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: 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: 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: 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 the cooling fan dropping resistor on a '97 Ford Windstar
Keeping the incredibly hot parts of a car (including you) cool is vital to the car running well. If the cooling fan on your 1997 Ford Windstar isn't working, you may have a problem with your cooling fan dropping resistor. This video will show you how to find and fix that part.

How To: Replace motor mounts
Removing and installing a motor mount is no easy task. Learn how to replace motor mounts from a certified mechanic in these free auto repair video instructions.

How To: Repair the ABS & speed sensor in a Dodge Dakota truck
In this automotive repair video you will learn how to fix the ABS and speed sensor in a Dodge Dakota truck. Learn how to read diagnostic trouble code to evaluate trouble indicators and fix broken sensors. So if your speed sensor or ABS brake system are on the fritz in your Dodge Dakota truck, watch this video and learn how to check and fix them.

How To: Find a leak in the evap on an '03 Dodge Caravan
Finding a leak in the evap system on your car generally requires sophisticated equipment. If it's a big leak though, you can probably find it yourself. This video will teach you some tricks you can use to try and find an evap leak yourself on a 2003 Dodge Caravan before you take it to the shop.

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: 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 window tint with a steam cleaner
In this tutorial, we learn how to remove window tint using a steam cleaner. First, take your steam cleaner and plug it in so that it's hot. Now, put it into the crack of the window and spray the steam, while gently pulling the window tint down. If you do this slowly enough, you will not have any glue residue left onto your window. The glue is hard to get off, so it's recommended to go very slowly while you are doing this. Each window will take up to 40 minutes, but it will be worth it. When f...

How To: Replace the AC condenser on a Nissan Altima
This video demonstrates how to remove the air conditioning condenser from a Nissan Altima. If your air conditioning isn't working, especially if you live in a hot, traffiky part of the world, your life is probably pretty miserable. This video will help you to rectify the situation yourself at home without having to pay half of your monthly salary to a mechanic.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Jack Up a Chevy Venture Van
This article will show you how to lift a Chevy Venture van using a floor jack and jack stands. This procedure may work on other vehicle types and models, such as cars and trucks. The key is to use the proper sized heavy duty floor jacks and jack stands to lift your vehicle, and locate the proper area of the vehicles frame to place the jack and stands.

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.

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 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: 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: 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: 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: Replace the clutch on a Dodge Dakota 4x4 truck
Rolf shows you how to replace the clutch on 1998 Dodge Dakota 4x4 Sport Truck in this automotive repair tutorial. Replacing a clutch can be expensive but your truck won't run without one! So watch and learn how to replace the clutch on a Dodge Dakota 4x4 truck so you can do it yourself.

How To: Replace a timing belt on a 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT
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.

How To: Replace an inner tie rod on a Ford Explorer
In order to replace a inner tie rod on a Ford Explorer, you will need to loosen the jam nut first. Remove the pin and the nut, next. Loosen the outer tie rod. Count the rotations as you remove it. Remove the bellows boot. The inner clamp is not removable. You have to damage it to remove it. You will need an inner tie rod tool. Use your inner tie rod tool and adapter. Spin it. Compare the old and new part to make sure that you have the right one. Now, reinstall the rod. Align the vent tube wit...

How To: Fix the driver side window in a Dodge Dakota truck
This automotive repair tutorial shows you how to fix a broken power window on a 1998 Dodge Dakota Sport 4x4 when it won't go up or down. Even if you don't know exactly what is causing your power window not to work, this video will show you how to diagnose and fix the problem in your Dodge Dakota 4x4 truck.

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 a broken air conditioning computer system in a car with a bypass switch
More and more car parts are controlled by computers, and the results are not always what we hope they will be. They often break for what seems like no reason and are expensive to fix. In this video you'll learn how you can fix a broken air conditioning control system on your car with a $30 bypass switch that will be much more reliable than your computer was.

How To: Change the front brake pads on a Jeep Liberty
If you own a Jeep Liberty, the brakes are a pretty easy fix, whether you're a mechanic or not. This video demonstrates the step-by-step process to changing the front brake pads in a Jeep Liberty. Once you take the wheel off, you're down to the caliper, which is held on by two bolts. Take it off and slide the caliper off. Then your brake pads should slide right off.

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: Change front brake pads on a Ford Escape
Don't waste money on pricey mechanics! Doing your own vehicle repairs can save you tons of dough, but just because you're avoiding the mechanics, doesn't mean you can't learn a thing or two from them. In this video, a professional shows you the quick steps to changing out the front brakes on a Ford Escape. After taking of the front wheel, you'll have to deal with the calipers and the brake pads, along with a few other things. But don't worry. Any do-it-yourselfer can change brakes. And the Fo...

How To: Remove the inner door panel 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: Replace a broken front sway (stabilizer) bar on a 97-05 Chevy Venture
If your car is starting to ride like a boat you may have a broken stabilizer bar, also known as a sway bar. The good news is that you can replace the sway bar and get your car running smoothly again. Watch this video and learn how to replace the stabilizer bar on almost any GM vehicle.

How To: Replace the rear wheel bearings on a Toyota car
Replacing the rear wheel bearings on a car is a great place to start for at-home mechanics, as you don't need to fully lift the car or work with any really complicated parts. This video will teach you everything you need to know to change out the rear wheel bearings on any Toyota car.

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: Change the fuel filter on a Ford Escape and most other cars
Changing the fuel filter on your car isn't too hard and is great way to save money for the DIY automotive enthusiast. This video will teach you how to replace the fuel filter on a Ford Escape, but these principles apply to most other cars too.

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 ...