Replacing the headlight bulbs on a 2000-2004 VW Passat is not a difficult job and falls into the DIY category. The process is simple enough by pulling out the bad bulb and inserting a new one. The difficulty will be how hard the old bulb is stuck in the socket due to age, weather, or other… Read More »
Replacing a car thermostat is a easy straight forward tack that most DIY mechanics can do. A 2000-2004 Volkswagen Passat with a 1.8 Liter engine is no different with most able to replace it with moderate skills. Below is my experience at replacing the thermostat. The most difficult part is the placement the the thermostat… Read More »
Replacing the air filter on a car is usually a simple procedure and can be done by most any home DIYer. Air filters are placed on a engine so it doesn’t pull in dust or any debris that can damage the motor. Filter replacement depends on the car but is generally done every 15,000 – 30,000… Read More »
The engine light came on in my 2004 Passat with a 1.8L engine, so I hooked up a OBD2 scanner and it gave me a P0117 code. P0117 is a Coolant Engine Temperature Circuit code which usualy means the Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS) or thermostat. There are other things that can cause it such as a… Read More »
Diagnosing a problem with a vehicle is the fist step to fixing it. Having the right tool to do this goes a long way in making a problem easier to troubleshoot. Below is a list of our favorite vehicle diagnostic tools. A list like this is no doubt debatable and everyone will have their own opinion on… Read More »
There are a couple of tail-tail-signs that your brake light switch is bad. One is that you have no brake lights, and your fuse and wiring are good. And the second is that your vehicle will not come out of park. Even pressing on the brake harder does not seem to help. You use to be able… Read More »
Of course the best way to tackle any job is with the correct tool. What if you do not own the tool, or any tool that will work for the job? Today we are talking about wheel studs, and the tool needed to remove that stud. In this guide you will find two pieces of information. … Read More »
Flushing a radiator is a easy task for the DIY Backyard Mechanic. Precaution should be taken mainly that the engine must be cold. Never open a radiator cap on a hot engine as it will have built up pressure that will explode out possibly causing injury. Since radiator fluid is damaging to the environment be… Read More »
Carburetors are so complex, that most will not tackle rebuilding it. There are some simple rules you can follow when rebuilding a carburetor to insure you get it done correctly. First always take a picture of all sides of the carburetor before taking it apart. Including but not limited to the bottom and the top. During… Read More »
A engine coolant temperature sensor (CTS or ECT) like all sensors on a engine is critical for a engine to run properly. This is a guide for testing and replacing a temperature sensor if it is bad. While every vehicle will have a different location for a sensor the basic information below will be the… Read More »
The 2007 through 2012 Dodge Caliber has a transmission that confuses a lot of people. On most all vehicles, there is a dipstick for the oil and transmission fluid levels. The process is simple. Pull the dipstick and read the oil, or fluid levels. If it is low, then you would add more of the type of… Read More »
There are times when a vehicle battery has lost its charge and needs a battery charger to get it back to a charged state. This is a easy task to do that most any home DIY person can readily get done. Things To Know About Charging a Battery. Ever battery charger has a different style and… Read More »
There are times when a battery in a vehicle has such a low charge and in a emergency needs a jump start from another car to help it start. This is done with jumper cables that hook to the battery on a car with a good battery to the dead battery. Using jumper cables to jump… Read More »
When it come to replacement parts for a car or truck getting the best bargain is always tricky. The variation in prices often make little sense. After many years of buying automotive parts both online and at a auto part stores I have mixed feeling about both. Parts can be bought online cheaper, not always,… Read More »
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