Do It Yourself Car Maintenance

Changing the old fuel filter on your Jeep Pioneer will improve fuel flow and engine power. However, the task can take you a few minutes or a couple of hours, depending on your particular Pioneer...

Fiberglass is a very durable material that is commonly used in the automobile industry for body repairs. You can repair anything from holes in the body to small dents or scratches with fiberglass....

A gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle needs regular maintenance just like any other automobile. Many of these tasks can be done by anyone with a little bit of common sense, a few pointers, and a trip...

If your vehicle vibrates when you come to a stop, then you may have a bad rotor. The rotors on a car are made of aluminum. Sometimes when they get wet, the heat from constant braking will cause...

Maintaining batteries properly extends the useful life of the electrical storage devices. Lead acid types, primarily used in vehicles and marine applications, come in two distinctive varieties: A...

Depending on which part of the country you live in, your windshield wipers can get quite a workout. Constant use can create wear and tear on your vehicle, and like any other part on your car, the...

Most of us drive our cars every day and fill the tanks with gas much too often. With gas prices fluctuating wildly over the last couple of years, it’s clear that anything we can do to cut our gas...

Battery jumpers, sometimes called "jump boxes" or "jump starters," are devices with internal batteries used to supply power to a weak or dead battery. Battery jumpers are more convenient than...

A car can sit idle for a rather long period of time without any major damage taking place. There are, however, several items you should address before attempting to revive the car; otherwise...

According to Stockcarracing.com "one of the biggest pitfalls when painting your car is a rush job." With this said, painting a race car can be completed by a do-it-yourselfer if he has the right...

Engine mounts are also called motor mounts and are, in the simplest of terms, thick rubber bushings that a Corolla car engine rests on when it is attached to the automobile frame. They are made to...

If you've ever noticed that your gearshift feels "notchy" or gets excessively hot, it's probably time to lubricate your gearbox. The Miata is rear-wheel drive car, so the gearshift sits directly...

The Chevy Venture has a separate turn signal casing (front), unlike most other vehicles. This makes replacing the turn signal bulb a bit easier, because you do not have to remove the entire...

Welding exhaust tubing can save you a lot of money. It can be done with either a stick welder or a MIG wire feed welder, which is the industry standard. Weld the exhaust tubing away from the...

There are several reasons to remove the battery from a Jeep Liberty. You may be replacing the battery for a fresh one. You may be doing maintenance around the fuse block and need the battery...

The bottom side of a vehicle can get very rusty as water and salt on roads splash up onto the unpainted, unsealed undercarriage of the vehicle. Working on items under your vehicle can be quite a...

Put your hand inside of a large plastic bag, and run it across your windshield. If you feel a gritty sensation, as if the glass were made of fine sandpaper, it's time to polish your windshield....

Troubleshooting a faulty fuel system could lead to replacing the fuel pump or the fuel tank. In either situation you will have to pull the tank down. The Ford fuel tank is in the back of the...

The Chevy Corvette is an American-made muscle car, with its sleek look and amount of horsepower to make any driver sweat. Investing in a project, such as stripping the paint after obtaining a...

Regular windshield wiper replacement is necessary to maintain the best visibility during inclement weather. You can tell your wipers need replacing when the blades streak your windshield or wipe...

Older automotive batteries had removal caps so the electrolyte, or acid, could be checked and topped off if needed. However, the removable caps could leak and possibly cause the battery to...

A running gas or diesel engine produces a lot of exhaust and heat that needs to be removed from the engine to allow it to run properly. A blockage of exhaust in the engine can cause a back flow of...

Replacing the wiper blades on your Chevy is an important maintenance step. Too often, wipers blades are a disregarded component until they stop working. By not being able to properly see, you...

There are many reasons why it is good to be able to successfully flare your own stainless-steel hard brake lines. If you are restoring a car and want to install new hard brake lines, making your...

Your Isuzu Trooper can take you just about anywhere and can last for years if you keep up with the regular maintenance that it needs. Not to be overlooked are the Trooper's lights. Not only do...

The crisp, clean smell of a new car is a welcome scent when most vehicle owners purchase a new vehicle. However, that scent can quickly wear off due to a number of factors including road dust,...

You thought you were doing a good deed when you offered to take your co-worker to work, but when you can smell him before you can see him you know there's going to be a problem. While a little...

Ceramic coatings are used on exhaust components in order to keep this area of your car from overheating. They are extremely durable, and as long as you do not try to sand them or attack them with...

HID (high intensity discharge) bulbs use xenon gas to produce a brighter illumination for a vehicle's headlights than standard halogen lights. An HID bulb needs a special ballast capable of...

Gas stains on painted car surfaces are a common aesthetic problem. However, this issue is about more than just looks. Gas stains can eat through the finish of your car over time, exposing the...

A knocking sound coming from your engine when you accelerate could be caused by excessive heat and pressure creating a "detonation" in the engine. If this problem continues, you could severely...

Replacing the thermostat in your Mercury Grand Marquis is a procedure that should take no more than half an hour to repair. The thermostat on the Grand Marquis does serve a unique function as...

The coolant system on the Chrysler Sebring is a very basic design. The water pump pushes the coolant through the motor. The thermostat is a valve that remains closed until the temperature of the...

A noisy serpentine belt can be annoying. There are several reasons why a belt may squeak. It could mean nothing, but it could also be symptom of a bigger problem.

Fram filters are designed to collect sediment and debris that is floating through your fuel line. Fram is designed for high performance and fuel injected systems. They are easy to replace. When...

Tank 150cc scooters are usually shipped to their destinations in metal angle-iron crates. Inspect the bike to be sure there was no damage during shipping. Any work that must be performed to the...

Caulk is used as a sealant for exposed seams on both interior and exterior surfaces. The versatile adhesive compound comes in different forms that are suitable for various types of projects....

A vehicle's fuel filter has the responsibility of catching any debris and sediment from the fuel before it enters the engine. The filtration process starts at the fuel tank where the fuel pump is...

Diesel fuel is more prone to sediments and debris than regular gasoline. A diesel truck is more prone to pick up dirt and debris due to the rough nature the motors are used in. Diesel is also...

When the check engine light comes on everyone wonders why. Some just want to know how to get the light to go off. Either way, the process for resetting that light on a General Motors (GM) vehicle...

A Chevy Tahoe is a luxury workhorse that is as likely to be driven to a restaurant as it is to be found breaking trails through the woods. While the Tahoe is designed to withstand the stress of...

There are a few things constant in life: death, taxes, and incandescent light bulbs that go out. Eventually, every bulb will fail, and when they do, they should be replaced. The dome light of a...

You should check your GMC Sierra wiper blades every 6 months to make sure that the rubber compound is intact. Since wiper blades on the Sierra perform an important safety function, you should not...

Changing the oil and oil filter on your Toyota is an important maintenance procedure to properly take care of the engine. Different models and engine sizes on Toyota vehicles feature a wide...

Cigarette smoke may smell bad, but the chemicals and contaminants making up the smoke linger long after the cigarette has been extinguished. Cigarette smoke can get into a car's air conditioning...

In these tough economic times, it makes more sense to keep your current car rather than trade it in. So, if you notice that your car is starting to burn more oil, how do you reduce oil usage so...

Most cars now use a serpentine drive belt system which means there is one large drive belt instead of several small belts powering all of your accessories. The idler pulley provides the needed...

O-rings are designed to help seal fluid from entering one area of a part through another, like stopping water from leaking out of a thermostat housing or to seal an electrical connection from...

The Duramax Diesel is a relatively new motor designed by General Motors and Izuzu. The Duramax can be found in heavy-duty Chevrolet and GMC trucks. This diesel provides plenty of horsepower to get...

Replacing the starter in a Chevrolet does not have to be a complicated task. The starter is a motor that is used to start the flywheel when you start the vehicle. The flywheel in turns sets the...