You need to adjust timing on a car for many older models (those which have a distributor) to maintain the best possible performance. When timing is neglected, you can suffer poor gas mileage, less power when you hit the gas and eventually degrading problems that might keep the engine from running. While you can get a mechanic to adjust the timing for you, it’s a fairly easy process, and you’ll stand to save a lot of money when you learn to do it yourself. Before you jump in, double check your vehicle. Most manufactured since the early 90s will have an electronic ignition timing and do not require this maintenance. What Is Timing? Before we learn how to set ignition timing, we require a short [&hellip
Auto Archive
The exterior of your car is what everyone sees; it’s the face of your driving experience. If you want your vehicle to look good, you have to take care of it. Of course, you could take your car or truck to a professional detailer and spend a couple hundred for someone else to do it. But wouldn’t you rather save most of that money and remove the risk of a shoddy detailer not doing the job right or even damaging your paint? We’ve all heard the horror stories of what can go wrong when you get your oil changed at a random quick lube place. The same can apply with auto detailers. Nobody’s going to care as much about your vehicle as you are. These [&hellip
Automotive OBD2 scanners and car code readers are the easiest and least expensive ways to find out why your engine light is on and get it to turn off. Even the best car code reader under $50 will give you the same basic information you’d get from an auto repair shop, and there’s no labor charge to pay. Since a shop may charge you $100 just to diagnose a problem, these handy devices can pay for themselves after a single use. If you need a bit more than just reading and clearing basic engine fault codes, a full featured OBD2 scanner is a great investment. Like other technology, prices on these automotive scan tools continue to drop making them affordable to most home mechanics. For [&hellip
You pull your car out of the driveway, then notice something unusual in the spot your car just left. There’s a small dark spot there, a small puddle of some vehicle fluid, and you don’t know what. Is it normal? Is it bad? There are a variety of vehicle fluids, and while some are perfectly normal, others can be trouble. So what could that fluid be? Fortunately, car fluid colors vary, and you can usually tell just by the color. 1. Antifreeze If the puddle is bright green or orange, then it’s probably antifreeze (also known as coolant). Antifreeze is highly toxic, so keep animals and small children away from the puddle. Leaking antifreeze was once normal for cars, as their radiators would spew out water [&hellip
Moving a car is sometimes more logical than working your way around it, and the best car dolly will make rotating or storing a vehicle easier than you ever thought it would be. Look for models that are well-designed and able to stand up to the weight of any vehicle you need to use your garage car dolly with. If the castors, for example, are not able to stand up to the stress of moving your car, then look for a heavier model. Whether you are restoring a classic or storing your ride for the season, the best car dolly is the one which fits your particular needs– whatever those needs may be. TOP PICK: Pentagon is a relatively new drywall and automotive tool company [&hellip
Before you take your car to a mechanic, it might be a good idea to try to diagnose the problem yourself. When your check engine light comes on or the vehicle starts making warning buzzes or other sounds, you can use an OBD tool to find what is going on, and that could potentially save you a lot of money. Want to skip to our OBD2 scanner recommendations? CLICK HERE What is an OBD-II? OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostics, and the II indicates it is a second-generation tool. Since 1996, cars with on-board computers have logged information about vehicle performance and problems, but you had to have an OBD to find out what the problem was. Since the tool was originally a specialized device, mechanics had the monopoly on diagnostics and [&hellip
Deciding whether or not a garage lift is right for you is not exactly a difficult decision to make, but you also need to keep in mind that there different types and sizes available, and install the one that best suits your purposes. If you do as much of your own automotive work as possible, a car lift may be good idea, but getting the wrong one could mean that you are never able to realize the full potential of what this tool can do. Making the Car Lift Decision If the only work you do on your car is washing it and putting on protective products, you may not need the expense and installation of a car lift. If you perform repairs such as [&hellip
When looking for the best car battery charger, there are a couple of things that every model should have. The ability to charge 6 and 12 volt batteries is important, since lawn tractors and yard equipment often uses a 6 volt system, and a float charging system that will not overcharge the battery can prevent damage. It is nice to have a car battery charger that can be set to different current levels, and look for a product that is compact enough to take with you on extended trips. TOP PICK: One of the smallest and most innovative models on the market, the Genius G3500 is the top-ranked pick for both versatility and performance. It can be used as a battery maintainer for infrequently used [&hellip
The best tire inflator gauge is small enough to take anywhere, robust enough to handle high and low tire pressures alike, and versatile enough for easy, accurate use. No garage or shop is complete without a good air compressor and the accessories that go with it, including air wrenches, ratchets, and tire inflation tools. Look for a tire inflator with gauge that includes a quick change chuck, allowing you to quickly go from inflating a car tire to blowing up the kids’ pool without having to make any complicated changes. Combine this with a top rated air hose to get the best results. TOP PICK: Topping the list, the Milton S506 has almost everything you could ask for in tire pump. It features a magnified inline, bubble lens gauge, [&hellip
Serious mechanical work demands the top torque wrench you can get. Smaller torque wrenches are available for light work, and the three reviewed here as the best torque wrench for the money can tackle tougher jobs with maximum torques ranging from 150 to 250 ft lbs. To give you more leverage, these heavy duty tools feature longer handles and simple operation. Keep in mind that torque wrenches may round or crack cheaply made sockets, and use only hardened sockets like you would use with 1/2-inch drive air tools. TOP PICK: Snap-On tools have a long history of producing top quality tools, and the CDI (subsidiary of Snap-On) torque wrench proves the point. Keep in mind that while this tool is not labeled as a Snap-On tools product, almost [&hellip