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Car Maintenance Tips

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  1. Car Maintenance Tips, Opening the Hood: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Opening the Hood: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Opening the Hood: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Pull on the hood release lever just inside the driver-side door to pop the hood.

    • Locate the hood release latch under the hood. Use one hand to press up on the latch while you lift the hood.

    • Insert the hood prop rod into the hole in the hood marked with an arrow.

  2. Car Maintenance Tips, Battery Terminal Corrosion: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Locate the battery on the left side of the engine bay.

    • If your battery has a cover on it, remove it and set it aside.

    • Before proceeding, identify the positive and negative leads coming off the battery. The negative lead is generally black and may be marked with a "-". The positive lead is often red and may be marked with a "+".

    • Never bridge the terminals on the battery with your hands or tools. Shorting the battery can severely injure you.

    • Look for corrosion on the battery terminals. Corrosion can be either white, grey, or blue and will generally be quite noticeable.

  3. Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • When working with batteries, you must always remove the negative lead from the battery first, even if the corrosion is only on the positive lead.

    • Using a 10mm hex wrench, loosen the nut on the screw holding the negative terminal in place.

    • If the corrosion is preventing you from accessing the nut, use the other (open) end of the wrench or a wire brush to scrape some of the corrosion away.

    • Pull the negative battery cable off of the negative lead.

    • For this guide, we only show the removal and cleaning of the negative terminal. If you are going to clean the positive terminal, first remove the negative terminal and then remove the positive terminal. The process for removing both leads is the same; it is only the order that is important.

  4. Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Scrape the corrosion off of the battery terminal using a wire battery brush or some other scraping/brushing tool.

    • You may want to avoid getting the corrosion all over the inside of the engine bay. Sweeping the corrosion onto a paper plate or rag is a simple way to get the corrosion out of the engine bay without making a mess.

    Just a note. On step 4 it says "Although the corrosion is not bad for the vehicle". That bluish white stuff is powdered Hydrochloric acid, its pretty terrible for your car. A better way of cleaning it off is liberal use of baking soda to neutralize the acid and make sure you wash ALL of it off when you're done.

    Also that corrosion is a pretty good indicator of needing a new battery.

    Josh Hill - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Fair enough -- I modified the step a bit so that we're not explicitly saying it's fine to sprinkle it all over the car :)

    Miroslav Djuric -

  5. Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Re-seat the cable on the negative battery terminal.

    • Tighten the nut on the battery clamp.

    • When working with batteries, it is important that you always re-install the negative lead last.

  6. Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Open a packet of battery terminal protector, and, using your finger, coat the (now assembled) battery terminal in a thin layer. Be sure to cover the outside of both the lead and post, but not to allow any protector between the post and lead.

  7. Car Maintenance Tips, Radiator Fluid Check: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Radiator Fluid Check: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Radiator Fluid Check: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Before opening your radiator cap, be sure to let the car cool completely. This may take up to an hour.

    • Twist the radiator cap counterclockwise and remove it from the radiator.

  8. Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Fill the radiator with water until you can see the level of water rising in the radiator opening.

    • A 50/50 mixture of water and coolant is preferable, but plain water is better than nothing. Refer to your owners manual for more instructions.

    • Replace the cap on the radiator.

    You should only be adding pure water if the situation is absolutely dire. If you live in a colder climate and that water in your radiator freezes, your vehicle will be inoperable and you will be looking at a thousand dollars in repair, at least, if not a total loss.

    People in warmer climates, where it never hits freezing, often think they can just add water; however, anti-freeze is still preferable, as water will potentially cause rust buildup inside your engine components.

    It is very difficult to conceive of a situation in which someone would be unable to go to the store and buy antifreeze.

    If you've purchased a used vehicle and you're unsure if it has the correct anti-freeze/water ratio, there are inexpensive tools (approx. $12) you can buy at the parts store which will tell you if its in the correct ratio or not.

    Typically a 1:1 ratio, or 50/50, is recommended.

    Finally, keep in mind that modern cars often use a specific anti-freeze blend. Almost all cars from before the 90s just use the green stuff.

    Rob Bowman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  9. Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Unscrew the cap from the radiator overflow reservoir located to the left of the radiator, in front of the battery.

    • Fill the reservoir with water until the water level is just below the "max" fill line marked on the left side.

    • Replace the cap on the reservoir.

    I wanted to ask if I was losing coolant through my overflow tank cap as I drove. Would that kill my engine?

    Dominique Battle - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    If you lose enough coolant and the engine overheats to the point of failure, usually it will be a total loss on the engine.

    However, I've never heard of anyone loosing coolant through the overflow cap.

    Rotted hoses or hard pipes, sometimes the water pump (which actually pumps the antifreeze, not water), and a few other locations are the usual suspects for coolant loss.

    If you have a blown head gasket, the coolant will mix with the oil and you can slowly lose coolant that way. This problem is usually very easy to diagnose, however.

    Rob Bowman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  10. Car Maintenance Tips, Power Steering Fluid: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Power Steering Fluid: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Locate the power steering reservoir near the front right corner of the engine bay.

    • If the fluid level is below the "Lower Level" fill line, remove the cap and refill the reservoir with power steering fluid.

    • Don't fill the reservoir so much that the fluid level goes above the "Upper Level" fill line.

  11. Car Maintenance Tips, Checking the Oil: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Checking the Oil: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Checking the Oil: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Locate the dipstick on the right side of the engine.

    • Remove the dipstick from its housing and wipe it off with a rag.

    • Re-insert the dipstick, and then remove it. This will give an accurate reading for the level of oil in the engine.

    • The oil level should be between the two dots marked on the dipstick. If the oil level is below the bottom dot, or there is not any oil on the dipstick at all, you will need to add oil.

  12. Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Twist the oil filler cap counterclockwise, and remove it from the top of the engine.

    • Using a funnel, pour one quart of manufacturer specified oil into the engine.

    • Your engine may take different oil depending on the manufacturer specification. Check your owner's manual.

    • Remove the dipstick and check the oil level.

    • If the oil level is still low, add more oil.

    • Be sure to not overfill the engine. After adding the first quart, check the oil level every half-quart.

    • When the oil has reached the proper level, replace the dipstick and oil filler cap.

  13. Car Maintenance Tips, Window Washer Fluid: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Window Washer Fluid: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Locate the window washer fluid reservoir in the front right corner of the engine bay.

    • If the fluid level appears to be low, refill the reservoir with window washer fluid.

    • You can also use a mixture of water and generic window cleaner, such as Windex. Use a ratio of 5 parts water to 1 part window cleaner.

    Don't use pure water if you live a cold climate, or it will freeze in the winter and blow out the bottom of the wiper fluid reservoir, or possibly do worse things.

    Rob Bowman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  14. Car Maintenance Tips, Brake Fluid: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Brake Fluid: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Locate the brake fluid reservoir at the rear right corner of the engine bay.

    • If necessary, unscrew the cap and refill the brake fluid reservoir.

    what is this rod you have attached on your front strut mount? I don't think that is standard?

    Abhishek Satishchandran - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Hey Abhishek,

    You're right -- that's not a stock part that comes with the car. That's an Eibach strut bar that I purchased for my car a long, long time ago. It doesn't seem to be sold anymore, as I can't really find any more info about it.

    Here's how the whole enchilada looks like.

    Miroslav Djuric -

    Thanks, did you notice a significant difference with it? Great tutorial by the way!

    abhiral satishchandran - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

    Never refill the brake reservoir. If it is low it is an indication that you may need brakes or have a leaking brake system. When your brakes get repaired and the caliper is pushed back in its housing brake fluid will spill out from the reservoir.

    automotiveblessings - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

  15. Car Maintenance Tips, Tire Pressure: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Tire Pressure: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 Car Maintenance Tips, Tire Pressure: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Unscrew the valve stem cap from the valve stem on the tire.

    • Using a handheld pressure gauge, check the pressure in the tires. The tires should be inflated to approximately 30 psi.

    • Check your owners manual for the proper tire inflation pressure specific to your vehicle's make, model, and year.

    • Using an air compressor, re-inflate the tires to the desired air pressure.

    • Although many air compressors have built-in tire pressure gauges, they are often inaccurate. Use a handheld gauge to accurately measure the pressure.

    Usually the recommended PSI range will be written on the side of the tire itself as well. This can be hard to see depending on how dirty the tire is.

    Rob Bowman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

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crwdns2944067:09crwdne2944067:0

Great tips. Awareness is the key. Hopefully most people are aware of these simple tasks that are often overlooked.

Thurman - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Forgot to put the new oil filter in the motor and skipped that and added oit the said done hope you didnt do my car....lol

elwoods05641 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

These are all wonderful tips. Could you tell me How do I shut off the car alarm after replacing a battery on a 2001 Honda Accord EX SEDAN with VTECH Engine? I don't have a remote control for my vehicle.

CARLA - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

awesome ,thanks for sharing

UMAIR - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Repairs water pump 2000 Honda Accord CA 4 cylinder

romello51 - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

These are all wonderful tips for car maintenance. Hopefully most people are aware of these tips .

Jennifer

Jennifer Valdez - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

HELP! I have. A 1998 Honda Accord EX, the light behind the instrument panel (where you set the clock and change mode for heat/ air) is not working. I cannot find a place to replace a bulb or anything like it?! PLEASE help and tell me how to CHANGE IT SO I have the illumination. I cannot see the clock to chage Modes.

Thank you,

Lost in the dark

Melanie Daniels - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

These car maintenance tips are incredibly helpful! As a mechanics Christchurch, I strongly endorse the emphasis on regular oil changes, tire rotations, and brake inspections. Taking care of these essentials ensures optimal performance and extends the lifespan of your vehicle. Keep up the great work!

Sangakara wilson - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

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