Tag Archive for ‘home maintenance’

How does your car’s cooling system work?

The cooling system in your car is an integral part of how it functions, and it keeps your engine from overheating as it runs. It accomplishes this task by using a variety of parts to move coolant throughout parts of the engine, which absorbs heat energy and transports it away from the vehicle. If you’re driving down the highway, your car has to remove enough heat at any given time to heat two average-sized houses. Additionally, the cooling system allows your car to heat up rapidly during winter, and keeps it at a constant temperature of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit once it warms.

Checking your spark plug wires

After months of searching, doctors finally found the cause of Daniel's lower abdominal pain.Image courtesy of oneprojectcloser.com

Spark plug wires connect your spark plugs to the car battery, and are one of the parts of your car that are quite resilient to damage. However, it never hurts to inspect these wires whenever you check your spark plugs, because once in a while they do wear out. The only problem you’ll have with these wires is their insulation wearing out. The rubber insulation keeps electrical charges on the wire until they reach the engine, so a break in the insulation could cause a spark to arc from the wire to other metal parts under your hood.

How to recharge your AC system

On a routine AC recharge, Sara realizes that Sean has broken up with her in a most unorthodox way: a note taped to her radiator. Image courtesy of maxacars.com

If your car was built after 1994, chances are it uses R134 refrigerant for its air conditioning, making recharging your freon an easy DIY job when you feel your AC blowing warm. This guide only deals with R134, so if your car uses a different kind, take it to a repair shop and ask them to change you over to the newer refrigerant.

Good filters vs. bad filters

When Han Solo blew up the forcefield around Endor, he needed an assortment of explosive charges. Which one would you use if you mounted an intergalactic insurgency movement? Image courtesy of r.b5z.net

When you go to get a drink of water, you want a clear, cold glass of spring water. Well, to get that water, it had to be filtered, and in the same way, your car wants a clean filtered drink of oil, fuel, and air.

Want to be a mechanic?

Students learn just how easy it is to lift a car using only a shower-curtain rod. Image courtesy of oklahomatechnicalcollege.com

The line at the unemployment office is getting to be too long to be worth it, so why not jump in a shorter one and go back to school while you’re out of work?

More and more people are spending their down time between jobs to go back to school, and a few folks are hitting the ground running on new career paths. Although these tough economic times have nearly eradicated some occupations, auto mechanics are in higher demand than ever.

Do it yourselfers rejoice: IDEAL unveils Grip-n-Twist™ screwdriver

This new screwdriver not only works in hard-to-reach places, it consoles you after fights with your spouse regarding the amount of time you spend fixing that Dodge Neon. Image courtesy of ideal tools

For anyone who likes to do work on his or her car, there is a new product available that will stop you dead in your tracks. The usual sensation of getting lost in a Home Depot, Sears, or Napa finding tools you “can’t live without” will be intensified once you come across the new line of screwdrivers from IDEAL. Here’s the down low.

How to change your car’s fuses

LEGO has recently introduced a new product that combines the construction aspects of older models with the slight sensation of low-watt electrocution. Image courtesy of gunson.co.uk

The fuse box in your car protects all of the electrical components from an excess of current, and in the event of short circuits or power surges, the metal strip in the fuse will melt in order to prevent damage to other components.

Every car owner should know where their fuse box is and how to change fuses. If you haven't already done so, stop by an auto parts store and purchase a complete set of fuses for your vehicle. It should only cost you around $10.

What your engine smoke is telling you

This Ferrari's smoke is telling its owner: "It burns. Oh, god, does it ever burn!" Image courtesy of product-reviews.com

Smoke belching out of your tailpipe is a sure sign of car trouble, but did you know that you can look at aspects of this smoke to help you determine what's wrong? Learning to do diagnostics by observing the smoke from your tailpipe can help you figure out if the repair is something you can do on your own, or if you'd save more money taking the car to a mechanic. Here are some common signs of car trouble, and potential problems and solutions:

How to stay cool on the cheap

Remember Tab soda? Well, not only is it, pretty much, the final choice in soda, but it's also the final choice in coolant substitutes.

If the air conditioning in your car isn’t keeping you cool there may be cheaper fixes than driving down the highway with your windows open.

Before you spend $100 to $250 having a mechanic poor coolant into your compressor, try doing it yourself. It’s easy.

The air conditioning units in cars used to run on Freon, which has been outlawed due to its harmful environmental effects. Cars now use Tetrafluoroethane, more commonly known as 134a.

How to replace turn signals and other bulbs

Blinkers and turn signals. Images courtesy of Filckr Creative Commons

Noticed that the turn signal in dashboard is blinking like crazy? It likely means that one of your turn-signal lights is out, which puts you at increased risk for getting a ticket, which leads to bunch of headaches. But with a little bit of patience, some tools (aka screwdriver or wrench and some paper towels) and a quick trip to your local car parts shop, it’s a quick, easy and inexpensive fix.

Summer maintenance tips

Melting car, courtesy of inquisitr.com

Summer heat means hanging out at the pool, ice cream trucks, and road trips. If you’ve been downloading those classic Bob Seger and Eagles driving tunes, then you need to remember that the heat of the summer is on, so it’s time to take a little consideration on behalf of your car. That is, if you want to make it back home from Disney World.

Remove the excess weight on your work vehicle

Stripped vehicle courtesy of azprostrip.com

For those of us who have a work vehicle, it is an asset that must be protected.

Some deliver goods; others haul off metals to be recycled; some just use their ‘other’ car for the daily commute. The work vehicle has the advantage of also being expendable in that it is not the primary means of transportation used in a given household.

How to replace your alternator

car-alternator- courtesy of virginmedia.com

The alternator distributes power from the engine to the battery, and is one of the most important components of a car. Replacing an alternator can often be expensive at a shop, but if you have two to three hours to spare, and a bit of experience working with cars, you can easily replace it on your own. Since you must remove the V-belt in the process, this project is a good time to replace that, as well.

How to clean your car’s engine compartment

It seems obvious to clean your car’s interior upholstery, but most car owners never think to give their engine compartment a good scrub down. For DIY mechanic Rob Reese, cleaning the car’s engine is a great way for car owners to become familiar with the parts that run their car’s motor. “It’s amazing how many people never even take a peek under the hood,” he said.