Repair And Fix it

The 2005 Ford Escape is a compact four door SUV that first came out in 2001. It has two fuse panels: the main panel and an additional power distribution box to house high current fuses. The fuses help to run electronic equipment like the lights, radio and power doors and windows.

Main Fuse Panel

The main fuse box for the 2005 Ford Escape is on the passenger side of the center console near the instrument panel below the glove compartment. Remove the panel cover so you can access the fuses.

Power Distribution Box

The power distribution box, which holds the high current fuses, is in the engine compartment on the right hand side. The high-current fuses keep the electrical systems from overloading.

Safety

To safely replace fuses, make sure your cars engine and power are off. When replacing high current fuses, disconnect the battery before opening the panel to the power distribution box. Use the list of fuse codes in your owners manual, and the fuse puller tool in the main fuse panel to remove and replace fuses. Always replace the panel to the power distribution box before reconnecting the battery.

Regardless of the type of vehicle you drive, the alternator is one of the most important components in the engine. It acts as a generator to keep the battery charged while the engine is running, and controls the flow of electricity to the various electrical components of the engine. Over time, the alternator can suffer damage from wear and tear, and you many need to install a new one in order to keep your vehicle running properly.

Instructions

1

Park the vehicle on a flat surface and shut off the engine. Set the parking brake. Allow the engine to completely cool (30 minutes to an hour) and open the hood. Refer to the belt diagram on the underside of the hood or the radiator shroud cover to locate the exact installation area for the new alternator. Disconnect the negative battery connector with a wrench or socket.

2

Disconnect all of the wires to the old alternator. Follow the instructions on the diagram chart to locate and loosen the serpentine belt tensioner pulley that holds the belt tight in place, as this same belt attaches to the alternator. Use the socket and ratchet to loosen the tensioner pulley and slide the belt off. Take the now slack belt and remove it from the alternator. Loosen the bolts holding the mounting bracket for the alternator with a socket or wrench and remove the old alternator.

3

Install the new alternator. Mount it in place of the old alternator and replace the mounting brackets. Tighten the bolts in place with a socket or wrench. Reattach the wiring to the new alternator, but save the positive and negative connections for later. Slide the serpentine belt over the alternator pulley and adjust the tensioner pulley to slide the belt back in place over it. Adjust the tension on the belt until it is tight.

4

Connect the positive and negative connectors from the alternator to the battery of the car. Reattach the negative battery lead. Remove all of your tools from the engine and close the hood. Start the car and allow it to run for several minutes to ensure the belt and alternator are installed correctly.

Hydraulic cylinders can be found in a wide variety of industrial machinery. Cylinders can produce great power and are used in construction equipment, railroad machinery, manufacturing presses and in large public works facilities. The hydraulic system is normally reliable and trouble free, but over time heat and dirt wear away the close tolerances inside the moving components. Hydraulic cylinders can be very expensive and by testing a hydraulic cylinder properly you can save a lot of money in unneeded repairs.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the hydraulic hoses at the cylinder. Cap the cylinder and hoses with the correct size JIC caps and plugs. Remove the hydraulic cylinder from the equipment and place it on a work bench with the service ports facing up.

2

Remove the JIC caps from the cylinder service ports and fill both sides of the cylinder with clean hydraulic fluid. Connect one of the hydraulic pressure gauges to the service port of the blind side of the cylinder using a T-fitting. Connect the T-fitting to one of the outlet ports of the directional valve.

3

Connect a T-fitting to the service port of the piston side of the cylinder. Connect the other side of the T-fitting to the other ball valve and then to the other outlet port of the directional valve. Connect the third side of the T-connector with a short piece of hose to another T-connector. Install the hydraulic pressure gauge to one port of the last T-fitting and the other port to the pressure relief valve.

4

Connect a hydraulic hand pump to the inlet port of the directional valve following the manufacturers instructions. Open both ball valves and stroke the cylinder in each direction to remove all air from both sides of the cylinder. Position the piston rod mid-way and close the ball valve on the blind end of the cylinder.

5

Back out the adjustment on the pressure relief valve all the way. Set the directional valve to divert flow to the rod side of the cylinder. Activate the hydraulic pump and slowly turn in the pressure relief adjustment until the gauge pressure on the rod side of the cylinder equals the rated pressure of the cylinder.

6

Close the ball valve on the rod side of the cylinder and stop the hydraulic pump. Record the readings on both hydraulic gauges over time and observe any changes. Depending on the design of the cylinder, the rod side of the cylinder can be as much as twice the pressure of the blind side of the cylinder. If there are any differential pressure changes over time, then there is a problem with the piston or cylinder tube. Repair or replace the cylinder as required.

An exhaust leak can be frustrating. While exhaust leaks are often difficult to identify, worn exhaust manifold gaskets are often the problem. Removing worn exhaust manifold gaskets and replacing them with new gaskets on a Buick LeSabre is a small, inexpensive project for a do-it-yourself mechanic. With a few tools and a bit of time, you can remove failing exhaust manifold gaskets and replace them with new gaskets to increase the performance of your Buick LeSabre.

Instructions

1

Allow the engine and exhaust manifold to completely cool.

2

Disconnect any tubing from the exhaust manifold.

3

Loosen and remove the exhaust manifold bolts. If the bolts are resistant, use a penetrating oil to loosen them.

4

Remove the exhaust manifold and gaskets from the engine. The exhaust manifold in a Buick LeSabre is typically secured with two studs and two nuts.

5

Clean the gasket areas on both the engine and exhaust manifold with a scraper and wire brush to remove any remaining material from the old gasket. A clean, smooth surface ensures proper installation of the new gaskets.

A spigot bushing is a part on all types of cars. It is the bronze sleeve bearing in the crankshaft which carries the nose of the gearbox input shaft to provide proper alignment of the clutch disk. A spigot (sometimes erroneously referred to as "spicket") bushing is essential for the crankshaft of a car to operate properly. When you are replacing a spigot bushing, it is necessary to match up the old one with a new one to ensure the proper bushing is installed.

Instructions

1

Pop the hood and locate the spigot bushing in the crankshaft of the car. Insert a 5/8-inch metal rod into the bushing that is already installed on the crankshaft and hit it with a hammer. The hydraulic pressure will push the bushing out of the bore.

2

Pour a bottle of oil into an oil pan or other canister and soak the new bronze bushing in the oil for 24 hours. This will help lubricate it and make for easier installation of the spigot bushing.

3

Pour a small amount of grease onto the area where the old spigot bushing was removed from. Do not let it sit for too long. Begin installing the bushing right after you apply the grease.

4

Place the spigot bushing where the old one was and slide the 5/8-inch metal rod into the bushing. Set a punch on top of the rod and force it down into place with a hammer. Strike firmly with the hammer and tap the bushing down into place.

A cold air intake system can offer you additional horsepower and brings cold air into the engine allowing it to run more efficiently. This can add life and fun to your vehicle at a relatively low cost and can be installed in around 90 minutes.

Instructions

1

Write down all the information about your vehicle. This should include make, model, year, engine type, engine size and any custom work that has been done to the engine. This information will help you find the cold air intake filter right for your car.

2

Decide on the cold air intake filter you would like. There are many brands to choose from including K&N, AEM, and S&B. Within each of these brands, there are different air intake systems for each vehicle.

3

Shop around online and locally to find the best price, warranty and installation assistance for the cold air intake filter you desire. Shopping locally can save you shipping costs, as most cold air intake filters are stocked or can be ordered and received within a day.

4

Ask about extended warranty options. While the initial warranty can provide great coverage, an extended warranty can protect your vehicle more and cover maintenance costs.

The exhaust pipes on your car, truck or motorcycle carry the gasses expelled from the engine during the combustion process safely to the rear of the vehicle. This is usually accomplished with pieces of steel tubing that are suspended to the underside of the vehicle. Since the exhaust usually has to wind over, under or around the vehicle undercarriage to get to the rearmost part of the vehicle, it is manufactured in several different pieces and either welded, bolted or clamped together to form a continuous flow. Each manufacturer may have different names for the various exhaust pieces, but may include the header pipe, front pipe, exhaust pipe, catalytic converter, muffler, resonator and tailpipe.

Exhaust Manifold

Converting the exhaust from each cylinder on your engine to a single outlet is usually accomplished with an exhaust manifold. An exhaust manifold is usually constructed of cast iron and is bolted to the cylinder head. V-type or boxer engines have two banks of cylinders -- one on each side of the block. In these cases, there should be an exhaust manifold bolted to each cylinder head. The exhaust manifold is usually not considered part of the exhaust system, but it gives the exhaust pipe a place to attach to.

Header Pipe

When referring to exhaust pipes, the header pipe sometimes refers to the part of the exhaust system that attaches directly to the exhaust manifold of the engine. If your vehicle is a single cylinder motorcycle or a vehicle that has an inline engine, a single header pipe would connect directly to the exhaust manifold or engine. Header pipes used on V-type or boxer engines can sometimes be referred to as a Y pipe, as it connects to both sides of the engine and comes together to form one pipe. Some vehicles use a dual exhaust system. These types of vehicles may a have a separate, single header pipe for each exhaust header.

Headers

Some vehicles may use factory or aftermarket exhaust headers in place of a cast iron exhaust manifold and header pipe. Headers are usually constructed of several pipes welded together and take the place of both the exhaust manifold and the header pipe. Headers are usually tuned, meaning the length of the tube that attaches to each exhaust port on the engine is engineered in such a way to extract maximum power and efficiency from the engine. Headers are factory-installed on some performance engines, but are usually an aftermarket accessory that is owner-installed.

Front Pipe

Depending on the manufacturer, the front pipe on an exhaust system can refer to pipe that bolts to the engine -- the header pipe -- or the pipe that connects the header pipe to the remainder of the exhaust system. The exhaust system on vehicles that have transverse-mounted engines may need to compensate for the back-and-forth rocking motion of the engine when accelerating or decelerating. Whereas the header pipe may be a solid, fixed pipe, a flexible pipe -- sometimes referred to as the front pipe -- connects the header pipe to the rear of the exhaust system. On some vehicles, the exhaust pipe that connects to the rear of the flexible pipe may be referred to as the front pipe.