|
| |
 Fix Bumper: How To Repair Car Bumpers
Visitors to this site are often looking for tips on how to repair damage to the bumpers of their automobiles. What they are actually asking is if the plastic material that covers the structural bumper can be repaired. Bumper repairs to today's polyurethane bumper covers are possible but somewhat limited. For the do it yourselfer, you are limited to removing damage where the bumper has been dented. The plastic used in these bumper covers has a memory. So in some cases you can
|
|
Fix Thermostats: How To Diagnose & Replace A Car Thermostat
A malfunctioning thermostat may be the cause when you find you are feeling nothing but cold air coming out of the heater vents of your car or truck. The purpose of a thermostat in an internal combustion engine is to control the flow of coolant so that the engine runs at the proper temperature. The thermostat is a simple device that opens and closes depending on the temperature of the engine coolant. As the engine coolant heats up the spring-loaded thermostat opens and allows coolant to flow to the engine's systems and back to the radiator to re-cool. When the engine is
|
|
Replacing Car Keys: Prices Up Due To Anti Theft Systems
Have you had to buy a replacement ignition key for your car or truck lately? If you have, then you have learned that a replacement key can run up to $100.00. Anti-theft systems have been incorporated into the ignition keys for about 10 years. The system is referred to as PATS. This is car jargon for Passive Anti Theft System. This anti theft system is what makes the key so expensive to replace. The anti theft system interrupts the vehicles ability to start. Different vehicle lines use
|
|
Windshield Wipers: Blade Streaking & Winter Wiper Blades
There is nothing more disturbing to me when driving in the snow or rain than windshield wipers that will not clear my windshield. When the wipers are new they are free of dirt, chips, and cracks so they seal tightly against the windshield. As the wipers move back and forth they squeege away the water. As wipers wear out, the seal against the windshield decreases causing the wipers to streak. Even if the rain or snow has stopped, the water being thrown at you from the car or truck you are following will leave you without any visibility if your wipers are worn out. There are different
|
|
Engine Parts: The Serpentine Belt
The serpentine belt gets its name from the way it winds like a snake through a series of pulleys. These pulleys are connected to your cooling system, power steering, alternator, air conditioning and any other accessory driven by the engine. In the “old days,” manufacturers employed several belts to power these components. Because the serpentine belt can turn a pulley from either side of the belt the need for multiple belts has been eliminated. The major downside to a single belt is if it fails you loose all the components that the belt drives. The upside of the serpentine belt is it
|
|
Changing Motor Oil: How To Change Your Oil
When you can pay someone $30.00 or less to change your oil, why would you want to bother to do it yourself. The short answer is because you can. To change your own oil all you need is a box wrench, an oil filter wrench, and a container to catch your old oil in. To begin, park your vehicle on a hard safe surface like your garage floor or asphalt driveway. Chock the rear wheels and jack up the front of the vehicle. Place your vehicle on jack stands or some type of block so that you are not dependent on the jack to hold up your vehicle while you change the oil. The engine should be cold. Look at the bottom of your engine, at the lowest point you will see
|
|
Nitrogen Air In Tires: What's The Benefit Of Nitrogen?
I have written a couple of articles pointing out the importance of maintaining the pressure in your tires. It not only is a safety issue, but an economic issue as low tire pressure creates rolling resistance robbing you of fuel mileage. Recently some tire service centers, new car dealers, and repair shops have been offering to fill their customer’s tires with Nitrogen rather then the traditional compressed air. I have seen this service cost anywhere from $2.00 per tire to as much as $10.00 per tire. What is the benefit you get for paying for this service? Nitrogen molecules are larger then oxygen molecules meaning nitrogen will seep out of the tire slower then oxygen. So you will maintain the proper tire inflation pressures longer meaning better fuel economy and safety. At least that is the theory. I question the need for nitrogen filled tires when air is made up of 78% nitrogen anyway. There are arguments that if nitrogen filled tires aren’t the way to go then why
|
|
Aftermarket Parts vs. OEM Parts: What's The Difference
What is the difference in Aftermarket Parts and OEM parts? In many cases the only difference is in the packaging. Car and truck manufacturers contract with vendors to design and build parts to be used during the assembly of the vehicle. These same parts are then made available to the dealerships to use as replacements when a part fails. After a period of time the manufacturer gives up the exclusivity to the part. The part then becomes available to the aftermarket and is sold under the packaging of the part manufacturer.
This usually means the price is a little less then what you would pay at the dealer. As with everything, the less hands it passes through the lower the cost. That is not to say all aftermarket parts are created equal. There are knock offs that are lower quality. If the price at the aftermarket store is
|
|
Remote Starters: Buying & Installation Tips
If your morning starts something like this: the outside temperature is -12, your leather upholstered SUV is sitting in the driveway and it is time to leave for work, you may just wish you had a remote starter.
With the remote starter you could have had your vehicle warming up in the driveway as you sipped your coffee and you never stepped one step out into the artic air. Sound good? Where do you find a remote starter? Well, I Googled "remote car starter" and came up with 14 pages of possible vendors that I could buy a remote starter from. These vendors included all of the mass merchants that sell automotive electronics to car and truck accessory specialist. The first question that came to mind was
|
|
| |
|
