How to Fix a Car Air Conditioning Leak
Car air conditioning is the single most important system dedicated not to the operation of the vehicle, but to the comfort of the individuals inside. Basically every other system—engine, fuel, electrical, cooling, exhaust, drive train, braking, suspension and ignition—contributes to the functioning of the vehicle itself. A car or truck without one of these systems…
Read MoreHow to Recharge the A/C in a Car
When the air conditioning unit in a car stops blowing cool air, it may be time for an A/C recharge. To recharge the A/C in a car means adding more refrigerant to the system and correctly pressurizing it to allow the air to start blowing cold again. This car A/C repair does not take long or…
Read More3 Refrigerant Types Used in Car Air Conditioners
It has often been said that the greatest invention of the 20th century is air conditioning, which made living in warm climates more attractive and automobile travel in summertime bearable. Today, demand for air conditioning in cars and trucks is so universal that it is nearly impossible to purchase a new automobile without it. The air…
Read MoreAre Coolant and Antifreeze the Same Thing?
Coolant, antifreeze: tomato, tomahto. Coolant and antifreeze are the same thing, right? Not so much. Though many people use these terms interchangeably, they are not exactly the same. For many car and truck owners who occasionally pour the contents of a container they bought at the auto supply store into their coolant reservoir, the difference…
Read MoreHydraulic Fluid Leaks: How to Diagnose and Fix Them
Hydraulics is an efficient way to create mechanical energy and is at work in every industrial workplace in America. Put simply, hydraulic action employs pressurized fluid to move things. Hydraulic systems can be found in lifts, heavy equipment, shock absorbers, braking systems, power steering, even spaceships. This type of system literally does a lot of…
Read More4 Things You Should Know About Engine Blocks
Engine blocks. They sound like something Tim Allen would wax poetic about. They sound manly and useful. They sound heavy and important and not something an amateur should mess around with. And all of that is true. Because engine blocks are the queen bee of the vehicle, it is helpful to understand what is going…
Read More7 Reasons Your Radiator Is Leaking
Take a trip to the land of no radiators. An automobile with an internal combustion engine – with its thousands of mini-explosions an hour – produces so much heat it could melt metal and bring the entire operation to a halt. The engine would seize up within a few hundred miles of driving. This is…
Read MoreIs The Transmission in Your Car Going Bad?
The bad news about the transmission in a car is eventually it is going to break down. Whether manual transmission or automatic transmission, it is a series of gears and other moving parts that operate mechanically and wear out. The good news is twofold. Changing transmission fluid according to the manufacturer’s specifications can dramatically increase the…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Transmission Repair
Of all the systems in the typical automobile, the transmission is probably the most mysterious. After all, the transmission does not provide power to the vehicle, ensure the parts work well or translate the chemical explosions into mechanical energy. The transmission’s job is to translate the engine’s narrow range of power into a wide range…
Read More3 Reasons Your Power Steering Is Not Working
More often than not, malfunctioning power steering is an indication the vehicle is an older model with a hydraulic power steering system. That system employs fluid under pressure to lighten the burden of turning the wheel. However, the power steering can go out on newer models as well. There are generally three possible reasons why…
Read MoreWhat Is Electric Power Steering?
Turning the steering wheel of a car or truck is easy with hydraulic or electric power steering. It can be done with one finger. But that wasn’t always the case, especially at low speeds, such as when parking or turning around. In the automotive industry’s first half century, some serious muscle was required to turn…
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