, and spun around by the soon-to-be driver. If all went as planned, the engine would kick over. These early starting systems were not the most reliable ways of getting things moving. In fact, the cranks were downright dangerous and often caused serious injuries. With safety and better living in mind, an electric starter activated by a switch inside the automobile supplanted the crank. With electricity now on tap, this miraculous level of engineering took charge, and all manner of electric conveniences were soon commonplace inside the modern automobile...

Power-Bleeding Brake Systems

Connected to the brake pedal is a rod that pushes a piston inside the master cylinder. When the brake pedal is pushed down that piston pushes brake fluid through the brake lines. Since this fluid has nowhere to go it pushes pistons inside the brake calipers or wheel cylinders. These pistons push brake pads or shoes against the rotating discs or drums and presto—the vehicle stops. Brake fluid, by virtue of being a non-compressible hydraulic fluid, transfers the pressure between the brake master cylinder and the pistons inside the calipers or wheel cylinders...

Precision Sport Shifter Install

To the driving enthusiast, there's simply nothing better than rowing through the gears on a standard transmission. Whether it's a heel-and-toe downshift into a corner or an up-shift after the apex, getting the right gear is what it's all about when it comes to true performance driving—a satisfying click, a foot on the gas, and a smile on your face...

Professional Windshield Install

While doing things yourself can provide the satisfying experience of a job well done, sometimes the financial outlay in tools, materials, and time do not add up to any savings over having a professional install performed. In the case of an automotive windshield install, this can be particularly true. When it comes time to replace a modern automobile windshield there's more to consider than just seeing clearly...

Radiator and Cooling System Flush

In the same way one's arteries will clog up with the consumption of too many double bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes, the passages in your vehicle's cooling system can get clogged due to neglect. When it comes to humans, proper diet and exercise will keep the arteries in good shape and circulating blood like they should. Like proper diet and exercise, preventative maintenance will keep your automobile's cooling system in good shape...

Radiator Flush

Most motorists know it's recommended that our vehicle's oil should be changed about every 3,000 miles. Drivers are less educated, however, about proper intervals for their vehicle's other vital fluids. For the cooling system, antifreeze manufacturers recommend changing the coolant once a year, and some service manuals stipulate flushing and refilling the radiator every 24 months, regardless of mileage...

Radiator Leak Repair

Engine coolant takes away the heat produced by internal combustion. The radiator channels the heat away from the coolant in order to keep the metal parts that make up the engine from turning into a useless cracked and molten lump. Passages inside the radiator are connected to fins, which wick away heat from the coolant and send it away from the engine compartment. Hot coolant meanders its way from the engine into the labyrinth of channels and passages inside the radiator, and then returns to the engine considerably cooler through the miracle of heat transfer...

Ramping Up to Under-Car Fun

When it's time to change the oil or flush the radiator in your car the usual drill is to bust out the big old heavy jack and jack stands and do the whole pump it up, balance it out, and lower it back down onto the jackstands procedure. For serious automotive monkey wrenching tasks such as brake, suspension, or drivetrain work, a jack and jackstands (or even an overhead hydraulic rack) is the only way to go...

Ramping Up to Under-Car Fun

Rearview Mirror Attachment

The adhesive that holds rearview mirrors to windshield glass can lose its gripping power over time—especially if the mirror gets bumped. Aside from the obvious safety compromises, driving without a rearview mirror can encourage the men in blue to turn on their cherries for a closer look-see. Fortunately, you can re-glue the mirror to the windshield by spending a couple bucks and a half-hour or less...

Remanufactured Engine Basics

No engine, despite what often-repeated tall tales and infomercials would have us believe, runs forever. Even the best of engines will eventually wear out. The engine under your hood is comprised of a great number of precisely machined moving parts that work together under brutal conditions to harness the power of internal combustion. If your engine's get-up-and-go has got up and went, or folks call the fire department because of the cloud of smoke emitting from your old bucket, it may be time to consider a remanufactured replacement engine...

Removing Window Tint

When old window tint starts to bubble, the glass looks like it has malignant melanoma. Light splotches disbursed over dark tint give the car that urban-beater attitude—whether that's your intent or not...

Removing Window Tint

Replacement Rotors

To get an idea of how the rotors and brake pads work on your vehicle, grab a paper plate and spin it on your finger. As it spins grab it with your other hand. It stops instantly. The spinning plate is your rotor and your fingers and thumb are the brake pads. If the plate was spinning an awful lot faster and you tried to grab it, your hand and the plate would get hot in the process from the friction created. The energy of the spinning paper plate is converted into heat by the process of the hand grab. Not that you could actually spin the plate that fast, but you get the idea...

Replacement Rotors

Replacing a Freeze Plug

A freeze or expansion plug is a small, metal, circular plug that lives in various places on an engine block. These plugs have a valuable function and an equally interesting origin. An engine block starts life as molten metal. In order to form an engine block, this metal is poured into a mold. When the metal cools off from a liquid to a solid, the engine block is born. As the mold is no longer needed, it is knocked away from the engine block. As most modern engines are liquid cooled, part of this mold also forms the cooling passages inside the engine and must be knocked away as well. The cooling jacket mold material is removed through the holes now filled by the freeze plugs...

Replacing Axle Seals

As much as you try to ignore it, that pesky spot of oil on the driveway isn't getting any smaller. Sure, you can put a tray of some sort under the car, use cat litter, or some type of space age polymers to sop up the drips. You can even try parking in a different spot, but the oil will keep on dripping. While oil spots on the driveway are certainly a nuisance, the fact that the oil is no longer in the engine crankcase or transmission can pose a real problem for your transmission and your budget...

Replacing Balljoints

As people as diverse as Liz Taylor and Eddie Van Halen can attest, joints wear out. In cars, ball-in-socket joints degrade over time (similar to their human counterparts). Lack of lubrication and dirt inside moving parts will accelerate the demise of a vehicle's joints...

Replacing Brake Pads

Brake pads should really be called friction pads. Brake pads use a combination of force and friction to slow the vehicle down when the brakes are applied. There are also brake shoes. The difference between the two is that brake pads clamp themselves onto a rotating disc to convert the driving force of a moving vehicle into heat in order to stop the vehicle, whereas brake shoes push out against a rotating drum in order to accomplish the same task...

Replacing Brake Shoes

Brakes are a vehicle's most important part. They probably have the toughest job: stopping thousands of pounds of metal, plastic, flesh and bone that can travel at high speeds...

Replacing Disc Brake Pads

Poll most professional drivers/racers about a car's most important system and many will vote for brakes without hesitation (so to speak). Steering is also toward the top of the list, but without good brakes, driving at speed can be a kamikaze mission waiting to happen...

Replacing Engine Mounts

Next time you put your foot to the floor to accelerate away from a stop, or motor on up an on-ramp, take a second to fully appreciate what's happening. All the power created by the miracle of internal combustion going on inside the engine is smoothly making it's way to the ground without the vehicle rattling itself apart from vibration, or the engine twisting its way through the hood. Despite the engine's best efforts to twist itself out of the engine compartment, the process of acceleration is largely uneventful thanks to the system of engine mounts holding the powerplant firmly in place...

Replacing Fuses

Electrical problems can present one of the biggest troubleshooting challenges in automobiles. Unlike flat tires or other easily visible problems, electrical shortcomings can be tough to track down...

Replacing Mechanical Fuel Pumps

Fuel pumps fall into two camps: electrical and mechanical. Contemporary autos, being fuel injected and subject to complicated electronic engine management controls, use electric fuel pumps. Generally, these are manufactured to last the lifetime of the vehicle—which is not to say that professional mechanics don't have occasion to change them. Clogged fuel filters cause back pressure that can burn the pumps out, and if you stop to think about where all that crud in the fuel filter has been, you'd quickly sympathize with a pump's plight. Electric pumps also tend to be located in remote places—such as inside the fuel tank—so if replacement is needed, take the vehicle into the shop...

Replacing Rotors

Servicing disc brakes is normally a lot easier than working on drums. Rotors and calipers have fewer, larger parts than the average drum-brake system, so the average-skilled do-it-yourselfer can usually perform routine disc maintenance...

Replacing Shock Absorbers

Ah, the miracle of the modern automobile. Turn the key and within seconds thousands of pounds of technology assembled from parts made all over the world is rolling down the road unabated, as if gliding on an invisible cushion of air. The tires, suspension, springs, and shock absorbers are all seamlessly engineered provide a smooth and predictable ride. The shock absorber is at the heart of the suspension. The obvious benefit of a shock absorber is that—working together with the springs—the shocks soak up the bumps and deliver a smooth ride. Without the shocks the car would flail about wildly on the springs...

Replacing Spark Plugs

For many, replacing spark plugs is an exercise ripe with nostalgia, recalling their first experience with engine maintenance as they helped mom or dad check the plug gap on the family's chariot...

Replacing Starters Solenoids

One of life's great ironies is that you generally don't know you need to replace your starter or solenoid until you've already gone through the trouble of checking out your battery and cables for wear and corrosion, and perhaps having the battery charged. Such a clean up is a good idea before beginning a starter replacement. Vehicles that have starter-mounted solenoids should have the solenoid replaced as well...

Replacing Window Door Glass

Life is full of ups and downs, but—when it comes to your vehicle's windows—that's a very good thing. Unless the glass is altogether gone .....

Ride Height Adjustment Effects

You probably don't think much about your bumpers, at least not until you hit something. There's another reason, though, to keep them in mind, especially if you drive a light truck. Pickup owners often put extra demands on their vehicles, such as towing, hauling, off-road exploration, and so forth. That's why we upgrade them with aftermarket parts. However, when doing so, it's important to keep the domino effect in mind...

Road-Trip Tips

The trunk is packed, the family is buckled up, you're headed out of town on a long-anticipated vacation with the open road calling you to new adventures. The family vehicle was sent for a thorough check-up in preparation for the trip and came back with a few minor adjustments and in perfect shape. Nothing can go wrong, right? If you're that optimistic, you obviously haven't heard of Murphy's Law: Everything that can go wrong will...

Roadside Diesel Repair

Economy and reliability are great reasons to own a heavy-duty diesel 4x4, so even when the conditions are bad it's easy to feel a bit over-confident when driving an old reliable diesel-powered truck. Compared to a computer-controlled gasoline engine with its electronic spark ignition system, a mechanically injected diesel is downright simple. The lack of a distributor, wires, spark plugs and some sort of electronic control means that you have considerably fewer parts to fail. Then what makes a diesel decide not to run?..

Rust Prevention

The joys of winter also bring along a lot of ice and snow-melting salt poured onto the roadways of the states that comprise what is known as the rust belt. While salt is an inexpensive and effective way to keep the roadways free of slippery winter buildup, the chemicals work their way up into the chassis of vehicles and promote the insidious destroyer of iron and steel known as rust...

Scratch Repair

Unless your driving habits keep you away from the public at large, sooner or later your pride and joy will sport scratches. Face it—we're obsessed with appearance. Still, many people choose to live with scratches. Big mistake. The car body is no different from the human skin—when damaged, it's exposed to the elements and, left unprotected, it will start to fester (except for fiberglass or plastic panels, which will just look bad)...

Scratch-Buffing

Although most of us claim that our aim is true, sometimes the car key doesn't make it into the lock on the first lunge. Tiny hairline scratches are the unfortunate result. Over time, these failed attempts at unlocking doors and trunks can make the surrounding areas look like the corners of Joan Rivers' eyes...

Seat Belt Replacement

Buckling up your seatbelt can save your life. Thankfully we have moved on beyond the point where this is a topic of public argument. The evolution of seatbelts as standard automobile equipment has without question made motoring a safer experience. Seatbelts were first installed in passenger vehicles in the Fifties as optional equipment. By the mid-Sixties lap belts were standard issue. The 3-point lap and shoulder belt became the standard issue moving into the Seventies, and is the seatbelt we know today. While the lap and shoulder harness seatbelt in a passenger vehicle should in theory last as long as the car itself, sometimes this is not the case...

Selecting a Battery

What's the best battery? Ask a dozen different experts and you'll receive a dozen different answers. Some will simply recommend a DieHard. Others swear by immobilized-cell, no-maintenance models. Still others might advocate using the same make and model that's already in the vehicle in hopes of the battery being covered under warranty...

Sensor Troubleshooting: Idle Air Control Valve

As we've mentioned in other articles, many of us freak out when the Check Engine/Service Engine Soon light illuminates on our car's instrument panel. Most people don't realize that many computer-recognized problems are faulty emissions-system sensors. You don't have to be a professional mechanic or have a degree in electrical engineering to diagnose and fix sensor problems, especially in older vehicles (i.e., ones that have outgrown their warranties). One component that falls into this category is the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve...

Sensor Troubleshooting: Intake Air Temp

The Check Engine/Service Engine Soon light strikes fear in the stomachs of even the most jaded drivers. Humans seem to have an inherent fear of electricity, and we assume that any computer-related malfunction will be expensive. However, many at-home tests can help vehicle owners narrow down the problem and decide whether or not to tackle it themselves...

Sensor Troubleshooting: Manifold Absolute Pressure

We provided an overview of Check Engine/Service Engine Soon "idiot light" warnings and how to decipher their corresponding trouble codes in the IAT/MAT sensor story elsewhere on this site. Another engine monitor that can be checked and replaced by virtually anyone who has basic hand tools, a scanner to retrieve engine trouble codes, a service manual for their vehicle and a digital voltmeter is the MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor...

Serpentine Belt Replacement

With all the increasing complexity under the hoods of today's vehicles, it's heartening to see a component that actually decreases it: the serpentine accessory belt, along with its self-adjusting tensioner...

Service Intervals

You've probably heard all the excuses: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" "Don't they check all that stuff at the quick-lube when I get my oil changed—" "I know it's time to change my oil when the red oil light comes on!"..

Servicing Wheel Bearings

Re-packing wheel bearings isn't nearly as bad as getting a lower GI, but it isn't most people's idea of a good time either. Bearings make the wheels go 'round and 'round, and lack of lubrication will cause their rollers to whine. To expound on the old cliché, if the squeaky wheel's bearing(s) don't get the grease, it'll eventually seize, kind of like pistons in an engine that doesn't have oil...

Servicing Wheel Bearings

Shade Tree Safety

While getting covered in motor oil may seem like a great idea to the do-it-yourselfer or driveway mechanic, the facts of the matter are that bathing in petrochemicals is not the world's best idea. Solvents and even some caustic cleaners that work fine with automobiles are not very compatible with humans. Being safe while working on automobiles involves not only adherence to the rules of common sense, but also remembering things that despite being put all over warning labels and in the instructions, often go unheeded. While some automotive maintenance accidents can bring a minor scratch or bruise, others can result in serious injury. The good news is that all of these injuries are preventable with some basic equipment combined with useful knowledge...

Simple Bumper Scuff Repair

You've been out running errands and, upon returning to your car in the parking lot, you discover that somebody has "kissed" the bumper of your car, leaving an ugly scrape. The perpetrator is nowhere in sight, and an insurance claim isn't feasible since your deductible is higher than the cost of the repair. The size of that ding, though, is way larger than a touch-up brush could handle, so your only option is to use some rattle-can spray paint to cover it up...

Simple Car Cleaning Solutions

Car-care product guidelines will tell you how to get road tar, bird droppings, brake pad dust and other automotive-related crunk off your vehicle. But for the things we spill, the food our kids smear, and annoying pet by-products, some the best sources for removal are adaptations on simple household tips...

Simple Car Wash Tips

Most true automotive enthusiasts won't let anyone bathe their baby—except possibly their properly trained progeny. After all, even "brushless" automated car washes can scrape trapped grit across the paint. Thus, many hours are spent hand-washing your car the old-fashioned way. But better living through chemistry now allows us to get superior results from this time-honored process...

Simple Spoiler Install

There are many paths to choose from when it comes time to changing the appearance of a car with performance in mind. Some consider modifying their car in a way to broadcast their performance intentions to the world and possibly even outer space. Wings extending three feet off the trunk, racks of lights, and more body kit than there is actual car underneath is apparently the way to go for space alien performance. Others value subtlety and actual performance gains—even if small. Sometimes the most effective path to take is a simple blend of subtlety and effectiveness...

Slave Cylinder Replacement

Manual transmissions' popularity is dwindling. For daily commuting in stop-and-go traffic, automatics are a lot easier on the legs and brain—not to mention that less driving skill is required to operate them...

Smog Test Prep Part 2

In our first installment on getting ready for an emissions exam, we covered the many splendid facets of smog check and its application to your vehicle. We also touched on the first part of the test: the Comprehensive Visual Inspection (CVI). We are now ready to tackle the other two parts, the Functional Check (FT) and (Tailpipe) Emissions Test (ET)...

Smog Test Prep, Part 1

Nobody likes to fail a test, even if it's just the emissions check on your vehicle. For those of you who have been traumatized by, or wish to avoid the trauma of failing a Smog Test—we have good news. No, you have not won a new car, but the following info can help your car run as good as new, and pass that test on the first try...

Snow Tire Sense

To most folks tires are things that wear out, go flat, or just cost a big pile of money when it comes time to replace them. While all these things are true to a certain extent, the important thing to remember about tires is that they are where the rubber meets the road. The four small patches of rubber making contact with the tarmac are all that keep the car on the good part of the highway and out of the ditch. When it comes to choosing tires, the old maxim of the right tool for the right job holds true. Choosing the right tire for the driving task at hand is the key to happy motoring...

Sound and Heat Shield Install

Everybody appreciates a quiet car and that solid "thunk" you hear when the door slams shut. But there's more to sound insulation than just personal comfort. High levels of noise can also interfere with your reaction time and driving ability. Also, with good insulation, not only are decibel levels lower, but temperatures are, too. Your air conditioner can operate more efficiently, reducing fuel consumption and the risk of radiator boil-over on a hot day. And your audio system should have better fidelity with extra cabin shielding. Quite often, it's the stuff you cannot see that makes for a cool and quiet ride...

Spark Plug Diagnosis

In times past, one of the easiest maintenance items on a vehicle was checking and changing the spark plugs. That was before engine compartments became shrouded in emission's tubing and computerized sensors. If you're lucky enough to have an automobile where the plugs are relatively easy to reach, take advantage of it. That's because they offer telltale indications of what's going on in the combustion chamber and the internal health of your engine...

Spark Plug Hole Thread Repair

Theoretically, routine spark plug replacement should be a simple task. Crank out the old plug, thread in a new one, and you're done. Fiendish engine gremlins often work against you though, and can turn an easy job into a hand-wringing nightmare. Debris can build up in the threads on the end of the plug, or an overzealous mechanic may have previously cross-threaded the plug. Either way, there's a good chance the abused plug will take out the soft aluminum threads in your cylinder head as the plug is removed. It's not necessarily the ruin of the engine, however, as several spark-plug-hole thread-repair kits are available at nearly any auto parts store. With the right kit and a few hours, the damage can usually be repaired without even removing the cylinder head...

Spark Plug Wire Replacement

Time was when your mechanic tuned up your vehicle you could often get the plug wires installed just for the additional price of the parts, since it only took a couple of extra minutes. And the parts were so inexpensive that many people opted to have the wires changed at every tune-up (15,000- to 30,000-mile intervals). Nowadays ignition tune-ups are less frequently required (60,000 to 100,000 miles), so changing the plug wires might occur less frequently. That's probably a good thing, though, because spark plug wires are now a bit trickier to install and a good quality set can be somewhat costly. But you'd expect them to cost more, wouldn't you, since the wires are built to last longer?..

Spark Plugs

Pity the poor spark plug. It lives in a hole, gets hit with a high voltage shock thousands of times every minute, and has to endure searing heat from explosions. The spark plug has the tough but important job keeping the power producing combustion inside your engine alive and well, for without spark there is no flame. Because the spark plug has to stand up to high voltage and extreme temperatures it is important they are replaced at regular intervals...

Spray-On Wheel Cleaners

Wheels make the loudest visual statement about a car. Rock stars and pro "ballers" aren't the only ones who know that huge, shiny rims personalize a ride more than any other single component. But as wheels get taller, they become larger targets for brake dust and road grime...

Spring Cleaning Car Care

With winter at long last fading into the warmer and longer days of spring, people often find great relief in opening the windows to take some fresh air into the house. Hearing the birds chirping and the melting of snow means that old man winter has finally gone home. If opening the door of your car brings forth anything but spring fresh air, it may be time to consider some spring cleaning. Keeping a motor vehicle clean not only keeps your ride looking good, but can even help save a few bucks down the road. ..

Spring-Clean Your Car

Any time is a good time of year for proper care and cleaning of your vehicle. But when spring finally rolls around, the nice weather makes getting your ride looking good that much more pleasurable. Once the temperatures rise and the rain and snow subside, it's time to open the doors, trunk and windows and get ready for some good, clean fun...

Steering Wheel Shifter Redecoration

Air bags are certainly wonderful safety innovations in today's cars and trucks. Their only drawback is that most airbag steering wheels are basically ugly—style is sacrificed for function...

Summer Road Trip Prep

Ah, the summer road trip: an American tradition that's evolved from horse and buggy to Model T, from station wagon to today's SUV. Artistic interpretations of these traveling adventures are as varied as the Joads in "The Grapes of Wrath" and the Griswolds in "National Lampoon's Las Vegas Vacation." Piling the whole clan into the family car and setting out to discover America is as much a part of summer as lemonade and suntan lotion. Gas prices are horribly high, but so is air fare, which still makes traveling by car feasible fun...

Sunroof Rebuild

How do you rebuild a sunroof? It's much like the omnipresent necessity of any other mechanical part of your car, with moving and non-moving parts that require service with use. This is much like any equipment or device, really—maintain or die...