Doing the maintenance on your own vehicle can be a long term money saver but at the same time this type of skill takes practice. Every type of vehicle has its own unique moving parts that require different kinds of upkeep. If you are someone who is thinking about possibly doing all of your own work for a while and save on some costs, just know that it’s a bit harder than it looks. Before you physically start to maintenance a vehicle, it’s always a good idea the parts book so you know what you looking at. If you don’t have the owner’s manual, you can go online and view countless images of the parts you have interest in. Just about every make and model vehicle has how to videos on the internet. If you have read what’s needed, now you need to think oil and tools.

At some point every engine needs an oil change. Get your tools together long with the right kind of oil and your on your way. You would probably be surprised at how little changes in doing an oil change on one vehicle compared to any other. One of the first things that will need to be performed is getting your front end lifted into the air about a foot and a half roughly. Some equipment for lifting differs from others and some is just flat out better than others too. Depending on your likes one may suit you more than the other.

Now that you have all the tools that you need and have gotten the right kind of oil for your vehicle, we can discuss doing an oil change. An oil change is a necessary maintenance that needs to be performed on just about every vehicle. There are only a few things that differ from one vehicle to the next. Things like the type of oil, it’s weight, how much to put in, etc. Any way, the first thing that most people do when they want to change their oil is to prop up their vehicle with either jacks or by driving your vehicle up onto some ramps. Now, of these two option, if you have never done an oil change before, you should probably use jacks to raise your vehicle. The reason is because using jacks to raise a vehicle to do an oil change requires the exact same tools and effort to raise a vehicle up so that you can change it’s flat tire. So basically, if you can successfully use jacks to raise your vehicle to do a tire change, then you should have absolutely no problems raising it up to do an oil change.

It’s very important that when you go to an autobody store to buy some ramps that you ask a lot of questions to the employees. They should be able to tell you some very specific information regarding how the ramps work. Asking questions at this point in time is going to be to your advantage. Knowing the answers to a few important questions during this process will save you lots of hard ache during the process.

So you have been to the auto store and learned a bit about raising up a vehicle. Now, we are going to discuss a few things you would be doing while it’s up. Before you do any unscrewing of bolts go and get something to act as an oil catcher. Then put on some cheap gloves and take off the drain bolt. Also, a quick point, your engine oil will run most smoothly when it is at least warm. For this reason you should let it run for 3 minutes before starting. Once you get the drain bolt off you already need to have the catcher placed accordingly to catch falling oil. Wipe up any excess that spilled with a towel of some sort or paper towel.

Now fast forward a bit. You have drained all the oil out, and wiped off the bolt thoroughly as well as the washer, you can tighten them back onto the oil reservoir. Don’t make the bolt too tight as this might strip either the casing or the bolt itself. Remembering that the bolt has to eventually come off will help.

Now take a chill pill as you have taken care of the most difficult part of the job. The next easy step will be to also remove and replace the old oil filter with a new one. The oil filter will be a small wide can-looking canister very similar to a fat or overweight can of soda. While your under the vehicle taking off the drain bolt you will probably see the oil filter and not recognize it. Either way, when you lie flat on your back under the larger part of the engine you will see it because of it typical bright coloring.

Once you see the oil filter, go ahead and wrap a towel around it to give you more of an anchor when you squeeze. Don’t be surprised if a bit of oil comes out towards you. It will not gush because it’s not filled with oil, it’s only the oil filter and not a big container. Like I said, all the hard stuff is over. Now you just have to place a couple drops of fresh oil around the mouth of the new filter for an air tight connections.

At this point you are done with screwing and unscrewing any from the bottom of the vehicle. Now is when you poor the new oil into the appropriate reservoir under the hood. You will want to poor it in slowly and stop about 1 quart short of what the vehicle calls for. Then, if you are using ramps, you want to back down the ramps at a careful pace until you have driven off of them and you can see them in front of the vehicle. With the vehicle being level, you can get a more accurate measurement of how much oil is now in the vehicle.

Now use the long dipping tool to measure the oil. If it reads just under full, your done now. If it is too far above full you will want to take it to a shop for draining. Some people pick up maintenance as a necessity and not by choice because of the economy but don’t be a fool, if you have attempted to do this on your own and are struggling badly, be smart and call professional to ask for guidance. Depending on what they tell you, it might be best to drive to the nearest repair shop for some quick help.

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No one ever wants an automobile engineer ahead but when your vehicle makes an amusing noise that sense of dread overwhelms and you wished you had seen the auto engineer last week. Maybe it is simply due for a service but generally when you hear the noise, its car repairs or far worse.

Whether or not it is a vehicle or truck, bus or bike preventive maintenance by regular inspection by skilled car mechanics that can draw on years of experience and could be the best investment when buying second hand or if you intend to keep the vehicle. It's the ‘good oil ‘ that keeps your vehicle running like an affordable dream.

Mileage, stop start use and the elements take a toll on most parts of the mechanical auto and the ravages of sun and snow over the seasons mean the internal parts age and grease thins. What had previously been serviceable lapses into questionable with tiny sign of rot until failure is at hand.

Finding an auto engineer or garage can range from word of mouth to online searching for the best match for you and your car with booking forms placed at your fingertips. Check before booking for suggestions or virtual walk throughs of the workshop to waiting area. To pick check out any online studios for a sneak preview and any comments on the service offered to others. Do not be scared to ring and ask us about any special needs like a loan car whilst you auto is in the store or specialities for fitting accessories.

Expert automobile mechanics can prove remarkably inexpensive when grouped with modern state of the art computer diagnosis equipment and tools can instantly diagnose and even foretell any faults before they become that funny noise. Some mechanics are fanatical about all things vehicle and finding one that's enthusiastic about your auto is a key to ecstatic motoring. Try to find a mechanic who can cover everything from:

– New automobile long book service
– Servicing
– Aircon repairs & re-gas
– Brake, clutch, steering & suspension repairs
– Tyres & wheel balancing
– Safety inspections
– Engine and gearbox repairs
– Registration Station

Good shops have skilled car mechanics that may perform full registration checks while you wait or check a potential purchase. Vehicle engineers often have finely balanced ‘lemon ‘ radars and can swiftly help you avoid buying a wonky set of wheels with pre-purchase inspections. A true second opinion can guarantee your auto is safe and roadworthy. You may even use the mechanics report to arrange final price when seeking new wheels.

Find a vehicle mechanic in Sydney metropolitan and surrounds using web online directory dLook.

Do you wonder how a four wheel drive truck or SUV works? It is also called 4WD. You may be thinking about buying one of these traction machines. If you already own one, you know how handy they can be. Knowing their basic function may help you better operate them. It may also help with repairs or maintenance.

Rear wheel drive

A four wheel drive truck is similar to a standard rear drive truck or SUV. Most older cars, before the 80s are rear drive. Today, front drive rules. Yet, trucks and utility vehicles are still manufactured this way. A rear drive vehicle has its motor in straight. It is not sideways like the newer front drive cars.

The next component is the transmission. It sits behind and receives power from the motor. The crankshaft is connected to a fly wheel. The fly wheel connects to the transmission. On a manual transmission the clutch disk engages with the flywheel. This is similar to a brake pad on a brake rotor. An automatic transmission is a little more involved. However, the principle is similar.

On the two wheel drive vehicle, the transmission spins and transfers this energy to a drive line or drive shaft. This drive line attaches to a differential in the rear of the car. It is also referred to as the rear end. The differential runs across the back of the vehicle. The rear wheels are on each end.

The drive line and differential attach via gears. They mesh together to transfer the power to the wheels. Of course, it is more involved than that. This is a general idea of what happens.

4WD

The four wheel drive utility vehicle or truck starts out as a rear drive. When you add a transfer case, front drive line and front differential, you have power to all four wheels. The transfer case is along side of the transmission. As the transmission spins it is connected with the front drive system. It runs between the transmission and the transfer case. The front drive line connects with the front differential and wheels. This is very similar to rear differential setups.

Between the transmission and transfer case is a drive chain. This is what turns the front drive line. When everything is engaged, the front and back wheels all have power. You get superior traction and performance in off-road conditions. They can do things that normal trucks, cannot.

Front hubs may be able to lock in or out. Older trucks have this option. You manually lock and unlock the hubs. This disconnects the front drive system. This gives you better gas mileage. Newer vehicles have hubs that automatically engage and disengage.

Summary

Rear drive only has power to the back wheels. It gets there from the motor to the transmission. The transmission connects to the drive shaft. The drive shaft connects to the rear end differential. The differential attaches to the wheels.

Four wheel drive utility vehicles and trucks have a similar rear drive system. They also have a transfer case that sends power to a front drive line. The transfer case is along side of the transmission. The front drive line attaches to the its differential and wheels. Four wheel drive is also written as 4WD.

4×4 parts for the 4WD system are available through many sources and one very popular upgrade to the drivetrain system is the installation of locking hubs.

I bought a small truck and drove it for 16 years over 250,000 miles without major repairs and it was still running when I sold it to buy a van. The key to making a vehicle last a long time is regular maintenance. Invest a small amount in maintenance and avoid large repair bills.

So how do you maintain a vehicle so that it lasts? Start with regular changes of oil and oil filter. If you drive, no matter where you drive, you will get dirt in the oil. And that can make a mess for moving parts in an engine.

The best place to start might be manufacturer’s recommendations about when to get oil changes. Usually they recommend every 3,000 miles or three to six months. But if you understand why, you will be better able to gage when to change the oil.

The reason you change the oil is not just because oil gets dirty, but because an engine will eventually start to function less efficiently and dump unburned gas into the crankcase which holds the oil. This will dilute oil and cause it to degenerate. The diluted oil doesn’t work as well, causes parts to wear out, which then becomes more expensive as you get less fuel efficiency, more emissions and the vehicle starts to burn oil. If you have a new engine without wear and tear, it will probably run efficiently and you could change oil every 7,500 miles. But as the miles add up, you would need to change it more often to ensure a smooth running engine.

If you are going to keep your car for more than four years, you will save money by investing in regular oil changes. And even if you are going to sell it after 4 years, a smart buyer would want to know if you maintained the car.

What about the oil filter?

A mechanic may tell you to change the oil filter every time the oil is changed, and perhaps you think that’s an unnecessary expense. Maybe a salesman or manufacturer has told you to only change it every other oil change.

Replace the oil filter every time you get the oil changed. Here’s why: At one time quart-sized filters were used on most vehicles. Manufacturers found they could use pint-sized filters and save some money and space. But if you have a smaller filter, obviously there is less capacity there to filter the oil. It simply won’t last for 6,000 or 15,000 miles.

Where Do You Get the Oil Changed?

There are lots of oil change places on corners where you can quickly get an oil change. But an owner of a brand new pick up availed herself of one of these places and it wound up costing her several thousand dollars to get the engine rebuilt. The guy doing the oil change didn’t put the filter on correctly. The oil leaked out, the moving parts in the engine protested by breaking, and disaster occurred.

Businesses that specialize in oil changes are usually just fine, and they should know their stuff, because that’s all they do. But maybe it’s a place you don’t know and maybe the one guy who does your vehicle has a hangover that day.

A solution is to find an auto repair shop that has been in business for a while and has regular customers who keep returning. It may seem extravagant to have your oil changed at a garage, but they usually offer a competitive price because they want your business. If you keep returning to the same place, they will become familiar with your vehicle, and thus be able to offer even better service and advice. How do you find a reliable place? Ask around – friends will be happy to tell you their experiences with good mechanics. In the long run, it will benefit both your car and your wallet.

Learn more about changing the oil in your vehicle. Stop by 3A Automotive Service’s site where you can find out all about vehicle maintenance and what it can do for you.

Have you ever noticed that you car seemed to guzzle more gas than it should be using? You fill it up and a few days later you need to stop for more gas.

Some of the things that affect how much gas you use are:

* Price of gas rising

* Getting gas from more than one station

* Waiting until the heat of the day to fill up

* Your vehicle needs a tune up

There are some thing you can do which will get your car more miles per gallon. They won’t exactly lower the price of gas, but some things are remediable and some are not.

Rushing around in life, needing to fill your vehicle up at different gas stations and mixing brands of gasoline is a way of life. However, as much as you can, stick to your same local gas station and your vehicle will like it more as it will have the same formula of fuel. Take a lesson from racecar drivers that use specific fuel, oil and other fluids. The drivers find what works the best and stick to it.

When the weather is cool and during the early part of the day when it is cooler, gas is denser. If you fill your tank when it is cool, you will get more gas. As the day gets hotter and gas expands, less gas will take up the same amount of space, so if you wait until it’s 3 pm and 100 degrees outside, you won’t get as much for your money.

Make yourself a schedule to get a tune-up every few months, doing so will save you money not only at the gas pump but also in repair bills. A tune up consists of giving your vehicle new, clean fluids to eliminate grit and dirt that could harm the functions of your engine. New filters and spark plugs are also installed that help your vehicle run at its best.

Want to find out more about the rising cost of fuel, then visit 3A Automotive Service’s site on how to choose the best methods to save money at the gas pump for your needs.

For many a car is not just a vehicle but something far more precious! A scratch on the car then becomes something that needs to be fixed as soon as possible before it detracts from the beauty of the vehicle. It need not be an expensive business; small scratches can be fixed at home without the need for a costly trip to the car repair shop.

Scratches can occur when stones or debris from the road fly up and chip the paint, or due to deliberate vandalism when the car is keyed. Most scratches though occur from stones and in car-parks when doors are accidentally opened onto the car or a shopping trolley catches it.

In order to determine the level of work required you need to ascertain how deep the scratch is. The car body is made up of 4 layers: Top coat, colour, primer and the steel. If the scratch does not reach the metal then you will be able to fix it at home either by sanding and buffing or filling in with a marker pen. In either case clean the car first and then add some shoe polish to the damaged area. The polish will highlight the scratches and make it easier for you to target the problem area.

When using a marker pen you need to make sure that pen comes in a shade that matches your car. This method is really only ideal for surface scratches. Find an ultrafine permanent marker pen in the correct shade and carefully fill in the scratched area. Leave it to dry for 2 hours when complete.

Where scratches are deeper than the surface area but not as deep as the steel they can be repaired through sanding and buffing. The shoe polish has highlighted the scratches which you then need to sand until the polish has disappeared. By doing this, the area around the scratch is being reduced to the level of the scratch. Once sanded, wipe the surface with a dry cloth to remove any dust. Glazing putty should be applied to the area and left overnight to dry. Sand again until it is level and then paint. Once the paint is dry buff to add shine.

If you are not sure that you can carry out these steps to fix your car scratch then better to get a professional to carry out the work. Sanding in particular requires care and attention, and make sure you match the paint colour carefully.

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Car breakdowns usually happen when you least expect it and can least afford it. It’s a huge hassle to have your transportation not working. But moving parts in vehicles sometimes break. Owners cause our own problems with cars on occasion.

Preventive maintenance can go a long way in extending the life of your vehicle and preventing emergency breakdowns. A timely story of a relative illustrates a case in point.

Last summer his radiator was leaking. To save a few bucks he kept putting water into the radiator and didn’t buy anti-freeze. The weather was in the 90′s so why bother with the extra expense of anti-freeze? Then he fixed the hole in the radiator, and the water no longer leaked out and he forgot all about it.

He lives in a warm climate, so he completely forgot about having only water and no anti-freeze in the radiator. Normally that would be ok even through the winter months, but this winter, the temperature suddenly sank to 15 degrees and did not rise above freezing for five days. It was very unusual weather. It certainly was enough to freeze all the water in the radiator. The frozen water expanded, cracked the radiator and the result was having to get a whole new radiator.

If you live in a place where it rarely freezes, remember that rarely is not never. And maintain your cooling system of your vehicle by putting anti-freeze in it at least during the winter. It could save you a lot of money and trouble.

A man pulling a trailer pulled into a parking lot and walked around his truck and noticed that the trailer, which used to have 4 wheels, only had 3 wheels. One wheel had fallen off down the road somewhere. Of course it was Sunday and he was 100 miles from home. He just couldn’t believe his beautiful new trailer had lost a wheel until he started calculating that his trailer wasn’t so new anymore – about 10 years old – and he’d probably towed it upwards of 100,000 miles.

He wound up having to get a new tire, new wheel and a new axle. Wheels can fall off if the bearings are rubbing against metal, in which case they probably disintegrate. Normally bearings are packed in grease to prevent excessive friction, but after many years and miles, maybe the grease dries up or leaks out.

Bearings need to be periodically repacked in fresh grease. That is the preventive maintenance for wheels.

You don’t have to know all about car repair to keep up with maintenance that a vehicle needs to keep running. You need a good and reliable and honest mechanic who will tell you what maintenance is required and when, without adding in unnecessary repairs. You need someone you can trust, who has a record of customers who return regularly.

Learn more about vehicle maintenance. Stop by 3A Automotive’s site where you can find out all about auto services and what it can do for you.

A valve spring compressor can come in handy especially if you drive a car. Mechanics use a valve spring compressor to compress and release a spring valve during a repair or a maintenance. If you are working on different kinds of motorized vehicles, rest assured that there will be a valve spring compressor for your needs. Apart from making your job easier, this tool also helps you save time and prevent accidents that are related to spring valves and its mechanisms.

Lisle valve spring compressors is an example of a valve spring compressor brand. If you want flexibility and versatility in your valve spring compressor then Lisle is just what you need. In addition to that, prices are reasonable with the Lisle 23300 small engine valve compressor at $12 and the 44300 valve spring compressor at $90. The versatility of the 44300 Lisle valve spring compressor gives you the freedom to tackle any type of spring valve. However, the best part is you only need one hand to work with this valve spring compressor.

KD valve spring compressors is another cost efficient brand with price ranges at $15 to $130. Heavy duty valve repair and maintenance will require you to use the KD 912. Changing guide seals and valves in your engine is easier with this tool. Motorize vehicles with overhead valves will benefit from the KD 2078. If you need to take out cylinder heads, you can use the same tool.

These are just some of the best valve spring compressor brands. However, if you find these brands to be a bit heavy on your pocket, feel free to browse through the internet and check out other valve spring compressor brands. If you are not familiar with this tool, it may be advantageous if you conduct a little research first. This will surely keep you from committing the fatal mistake of buying the wrong tool.

If you running a car repair business, then a valve-spring compressor tool is a necessity. Since there are different types of valve spring compressors, you might want to invest in them as well. Nonetheless, if you are simply the handy man then making a tap and die a part of your collection can also be beneficial.

Bob Proctor has been writing articles since 2005 and is an expert on valve spring compressor, however he’s also interested in tap and die for personal use.

Having a car may be a necessity and comfort to all but all cars go through all kinds of abuse as it continues to serve its owner. In time because of the wear and tear, expect that your car will eventually break down and parts have to be replaced.

Car maintenance would almost always mean tune ups, change oil, transmission change, tire alignment and others. But no one considers auto mat cleaning as part of car maintenance.

Auto mats are one of the most neglected parts of a car’s interior. It is in fact the dirtiest and most worn out because of the dirt, mud, grimes and garbage brought about by dirty shoes and even pets.

Some car owners can live with this dirty and foul smelling interior and do not do anything about it.

The exterior of the car is as important as the interior part. Some cars may not be the most recent model but by having a clean and nice smelling interior, it is pleasant to ride in it. You can achieve this by cleaning the car mats and carpeting.

Before anything else, start by disconnecting your car battery to save battery life while you leave the car doors open. Take out the auto mats. In a bucket, mix water with shampoo used in your home. You can use upholstery shampoo.

With the shampoo mixture, scrub the car mats thoroughly. Wash with clean water and let it dry. While waiting for it to dry, vacuum the car seats especially the folds where many dirt hides. Vacuum the whole carpet area; repeating it several times.

Then, take the scrub and shampoo the interior until you see dirt and rocks coming off. Do this several times alternating it with having the vacuum go over it. You will be pleasantly surprise with how clean and fresh your car interior is after cleaning it.

See more of this writer’s tips on products such as wood shed plans and teds woodworking.

New car wash construction has come under municipal mandates with regards to the use of reclamation systems. These new reclamation systems have presented unique obstacles in water treatment since most sites have been dealing with algae growth on side-walls and noxious odors due to the reclaimed water.

Oxygenation and ionization systems have been installed since 1999 in Michigan, Maine and Minnesota with specific success utilizing the existing water treatment equipment onsite. Installation time for the average six bay wash has been accomplished in less than 2 hours. The DC voltage controller, self sacrificing copper anodes and titanium/platinum oxygenation anodes operate at a cost of about $50 per bay, per year with 30 minutes of quarterly maintenance. Water testing weekly is required, and often any bag or filter cartridge cleaning is eliminated. In 2009, the addition of low pressure, high flow rate glass media filtration has been engineered to better separate solids using the glass and oxygen in a swimming pool sand filter platform.

On the sites with the new ionization and oxygenation equipment the noxious odors have practically been eliminated and the algae growth on side-walls has been eradicated in both the summer and winter months. Often the algae itself is a source for odors but in a car wash the build up of soaps, dirt, minerals and plant life mix together to create an environment that increases algae and mold growth. The dissolved oxygen (DO) level in the source water is brought up into the 6.0-6.5ppm range from a low 2.0-3.0ppm range while a low level copper residual at .2-.4ppm is maintained in the water through the use of automated programmable controllers and flow switch controls. The increased DO is applied to both the cold and hot water and is not dependent on pH. The copper and titanium/platinum are both capable of raising the DO levels in hot water.

Maintenance personnel maintain the copper residual with a simple Lamotte EC 70 test kit, a 5 drop reagent and quarterly cleaning of the anodes in a diluted acid wash. The copper ppm is the source of the algae and mold kill.

It is important to note that this reclamation water treatment system is available to existing as well as new car washes, as the upgrade is fairly straight forward. For existing car washes, the benefit of being able to replace bag or cartridge filters may quickly outweigh any retrofit costs. It has been estimated that virtually all of the operating costs and about one-half of maintenance hours were devoted to cleaning or replacing cloth or paper filters. The equipment can be configured and used for both manual and automated bays. The typical price for the system ranges from $10,000 to $20,000, plus installation.

To learn more about Chemical Free Water please visit ECOsmarte’s site where you can learn more about Residual Bacteria Control and what it can do for you and your water.