Showing posts with label How to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to. Show all posts

HOW TO: Change A Brake Light Bulb


Every bulb on the outside of your car has a safety function. This may seem obvious, but think about how often you see somebody driving around with a tail light out, or with only one brake light. The fact is these little bulbs are often neglected. Many people don't replace them until they get pulled over( Like me).

You can replace these lights in a few easy step:

I have a 2006 Dodge Stratus and inside of the trunk it was a couple of screws that had to be removed before the Tail Light Housing could be exposed.


Tail lamp assembly out.

Today was really cold so I didn't take pictures of every step (sorry) but its really easy from here! The Red Arrow points to the brake light that needs to be replaced, you unscrew the bulb holder-- remove the old bulb and replace. I put the extra bulb in my emergency chick kit and on a warm day I plan to replace the other bulb.


Here is a quick video!


How to Check and Add Air to Car Tires


Keeping the appropriate air pressure in your tires is one way to help maintain the safety of your vehicle. Low air pressure can lead to accidents, extra wear on your tires and overuse of gasoline. Learning how to check and add air to car tires is an essential skill that every driver should master.

1) Purchase tire gauge from an auto store or auto department of a hardware store. Tire gauges measure pounds per square inch (standard) or kilo Pascal's (metric).
2) Determine how much air should be in your tires
Look at the writing on the side of your tires or on a sticker on the inner panel of the door. The tire will have a recommended PSI or KPA number. This is the pounds per square inch or kilo Pascal's that your tires need. You can also check your owners manual for this information

3) Check the pressure when the tires are cold, as this is how the automakers list these recommended tire pressures. Tires heat up as you drive, so measuring them while they are hot will give you an inaccurate (overly high) reading. They take about a half hour to cool down. You also can just check the tires first thing in the morning

4) Unscrew the valve cap and set it to the side or in a pocket where you won't lose it
 5) Place the tire gauge onto the tire valve stem


6) Press the tire gauge firmly down on top of the valve stem, and Read the gauge to gain information about the PSI or KPA in your tires


Now you can compare the tire pressure readings you got with the specified amount called for by the manufacturer (on the doorjamb or in the manual). If the level of pressure in your tires is below the specified amount, you need to fill the tires with air


Filling Your Tires
There are at least two ways to refill your tires to bring them up to specification. You can go to an auto parts store and buy a portable air compressor. If you do this you can refill your tires at your house or in your garage.


Most people, however, will just refill their tires at a gas station. Even though many stations charge 75 cents to use their air compressors, you can usually get the attendant to turn on the machine for free.

Adjusting Your Tire Pressure
Here are the steps needed to adjust the pressure in your tires:

1. Pull your car in close to the air compressor so the hose reaches all four tires.
2. Remove the valve stem caps and set them to the side or in a pocket.
3. Insert coins or if the gas station attendant turned it on, you will hear the compressor motor beginning to run.
4. Press the hose fitting down on the valve stem and press the lever. You should feel air flowing through the hose and hear it inflating the tire. This can take a little effort to hold the hose on the valve stem.
5. Check to see when you have enough air pressure in the tires by releasing the inflation lever. The gauge on the hose fitting will show if you have approximately enough air pressure. You can check it again later with your own gauge. At this point, it is better to slightly over inflate the tire.
6. Adjust the pressure in all the tires in the same way. (Note: If the tires are warmed up, you can inflate the tire pressure to 3 psi over the specified amount as a general rule of thumb, but you'd still want to officially check the tires later.)
7. Recheck the tire pressure with the digital gauge. If the pressure is too high, press the gauge down just far enough to release some air from the tire. Check it again.
8. Replace the valve caps on all the tires.


Source: WikiHow

HOW TO: Plug A Tire


So on Friday I made an early run to Ikea came home and hours later I had a flat tire. Thankfully my dad was planning to come over to my house and he noticed it. We went to Auto Zone and purchased the Slime/Tire Plug Kit $5.79 [ I highly recommend purchasing this and having it in your Emergency Kit]

Pictured below is the culprit the screw that caused my flat tire

My dad removed the screw and started the repair process.

Slime Tire Plug Kit x Instructions x Video








Video courtesy of: AutoMoto Mods

Do-It-Yourself: Changing Your Front Brakes


Most new cars require brake service during the first 30,000 to 42,000 miles. It is also important to inspect them for wear before every winter and summer, because extreme temperatures may affect the brakes' effectiveness. Most basic brake repairs are relatively simple to do, as long as you work slowly and carefully follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

Buy the Service Manual.
It contains essential information for doing the job right the first time. 


Getting Started
Jack the car up and remove the wheel and tire.  


Remove the Caliper.
Check to see how much friction is on the rotor by turning it by hand. A small amount of drag is normal. Remove the caliper so you can inspect the condition of the rotor. To do this, loosen the bleeder screw, located on the back of the caliper. Then, disconnect the flex hose, (which is connected from the caliper to the car) by loosening the fitting that attaches it to the car. At this point, place a your metal pan beneath the caliper to catch any remaining brake fluid coming out. Then, remove the caliper retaining bolts and rock the unit back and pull it away from the rotor. 




Check the Rotor.
Remove the hub retaining nut in the middle of the rotor. Some rotors will slide off without any unbolting. The rotor should come right off at this point so you can inspect it. If a rotor is badly worn, you may be able to notice pronounced grooves on its surface. However, most of the time, you will need to use your micrometer to measure whether it is thick enough for you to continue using it.

Your rotor most likely has the minimum thickness measurement stamped on its edge. If your rotor is dirty or rusty, use your wire brush to clean it and expose the measurement. Then, take your micrometer and determine whether the minimum amount of thickness remains. If so, wear on the face of the rotor can be machined by a service technician. If not, it must be replaced. If a rotor is suffering from lateral run out, (i.e., is warped) the rotor must be replaced with a new one. Lateral run-out tends to cause a shimmy and pulsation through your steering wheel when you apply the brakes. 

Check the Wheel Bearings.
If your car has a sealed roller bearing and it has become worn (normally around 100,000 miles or so), the entire wheel hub assembly must be replaced. If it has a tapered roller bearing (as most cars do) you can remove the roller bearing from the hub assembly and inspect it. Look for evidence of pitting or scoring. If it has these conditions, it should be replaced.

Before replacing the bearing, it must be greased. Before handling the grease, take some hand cleaner and rub it onto your hands, especially concentrating on your fingernails, then wipe off the excess. Next, take a large portion of grease into the palm of one hand and the bearing in the other. Turn the bearing to its wider end and then press it into the grease, until the grease is completely through the holes in the bearing. Take some time to make sure that the grease is worked through the entire unit. Then, work some grease into the bearing race on the hub that holds the bearing and insert the bearing.

Next, you must apply the grease seal. Many people make the mistake of pounding the seal into place with a hammer. This usually destroys the seal, forcing you to buy another one. However, you can save time and money by using a seal driver, which you can purchase at an auto supply store. This tool fits over top of the seal, then you hammer the top of the tool, which pushes the seal into place. The money you save on seals should cover the cost of the tool. 

Replace the brake pads.
If your brakes are squealing, the pads might need to be replaced. Sometimes, the reason they squeal is because the brake pad wear indicator tab is being exposed by the pad wear. Taking the old pads off the caliper is easy, they usually click in and out of place. When putting new pads on, it is advisable to apply an anti-squeal gel or shims. These are applied to the side of the pad that comes in contact with the caliper. If you are applying the gel, allow about 30 minutes for the material to dry on the pads before replacing them. Then, simply click the pads into place.



Put the assembly back together.
Now, you have checked all the components of your brakes and have replaced or fixed any parts as needed, it is time to put them back on the car. First, take the rotors and wash them with soap and water to remove any grease that may be left from your hands. Then, put them on the spindle and attach them into place using the hub retaining nut.

Very Important: Make sure you torque the bolts to the specifications outlined in the car's manual. Over- or under-tightening can cause major damage to your car and/or could jeopardize your vehicle safety.

Then, slide the caliper back into place and bolt it on to factory specs. Take the flex hose and re-attach it to the brake line.
 

Bleed the brake fluid.
You can remove old brake fluid from the master cylinder by using a turkey baster and sucking the old fluid out and putting it into a pan. Then, add new fluid. Go to the caliper and attach a rubber hose to the back of the bleeder screw and put the hose into a pan for it to drain. Have a partner sit in the car and pump the brakes while you open the nut to drain out the old fluid and bubbles in the line. After several times through, tighten the bleeder screw again.
 

Replace the tire and wheel assembly, put the hubcap back on, and you are finished!

Steps provided by Pep Boys