Fix It

The Civic SI is a small sports coupe introduced by Honda in 2003. This stylish addition to the Civic line of vehicles came with optional fog lights. One of the joys of owning a sports car is being able to customize it with your own personal touches. If you are a car repair novice, but still want to experiment, a good project is to install new or upgraded aftermarket fog lights. This do-it-yourself undertaking requires nothing more than some basic tools and a fog light kit.

Instructions

1

Park the vehicle on a flat and level surface, turn off the engine and engage the emergency brake.

2

Feel the top of the hood. If it is still hot wait about 20 minutes before beginning the installation.

3

Place a blanket on the ground beneath the front end. Lie on the blanket and slide under the car so that you can see the back of the bumper where one of the fog lights is attached. Locate the wiring harness plugged into the rear of the fog light socket. Squeeze the sides of the harness plug and pull it free.

4

Use an adjustable wrench to remove the three mounting bolts securing the fog light assembly to the front bumper. Slide the assembly out of the bumper.

5

Insert the new fog light and secure it with the bolts that came with the kit. Connect the wiring harness with the socket. Move to the other side of the vehicle and repeat the process to install the other fog light.

Aluminum is not as hard as steel. Compared to steel, aluminum alloy is much less susceptible to rust; however, it is sensitive to chemical reactions. It may form a light coating of corrosion caused by oxidation following the use of harsh degreasers. This results in the need for arduous polishing of engine parts. To prevent this, a detailer should use a mixture of water and a soap degreaser in place of chemical solvents when cleaning aluminum alloy motors.

Instructions

Clean the Motor

1

Fill the spray bottle with soap degreaser and water per the product directions.

2

Run the engine for about 30 seconds. It should be slightly warm.

3

Spray the water and degreaser mixture onto the motor, engine components and underside of the hood. Wait one to two minutes to allow the soap degreaser to soak in.

4

Use the pressure washer to spray the underside of the hood, motor and motor components. Avoid spraying water directly on electrical components.

5

Spray soap degreaser on any remaining dirty spots. Scrub stubborn grime with the toothbrush.

6

Rinse the engine with the water hose.

7

Dry the motor, wires and other components with shop towels or rags. Finish drying by starting the motor.

The Accord is a mid-size car manufactured by Honda since 1976 and is still in production as of 2010. The 1990 model has a four-cylinder, 2.2L engine with electronic fuel injection. This requires the fuel pump to deliver fuel to the injectors under high pressure. The fuel pump in the 1990 Honda Accord attaches directly to the fuel tank, so you must disconnect the fuel tank to replace the fuel pump.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the cable to the negative terminal of the battery with a socket wrench, and loosen the filler cap for the fuel tank. Locate the fuel pressure release valve on the fuel rail. Hold the banjo bolt for the release valve with a 6 mm closed wrench. Wrap a shop rag around the service bolt on top of the banjo bolt. Loosen the service bolt by one complete turn with an open-end wrench to relieve the pressure in the fuel system. Tighten the service bolt to 9 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

2

Block the front wheels and raise the rear of the vehicle on jack stands. Loosen the drain bolt of the fuel tank and drain the fuel into a container approved for gasoline. Slide the clamps on the fuel hoses back and disconnect the fuel hoses from the fuel tank. Support the fuel tank with a floor jack and remove the nuts on the fuel tank retaining straps with a socket wrench. Lower the floor jack and remove the fuel tank from the vehicle. Disconnect the mounting bolts for the fuel pump with a socket wrench and remove the fuel pump from the fuel tank.

3

Install the new fuel pump onto the fuel tank ensuring that you seat it into its proper position. Tighten the mounting bolts evenly to a torque of 48 inch-pounds with a torque wrench. Connect the fuel tank and tighten the nuts on the restraining strap to 27 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

4

Remove the service bolt on the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail. Disconnect the hose from the fuel pressure regulator and plug the open end of the hose. Attach a fuel pressure gauge to the pressure regulator.

5

Start the engine and note the reading on the fuel pressure gauge while the engine is idling. The fuel pressure in a 1990 Honda Accord should be in the range of 36 to 41 psi. Check for a clogged or pinched fuel return hose if the pressure is too high. Look for leaks in the fuel line, a faulty pressure regulator or a clogged fuel filter if the pressure is too low.

6

Wrap a shop rag around the fitting for the pressure gauge. Loosen the fitting slowly, until you can remove the pressure gauge. Place new washers on the service bolt and tighten it to 9 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

The Ford Ranger is a compact pickup truck manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1983. The 1991 model has a choice of several engines, including a four-cylinder, 2.3-liter engine. The oil pump circulates oil through the engine to keep it lubricated. The oil pump in a 1991 Ford Ranger with a 2.3-liter engine is on the front of the engine and is driven by the timing belt.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench to prevent you from starting the engine inadvertently. Remove the timing belt from its pulley and detach the electrical connector for the camshaft position sensor on the camshaft.

2

Insert a pry bar through the hole in the oil pump sprocket to prevent it from turning. Remove the mounting bolt for the oil pump sprocket with a socket wrench and disconnect the sprocket.

3

Remove the mounting bolt for the camshaft position sensor with the socket wrench and disconnect the sensor. Remove the four mounting bolts for the oil pump and detach the oil pump from the front of the engine. Discard the gasket for the oil pump.

4

Clean the mating surfaces on the oil pump gasket with a shop rag and lubricate the new gasket with clean engine oil. Install the new oil pump and gasket and torque the mounting bolts for the oil pump to between 90 and 123 inch-pounds with a torque wrench.

5

Attach the camshaft position sensor and torque its mounting bolts to between 45 and 61 inch-pounds with the torque wrench. Install the oil pump sprocket and tighten its mounting bolts to between 30 and 40 foot-pounds.

6

Connect the electrical connector for the camshaft position sensor and install the timing belt. Reattach the cable to the negative battery terminal with the socket wrench. Add 8 ounces of engine oil to prime the oil pump.

The Toyota Tacoma is a truck designed to work well with hauling trailers. Like any vehicle on the road, the truck and the trailer must have proper tail light illumination for overall safety, but there can be electrical problems.

Function

A trailer, attached to a Toyota Tacoma, uses a wiring harness converter box for its extra electrical needs. Without this power supply, the Tacoma could possibly have electrical failure from the power surge load.

Considerations

For model years 1999 to 2000, the Toyota Tacoma had a recall of its converter box. With its improper sealing, the box was susceptible to water infiltration, causing an electrical short and no power to the trailer lighting system. Toyota replaced the box and rearranged its placement on the vehicle to prevent excess water exposure.

Significance

Make sure that the lighting system is properly grounded to the frame of the Tacoma. Without a secure ground, the lighting system can malfunction by surging when both the vehicle and trailer have their brakes applied.

Boating has become a popular pastime for many people. With the use of boats as a holiday, correct maintenance of the boat trailer is needed to ensure continual transportation. With the interaction with salt water, brakes on the trailer can become damaged. Contamination of the brake fluid will cause the brakes to not perform to the required standard. If this occurs, you must bleed your brakes, and replace the fluid to ensure they work correctly. This process should be carried out on a regular basis.

Instructions

1

Fill the master cylinder with new brake fluid.

2

Insert a bleeder hose on the bleeder screw of the wheel cylinder of the furthest brake away from the master cylinder. Place the other end of the hose into a glass container of brake fluid.

3

Loosen the brake bleeder screw. Have a helper depress the rod assembly with a slotted screwdriver. This will apply force to the front of the coupler case assembly, forcing out brake fluid and any air bubbles in it. Look for bubbles in the fluid in the glass container.

4

Remove the hose and securely tighten the bleeder screw. Repeat the process on all of the brakes. Make sure the master cylinder does not get less than half full.

5

Refill the master cylinder with brake fluid once the process is complete. Check that the brakes on your boat trailer are working correctly before continual use.

A faulty drain cock or petcock on a 2007 Jeep Liberty could result in a radiator leak, an overheated engine and costly repairs. The petcock is a small valve located on the lower left side of the radiator. The petcock threads into the face of the radiator tank and replacing it is a fairly simple task that requires few tools. Make sure to drain the radiator before you remove the petcock to avoid spilling coolant.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of your Jeep and remove the radiator cap from the radiator. Set the cap aside then slide a jack under the front axle and raise the Jeep off the ground. Place a set of jack stands under the Jeep to support it.

2

Slide a section of rubber tubing onto the drain cock and place a drain pan below it. Open the drain cock with a wrench and allow the coolant to drain from the system. Spin the drain cock out of the radiator with a wrench and thread the new on in place, tightening it with the wrench. Make sure the drain is closed.

3

Raise the front of the Jeep off the jack stands then remove the stands from under the truck. Remove the drain pan from under the truck and lower the truck to the ground.

4

Fill the radiator with coolant then place the cap on the radiator. Open the pressure bottle and fill it with coolant until it reaches the full line on the bottle. Start the engine and turn the heat selector to on. Allow the Jeep to run until it reaches normal operating temperature, about five to 10 minutes.

5

Recheck the coolant level in the pressure bottle and add coolant until it reaches the full mark again. Continue checking and filling the bottle until the level no longer falls with the engine running.

6

Recheck the coolant level after several days of normal driving. Add additional coolant as needed at that time.