Do It Yourself Car Maintenance

Modern car batteries are maintenance free; they do not require you to add water or service them. Nevertheless, the day will come when you'll be required to purchase, and probably install a new...

Regular auto maintenance can save you time and money. More importantly, regular maintenance will insure a safer ride.

Whether you want a camouflage vehicle for hunting, showing support for the military, hiding dirt from off-roading,or expressing your personality, there is no need to hire a professional and pay...

Everyone knows they should change their oil on time. What most people don't know is that they have 4 major hurdles to overcome if they want their vehicle to last indefinitely. They are: Heat,...

Every automobile has a finite period of time in its usable lifespan, and there comes a time when you must part with it when you can no longer find a buyer who would desire to have it. Such a...

The coolant return hose on your vehicle connects the water pump and the radiator. The hose allows the pump to force low-temperature coolant from the radiator into the engine to keep it from...

Fuel filters are extremely important to vehicles. When a fuel filter becomes clogged or dirty, the fuel attempting to get through the filter ends up becoming stuck. This can cause engine problems...

You may need to lift your Jeep to perform general maintenance such as oil changes and more involved procedures such as brake service. Lifting your Jeep is a relatively easy process if you follow...

Most of us have been or will be in a situation that requires using jumper cables some time within our lives. The situation is unfortunate, but almost unavoidable. Sometimes we forget to turn off...

The fuel filter on a VW needs to be replaced after 30,000 miles. The filter helps to remove contaminates from the fuel that are picked up from the gas station, the gas tank or both. When the fuel...

If you have to jump start your Mercedes, it may indicate you have other problems. It could be a sign the battery is dead or perhaps the alternator is about to go out. In most cases, the...

Excessive starting and stopping can cause a distortion of the brake pad or brake shoe material, known as a glaze. This condition will increase the distance it takes to stop your vehicle. Steps...

Changing oil in your own automobile can save you money from having some on else do the labor for you. It can seem to be difficult if you are not familiar with automobiles, but it is not that...

The struts on your vehicle are designed to absorb the bumps and irregularities in the roadway to provide you with smooth and comfortable riding conditions. If the struts are worn out or damaged,...

Painting a vehicle can be as simple as performing a quick touch-up to cover up a small scratch or as advanced as painting the entire body of a vehicle to cover up years of wear. Whether you choose...

Some mystique surrounds the use of VINs, or vehicle identification numbers. We need them for everything: registering the vehicle, selling it or insuring it. It is easy to figure out lots of...

Car ramps are an excellent method of raising the end of an automobile for easy access to the undercarriage of the vehicle, removing the need to purchase more expensive hydraulic-powered floor...

Rust is a terrible problem, and one type of material is particularly susceptible to rust, cast steel. On most cars, the brake calipers are made of cast steel, and as such, can get surface rust and...

There's nothing worse than painting over a ding in your car's paint only to see that you haven't quite matched the color right. Fortunately, if you know where to look, you can find a code that...

It's that time of the year again, when Mother Nature makes driving rough, but there are things you can do to get ready and make your winter travel less stressful.

The Honda Element is a cross-over vehicle with a four cylinder engine and front wheel drive or four wheel drive. The Element was introduced in 2003 and is still in production as of 2009.

Draining gasoline from vehicles poses a difficult process for many, and a few different techniques are available for doing so. Due to rampant theft of fuel from vehicles via siphoning, most modern...

Ford vehicles built in the 1990s and 2000s were equipped with a keyless entry system using a five-button pad on the driver's door. This keyless entry system comes programmed with a five-digit...

The Miata is a two-seat roadster produced by Mazda from 1989 to the present. The Miata was designed as a unibody vehicle, meaning it does not have a full frame underneath it. Therefore, Miata...

Jacking up a car is an easy procedure if the proper precautions and steps are followed. There are many procedures that require raising the rear end, including brake repair, axle removal and brake...

Proper wheel alignment is critical to your vehicle. Poor alignment can cause premature tire wear, sloppy handling and even problems controlling the vehicle. By learning how to adjust the tie rod...

If you have an automatic transmission in your vehicle then you should have the transmission fluid flushed to keep your vehicle well maintained. The transmission is often forgotten until problems...

The ignition switch is usually the first thing to get replaced when there is trouble starting a vehicle. It is easy to access and it does not take much time to replace. There are several...

Jump-starting a vehicle is an old-school but effective way to start your vehicle when the battery does not have enough stored electricity to turn over the starter and get your vehicle going. It's...

The idle control valve in your vehicle is mounted on the throttle body and controls the air flow into the engine from around the throttle body. The valve, as the name suggests, controls the idle....

Ford Motor Co. utilizes paints that are suited specifically to the automotive manufacturing industry. Manufacturers understand that damage can occur to the painted surface of vehicles due to...

As your car ages, normal wear and tear can affect the fuel line. Connectors and fittings corrode, and weathering of the fuel line itself forms cracks in the line material. The fuel line begins at...

Deer whistles have been around since the late 1970s. They are a small device that is attached to the front of a vehicle. As air moves through this device it produces an ultrasonic whistling noise....

Sway bars, also known as "anti-roll" or "stabilizer" bars, are an important part of any car suspension. Designed to add another degree of suspension control over springs and dampers alone, these...

If the air in your car seems stuffy, it may be because the cabin air filter needs replacing, a routine maintenance task. Different models of vehicles have different locations for the air filter,...

Weak coil springs are generally the result of hard usage, bad engineering from the factory or the use of inferior replacement springs. It is a misconception that a car's age alone contributes to...

A steering column attaches the steering wheel or handlebars with the steering gear in a motor vehicle. It is what allows the vehicle to turn and adjust wheel direction from side to side to the...

Cracks in the windshield not only can cause the driver to not have a clear view, but they also can lead to other complications such as corrosion to the underlying steel and a compromise of the...

The fuel filter on your Ford Escape model does a good job of trapping dirt and debris that try to make their way into the fuel system. However, if you neglect the system, the filter will begin to...

Performing your own simple maintenance on your vehicle will keep it running longer and save you money. Changing the transmission fluid on a Jeep Grand Cherokee is easy and quick. A good rule of...

Transmission fluid is a petroleum-based product that provides lubrication, viscosity and power to the transmission of a vehicle. The fluid helps cool the friction created between the moving...

Wiper blades are a simple, yet crucial part of your Mazda vehicle. If your wiper blades are scraping, squealing or not doing a good job increasing visibility, it's time to replace them. Wiper...

The parking brake helps to keep stress off of the vehicle's transmission while the vehicle is parked. It also acts as a backup to the hydraulic brake system in the event of a catastrophic failure....

Windshield wipers are an important safety component of your vehicle. Wipers ensure that rain and debris do not impair your field of vision while driving. If your windshield wipers fail to operate,...

Every Toyota Camry model since 2002 has come equipped with a friendly reminder to change your oil. The "maintenance required" light is set to the factory default of 5,000-mile service intervals....

A torsion bar is a flexible spring that can be moved about its axis via twisting. Torsion bars are designed and based on the amount of torque used in the twisting of the spring, the angle of the...

Mercedes-Benz is a German auto manufacturer that has been manufacturing cars under the name Mercedes since 1926. They are a company known for their technical innovation, such as the honeycomb...

In a pinch everyone should be able to perform basic maintenance on their vehicle. Here's a quick guide to getting that empty washer fluid refilled.

Nearly all vehicles have one or two light bulbs that illuminate the vehicle's rear license plate for nighttime viewing. When a license plate bulb burns out, it can leave the plate hard or...

Worn fuel pump components like valves and bearings and problems in the pump electrical circuit can cause low or high pressure in the fuel system. However, these components are not the only ones...