Auto Maintenance & Repairs: Page 8

If the air conditioning on your car doesn't work and the condenser does work, you may have a broken blend actuator door motor. It's hard to get to, but there's a way to do it without removing the dash board, and this video will show you how to do it.

When you use a scanner to look for error codes on a car, many can show up at once and confuse you as to the nature of the problem. Often, all of the codes are responses to the same problem. Watch this video for tips on interpreting multiple error codes.

If you've ever tried to remove the brake hoses on a Ford or a Mazda, you may know the pain of the brake hose connector breaking when you try to remove it. Watch this video to learn how to remove the brake hose the easy way.

Automotive computers and error codes are a blessing and a curse for mechanics. If your 2000 Ford Taurus shows error code P0171, that means the air fuel mixture is lean. This can be caused by a number of things, and this video will show you one easy thing to check for that might save you a trip to the shop.

Nissan tachometers have a problem where they sometimes spin all the way over and then don't read correctly afterwards. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions for how to reset the tachometer, giving your accurate RPM readings again. Vital for manual owners.

The starter on your car's health is directly related to how many amps it pulls from the battery. This video will show you how to use a multimeter to check volts going from the battery to the starter, and use an amp meter (don't use the multimeter for this part!) to check the amps at the starter.

When it rains, it pours. If all sorts of electrical systems on your car have seemed to break at once with no relation to each other, they might actually be related. Watch this video to learn how multiple electrical problems in a car can often be traced to one source and fixed, saving time and money.

If your turn signals are broken, you aren't driving safely. If the problem is the turn signal switch in your '07 Chrysler minivan, you've come to the right place. This video will show you how to change out the part at home.

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.

When a car gets old enough things start going wrong with it you never imagined when it was new. Watch this video to learn how to fix one common old car problem: removing broken exhaust studs that are stuck on the manifold.

Fort Triton engine offer a lot of power and value, but do have a tendency to blow out their own spark plugs. Watch this video to learn how you can use a special tool to drill out, re-trap, and install an insert that will fix your spark plugs without having to take the head off the motor.

Having properly functioning wheel bearings is important on any wheeled vehicle. If your old Ford Windstar is needs new bearings and you feel up to replacing them yourself, watch this video. It will teach you everything you need to know to change your own front wheel bearings.

The Chevy Tahoe isn't the most reliable vehicle, bless it's heart, and home maintenance skills are a must if you're going to enjoy owning one. If you're replaced the rear brake backing plates recently and noticed the E-brake not working after that, watch this video to learn whether you lost the pin under the adjuster pad and that's causing the problem.

Reading the fuel pressure and volume in your car's fuel system is a great way to determine whether your engine is working properly. This video will teach you how to use a meter to read the fuel volume directly from the fuel system.

Jeeps, for all their rugged charm, are not very well-made cars. They are rife with mechanical issues, and the '02 Jeep Liberty is no different. In this video you'll learn how to fix the A/C draining issues in these cars that leads to the passenger side carpet getting wet.

The fuel trim in your car is the mixture of air and fuel in the engine, which needs to remain in balance for an engine to run properly. This video will teach you about how to assess the fuel trim on your vehicle and adjust it.

The idler arm is an important part of all modern cars, and fixing them is mercifully similar across brands. In this video you'll learn how to change out the idler arm on a '93 Nissan pick-up, but you can apply these techniques to lots of other makes.

If your car cranks and won't start, you may need to put some fresh fuel in it. Rather than push the car inside, why not construct an external fuel tank and pump system for fixing the car in the field? This video will show you how to do it.

Most wheel bearings that aren't brand new make some noise when you're driving. If you want to be able to tell whether there's a serious problem, watch this video to learn how to lift the car up and use a listening device to figure out exactly where the noise is coming from.

The 1991 Suzuki Sidekick is quite vintage at this point, and they're fun little cars. If your Sidekick's check engine light is on and there's nothing wrong with the engine, use the hidden switch you'll learn about in this video to turn it off.

If you work on your own car and don't want to get electrocuted, you should disconnect the battery before you do any major work. This video will show you how to do it quickly and safely, ensuring your continued auto maintenance safety.

If you've ever left the lights on in your car for a long time or just have a bad alternator, then you know all too well the pain of a dead battery. This video will teach you how to push start a dead battery car, which can often restore it for long enough to get you to the shop.

If you've got oil leaking into the spark plug wells on your Honda Accord, you're not alone. This a pretty common problem, and fortunately for you this video is here to show you how to fix it, assuming you're decent at auto maintenance already. Make sure you line everything up when you reinstall the rock assembly!

Unless the windshield is obviously cracked, there are only two other possible causes to a leaky windshield. One is from the seal around the whole glass, because it's broken or worn by age, and the other is the more common culprit on LLV postal trucks, and that's where the side mirror bolts on. This is is hard to see without a mirror and flash light, but check it before you replace the windshield, because if it's the source of the leak, you'll still have a leak even after replacing the...

The rear door track is a must-have for postal workers on their LLV postal trucks. If they can't open the back cargo door, how would they get us our mail? So, when dealing with a broken cargo door track, this video will help you replace the roller track, which is actually quite easy. The United States Postal Service (USPS) uses these "Long Life Vehicles" for almost all mail deliveries! If you have another problem, check out the other LLV videos.

If you're working on a LLV postal truck, this video will show you how to determine if you've got a bad fuel pump or not. It's a quick diagnosis trick to determining if there's an electrical problem with the fuel pump, and first you need to take out the ECMB fuse, plug a jumper wire where it was, use a multimeter and labscope to see what's going on. The United States Postal Service (USPS) uses these trucks for all their postal deliveries, and if you're the mechanic working on it, this and the...

When replacing flywheels on an LLV (Long Life Vehicle), which is a postal truck used by the United States Postal Service (USPS) and made by Grumman, always look for the quality of the new flywheels ordered. Just because they're new doesn't mean they're good. The ring gear can sometimes be welded off-center to the plate, which will make the starter teeth grind the new flywheel. If you don't want to replace the fly wheel a second time, watch this video to see how to spot check them.

A common problem for an LLV postal truck is a transmission fluid leak at the speedometer drive gear on the side of the transmission. This video will show you how to repair this transmission leak at the seal. LLV stands for the Grumman Long Life Vehicle, which the United States Postal Service (USPS) for all mail delivery. More than likely, it's an O-ring problem (speedo seal) where the speedometer cable attaches.

The control arm on a Grumman Long Life Vehicle, or LLV, postal truck (used by the United States Postal Service (USPS)) is exactly the same as the control arm on the Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck, so the replacement procedure is almost identical. This video will show you that procedure, but it's important that you get the right part for the side you're replacing. The LLV is right-side steering, so the driver's side is the passenger's side on the S-10. It's a little confusing, so be careful.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) use what's called a Grumman Long Life Vehicle, or LLV, for their postal trucks. This video will show you how to troubleshoot the dash gauges in an LLV that are acting crazy. If you;re a mechanic and you have the same sort of electrical problem with the gauges when using turn signals or hazards, this video will help you find the solution, which could involve the parking brake.

A common problem on Jeep Liberty SUVs involves the passenger side carpet getting wet because of the air conditioner drain hose being plugged, where the condensation water is supposed to drain from. The drain hose sticks out about an inch inside the engine compartment, and is relatively easy to access. All you need to do is use a wire, at least six inches, to probe into it and release and buildup. You can also blow air into the hose. Watch and learn this simple A/C repair trick.

If you have (or are working on) a 1997 Mazda 626, the timing belt is a relatively easy replacement job. If you need a little guidance from a professional mechanic, then follow along to this video for the step-by-step instructions for removing and replacing the timing belt in the '97 Mazda 626.

A wheel bearing doesn't have to be a costly fix for the mechanic. It could be a relatively cheap repair job for all you do-it-yourselfer types. There are different types of wheel bearings, but the type explained in this video, on a 1991 Ford Explorer, is a self-contained all-in-one assembly. If you have a '91 Ford Explorer, or a different vehicle with this kind of wheel bearing, then you're in luck… watch and learn.

After running a diagnostics test on a 2002 Jeep Liberty, if you get the code P0442, that means you have an Evaporative Emission Control System (EVAP) leak detected, which is just a small leak, but a leak nonetheless. This video will show you how to smoke test the EVAP leak to find the problem spot inside the vehicle.

This vehicle covers a 1998 Ford Windstar 3.0L which came into the shop without the chief complaint being it was stalling and running bad. After the scan, they got a code P0340, which is a cam sensor fault. The problem could lie in any part of the circuit - the sensor itself, the wiring, or the PCM. Watch and learn to see how to install a new camshaft sensor and/or synchronizer.

If you're working on a Chevrolet S-10 or similar pickup truck, the easiest way to getting to the fuel pump is not by dropping the gas tank, but by lifting the bed of the truck. If you have the mechanic's equipment, you can get this done fast! Doesn't have to be a Chevy S-10. Could work for any lightweight pickup truck.

Before you begin, take note that this Mitsubishi engine is an interference engine, so damage will occur if this procedure is not done correctly. In this two-part tutorial, you'll see the process for replacing the timing belt on a 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT with a 3.0L quad cam engine. This will show you the way to do it without expensive tools to hold the cams in place.

When working on the dashboard of any vehicle, make sure you disable the vehicle's airbag system first. Your service manual should tell you how to do that. In this video, the heater core is plugged up in a 2001 Ford Taurus, which means it needs to be taken out. The book states it will take 5 hours to complete, mostly because of the dash. But this trick will cut the time down to 1.5 hours. First, get you heater hoses off in the engine area. Then proceed to watch a mysterious bracket being cut...

One reason your vehicle may be misfiring is from a spark plug problem. To help you out, this video, aimed at mechanics, will help you diagnose the problem by using a lab scope and inductive pickup to test a coil on a spark plug. This could be done for virtually any vehicle. If you have the equipment, this is the test to try out.

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.