General Auto Repair

Ford diesel engines utilize a mechanical water pump to circulate engine coolant. Over time the seals inside the water pump can wear out and cause the pump to leak, subjecting the engine to...

The Pontiac Grand Prix featuring the 3.8-liter supercharged engine comes equipped with two drive belts. The primary serpentine belt functions as a serpentine belt does on most cars. The secondary...

Cadillac first began manufacturing its bespoke Deville model in 1949, and in 1994, mated its newest generation platform to GM's newest super-motor, the Northstar V8. This engine was a quantum...

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...

When it comes to auto repair, costs vary according to the car part. When it comes to the timing belt, dealers and mechanics recommend replacement every 50,000 to 60,000 miles for most cars, while...

The Chevrolet S-10 pickup endured 23 years of production in the United States. Although a few different generational designs occurred as the truck matured, one of the mainstay features of this...

The belt tensioner on a vehicle is an important part of the drive belt as it is used to tighten the belt. Drive belts need to be replaced once they are worn out, and if not replaced they may break...

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...

The alternator in the Kia Rio is located on front low-side of the engine. The alternator is much more accessible by lifting the vehicle. Since a floor jack and jack stands only offer limited room,...

Alternators rarely fail, but when they do, they require replacement. It's the battery's job to start the car and provide power on demand. The alternator is what keeps the battery in shape....

Seat belts are one of the most important safety features on your Toyota car or light truck. If the belt material is frayed, cut or torn, or the retention brackets are broken in any way, the belts...

The Chevy Tahoe began production in 1994, following the full-size conversion of the GMC Jimmy to a Yukon in 1992. Throughout its tenure, the Tahoe has come featured with four types of engine and...

Although the Toyota Tacoma became available in 1995, it was already on its second generation by 1997 through 2000. Featuring a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine,...

In a Honda engine, pistons travel up and down inside cylinders in the engine block and are driven by rods connected to the crankshaft. Top dead center is when the piston is farthest away from the...

The 2002 third-generation Ford Explorer most commonly featured the Cologne V6 4.0-liter engine. Although a 4.6-liter V8 was also available in 2002, the V6 engine accounted for most of the sales of...

There a few things in life that seem more miserable than being stuck in a car on a hot summer day with a broken air conditioner. Since mini-vans like the Nissan Quest are not designed with rear...

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...

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...

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...

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...

A CVT or continuously variable transmission is a transmission system that utilizes an infinite number of gear ratios through a pulley-and-belt system. Chrysler Corporation uses the CVT...

In water pump replacement, removing the valve cover will allow for access to the timing belt. Learn about removing the timing belt when replacing a water pump on a Mazda 626 from an auto mechanic...

After replacing a timing belt, the cover and mounts will follow. Learn about replacing the timing belt when replacing a water pump on a Mazda 626 from an auto mechanic in this free car repair video.

Installing a vehicle serpentine belt requires rotating the belt tensioner. Learn how to install a serpentine belt in your car in these free auto repair video instructions featuring a certified...

Proper removal of the serpentine belt requires checking the ID sticker on the vehicle to ensure proper removal. Learn how to remove your serpentine belt in these free auto repair video...

A drive belt is the big belt that you see when you open the hood of your car. The drive belt is a continuous belt that is used to drive multiple peripheral devices in a car;'s engine, such as an...

One bad spark plug in the engine would cause the car to idle roughly but still enable it to run. VWs tend to have very high cylinder compressions, so their spark plugs are very important and fail...

A timing belt keeps the crankshaft and the camshaft in sync with each other, and keeps the valve timing correct on the car. If the valve timing is not correct, the pistons will come up and hit the...

Learn tips for maintaining the belt drive on a Polaris ATV four wheeler - free atv maintenance video tutorial.

Learn how to check for clutch belt wear on an ATV including a Polaris 500 X2 quad 4X4 - free atv maintenance video tutorial.

Tranny belt system

Becoming familiar with a number of automotive tools is vital for any professional mechanic. You should also get to know automotive tools, such as the jacking screw tensioner, to make at-home auto...

The serpentine belt in a 1997 Grand Am drives the alternator, air conditioning, power steering, crankshaft and most importantly, the water pump. Replacing the belt can be done without raising the...