Auto Repair

At any time the front brake pads on a Chevy Malibu are replaced, the rotors should be machined so that the new pads have a smooth surface to ride on. If the rotor is not turned, the front pads...

When buying brake pads for a Chevrolet Blazer, don't deviate from the original specifications. There are organic, semi-metallic and metallic pads. Each of these pads is designed to work in a...

Removing a serpentine drive belt from an engine usually requires a type of socket tool to loosen the belt tensioner. Depending on the vehicle, you can either use just a ratchet wrench or may need...

The 1973 Chevrolet Corvette is fairly infamous for its many cooling problems. This high-performance vehicle's old brass radiator does not hold up to the task of cooling its large V-8 engine,...

The window regulator on a Ford F100 is secured to the door with large pop rivets, which must be drilled out to remove the regulator. Before replacing a window regulator on a Ford, the motor should...

The pinion seal in a 1997 Chevrolet truck prevents the gear oil from leaking out past the pinion bearing. You should always refill the gear oil after replacing a rear pinion seal. To replace the...

The paint on a vehicle is supposed to feel smooth as glass and look glossy and shiny. Unfortunately, when the clear coat becomes oxidized, it feels rough and looks very dull and flat. Oxidation is...

Jeep Wranglers built from 1987 to 1995 (known as the YJ Wrangler) used leaf springs to secure the drive axles to the frame and cushion the vehicle's ride. Leaf springs are flat steel plates...

Motorola alternators are a car part provided by the Motorola Electronics Corporation. They can be bought as aftermarket or replacement car parts, and are used in all Hyundai vehicles as standard....

The EGR or exhaust gas recirculation valve on a Chevrolet pickup is located on the intake manifold near the carburetor. The EGR valve draws exhaust gases from the exhaust system and reintroduces...

The air bag on a Ford Focus is an important safety feature that protects the driver and passengers in the event of a collision. Some repairs and maintenance procedures, especially work that...

The heater core on a Ford car or light truck operates in conjunction with the engine's cooling system to provide heated air to the passenger cabin. Engine coolant flows from the vehicle's engine...

Replacing a cylinder head in your Honda Civic or other vehicle is a dangerous, complicated and difficult job. This particular type of repair should only be attempted by someone with experience...

If the mechanical assembly or contact points inside the ignition switch on your GMC Jimmy have worn out, you may have a hard time providing power to the ignition or electrical system, if at all....

Catalytic converters are used to clean up car exhaust by burning left over fuel, not burned by the engine. They use particular properties of precious metals to catalyze the burning of hydrocarbons...

A bad door lock actuator on a Honda Odyssey can prevent the door from not only locking, but from even closing at all. Door lock actuators can fail for a variety of reasons. The most common reason,...

Removing paint from an ATV fender is tricky. Because the body panels are made from plastic, using paint stripper will damage the fender. For this reason, the old fashioned method is used. You'll...

Except for rotaries engines, all four-stroke engines use some sort of camshaft. They are widely considered the "brains" of an engine.

Nothing can be more frustrating than a broken-off bolt on your vehicle's exhaust manifold. Not only is this putting stress on the rest of the attaching bolts for the manifold and the manifold...

A ball joint tool, also called a "pickle fork", looks like a large fork with a handle on the end of it. The tool is used to separate ball joints from steering knuckles and control arms on a...

Removing broken bolts and screws almost always requires the use of a bolt-out or screw removal kit. These are available at most auto parts stores. The bolt-out kits have special teeth on the...

Brake calipers apply hydraulic pressure to the brake pads. The pads squeeze against the rotor on each side and slow the vehicle. This is much the same way caliper brakes work on a bicycle. When...

The head gasket on your vehicle seals the head to the engine block. It also seals out the engine coolant that is circulating through cooling channels built into the casting of the block. When the...

If one headlight on your car is dim but stable, the odds are that the solution is a simple and easy one. With the effects of aging beginning to impact older cars equipped with high-voltage...

Alternators for the Isuzu Trooper are manufactured in different amperages, so the alternator should be checked for this when replacing. The most common reason to replace alternators on a Trooper...

How to stop engine knocking in just a few easy simple steps. You, yes you can do this at home. Although this does not stop knocking in all cases, it will help to extend the life of ANY engine, and...

Perhaps the easiest business to scam people is the auto mechanic business, because who knows anything about cars except mechanics? They start talking gasket this and catalytic converter that, and...

We've all heard the old saying, "Patience is a virtue." Wiser words have never been spoken when it comes to exhaust studs. Unfortunately, if you have to remove a stud, chances are it's because it...

Removing an axle bearing on a rear-wheel drive requires extracting the axles. If the bearing surface on the axle is destroyed, an axle saver bearing is available as an alternative to replacing the...

There are a few different reasons why you may need to remove the interior door panel on your Chevrolet Silverado pickup. Window regulator, power window motor, the window fell of its track, speaker...

The Renault Clio 2 is a French automobile. The brake system uses a caliper and piston design for maximum clamping force. Over time, the friction material in the brake linings wears down. This is...

The thermostat in your Cummins diesel engine allows it to sustain optimal operating temperature for a majority of the time. Without a well-performing thermostat your truck may run poorly, produce...

The steering gear on a GM vehicle is the gear inside the steering rack that controls steering. When this system fails, a critical failure of the rack occurs. This will leave you without the...

Pulling an axle shaft out of its housing and replacing it with a new one can be a tough job; but with the right tools and a couple hours' time, even the amateur mechanic can get this done. Here's...

The Acura Integra was sold between 1986 and 2007. The 1998 Integra received a mild makeover from the 1997 vehicle, but the major internal components remained the same. All trim levels of the...

Cars get broken into all the time. Fixing a car that's been broken into can be a inconvenient, but having someone fix it for you can be expensive. Fortunately, replacing a broken door lock isn't...

In a sporty vehicle like a 1998 Ford Mustang, superior stopping power is essential, both for the overall performance of the car and for the safety of the driver. With regular use, disc brakes...

The heater fan (blower motor) on a Pontiac Sunfire is an electric motor that works in conjunction with the car's heater core to provide heat to the passenger cabin. Engine coolant flows from the...

You must drop the fuel tank on your 1988 Ford Mustang in order to replace the electric fuel pump or a damaged tank, or to fix leaks. It's important to follow the correct procedure to prevent an...

Manufacturers have come a long way in terms of providing at-home mechanics with a way of repairing front-wheel-drive wheel bearings. Today's front-wheel-drive cars, and many rear-wheel-drive cars...

Installing a muffler on a Pontiac is relatively straightforward. The Pontiac uses rubber hooks attached to a metal bracket that is, in turn, secured to the underside of the vehicle. Mufflers may...

Putting an alternator belt on your vehicle normally requires that you know how to apply tension using an auto tension pulley. The auto tension pulley automatically applies the correct tension to...

The alternator on a Ford Taurus powers the electrical components on the car. Over time, this electrical generator may die. The most common symptom of a dying or dead alternator is the battery...

The Dodge Ram 2500 has calipers on all four wheels, and any one of these calipers may need to be replaced. If a brake caliper has become damaged, it can affect the brake pads within it and needs...

If the window glass in your Dodge truck's door is cracked or broken, it needs to be replaced. The glass itself is held in place within the door panel, so you need to remove the inner trim panel to...

The brake system of the Corvette is complex, but armed with the right information you can easily identify and troubleshoot any system problems yourself, regardless of the year of your Corvette. Be...

Tire rotation is a common car maintenance procedure where the rear and front tires are swapped.

The transmission plays a vital role in keeping the automobile running properly. In fact, if the transmission is broken, then the car is useless until it is fixed. Transmissions are not a cheap...

Fuel filters are a part of the fuel system on cars. They are designed to trap and filter dirt to ensure that the fuel your car runs on is clean. Usually the fuel filters are fitted somewhere...

The belt tensioner on new vehicles is an auto-tension mechanism that automatically applies the correct tension to the serpentine belt. Of course, every vehicle is slightly different in terms of...