General Auto Repair

The power steering pump on a Dodge Intrepid supplies pressurized power steering fluid to the steering rack. The pump is mounted in a bracket next to the engine, and is driven by the serpentine...

You have had a busy day. You get in the car, stuff the key in the ignition, turn it--and it breaks off in your hand. Don't panic. If you are away from home, try pushing the part of the key in your...

The Jeep Cherokee uses a solid front axle with open knuckles and solid axle shafts running to the front wheels. The outer knuckles are mounted to the inner knuckle using two ball joints, one upper...

There is only one way to remove Freon from a HVAC system, and that is with the use of a reclaimer. The machine is designed to capture the Freon, filter out the impurities and store it for future...

The Saturn Vue employs both front and rear wheel hub bearing assemblies. These assemblies come from the factory complete with unserviceable bearings already pressed into the hub. They require no...

Chevrolet has produced the Corvette since 1953. It is normally a front-engine car powered by a V-8 with fuel injection or carburetors. The engine uses the gas tank to receive fuel and to return...

The transfer case on a Chevrolet Blazer is underneath the vehicle, mounted to the rear of the transmission. On four-wheel drive vehicles, the transfer case takes power generated by the engine and...

The transfer case on a 1986 Ford F250 is mounted just behind the transmission. The transfer case on a four-wheel-drive vehicle is designed to split the power generated by the engine and direct it...

It's upsetting when you purchase a new or use vehicle only to find out that it is a lemon. Luckily, there are lemons laws that help you to make sure that you are compensated in such a situation....

Charging the AC system after a repair requires a vacuum to be created in the system to remove moisture. As the vacuum develops and a negative pressure is felt, the boiling point of moisture is...

The heater core on a Chevrolet S10 pickup is a small radiator located underneath the dash on the passenger side of the cab. Heated coolant travels from the engine to the heater core through heater...

Few things can ruin the beauty of a car than ugly scratches in the clearcoat finish. Clearcoat is the layer of transparent film that covers the paint of the car, adding a layer of protection to...

Copper components are rare on modern automobiles. However, if your vehicle does use any copper for lead connections or for components, and the copper is starting to corrode, you must remove the...

If you don't have a trustworthy mechanic to call on, you may be more reluctant to bring your car in for a check or servicing, even when there is an apparent problem. Some mechanics will try to...

Replacing the alternator on your Dodge Stealth requires lifting the vehicle. Several other components must be removed to obtain access to the mounting bracket bolts. Although it's not exactly an...

A fuel injector is a device that mixes fuel with air under pressure for an internal combustion engine. Fuel injectors replaced carburetors in virtually all automobiles during the 1980s, and all...

The gas tank on a Volkswagen is a steel or plastic tank usually located at the rear of the vehicle below the trunk. Over time water or sediment can collect inside the tank and potentially clog the...

The key switch for your Ford truck's ignition system is more properly called a lock cylinder and is in the steering column. If you need to replace the switch, you also will replace the old key....

The water pump is an essential mechanical part of your Jeep Cherokee. A water pump circulates a mixture of coolant and water through the engine block and back through the radiator to maintain a...

The Ford Windstar was introduced in 1995 and features a 3.0 or 3.8 liter engine. Both six-cylinder motors may have come equipped with or without A/C and multiple accessories. Each motor, and what...

Jeep Wranglers built from 1987 to 1995 (known as the YJ Wrangler) used leaf springs to secure the drive axles to the frame and cushion the vehicle's ride. Leaf springs are flat steel plates...

The heater core on a Ford car or light truck operates in conjunction with the engine's cooling system to provide heated air to the passenger cabin. Engine coolant flows from the vehicle's engine...

The Ford Escape features a rack-and-pinion power steering system. The inner tie rods connect directly to the power steering rack and the outer tie rods bridge the connection from the inner tie...

A tensioner pulley on most newer cars -- from the mid 1980s to present -- is actually part of a two-piece component called the automatic belt tensioner. The tensioner's job is to apply the correct...

Chevrolet's High Energy Ignition (HEI) also know as a breaker-less ignition, was introduced in 1975 as a replacement for the older mechanical breaker-type distributors. Normal maintenance for an...

The fuel lines on your Toyota Corolla are made up of two main parts: the metal pipes and rubber hoses. Any piece of the lines that is leaking or damaged must be replaced. Hoses need to replace...

Toyota did away with the torsion bar front suspension in 1995 with the introduction of the Toyota Tacoma. A coil-over shock was used instead.This lessened the stiffness of the ride for comfort...

The throw out bearing in the Subaru WRX allows the clutch to engage properly and helps the transmission shift gears easily and without grinding. A worn throwout bearing will cause missed shifts...

The Tacoma is a sturdy mid-sized truck that gets good gas mileage. Sometimes, however, the wheel bearings will wear out in your Tacoma and will need to be replaced. The wheel bearings are situated...

The transmission in your Ford Ranger is subject to a high degree of abuse, whether from towing, hauling heavy loads or the daily grind of stop-and go traffic. As the transmission ages, gears can...

A flywheel is a large steel or aluminum disc that transfers power from an engine's crankshaft to the clutch assembly. Around the outside of the disc is the ring gear. These teeth on the outer edge...

The presence of rust on a car can lead to an unattractive appearance and decreased value for your car. Repairing rust may seem like a job for professionals. However, if you are willing to take a...

The Chevrolet full-size van was manufactured with six-cylinder inline, V6 and V8 engines and was most commonly used as a cargo van or as a base for conversion vans. The engine and transmission...

Toyota has experienced many generational redesigns in its models over the years. In addition, a safety upgrade to the three-way-shoulder-and-waist-harness that we use today was introduced as the...

The 2002 Buick Rendezvous features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine. The serpentine belt in this engine incorporates an inline multiple pulley system powered by the crankshaft. One belt operates...

Few things in life are more liberating than driving down the highway in a convertible with the top down and the wind blowing through your hair. A convertible top is not a cosmetic feature of your...

The Chevy Avalanche was introduced in late 2001 as a 2002 model by General Motors. The vehicle combined the features of a full-size SUV seating five or six passengers with the extended bed of a...

The Sedona was first introduced in 1999 by Kia, a Korean automobile manufacturing company. Known as the Kia Carnival, it was renamed in the United Kingdom and the United States as the Sedona. It...

An engine's power is transferred to the transmission, which allows the engine to produce power within optimal engine speeds. However, all of that power must then be transferred to the differential...

The serpentine belt is referred to as the single drive belt used in most cars today. Older cars had multiple offset pulleys managed by the crankshaft that required two to four V-belts to power the...

Permatex is an innovative liquid tool found in almost every auto repair shop. Different formulas of the product are used for different applications. Starting in 1909, Constant A. Benoit Sr....

A rusty bolt is the last thing you want to deal with when you have a larger issue at hand. Breaking off the head, rounding the corners, and busting your knuckles are no fun. Here are a few ways...

The Chevy S-10 tie rod ends, outer and inner, are connected to each other by a threaded sleeve clamp. The outside end of the outer tie rod is attached to the steering knuckle. The other side of...

When major transmission problems develop, you might need to remove the transmission for service. Removing and re-installing a transmission is an involved process and differs in details according...

Replacing car struts is an arduous task. The working environment should always be free of hazard, especially when it involves a vehicle. To replace car struts, you must remove the wheel and brake...

The alternator in a Jeep Wrangler is the heart of the electrical system. The battery provides electrical current to crank the starter -- after that, the alternator powers the engine's electrical...

Most vehicles today run with a serpentine drive belt, also known as an S-belt. The belt is driven by the engine crankshaft and provides rotation to the alternator, power-steering pump, water...

Different engines use different drive belts routed along a pulley system to power the engine components. The main pulley is the crankshaft pulley; most often the lowest pulley in the center. From...

Most every passenger vehicle on the roads these days have a front sway bar. A sway bar is also referred to as a stabilizer bar, an anti-sway bar and an anti-roll bar. The bar connects the left...

If you damage the mirror on your Ford Taurus, you could take the car to a Ford dealership for a replacement. However, a cheaper option is to do it yourself. The process requires a few basic tools....