A torque converter and automatic transmission are two of the main components that work together to shift gears and move a vehicle forward. Often they are thought of as the same component but are separate parts. What is the Torque Converter? A torque converter is located at the front of an automatic transmission and is… Read More: Bad Torque Converter vs Bad Transmission »
Troubleshooting the electrical on any vehicle can, in some cases, be simple but can sometimes become complex. Having the right tools to help you find the problem can be critical to getting the job done. Keep in mind every mechanic will have their own style and method when it comes to finding a problem. Some… Read More: Types of Automotive Electrical Testing Tools »
Carburetors are complex and many will not tackle rebuilding them. There are some simple rules you can follow when rebuilding a carburetor to ensure 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: Tips for Rebuilding a Edelbrock Carburetor With Step by Step… »
The maintenance required message that displays on the dashboard of a 2019 Toyota Corolla is given as a reminder to change the oil. The Maintenance Required light comes on every 5000 miles and the oil should be changed. After the oil is changed, resetting the message is quick and easy to do. The message does… Read More: Reset the Maintenance Required 2019 Toyota Corolla »
If you have a Chevy Spark and get a Code 82 displayed on the dashboard, it is a notification that it is time to change the oil. It is not an emergency, and the vehicle will continue to operate, but the oil should be replaced as soon as convenient. What is a Chevy Spark Code… Read More: What is a Chevy Spark Code 82 and How To… »
Spark plugs that are wet with gasoline, are caused by the inadequate spark to the air/gas mixture, or too much gas leaking into the cylinder. Sometimes called flooding the engine, the fix can be a bad injector or a component of the spark such as wires and coil. An engine will misfire with wet spark… Read More: Causes When Spark Plugs are Wet with Gasoline »
If the Maintenance Required (MAINT REQD) Light comes on in your Toyota Corolla dashboard, it is simple enough to reset. The Maintenance Required Light usually turns on as a reminder it is time to change the oil. The vehicle does not know if the oil has been changed; it is simply a reminder light that… Read More: How to Reset the Maintenance Required Light (2009-2014) Toyota Corolla »
If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle and the driveshaft is making a clunking noise, it can be caused by different components. The driveshaft works with several components that will need to be examined to see which one has failed. The main components include U-joint, differential gears, bearings, and more. Any noise being made by… Read More: 5 Causes Driveshaft Clunk When Accelerating or Decelerating »
I recently had a 2006 Kia Spectra that had no spark, and I could only find limited information. If you find yourself with the same problem, below is what I found. If you have an OBDII scan tool for the Kia, be sure to scan for any engine errors if possible. First, be sure it… Read More: 2006 Kia Spectra No Spark What To Check »
Antifreeze is used as a coolant in an engine to help protect it from very cold temperatures and corrosion. Water was originally used to cool engines but quickly caused issues since the freezing point is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When a fluid such as water freezes, it expands, which can crack the engine block. Different additives… Read More: Does Antifreeze Evaporate and Other Coolant Questions »
An ignition coil is a necessary component of any engine to provide voltage to the spark plugs. No matter how old or size a gas engine, 4, 6, or 8 cylinders all will have an ignition coil. How Many Ignition Coils are in a V6 engine? A V6 engine can have 1, 3, or 6… Read More: How Many Ignition Coils in a V6 or V8 Engine? »
If you have a Chevy Equinox and it gives the message “Engine Power is Reduced” error message along with an exclamation mark, this can be caused by several things. When the vehicle on-board computer (ECM) detects a system error, it will go into reduced power mode, also called limp mode. The most common fix is… Read More: What is Engine Power is Reduced Chevy Equinox »
If you have a Toyota and a “Check Charging System” error message displays on the dashboard, there can be several causes and fixes. What Is the Toyota Check Charging System Error Message? The Check Charging System message is a warning that the alternator is not keeping the battery charged. Vehicle electronics, including the engine, use… Read More: Causes for Toyota Check Charging System Error Message »
If you are bleeding brake lines and no fluid is coming out, there can be several causes. Causes include blocked lines or ports, leaky hoses, bad parts, and more. Below we look at the most common reasons no fluid comes out when bleeding the brake lines. How Come When I Bleed My Brakes, Nothing Comes… Read More: 7 Causes When Bleeding Brakes and No Fluid is Coming… »
Testing an alternator with a multi-meter is a common method, but if no meter is available, there is another method. There is an old-school method to check the alternator by starting the engine and removing the battery cable. While I always suggest using a multi-meter to check the battery, there are some scenarios when no… Read More: How To Test an Alternator Without a Multi-Meter »
A Honda with the D (Drive) light that keeps flashing means the onboard computer is seeing an issue with the transmission. If you are driving when the D (Drive) starts flashing, it is best to find a safe spot to pull over and get the vehicle examined. Why Does the D (Drive) Light Flash in… Read More: Why the D (Drive) Light Flashes in a Honda »
If you suspect your vehicle has a bad alternator, there can be several symptoms. Symptoms can vary but include the car not starting, dim lights, dashboard lights coming on, and more. How Do You Know if Your Alternator is Failing? The alternator will not charge correctly when it has failed. A test can be done… Read More: 5 Symptoms of a Bad Alternator »
Alternators provide electrical power for a vehicle to operate, including the engine, lights, radio, or any electronic device. It also keeps the battery charged, which is necessary to start the engine. If the alternator fails, the battery will no longer receive a charge and will drain until it is dead. Type of Multi Meter Needed… Read More: How To Test an Alternator Using a Multi Meter »
Checking the brake fluid on a 2012 Toyota Corolla is easy to do and falls in the DIY category. The 2012 Toyota Corolla uses standard DOT 3 Brake fluid that can be bought at any automotive parts store or online. The top of the refill cap has DOT 3 on it to verify the fluid… Read More: How To Check and Add Brake Fluid 2012 Toyota Corolla »
I recently had to replace a 2006 Kia Spectra radiator that was leaking, and so I wrote this post to help anyone who has the same problem. I made a video of removing and installing it, which is at the bottom of this post. The radiator was leaking at the top, which at first I… Read More: How to Replace a 2005-2009 Kia Spectra Radiator Removal and… »
Changing the oil on a 2005-2009 Kia Spectra is an easy task that falls in the DIY category. Of course, if in-doubt, be sure to take it to a professional. Items Needed To Replace the Oil on a 2005-2009 Kia Spectra Oil 5W-20 or 5W-30 Synthetic Oil Filter 17 mm Wrench or Socket Drain Pan… Read More: How To Change Oil on a (2005-2009) Kia Spectra »
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 an easy task to do that almost any DIY person can readily get done. Things To Know About Charging a Battery Every battery charger has a different style and… Read More: Step By Step How To Use a Car Battery Charger… »
Replacing the camshaft position sensor on a 2002-2009 Toyota Camry falls in the DIY category. Of course, if in doubt, be sure to take it to a professional. The camshaft position sensor is necessary for the Camry timing. When the sensor is bad, the timing is off, causing the car to run badly, not start,… Read More: How To Replace Camshaft Position Sensor 2002-2009 Toyota Camry »
There are many causes for a vehicle not to start with a bad neutral safety switch one of them. There are a few ways to see if the neutral safety switch has gone bad, depending on the manufacturer. The most common way is to put a car in neutral, hold the brake, and try to… Read More: How To Start a Car with a Bad Neutral Safety… »
If you find yourself with a vehicle where the engine does not start, the first things to check are the spark and gas. All mechanics will eventually find themselves with this problem and need to diagnose the electrical problem. Knowing whether an engine has a spark will quickly help narrow the problem with a vehicle… Read More: How To Check for Spark When an Engine Does Not… »
If you have a leaking plastic radiator, it can often be fixed using two main methods. The main methods include using an Epoxy DIY repair kit or melting the plastic back together using a soldering iron. Often when a leak is seen on a plastic radiator, many think it must be replaced when it can… Read More: How To Repair a Plastic Radiator at Home with a… »
If you have a 2001-2005 2.4 Liter Mitsubishi Galant that is giving a P0340 OBDII Code the Camshaft Position Sensor usually needs replaced. A bad Camshaft Position Sensor will cause a vehicle to not start at times and other times work intermittently. What is a P0340 Code on a 2001-2005 Mitsubishi Galant? A P0340 Code… Read More: How To Fix a P0340 Code Mitsubishi Galant Camshaft Position… »
If you have a Toyota that is giving a P0401 Code, there is a problem with the EGR valve. A P0401 OBDII error code is an “EGR Insufficient Flow Detected. “ This can be caused by three main components, including the EGR Valve, EGR Vacuum Modulator, or a Vacuum Line Leak. The location of the… Read More: 3 Causes and Fixes for a Toyota P0401 Code »
Doing a compression test is an easy task for a DIY mechanic and can show if you have bad piston rings or valves. Bad rings or valves can cause a leak to occur around them, which instead of sending a piston downward, the air goes around the piston. This will give an engine a lack… Read More: How To Do a Compression Test on an Engine »
If your car has long start times and hesitates to start, there are several things that can cause it. While usually a sign the vehicle needs to be tuned up, there are other causes that can occur. A car needs the correct mixture of gas and air combined with a spark to start immediately. If… Read More: 8 Causes and Fixes for When a Car Hesitates to… »
Having a good book on automotive repair can go a long way to help understand how a vehicle works. Repair manuals are good but require the fundamentals of mechanical repair to be already understood. Many articles online are also a good resource but can often skip subjects and leave gaps in explanations. This is why… Read More: Our Picks for Best Auto Mechanic Automotive Repair Books »
Automatic Shifters are a specialty performance part that gives more control to a driver and looks cool doing it. While mainly used for drag racing, they also can be used whenever more control over a vehicle is needed. If you are looking to get an automatic shifter, there are many available with those below some… Read More: Our Picks for Best Automatic Shifters »
If your car or truck is misfiring, you may wonder, “how long can I drive with a misfiring cylinder?” The quick answer is it varies greatly and depends on how bad the problem is and how many cylinders you have. For example, if you have an 8-cylinder engine and a single spark plug wire is… Read More: How Long Can a Vehicle Drive with a Misfiring Cylinder? »
If you have a Chrysler 300 and the ESP BAS light comes on, there can be several causes and fixes. The main fix is to do a reset procedure, and if this does not work, an OBDII scan tool will be needed to read error codes. An advanced OBDII scan tool will be needed to… Read More: Causes and Fixes ESP BAS Light Chrysler 300 »
If you have a Chevy and get an “SVC Tire Monitor” error message on your dashboard, the onboard computer sees a low tire. It can also be an error from a bad sensor, but usually, it is a low tire that needs air. The vehicle may also give a “Tire Low Add Air” message. The… Read More: Causes and Fixes for SVC Tire Monitor Chevy Error Warning… »