Fix It

Struts are designed to maintain a cars balance on the road, especially when driving over rough or uneven surfaces. A car typically has front and rear struts.

Current Prices of Rear Struts

As of 2010, the price of rear struts for most vehicles ranges between $100 to $700. For luxury cars, prices can even exceed $1,000. Price ultimately depends on the make and model of your vehicle.

Extra Costs

In addition to the price of the struts, you will probably pay labor costs for their installation. Those charges vary.

Price Stability

The price of rear struts has remained stable over the last few years.

Replacing a car engines head gasket involves a major tear down of the engine. The procedure also calls for precise measurement of metal surfaces, and the technician may have to repair other parts of the engine as well to prevent future head gasket failures.

Scope of Job

While the head gasket itself consists of a single part, preparing the engine for its replacement represents a large-scale operation, according to Repair Pal. The repair technician must remove air intake and exhaust components, and drain the coolant. In some cases, the technician also must remove the timing assembly, valve covers and camshafts.

Precision

Replacement of a head gasket first requires precision measurements using a straightedge, according to AA1 Car. These measurements must indicate variations from flatness as small as 0.002 inches. Resurfacing a head usually requires the help of a machine shop.

Considerations

Head gaskets wear out for a variety of reasons. AA1 Car notes that anyone replacing a head gasket also should inspect the rest of the engine for potential problems and be ready to perform additional, possibly elaborate repairs.

In the early 1900s, people had to start their vehicles by turning a large crank at the front of the vehicle. In 1911, Cadillac approved Charles F. Ketterings design of the electric starter for its 1912 model year cars. Replacing a starter can be a difficult task in some vehicles, and it can be frustrating when the car does not start after all of your work. There are four main reasons for your car not cranking when you just got a new starter for it.

Incorrect Wiring

There are three wires that connect to the rear of the starter solenoid on most cars. If you forgot to label these wires and incorrectly reinstalled them, the starter will not work at all. Double-check the wiring of the starter against a wiring schematic for the starting system and adjust it, as needed.

Electrical Shorts

Any time you replace any electrical component on your vehicle that has constant voltage from the battery, you must disconnect the battery prior to servicing it. If you left the battery connected while installing the starter, it is possible for you to unintentionally touch the power and ground cables together. This may cause a short inside the battery or in the wiring, resulting in the car not starting. Check the voltage coming into the starter, using a voltmeter. If little or no voltage comes into the starter, inspect the wires and battery for shorts.

Misdiagnosis

It is possible that the starter was not the problem to begin with. If not correctly diagnosed, it is easy to mistake many other problems with starter failure. Some problems that result in similar symptoms as a failed starter include, but are not limited to: failed ignition switch, discharged battery, loose battery cables, security system failure, failed starter solenoid (if separate) or damaged flywheel or flexplate.

Faulty Starter

When the manufacturer builds a new starter or rebuilds an old starter, it tests the starters prior to shipping them to retail stores or end-users. This testing typically catches any failed starters prior to shipment, but human error does allow for a small percentage of failed starters to ship out. After checking the areas described in the three previous sections, remove the starter and take it to a local parts store to have it tested. In the future, have all electro-mechanical components tested before installing them.

Your cars trunk is designed to securely and safely store groceries, luggage or anything else you might want to put into it. If your trunk is doing its job a little too well--namely, if you cant get inside your trunk--try not to panic. Although there may indeed be a problem with your trunk itself, your first priority should be getting your belongings out of it--and during this process, you may just find the solution to the problem.

Instructions

1

Try using multiple methods to open your trunk. For example, most cars have a switch you can pull just inside the car on the drivers side which will "pop" the trunk. If your key isnt working, try pulling this switch--and vice versa. Press the "Trunk" button on your keyless entry device, if you have one.

2

Remove your belongings from your trunk if you cannot open the trunk itself. Depending on which kind of car your own, you may be able to pull down your back seat and free your belongings from the locked trunk. Once the trunk is empty, inspect the area around the lock to see if anything is caught on it which could prevent it from opening.

3

Call a locksmith if you still cant get your trunk to open. If neither varying the method you use to open the trunk nor inspecting its lock to see if there is any obstruction resolves your problem, there is a mechanical issue with the lock.

"Transmission slip" is a term used to describe a transmission that is not operating properly. A slipping transmission adds stress to the transmission and other drive-train components and if not promptly repaired can cause serious problems.

Definition

A slipping transmission is a transmission that is slow to respond when put into gear or when shifting gears. When the transmission slips, the engine often revs quickly as if the car had been put into neutral, but the car does not accelerate.

Causes

The most common cause of a slipping transmission is low transmission fluid due to a leak. As the fluid level falls, there is not enough transmission fluid to properly operate the transmission. Transmission fluid breakdown and wear of the transmission gears may also cause the transmission to slip.

Repair

When a transmission slip is noticed, a car owner should check the transmission fluid level and add fluid if the level is low. If the transmission fluid is not low and the car is due for a transmission fluid change, the car owner should change the fluid. If the transmission continues to slip, the car owner should consult with a trusted transmission repair shop.

Struts are combination devices that perform three important tasks: they suspend the car with a spring, control body roll with shock absorbers and act as the upper suspension control arm. Replacement can be a do-it-yourself procedure provided you have some basic mechanical skills.

Tools

Struts generally come out with a few basic hand tools: sockets, ratchets, wrenches and pliers among them. Youll also need a tire lug wrench and a floor jack. The ball-joint removal tool (sometimes, a "pickle fork") is the only remotely specialized tool you might need to replace the strut, but most applications dont require one.

Basic Procedure

First youll need to lift the applicable corner of the car off of the ground until the wheel dangles in the air. Remove the wheel, then slip the jack under the lower control arm or brake rotor to help lift the arm back into place. Remove the bolt(s) securing the strut to the steering pivot, then remove the three or four bolts under the hood that hold the top of the strut to the cars chassis.

Complications

Youll probably need to remove the brake line from the caliper and any clips that secure it to the strut, which will necessitate a brake-bleeding job afterward. You may also need to remove the brake rotor, brake caliper, steering end links and/or anti-roll bar end-links.