Auto Repair

Automotive fuel pumps use a vacuum diaphragm to push fuel through a series of steel and rubber lines to the intake manifold of a vehicle. In modern cars and trucks, they are commonly installed in...

Replacing the side-view door mirror on the Buick Regal is a very expensive repair at the local body shop or repair station. Not only are the replacement mirrors expensive, but the labor to install...

Oxy-acetylene torches are a common tool on jobs that require modification to steel. Torches are used to cut, notch, and braze thick steel beams and heavy metal plate. Unlike other methods of...

The 1994 Chevrolet Suburban was manufactured with optional power windows that use a motorized regulator to move the window glass. Several factors can cause window failure, including the battery,...

Chevrolet Blazers use submerged fuel pumps that are mounted to the top of the fuel tank, making them a challenge to replace when they fail. Complete disconnection and removal of the fuel tank is...

Auto body damage is something that every car owner tries to avoid, however, sometimes it is just inevitable that your vehicle will suffer a few dents or dings. Taking your car to a body shop in...

The glow plugs in a tractor work the same as glow plugs in any diesel engine. However, their exact location may differ according to the tractor. Because engine size and design ultimately determine...

The 1994 Dodge cars and trucks use a pressurized coolant system to stabilize engine temperatures. A critical part of this system is the radiator, which uses finned coils to transfer heat from the...

Auto circuit breakers and fuses perform similar functions, in that they both are designed to break an electrical circuit when there is an electrical overload. However, there are distinct...

Hondas are very popular cars for their reliability and longevity. But even if the vehicle lasts for 200,000 miles, the trim and paint may not. One of the parts that wears on a Honda Civic is the...

Porsche produces vehicles in 2009 that are well known for both their looks and durable performance. Like most car brands, automobiles manufactured by Porsche can encounter a variety of issues, the...

Windshield glue is typically just urethane adhesive. The adhesive is applied using a caulking gun and is normally black in color. It's used primarily to secure the windshield to the frame of a...

Rust is common on a car's brake rotors. Because these parts are out of the sunlight, moisture can easily build up within the brakes and lead to rust. The good news is that rust on the brake rotors...

First, the paint is poured into a quart-sized reservoir that has a special one-way valve on the top. This valve allows air to flow inside the reservoir while preventing the paint from spilling out...

Catalytic converters are a vital part of any automotive emission system. These devices use heat to chemically react (catalyze) with harmful emissions like carbon monoxide, nitric oxides and...

Getting rid of rust on car paint is hard. Rust tends to spread rather fast and can hide underneath paint if it begins behind a panel that you cannot see. Since moisture can get to places that are...

Removing glue from chrome must be done with care because it is easy to scratch chrome. Because of this, removing glue from chrome is a tedious process. You will need adhesive remover and a few...

Removing stubborn brake bolts is tricky since rust and corrosion often set into these types of bolts. Brake dust, road salt (in northern climates or areas near the ocean) and high humidity can all...

Slide hammers come in two main sizes, large and small, and are typically used for driving rods into the ground or removing dents from cards. The main difference between the two, aside from size,...

The question of efficiency differences between manual and automatic transmissions was once easily understood. Manuals resulted in better gas mileage, and automatics were easier to drive. If that...

Drill bits used to drill metal are prone to wear. Properly using the drill bit lengthens the life of the bit and allows you to drill holes easier. The main factor that wears a drill bit is...

The plastic cowl grill on the Ford Mustang is an overlooked part when it comes to detailing your car. The flat-black finish is unprotected and little is done to preserve the factory finish. As a...

If you want to make your vehicle last, it is essential to keep the exterior clean. Paint chips and scratches allow water and the elements to penetrate deep into the vehicle's shell, causing rust....

A complete engine is broken down into two basic sub-assemblies: The long block and the short block. The short block includes the block and rotating assembly (crankshaft, rods, and pistons). The...

Ford trucks equipped with diesel engines have been around since 1983. The Ford diesel engine costs more than its gasoline counterpart, but the expense is offset by better fuel economy, more power...

The XL7 was a mid-size SUV available from Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation between 1998 and 2009. The vehicle was sold alongside the compact Vitara model. The XL7 was redesigned for the...

The air intake system on a Chevrolet Cavalier funnels a massive amount of air to the engine. The intake system itself is essentially nothing more that a large piece of plastic tubing with an air...

Installing the distributor in a Ford is similar to many other American small- and big-block engines. You must block the distributor correctly. This means that the actual position of installation...

A common problem with the air conditioning system in the Chevy Lumina is leaking seals in the compressor. It is no longer legal to vent air conditioning refrigerant into the atmosphere, so...

Rusted car and truck frames need to be repaired before the damage makes the auto unsafe to drive. A weak frame can increase the likelihood of driver injury during an accident. In some cases it can...

The crankshaft position sensor and throttle position sensor are perhaps the the only parts of an electronic fuel injection system that the computer simply cannot function without. The throttle...

Check the oxygen sensors on a Dodge Intrepid 3.5 after roughly 100,000 miles. If the sensor fails, you will probably notice your vehicle running richer. You'll notice a stronger fuel smell in the...

The Ford Taurus is known for its durability and long-lasting performance. Because of its long life span, the Taurus might begin to break down on the interior before the exterior. The first step to...

A small-block Chevy distributor distributes the power through the sparkplug wires to the sparkplugs. This electrical charge produces the spark necessary to cause the fuel inside the combustion...

A wide-band oxygen sensor works just like a narrow-band O2 sensor, except that it is used for high-performance tuning applications. The sensor measures a broader range of air-flow specifications...

Toyota started producing the Prius in Japan in 1997, and the car was introduced into the United States in 2001. The Prius is considered a hybrid car, meaning that it is powered by a small gasoline...

GM has manufactured several types of transmissions over the years. If you need one for a project, knowing what you've got comes in handy. Identifying a GM automatic transmission can be done with a...

The power steering pump is a key part of your vehicle, and if it goes out, steering can get sloppy and jerky, potentially causing an accident. Replacing a power steering pump isn't that simple;...

Replacing the power window motor in most Fords requires removing the door panel and some door components. The average backyard mechanic can replace a Ford power window motor in about 30 minutes.

The Ford 4.2-liter V-6 engine, commonly known as the Canadian Essex engine, overcame early gasket problems to become a dependable long-running motor. Those early problems, however, dogged the...

The rack and pinion system in your vehicle is key to proper steering and safety. If yours goes out, your steering will suffer. It will take an hour or so to replace it, but it can be done with...

Maintaining the appearance of your car can prove impossible. Eventually, most cars fall victim to minor scuffs or scratches in the paint. Unfortunately, such scars have the ability to immediately...

With an older vehicle, or just one that has gone through a lot of hard use, the ball joints tend to wear out. Replacing the ball joints can be a little tricky, but it's definitely something that...

The 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a 4.0-liter 6-cylinder engine or a 4.7-liter 8-cylinder. Replacing the water pump in either engine is quite similar. Most commonly, when the water pump fails, it...

Vehicle automatic transmissions have come a long way since the first mass-market transmissions were introduced in the early 1950s. Onboard computer systems regulate upshifting and downshifting,...

Dodge Durango transmissions are generally trouble-free, providing owners with hundreds of thousands of miles without major repairs or costly overhauls. The primary causes of transmission failure...

Wire feed welding or MIG welding is a common welding process. The welding electrode and filler wire are combined in a spool of wire that is continually fed through the MIG gun and into the welding...

According to dictionary.com, a mandrel is a "shaft or bar the end of which is inserted into a workpiece to hold it during machining." This strict definition includes rotating clamps, such as...

The light bulbs for the interior overhead lights in the the 2001 Acura sometimes require replacement due to overuse or a simple short circuit. Luckily, replacing these light bulbs is not difficult...

Most automobiles use curved coolant hoses to transfer heat from the engine to a radiator. These hoses are specifically designed for each engine model, which have numerous clearances for hose...