Repair And Fix it

The Mitsubishi Eclipse is a two-door coupe or convertible, and is also sold as the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser. It has been available in the United States since 1990, and the second generation of the Eclipse includes the 1995 through 1999 models. The timing belt is mounted on the crankshaft pulley and camshaft pulley, allowing the crankshaft to drive the camshaft. The removal procedure for the crankshaft pulley in a 1997 Eclipse also requires you to lift the engine in some cases.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench. This prevents anyone from starting the engine during the crankshaft pulley removal.

2

Remove the undercover for the engine with a socket wrench to gain access to the crankshaft pulley.

3

Raise the engine slightly with an engine hoist to remove some of the weight from the side engine mounts, and hold the engine in this position. Perform this step only if your 1997 Eclipse has a turbocharged engine or a 2.4-liter engine.

4

Disconnect the bracket for the engine side mount with a socket wrench to access the crankshaft pulley. Detach the accessory drive belts from the crankshaft pulley.

5

Disconnect the mounting bolt for the crankshaft pulley with a socket wrench. Remove the crankshaft pulley from the crankshaft.

The Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler under its Dodge brand since 1984. The 1997 Model is a third-generation Caravan that had a choice of several different engines, including a 6-cylinder 3.3-liter engine. This engine uses a belt-driven water pump to circulate coolant around the engine. If you need to replace the water pump in a 97 Caravan, you must access it from underneath the vehicle.

Instructions

1

Remove the cable from the negative terminal of the battery with a socket wrench. This will prevent you from starting the engine during the water pump replacement procedure. Place a drain pan under the drain plug for the radiator and open the drain plug. Allow the coolant to drain into the drain pan.

2

Remove the serpentine drive belt with a socket wrench. Raise the vehicle with a jack and support it on jack stands. Disconnect the right front wheel and the lower shield on the right front fender.

3

Disconnect the pulley for the water pump with a socket wrench. Remove the mounting bolts for the water pump and detach the water pump from the engine. Discard the O-ring for the water pump and clean the mounting surface for the O-ring with a shop towel.

4

Place the new O-ring onto its mounting surface on the new water pump. Install the new water pump onto the engine and tighten its mounting bolts to 108 in. lbs. with a torque wrench. Install the pulley for the water pump and tighten its mounting bolts to 20 ft. lbs.

5

Connect the lower shield for the right front fender with a socket wrench and install the right front wheel. Connect the lug nuts for the right front wheel and torque them to 95 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench. Lower the vehicle and connect the serpentine drive belt. Fill the radiator with a mixture of 50 percent water and 50 percent ethylene glycol antifreeze.

6

Connect the cable to the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench. Start the engine and allow it to run until the thermostat opens. Turn the engine off and allow it to cool. Check and correct any leaks in the coolant system.

Replacing the taillight bulbs in the taillight assemblies of your Chevy Silverado pickup will only take a few minutes and requires only simple hand tools to complete the job. The bulbs are housed within a plastic taillight assembly and the assembly requires removal from the truck to access the bulb. The 3057 bulbs used in the taillights of the Silverado are readily available from any parts store or most major department stores.

Instructions

1

Open the tailgate of your Silverado and locate the two taillight retaining screws on the inside edge of each taillight assembly. These are Phillips-head screws on the inner edge of the end of the cargo-bed wall, where the tailgate rests when closed.

2

Remove the two retaining screws with a Phillips screwdriver, setting the screws aside for reuse later. Grasp the taillight assembly and pull it straight out of the body until you can access the wiring harness connection on the back of the assembly.

3

Depress the locking tab on the connector and pull it off the taillight assembly. Grasp the socket on the back of the taillight, turn it counterclockwise -turn, and remove it from the assembly. Pull the failed bulb out of the socket and discard it.

4

Push a new bulb into the socket. Insert the bulb and socket into the rear of the taillight assembly and turn the assembly clockwise to lock it in place. Connect the wiring harness connector to the taillight assembly, pushing it in until it snaps in place.

5

Position the taillight assembly on the rear of the Silverado, making sure it seats completely; then install the two retaining screws. Tighten the screws with a Phillips screwdriver and close the tailgate.

The engine accessories on the 1997 Oldsmobile Achieva such as the alternator, air conditioner compressor, water pump and power steering pump are all operated by one complete belt -- the serpentine belt. The serpentine belt operates each of the engine accessories by routing around all of the accessory pulleys at the same time. When the motor is cranked up, the serpentine belt turns around each engine accessory pulley at the same time. Look for any damage on the belt and replace it immediately if needed.

Instructions

1

Look on the top of the plastic radiator shroud and make a mental note of the location of the belt-routing diagram. The diagram is on the very top of the shroud. Refer back to the routing instructions from this diagram when putting the new belt around the pulleys.

2

Locate the self adjusting accessory belt tensioner on the front side of the motor. The tensioner is made up of two components, the spring-loaded arm and the idler pulley that is connected to the bottom of the tensioner arm.

3

Relieve the tension off the accessory belt from the bolt that connects the idler pulley to the tensioner arm. Pivot the tensioner in a clockwise direction with a 1/2-inch drive breaker bar and a metric socket until the tension is off the belt. Pull the belt out from around the idler pulley that is connected to the tensioner arm. Release the tension from the breaker until the tensioner stops turning.

4

Unwrap the accessory belt from each accessory pulley. Pull the belt around the fan blades and up out of the engine well.

5

Lower the new belt near the fan blades. Pull the belt around each fan blade and route the belt around each accessory pulley by using the routing directions from the belt-routing diagram.

6

Pivot the tensioner in a counterclockwise direction with the breaker bar and metric socket. Pull the new belt around the tensioner idler pulley and set it inside of the pulley. Release the tension from the breaker bar until the idler pulley stops retracting against the belt. Pull the breaker bar and socket off the idler pulley and out of the engine well.

7

Look over the new accessory belt to ensure that it is completely inside of all of the accessory pulleys. Crank the motor for about 15 seconds to ensure that the belt ribs completely seat to the grooves of each pulley. Turn the motor off.

You can pull a code from your 97 Chevy S10 Blazer right in your garage, saving yourself money and time. The Blazer comes equipped with an On-Board Diagnostics II computer (OBD-II). This computer retrieves and stores all trouble codes it receives from various sensors positioned throughout the vehicle. The Blazers computer turns on warning or service lights on the instrument panel to alert you to the malfunction. You can pull these codes from the computer using a small, handheld device called an OBD-II code scanner. You can buy this online or at any auto-parts retailer.

Instructions

1

Find the diagnostic port on the drivers-side dash under the steering column. Its the same size and shape as code scanners connective end.

2

Plug the code scanner into this diagnostic port. Put the key into the ignition and turn it to the "ACC" position. Dont crank the engine.

3

Wait while the scanner turns on. Select the command "Retrieve Codes" -- the command may be somewhat different, depending on scanner brand. Wait for the code scanner to display the codes on its face and then write the codes down on a piece of paper.

4

Find the meaning of the codes in the scanners manual. Unplug the scanner and take the vehicle to be serviced or repaired.

If your 97 Camry is backfiring, sluggish or idles poorly then your timing belt may be bad. A timing belt ensures that the camshaft and crankshaft valves work together with the pistons, and having a broken or damaged timing belt can be hazardous to your car and very costly. Making sure that you have a properly working timing belt before things go very wrong can save you a lot of time and money in the end.

Instructions

Remove the timing belt

1

Disconnect the negative battery cable. Lift your car up with a jack and support it with jack stands. Remove the lower engine cover as well as the right inner fender cover. When youre done with that lower the car back to the ground.

2

From the top of the car, remove the bolts holding the alternator in place then pull out the alternator by hand. Take out the coolant reservoir.

3

Remove the serpentine belt by first removing the pivot bolt on the left corner of the engine block. Then loosen the tensioner adjustment bolt which is located under the tensioner pulley. Pull off the tensioner belt.

4

Raise the car back up and and take off the right engine mount. Keep the car raised.

5

Get your spark plug socket and remove the spark plugs.

6

Take off the timing belt cover. Line up the crankshaft pulley groove with the oil pump by rotating the engine to the right. Make sure the camshaft pulleys line up with the rear belt covers. You may have to rotate the engine.

7

Remove the crankshaft pulley bolt. Remove the tensioner and dust boot. Remove the bolts holding the lower timing belt cover on. Take the cover off.

Installing the timing belt

8

Clean the pulleys of any dirt, oil or water.

9

Align the new belts front mark with the crankshaft pulleys mark. Also align the timing belts installation mark with the camshaft pulley.

10

Install the pulleys. The easiest way to install them is, crankshaft, water pump, left camshaft, No. 2 idler, right camshaft and the No.1 idler.

11

Compress the tensioner until the push rod and housing holes align. Reconnect the dust boot and tighten the tension bolts up to 20 foot pounds.

12

Rotate the crankshaft and line up its groove with the oil pump. The timing marks on the camshaft and the marks on the rear timing cover should also match.

13

Put the timing belt guide in and tighten the bolts to 21 foot pounds. Replace and tighten the upper timing belt cover bolts to 74 inch pounds. Replace the lower timing belt cover bolts to 74 inch pounds.

14

Reinstall the spark plugs. Put back on the right engine mount, and reinstall the serpentine belt. To reinstall the serpentine belt follow the instructions in reverse on removing the belt. Put the coolant reservoir back in. Reinstall the alternator.

15

Put the inner fender back on along with the engine cover. Lower the car and reattach the negative battery cable. Start the car to make sure that the timing belt is working properly.

The Chevrolet Blazer was a mid-size sport utility vehicle made by General Motors from 1983 to 2005. The second generation of this model was in production from 1995 to 2005 and all of these vehicles were equipped with a six-cylinder 4.3-liter engine. Each cylinder of an engine has its own fuel injector, which delivers fuel and air in a precise sequence. You can replace an individual fuel injector on the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer.

Instructions

1

Remove the air cleaner with a socket wrench and disconnect the cable on the negative battery terminal. Open the filler cap for the fuel tank to relieve the pressure in the fuel tank.

2

Press the two tabs on the fuel injectors electrical connector together, and pull the electrical connector up to disconnect it from the fuel injector. Remove the cover for the fuel meter with a socket wrench and discard its gasket. Lift the fuel injector from the fuel meter carefully with a small pry bar.

3

Remove the small O-ring from the nozzle of the fuel injector. Detach the fuel filter from the fuel injector by carefully rotating the fuel filter back and forth. Remove the large O-ring and washer from the injector cavity of the fuel meter.

4

Apply a thin layer of transmission fluid to the small O-ring and push it onto the nozzle of the injector until it is flush against the fuel filter for the injector. Install the washer into the cavity of the fuel meter and apply transmission fluid to the large O-ring. Seat the large O-ring against the washer so that it is flush with the top of the fuel meter.

5

Align the raised lug on the base of the fuel injector with the notch in the cavity of the fuel meter. Press the fuel injector down firmly to ensure that it is fully seated. Install the cover for the fuel meter and its new gasket. Attach the electrical connector to the fuel injector. Start the engine and check for fuel leaks.

If the "Service Engine Soon" light comes on inside the dashboard of your 1997 Monte Carlo, you can turn it off by disconnecting the battery. Service engine lights can come on inside of a car if you have recently changed an oxygen sensor in your fuel tank, for example. Dealerships and mechanics might tell you to drive the car for about 20 miles to clear the service engine light, but there is another way.

Instructions

1

Turn the car off. Pop the hood to your 1997 Monte Carlo, and locate the battery.

2

Disconnect the red terminal from the battery with a socket wrench. Disconnect the black terminal from the battery with a socket wrench.

3

Go to the ignition switch inside your Monte Carlo, and put your key inside. Turn the ignition switch three times. Turn the ignition switch to "OFF", and then reconnect the battery to the terminals.

4

Turn the ignition switch to "ON" without starting the Monte Carlo. Leave the ignition switch on for one minute.

5

Start the car and the "Service Engine Soon" light will be off.

Camber is the measurement of the plane of the front wheel and its relationship to the plane of the ground measured in degrees of the angle. If the two surfaces are perpendicular, the vehicle has 0 degrees camber. If the plane of the wheel tips outward, the vehicle has positive camber, and negative means it tips inward. Camber is one of the alignment angles of the Grand Am, and is applicable to both the front and rear wheels.

Suspension Details

The 1997 Pontiac Grand Am has a McPhereson strut suspension system. This is a system where the lower part of the steering knuckle is supported and held in place by the lower control arm, and the upper part of the steering knuckle is supported by the strut assembly. The strut assembly consists of a shock and a coil spring which serve the dual role of supporting the weight of the vehicle and dampening excessive suspension bounce.

Front Camber Specifications

The specifications for front wheel camber for the 1997 Grand Prix are between -1.15 and 0.35 degrees. Any measurement between those two numbers is acceptable and should result in good tire wear and vehicle handling as long as the other angles are set correctly. The ideal measurement is -0.40 degrees camber.

Rear Camber Specifications

Rear-wheel camber specifications are between -1.0 degrees and 1.0 degrees. The rear wheels are given a larger variance in the acceptable measurements because their role in turning is not as pronounced. Ideally the measurement should be in the center of the range, or as close to 0 degrees as possible.

Cross Camber Specifications

Cross camber is the difference in camber between both the left and right side. This would allow the left wheel to have a slight positive camber and the right wheel to have a negative camber. The cross camber specifications for the front wheels are between -1.0 degrees and 1.0 degrees. You may vary the cross camber to compensate for vehicle pull as necessary as long as you stay within the specifications.

The Northstar series of engines was manufactured by General Motors from 1991 to 2010. They are fuel-injected engines with double overhead camshafts. Northstar engines are most common in Cadillac vehicles such as the 1997 Eldorado, which has an eight-cylinder 4.6-liter engine. The water pump in a 1997 Northstar engine prevents overheating by circulating water and coolant around the engine. The procedure for replacing the water pump is generally the same for all Cadillac cars made from 1990 to 1998.

Instructions

1

Park the car, turn off the engine and open the hood. Detach the cable from the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench to avoid accidentally starting the engine. Position a container under the radiator drain and open the drain. Allow the coolant to drain into the container and seal it for later use. Close the drain.

2

Disconnect the air cleaner with a socket wrench. Remove the mounting bolts for the water pump pulley, and detach the drive belt from the pulley. Disconnect the water pump pulley.

3

Remove the mounting bolts for the water pump, and disconnect the pump from the engine. Discard the gasket for the water pump, and clean the mounting surfaces for the gasket with a clean cloth.

4

Mount the new gasket to the studs of the water pump, and install the new water pump. Tighten the mounting bolts for the water pump to 5 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

5

Install the water pump pulley. Install the water pump pulley bolts finger tight. Install the drive belt. Tighten the water pump pulley bolts to 22 foot-pounds.

6

Connect the air cleaner and the cable for the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench. Replace the coolant in the radiator and check for coolant leaks.

7

Run the engine until it reaches its normal operating temperature. Check for coolant leaks again and top off the coolant if necessary.

As 1997 Ford Aerostar vans age, the sliding side door becomes prone to problems. The hydraulic systems can leak and prevent the door from opening correctly, and as the bushings wear, they may cause the door to drop and fail to latch correctly. Look for a few common problems with this vans sliding door.

Hydraulic System

The hydraulic system helps the door slide backward and forward smoothly. If it fails, the door may become sticky or stuck in place altogether. To solve this problem, you must replace the hydraulic arms. Replacing these arms will help the door slide smoothly and move in the correct direction; it will also help keep the door closed by reducing the pressure on the latch.

Bushing Problems

The bushings are hard plastic pieces that hold the door in place and prevent vibrations. Over time, the bushings will wear and possibly cause the door to become loose or out of alignment. Replacing the bushings may put the door back in alignment and help stop any problems with the latch not catching correctly.

Mounting Bolts

The mounting bolts may also become stretched and bent over time. This type of wear weakens the bolts and causes them to become more prone to failure; the door may also move out of alignment. As with worn bushings,worn mounting bolts can cause the latch to become sticky or loose.

Incorrect Lubrication

Lubrication can cause the door or its track to become sticky or even stuck in place. Examine the hinges, joints and tracks in the door; if they look dry, add all-purpose grease to the joints. Sliding the door backward and forward to work in the grease in may improve the operation of the door.

You can read the codes for your 97 Ford F-150 right from your home garage, saving yourself time and money. The 1997 F-150 comes equipped with an On-Board Diagnostic II (OBD II) computer system that receives and stores trouble codes. These codes can be read with a hand-held computerized device called an OBD II code retriever. The codes read can be looked up to help you diagnose what is wrong with your vehicle.

Instructions

1

Plug the OBDII code retriever into the socket on the underside of the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.

2

Put the key into the ignition and turn it to the "II" position, but dont crank the engine. This will power on most code retrievers. Enter in your vehicles model, make and engine size when instructed to by the code retriever.

3

Select the command "Read Codes" or something similar. Wait while the OBDII code retriever interfaces with the computer and retrieves the codes. Write down the codes on a piece of paper. Look up the codes in the manual to get the exact diagnosis.

4

Unplug the code retriever. Take the codes to your mechanic or repair and service the vehicle yourself.

The Buick division of General Motors has manufactured a variety of cars under the Century nameplate. The 1997 model is a mid-size sedan with an anti-lock braking system, or ABS. The brake control module, or BCM, controls the ABS in an emergency stop. The BCM detects when a wheel is rotating significantly more slowly than the others, which can occur when the wheel loses traction. The BMC then reduces the braking force to that wheel to prevent it from locking.

Instructions

1

Find the BCM on the left side of the steering column under the instrument panel. It is a small black box with an electrical wiring harness connected to it.

2

Squeeze the pressure tabs on the BCM together, then detach the BCM from its bracket.

3

Unplug the electrical wiring harness from the BCM, then remove the BCM from the vehicle.

4

Plug the electrical wiring harness into the new BCM. The electrical connector will make an audible click when the harness is securely fastened to the BCM.

5

Install the BCM to its bracket. The pressure tabs will make an audible click when the BCM is securely fastened to the bracket.