Repair And Fix it

Car ramps are simple devices that allow a person to get under a car to complete maintenance and repairs. While ramps are easy to use, improper use can cause serious injury and death.

Use Proper Ramps

Before driving a vehicle onto a ramp, the driver needs to make certain that the ramps are rated for the load that will be placed on them. Also, the vehicles tires should fit properly onto the ramp. Tires that bulge over the side may make the ramps unstable.

Test for Stability

Once the vehicle is on the ramps, gently rock the car to each side to make certain the ramps are stable. If an end or side of the ramp lifts off the ground while the car is being rocked, the weight of the vehicle is not properly placed on the ramps.

Chock the Wheels

Wheel chocks are wedge-shaped devices that prevent the car from rolling off the ramps. Place the chocks behind the wheels that are not on the ramp. Drivers should also make certain that the wheel chocks are rated for the weight that they are being used to hold.

The Honda CR-V is a mid-sized SUV. If your Honda CR-V has stalled and will not start, there are certain things that you can look at to determine the kind of repair that you will need. The battery on the CR-V is the most important component in starting the SUV. If the battery is dead, the car will not be able to start. If your car has stalled and now will not start, you might have a broken fuel gauge or no gas.

Instructions

1

Open the hood to your Honda CR-V and look at the battery. Smell the battery. If you smell something that reminds you of rotten eggs coming from the battery replace the battery. The rotten eggs smell is sulfur and its presence indicates your battery is dead.

2

Loosen the battery terminals with a socket wrench and then clean any corrosion off of them with soda and a wire brush. Reattach the terminals and then try to restart the car.

3

Jump-start the CR-V with another car and a pair of jumper cables. Leave the CR-V running for 5 minutes and then cut it off.

4

Restart the CR-V. If the car will not restart, replace the battery.

5

Fill the gas tank up with a gallon of gas. Restart the CR-V. If the car restarts, have a mechanic replace your fuel gauge.

The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve on the 2006 Chrysler Town and Country regulates the ventilation of gases within the engine. When the PCV valve fails, emissions and gases may pass back into the engine instead of being locked into the exhaust system. Buy a replacement valve from a Chrysler dealer or auto parts specialty store and change it in seconds, saving the labor costs and the lost time spent in a service centers waiting room.

Instructions

1

Raise the hood of the vehicle. Locate the PCV valve on the top center of the valve cover.

2

Pull the hose off the top of the PCV valve. Pull the valve straight out of the valve cover.

3

Insert the new PCV valve straight into the valve cover. Push the rubber hose onto the top of the new PCV valve until it stops. Close the hood.

The wheel hub houses the wheel bearings, which allow the wheels to turn smoothly, due in part to the large amount of grease packed in with the bearings. The wheel bearings support the weight of the vehicle and its load while minimizing the effort needed by the vehicle to perform its duties. The wheel hub also keeps all the parts of the wheel securely assembled and keeps the wheel securely attached to the vehicle.

Instructions

1

Loosen the lug nuts around the inner part of the hub cap using the appropriate socket but do not completely remove them. Use the jack to hoist up the vehicle and return to the lug nuts and remove them, setting them in a safe place. Remove the wheel and place out of the way. Using a screwdriver and hammer, tap at the dust cap to remove it and set it aside in a safe place.

2

Remove the two caliper bolts, taking care not to allow the brake caliper to dangle by the brake line. Untwist the wire clothes hanger and create a temporary loop to hold the brake caliper in place, attaching to the vehicle or something nearby that can support the brake caliper without pulling on the brake line.

3

Remove the retaining screw at the center of the wheel hub and then remove the center hub. With a screwdriver and hammer, carefully knock the notch at the edge of the axle nut and use the appropriate axle nut socket and breaker bar to remove the axle nut. This will require some force as it is attached with 200 ft.-lbs. torque. When the axle nut has been removed, grip the bearings with a rag (to protect fingers and buffer against the grease) and pull with even pressure to slide off. Remove the brake shield, if desired, and clean it.

4

Use the three-jaw puller to remove the inner bearing race. Knock the inner dust shield out. Take the old parts and set them aside to be properly disposed of. Get the new parts ready to be placed on the vehicle.

5

Replace the brake shield, once it has been cleaned if this was done, and place the inner dust shield properly in its spot, pushing it into place by hand and gently tapping with a tool, if needed, to ensure it is in properly. With gloved hands, apply a generous amount of automotive grease to the axle to protect against rust and damage.

6

Take the new hub bearing, check to ensure there is sufficient grease on it and adding more if needed, and carefully slide it into place. Use a bearing installer to secure it. Replace the axle nut, using the appropriate axle nut socket and breaker bar to apply 200 ft.-lbs. of torque. Using a screwdriver and hammer, notch or dent the outer portion of the axle nut. Install the dust cap but check the wheel hub by spinning it a few times to ensure there are no metal-on-metal sounds or other inappropriate noises coming from the motion of the spinning.

7

Replace the wheel and tighten the lugs to 85 ft.-lbs. of torque, using the appropriate socket size. Replace the hub cap, if any. Lower the vehicle from the jack and dispose of all old parts properly.

Most stock exhaust systems are single exhaust, meaning that they have one head pipe expelling exhaust from the engine. A dual exhaust system has two sets of head pipes, which allows more exhaust to escape and provides marginally better engine performance, as well as giving the car a more aggressive sound. The difference between them can be surprisingly subtle, however, and if youre in the market for an exhaust system, you should compare the benefits and drawbacks carefully.

Instructions

1

Know the difference between a true dual exhaust system and an exiting dual exhaust system. A true dual exhaust system has two complete sets of the exhaust array-two mufflers, two catalytic converters and two tail pipes-while an exiting dual exhaust system has a single modified muffler with two pipes extending from it. The former provides a genuine boost in horsepower and efficiency, while the latter is essentially a single exhaust system tricked out for aesthetic or stylistic reasons and has no other practical effect.

2

Examine the size of the vehicles engine. You will usually find a dual exhaust system in a V-6 or V-8 engine because they have two exhaust manifolds. Smaller engines tend to have a single exhaust system or else a dual existing system rather than a true dual exhaust system.

3

Compare the difference in horsepower. Dual exhaust systems tend to be better at this than single exhaust systems because there is more exhaust leaving the engine through a second system. This produces more horsepower and improves engine performance, though the emissions they create may not be legal in many areas.

4

Examine the potential for torque, which is usually manifested in the size of the exhaust systems pipes. The narrower the pipe, the more quickly exhaust moves through the system and the more torque the system produces. A dual system tends to use smaller pipes than a single system, which thus produces more torque.

5

Compare the noise levels which the exhaust system produces. Ideally, the difference is negligible, especially if the mufflers are doing their job properly, but a dual exhaust system is naturally inclined to produce more noise than a single exhaust system. The particular pitch and timber of the sound can vary as well, which is part of the appeal of installing a dual exhaust system in the first place.

You can reset the oil and engine lights on your 2003 BMW X5 using the ignition key. Most people think you need to take your BMW to the dealership to have your car serviced and the lights reset, but you dont. Its a simple fix you can do right in your home garage. The Check Oil and Service Engine Soon lights illuminate on the vehicles instrument panel when the OBD, or on-board diagnostics, computer reads a trouble code sent from sensors positioned throughout the vehicle. Although you need to use an OBD scanner read the codes, you dont need one to reset the lights and turn them off.

Instructions

1

Sit in the drivers seat, close the door and fasten your seat belt.

2

Press the odometer button with your left thumb while simultaneously putting the key into the ignition and turning it to the "Accessory" position.

3

Keep pressing down on the odometer button until the light on the dashboard starts to flash and the word "Reset" appears.

4

Let go of the odometer button, then push it in again and hold it.

5

Let go of the button for the last time and look for five green lights to appear on the dash to let you know the system has been reset.