Hot Auto Maintenance & Repairs How-Tos
How to Fix Car Dents: 8 Easy Ways to Remove Dents Yourself Without Ruining the Paint
Only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and getting a dent in your car or truck. Even if you're as careful as possible, you can't always account for runaway shopping carts, wrongly thrown footballs, out-of-nowhere light posts, and other real-life annoyances.
How To: Unlock a Car Door Using a Cell Phone and a Faraway Keyless Remote (Faux-To?)
What if you forgot your car keys and that keyless entry remote banded to them, how are you going to get in your car? Well, if you haven't forgotten your cell phone, too, you can call up someone who has access to that keyless remote, so you can unlock your car or truck via the wireless mobile phone! What?!?
How To: Replace and repair the rack and pinion on a Ford Escape or Mercury Mariner
The Mercury Mariner, Ford Escape, and Mazda Tribute are the exact same car with different skins, so what works on one works exactly the same on the others. Watch this video to learn how to replace the rack and pinion steering gears on any of these cars.
How To: Fix error codes P0340 & P0341 on a Saturn S-Series
IF you have a Saturn S-Series and it's thrown a P0340 or P0341 error code at your on the scanner after the check engine light has come on, you might be wondering how your cam position sensor can be off if you don't actually have one in your car. Watch this video to learn exactly what this code means to your car and some thoughts on how you might fix it. Three words: spark plug wires.
How To: Replace OIL PAN on Pontiac Grand Prix
Step 1: Here is a video on how to replace the oil pan on a Pontiac Grand Prix with the 3.8l engine. This process is the same for any wbody vehicle like the Chevy Impala, Monte Carlo, Buick Regal with the GM 3800 Series II or Series III engine supercharged or naturally aspirated.
How To: Replace the Front Inside Door Handle on a 04-10 Toyota Sienna
In this video we will show you how to replace the inside door handle on your 04-10 Toyota Sienna.
How To: Lubricate the caliper pins or replace the brake pads on a Ford F-250 truck
Full-size pickups are more difficult than cars when or smaller trucks when it comes to repairs. Even something as simple as replacing the brake pads can become daunting. But if you're changing the brake pads on your Ford F-250 truck, this video will give you some much needed help.
How To: Use Lysol to Clean Bacteria Out of Your Car's Air Conditioning System
Air conditioning systems are cold and wet and make great breeding grounds for bacteria and mold, and adding a nasty odor to the air coming out of the vents.
How To: Open Your Car Door Without a Key: 6 Easy Ways to Get in When Locked Out
Locking your keys inside of your car is frustrating, to say the least, especially if you're in a hurry to get somewhere. You can always call AAA roadside assistance or a locksmith, but you'll probably have to fork over some money, as well as wait for them to get to you. You might even get towed.
How To: Replace the fuel filter in a Saturn S-Series car
One day, your car may break down and you won't be able to afford to hire a mechanic, so what do you do... you look on the web for some how-to vehicle repair videos and become your own car mechanic, that's what. You don't need any advanced training to perform repairs and simple maintenance on your automobile, but you may need a few tools. Invest in the basic tools and you'll be prepared for just about any car malfunction you can think of. These tutorials will help get you on your way, as long ...
How To: Fix transmission and oil seal leaks fast with AT-205 Re-Seal
If you've got an oil seal leak in a very inconvenient place, then this video by Scotty Kilmer will show you how a little bottle of re-sealer may be able to fix that leak. The vehicle in this video has a leak in the front main seal of the automatic transmission. The seal is pretty cheap, but you have to pull the transmission off to replace it, which can take a serious amount of time. The re-sealer is a better solution, a polymer oil that can mix with all kinds of oils. If you mix AT-205 Re-Sea...
How To: Replace rear brake pads on a Ford Explorer
When replacing your brake pads on your Ford Explorer, you first need to jack up the vehicle and remove the tire. This will give you access to the brakes. Locate the caliper, remove the two bolts and slide the caliper off. Inside the calipers are the brake pads. Pry out the outside brake pad off first, then the inside pad. Then it's time to reverse the process!
How To: Reset the speedometer on a Chrysler
Knowing how fast you're going is an important part of safe, legal driving. If you own a Chrysler and your speedometer has stopped working, there is hope. Watch this video for the procedure you need to reset the speedometer on a newish Chrysler.
How To: Troubleshoot the air conditioner in a Saturn S-Series
One day, your car may break down and you won't be able to afford to hire a mechanic, so what do you do... you look on the web for some how-to vehicle repair videos and become your own car mechanic, that's what. You don't need any advanced training to perform repairs and simple maintenance on your automobile, but you may need a few tools. Invest in the basic tools and you'll be prepared for just about any car malfunction you can think of. These tutorials will help get you on your way, as long ...
How To: Get a Car Dent Out with a Pot & Vacuum Cleaner
Instead of taking your car to the mechanic, save yourself some money by going MacGyver and creating your own suction-style car dent puller from objects you've got laying around at home. All you need is a pot (or bucket), a vacuum cleaner, and some tape and you're pretty much set.
How To: Stop Running Over Plastic Bags! And More Small Tips for Keeping Your Car Running Smoothly
Approximately 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That’s more than 1,200 bags per U.S. resident and more than 54 times the number of people who live on the planet. That's why here in Santa Monica, thanks to a city-wide plastic bag ban, you won't find a plastic bag at any of the major retail stores.
How To: Fix Broken Plastic Tabs on Bumper
A common problem on bumper covers is that the tabs that attach the bumper to the car get broken. This is critical, as this is what secures and aligns the bumper cover. Many times, a broken tab is all that is wrong with the bumper cover. With the cost of these plastic parts $200 to $700, the replacement cost can break the bank.
How To: Start a Car After a Very, Very Long Time in Storage
My grandfather's brother won this car in a lottery during 1957. He had no driver's license, but his brothers used to give him a lift in it. From 1975 to 1996, the car was parked in my grandfather's brother's garage. My grandfather moved the car on a trailer in 1996 to his garage a few miles away, but it's been standing still there until this year when I rolled it out and started it up. This was the first time someone turned it on in 38 years!
How To: Replace the hydroboost unit on a Chevy Astro van
If your Astro van is performing poorly (or perhaps not at all), one solution is to replace the hydroboost. Fix your power brakes and power steering with a new hydroboost. You'll need some moderate familiarity with auto mechanics to do this.
How To: Torque cylinder head bolts on a Honda Accord
Cylinder head bolts are big, strong bolts that do much of the work required to hold your engine together. If you've taken your engine apart and are putting it back together, you're going to have to torque the cylinder head bolts to get the block back together, and this video will show you everything you need to know to do it on a 2000 Honda Accord.
How To: Replace Driver Side Master Power Window Switch on a 04-10 Toyota Sienna
In this video we will show you how to replace the driverside master power window switch on a 2004-2012 Toyota Sienna.
How To: Remove the door panel from an '07 or later Chevy Avalanche
If, for some reason, you need to remove one of the door panels from your '07 or later-model Chevy Avalance, this video shows you everything you need to know to be able to do that! This tutorial will also work for any similarly constructed GM truck.
How To: Use a smoke machine to identify a cylinder compression leak in a truck
The truck in this video was having a misfire problem during routine service. This video for mechanics will show how to find the problem of this misfire. The first thing to look at is the lab scope. After that, comes time for the smoke machine test to identify a possible cylinder compression leak. Watch and learn. This is very similar for a lot of different automobiles.
How To: Cut R&R (remove & replace) time for an engine in a 2000 Chevrolet Express van
For most vehicles, the way you remove and replace (often referred to as R&R) an engine is by disconnecting everything from the motor and pulling it out of the frame. With the 2000 Chevrolet Express, the book time states 22 hours for R&R of the engine this way. But there is a shortcut, and it cuts the time nearly in half! It involves the backwards approach, where you lift the body of the Chevy Express off the frame, then pull the engine out.
How To: Replace spark plugs in a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
In this tutorial, we learn how to replace spark plugs in a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. First, prop your hood up and leave it open. Next, remove the hoses around the spark plugs and use a wrench to remove the casing around the plugs. After this, squeeze the top of the connector and unplug the wires. Next, remove the spark plugs and replace the new ones back inside. When you are finished, you will need to replace all the items that you removed, making sure to replace everything where it was origi...
How To: Repair a car trunk that won't open
In order to repair a trunk that won't open, you will need the following: a screw driver. You will need to climb into your trunk, through the back seat. Remove the back seat. Pull the emergency release. Remove the trunk lock. Unscrew it. Look for anomalies. Bent screws could be the cause. You will need to repair any broken parts or replace them, if you decide not to replace the entire lock. Reinstall the lock in the trunk.
How To: Identify a Jeep rear axle in order to replace it
RichPin shows how to identify a rear axle on a Jeep Grand Cherokee to determine the correct replacement part. The first thing to do is to identify the axle by cleaning the fill plug on the back cover. Look at the inscription of the plug to find out the style of the rear end. In this example, Rich has a "Dana" style rear end. To determine if it is a 35 or 44 Dana, look at the web area to the right of the plug to locate the number. The two steps outlined in this video allow you to identify the ...
How To: Change a dirt bike tire
To change a dirt bike tire follow these instructions. First use the crescent wrench set to loosen, and remove the axle bolt from the wheel you are working on. Then, slide the wheel out of the stays and lay it flat on the ground in an open area. Use the screwdriver to let the air out of the tire by depressing the valve stem with the blade. Now place the palm of your hand on the tire next to the very edge of the rim, and forcefully push downward. If all of the air is out of the tire and you do ...
How To: Remove and clean the throttle body in a Saturn car
One day, your car may break down and you won't be able to afford to hire a mechanic, so what do you do... you look on the web for some how-to vehicle repair videos and become your own car mechanic, that's what. You don't need any advanced training to perform repairs and simple maintenance on your automobile, but you may need a few tools. Invest in the basic tools and you'll be prepared for just about any car malfunction you can think of. This tutorial will help get you on your way, as long as...
How To: Remove the blower motor resistor in a Saturn S-Series
One day, your car may break down and you won't be able to afford to hire a mechanic, so what do you do... you look on the web for some how-to vehicle repair videos and become your own car mechanic, that's what. You don't need any advanced training to perform repairs and simple maintenance on your automobile, but you may need a few tools. Invest in the basic tools and you'll be prepared for just about any car malfunction you can think of. These tutorials will help get you on your way, as long ...
How To: Clean your AC drain if water is spilling into your car
This next tutorial is going to be showing you how to take care of a problem that is very common amongst drivers. If water has ever spilled on you from inside your car, it's probably from your HVAC. When you use your A/C, condensation builds up as well, and this usually goes down a drain. But if it gets clogged then you might have a problem.
How To: Install quick-change sprocket carrier on a Ducati
Watch and learn how to install a Afam quick-change sprocket carrier on your sing-sided swingarm Ducati. This video applies to all single-sided swingarm Ducatis.
How To: Replace a thermostat on a GM 3.1L or 3.4L automobile
Replace the thermostat on your GM 3100 or 3400 vehicle with this nifty tutorial. The video shows you how to replace a thermostat on a 3.4L GM but it should also help you repair a 3.1L GM as well. Just a heads up - you'll need to replace an o-ring when you install the new thermostat as well.
How To: Reset a Busted Speedometer After Jump-Starting or Replacing a Vehicle's Battery
In the past, most mechanics ended up having to replace the speedometer head when a vehicle came in with a broken speedometer. Nowadays, there's a possible reset procedure that can be used, and it can be done by most car owners right at home.
How To: Get Out Car Dents & Dings Without Damaging Your Paint Job
According to George Gjoka, a professional Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) technician, when you attempt to take a dent out of your car, you're probably doing it wrong.
How To: Fix a Huge Dent in Your Car at Home Without Ruining the Paint Job
There are two options when it comes to a dent in your car — live with it, cringing each time it enters your view, or get rid of it. While the latter is obviously the best option, most of us will probably just live with dents and dings since spare money is better spent on the actual functionality of the vehicle. However, there is a way to knock out automobile dents yourself with relatively little cash in the bank.
How To: Jack Up a 1999-2004 Honda Odyssey Mini Van
Need to jack up your vehicle? If it's a 1999-04 Honda Odyssey mini van, I'll show you the best places on the frame to place your jack.
How To: Replace the rear brakes on a Chevy Silverado GMC Sierra 2500HD 00-07
Brake repair bills from a mechanic can be unmanageable, so learn how to do this auto repair yourself by watching this video. Using a 2000-07 Chevy Silverado as the example, this video demonstrates how to remove and replace a truck's rear brakes.
How To: Figure out what's draining your car battery and fix it
Figuring out what was causing your old car battery to drain power was easy, but on modern cars it's more complicated due to their large number of electrical devices. In this video you'll learn how to find out what's draining the battery on your new car and fix it.
How To: Remove and replace a Mitsubishi valve body control center
If you're Mitsubishi transmission is acting up, there could be something wrong with the DSM valve body, which is the hydraulic control center located in the engine. This video is super helpful for anybody needing to troubleshoot their valve body. You'll learn how to take the valve body out, and then reinstall it.