Do It Yourself Car Maintenance Videos

Changing and draining the power steering fluid of an automobile is as important as getting an oil change and can be done by the car owner. Remove the cap of the power steering reservoir and suck...

Not all vehicles have the same thermostat placement, and the degree of difficulty of changing a thermostat can vary greatly. Discover the importance of checking an engine's temperature before...

In order to lower vehicle emissions to pass inspection, take care of maintenance items, such as spark plugs, ignition wires and fuel filters. Discover how oxygen sensors and catalytic converters...

In order to reduce frost on a vehicle's windows, try a simple solution of covering the windshield with plastic in order to keep frost away. Find out how to use windshield wipers to hold the...

A bad starter will cause nothing to happen at all when a car's key is turned, but it's useful to check the battery to make sure that a dead battery isn't the problem. Find out how to tell if a...

In order to adjust a car's brakes, the vehicle will have to be raised in order to see the actual hole to make an adjustment. Learn about the tool needed to adjust a car's brakes with help from an...

Before deciding to change a car antenna entirely, it's best to first remove the mask to see if it's a simple matter of threading a new unit. Discover why a radio may need to be removed to change a...

Idle speed and idle mixture are the two most common adjustments made to carburetors, and these adjustments start by warming up the vehicle to full engine-operating temperature. Find out how to...

A tuneup is something that should be performed on a vehicle as a part of regular maintenance in order to maintain good fuel economy and performance. Perform a tuneup by replacing spark plugs, air...

When inspecting car brakes to see if they need to be replaced, a shiny outside is an indication of metal-to-metal contact. Find out how to read a warning tab on brake pads with help from an...

The first step in adjusting headlights is to look at the headlight for numbers that will indicate settings for adapters. Make horizontal and vertical adjustments when working on headlight...

If an oil pump has gone bad, use a manual oil-pressure gauge to find out what the real oil pressure is when the engine is running. Discover what parts must be removed to inspect an oil pump itself...

One way to check to see if a mass air flow sensor has gone bad is by tapping on the engine when it's running to see if it stumbles. Find out how to remove a mass air flow sensor to check if it has...

The first step in cleaning fuel injectors is to go into the engine and disconnect the fuel lines, after which detergent needs to be added to the gasoline in the cleaning machine. Learn about using...

Most antifreeze is naturally corrosive, and thus it needs to be periodically changed before causing damage that must be cleaned with a flushing agent. Perform a chemical flush on a car's radiator...

When adjusting wheel bearings, tighten the wheel bearing to 240 to 300 pounds while rotating the hub and spinning the drum. Learn about pre-loading wheel bearings by squeezing grease out of the...

Electrical problems should be diagnosed by looking at an electrical load to determine if there is a source of power. Discover how to check a car's fuses if it's experiencing electrical problems...

A car radiator can leak in the tank, the core or in the radiator hoses, and a crack in the aluminum or plastic parts can't typically be repaired. Learn about fixing a leaking radiator along the...

In order to change a vehicle's oil, loosen and remove the drain plug and drain the oil until the oil pan is pretty much empty. Learn about replacing oil filters and cleaning off the surface where...

A timing belt is a rubber belt that's usually mounted underneath and engine cover that's used to transfer power from the crank shaft to the cam shaft. Find out how to remove the engine cover to...

If something in a car doesn't work, then the fuses should be checked and possibly replaced. Discover how to remove a bad fuse with a pair of needle-nose pliers with help from an ASE-certified...

If a vehicle doesn't start, it may be a result of a wide variety of problems, so the first questions to answer are whether or not it has a spark or fuel. Determine whether or not a vehicle has...

In order to check manual transmission fluid, the vehicle will have to be raised on a lift or jack stands to gain access to the fill plug. Find out how to check levels of manual transmission fluid...

(Video above shows a worn out, failing Front Lower control arms) The control arms of the car function as the arms that keep the car stable. Control arms may begin to fail as early as 60,000...

Changing a headlight varies from car to car but usually involves removing a couple screws on top and then pulling out the bulb. Change a headlight with tips from an experienced auto mechanic in...

Rotors usually appear on the front of a car and are used for braking, pushing hydraulic fluid into the caliper. Discover how rotors work and when they need to be replaced with tips from a mechanic...

Use a wrench to remove an oil filter, or fuel filter, and let the oil drip out before replacing the filter. Change a fuel filter and recycle the oil with tips from a mechanic in this free car-care...

The inches used to describe tire size refer to the diameter of the tire's rims, and the recommended size of tires should always be used. Discover how tire sizes work and how wrong sizes can be...

In most cars, the air filter is inside a plastic box and can be unclipped without the use of tools. Clean a car's air filter or replace it with a new one with tips from a mechanic in this free...

Brake fade can be combated by breaking sooner, shifting to a lower gear or tapping the brakes. Reduce brake fade by slowing in advance with tips from a mechanic in this free car-care and...

Standard motor oil evaporates under extreme heat and becomes clumpy in extreme cold, while synthetic oil is designed to maintain a regular consistency. Compare synthetic to standard motor oil with...

Some car batteries are sealed, but water batteries have a lid that can be pried off to check and see if water is filled up to the rim. Add water to a car battery, but don't overfill it, with tips...

Changing a tire is as simple as jacking up the car, removing lug nuts with the jack handle and switching the tire with a spare. Change a tire and be sure to have a spare ready with tips from a...

In order to change rotors, the caliper and brake pads need to be removed first, while the rotor itself has a number of bolts that hold it in place. Change rotors and replace brake pads with tips...

There are a number of different brake problems that a car can have, including squealing brakes, unevenness and braking that is loose and not solid. Diagnose brake problems with tips from a...

Jack up a car in order to change a tire and check the manual to see where it needs to be placed for each corresponding wheel. Jack up a car and put the emergency brakes on with tips from a...

When installing license plates, use bare hands to line up the screws before tightening them with a screwdriver. Install license plates, one or two depending on the state, with tips from a mechanic...

When a car's instrument lights come on, it could be because of low fuel, it could be a check-engine light that requires a trip to the auto shop, or it could be an engine overheating. Interpret a...

Wait until a radiator is cool to check the fluid levels and check the owner's manual to see what kind of antifreeze is needed and if it needs to be diluted with water. Check and add radiator fluid...

The way to check how many cylinders a car has if by looking at the number of spark plugs or by checking the label on top of the engine. Determine how many cylinders your car has, usually four or...

Horsepower is the amount of power required to lift 33,000 pounds one foot off of the ground in one minute. Determine how much horsepower your car has by searching for calculators on the Internet...

A car with front-wheel drive will have drive lines that go to the front wheels, while a rear-wheel drive car will have drive lines going to the back wheels. Determine if your car is front-wheel or...

After draining a car's motor oil, seal the oil up tightly and take it to a local auto parts store or service station that advertises such a service. Recycle motor oil with tips from a mechanic in...

Before changing a car battery, be sure to clean the terminals of corrosion, disconnect the terminals and disconnect the clamp that holds the battery steady. Change a car's battery with tips from a...

Usually, the red jumper cable goes on the positive side of a car battery and the black goes to the negative side, but the wires should never be crossed. Jump-start a car and keep jumper cables...

If a car driver notices a unique smell, it could be an exhaust leak, a catalytic converter smell, a burning oil smell or a gasoline smell. Diagnose car smells and their potential danger with tips...

To install new front brake hoses, replace fitting rings and washers to create the best possible seal. Install the brake hose on the passenger side of a car with the tips in this free video on car...

When replacing front brake hoses, make sure the hoses and fittings are clean and dry and do pressure tests to determine strength of the seals. Check the brake fluid when replacing front brake...

Before bleeding brakes when replacing front brake hoses, remove any air in the brake lines to insure that braking pressure will be applied directly to the brake pads. Get the brakes of a car...

When replacing front brake hoses, pump the brakes to let the air out of the braking system in order to bleed the brakes. Bleed the brakes when replacing front brake hoses with the tips in this...