Fix It

Motor oil insures your cars engine runs properly and provides you with reliable transportation. The oil should be changed according to the manufacturers instructions for optimal performance and longevity.

Function

Fresh motor oil is an amber color. Black oil is oil that has collected dirt and impurities from your engine. The purpose of motor oil is to lubricate the moving parts of the cars engine so it can perform as specified. When oil is black, it means its viscosity (the ability to flow as a liquid) is impaired. It will not flow and lubricate as easily and the engines moving parts will suffer more wear from daily activities and wear out more quickly.

Solution

All car manufacturers have different standards for motor oil. The optimal amount of time to change oil is usually measured in miles. The common rule of thumb used to be 3,000 miles, but many auto manufacturers have increased that to 7,500 miles. For best results, er to your cars operation manual or contact your auto manufacturer or a qualified and licensed mechanic. It is best to er to these sources as it differs for each car.

Considerations

Black oil indicates engine health. Black oil generally means the engine requires an oil change. Engines also can use up oil as they age or are used more frequently. If the car is driven more than usual, changing the oil before the mileage limit specified by the car manufacturer is recommended.

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.

In the golden age, before electric starters, when every motorcycle needed to be literally stomped into life with a booted, right foot, old school bikers regularly built their own motorcycles, made their own parts and imagined their own tools. Many of these tools were improvised, on the spot, in the middle of unexpectedly difficult repairs to solve some problem. Their manufacture and use became shop lore. Here are three classic examples: the specialty angled wrench; the magnetized screwdriver of exactly the right size; and the "spare tire" club bikers can fold up and carry in their bags. These examples of things men once did are dangerous and are described here for entertainment purposes only.

Instructions

1

Heat the handle of an appropriately sized combination box/open end wrench with a propane or oxyacetylene torch. Heat the handle about two inches, or an appropriate distance, from the box end. Heat until the spot turns dull red.

2

Put the box end in a vise and bend the wrench 90 degrees. Allow the wrench to cool. Remove it from the vise.

3

Heat a spot on the same wrench about 1/2 inch from the box end until it also glows dull red. Put the hot end in the vise and bend the wrench 90 degrees so that the box end is once again parallel to the wrench handle but offset 1 inches.

4

Allow the wrench to cool. Remove it from the vise and use it to turn otherwise inaccessible nuts in impossible to reach places on your motorcycle.

5

Remove the seat from your motorcycle by loosening the seat bolt with an Allen wrench and access your motorcycle battery. Disconnect both battery cables.

6

Tightly wrap the exact screwdriver you need magnetized with about two feet of insulated, copper wire. Leave about two inches of wire on each end unwrapped.

7

Strip and straighten each end of the insulated wire. Note the approximate distance between the positive and negative terminals on your motorcycle battery. Arrange the stripped ends of the insulated wire wrapped around the screwdriver so they are about the same distance apart as the terminals on your battery.

8

Put on sunglasses. Put on leather gloves. Wrap the handle of the screwdriver with clean, oil free rags.

9

Touch one end of the wire to the positive battery terminal. Boldly touch the other end of the wire to the negative terminal.

10

Drop the screwdriver when it becomes too hot to hold or when the rags begin to smoke after about five seconds. Allow the screwdriver to cool.

11

Remove the insulated wire. Use the magnetized screw driver to retrieve lost screws and bolts in otherwise inaccessible nooks and crannies of your motorcycle.

12

Crimp two threaded hose fittings with a crimper tool to both ends of a five foot section of rubber air hose. Screw tire nozzles, like the ones in gas stations, to both fittings.

13

Pack the hose in your saddlebags when riding across the Mojave or other relatively unpopulated regions with your friends. Use the hose to siphon air from your friends motorcycle tires when you develop a slow leak.

"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.

There are many reasons you might need to jack the axle ends of your Chevy K5 off the ground. Whether you are making repairs, rotating tires, or just trying to get a better look at the underside of the vehicle, jacking it up is a pretty simple task. The job can be completed in less than 30 minutes. Jacks and jack stands can be purchased at most automotive repair and supply shops.

Instructions

1

Locate the marked jack points beneath your K5. They can be found on the frame in back of the tires, facing the center of the SUV.

2

Go to the front drivers side and position the floor jack below the jack point. Raise the SUV with the jack.

3

Slide a jack stand behind the jack.

4

Cover the top of the jack stand with a rag.

5

Lower your K5 onto the stand with the jack.

6

Repeat Steps 2 through 5 to get the three remaining sides onto the jack stands.

A clear coat on a car gives it a new, fresh look, and it protects the paint job from the elements. If you are refinishing your car or are looking to customize a vehicle, the clear coat is applied after you finish painting. You can hire a professional to finish your car for you, but this is expensive. Clear coating your own car takes little time and effort and is also inexpensive. To do it yourself, you need little more than some sandpaper, an airbrush and some clear coat.

Instructions

1

Cover anything you do not want clear coated with newspaper or plastic sheeting. This includes windows, door handles, mirrors and head and tail lights. Use masking tape to secure the protective covering in place.

2

Dip your sandpaper in water to moisten it. Use the wet sandpaper to sand the entire surface of your car until it is smooth. Remoisten the sandpaper as needed throughout the sanding. When choosing sandpaper, use a fine grain. Leave the car to dry completely.

3

Wipe your entire car down with a wet rag to remove any dust and debris. When you clear coat, you will seal in everything on the cars surface. Allow the car to dry again.

4

Prepare your clear coat according to manufacturers instructions. Each brand will have a different set of instructions on mixing. Add the mixed clear coat to an airbrush.

5

Use steady strokes to coat the entire car with the airbrush. Work in 12 inch sections to ensure evenness in the coating.

6

Leave your clear coat to dry completely. Drying times will vary by product as well as environmental conditions.

7

Remove all of the protective coverings from your car.

8

Polish your car using an electric buffer and buffing compound of your choice.