Consult eHow’s collection of auto repair How Tos before visiting the mechanic. Diagnose car problems from the muffler to the headlights and save a bundle in the process. Charging a dead battery or fixing a flat tire? eHow’s got the basics covered. Bumper crunched following a fender bender? eHow’s even got helpful suggestions about repairing minor dents and dings. Whether fixing it yourself or arming yourself with knowledge so you don’t get taken to the cleaners at the body shop, eHow can help.
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Your vehicle's tires provide the contact patch needed to get the power from your engine to the ground. Although it may sound simple, many things can go wrong with them. Custom modification, or...
The Honda Civic uses a steering rack and tie rod to help control the steering. When the steering fails or seems diminished, you may need to replace these components. Before doing this,...
The Suburban is a four-wheel-drive, off-road vehicle that can handle just about anything. However, if the universal joint goes bad and the transmission locks up, there is not much you can do. The...
The Cyrysler LeBaron first saw the roadway in the mid-seventies as the least expensive car in the Chrysler fleet. Over the years it morphed into somewhat of a sports car with an optional...
The O2 sensor is a device found on all modern production vehicles that monitors a vehicle's emissions. O2 sensors send information about the emissions to the vehicle's computer. The computer then...
On most vehicles, the turn signal and emergency lights share the same circuit, electrical connections and light bulbs. This means that if your turn signal is not working, probably your emergency...
The front brakes of the Audi A4 use a caliper and rotor design to maximize clamping forces on the braking system and to slow the car down as quickly as possible. Hydraulic brake fluid is forced...
Mitsubishi Cordias were hatchback coupes produced in the late 1980s to fill the niche now described best as "sport compact." Cordias were stylish, reliable and delivered fast accelerations, quick...
The oxygen sensor on the Ford Taurus checks the air to fuel ratio as the engine runs to make sure that the Taurus is running with the correct mixture of air to gasoline. Since the ideal mixture is...
It is common for the thermostat on your Toyota Supra to fail and become stuck in the open or closed position after years of service. This will adversely affect engine operation. If the thermostat...
Upgrade your motorcyle's performance with new wheels. Unfortunately, it can be an expensive upgrade with pre-built wheels. Building your own wheels is a great way to learn something new about your...
The Micra was Nissan's answer to the need for a small fuel-efficient city car, as the Micra is able to weave through inner city traffic with ease while still being able to take long trips with a...
Since most people are keeping their cars and trucks longer, the need for qualified automotive mechanics to fix these vehicles has increased. But how do you find a reliable automotive mechanic that...
Sandblasters have a variety of uses, from removing corrosion and rust to cleaning steel and plastic. A sandblaster uses compressed air in order to push abrasive particles onto a surface at force....
Stains that appear on your vehicle may not come off after washing. Depending on the stain, it may need to be wiped, scrubbed or washed with a special cleaner. There are ways to get stains off of...
Portable sandblasting is one of the most fun and rewarding professional-grade tasks you can do at home. Whether you are restoring an old army jeep or refinishing a glider for your front porch,...
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...
Your Dodge vehicle uses relays to control the flow of current in various electrical circuits and their components, much like a regular switch. They are very efficient switches, since all you need...
A flat tire or blowout on a motorcycle will put a damper on any ride. The knowledge of how to fix a flat tire on the fly is indispensable on long trips or group rides, and will save you time and...
Locking gas caps help to prevent fuel theft and tampering, and do a great job at it. Unfortunately, anyone who has bought or restored a salvaged motorcycle, or simply lost their keys, understands...
Attempting auto body repairs on your own vehicle doesn't have to be complicated. With a few special tools and some basic steps used in every body shop, you can make successful,...
Clearcoat paint is the key to a smooth, shiny, glossy looking paint job. It is also used to protect the base paint, which is the actual color of the vehicle. Without clearcoat paint, the color of...
When a Ford Explorer's wipers stop working, the lights on the console go out or the car won't start altogether, owners may become frustrated and attempt to take the car immediately to the shop....
Planning a trip,many complications can be avoided if you take proper care of your vehicle.In this article you will learn how to get your vehicle up and rearing to go on that long journey.
This article explains how to replace an O2 sensor. It is based off of a 2001 Hyundai Tiburon but the general procedure should be the same for any car.
Incredible as it may sound, on 2003 and newer PT Cruisers Chrysler decided to remove one of the two horns most cars come with. Push the horn on these cars and you'll hear an anemic...
My husband has done this many times, Even to vans. You just need to know how to sand, add bondo (puddy)if needed. and time on your hands. He will be doing this again in the spring as we are...
Are you trying to find out if your vehicle is running hot? You may have just gotten your liscense and now want to know some simple car instructions. When you car isn't running it's best there can...
When you're broke and you "ain't got no money" this is the only way you can break a tire down. Have fun. I didn't. But it does really work.
If you are driving home and hear a hissing or a clunking, do you know what it means? A mechanic will listen intently to your car when trying to determine what is the problem. You can learn a...
It is important to understand, certainly jump start your car as you would with high voltage, it must be taken seriously
Even if a car has a lot of miles on it, it still can look great--that is, unless it gets hail damage. This problem can be financially devastating to repair. Knowing a bit about how hail damage...
The HHR (Heritage High Roof) is a small retro crossover built by General Motors and sold under the Chevrolet brand. The Chevrolet HHR's styling is often compared with the Chrysler PT Cruiser,...
If you are driving and your lights suddenly stop working, a short circuit is the likely cause. The dashboard display and windshield wipers, which are on the same fuse, also may stop working at the...
The heater blower in a Honda works in conjunction with the heater core to supply a steady stream of hot air to the floor, dash and defroster vents in the passenger cabin. Warm engine coolant is...
The ignition system on a car or truck includes the distributor, ignition coil, spark plugs, and wires. In addition, later model vehicles use computer-controlled ignitions that cannot be altered....
Motorcycle wheels can withstand an astonishing level of weight and stress. This can sometimes cause problems like out-of-true and out-of-alignment rims. Unlike aluminum or carbon fiber wheels, a...
The Chevrolet Camaro is a classic American sports car built by General Motors. If you want to replace your power window motor, door lock actuator or speakers, you will first need to remove the...
The Tribute is a small, front-wheel drive SUV sold by Mazda. The Tribute was developed partially by Ford Motor Company and is built alongside the very similar Ford Escape. For this reason,...
The machinery for performing an alignment has changed drastically. Long gone are the old string machines, and the infrared machines are all but museum pieces. Today's machines are computer-driven...
The rod bearings mount between the connecting rods and crankshaft rod journals. They provide a space for oil lubrication and protection against premature crankshaft and bearing wear. However, when...
The harmonic balancer mutes the vibrations created by the engine, what is called resonance. Without the balancer, the crankshaft would snap in half. The balancer is held in place with three bolts...
The crankshaft bolt on a Honda holds the crankshaft pulley to the crankshaft on the driver's side of the engine. The pulley mutes the resonance from the engine, preventing the crankshaft from...
Your vehicle's radiator helps cool the engine by accepting radiator fluid that cycles through the engine and acts as a heat sink. The fluid then enters the radiator, which is highly conductive. A...
The rear axle bearing, also called a wheel bearing, allows the wheel to turn smoothly and takes the strain off of the axles. Rear wheel bearings are typically a sealed unit and can be removed...
The axle in a Mazda 626 delivers power from the transmission to the drive wheels. However, there are two weak points on the axle shaft that typically cause it to fail. The weak points are the...
A 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee half shaft connects the transmission to the drive wheels. These shafts typically only fail when the flexible joint on the shaft fails. You'll know when this happens...
The harmonic balancer on a Pontiac works to mute or absorb the resonance created by the engine during normal engine operation. The balancer is held in place by three pulley bolts on a Pontiac. To...
The distributor is an integral component of the ignition system, routing voltage from the ignition coil to fire the engine's spark plugs in sequence. The pickup coil determines this firing order...
The Ford 3.0L V6 engine is one of the most widely used engines in the Ford lineup. There have been various forms of this basic design through the years. When the Ford Taurus made its debut in...