Valvoline.com

Troubleshooting & Repair

• Demystifying Modern Antifreeze/Coolant

  The function of combustion engines in cars is to convert the energy created by thousands of minute explosions into motion. This process, however effective, has two distinct side effects—heat... Read More

• Automatic Door Locks

  We made a list of all the subsystems on our old Mustang. It's pretty long. What does this mean? More subthings to break. It's Murphy's Law of Coincidental Failure. Parts will degrade and at the most... Read More

• Installing Window Weather Stripping

  Weather stripping is what keeps you warm, cool and quiet while cruisin' in your ride. On the assembly line, the factory sealed the side windows of most vehicles with two types of insulation. The... Read More

• Diagnostic Tool Tips

  Your engine is like your body: it usually tells you when something is going wrong. We get aches and pains; your engine starts making funny noises. Squeaking, grinding, pinging, chirping and the... Read More

• Bench Bleeding

  Fresh air is normally a good thing, except when it's in your brake lines. Just a bit of the air that keeps us alive can cause a loss of pedal pressure when it travels through your brake hydraulic... Read More

• Going with the Flow, Part 1

  The Jeep Wrangler has wonderful off-road capabilities, but it has at least one area in particular that could be improved: the exhaust system. Replacing the constrictive stock system with high-flow... Read More

• Going with the Flow, Part 2

  As shown in Part 1, the stock headers on the Jeep Wrangler can stand for some improvement in both flow and durability. To maximize the performance gains of aftermarket headers, a cat-back exhaust... Read More

• Cool Tool for Bushings Removal

  Every floating rear end is attached to an automotive chassis by upper and lower control arms. On the venerable GM 10-bolt rear end, two ears have been cast into the top of the center housing, into... Read More

• Belt Drives Vs. Timing Chains

  Many performance enthusiasts (especially those on tight budgets), base their selection of engine components simply on cost—do I buy a $75 timing chain or an $800 belt-drive kit? True, both the... Read More

• Fender Trimming

  Whether they're on a lowered street machine or a new SUV, bigger-than-stock tires generally look better. They can also improve the vehicle's performance. Wider treads put more rubber in contact with... Read More

• Out of Body Shop Experience

  Not that anyone ever wants the experience, but chances are at one point in your life, despite every precaution you take, you will probably get into an accident. Whether or not it's your fault, that... Read More

• Timing is Everything

  Real world experience: A mini-truck was cruising a rural road. The engine died mid-shift. One minute it was purring right along, the next minute the only sound was the wind whistling in the open... Read More

• Helping Your Mechanic Help You

  Even though it may seem like your mechanic speaks a different language than you, explaining your vehicle's mechanical problems doesn't have to be a challenge in translation. There are number of... Read More

• Love That Old Car Smell!

  Everyone loves “that new-car smell.” But recognizing “those old-car smells” will save you money, prevent you from getting stranded (which inevitably happens when it’s raining, you’re late for... Read More

• Replacing a Freeze Plug

  A freeze or expansion plug is a small, metal, circular plug that lives in various places on an engine block. These plugs have a valuable function and an equally interesting origin. An engine block... Read More

• Steering Power

  A power steering pressure hose failure can be dramatic. Even a small hole in a pressure hose can cause power steering fluid to rapidly exit the system, usually landing all over something hot like an... Read More

• Roadside Diesel Repairs

  Economy and reliability are great reasons to own a heavy-duty diesel 4x4, so even when the conditions are bad it's easy to feel a bit over-confident when driving an old reliable diesel-powered truck.... Read More

• New Fuel Pump, Used WRX

  Lots of folks fear swapping the fuel pump on injected cars. First thing they see when looking at the manual, or inspecting the setup, is that the pump is in the fuel tank—immersed. This is done... Read More

• Weather Strip Silence

  Next time you're driving, take some time out for a second or two. Turn off the DVD player. Hang up the cell phone. Put the iPod on pause. Even though you're hurtling down the interstate sipping on... Read More

• Adjusting Slack in Rack-and-Pinion Steering

  The mechanics of steering around corners, chuckholes, and squirrels is something most folks don't give much thought to while driving, and with good reason. Drifting off into a daydream about ball... Read More

• Replacing Shock Absorbers

  Ah, the miracle of the modern automobile. Turn the key and within seconds thousands of pounds of technology assembled from parts made all over the world is rolling down the road unabated, as if... Read More

• Inspecting and Replacing Brake Lines

  Automotive mechanical mishaps can range from a minor inconvenience to a major disaster. Leave the lights on? A dead battery is doable, just call roadside assistance or walk over to the nearest... Read More

• Replacing Axle Seals

  As much as you try to ignore it, that pesky spot of oil on the driveway isn't getting any smaller. Sure, you can put a tray of some sort under the car, use cat litter, or some type of space age... Read More

• Replacing Engine Mounts

  Next time you put your foot to the floor to accelerate away from a stop, or motor on up an on-ramp, take a second to fully appreciate what's happening. All the power created by the miracle of... Read More

• Alternator Check and Replacement

  The electrical system in an automobile is comprised of three parts that must all function individually for the system to operate in balance. The battery is the first part. The battery stores... Read More

• Wheel Repair and Straightening

  For as long as there have been wheels on automobiles, there have also been nefarious forces at work, trying to dent, scrape, bend and damage them. You and your vehicle face many obstacles on the... Read More

• Throttle Body Injection Rebuild

  The first automobiles metered their mixtures of air and fuel into the engine by way of crude devices called spray carburetors. These devices looked very much like perfume spray bottles. As time has... Read More

• Strut Your Stuff

  The history behind the modern strut-type suspension begins in the United Kingdom and could be easily mistaken as a riddle. What do a Scotsman, a Lotus, a spring, and a shock absorber all have in... Read More

• Sway Bar Bushing Replacement

  The ironic thing about a sway bar is that, rather than cause the car to sway to and fro, it actually works as an anti-sway or stabilizer bar. The system of steel bars and rubber bushings is designed... Read More

• Relaying Information

  Coursing through the copper, inside a myriad maze of wires stuffed into the nooks and crannies of the modern automobile is the electricity required to run primary systems such as the starter motor,... Read More

• Replacing Ball Joints

  Believe it or not, a key feature of our grand human design has made it into the suspension of almost every automobile on the road today. Like the ball and socket joint that connects your leg bone to... Read More

• A New Twist on Tail Lamp Replacement

  Although most newer vehicles use push-in style bulbs for the tail, signal and running lamps, there are still a few equipped with the push/twist type metal socket bulbs, and innumerable older models... Read More

• Clean Screen

  Without a doubt, one of the challenges of changing your engine oil or other vehicle fluids is avoiding the matter of splatter. It's really difficult to stay spic-and-span when removing radiator hoses... Read More

• Replacing Brake Pads

  Brake pads should really be called friction pads. Brake pads use a combination of force and friction to slow the vehicle down when the brakes are applied. There are also brake shoes. The difference... Read More

• Brake Noise

  You're cruising toward a column of cars waiting at a stoplight. You apply your brakes and are then rewarded with a sound that, like fingernails on a chalkboard, raises goose bumps on your... Read More

• Working the Swing Shift

  Is that manual transmission in your front-engine/rear-drive import requiring a lot more movement than you care to expend in order to select a gear? For instance, are you ramming your fist into the... Read More

• U-Joint Replacement

  If you're lucky enough to have the rear set or all of the wheels providing the motion to get your vehicle going then you may already know about u-joints. The u in u-joint stands for universal.... Read More

• Fuel Injector Connectors

  "That program is buggy" is the oft-heard phrase used to describe a computer program that isn't working right. Oddly enough, the phrase originates from the days when computers worked by way of... Read More

• Clutch Replacement

  Think of the clutch as a switch between your engine and the transmission. Every time you press on the clutch pedal, you turn the switch off, and no engine power gets to the transmission. Light goes... Read More

• Replacement Rotors

  To get an idea of how the rotors and brake pads work on your vehicle, grab a paper plate and spin it on your finger. As it spins grab it with your other hand. It stops instantly. The spinning plate... Read More

• Upgrading Factory Brakes

  If the time has come for you to R&R the brakes on your car, stop and think. How much can you improve the performance of the original setup? Will substituting high-performance aftermarket parts... Read More

• Water Pump Basics

  Think of the water pump as the heart of your vehicle cooling system. Its job is to continuously circulate engine coolant through the cooling system—from the radiator to the engine and then back... Read More

• Spark Plugs

  Pity the poor spark plug. It lives in a hole, gets hit with a high voltage shock thousands of times every minute, and has to endure searing heat from explosions. The spark plug has the tough but... Read More

• Asphalt and Battery

  You turn the key to start your car and instead of the expected vroom you hear a slowly more sickening sound followed by the dreaded click...click...click. Even worse, you hear nothing at all. No... Read More

• Retirement Plan

  Picture this: You're in a sporty little car that has just suffered a flat tire. You've pulled safely out of traffic, turned on your flashers and found the pieces of your jack system. You weren't too... Read More

• Bumper Stumpers

  You probably don't think much about your bumpers, at least not until you hit something. There's another reason, though, to keep them in mind, especially if you drive a light truck. Pickup owners... Read More

• Installing Auxiliary Lights

  You've just selected a set of nifty auxiliary lights for your 4x4 or sport compact car. Now, where do you put them, and what's the best approach to installation?... Read More

• Engine Swap: Tips and Tricks

  Once you understand the basics of what's involved when replacing an engine, whether or not you've decided to go ahead with the project, here are some tips and tricks to help you with the actual... Read More

• Tightening Your S-Belt

  With all the increasing complexity under the hoods of today's vehicles, it's heartening to see a component that actually decreases it: the serpentine accessory belt, along with its self-adjusting... Read More

• Spark Plug Wire Replacement

  Time was when your mechanic tuned up your vehicle you could often get the plug wires installed just for the additional price of the parts, since it only took a couple of extra minutes. And the parts... Read More

• Wandering Woes?

  Not having your vehicle go where you direct it is disconcerting, to say the least. On urban freeways or expressways, where higher speeds and close quarters prevail, this problem can be undeniably... Read More

• Spark Plug Diagnosis

  In times past, one of the easiest maintenance items on a vehicle was checking and changing the spark plugs. That was before engine compartments became shrouded in emission's tubing and computerized... Read More

• Troubleshooting by Sound

  To help identify various vehicle problems, we've already covered the senses of sight and smell. Now it's time to listen up, and hear what your car may be saying to you. There is generally only one... Read More

• Troubleshooting by Feel

  Learning how to effectively use your sense of touch can help you to identify a problem early, determine at least a basic idea of its severity and/or origin, and know what to communicate to your... Read More

• Troubleshooting by Smell

  In our first article, we established that your car "talks" to you in a variety of ways, and covered how to use your sense of sight to diagnose mechanical problems. Now how about smelling your car?... Read More

• Troubleshooting by Sight

  Did you know that cars talk to you? No, we don't mean those electronic voices that tell you the door is ajar, but by non-verbal communication. Your car speaks in a variety of ways that an observant... Read More

• Air Conditioning Troubleshooting, Part 2

  When your car's air conditioning blows hot instead of cold, you should start by checking out the controls of the Air Management System on the dash, as covered in Part 1 of this article. If that... Read More

• Replacing Disc Brake Pads

  Poll most professional drivers/racers about a car's most important system and many will vote for brakes without hesitation (so to speak). Steering is also toward the top of the list, but without good... Read More

• Replacing Balljoints

  As people as diverse as Liz Taylor and Eddie Van Halen can attest, joints wear out. In cars, ball-in-socket joints degrade over time (similar to their human counterparts). Lack of lubrication and... Read More

• Auto-Trans Rear Seal Replacement

  Automatic transmissions are one of the least self-serviceable components on a vehicle. The complexity of these transmission's internal parts requires specialized knowledge to rebuild them. However, a... Read More

• Replacing Tie-Rod Ends

  Steering and brakes are two vehicular systems that are often best left to professional mechanics to diagnose and repair. However, certain routine-maintenance procedures in these areas don't require... Read More

• Replacing Starters & Solenoids

  One of life's great ironies is that you generally don't know you need to replace your starter or solenoid until you've already gone through the trouble of checking out your battery and cables for... Read More

• Air Conditioning Troubleshooting I

  Even though it's stifling-hot inside your vehicle, you know that relief is just a twist of a key, a push of a switch, and a few blocks of driving away. Except that this time, something is amiss: Only... Read More

• Power Steering Box Replacement

  Unless you drive a car or truck equipped with rack-and-pinion steering, there's a good chance your vehicle utilizes a frame-mounted powering steering gearbox. Durable and relatively simple in design,... Read More

• Replacing Rotors

  Servicing disc brakes is normally a lot easier than working on drums. Rotors and calipers have fewer, larger parts than the average drum-brake system, so the average-skilled do-it-yourselfer can... Read More

• Upper Ball Joint Service

  Typically, a pickle fork is used to separate ball joints from the steering knuckle/spindle on any car. Unfortunately, the combination of a pickle fork, a heavy hammer and too many blows can destroy... Read More

• Changing Motor Mounts

  THUNK upon acceleration can be unnerving. It can also foreshadow an expensive fix if not diagnosed and corrected before serious damage is done.... Read More

• Exhaust Manifold Gasket Replacement

  Few things are as annoying as the incessant sputtering of an automobile exhaust leak. Worse, the leak is often difficult to locate and sometimes only heard during hard acceleration, which makes it... Read More

• Spark Plug Hole Thread Repair

  Theoretically, routine spark plug replacement should be a simple task. Crank out the old plug, thread in a new one, and you're done. Fiendish engine gremlins often work against you though, and can... Read More

• Replacing Fuses

  Electrical problems can present one of the biggest troubleshooting challenges in automobiles. Unlike flat tires or other easily visible problems, electrical shortcomings can be tough to track down.... Read More

• Water Pump Replacement

  You don't have to be a Brainiac to realize that a properly operating water pump is key to your engine's survival. Shaft leaks or a wobbly, loose and/or noisy hub indicate that a replacement is... Read More

• Battery Replacement

  Needless to say, if you don't have a powerful battery residing in today's electricity-dependent automobile (42-volt systems are right around the corner), your car becomes a large, curb-hogging... Read More

• Engine Gasket Replacement

  Composite and silicone gaskets seal metal-to-metal surfaces in today's engines. Plenums, carburetors, head covers, valve covers, exhaust systems and oil pans all use gaskets to match surfaces... Read More

• Replacing Spark Plugs

  For many, replacing spark plugs is an exercise ripe with nostalgia, recalling their first experience with engine maintenance as they helped mom or dad check the plug gap on the family's chariot.... Read More

• Sensor Troubleshooting: Manifold Absolute Pressure

  This engine monitor, called the MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor, can be checked and replaced by virtually anyone who has basic hand tools, a scanner to retrieve engine trouble codes, a... Read More

• Tire Changing

  Thanks to roadside assistance, most auto club members and/or new car buyers will probably never have to change a tire themselves. After all, it's cleaner and easier to dial the cell phone and call... Read More

• Jump-Starting Dead Batteries

  Many people would rather call for roadside assistance than lift their own hoods. The rest of us know how valuable time is and know we can be back on the road in less time than it takes for assistance... Read More