Beginner's Guide to Car Maintenance

Four Under-the-Hood Jobs Even You Can Do

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:18:53 +0000

The number one rule in taking care of your car is to read the owner's manual. The instructions in that manual are specific to your car, and in most cases, the picture diagrams will be very helpful in guiding basic maintenance work on your car. Below, however, are four simple jobs you can do no matter what type of car you have:

1. Check the engine oil: The engine is the most essential and most expensive part of your car, and it can't run without oil. Check your engine oil level by removing the dipstick (which may have a ringed handle) and cleaning the oil off of it. Reinsert the dipstick completely, and then pull it out and check whether the oil on the dipstick rises to between the "Empty" and "Full" levels. If it doesn't, you'll need to adjust the oil level accordingly.
2. Check fluids: The fluids under your hood include brake fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, engine coolant, and washer fluid. Each of these should be at least half-full, and if you have chronically low fluids, you may be suffering from a leak. Once you're fluids drop under half-full, refill them according to the instructions in your owner's manual.
3. Clean the battery: If your battery develops "snow" or any other substance on its contact points, you should wipe that off with a cloth.
4. Listen: Technically, you're not under your hood for this, but listen to your engine as you drive. Does it seem to be straining? Does it have trouble starting? Does it race at certain speeds? If you notice anything, mention it to your mechanic.

Four Things Even You Can Do Without Popping the Hood

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:19:26 +0000

It's worth repeating: the number one rule in taking care of your car is to read the owner's manual. The instructions in that manual are specific to your car, and in most cases, the picture diagrams will be very helpful in guiding basic maintenance work on your car. Below, however, are four simple jobs you can do no matter what type of car you have:
1. Clean your car: Cleaning may not necessarily help your car run better (though it might), but it will give you car a well-maintained appearance. Wash the car regularly, including hosing off the undercarriage, and wax it twice a year to make it shine and protect its paint job. In addition, remember to clean the interior of your car; remove as much clutter as possible and vacuum the cloth areas. You can wipe plastic, vinyl, and leather areas with a damp cloth if you don't want to purchase special cleaner.
2. Inspect your tires: First, buy a tire gauge (less than $10) and check the air pressure in your tires. The pressure should match the suggested pressure printed on the doorjamb of the car. Second, eyeball your tires to examine the tread. Check for bald spots and do the Lincoln Penny test--put Lincoln's head down into a tread, and if you can see the top of his head over the tread, you need a new tire.
3. Check your alignment: One day, while you're driving on a long, straight, flat, and deserted road, pull your hands off the steering wheel. If your car veers one way or the other, the alignment is likely off, and you should have it checked.
4. Play with stuff: It sounds silly, but get in the habit of turning dials and pushing buttons in your car. Do the air conditioner, heater, and defroster all seem to be working? What about the automatic locks and windows and the overhead lights?

Finally, most drivers have learned that it pays to use your senses. Are you feeling any odd vibrations as you drive? Do you notice any strange smells when you get out of the car each night? Do the brakes make any strange noises? The quicker you spot a problem, the easier it is to avoid a major problem.

Six Ways to Save Gas

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:20:09 +0000

Ten years ago, a gallon of gas cost just over seventy-five cents in many states. Today, many drivers pay four times that amount. Excessive gas usage not only costs you money, however, it harms the environment and it puts additional wear and tear on your car. Thus, it pays in more ways than one to reduce your gas consumption. Here are six easy ways to cut your consumption:

1. Check your tire pressure: Low tire pressure makes your tires drag, so you use more gas. Fill your tires to the level printed on the doorjamb of your car.
2. Lighten your load: It takes extra gas to move heavy loads so don't drive around town with fifty-pound suitcases in your trunk.
3. Turn off the A/C: Air conditioning makes your car work particularly hard and use more gas, so while you're driving in the city, roll down the windows and turn off the A/C. On the Interstate, however, it's better to use your air conditioning than it is to roll down your windows.
4. Reduce your outings: Nothing saves gas like not driving. Ride a bike, walk, or carpool when you can, and consolidate your errands when you can't.
5. Slow down: Fifty-five to sixty-five miles per hour is the ideal gas mileage speed, so don't drive seventy-five or eighty on the Interstate.
6. Avoid stop-and-go traffic: City traffic is horrible for your gas mileage. Go to work early or late so that you can avoid the traffic.

When you do buy gas, go for a cheap price, but don't drive out of your way to get it; you'll spend so much gas getting to the cheap station that you'll waste the four cents per gallon that you wanted to save. In addition, unless your car calls for it, don't put premium gas in your car. It doesn't actually help your car if your car doesn't need it.

Rebuilding an Engine Overview

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:27:16 +0000

Did you ever take a car engine apart, put it back together and had it running? The greatest experience can be had when you rebuild an engine. You have to take the engine apart piece by piece. You have to prepare the engine for the new parts and finally put all new parts in the engine and have it running. What a way to go. If you never experienced taking an engine apart with the purpose of rebuilding the engine, it really is not as hard as you may think. There are steps you need to take to make it happen. You do need tools and a place to work so you have the room to do it. Plus, you need the time. To rebuild an engine you must follow certain steps to do it successfully. These steps include:

• Dismantling the engine: To dismantle an engine you have to take the engine apart. This requires you to use tools of different types to remove bolts, screws, nuts, and other fasteners. It does take time but can be done.
• Inspection: After you take the engine apart, you have to inspect it for damage and to see if it can be rebuilt. The engine body, cylinders, and other areas have to be looked at with care to see if there is excess wear and tear beyond the norm.
• Cleaning: After the engine has been inspected and confirmed to be ready for rebuilding, the next stage is cleaning. The engine has to be cleaned thoroughly inside and out. All oil sludge has to be removed along with old gaskets. As much of the engine has to be cleaned before any part is put in the block.
• Parts replacement: After all is said and done, and the engine is ready to go, you can now start putting the new parts in place. This means installing the pistons, rings, valves, timing belt, and more. All parts that came out have to go back in, and in their original place so all parts can work together correctly.

What is Rebuilding an Engine About?

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:28:24 +0000

Rebuilding an engine is actually less costly than replacing an engine. When parts are replaced, they are covered under a warranty so if that part were to break within a certain time, that part can be replaced free. Also, rebuilding an engine can give you a lot of fun and enjoyment if you like doing such a thing. It requires you to use your muscles and brain as you do the work, because you have to remove old parts that may be frozen, not having been removed for several years. Plus you have to think how to maneuver around things as you work to remove parts, wires, and assemblies.

The one aspect to rebuilding engines is that after all parts are removed, you must take the engine block, crankshaft, and camshaft to a machine shop to have them reconditioned, unless you are replacing them. The exception to this is you have a machine shop where you can do this yourself. Since this job takes great precision and close tolerances, you need to be very careful when doing this.

What is Involved in Rebuilding an Engine

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:28:46 +0000

When you are ready to take on the task of rebuilding your engine, there are several options available to you. You can take the car to a qualified mechanic and have them do the work, you can save money by doing it yourself, or you can simply find another engine that matches the one in your car and replace it. However, to know for sure you are getting an engine that matches what you had before and works according to specifications is to rebuild the car engine you have. Here are the steps you will take to do this:

• Disassembly: The biggest challenge to any engine work is taking the engine apart. You have to pay strict attention to what you are doing so you can reverse the process later. If it isn't done right, you will have an engine that won't run, which means taking it apart and spending more money doing so. The best way to take an engine apart is to take pictures of the engine before you start working on it and gradually as you take parts off. This way you have a visual aid to help you later when you are replacing those parts. Plus, certain parts like connecting rod, valves, main bearings, and any other part that is in a certain position in the engine, needs to be stamped for that particular numbered position so that part can be put back where it came from. Or the new part can be placed where the old part came from. As you take parts and assemblies off the engine block, it would be a good idea to place the screws, bolts, nuts, and other fasteners in a bag and either tie or tape it around the part of assembly they came from. This way you'll know what went where.
• Machine shop: After all parts are removed, take the engine block, crankshaft, camshaft, rods, and pistons to a machine shop. The machine shop will have to recondition these parts so they can be used again. The only exception to this is with the crankshaft, camshaft, rods, and pistons. You may want to just replace these parts.
• Preparation: After you get the engine block and all parts back to your shop, your next step is to clean the engine (the shop will not do this), and make it ready to be put back together. You will need many tools including a torque wrench and piston ring compressor. You will also need a list of tightening (torque) specifications for each bolt, screw, and nut you put back, and some Plastigauge to measure bearing clearances.
• Reassembly: Here is where your time and muscle comes in because you have to lift heavy parts and you will be working slowly at doing this. It is at this time you need to put all new parts in the engine block and using the bolts, nuts, and screws from disassembly to reassemble the new parts in place. You need to replace the crankshaft, followed with the front and back bearings. Then you have to install the pistons and connect each piston to the crankshaft, then install the camshaft (unless this is overhead cam), followed by connecting rods, lifters, and finally the value head. After this is done, you just have to replace the distributor, fuel system, filters, radiator hoses, antifreeze, and engine oil.

Breaking In the Rebuilt Engine

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:29:17 +0000

After the engine has been put back together, here are some steps you need to follow to make sure of a good break in period. But before you do this, here are some precautions you must take before preparing the engine for break in:

• Prime the oil pump, oil lines, and fill the oil filters with oil wit an auxiliary pump. You can do this with a hand drill or you can use an external pressure tank that is connected to the oil pressure gauge.
• Make sure the carburetor or fuel injection system works properly. It must provide the proper air-fuel ratio that is required in today's engines. Listen for any air leaks. If there are leaks, re-torque the bolts until the leak disappears.
• Make sure the engine timing is correct to the specifications of the engine. If the ignition timing is off, it will affect engine performance.
• Make sure you use the proper spark plug and the gap is set according to specifications.

Now that you have prepared the engine, and everything is connected, checked, and the engine is ready to be tested, here are the steps you need to break in your rebuilt engine:

• Before you start your engine for the first time make sure it is pre-lubricated.
• Whatever you do, never, never add cold water to the cooling system while the engine is running. The engine needs to run at normal operating temperature.
• Start the engine and let is run at fast idle. This is about 1500 RPM. While you do this check the oil pressure. Run the engine for thirty minutes. Adjust tappets, the carburetor, and ignition if necessary.
• Shut engine off and retorque cylinder heads and manifolds to engine specifications. Then readjust tappets.
• Finally, start engine and make a test run on the road going 30 MPH in drive. After a few moments, accelerate to 50 MPH then decelerate slowly. Repeat this procedure as you drive down the road at least time to fifteen times.

The reason for fast acceleration and deceleration is because this increases ring pressure and helps to seat the rings against the cylinder walls.

Choosing The Right Tires For Your Car Overview

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:07:06 +0000

The road and weather of your specific location may call for a more particularly selected tire than the factory could reasonably offer. You may live in the rain soaked Northwest, where wet roads are common, or in the arid Southwest, where arrow straight roads dominate the landscape; or you may live within the snowy reaches of the Rockies; or in a place with a combination of all three. You have to have the right tire for your weather conditions. Of course, the vehicle you drive is the other side of the equation. And how you like to drive finishes out the tire selection formula.

What Does Each Number And Letter Mean On A Tire?

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:08:52 +0000

Reading from left to right on the tire, P stands for passenger car (LT stands for light truck; the next 3 numbers is the measurement in millimeters of how wide the tire tread is; the next 2 numbers is the aspect ratio (the width of the tire tread divided by the sidewall height; R stands for radial construction; and the last 2 digits is the diameter of the wheel in inches.

Car and minivans typically come from the factory equipped with passenger car tires, while pickup trucks, SUVs and full size vans come with light truck tires.

Speed ratings tell how fast a tire is rated to perform safely at recommended air pressures. You will find a letter to describe the tire's speed rating. Most manufacturers put the rating just before the letter R. A speed rating of S means it is safe for operation at speeds up to 112 mph.

What Do These Figures Mean When Choosing The Right Tire?

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:09:24 +0000

For the average consumer, the aspect ratio is one of the most important numbers. The larger the aspect ratio, the taller the tire's sidewall. A tall sidewall is great for a quiet, supple ride, because the sidewall can flex and distort easily when running through potholes or over expansion strips. Aspect ratios of 60 - 75 are considered tall and are common family cars and minivans.

A short sidewall will benefit you in the handling department, reducing sidewall flex and better connecting the wheel rim to the tire tread. It also produces a noticeable increase in ride firmness and tire noise. Hide speed cornering does not produce the tire howl that a taller tire will. Aspect ratios of 35 - 55 are considered short and are commonly found on sports cars.

Tread width is the other important factor in determining a tire's ride characteristics. A wider tire has more contact area with the road than a narrower one, and therefore has more grip, which is perfect for increasing handling limits. A wider version of the same tire will generate more noise and more rolling resistance, which will slightly lessen fuel economy, and it generally doesn't work as well in the rain, a narrower tire tends to slice through water.

Should I Choose A General Passenger Tire Or A High Performance Tire For My Car?

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:09:48 +0000

Most people have to drive to and from work, five days a week, all year and in many different weather conditions. Many people have a commuter car that is usually a gas sipping, lower priced model that is purchased for the sole purpose of driving back and forth from work. This kind of driving has special needs: low tire noise, a smooth ride, and good all weather traction and generally a longer service life. Several manufacturers now offer high mileage passenger car tires, often with prorated 80,000 mile warranties.

There are quite a few levels of performance tires on the market. The main objective of a performance tire is to increase traction. Thicker tread blocks provide more contact area with the road. A softer rubber tread compound gives it more grip. Small channel grooving provides a smaller void ratio. All of these contribute to increased grip on the road.

There are some tradeoffs associated with running a high performance tire. Besides the increased noise and stiffer ride, the most important is less than optimum performance in the rain and snow. Since performance tires try to maximize the contact area with the road, there is less void are for water, snow, mud and other debris to enter, which can lead to hydroplaning in slippery conditions.

Do I Need A Light Truck Tire Or An Off Road Tire For My SUV?

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:10:15 +0000

The best thing about sport utilities is the feeling of security they provide, the substantial weight, the high driving position with great road views, the 4-wheel drive for nasty weather. If you stick mainly to paved highways and live in an area with decent weather, a tire with passenger car characteristics with a little more grip would better suit your needs.

Stock tires are made for smooth highways, and lack many features that are necessary for traveling the off roads. You will want a tire with a tall, thick sidewall to resist punctures and tears and an aggressive tread pattern for increased traction when slogging through muddy roads and splashing through standing water. Large tread blocks, wide grooves and heavy siping promote efficient shedding of mud, gravel and other debris and water, and contribute greatly to traction in the snow, rain and mud. Taller sidewalls also provide more ground clearance.

Can I Run Race Tires On My Street Car?

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:10:37 +0000

If you are one of those people who would run race slicks on the streets if it were legal, there are street tires that come close. Ultra high performance tires feature tread made from a super soft, super grip rubber.

But a tire this close to race specifications has its drawbacks on the street. They are not designed for optimum wet weather handling and you do have to sacrifice comfort in your ride. These tires don't last very long either, but if you are looking for the ultimate in cornering ability, the tradeoff is worth it.

Should I Purchase Winter Tires For My Car?

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:11:02 +0000

Moving through the snow, sleet and ice of winter is probably the most dangerous of driving tasks. Winter tires are specially engineered to perform in cold, wet and snowy weather, and they are optimized for handling and traction under wet conditions. Tread blocks are large and well spaced, allowing more room for snow and water to evacuate from between the tire and the road. The larger blocks also act like cleats on a football or soccer shoe, digging into the mud, sand and gravel. Some of the new tread designs incorporate thousands of tiny surface cavities that act like suction cups, helping to stick the tire to the road.

If weather conditions call for their use, make sure to install winter tires all the way around, it doesn't matter if it is front wheel drive or rear wheel drive, 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. If you only install winter tires on only the front wheels of a front wheel drive vehicle it will provide great stopping and acceleration traction, but when you try going around a corner, the rear end will spin around.

How Many Tires Do I Need To Purchase?

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:11:28 +0000

Since tires affect the personality and performance of your vehicle, all four tires should be as identical as possible or you may have handling problems. If your tires don't match, it is possible that one end of your vehicle won't respond as quickly or completely as the other, making it more difficult to control.

If you tires have a lot of remaining tread depth, but you need to replace just one that has been damaged by an accident, road hazard or a vandal, you should replace it with a tire that exactly matches the others. Select a replacement tire of the same brand, line, size and speed rating.

If two of your tires have a lot of remaining tread depth, but you need to replace the other two because they were damaged or have worn out, you should replace them with a pair of tires that come as close as possible to matching your existing tires. While identical new tires are desirable, others of the same size and type can also provide good results. Only consider selecting new tires that are from the same tire category as your existing tires. New tires should be installed on the rear axle.

If all of your tires are wearing out together, you have the greatest flexibility in tire selection. If you were happy with the original tires, simply replace them. If you want longer tread wear, a smoother ride or more handling, there are probably tires that will help you accomplish that.

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