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: 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: 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: Make a quick-fix pantyhose alternator belt

You're driving down the road and all of a sudden SNAP—your alternator belt just snapped. You're losing power fast and need a quick fix, but there's no mechanic in sight. If you have a woman in the car, you may have a simple quick belt replacement—pantyhose. That's right, some simple pantyhose can act as a makeshift alternator belt until you find a proper solution, i.e. a real alternator belt. Check out this video to see how it's done!

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: 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: 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: Diagnose and fix a "no heat" problem on a Nissan Altima

In this automotive repair guide, we learn how to troubleshoot and repair a "no heat" problem on a Nissan Altima car. For all of the gritty details, including step-by-step instructions, and to get started resolving your own Altima's no-heat trouble, watch this video tutorial.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Patch a radiator hose

Find out how to patch up your radiator hose long enough to drive to the auto parts store or your local mechanic and replace it with a new one.

How To: Use a shortcut to quickly remove a heater core on a 2001 Ford Taurus

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 o...

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: Remove a Vehicle Dent with a Hair Dryer & Compressed Air

Got a dent in your car? Joe Kelley and Greg Swanson show you how to get it out with a hair dryer and a can of compressed air. See how easy it is to remove minor vehicle dents without going to a shop.

How To: Change the spark plugs on a 4.7L V8 Jeep engine

A spark plug is a device that fits into the cylinder head of an engine and ignites compressed fuel with an electrical spark. This video tutorial demonstrates how to change the spark plugs on a 4.7L V8 Jeep engine. When changing spark plugs, wait until the engine has cooled down to reduce the risk of thread damage, and use proper tools and safety precautions to insure a successful outcome.

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: 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 the electric fuel pump in a Chevy Tahoe

Don't let an overpriced mechanic take control of your Chevy Tahoe repairs, learn to fix your car yourself. Learn from an ASE certified Master Automobile Technician with over 14 years of experience. He'll teach you how to replace the electric fuel pump in a Chevy Tahoe. This step-by-step video tutorial will show you the exact actions to make when replacing the fuel pump. Pay for only parts and use your own time!

How To: Replace the headlights and lightbulbs on your 2002-2008 Dodge Ram truck

Headlights are one of the most important safety features in any car or truck. This video shows you how to replace the headlights and bulbs in a 2002-2008 Dodge Ram truck, so that you won't be slowed down by a broken or burnt out headlight.

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: Install a camshaft sensor and/or synchronizer on a 1998 Ford Windstar 3.0L

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.

How To: Remove and replace the automatic transmission on a Dodge Neon

In this automotive repair guide, we learn how to remove and replace an automatic transmission on a Dodge Neon car. For all of the gritty details, including step-by-step instructions, and to get started removing the tranny on your own Dodge Neon, watch this video tutorial.

How To: Change out the front wheel bearings on a Ford Windstar

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.

How To: Change the headlight 2010 Kia Sportage

If you own a 2010 Kia Sportage, it's important to know how to replace things on the vehicle. Doing so will not only improve the look of your car, but make it perform longer as well. One thing that you must know how to fix is the headlights. If your bulb goes out at any time of the day, you can actually get a ticket, and that's no fun. So in this quick tutorial, you'll find out how to change a headlight easily. So good luck and enjoy!

How To: Hotwire a Nissan Patrol if you lose your keys

This tutorial is only for those who need it! Please don't be stupid and try to commit a crime. Anyway, in this tutorial you'll find out how to hotwire a Nissan Patrol in the likely event that you lose your keys. Messing with a cars wiring can be bad news if you don't have any idea of what you're doing, so be careful. Good luck and enjoy!

How To: Lift the bed of a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck for easy access to the fuel pump

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.

How To: Replace the alternator and power steering belt on a 1998-2004 Dodge Intrepid

Do you need to replace your alternator and power steering belt, but don't want to pay outrageous labor charges at a mechanic? Watch this video to learn how to remove and replace the belt that drives both the alternator and the power steering on a Dodge Intrepid 2.7L 98-04.