Hot Auto Maintenance & Repairs How-Tos

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: 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: 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: Keyless Entry Remote Not Working? Try This Quick Fix Before Buying a New One

Most cars made in the last ten or fifteen years can be unlocked with a keyless remote, and once you get used to them, unlocking your car with a traditional key feels like a pain. The most common reason they stop working is just because the battery needs replacing, but when they're broken for real, a new one can cost a small fortune. So before you go out and buy one, try this quick fix that worked for Redditor diggalator, and cost absolutely nothing. Basically, he pried the remote apart and to...

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: Remove the EVAP purge solenoid 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: 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.

Boiled Water: The Easiest Way to Remove Dents from a Car Bumper

Even if you're lucky enough to not be injured in a car accident, it's rare to escape without some sort of damage to your vehicle. It goes without saying that there are some things you shouldn't try to fix yourself, but if it's just a scratch or dent, DIY can be a cheaper way to go.

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: Troubleshoot and fix broken windshield wipers

If your windshield wipers don't come on when you turn the switch, then try out the solutions in this video! First, check to see if there's a blown fuse. If that's okay, next check the power going to the wiper motor. You have to take the wiper arms off to get to the motor. Watch Scotty Kilmer in this video for all the remaining troubleshooting tips for broken windshield wipers.

How To: Replace a bad expansion valve in your car AC

One of the many thing that can go wrong with the air conditioner on your car is a bad expansion valve. In this video you'll learn how to replace the expansion valve yourself, assuming that you've already drained the refrigerant from the system professionally.

How To: Fix Your Car Dent with a Hair Dryer

If you've ever dinged your car—or worse, a friend's or parent's car—and caused a dent, you know how expensive it can be to fix. A two-second mistake can end up costing hundreds of dollars, but you can save yourself repairs costs and a headache with just a couple of household items.

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: Replace an oil pressure sending unit to fix a low engine oil pressure gauge

Your "check gauges" light comes on inside your vehicle, which prompts you to notice your oil pressure gauge, which is reading pretty low. What do you do to resolve this car problem? In this video, Scotty Kilmer shows you what you can do to shut that low engine oil light off for good!

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: Unlock Your Car Door with a Shoelace in 10 Seconds

Have you locked yourself out of your car? Well, as long as you have a shoelace, you may be able to get back in.

How To: Fix error code P0300 for random misfires on your car

Error code P0300 is one of the most infamous in auto maintenance, indicating random misfires in the engine. This can mean several different things, and in this video mechanic Scotty Kilmer will teach you how to figure out where the problem is and fix it.

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: Lift a pickup truck bed instead of dropping the tank for fuel pump access

For most vehicles, the only way to replace the fuel pump is by dropping the tank, which could take a long time. But on most flatbed pickup trucks, there's a simpler way to access the troublesome fuel pump. Simply unbolt the bed and lift that sucker up! See the trick to avoiding the gas tank.

How To: Easily remove scratches from the paint job on your car

If the paint job for your car or truck has been lightly scratched, this tutorial shows you how to use Scratch Out to remove scratches. Make sure you do this in the sun, and remember to reapply your coat of carwax after you're done.

How To: Stop the AC from blowing hot on Chevy Colorado pickup

The air conditioner in your car is supposed to keep your cool, so if yours is blowing hot air all the time you're probably pretty pissed. If you own a Chevy Colorado and your condenser is good, watch this video to learn a fix that may get your AC working again.

How To: Find and fix leaking spark plug tubes in your engine

If you pull the spark plugs out of your engine and they are covered in oil, that might seem terrible, but the problem really isn't that bad in all likelihood. Your probably have a spark plug tube leak, and this video will show you how to find and fix just such a problem.

How To: Diagnose a problem with the cooling fan relay on a Chrysler

The cooling fans on Chrysler cars are not particularly well-made, but that doesn't mean you can assume that they are broken the second the cooling system stops working. Watch this video to figure out how to diagnose problems with the cooling fan relay on a Chrysler.

How To: Confirm error code P 0340 on a Nissan by checking the cam sensor

Just because your car shows an error code doesn't mean you should pull any parts. This video will show you how to confirm error code P 0340 on a Nissan (Bad Cam Sensor) by using a lab scope to check the cam sensor.

How To: Replace a serpentine belt on a Chevrolet Aveo 1.6L

In this video, we learn how to replace a serpentine belt on a Chevrolet Aveo. Start off by turning the passengers side wheel to the right and raising your car so you can get underneath it. Now, remove the nuts and bolts that are underneath the belt so you can get to it. When you see the belt, remove it with tools and slide the belt off. Now replace the old belt with the new one and tighten the tension on the belt again. Make sure it's in all the grooves correctly, then reinstall all the parts...

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: 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: Smoke test an EVAP leak (code P0442) in a 2002 Jeep Liberty

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.

How To: Repair Vehicle Dents Using a Hammer and Dolly

The hammer and dolly method is probably the easiest repair technique for dents, but it requires that you have access to both sides of the panel being repaired. However, newer cars have many areas that do not allow you to use the hammer and dolly method. There are two techniques when using hammer and dolly—hammer off dolly and hammer on dolly.

How To: Replace Headlight Bulb on Grand Prix

How to replace a headlight bulb on a 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix and many other GM Vehicles which have a 9007 single bulb for high and low beams.

How To: Replace drum brakes with disc brakes on a 79 F150

A complete step by step automotive installation video on how to change a '79 F150 truck from drums to rear disc brakes. Disc brakes are newer technology that provide more stopping power and easier maintenance than older drum brakes. If you have a Dana 70 (1979 F150), bring it up to date and replace those old drum brakes with newer, better disc brakes. The guys at Redneck TV will make it easy for you.

How To: Get a Dent Out of a Car Using Just a Plunger

Paying for someone to get a small dent out of your car can be expensive, especially when you realize that you can just do it yourself. If you've got a bathroom—and you probably do—then it's a surefire bet that you've also got a plunger.

How To: Use Fiberglass Filler For Auto Body Repair

Assuring A Proper Repair When Welding Vehicle Sheet Metal Any weld that is performed on a vehicle requires certain steps to assure a proper repair. For example, weld-through-primer must be applied to the welded surface being welded; corrosion protection must be applied to the back side of the welded area, etc. In this article we are going to discuss why fiberglass is required for auto body repair.

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: Use a smoke machine to find an evap leak in a car

Figuring out exactly where a small leak is in a solid black car tube is tough. That's where the smoke machine comes in. In this video you'll learn how the party staple can help you test an evap line for leaks.

How To: Bypass the kickstand safety switch on a motorcycle

In this tutorial, we learn how to bypass the kickstand safety switch on a motorcycle. If you have broke your kickstand switch, you can easily bypass it while you are on the road so you can set your bike. All you need to do this is a piece of electric tape. If you don't have this on your bike, the vehicle will completely turn off while it's in use. To do this, unplug the switch that is the kickstand safety switch. There will be two electrical tabs in this, stick a screwdriver in them to remove...

How To: Flush your air conditioning to prevent comebacks

Air conditioning comebacks are usually caused by an air conditioning system that needs to be flushed and cleaned. Watch this video to learn a handy little trick that will help ensure that you get all the debris out of your A/C every time you flush.

How To: Replace Headlight Bulb on Pontiac G6

Cars are quite different than they used to be. Sure, modern cars have some cool things, but repairing them are becoming difficult. Even simple things like changing a headlight bulb.

How To: Replace the valve seals if your engine is smoking

Does your car engine blow white or blue smoke when your first start it up and then stop? That usually means that your engine valve seals aren't working correctly. Watch this video to learn how to find and fix the problem.

How To: Check fuel pressure regulators for leaks on GM engines

A leaking fuel pressure regulator can cause your car or truck to be hard to start or die out. This may give a check engine light, also. It's a very common problem on many Chevy, Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile 3.1L - 3.4L V6 engines. These are also know as the 3100 and 3400. Misfire codes P0300 and oxygen sensor codes will be stored in the computer memory. So, if you want to learn how to check your fuel pressure regulator for leaking gas on GM engines, then this video tutorial is for you.