When you travel it is helpful to make sure you have all of your maintenance done prior to the trip. I know this sounds pretty basic, but, I see a lot of people stranded because they did not check simple maintenance items before they drove off. Even if you have free towing with your insurance it still sucks to sit around waiting for a tow truck on a vacation day.

Here are a few things to always check: Air filter, oil, transmission fluid, brakes, tires. If you cannot remember when you last checked them, it is probably time to check them again. In fact, it is probably time to replace most of them before the trip. Your owners manual will give you the proper steps to check all these areas, so look it up there. Don’t have your manuals? How about a talk with your mechanic? Uh Oh! You don’t have a mechanic. That is OK. I would suggest you ask your friends who they trust and drive down to spend a few minutes with them. Any reputable shop will gladly show you how to check all this and help make sure you don’t have problems on your vacation. Depending on where you live, private shops will charge $40 to $120.00 per hour. The oil check etc. should be free but expect to pay for labor and parts that need to be replaced. Read more

If you have a flat tire while driving your car, come to a stop as quickly as you can. Pull to the side of the road as far as you can without tilting the vehicle. Better yet, get off the road entirely if it’s just a few feet to get there. Be certain you are on a level area or forget the idea altogether. Put your car in gear or in park, engage emergency brake, and turn on hazard flashers. Pop the trunk if you can do so remotely (this helps passing cars to see that you are stopped). Carefully watch traffic at all times, especially as you exit the vehicle. If you have flares, lights, or cones, now is the time to set them out behind your car.

Remove the jack and spare tire from the trunk. Using the flat end of your tire iron, pop off the hubcap if there is one. Set your spare upright against the car, near your flat but aside. Now you must “break” each lug, before you do any jacking. Place the wrench onto the lugs one by one, and just barely loosen them – all you are doing is making them easier to remove later, so do not try to remove them yet. Just a slight break is all you are after for now. Watch for traffic.

Place your jack in the exact spot that your vehicle’s instructions recommend, nearest to the flat of course. Jack it up to where the tire just barely clears the ground. Now go ahead and remove all the lug nuts from the wheel, and slide the tire toward you and off the hub. Use your hubcap as a handy holder for your lug nuts – it’s easy to lose them while you work. Watch for traffic.

Roll your spare into position directly in front of the bare hub, making sure that the holes more or less match up with the bolts. Usually you will have to jack up the car a little more so that this tire will clear the ground about two inches. Grasp the tire on both sides, lift and press forward onto the bolts. Push it up snugly and place a nut on it quickly, finger tight, then add all the nuts in opposing pairs. Tighten the nuts fairly well with your wrench, again working in opposing pairs. Watch for traffic.

Lower the car just until the tire is touching the ground firmly. Now you may give each nut a full-on tightening. Again, work in opposing pairs as you do this. Finally, let down the jack and remove it. Put your flat tire in the trunk and off you go. Although quite safe and durable, don’t drive on your mini-spare any farther than you must, and keep your speed under 50 mph.

TIP:
If your flat tire is (from the beginning) still whole, not blown out, and entirely on the rim, you can try a fix-your-flat can of repair goo. This will only work if your tire is completely together and every inch on the rim. Follow the directions on the can, and drive your car directly to a repair station at a conservative speed.

R.E. Walker is a freelance writer, and editor of http://easyduzzit.com, an online magazine featuring internet business and lifestyle features for both men and women. His many travels have presented a multitude of challenges, including changing tires and making other mechanical repairs on demand. This jack-of-all-trades quality is reflected in both his writing and many personal interests.

For more information on dealing with a flat tire, visit:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-change-a-flat-tire

MOISTURE PROBLEMS: One of the more common problems involved in headlamp repair is the problem of water getting inside of the headlight. There are several ways you can fix this. The first method is to hold a warm air blowing device in one of the bulb holes to dry everything. Sometimes this works. Sometimes you will need to reseal the outer surfaces with caulk to keep the problem from happening again. If the water is already dry, you can use a piece of wire with a piece of rag on the end of it to wipe the inside. If all else fails, you will need to take the headlight apart.

TAKING HEADLIGHTS APART: All headlamps are held together by either a hotmelt adhesive or an epoxy adhesive. If it is hotmelt, you just need to find a way to heat the hotmelt up so it will separate. This can be done with a hair dryer or a hot air gun or an even an oven. If it is epoxy, you will need to get it really hot and force a screwdriver around the outer channel. Have fun! Read more

The windshield wiper must always be kept in good condition since it comes in handy especially during harsh weather conditions. You must always check the windshield wiper fluid levels frequently. Therefore, to check your windshield wiper fluid, you should first check the owner’s manual so as to establish where the windshield fluid reservoir if situated.

It is important to then get the correct fluid mixture that is appropriate for the car’s windshield fluid reservoir. After this, one should then prop up the hood so as to be able to check the windshield fluid reservoir. You should then locate the markings that show the fluid left in the reservoir outside the tank. Find out how much wiper fluid is remaining in the reservoir. If the windshield wiper fluid is below half, it is advisable to fill it to the required amount. Locate the cap at the top of the tank. After that, add the correct fluid mixture into the tank. You should not stop until the fluid reaches the level marked on the owner’s manual. Once this is done, you should then put the cap back and then close the hood. Always ensure that the reservoir lid is closed properly. Read more

Having trouble with your car engine and wondering how to go about replacing it? Have limited budget and want to spend it wisely? Don’t know the technical and financial aspects of buying a used auto engine? Well, in case your answer is yes then going for the used auto engine can be the most feasible option you can work on. It not only gives good return to the money spent, in terms of maintenance of the engine; but also prevents the vehicle from being declared as being a junk. Sometimes a used auto part outlives the original one.

Now, it is generally perceived that used engines are sold at cheaper prices than a brand new one as they lack quality. This is not the case. You should understand that mostly those engines which are made from recycled goods, usually become cheap when resold in the market. Read more

It is always recommended that you check the car’s transmission fluid at least every month or any time that the transmission is not shifting smoothly. This is important because it will help in the optimization of the performance of many components of the car. It is advisable to look up the manual so as to determine the intervals that you are required to change the fluid. Therefore to change your transmission fluid, consider the following steps.

You should start by first parking the car on a level ground. This should then be followed by starting up the engine and then the gear should be left on a neutral or park. You should then leave the engine to warm up. It is advisable to leave the engine running all through this process unless the manual states otherwise. You should then get the dipstick from the back of the engine. The dipstick resembles the engine dipstick even though it is normally shorter. Read more

You may know nothing about auto repairs but this does not mean that you can be easily scammed by mechanics and technicians who may only after your money. Even if you may not know what an alternator is, you can still be able to tell if you are given a fair estimate or not. Here are some tips on how to achieve this:

• Find out what repairs should be made to your car. Let the mechanic do his own diagnosis of the problem.

• If some parts have to be replaced, then learn the cost of replacing these parts. If the parts needed are original equipment / parts made by the car manufacturer, then you have to make sure that you do not pay more than the manufacturer’s recommended price. Take note that you can save money by using used parts instead since they have a wider price range. Read more

The Tremec TKO is a great choice for retrofitting into the old muscle cars, but it isn’t quite a direct bolt-in replacement for a four speed. There are a few areas that will require modification and/or custom parts for a TKO conversion into any muscle car.

The Tremec TKO’s three rail internal shift mechanism is positioned at the top of the transmission, making it taller, wider and flatter across the top than most of the old four speeds that were common in the 1960s and 1970s. Some cars such as the 1967-1981 Camaros and Firebirds typically have ample room to install a TKO without any tunnel modifications. Other muscle cars have transmission tunnels that are barely big enough for the old four speeds, and will interfere with the TKO. Body mounts that are in bad condition will make things worse, so make sure your body mounts are in good shape before installing a TKO. Some cars can get by with just dimpling the transmission tunnel in a few areas, but on others there just isn’t any way to get around cutting the tunnel and reshaping new sheetmetal around the transmission. However, the modifications can almost always be covered by the factory carpet, and with a console may be completely invisible from inside the car. Read more

An engine coolant is an important fluid for the car. It performs two primary functions in the car. During hot weather, the the coolants remove heat from the car combustion area to prevent it from over heating. When the weather is very cold, especially for regions that have extreme winters, the coolants prevent the car engine from failing. These coolants usually come in liquid form and are mostly made up of specific fluids. The coolant should be replaced regularly because they enable the engine to function well. Don’t forget that coolants should also be treated regularly as they help eliminate rust and dirt deposits from the engine that help the engine function well.

The first step is to check on the location of their coolant tank. Once the coolant tank has been located, check on the engine coolant levels of your car. This is relatively easy. There are car indicators that show the levels of the fluid in the car. If the levels are too low, then the owner is advised to fill it up. The vehicle owner should also check on the condition of the coolant fluid. Most engine coolant fluids by various manufacturers normally come in different colors. Engine coolant fluid that is in good condition is normally clear based on its original color. This color should be free of dirt and other particles. Engine coolant oil is added to the overflow tank of the vehicle and is sealed thereafter. This prevents any leakages from occurring. Engine coolants are also readily available in all gas stations. The vehicle user is advised to check on these levels when the car is cool, never when it is hot. Read more

Spark plugs are important components in system of a car. These plugs enable the proper functioning of a car engine and perform the function of compressing fuels by the use of an electric spark. Although spark plugs wear out gradually, the user should ensure that the plug is of high quality in order to ensure longevity in performance. A car user is advised to take his vehicle for regular engine servicing. Regular engine servicing enables the mechanic to detect on any impending irregularities in the car. The car user is also advised to replace plugs after every two years.

So here is what you do.

Spark plugs are important components in system of a car.

A clear indicator that the car has a faulty plug is when the engine slows down on its performance. This is an obvious sign that it is worn out. Before the user replaces the worn out plugs, they should first check the manufacturer’s description. The manufacturer’s description gives the exact specifications on the original car spark plug and alternative ones in case the user does not find the original type. In order to ensure that the plug is completely worn out, the user should test it first. Testing is normally done by the use of a spark plug gauge. Other areas to check on include plug cables which indicate any splits, cracks, rust in the engine, as well as any other damaged area of the engine. Read more