Electric Power Windows Servicing an electrical system should be performed by a certified automotive professional only! Always wear protective safety goggles and gloves before work begins. For those of us that have had manual windows, power windows are a blessing when you are draped over the passenger side trying to roll down the window to talk to your friend as you leave from the curb. But when electric windows stop working were do you look?. The window is controlled by three main parts, the window motor, the window regulator, the part that holds the window and the control switch. When you move the switch one way or the other an electrical current is sent the window motor that will force the window to go up or down depending on the direction of the switch. Most window control systems are powered by a thermo fuse, a thermo fuse will cut power to the window circuit if to much electrical draw is being used. This serves as a safety device and helps keep the wiring from over loading do to over usage. (READ COMPLETELY BEFORE STARTING!)

Wear protective eye wear and clothing and remove all jewelry when checking your battery and charging system. Jewelry is a good conductor of electricity and is not recommended. Most batteries wear out every 3 to 5 years and need to be replaced. Always replace your battery with an equal replacement battery to assure proper operation. Automotive batteries have a +positive terminal (red), - negative terminal (black). The battery in this illustration has a protective cover over the positive terminal to prevent short circuit in case of an accident. Electricity is stored in the battery and then supplied to the vehicle when the engine is not running. While the engine is running the vehicles alternator charges the battery for future use.

How to Change an Automotive Air Filter A vehicle's air filter is a replaceable cleansing unit. In most cases an air filter can be replaced in under 5 minutes. The air cleaner in your car or truck should be changed every 3,000 miles or sooner depending on driving conditions. Changing your air filter is easy! Remember, always use protective eye wear and gloves when doing any car repair. First locate the air filter housing; this is where the air filter element resides. To locate the air filter housing look for the engine air intake tube. Next, remove the air filter housing retainer clips or screws and remove the air filter housing top. Replace the old air filter with a new air filter and reassemble. (Note: be sure you clean out any leaves or debris inside the air filter housing upon reassembly)

How to Use a ODB II Code Reader Scanner "Check Engine" Light Warning If you see a "check engine" or a "service engine soon" light in your instrument cluster; your car has stored a diagnostic trouble code. This means the computer system on your vehicle has detected a problem with the various systems it controls. Your car or truck has many different sensors that monitor the various vehicle systems. If the trouble code light has been illuminated your vehicle enters into "limp mode" this means it is running on a predetermined program that causes poor mileage and increased emissions. An engine trouble code reader is an easy to use tool. All 1996 and newer vehicles utilize a "D" style plug-in connector that connects to the code reader. On most vehicles the connector is located at the driver's compartment. Once the code reader is plugged in you can retrieve trouble codes the engine computer has stored in its memory. These codes are the same codes the dealer and repair shops use to replace sensors and clear codes.

The electric door locks inside of your car doors consist of a control switch, the locking door latch and/or a electric control solenoid. When the control switch is energized an electrical impulse forces the control solenoid to push or pull the locking mechanism depending on the command selected. (lock and unlock).

The lights in and around your vehicle are not only a convenience they are a safety precaution. All lights on your vehicle should be working at all times, if fact it's against the law for any exterior lights on your car not to be working. If it was designed by the manufacturer to work on your vehicle it must work at all times. Make it a regular check for your vehicle to assure the proper operation for your lights. Always check headlight operation at night or in a dark garage. First inspect the headlight lens for cracks and clarity, next turn the headlights on, the headlights should shine bright. If your headlight bulb has failed; here are some steps you can do to replace it. First determine if your headlight bulb is composite or sealed beam. Most cars and trucks today have composite lenses with easy to replace headlight bulbs. Next remove the retainer that holds the bulb in the headlight housing, replace bulb with new unit and reassemble, recheck operation. Note: there is a notch in the headlight bulb that only allows it to be installed one way.

Replacing your car's air cabin filter is a relatively simple repair that can be done in a few minutes with minor tools in most cases. Remember, always wear protective gloves and eyewear before you begin servicing your car. To replace the cabin filter, first locate the air cabin filter housing; it is usually under the dash on the passenger side or under the hood near the rear of the cowl. Air cabin filters are similar to air filters but cabin filters have better filtering qualities. To determine if your cabin filter needs to be changed, remove the filter housing retainer clips or screws and remove the filter, gently tap the filter, if you see dust falling from the air cleaner it is filled to capacity and needs to be replaced.

How to Change Engine Motor Oil and Oil Filter

The vehicle's radiator is the component that removes heat from the engine through thermo heat exchange. It is usually located in the front of the vehicle under the hood. The engine creates heat from the internal combustion that continuously occurs inside the engine, this heat is transferred to the engine coolant, then circulated through the thermostat then to the radiator. Inside the radiator there are many small tubes with cooling fins attached that allows the coolant to be cooled and then returned to the engine in a continuous cycle. Radiators are mostly made of 2 plastic tanks and an aluminum core. (READ COMPLETELY BEFORE STARTING!)

Brake Master Cylinder The brake master cylinder is the manual hydraulic pressure part of the brake system. The brake master holds hydraulic brake fluid that is used to actuate the brake system. Brake fluid flows through brake system components and then to the front brake caliper under pressure to slow the vehicle. When a master cylinder fails you may experience a low brake peddle, the master cylinder is divide into two separate sections, the primary and secondary pressure systems. This system was created inside the master cylinder for safety, if one half of the brake system fails you will still have the remaining half to help slow the vehicle. Note: You must know how to bleed a hydraulic brake system before you can service or change a master cylinder. (READ COMPLETELY BEFORE STARTING!)