Hot Auto Maintenance & Repairs Posts

How To: Remove window tint

Is the tint on your windows losing its luster? In this video, learn how to remedy a bad window tint. All window film deteriorates with age and eventually have to be removed. Two of the most common symptoms of dying film are the dreaded "purple film" and the "bubbling film". Purple film is caused by non-metallic dyes in the film breaking down and changing color. Bubbling film is a sign that the adhesive used to apply the tint to the window is failing. After a single bubble appears, many more w...

How To: Make ethanol/alcohol fuel

Gas prices haven't significantly lowered for some time and it looks like they won't either. So some people are trying to find another way to fill up their cars in order to get to work or wherever else they need to go. One way is by making ehtanol fuel or gas. This is a great way to replace gasoline and can be used to power your car and/or a generator. This tutorial will give you the steps needed to make some. Enjoy! Make ethanol/alcohol fuel.

How To: Remove tint from a car

Removing tint from a car can be complicatedly sticky and leave a really bad result on your windows. If you feel like a change, or if you got a ticket for too dark tint, follow the steps in this tutorial and learn how to remove the tint yourself. This will save you money and save your windows in the process. Check it out!

How To: Check and replace the fuses on a car

Kim, a staff mechanic of Driverside, demonstrates how to check the fuses in a car. In majority of the cars the main fuse box could be located on the left side of the kick panel situated near the driver seat. Inside the car, he opened a cover stating fuse box (near the driver seat), by turning a small lever, he dispatched the fuse cover with ease. A pilot map can be found behind the back of the cover panel. The Map elucidates all kinds of fuses distributed in the car and their amperages. Then ...

How To: Remove rear window tint

There are several ways you can remove window tinting. This video will show you how you can use a steamer and razor blade to peel and scrape of the tinting of a back window in a car. The steam heater will get the tint coat to separate from the glass. Depending on how old and the quality of the tint will determine how easy this process is. Hopefully you have a good tint job which will allow for easier removal. You can use Windex to finish removing any residue left when you are done. You may nee...

How To: Remove car window tint

Depending on what state you are in will have different laws on the amount of tint that is legal to have on your car window. If your tint is too dark for the state you are in there is a way that is not too difficult for you to remove the tint yourself. You will have to heat up the car but having it in the sun and running it with the heat and defrost on until the window is hot. Then you will simply have to catch the edge of the tint with a new razor blade and start to peal. It should come off i...

How To: Change your car's headlights and taillights

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to change a car's headlight and taillights. There are 3 types of headlights for a car. The 3 types are: sealed beam, halogen bulb and HID lights. This video shows viewers how to change halogen bulbs. Begin by opening the hood of the car. Remove the fastener or wire harness and then remove the bulb. Now replace it with a new bulb and put the wire harness or fastener back on. This video will benefit those viewers who have a vehicle and would like to lea...

How To: Use a car jack to replace a tire

Everyone who drives should know how to use a car jack in case of a flat tire or blowout. Check your owner's manual to find out where your car jack and spare tire are located. In most cases, they are somewhere in the rear of the car. The video shows us how to use a telescoping jack, though the more common type of jack requires a scissor motion to raise the car and lifts from the side rail. The telescoping jack lifts from the axel and to raise the jack you need to insert the rod into the hole n...

How To: Change a flat tire with AAA

If you have to change a tire out on the highway make sure that you are well out of the flow of traffic. If you have materials to help people see you put them out and make sure that you only use the jack if you are on a hard flat surface. Using a jack on a soft surface such as sand can lead to the car falling off of the jack. Set your emergency brake and turn on your emergency flashers. Check the owners manual for step by step directions and safety tips for changing the tire. Take out the spar...

How To: Replace the burned out headlights in your car

In this Autos, Motorcycles & Planes video tutorial Tool Dude Tony will show you how to replace the burned out headlights in your car. It’s pretty simple. Open the hood. Then pull out the electrical connector by pressing down on the locking mechanism and pulling it straight back. Next remove the locking ring that surrounds the bulb. Pull the bulb straight back. Remove the new bulb from the packing, put it straight in without touching anything. Put the locking ring back and plug in the electric...

How To: Change a flat tire on a dodge charger

To change your tire on your dodge charger you need your jack, your spare, and your lug tool. To change the tire you will take the jack and place it under the proper spot underneath the car. You will find that the lug tool from your American car to look a bit different than a lug tool from a foreign automobile. A foreign tool will not be as bendable. Engage your emergency brake while changing your tire to prevent the car from moving especially if you have a flat by the side of the road. By rot...

How To: Change a flat tire for women

Runde Auto Group demonstrates how to change a flat tire. First, open your vehicle's trunk and remove the spare tire, the jack and the tools. You may need to loosen a wing nut to remove the tire from the trunk. Consult your owner's manual for limitations when driving on the spare tire. Put the jack under your car and line it up with the lip. Jack up the car using the lug wrench as an extender to take a little bit of pressure off the tire. Then, loosen the lug nuts using the lug wrench. Jack up...

How To: Build a B-series Honda engine

Are you an aspiring mechanic? How about a hands-on person with a couple free days and a spirit of ingenuity? In this three-part video tutorial, learn from Evans Tuning how to build a B-series Honda engine. Get step by step instructions on how to build this engine from scratch, from start to finish.

How To: Replace the camshaft sensor on a Nissan Altima

In this video, Richpin demonstrates how to replace the camshaft sensor in a Nissan Altima. The cam sensor is located by the cylinder box. First, remove the electrical connector off of the sensor. Push up on the lock on the bottom of the sensor to pull back and remove the connector. The sensor is held in by a bolt so remove the bolt with a ratchet wrench. Next, pull out the sensor. Wiggle it to remove the seal of the o-ring. Rub the residual oil on the new sensor's o-ring. Then, slide the new ...

How To: Replace the front oxygen sensor in a Saturn S series

Richpin's Auto Repair takes you through the steps of replacing the front oxygen sensor on a Saturn s-series vehicle. To begin replacing this sensor, you are shown how to remove the resonator box. Once the resonator box is removed you'll be shown a quick tip on how to make the removal of the oxygen sensor a little easier using PB Blaster spray. Next you'll be shown how to remove the electrical connector to the sensor and be given a suggestion on which tools are necessary to remove the sensor f...

How To: Fix the wiring harness on a Ninja 250R motorcycle

The video describes the procedure of fixing the wiring harness on a Ninja 250R motorcycle. The person who owns the bike presents this video. He says that he got his bike back after getting the wire harness newly fitted. His signal blinker lights were not working. The next morning he wanted to make sure that it was fine. He plugged the wire and tried to switch it on, but it did not work. He also found that the horn was also not working. It was actually not working for a long time now. Then, he...

How To: Install a trunk override light switch in a Saturn car

In this video, Richpin demonstrates how to install a trunk override light switch in a Saturn car. When you open the trunk in a Saturn, the light turns on and there's no way to turn it off. Thus you must have a switch in the circuit so you can turn the trunk light off. Select an out of the way place to mount the switch so it doesn't interfere with your cargo. Find the blue connector. The red wire with the black stripe is the ground wire from the latch switch. First, disconnect the battery. The...

How To: Seal a nitro engine

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to seal a nitro engine. Nitro Engines are used for R/C models. This video will help viewers learn how to protect a nitro engine from air leakage. The video provides all the materials required to seal the nitro engine. The materials required include: automotive gasket material, green slime lube and screwdrivers. This video will benefit those viewers who have an R/C model and would like to learn how to seal the nitro engine.

How To: Inspect a motorcycle for damage after an accident

This video teaches viewers on how to inspect a motorcycle for damage after an accident as well as documenting it. The most important thing you need to do after an accident is to document all parts of the damage by taking photos of the damaged parts. Start by verifying the VIN number or Vehicle Identification Number and take a picture of it, take a photo of it. After that, get a photograph of the mileage on the dash area of the motorcycle. If there is other important information that needs to ...

How To: Solder & heat shrink wires

This is how to solder wires properly and then heat shrink them in order to insulate them. Firstly upkeep of the soldering iron is required to keep it from oxidizing. Portable versions of the iron are also available to make work more convenient. A solder sucker is required to suck up and solder left behind by the iron. Alternatively you could use a solder wick which when used with the solder iron can absorb all the solder over the circuit board. Onto the actual process, strip off some of the w...

How To: Remove the inner wheel bearing race on a front wheel drive car

Richpin demonstrates how to remove the inner wheel bearing race on front wheel drive cars. If you have pressed the wheel bearing off the hub and you want to reuse the hub, you need to remove the inner wheel bearing race. Use an air chisel to remove the inner wheel bearing race. First, make sure to wear a pair of safety goggles. Then, place a blunt chisel bit into the recess and remove the race. This can also be accomplished by working a regular chisel back and forth. If the chisel nicks the h...

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: Put a spare tire on your car when you get a flat

Graham from TV Lesson explains how to change a tire. In most cars, the spare tire is located in the trunk, along with the jack and tools. First, look under the car and locate the folded pieces of metal to find the jack point. Raise up the jack a bit and slide it under the jack point. Next, using the lug wrench, break the torque on the lug nuts. Then, jack up the car. Once the car is jacked up, remove the lug nuts. Next, remove the flat tire and place it into the trunk of the car. Place the do...

How To: Perform a coolant flush

Let's try it on a G-35. The things needed are 2 gallons of engine ice and distilled water, engine flush, drain pan, funnel, safety glasses and some bags. First, remove the radiator cap and drain off the radiator, then re-instal the drain plug. Add one bottle of engine flush, distilled water, then re-instal radiator cap and run engine for 20-30 minutes. Allow engine to cool and the repeat the previous steps using only distilled water until water is present during draining. Then add engine ice ...

How To: Seal a leaky RV roof with EternaBond tape

In this how-to video, you will learn how to seal a leaky RB roof with EternaBond tape. First, you must have EternaClean to remove any old dirt or grime around the roof. Spray it and remove with a piece of cloth. Cut the tape into the sizes you may require. Lay them out and prepare the surface using EternaPrime. Place the EternaBond tape where you want it, as it will not come off once placed. Rub bubbles or creases out. Wider tape may be considered for bigger jobs. By viewing this video, you w...

How To: Check and set your tire pressure

This how-to video is about how to check and set the tire pressure in the car. The first and foremost thing we need to consider while setting the right pressure in the car tire is looking for the proper inflation pressure for both front and rear tires. We can find the manufacturers specification for tire inflation near the driver side door, where the tire pressure for both the front and rear tires will be mentioned, take a correct look at the tire pressures. In this video the tire pressure req...

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: Perform a brake inspection

Removing a vehicle's tires and inspecting the brake rotors is possible with a few easy steps. First, remove all five lug nuts and remove the wheel from the vehicle. A power tool will easily remove the lug nuts. You now have access to the wheel so the next order of business is to lift off the wheel. Once the wheel is off the vehicle and safely set aside, return to the vehicle. You now have access to the brake pad. The final step in the process is to inspect the brake pad for thickness and abno...