Brake Fluid Flush

I flush brake systems every day and if you follow these instructions, you will be able to flush out your brake system in about 20 minutes, without any help. This will save you a trip to the shop and your brake system will last a lot longer. Before we get right into the instructions though, there is something that need to be cleared up. Something that a shop will try to scam you on and you will never know the difference. It is that there are 3 different types of brake fluids used in these systems, and there is one of them that is good forever, so changing it is a complete waste of time and money.

DOT3 and DOT4 fluids are hygroscopic. This means they absorb moisture from the atmosphere. As you might know, the brake system works on friction, and friction makes heat. Brake systems produce a LOT of heat, and the fluid can reach 400 - 500 degrees even under normal use on some vehicles. Moisture (i.e. - water) has a boiling point of about 200 degrees. When the fluid absorbs the moisture, it lowers the boiling point of the fluid and this is when the damage starts. Boiling creates gas which creates tiny air bubbles in the brake system. These tiny air bubbles actually cause the inside of the system to rust (corrode), and that is what damages master cylinders, calipers, lines, and wheel cylinders, as well as the ABS pump and other system components.

The contaminated fluid effectively destroys everything it touches. DOT3 and DOT4 fluids are good for a period of 2 years, and they should be flushed out. It does not matter how many miles is on it, or anything like that, because the only 'danger' to the fluid is moisture. If you live in an excessively humid area, you might want to test the quality of your brake fluid with litmus strips once a year. It is a test strip that you just dip it in the fluid and if it changes colors, you have contaminated fluid and need to flush it out. DOT5 fluid, on the other hand, is silicone based and actually repels moisture, so it is considered a 'Lifetime' fluid. So if a shop tells you that you need to flush your DOT5 brake system, you should leave there IMMEDIATELY. It is used on higher end vehicles and some sports cars. * When it comes to mixing fluids, you can mix DOT3 and DOT 4 fluids, because they are made of the same chemicals. But DOT5 fluid should not be changed or mixed with anything but DOT5, because of the silicone based chemicals and is different from the others.

Now you know which fluids should be changed, why they should be changed and how often to change them. We can now start gathering tools for the project. Here is the list I go by:

* A turkey baster
* An old coffee can
* 1 foot of clear vacuum hose to put over the bleeder screws
* 1 quart of DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid
* A rag
* A wrench for the bleeder screw (8MM or 10MM, on most vehicles)
Though it is not always necessary, if you need to jack the vehicle up, be sure to use wheel blocks and jack stands before working under it!

The first thing to do here is to get the fluid out of the brake fluid reservoir. This is where the turkey baster comes in handy. So suck all the fluid out of the reservoir and put it in the coffee can. Then wipe out the reservoir the best you can with the rag and refill it with fresh clean fluid and replace the reservoir cap. Now you have clean fresh fluid 'loaded up' to be run through the system. We go to a wheel. Pick any wheel you want. Farther from the master cylinder is better to start with, because it takes more fluid to reach the farther wheels.

Okay, so you are at the wheel you want to bleed, now you need to open the bleeder screw and put the hose on it. The hose should be tight fitting, so no air is allowed to suck back into the system. Dip the other end of the hose into the brake fluid in the coffee can, so the end of it is completely submerged in the fluid. This will also ensure that no air enters the system. Now you can go pump the brake pedal. Pump it very slowly about 3 or 4 times, and watch the hose for the fluid to come out clean and new. You will see it turn clear from the dark muddy color of the old fluid.. Once it comes out clear, close the bleeder and refill the master cylinder. Now you are ready to move to the next wheel.

It only takes about 3-4 minutes to do each wheel, so by the time you gather tools, and do the job, you are done in about 20 -30 minutes. Doing this 30 minute procedure (45 minutes if you are having a beer), every 2 years do systems that use DOT3 and DOT 4 brake fluids will keep your brake system in top shape for many years, and save you quite a bit in repair bills on the brake system. It will also help ensure the safety of yourself and everybody else who drives on the roads with you.

Thanks for reading!

Oil Filter Change

Changing the oil filter is one of the most important things you can do to your car to make it last longer. There are several different ways an oil filter can be attached to the engine's lubrication system, also. Most engines have a spin on oil filter that screws right on an adapter on the engine block. On four cylinder engines in front wheel drive vehicles, the oil filter is usually on the front side of the engine block just under where the exhaust pipe goes. On other engines, the oil filter is usually under the vehicle towards the back of the engine. Do not be fooled though, the oil filter can actually be located anywhere on the engine, so locating it should be the first thing you do. If it is in a location where you can get to it while the engine is hot, then that is better because the oil is more free flowing when it is hot. Just be careful not to get burned when you loosen the filter and the hot oil comes out from it. Other designs of oil filters, like on some diesel engines, involves a paper filter element that goes inside a 'glass bulb'. To change this type, you must remove the cover, and then drop in a new paper element. This is not a very common setup, but it does exist, and is something you should be aware of, if you plan on changing a lot of oil filters. Anyways, here is what you need to do in order to change the oil filter on most cars.

The first thing you need to do is gather up all of your supplies. This includes things like a drain pan to catch the oil, a few rags to clean up any mess, oil filter, oil filter wrench, some fresh oil, and anything necessary to get to the oil filter like a jack and jack stands. Getting to the filter is the first step, and this should be fairly self explanatory. You might have to use the jack and jack stands, or a set of ramps and wheel blocks, if you do not have access to a car lift. Then you would place the drain pan under the filter, and get the oil filter wrench to loosen the filter. Once it is loose, you can finish removing the filter, and drop it in the top of the drain pan. You will want to remove it from the oil and recycle it separately from the oil. Anyways, once the old filter is out of the way, you can get your rags, and clean up any extra mess that may have spilled, and wipe off the engine where the filter goes. Once everything is cleaned up, you are ready to put things back together.

Putting the oil filter back on your engine is not that big of a deal. All you have to do is put some oil on the rubber seal on the top of the new filter, and then screw it on until it is snug. Once it is snug, just give it another quarter to half a turn extra. You really do not need the oil filter wrench to put the new filter on, unless you are a 40 pound weakling. It can be done by hand. The only reason you need the wrench to remove it is because of the 'seal' that is created while the engine heats up and cools off.

Of course, there are a few things you can do to make the job go a lot faster, and they are to make sure you have your materials ready before you get started, and that they are the right ones for the job. There are different sizes of oil filters and oil filter wrenches. There is more than one mechanic that knows how frustrating it is to have too small or too big of an oil filter wrench. If this happens, you can either grab it with a big set of channel lock pliers, or run a screwdriver through it to use as a handle. Hopefully you never have to do anything that drastic, but now you know what has to be done if you have to.

White Smoke from Engine

Any time there is white smoke coming out of your car's exhaust system, it is an indication of a leak. This is not just any kind of leak, but a leak that is allowing either oil, coolant, or transmission fluid to get into the cylinders. The smoke is from the leaking substance not getting completely burned off like the air and fuel mixture does under normal operating conditions. In order to understand what is causing white smoke to come out of your car's exhaust pipes, you should become familiar with the different ways that these chemicals can enter the cylinders. Sometimes an engine that lets white smoke out of the exhaust system is completely normal because of condensation in the exhaust system being burned off.

Starting with the engine oil it should be common sense as to how it can be allowed to enter the combustion chambers in your engine, since oil is what lubricates all of the parts inside your engine. When oil burns, it leaves kind of a blue tint to the smoke, but it looks white to most people. After a few years of use, the rings that seal the pistons in your engine do not seal as good as they used to. There are scraper rings that are supposed to wipe the oil off the cylinder walls, and they get worn out also. When these rings wear out, there is a film of oil that stays on the cylinder wall, and when the combustion process happens, that oil gets burned away and is sent out the exhaust pipe along with the burnt air and fuel mixture. That is one way that oil enters the cylinders and cause white looking smoke to come out of the exhaust pipes. If this is the case, the engine will smoke the whole time it is running, and the exhaust will smell like burning oil. The only way to correct this situation is to re-seal the cylinders with new rings, which usually means a rebuild or an entire engine replacement.

One of the most basic ways this can happen is also very inexpensive to fix, and is completely normal. If the PCV valve is old it can leak and oil can be allowed to suck through the valve into the intake manifold. That is why you should change the PCV valve in your engine at least once a year if it needs it or not.

Another way that oil is allowed to enter the cylinders to be burned is through the valves. The valves in your engine go through machined surfaces that are called valve guides. These valve guides can also wear out, and let oil leak through them. That is the reason why there are seals on the top of the valves, to stop oil from dripping down the valve stem, and entering the cylinders where it can be burned. Worn valve guides can be replaced without rebuilding the entire engine, and if they are not that worn, you can get away with simply removing the valve spring and putting new seals on the valve stems. If the valve guides are worn too badly, however, the entire cylinder head will need to be removed from the engine, and rebuilt at a machine shop. When an engine smokes because of valve guide problems, it will only smoke for a few minutes after the engine is first started, and then it will stop smoking.

If the coolant in your engine is being burned in the cylinders and causing white smoke to come out of the exhaust pipes, you will know right away, because the smell is very different from oil. Coolant smells "sweet" when it burns, and can be evidence of a major engine problem. More times than not, white smoke that is caused by coolant entering the cylinders is an indication of more damage than if it were oil that was being burned off. The only way coolant can enter a cylinder is through a leak in the water jacket in your engine. A leaking water jacket is usually an indication of a crack in a cylinder wall, a head casting, or (if you are lucky) a leaking head gasket. Besides the only obvious fix for a cracked engine casting is to replace it, even if it is only a head gasket that is leaking there can still be major problems inside the engine because coolant does not compress when it is in a cylinder. Since the coolant does not compress, when the piston comes up on the compression stroke, it can actually bend the connecting rod that connects the piston to the crankshaft in the bottom of the engine. So if you have white smoke coming from the exhaust of your car, and it has a sweet smell to it, you might have a very expensive repair bill in the near future that requires complete replacement of the engine, and not just rebuilding it.

Another common cause of white smoke coming from the exhaust of your car's exhaust pipes really only applies to older vehicles with automatic transmissions and something called a modulator valve. The modulator valve hooks to the intake manifold on the engine, and the suction from the engine helps your transmission know when to shift. When a modulator valve gets worn out, it begins to leak and let some of the transmission fluid get sucked into the intake manifold to be burned in the cylinders with the rest of the air that goes through the intake manifold. Burning transmission fluid does not really have any kind of smell, you will see a lot of very thick white smoke though. Even though transmission fluid is actually good for cleaning out the inside of your engine, and will not damage it, you will need to address the situation very quickly because the engine can actually suck all of the fluid out of your transmission, leaving you with another very expensive repair bill for replacing the transmission.

The last common cause for white smoke to come out of the exhaust pipes on your car's engine is normal condensation. After a cool night, when you crank the engine the dew that collects on your grass also collects in the exhaust pipes on your car. Since the exhaust system heats up very quickly, the moisture also evaporates quickly, and can create some steam. This is completely normal, and there is no cause for alarm when this happens. About the only way you can prevent this from happening is to park your car in a climate controlled garage.

Okay, now you are familiar with some of the common causes of white smoke coming out of an engine's exhaust system, and hopefully you can figure out how to find the cause. If not, then looking at the spark plugs, checking vacuum hoses, and fluid levels will help you narrow down the part of the system that is leaking. Once you know what system is having the problem, you can use the process of elimination from the causes introduced in this article to find and fix the problem. Thanks for reading. 

If your engine is running hot, then you will want to read how to diagnose an overheating engine. The first thing to look for is air in the cooling system, so here is how to bleed the engine cooling system. If air keeps getting into the cooling system for no reason then you might have to diagnose a cracked head. Other causes of head problems would let themselves be known by white smoke from the exhaust. Of course, water in the oil does not have to mean head problems, so make sure to read about different causes of water in engine oil. If you do not use Anti-freeze, or engine coolant then you should know what to do when water freezes in your engine. If you live up north then you will definitely want to know how to install a block heater in your vehicle, for all those cold mornings, too. Remember, if the Radiator comes out to have different temperatures, it could be dirty, or it might be time to change the radiator.

Engine Belt Tensioner

When changing the fan belt tensioner on any engine there are a few things to keep in mind. The belt will usually need to be replaced, if the tensioner is bad. This is because the old one probably was thrown off the engine or has been squealing. Throwing the belt off the engine creases the belt, and it will want to jump off all the time after that. Squealing belts actually get glazed or burned, and once they start making noise, they never stop doing it. If your belt had been squealing, it might be a good idea to also clean the pulleys with a scotch-brite pad while it is off. This will make sure that the new belt has a nice clean surface to ride on, and the new tensioner will have less to worry about as it gets jerked around pretty hard as the engine pulses through its revolutions. Make sure you have a socket set, and some belt tensioners even have 'Torx' head screws holding them on (3.0L Ford V6).

Anyways, you are certain you have the right tools for the job and you know the way the belt was routed on the engine. If you do not know, or the diagram is missing from the under hood sticker on your vehicle, you can get a print out of the routing from the auto parts store, when you pick up the parts. Anyways, now you are to the point of changing the tesioner, the belt is off and the pulleys are clean, now you need to unbolt the bolt through the middle of where the tensioner pivots. If there is no bolt there, then it is under a 'cover' that you will need to pop loose with a screwdriver

Once you have the bolt out, the tensioner assembly will come right off with it. IF the engine is dirty, it will want to stay in place with the tab in the back that holds it straight and from twisting. If it does this, simply give it a tap and it will come loose. Make sure to clean all surfaces when you take it apart. Now it is time to put the new tensioner on the engine.

When you look at the back of the tensioner, you will notice a little 'tab'. That tab goes into a hole in the engine to stop it from rotating, and coming loose. Put the tensioner to the engine and tighten the bolt. It should be pretty tight, usually close to 30 ft/lb, but the repair manual should be consulted, if you are concerned with this. The Auto parts store might even be able to tell you the torque specification, on the accessory belt tensioner bolt. The main point here, is to make sure it m mounts flush to the engine, and is not 'in a bind' anywhere. Once you are happy with the bolt, and tensioner mounted to the engine securely, and properly, replace the 'dust cover' that may have been covering the bolt.

So you have changed the tensioner, and now you only need to put the belt back on the engine. I can offer the advice of being sure to start at the bottom, and work your way to the top. When you get to the last pulley, you should be able to have enough leverage to pull on the tensioner, and slip the belt over the last pulley. I usually make this one the alternator, since they are so easy to get to.

Rear Axle Seals

Here are some general instructions explaining how to change a rear axle seal on most vehicles. There are a few things needed, like:

1. Drain pan - Make sure to have this so you can catch any excess oil that may still be in the differential.

2. Jack, Jack Stands, and Wheel Chocks - Make SURE to use the jackstands, as they will save your life. Chock up the front wheels, as you might have the entire rear end up in the air.

3. Lug Wrench - To get the tire off.

4. Socket and Wrench Set - To remove the cover on the differential, and get the axle loose from it.

5. Seal puller/installer or other suitable tool - To remove and replace the seal. A screwdriver and a big socket usually work fine, if you don't have the tool.

6. Gear Oil - to put back in the rear end.

7. The new seal - The reason you are reading this.

8. Depending on design of the differential - a tube of Black RTV - Some covers are actually 'hammered in' You will want to get those loose with a hammer and screwdriver and break it loose little by little around the edges. Some axles unbolt straight from the rear end without having to remove the differential cover, and others have a pin and a clip that has to be removed from the differential to slide the axle out.

Now that we have the basic list of items needed to complete the job, The first obvious thing to do is to get that wheel off. So, get the jack and jack stands close along with the lug wrench, and loosen the lugs a little bit. Now it is time to jack the wheel up, and place jack stands under the rear end, so it does not move. Then take the wheel off the rear, and use it as something to sit on. Once the wheel is off, and the vehicle is safely supported, you will need to remove the rear brake drum to see inside there and get the axle off. On some bigger trucks, that is all that is required to pull the axle is to remove the brake drum.

As you can imagine there are many different ways axles can be held into the rear end. The only safe thing to say at this point is to consult the service manual for the vehicle. I am going to assume this is for a Chevy though, and keep going with the instructions, because they seem to be the most common ones to have rear axle leaks (besides the bigger trucks). If there is no way to unbolt the axle and slide it out, then there is a C-Clip inside the differential holding it in place. In this case, you will need to jack up both rear wheels, and secure them, but not necessary to remove the other wheel. This is so you can turn it once you get the cover off. So put the drain pan under the differential and start unbolting the cover.

When you get the cover off, and everything else drained out of there, you will want to spin the rear end, until you can see the pin that comes out of the center. This pin holds the axles in the differential, deep enough so the C-lips do not fall out. Once you remove that pin by unscrewing it, push the axle that is to be removed in, and remove the c-clip from inside the differential. Now you can slide the axle out.

Once the axle is out, changing the seal is fairly straightforward. Use your tools to change the seal, just make sure that the 'solid' part of the seal is towards you, and it will hold the oil in better. When you tap it in, make sure that it goes in straight and that it goes all the way down. There is no need to hit the seal very hard, as they usually are soft enough to just press back in with your fingers, if you get the rubber ones.

Putting it back together is reverse of removing it. The only thing extra that you will need to know is how to refill the system. Check out this article about how to change the rear gear oil, for those tips and instructions.

General instructions is usually all someone needs, but be sure to check your service manual, because there may be something very specific to your vehicle, before trying to do any repairs. Stay safe, and keep your car running for as long as possible!

Timing Belt Tensioner

When you change the timing belt, there are other things that need to be done. The tensioner and pulley are the main things that determine timing belt life. If the timing belt is loose, it won't last very long and neither will the rest of your engine. So this is something you want to stay on top of if you plan on keeping your vehicle for a long time.

There is really no way to change the tensioner pulley bearings without actually changing the entire timing belt tensioner pulley. At the same time, the timing belt tensioner pulley should be changed with the timing belt, to help ensure the job will last as long as possible.

Anyways if you want to get to that noisy tensioner pulley, the first thing you need to do is get to the timing belt. This involves pulling the accessory drive belt, and all of the accessories off the front of the engine. Then you have to remove the crankshaft pulley. An easy way to break that bolt loose is to put a long breaker bar on your socket, and secure it against the ground (noting the direction the engine turns). Then get in the car and bump the key to turn the engine just a little bit. That will loosen the bolt for you very easily if you don't have access to an air compressor.

Once you get the crankshaft pulley and dampner off, you can remove the timing belt cover. There are usually quite a few bolts holding these things on. Keep in mind on some engines, when this cover is removed, it has to be replaced. Yours may be one of them. Now, you have the cover off, and you are looking at the timing belt. The first thing you want to do, is line up the marks, if the timing belt is still on the engine. Then you can loosen the tensioner and remove the belt. Once the belt is off, it is simple as unbolting the timing belt tensioner pulley, and replacing it with a new one.

I know, sometimes it is easier said than done, but.. this can be done with basic hand tools, and no special skills on most engines. There is details that you will need, like timing marks, tensioning procedures, and torque specs. But it is not rocket science, it is still only a belt and a pulley. It's just buried way up in the engine behind everything else.

This can get quite involved on some engines. So if you think you may be in over your head and need some personal guidance, you can come talk to me personally at Just Answer. My name is ase_master327 on there. Just mention my name in your question, and they will make sure I get it. I can give you the instructions on most any repair on any vehicle. The site is not free to use, but you can pick your own price. Try going to a shop and naming your price, they will laugh you out the parking lot.

Thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any problems.

Oil Pan Gasket

Changing oil pan gaskets can be quite a pain. That is why it is important to make sure that there are not all their problems causing an oil leak on your engine. What seems to be and oil pan gasket leak could actually be a PCV System malfunction, so you’ll want to make sure that the PCV valve operates correctly and is not clogged before tearing your engine apart. The general instructions for changing an oil pan gasket are fairly straightforward on almost every vehicle. You have to raise the vehicle in the air and supported safely, drain the oil from the pan, un-mount the engine and raise it a little bit (on some vehicles), remove the bolts holding the pan, remove the pan, clean all gasket mating surfaces, then stick the new gasket to the engine or oil pan (with some sealer), and replace everything.

The tools for this kind of job can vary widely since not all engines are designed the same. You might have to remove the exhaust system or even the entire engine to change the oil pan gasket on some vehicles. However for the most part, this job usually involves moving the engine, so you will need the tools to do that. This is things like a jack and jack stands, or ramps and wheel blocks, a basic SAE or metric mechanic’s tool set (depending on the vehicle), and a way to lift the engine (jack or engine hoist).

So once you have ruled out any kind of PCV system malfunction, you can jack the vehicle up or whatever you need to do to be able to safely work under it. Once the vehicle is high enough, it is time to drain the old oil into a container and dispose of it properly. Do NOT re-use this old oil, as it will collect dirt and dust while it is sitting there waiting to be poured back into the engine. Something to keep in mind when removing an oil pan without a drain in it is to remove all the bolts from 3 sides of the pan, and then start slowly loosening the remaining bolts, to control the amount of fluid that is dumped out of the pan and into what you are draining it into.

 Now you can see what needs to be done to get the oil pan out of there. If you cannot access some of the bolts, then you will need t raise the engine. Also keep in mind that you need to have enough room, about twice the size of the oil pan itself, to get it out of there. So removing the motor mount bolts and raising the engine might be necessary. If you have to do this, just make sure that there is plenty of clearance to raise the engine without breaking anything on the top of it.

Now the engine is raised high enough to get the pan out and you can get your ratchet set and unbolt the oil pan. This is fairly straightforward, and if you cannot figure out which way to turn the bolts, then you have already come too far to back out now! Anyways, once the pan is out and separated from the engine, you need to clean the surfaces. This means getting them smooth and not slippery. Putting the gasket back on the engine is not that hard, if you are the one who took it apart. So let’s get to it. You need some RTV silicone to stick the gasket to the oil pan (which makes things way easier), make sure all bolt holes are lined up, and stick the gasket to the oil pan. Once you do this, it is a good time to take a short break to eat or something while the silicone dries. Then you can come back fresh minded and energetic to finish the job. There is nothing to putting it back together, just remember to not over tighten the bolts, or you will have a brand new bad oil pan gasket, and you will have to repeat the job because of tearing the one you just installed. Usually finger tight on all bolts, and re-check them, then tighten each bolt another ¼ turn, in a special order. This order involves starting in the middle of the bolts, and making an X-pattern working your way to the outer bolts. Then check it again, to make sure that the first bolts (middle ones in the ‘order’) are just as tight, but not tighter than, the bolts on the outer edges.

Now you have the basic knowledge needed to change the oil pan on almost any vehicle. Good Luck!