A multimeter is inexpensive and brings a lot of capability to a toolbox.Electrical problems can be extremely frustrating, especially if you have limited experience troubleshooting and chasing...
Diagnosing a cooling system on your Volkswagen or Audi is easier than you think. Using a few tools that are cheap and readily available, your cooling system can be properly diagnosed in less than an afternoon, and save the hassle and expense of a shop. Whether your car is overheating or has...
A while back I had to replace a lower (lateral) control arm on my E31 850Ci. Whilst it's not a very complex job, I feel you can never have enough pictures for reference, so let's take a look at it. The lower arm is sometimes called the lateral arm as it faces along the width of the car rather...
You, a patchy icy road, and your car. There's only one brake pedal for four wheels, how do you stop as safely as possible? Your car's ABS system prevents wheel lock-up by monitoring each wheel with a wheel speed sensor. When the wheel starts to skid, hydraulic pressure to the brake is...
The rear end of P80-gen Volvo V70 AWD, R, and 850 AWD models has posed significant hurdles to those looking for a lower, more street-oriented stance. On front-wheel-drive models, taking the rear down a bit is as simple as buying a set of lowering springs and installing them. A few bolts - done....
Often while working on our automotive suspension systems, it becomes necessary to remove coil springs from the equation. This is the case any time you need to work on components that are loaded by the coil, such as a Macpherson strut, or control arm. These coils hold up hundreds of pounds of...
Axles are an item that are replaced all too often, when they can be repaired nine times out of ten. Just because your CV boots are torn and slinging grease doesn't mean you need to replace the axle with a cheap aftermarket part! Using factory parts is always better, and in the case of axle boots,...
Ever since I have owned my car, the rocker panels have been permanently dirty. No, it’s not because I’m too lazy to reach down and clean them when I wash my car, but for whatever reason, they have been painted dirty. I didn't notice earlier during car ownership as I figured the rocker panels were...
In the early years, our vehicle's electrical systems usually consisted of a battery, ignition coil, distributor, a generator, starter, a set of headlamps, high beams, a set of parking lights, rear lights, a horn and if you were lucky an interior lamp. The electrical diagram was shown on a single...
My pre-facelift W124 sedan The W124 model Mercedes automobiles went through a few exterior design revisions throughout their history, most notably to the front and rear. My 1990 model was perfect for me, because I wanted to facelift the rear (I won't venture to make up a term for this), but...