Auto Repair

It happens to all of us. We get stuck somewhere with a car problem and realize that there’s no repair shop nearby. Mr. Turtledove went through seven years of college and experienced many kinds...

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...

The Isuzu Rodeo was manufactured with front disc brakes that require routine maintenance to prevent damage or a loss of stopping power. The brake pads, pushed against a rotor with a hydraulic...

The Oldsmobile Aurora was sold between 1995 and 2003. A bad fuel pump in your Aurora can keep your engine from receiving fuel or cranking. Replacing a fuel pump is not an easy task and will...

When replacing a window motor in a Sentra, specify which door needs the motor replaced as the window motors are all different. The electrical system should be checked thoroughly prior to replacing...

The Chevrolet Camaro was manufactured with power actuated window regulators, which can fail and require replacement. Access to the window motor is limited by the door panel and hardware that must...

The majority of radiators found in Toyotas today are made of composite materials. The core is made of aluminum and the top and side tanks are made of plastic. The top tank and the sides are...

Ball joints on the Jeep Cherokee should be checked every 30,000 miles. Also check them if there is any significant change in freeplay in the steering or you hear a knocking noise is heard...

Toyota lower ball joints are bolted to the lower control arm. Once the vehicle passes 90,000 miles, the ball joints should be checked every 30,000 miles. It is an easy procedure. The ball joints...

The diameter of the sway bar on a Jeep Grand Cherokee determines the under- or over-steer on this vehicle, taking wheelbase, height and weight into consideration. When the sway bar is removed,...

The Dodge Ram pickup truck series is manufactured with rear disc brakes, using hydraulically actuated calipers and pad/rotor friction surfaces. The rotor part of the system may become warped or...

The rear axle bearing, also called a wheel bearing, is a crucial part of the steering system. The wheel bearing allows the wheel to turn smoothly. The rear axle bearing may need replacing when you...

Ford's 289 small-block engine uses a very simple design, but mistakes in the building process can still be made. Perhaps the most common mistakes when rebuilding a 289 include failing to ensure...

The parking lights are the amber colored lights located on the grill, trunk, quarter panels and fenders (exact locations will vary depending on the design of your vehicle) that increase the...

Wheel bearings support the radial and lateral loads of a vehicle's wheel, as well as the weight of the vehicle and cargo. Grease provides the lubrication to prevent overheating and galling. During...

The Mitsubishi Lancer is manufactured with a hydraulically operated caliper braking system that requires routine pad maintenance. Replacing worn or damaged pads ensures safe braking and can...

Z28 is the name Chevrolet used for a performance package available on the Camaro between 1967 to 2002. The package usually consisted of a high performance V8 engine and upgrades to the vehicle's...

A rearview mirror on a car or light truck is glued to the center of the windshield inside the passenger compartment. Over time the adhesive bond that connects the mirror mounting plate to the...

One of the more common items that will need to be replaced on an aging Honda Civic is the upper control arm, which is part of the steering mechanism on the front wheels. When the bushings wear out...

The serpentine belt on a 1993 Chevy is a ribbed belt that drives several of the engine's peripheral devices, such as the air-conditioning compressor, the alternator, and the separate pumps for...

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...

The turn signal or "blinker" first turned up on the 1938 Buick, and in 1940 Buick introduced the self-canceling system we still use today. The color amber was adopted voluntarily by the auto...

Alternators are essential to automobile function. They are small generators that keep the battery charged and which power the spark plugs and other electrical accessories of the vehicle. These...

The Ford Escape is available with two different engines. Both engines have idle air control valves and other than location, replacing the valve is the same in both engines. A faulty idle air...

Toyota recommends to change the timing belt on the 1MZ-FE engine every 90,000 miles. Do you want to change the timing belt on your Toyota V6 yourself, but you're not sure how? My article...

Although cars are more durable today than in years past, they can be expensive to repair. Owners always cringe when they take their cars into the shop, especially the dealership. That’s why it’s...

When your brakes feel squishy or air bound, test them in this manner. With the ignition on, pump the brakes rapidly 3 or 4 times and push down hard as if you were trying to stop the car quicky. If...

Synthetic motor oil is not made from crude oil but is composed of raw materials including methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Synthetic motor oil is used as an alternative to conventional...

Synthetic oils have been in existence for more than 50 years for use in jet engines. The first commercially available synthetic oil for use in automobiles was marketed in 1972.

The starter on a Chevrolet engine is a small electric motor bolted to the engine block near where the engine meets the transmission. When you turn the ignition switch to "start," the starter motor...

There are many home remedies for removing car paint, depending on the material that has been painted or stained. If you need to remove paint from metal, such as a car, there are mechanical methods...

The fuel injectors on your 1988 Ford Mustang are very effective fuel system components---but their coil, valve and other frail internal parts may easily break after years of service. A single bad...

Removing the door panels in your Ford Expedition isn't as hard as it may seem. You will need a few simple tools, such as a socket wrench, a pry tool (or flat-head screwdriver) and a door panel...

Power antennas are prone to failure. Luckily, replacing them isn't too difficult or time-consuming. The most probable cause for power antenna failure is the motor, meaning you will need to replace...

A reliable way to identify a Chevrolet motor is through the engine block casting code. This code identifies the engine as manufactured by Chevrolet, as well as what year it was cast and what its...

The Land Rover Freelander is manufactured with a hydraulic disk braking system that requires routine maintenance to function correctly. The twin braking pads on each caliper will wear down their...

The Honda Accord was manufactured with front brake rotors from 1990 to 1997, and these rotors required routine maintenance or replacement. The hydraulic caliper, semi-metallic pads and wheel...

The sway bar or stabilizer bar on a first-generation Chevrolet Camaro is a steel bar that connects the lower control arms on the front of the vehicle to the frame. When a vehicle drives through a...

The intake manifold in your Chevy Astro van distributes the fuel/air mixture to the cylinder heads. Replacing one is usually a job best left to professionals, as is the case with most modern-day...

Volkswagen Beetles tend to run forever, so rusted-out floor pans are not uncommon. They are a little complicated to replace, but this type of job can be accomplished by anyone with the right tools...

The fuel gauge on a 1967 Camaro is a 0- to 90-ohm system. It is important to have the sending unit and the gauge matched to the same ohm range, or they will not work. There are several different...

The check-engine light may be a graphic of an engine or similar icon, or it may contain the words "check engine" or "service engine." In some vehicles, a red check-engine light means the car needs...

It is important to know that limited slip differentials come in different sizes. Before buying a new unit, you must identify the rear housing. The primary concern is the number of splines on the...

Before trying to replace an alternator belt, be sure to have the routing diagram and the correct replacement belt. There are a couple different types of alternator belts used in today's engines,...

GMC vehicles received a major redesign for the 2007 model year with the introduction of the GM-900 platform. This platform is used on various Chevrolet and GMC models, including the Tahoe, Yukon,...

Ignition control modules have been used for many years. They differ in location but are very similar in function. The ignition control module is located under the coils. There is one coil for...

Ball joints on a Chevy K1500 are used to connect the upper and lower control arms to the spindle. The spindle contains the hub with the wheel studs to which the wheels are mounted. The steering...

The 1999 Chevy Tahoe replaced the old full-sized Chevy Blazer. Smaller than a Suburban, the Tahoe features a front disc braking system and may have rear disc or rear drum brakes. When replacing...

Brakes are an essential component of a vehicles driving system, and would be rendered useless without the addition of brake pads. Brake pads do the same job on a disc brake setup that brake shoes...

Late-model Chevrolet trucks use a large, white plastic radiator reservoir tank to remove air from the cooling system during heat expansion. The tank is sometimes a long, flat model that is tucked...