Do It Yourself Auto Repair

The Toyota Camry is legendary for its longevity, but even the Camry needs a tune-up sometimes. One problem that commonly affects the Camry is the sticky accelerator pedal. When this problem...

Most of us welcome the opportunity to save significant money by tending to some basic and intermediate car care on our own. Replacing a thermostat can be challenging, but you can be successful if...

The cooling system on your Chevy van requires regular flushing to keep the engine running smoothly. If the cooling system is not purged at least once a year, deposits can build up in the engine...

Any time your A/C system is opened for repair, moisture enters the system. This moisture, if not removed, can cause corrosion and damage to system components and shorten the life of the A/C...

Replacing your auto's thermostat takes just a few minutes and can be done easily without any automotive experience. A thermostat and gasket can be purchased for around ten dollars.

The drain tube on a Ford Escort is removes the built up condensation produced by the air conditioning evaporator. The evaporator is in a case along with the heater core under the dash. It is a...

An automotive breather tank, or coolant reservoir, removes air from the coolant system by gravity induction. The system's highest point is the radiator cap, which has a small hose leading to the...

Installing a new fuel pressure regulator on a Toyota vehicle depends on where the regulator goes on your particular model. Some Toyota vehicles have the regulator installed within the fuel pump...

Recharging an auto air conditioning system is a fairly simple task. However, it does require some understanding of the system. The common charging hoses available at auto parts stores do not...

The vast majority of engine overheating problems can be traced to a defective thermostat rather than a problem with the radiator itself. The thermostat operates like a switch to prevent the...

Ford Escort owners are fortunate when changing the fuel filter on their vehicle; the Escort's fuel filter is located in the engine bay (driver's side) against the firewall. The fuel filter in most...

Every time you do an oil change or pop the hood you should take a look at your radiator hoses and make sure they are in good condition. Over time the temperature fluctuations degrade the hose and...

A Mustang's intake manifold is responsible for directing air and fuel into the cylinder heads. The manifold is a one-piece component, which makes it durable. However, the intake manifold uses four...

The automatic transmission cooling hoses on a Jeep help to keep the transmission cool and running smoothly. When you need to flush the transmission; or if the hose begins to look dried out or...

The throttle body on a Pontiac Grand Prix is responsible for delivering the fuel to the engine. Carbon deposits can sometimes build up on the inside of the throttle body opening and the throttle...

Automobiles are manufactured with pressurized coolant systems that require overflow tanks to accommodate the expansion and contraction of coolant fluid. This reservoir tank is typically a...

Doing a repair like this can save you a nice chunk of change if you happen to be up to the challenge. It really isn't all that hard, if you don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed at the size...

There are several reasons why we lose refrigerant from our air-conditioning systems over the winter months. The seals may shrink due to cold and begin to leak. Alternatively, the hoses can shrink...

Automotive fuel pumps use a vacuum diaphragm to push fuel through a series of steel and rubber lines to the intake manifold of a vehicle. In modern cars and trucks, they are commonly installed in...

An engine thermostat is an essential component of the engine cooling system. It regulates the temperature of the coolant and ensures that your engine remains cool. Thermostats work because of a...

Hose clamps that are used to attach radiator hoses and other engine system hoses also are useful in other applications. In fact, hose clamps are so effective, easy to work and useful in a wide...

The timing chain cover on Ford's 460 engine not only physically covers the timing chain; it prevents the oil within the engine from leaking out. The cover also acts as a mounting point for the...

The radiator on a Chevy S10 should last the life of the vehicle. However, over time, the radiator may rust for several reasons, most of which involve poor maintenance. The radiator fluid should be...

The heater core on a 1993 Dodge Intrepid is responsible for providing the passenger cabin with heat. Some of the coolant from the radiator is redirected from the radiator system to the heater core...

Replacing the heater core in a Pontiac Sunfire is a very difficult and complex process. The heater core is kept within the car's heating/air conditioning module behind the instrument panel. So...

Overfilling a transmission can actually be more harmful to the transmission than not adding enough. The fluid within the transmission courses though the transmission under pressure. Too much fluid...

You can take your 95 Grand Am to a radiator shop for repairs, but if it is an old unit and has already been through one or more fixes, it might be a good idea to replace the radiator to prevent...

The Mitsubishi Eclipse is a popular sports-coupe. The Eclipse was introduced in 1990 and has undergone several body style changes. All models of the Eclipse have a fuel pressure regulator. The...

The heater core in a 2001 Ford Ranger controls the heat that is metered into the passenger cabin. Hot coolant from the cooling system is drained off into the heater core. A fan then blows the heat...

The Chevrolet Corvette uses a pumped coolant system with a front-mounted radiator to control engine temperatures. The radiator is prone to corrosion and wear, and will require replacement once in...

The sole purpose of an engine's tappets is to connect the lobes of the camshaft to the pushrods. Removing the tappets on many engines can be an extremely complicated and time-consuming job....

The throttle body on a Jeep controls the flow and mixture of gas and air that goes into the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine. The throttle body can become dirty over time due...

An old radiator can cause a lot of problems for a vehicle. For one, if the radiator is rusty, that rust can be knocked loose and circulate through the engine which can clock the cooling channels...

The positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV valve) on a Chevy Impala is generally located on the engine block. The exact location may vary from year to year; however, it is generally located on...

The Toyota Tercel was manufactured with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that uses a pressurized coolant system with a radiator and engine-driven pump. The radiator can become corroded or damaged...

The radiator on a 2003 Infinity G35 forces coolant through the engine to draw heat away from the engine. In this way, it acts like a large heat sink. High temperatures, while a necessary byproduct...

The 1999 Ford Ecoline van uses a radiator and coolant to cool the engine. You should check and replace the coolant every 30,000 miles. To make sure that your system runs in top shape, consider...

It is common for the thermostat on your Toyota Supra to fail and become stuck in the open or closed position after years of service. This will adversely affect engine operation. If the thermostat...

Your vehicle's radiator helps cool the engine by accepting radiator fluid that cycles through the engine and acts as a heat sink. The fluid then enters the radiator, which is highly conductive. A...

A blower motor distributes heating and air-conditioning coolant through your vehicle's entire coolant system. The blower motor is an essential component for the distribution of your vehicle's...

Thermostats control the flow of coolant through your Lincoln Mark 8's engine. The coolant only circulates when the engine's internal temperature reaches about 210 degrees F, after which the...

Thermostat valves in the coolant system of your Audi A8 control the flow of coolant throughout the engine. The coolant only circulates when the engine's internal temperature reaches a certain...

The radiator in a Ford motorhome needs to be removed through the bottom. There are a variety of Ford motorhomes produced in a myriad of body styles, but regardless of the style, the process will...

The BMW 3-series is one of the longest running nameplates of any vehicle on the market. The 1992 325 I was a mid-level 3-series package, equipped with a 2.7 L inline-six cylinder engine producing...

R134a refrigerant is used on many modern production vehicles as a refrigerant for the air conditioning system. Freon is no longer used as a refrigerant today, so if your air conditioning in your...

Air intake systems are responsible for adding air to mix with fuel in an internal combustion engine. Air intakes are one of the most popular performance upgrades available, due to their overall...

Trailers are quintessential utility vehicles. You can load them with tools, parts, cars or any other thing you can imagine. And enclosed trailers are even better because you can secure your load....

Subaru engines have a radiator and water channel design that uses pumped and pressurized coolant to stabilize its internal temperature. Unlike most internal combustion engines, instead of a block...

The cooling system of your Chevy Venture van uses a simple thermostat to regulate and maintain engine temperature. The thermostat allows the exchange of high and low temperature coolant between...

I have a 2000 Chevy Astro Van that the AC just suddenly started blowing through the defrost vents only. The setting of the switch on the dashboard didn't matter at all. The fan worked fine and the...