http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png http://jalopnik.com/tag/fixing your car http://jalopnik.com/tag/fixing your car

We've all heard the argument of the do-it-yourselfer. Doing the job on your own can bring a sense of satisfaction and save money. When things don't go right the results may not be so warming or economical. Thirteen beers or three fried alternators into a pile of sheared bolts and bruised knuckles can result in a job costing far more than planned. Sometimes the financial outlay in tools, materials, and time, don't add up to any savings for the do-it-yourselfer. Worse still is a job done wrong can be potentially dangerous. Replacing a cracked or old front windshield glass is one of these times. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=297517&view=rss&microfeed=true

Back in the days of carbureted and plentiful used Plymouth Satellites, B-52's frontman Fred sang of the devil in his car. Beehive sporting singer Kate did Fred one better by wailing that she had the devil in her CAR-buretor! Having Beelzebub in the float bowl and demons clogging the jets is not a good thing at all. A carburetor rebuild can help exorcise evil spirits. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=295601&view=rss&microfeed=true

Along with swapping out the air filter and changing the oil, replacing the spark plugs is one of the few things left that require service on a modern gasoline engine. Some newer than the twenty-year old junk classics in our garage have negated even this task with spark plugs made of space-age materials that can live with their head stuck in a combustion chamber for 100K miles or more. The first and most obvious task of the spark plug is to light the gasoline and air mixture aflame when the piston reaches the top of its compression stroke. The resulting burn pushes the piston back down in the cylinder. So it goes. The second and less obvious function of a spark plug is equally important. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=288268&view=rss&microfeed=true

With the weekend nearly here, it's time to pop open the hood and take a trip down the trail of parts. Those battery terminals and posts that look like a high school science experiment gone wrong need to be cleaned. As long as you're there, find the right dipstick and check the oil. If it looks as if it could be bubbling up from the La Brea Tar Pits, then bust out the ramps or jack and jack stands and change the oil and filter. If the oil was that filthy, then checking and swapping out the air filter might not be a bad idea. After all that it will certainly be time to wash those microscopic contaminants and grubby hand prints off the car so you can look good while driving to get a Coney Island. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=285755&view=rss&microfeed=true

The automobile contains a number of fluids that should all stay where they're supposed to be. Oil spots, coolant leaks, mystery drips, and other tell tale signs of fluids leaving their rightful place in the automobile are a sign to take heed of maintenance. Denying the existence of the ever-growing number of oil spots on the driveway is not going to make them go away. The source of the leak needs to be fixed. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=283237&view=rss&microfeed=true

In our explorations into parts and parts replacement, we often mention the service manual. While there are certainly a large part of the monkeywrenching public who would throw directions to the wind, instructions can be a good thing when it comes to things like working brakes and wheels not falling off the car. Finding the service manual can be half the battle. Read on for a few tips for locating the books for everything from a 1971 Ford Pinto Rallye to a late-model Honda That's. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=278195&view=rss&microfeed=true

While there is a difference between brake pads and shoes, the desired result is always the same when the foot goes down on the brake pedal. Brake pads clamp down onto a rotating disc. Brake shoes push out Flintstones-style onto a rotating drum. Inertia gets turned into heat via the miracle of friction. If all goes well things slow down. Each time the brake pads clamp themselves onto the rotor to put on the whoa, a small amount of the pad itself turns to dust. A smaller amount of the brake rotor also turns to dust. Brake pads are by design supposed to wear out, and for obvious reasons should be inspected and replaced once in a while. Read on for a brake pad bonanza. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=275655&view=rss&microfeed=true

Today's question comes to us courtesy of a reader we'll just call Gregor. True, there are some green zip ties lashing down the front of our WRX. Though, the plastic bolts they replaced were actually inferior. So we can't count that. We do remember a friend with a mid-80s Thunderbird that carried 5 gallons of antifreeze with him at all times because depending on the weather, his radiator would start boiling up green funk. But that was more stubbornness than DIY disaster. Could it be that we've never done anything boneheaded while fixin' our own car? And we're not about to count a 7-cylinder Pontiac as a mistake. How about you? – Jonny Lieberman More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=275030&view=rss&microfeed=true

The fluid that exists as brake fluid is in reality hydraulic fluid. The helpful property of brake fluid is that it cannot be compressed. This comes in handy when the brake pedal is pushed down. Brake fluid links the parts of the brake system together as one. Brake pedal goes down. Friction is achieved! A hydraulic clutch also uses this same principle, and brake fluid to make shifting happen. An unfortunate property of brake fluid is that it is hygroscopic. Over time brake fluid draws moisture into itself all by itself. Bleeding the brake lines of air is an important step after brake work, and is also helpful to purge contaminated brake fluid from the brake lines. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=273668&view=rss&microfeed=true

Mechanical know how in our case has come largely from two sources. There have been those kind enough to show the way, and there has been the hard way. A long and proud lineup of 500-dollar cars has steered us mostly down the latter route. The way we learned about how and why to run a compression check on an engine came only after bolting on every conceivable replacement part to a 318 V-8 in a 500-dollar '67 Plymouth Barracuda in an effort to make the thing run better. A compression check revealed that the engine was closer to a V-5 and-a-half than a V-8. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=269221&view=rss&microfeed=true

For a long number of years even the idea of washing and waxing our car was unnecessary. Cleanup meant maybe a hosing off, and adding another layer of rattle can primer to key spots. The first paint job worthy of a wash and wax was a defining moment. Washing and waxing the new paint on the old car was suddenly an exciting novelty! For somewhat newer cars, a regular wash and wax keeps the paint from decaying to the clean it with scrub pad and can of spray paint stage. Sure the local car wash is great, but nothing beats the satisfaction washing and waxing your own ride. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=267212&view=rss&microfeed=true

Whichever crackpot invented the wheel had no idea what it would lead to. Land speed records. Plus one measures of gravity on a skidpad. Four-second quarter miles. 30-inch spinners! Multiple volumes of unmentionable bad craziness. And dirt crusted wheels. While filthy wheels may not be of great concern for ox-drawn carts or the old roto-tiller, shabby looking hoops can ruin automotive outward appearances. Rolling in a car with filthy wheels is akin to showing up to a job interview with scuffed-up shoes with holes in the soles. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=265198&view=rss&microfeed=true

Some of us may already be hurtling down the roads of America in an Ultra Van or Hoonabago in celebration of Memorial Day. More still may have decided to avoid the crowds and stay put. If you haven't left yet, then check the tire pressure before loading up the Town & Country wagon with 500 pounds of cargo. Make sure there's some air in the spare tire to save any roadside swearing. Popping the hood and checking the oil is always a good idea. If the oil has had it and you're sticking around for the weekend, put the car up on some ramps or jack stands and change out that old oil and filter for some some of the good stuff. And even though we gripe about the high price of gasoline, taking a moment to remember what Memorial Day is really about costs nothing and means a great deal. – Mike Bumbeck More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=263660&view=rss&microfeed=true

With gasoline prices obviously not trending downward, cash-strapped drivers are finding themselves flummoxed as to how get the best bang for their increasingly thin buck. Read on to take the first step onto the path of improved fuel efficiency. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=261618&view=rss&microfeed=true

Automobile wheels spin round thanks to the miracle of wheel bearings. The bearings themselves contain rollers that spin around inside a cage. Wheel bearings are often tapered against the coned races in which they spin in order to handle the lateral forces placed against the wheels when the vehicle turns. Given the right grease and care, most wheel bearings should roll without complaint for 100,000 miles or more. Neglected bearings will tell another tale. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=259695&view=rss&microfeed=true

Last week we got down with the strut in MacPherson and said hello to the spring compressor. This week we'll finish things off and put it all back together. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=257655&view=rss&microfeed=true

The history behind the modern strut type suspension has its origins in the United Kingdom. Henny Youngman would find a joke here. Something about Scotsmen, a Lotus, a spring, and a shock absorber. The punchline would be the MacPherson strut suspension. I love this crowd! The integral spring and shock absorber arrangement was pioneered by one Earl S. MacPherson. Since Mr. MacPherson worked for Ford at the time as the head honcho of engineering, the MacPherson strut first appeared up under the unitbody front fenders of a 1951 Ford Zephyr. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=255751&view=rss&microfeed=true

Without the shock absorber the modern automobile would simply flail about on its springs. The shock absorber is technically a damper. The shock absorber works to dampen the bounce created by bumps in the road and the weight of the vehicle acting on the suspension and springs. The less obvious yet more important benefit of shock absorbers is control. The four small patches of tire making contact with the tarmac won't do much good if the tires are spend more time bouncing in mid-air than staying planted on the ground. As anyone who has ridden in or attempted to pilot a vehicle with blown out shock absorbers can attest, brakes and steering become dangerously ineffective when shock absorbers lose their damping ability. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=254018&view=rss&microfeed=true Making the wrong choice in a performance clutch is a wicked easy thing to do. While a super ceramic or unsprung sintered iron disc may sound like the hot setup for those who fancy themselves John Force, the most common error is to choose more clutch than required. Loose fillings, scored flywheels, and grabby clutch stop-and-go traffic swearing may be the only things that result from putting too much clutch in a street going car. To help sort things out the folks at Streetfire.net got with Bob from Fidanza and created this video. If you're not careful, you might learn something before it's done. Now, if we can only score that invite to the International Friction Materials Conference in Las Vegas next year. – Mike Bumbeck More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=251875&view=rss&microfeed=true

As we're off to Las Vegas for Mopars at the Strip this weekend and riding the red-eye out to the New York Auto Show next week, the Trail of Parts will remain apart until our return. In the meantime we would like to call upon our readers to suggest both useful and amusing topics for this ongoing exploration into the inner and outer workings of automobiles. Send them to tips@jalopnik.com, or use the comments. In our absence, please enjoy this image of a parted-out Mitsubishi G54B turbo engine. – Mike Bumbeck More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=247981&view=rss&microfeed=true

It may seem unlikely that the first step in polishing aluminum to a near-mirror shine is to score an extra crusty set of '70s vintage US Indy slot mags of off an equally '70s vintage Toyota SR5 Liftback at the local junkyard. Mag wheels are named as such because the aluminum is mixed up with a bit of magnesium to form a stronger alloy. Over time and with exposure this alloy tends to turn a dull grey. Even the crustiest of aluminum wheels can be brought back to a mirror shine with a fair amount of elbow grease and careful use of cheap power tools. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=246626&view=rss&microfeed=true

In order for the miracle of the automotive cooling system to march on unabated all the components must be able to hold up under pressure. The heavy hitter in this equation is the radiator. Inside the radiator are coolant passages. Connected to the passages are the cooling fins. As hot engine coolant passes through the radiator heat gets wicked away through these fins and into the air. Neglecting the cooling system can cause corrosion and even rust to build up inside the radiator until one day it literally cracks under pressure and makes like an underhood Old Faithful. Pressure and tempers are lost along with engine cooling. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=244665&view=rss&microfeed=true

At the heart of the cooling system is the water pump. It spins as does the engine in order to continuously circulate engine coolant through the automotive cooling system. Out from the engine, into the radiator, and then back again. So goes the water-cooled internal combustion engine. If the water pump fails in its task the cooling system will have the automotive equivalent of a heart attack. A few miles outside of Baker, California on a 107-degree day is usually where a water pump clutches its chest and quits. Steam pouring from under the hood and an engine clattering from detonation are sure signs of heart failure. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=242847&view=rss&microfeed=true

The difference between the rows of late model cars at the junkyard awaiting the crusher and Grandpa's 400-thousand mile 1974 Mercury Bobcat Wagon with genuine simulated wood grain paneling is regularly scheduled maintenance. The failure of an inexpensive and easy to replace part can cause a heap of pricey damage. This is especially true of the automotive cooling system thermostat. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=240953&view=rss&microfeed=true

While there are still a few air-cooled automobiles on the roads the good majority out there these days are of the liquid cooled variety. Those driving an old Karmann Ghia or a pre-98 Porsche 911 can take the time spent reading this series of articles on the automotive cooling system and instead check their oil frequently. The rest of the liquid cooled vehicle owners out there have three important components under the hood that take the heat out of an internal combustion engine. The radiator, the water pump, and the thermostat. Between all of these components are flexible rubber hoses that transfer the liquid engine coolant. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=239176&view=rss&microfeed=true

Recent dash light disco electrical mayhem from the Starlet served as a reminder that an automotive electrical system can go haywire at any time. An automobile electrical system comprises three key parts. The battery stores electricity to spin the starter and start the engine. The alternator produces electricity once the engine is running by way of an engine driven belt. The voltage regulator balances the delivery of electrical power between the battery, spark plugs, and hi-fi stereo playing Burt Bacharach. This balance of power will come apart when any one of these three components fail. Starters that click rather than spin and dead batteries can be the result of a spent alternator or fussy voltage regulator. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=237200&view=rss&microfeed=true

The internal combustion engine at its core is an air pump. It takes in air, mixes it with fuel, and ignites the mixture to make power. Over the course of even a minute, an engine can breathe in a massive volume of air. A 2-liter engine can inhale nearly 3000 liters of air per minute at cruising speed. That's 1500 2-liter bottles of soda a minute! All of this air enters the engine through the air filter. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=235415&view=rss&microfeed=true

The reason to check your tire pressure is usually explained with some nearly unbelievable statistical simile bordering on hyperbole. If everyone checked their tire pressure once a month, we could save enough oil to build comfortable cities on the moon and help kittens. Or something like that. The fact is checking tire pressure on a regular basis can improve handling, increase fuel economy, promote tire longevity, and even save lives. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=233488&view=rss&microfeed=true

The scissor or corkscrew jack in your trunk is somewhat adequate for emergency wheel and tire swaps. Drive-on ramps are good for oil changes and whatnot. When it comes time to blow apart the front end, swap out some brake pads, or replace some spent struts, a floor jack and two or more sturdy jack stands are the right tools for the job. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=231906&view=rss&microfeed=true

The reason to check your oil begins with an understanding of the oiling system itself. Bolted up to the underside of the engine is an oil pan. At the bottom of the oil pan lives a pickup for the oil pump. The oil pump takes up oil through the pickup and circulates it through the engine. In this way the miraculous lubricating properties of oil stop friction and heat from destroying the engine. This miracle will continue unabated unless one neglects to check the oil level. Engine damage will visit those who lapse in this most basic of automobile ownership responsibilities. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=228474&view=rss&microfeed=true

The materials that comprise a hatchback or hood can add up to wicked heavy in a hurry. Heavy is the absolute last thing you need to knock you on the noggin while attempting to retrieve an errant can of pork n' beans or your favorite beverage out of the trunk or hatchback floor. Lift supports work in much the same way as shock absorbers. They also wear out just the same. If your hatchback has gone droopy or trunk stopped staying open, then a replacement lift support can limit future head knocking. Using broomstick, baseball bat, emergency roadside kit, or similar makeshift hood or hatchback support in place of factory-engineered equipment is a head injury waiting to happen. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=226435&view=rss&microfeed=true

The battery in a modern automobile is not of very modern technology. Despite promises of atomic cars and everlasting power, the old tech lead-acid battery still rides under many hoods. So-called maintenance-free batteries are really just updated versions of the first automotive lead-acid battery used to kick over a production Cadillac in the year of 1912. While design improvements have of course been made, the automobile battery still requires occasional help. Regular battery inspection and maintenance can make the difference between a five-year battery lasting five years, and a battery that gives up a year or so after purchase on a wicked cold night in a dark far corner of the airport long-term parking lot. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=225112&view=rss&microfeed=true

When performing a restoration, a rotisserie is often helpful, allowing one a comfortable working position while providing access to places that would otherwise be nigh-on impossible to get to without an expensive lift. We came across this ingenious solution while up at Trevor's a couple of months back — Trev's restoring a Mini that used to be a crisps delivery van in Dublin. It's in relatively good shape for a 40-year old car that was never seen as more than an appliance, but the suspension needed to be rebuilt and there was a healthy amount of floorpan corrosion. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=225128&view=rss&microfeed=true

While run-flat tire technology, roadside assistance programs and tire-changing helper robots have certainly come a long way, a flat tire is an inevitable part of the driving experience. Despite great measures taken to make tires tough enough to withstand the rigors of modern motoring, nefarious forces are perpetually plotting to relieve them of their air. Errant mattresses, tumbling pallets, mangled step ladders, and other, more insidious road hazards, such as boxes full of roofing nails dropped from a truck, all conspire to flatten the pneumatic miracle that is the modern automobile tire. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=223868&view=rss&microfeed=true

Changing out a car's oil — according to the guys in white lab coats who designed the engine — is the key to a long and trouble-free life. Better even than super engine longevity is becoming mechanically familiar with one's automobile. Dropping out the oil and swapping the oil filter takes but about an hour, but can mark the beginning of a lasting friendship with your car's underbelly. You really don't want those underpaid malcontents at the local Meth-o-Lube laying hands on your hoopty anyway. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=222215&view=rss&microfeed=true

As we embark on a series of automobile maintenance basics and repair tips here on Jalopnik, we're thankful every day for the miracle of space-age polymers. Back when technology held endless promise for an easier and more efficient future, plastic was the answer. When it comes time for regularly scheduled wrenching like changing the oil, flushing the radiator, or loading up the lower ball joints with fresh grease plastic still is. Read on. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=220504&view=rss&microfeed=true