Auto Mechanics

To replace a starter on a car or truck is not that hard. Just remember what comes off has to go back on.

The check-engine warning light, or any other warning light on a Ford Windstar indicates failure or impending failure. It is pointless to attempt to clear or shut the lights off without correcting...

Properly breaking in your vehicle's rebuilt engine is essential to the engine's longevity. The initial 500 to 1,000 miles of an engine's life determine how long the engine will last, how much oil...

Big-block Chevy timing is pretty well standardized unless major modification have been done. The timing on stock 396, 402, 427 and 454 engines is 32-34 degrees total advance at 3500 rpm. This is...

The internal combustion piston engine has been used in countless applications from small engines for lawn mowers,to larger engines for aircraft and automobiles, to large diesel engines for trains...

Exhaust brakes are one of those small innovations that have come to save countless lives over the years. These simple valves work to slow a vehicle without using the brakes, which is more...

Buick automobiles, especially the Regal and the Century, have been the subject of several recalls since the mid-1980s, but very few are due to general engine problems and none due to specific...

If you don't properly maintain your vehicle's cooling system through yearly flushes, it will develop problems. Without annual flushing, the cooling system starts to corrode internal parts and can...

Identification of the small block Chevy (SBC) engine requires searching for numbers and codes, and referring to sources to help identify size, date of casting and assembly, and, among other...

The engine block in a standard automobile holds the cylinders of the combustion engine, which is usually made of cast metal to help protect the engine. In automobile accidents, it is common for...

Was there ever a time when you really wanted to find out if your car alternator was actually producing electricity or not? Your car does not hold electrical charge or it simply won't charge the...

The internal combustion engine has been in use for over a century, and though it has been modified with the advancement of modern technology, it is still constructed using the same general parts...

The MAF sensor, or mass air flow sensor, is a critical part of your engine. It measures how much air is coming from the air filter into the engine and tunes the air-fuel ratio. If the sensor is...

The small-block Chevy engine has been produced in several variations for over 50 years, making it one of the easiest engines to build and find parts for. But since there are so many different...

Long block is a term given to a nearly complete engine assembly. The major components of the engine are pre-assembled and ready to install and have original accessories added. If an engine has...

An old axiom among mechanics is that for every part in a car, there are 10 ways for it to break. Given that the average car has 14,000 separate parts, and the average engine has over 1,000, it may...

A stall converter (also known as a "torque converter") is a fluid coupler used between an engine and drive device to prevent engine stalling at low RPM. Used in place of a traditional clutch, the...

How to stop engine knocking in just a few easy simple steps. You, yes you can do this at home. Although this does not stop knocking in all cases, it will help to extend the life of ANY engine, and...

When an engine mount goes out on a GMC truck (or almost any vehicle), the engine can cause vibrations throughout the truck, which makes for an uncomfortable ride. It also causes additional stress...

When your engine is running, it generates a great deal of heat is by burning fuel. The cooling system is designed to contol that heat, and part of that system is the cooling fan. Rear-wheel drive...

Engines wear out. It's an unfortunate reality, but not every engine built will last for 200,000 miles, so sometimes you have to replace it. The lifting and moving process can be difficult. In this...

Troubleshooting a misfire on the 3800 engine begins with isolating the misfiring cylinder and then pinpointing the cause. This same procedure can be used on other engines as well. Follow these...

The catalytic converter is subjected to reduced exhaust flow from the vehicle if the converter is allowed to overheat for any length of time. This is usually caused by poor spark plugs, sticking...

A cracked engine block is a rare, but potentially serious, engine problem that can occur for a variety of reasons. Responsible for enveloping and securing the main combustion centers of an...

Turbos are used on many late-model vehicles to enhance the performance of small displacement engines---usually four-cylinder engines. The small displacement engines have advantages in low fuel...

Is your vehicle not running right? Is it sluggish or chugging on acceleration on hills, or normal driving? Bad fuel mileage? Your problem maybe shorting spark plug wires. Spraying a mist of water...

Breaking in a new engine, following a proper procedure. is necessary to seat and seal new piston rings, bearings, valves and other components into their correct positions. The process may take a...

This article explains how to break your engine and disable your vehicle permanently. The procedure is NOT reversible. This procedure is recommended for vehicles approved for the "cash for...

Stop. Don't Go to the garage the next time your vehicle needs a tune up. I'll tell you how to do your own step by step and how you can save money on future tune ups.

Vehicles come equipped with an automatic or manual transmission. Both types offer advantages over the other, and each transmission type offers different amounts of control over a vehicle's engine.

Although gas mileage varies considerably from vehicle to vehicle, the factors that influence gas mileage are the same. Some of those factors are locked in by the vehicle you drive. Others are...

Engines are the lifeblood of a vehicle, and sometimes they need to be removed. Be it for maintenance, replacement, or even just to clean it up, you need to hoist an engine to remove it from a...

Transmission mounts help to stabilize and support the main engine driveshaft, which is an extension of the engine crankshaft that runs through the transmission and connects with the rear vehicle...

Before the advent of electric starting systems, cars were started by manually cranking the crankshaft. When you drive to the grocery store to pick up food for your family, it is the crankshaft in...

During the early 20th century, turbochargers were originally ship and aircraft components meant to increase performance. However, today they are used in many engines as a way to increase engine...

Engine motor mounts are small parts that are used to stabilize and properly align a vehicle engine. When motor mounts go bad, they can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from mechanical damage...

Optimum vehicle gas mileage is dependent on, and influenced by, a variety of factors, including the health and function of a vehicle's engine, fuel induction system and supporting systems. A...

Car engines are designed to be replaced relatively simply when they wear out. The motor of any automobile can be removed and replaced with a new one by most competent mechanics. The average...

Internal combustion engines are types of engines that use the reaction of a small explosion for energy. In this reaction, a type of fuel, such as gasoline, combines with air in a small space,...

The torque converter is attached to the flexplate on the crankshaft in the rear of the engine, between the engine and transmission. The torque converter is attached to the flexplate with three or...

A fuel pump is an integral part of a vehicle's fuel delivery system that bolts directly to the side of a vehicle's engine block. A fuel pump has a long, slender metal rod, otherwise known as a...

The internal combustion engine revolutionized travel for human beings. The internal combustion engine has a number of configurations for different purposes. V6, V8, more horsepower, more liters,...

A misfire in a 3.0 Ford engine occurs for all the same reasons as any other engine that has a misfire. A misfire should be diagnosed from the simplest and most likely to the more complex. A worn...

All fuel-injected vehicles have fuel pressure regulators to maintain a regulated amount of fuel flow. Fuel injectors require a set amount of pressure at the nozzle at all times while in operation....

Items in a vehicle that require the highest amperage, such as air conditioners, engine fans, starters and heater fans use 12-volt relays to keep the high amperage wires under the hood. The higher...

A Hyundai's engine is compoised of various mechanical parts, sensors and other electronic parts. Any one of these parts could make a Hyundai engine shut off or stall. To understand how an engine...

Engine intake manifolds bolt directly to the top of vehicle engines by way of a series of long, threaded bolts, which provide a secure, solid attachment. An intake manifold provides the structural...

A torque converter is the direct connection between the engine and transmission. It works much the same way that a stall converter works, but to understand a stall converter, you must first...

It is important to fully understand the two different oiling systems to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the both systems. A conventional oiling system, which is called a wet sump, has...

Most diesel fuel comes from crude oil. This oil is then refined through a process called fractional distillation, which separates the actual fuel from the less burnable and more viscous parts of...