Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
By the late-1990, the Honda Civic was well-established as a perennial best seller for its enviable combination of economy, fit and finish, and reliability. For the 1998 model year – which arrived in the middle of the car’s sixth production cycle – manufacturer Honda positioned the DX as the low-end trim of the Civic.
The Lexus RX 350 and the Lincoln MKX compete in the luxury, mid-size crossover segment. Introduced in 1998, the Lexus RX is the seasoned veteran of the two. Already in its third generation, which was released in 2010, the 2011 model received an upgraded brake system and new exterior colors. Playing the part of the contender, the Lincoln MKX is the relative newcomer to the bout, entering the market as a 2007 model. Still in its first generation, the 2011 MKX got a substantial mid-cycle refresh, which included a new powerplant, updated styling, and new class-exclusive technology.
Electronic brake force distribution has set one of the newest standards of non-driver regulated brake control. This distribution system known as EBD, is starting to make its way into more and more cars that are being produced. EBD has been shown to help improve braking efficiency and is stemmed off of the anti-lock brake system. Once again, more electronics have worked their way into our hydraulic system. To understand how an EBD system works you will have to understand a little about the history of brakes and the side effects of braking on your vehicle.
Even long after the creation of the first static electricity generator in 1660 by Otto Von Guericke and the Leyden Jar by dutch physicist Pieter van Musschenbroek and German scientist Ewald Christian Von Kleist, a lot of electricity is still unproven and remains strictly theory. Truth be told, there are some things about electricity that will not be understood or proven for a long time to come. Fortunately and thanks to those who lived before us we know enough about electricity to create it at will and use it on the go like in our vehicles. The number one thing…
Some disadvantages associated with aluminum engine blocks would be readily apparent to anyone who had the misfortune to own certain domestic attempts to use such burgeoning technology. All-aluminum V-8 engines offered by Buick, Pontiac and Oldsmobile in the early 1960's were prone to overheat, and often required extensive repairs afterward. Chevrolet tried their hand at it almost ten years later, with the four-cylinder Vega. These engines suffered catastrophic failures often with little, or no, warning. Unenlightened, but optimistic, General Motors made yet another dismal attempt with a Cadillac engine, touted as the HT4100, which succumbed in the same manner as…
The 1997 Ford F150 base model came with a 4.2-liter six-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Drivability problems like bucking or jerking can be a hard thing to diagnose because the source could be from the engine, transmission or rear end. The best thing to do is ride down the road when you can duplicate the problem, roll the windows down and listen for any noise that is being made when your truck begins to buck and jerk. With some careful listening you may be able to get a rough area of the source if it is a mechanical…
The 1993 Acura Integra came with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic transmission. The engine block in your Integra has an outer shell with casted sleeves in the center that each piston travels up and down in. Coolant is pushed around the outer sleeves and through the rest of the engine to help keep the engine at a stable operating temperature. A cracked block generally results in a loss of coolant without a puddle to justify such loss; however, a cracked or blown head gasket will often exhibit the same signs.
General Motors learned long ago that staying true to the the "general" part of its name was its ace in the hole. To make every vehicle as close to custom as possible, GM uses Regular Production Option codes consisting of one number and two letters. All together, this means that GM can offer a stunning 6,760 different RPOs at any given time, and any number of RPOs with a given chassis, including the Suburban, like so many others -- "general" indeed.
A powerful antenna pulls in distant signals with crystal-clear clarity, a necessity for modern high-definition digital signals. There’s a wide variety of antenna choices available for purchase, with the current most powerful model often being overshadowed by a new model soon after being made available. Choosing the most powerful on the market whenever you're shopping though, only requires an understanding of just what provides the power that you’re looking to use for your reception needs.
Spark plug wires, also known as ignition wires, are usually sturdy and last a long time, provided that they are kept in their wire looms, to avoid rubbing against the hot engine. Since an engine always has some movement during operation, the trick is to keep the wires far enough away from any other part that they could rub against while the engine moves. At the factory, ignition wires are routed through several looms that are mounted on brackets.
Believe it or not, it’s actually possible to tape a hole in a vehicle’s muffler, as long as the hole’s not too big. Generally speaking, if the hole’s larger than two inches in diameter, it cannot be adequately repaired with tape. The tape used to repair holes in a muffler isn’t the kind of tape that you’re used to using; it’s a special kind of tape, also referred to as a “muffler bandage.” This bandage material is made from fiberglass and a special resin that seals against the muffler once the pipe heats up.
The oil cooler lines on your 2003 Chevy S-10 4.3-liter engine route from the oil filter housing to the radiator and then back to the oil filter housing. The two oil cooler lines are replaced as a set and are considered one assembly. When replacing the oil cooler lines you have to flush the oil cooler with fresh engine oil and it is recommended that you change your engine oil and filter as well. The oil cooler line assembly is readily available in the aftermarket part world, as well as at your local dealer.
Chrysler introduced the Concorde in 1994 and produced it until 2004. The Concorde is a member of the Chrysler LH vehicle family which shares many features with the LHS, New Yorker, Dodge Intrepid and Eagle Vision. The first-generation LH cars were based on the Chrysler/Lamborghini Portofino concept car of 1987. The Concord is a roomy full-size four-door sedan, powered by a 3.3-liter or 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The Concord was available with an optional power antenna. The antenna is conveniently located in the passenger side rear quarter-panel and is accessed and replaced with little difficulty.
In the not-too-distant past of motoring, adding or changing coolant was a bit more simplified. The conventional green ethylene-glycol based coolant -- which acts as an antifreeze, as well as drawing heat from the engine -- was used in most American vehicles prior to the 1990s. As of the 2000s, the conventional green coolant is still used, but many vehicles -- such as the 2001 Ford Focus -- use other types of coolant, as well.
Learning how to tell the left from the right side on car parts is easy, so long as you know what you're looking for. Tell the left from the right side on car parts with help from an expert in the automotive industry in this free video clip.
Checking to see if a muffler is loose doesn't require an expensive trip down to the mechanic. Check if a muffler is loose with help from an expert in the automotive industry in this free video clip.
The Yamaha F115 outboard has a digital speedometer that can display speed in kph, mph or knots, also known as nautical miles per hour. You can select your preferred unit of measurement with switches on the back of the speedometer. These switches are covered with a rubber cap. To the left of this rubber cap, as you look at the back of the speedometer, is a power connector. Below the power connector is a nipple for a plastic speedometer tube. The journey to a clean speedometer tube begins there.
Your vehicle’s differential changes the rotating motion of the driveshaft to rotation of the axles through a ring and pinion drive gear, side gears and pinion gears. Differentials fall into three main groups: open, limited-slip and locking. There are several types of locking differentials. The original locking differential was automatic, other locking differentials have been developed that are manually engaged by air, electricity and cable.
Changing out the zinc anodes on your two-stroke, 90-horsepower Yamaha outboard's powerhead presents little difficulty, even if you've never changed one before. There is only one anode, and it is always on the same side of the powerhead. Once you remove the engine's top cover and expose the powerhead, it requires the most basic hand-tools to replace it -- a wrench and a screwdriver. With a digital multimeter, you can test the electrical connectivity of the zinc, as well as that of every zinc on the boat.
Mufflers are the oval or cylindrical components located at the end of the exhaust system toward the rear of the vehicle forward of the tail pipe. The muffler helps the vehicle to meet sound and emissions standards for the manufacturing year of the vehicle. Oxidation of the mild steel in the mufflers can cause the muffler to rot and fail over time. The processes causing rot can occur on the inside, as well as the outside, of the muffler.
Engines are in the business of fire; they use it to make power, they contain its wrath and they channel excess energy away where it can do no harm. But in the same way that a badger on a chain is more useful and less dangerous than a school of sharks, allowing that blaze to leave the confines of the combustion chamber can cause serious problems for your engine's metal components and everything attached to them.
Custom wheel inserts can mean different things to different vehicles owners. Inserts can apply to custom hub inserts that feature an automaker’s logo or a custom design. It could also mean lug inserts that provide different lug nut sizes. However, a custom wheel rim insert is a different animal altogether. It’s essentially a runflat tire that features an additional support ring, or insert, wrapped around the rim to allow the vehicle to travel with a destroyed tire.
Reverberation is the reflection of sound off of surfaces in a room. The larger the room, the more reflection or echo there will be. Natural reverb is often called acoustics by musicians. Recording artists use reverb to add a sense of acoustic space to their songs. Artificial reverb can be produced with an electronic keyboard, such as the Casio CTK-451, when it is plugged into a reverb pedal. Reverb pedals work with electric guitars and keyboards. They lengthen the sound of a note or repeat it in an echo to create artistic effects in songs.
Prior to the 1940s, the great majority of mass-produced engine cylinder heads were flat, colloquially called flatheads or flatties. By the 1950s the design had been eclipsed by numerous overhead valve designs, but Dodge’s military division was to produce vehicles with a flat engine for another two decades. They were used in a series of trucks whose name began with the letter “M.” Only one type of engine was used: the Dodge T245.
When a bolt breaks off in the engine block or cylinder head, you need to make a decision what method you'll use to remove the bolt. The first thing to consider is whether the bolt broke from being bottomed out in the hole, over-torqued or rusted. Bolts that have bottomed out in the hole or are more difficult to remove with a screw extractor. The welding procedure works in most every circumstance, even with aluminum heads. This is by far the most effective way of removing a broken bolt without causing further problems. It requires either a Tig or Mig…
The Impala is Chevrolet's sports sedan. Redesigned in 2006, the Impala line was refined further in 2012, reducing the number of powertrain options available and consolidating the line's trim levels to three versions. As in previous model years, the 2012 Impala LTZ is equipped with several upgrades over the LT and LS trims, including a stiffer, sport-tuned suspension system.
The 2002 Dodge Intrepid was offered with a 2.7-liter six-cylinder engine or a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission. Despite the difference, the coolant draining and filling procedure are the same. Both engines have a total cooling system capacity of 9.4 quarts and require Mopar long life 5 year/100,000 mile green coolant.
Adding drama and suspense to a dramatic interpretation can be accomplished in a number of different ways depending on your preferences. Add drama and suspense to a dramatic interpretation with help from a professional actress and performer in this free video clip.
Diagnosing problems with the fuel lines in your car is difficult unless you are experiencing acceleration problems. The fuel system operates under pressure to keep gasoline or diesel flowing smoothly into the combustion chamber of the engine. A little suction on the gas cap is a good sign, but an excessive vacuum indicates problems.
In the context of automobile engines, overflow bottles and expansion tanks are separate entities. Expansion tanks have been the norm on most vehicles since the 1970s, but overflow bottles were an important part of both the philosophy and engineering that led to their introduction.
In the 2005 model year, Chevrolet began phasing out the aging Cavalier and introduced its eventual replacement, the Cobalt. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near as successful as its predecessor, and Chevy discontinued it after just six model years. The 2007 Cobalt came standard with a 2.2-liter engine that used GM’s proprietary Dex-Cool coolant to keep it within an acceptable temperature range. Chevy recommended flushing and refilling the 2.2-liter engine's cooling system every 60 months or 150,000 miles, whichever came first. Flushing the 2007 Cobalt’s coolant is more time consuming than difficult, but the money you save makes it well worth…
Defrosting a gas cap is something people might not think of, but its very important in the winter time. Learn about defrosting a gas cap with help from an expert in the automotive industry in this free video clip.
A key cylinder in a Schlage lock that is difficult to turn is most likely in need of a replacement key plug. The key plug is the portion of the Schlage lock that is the keyhole and contains the bottom pins for keying. It is possible to change out the key plug and keep the same key. A plug follower is required to prevent the pins on the cylinder from popping out when removing the key plug. Plug followers are available at locksmith shops and some hardware stores.
Speedometers have a margin of error. Different types of speedometers are used in the automotive industry, and although the exact margin of error varies by type and manufacturer no option provides a 100 percent accurate speed reading at all times. Variables on the vehicle that change over time affect the accuracy of a speedometer.
Getting an engine to run, much less run well, is no simple task. While any high-school auto-shop student may tell you how air and fuel gets into the cylinder, ignites and gets back out, the fact is that the techniques used today are the products of more than a century's worth of trial, error and refinement. Valvetrains and ignition systems are getting more complex by the day, edging ever closer to perfectly orchestrating the dance of physics that is an internal combustion engine.
A vehicle's rear differential sends power from the driveshaft to the axles. When cornering, the inside tire turns slower than the outside tire. The differential allows the tires to rotate at different speeds. There are three basic types of differentials – open, limited-slip and locking. They all work in different ways; one requires a friction modifier to be used in the differential.
The 1998 Nissan Frontier came equipped with a 2.4-liter inline-four cylinder engine and either an automatic or model FS5W71 five-speed manual transmission. The gear oil in the manual transmission should be changed every 60,000 miles or 48 months. Check the gear oil every 12,000 miles. The transmission has a filler drain plug on the bottom of the case and a filler plug on the side of the case. This is a quick and easy job for the do-it-yourself mechanic.
Anti-Slip Regulation, or ASR, is a secondary safety feature that works with the Anti-Lock Braking System, or ABS, on cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles. Also called Traction Control System, or TCS, the ASR helps prevent the vehicle’s wheels from losing traction by using an electro-hydraulic system that controls the engine and brakes in adverse road conditions or if the driver uses excessive acceleration and the wheels slip on the pavement.
Supercharging is one of the ultimate ways to increase the power output of an engine. By forcing pressurized air into the engine, superchargers substantially raise the volume of air the engine has available for combustion. However, through pressurization, the temperature of the air is substantially increased. The purpose of an intercooler system is to lower the temperature of the supercharged air before it is fed into the engine.
Turbochargers are the ultimate way to squeeze the maximum amount of horsepower possible out of an internal combustion engine. However, to run efficiently, turbochargers require an entire system of piping and sensors in order to monitor and circulate the pressurized air as it is fed into the throttle body. An important part of most turbo systems is the intercooler, which is designed to cool down the turbocharged air before it enters the engine. The necessity of an intercooler system is due to the extreme level of heat generated by a turbocharger setup.
Poor reception makes it difficult to listen to a radio broadcast or communicate on a two-way radio. The signal strength of the reception depends on the power output of the station and the device receiving the signal. If you transmit or receive radio signals, use a bilateral amplifier to boost the power of the signal in both directions. Using an amplified device, however, requires notification or permission from the Federal Communications Commission.
As delivered from the dealership, a Yamaha V Star 650 is provided with a pair of ignition keys and a metal tag with a key code. The code allows the V Star's owner to order a new set of keys matched to the motorcycle's ignition switch in case they're lost. But the key code tag is easily lost, especially if the motorcycle is purchased used. As an added form of insurance, the key code is also imprinted into the ignition switch housing, which can be removed and taken to your Yamaha dealership to verify you are the motorcycle's rightful owner.
Computers vs carburetors, CVT vs DIY and overhead-cam vs pushrod: these are the conflicts that both divide us and serve to spark the fires of innovation and understanding. Both OHC and pushrod engines have been around since the dawn of the internal combustion engine, and more than a century later the debate is still going strong.
Coolant, also known as antifreeze, is an essential part of maintaining optimal car function. The main ingredient in antifreeze is glycol, with most modern car engines using a mixture of glycol and water. Filling and maintaining your coolant is a relatively simple procedure. However, if it is not done properly, you can cause serious damage to the engine of your car. If you are unsure about to correctly measure the coolant for your car, have it done by a professional auto repair person, who also can show you how to refill the coolant yourself.
Radio-controlled helicopters like the Blade CP by E-flite require occasional maintenance or replacement of parts to remain in flying order. One of the parts that may need to be replaced or disconnected for maintenance is the motor on the tail rotor gearbox. To reconnect the tail motor, follow the specific wiring instructions.
You can connect the transmission and reception lines from Motorola radios to the ZR310 repeater module to rebroadcast the signals received by your radio. The Zetron repeater is a component that works within a transmit and receive set to provide the repeating function. The ZR310 has connections for the transmit and receive cables, the power supply and the duplexer module that need to be wired correctly for the repeater to function as a part of the system.
Overhead camshafts are installed in the engine head above the valves and cylinders. Normal camshafts are located in the engine block beside the cylinders in in-line engines, and between the cylinders in V-8 engines. Camshafts keep the engine in time by moving the valves up and down as the crankshaft moves the pistons up and down. The camshaft is kept in time with the crankshaft either through a timing chain or a timing belt.
Volvo vehicles are equipped with the optional Geartronic transmission that permits the driver to select a gear using a steering wheel paddle-shift operated by the thumbs and without the aid of a clutch. The Geartronic essentially is a manual transmission without using the floor-mounted clutch. The Volvo Geartronic is similar to the Porsche Tiptronic transmission introduced in late 1989.
A bicycle dropout is a component that allows the rider to remove the rear wheel without derailing the chain. It is part of the fork end of the bicycle, which is a slot that holds the axle of the wheel. Dropouts were prevalent on bikes built before 1990 and are popular for converting a bike to single speed. However, steel and aluminum bikes do not have replaceable dropouts, so new trackends must be welded onto the dropouts to function safely. Always wear safety goggles while welding.
Liquid can do serious damage to an Evo N610c. Even if it doesn't reach the motherboard -- the most important component contained inside the computer -- it can cause the keyboard to malfunction or render it unusable. While some forms of liquid, including soda, juice or soup, can get stuck between the keys, reducing the keyboard's functionality, even water can ruin a keyboard, as it damages the contact layers that transmit signals to the motherboard. If the keys on the Evo N610c no longer work, install a new keyboard to the computer to replace the keys.
