1. Replace Your Wiper Blades
-It's easy to tell when your blades need replacing. Simply press the washer button and see if your blades wipe clean. If they streak, they're toast. The auto parts store will have lots of economy blades, but go with a name brand instead (ANCO, Trico or Bosch). They cost more than economy blades, but their higher-quality rubber wipes better, has better UV protection and lasts longer. Follow the installation instructions on the package. Be sure you have a firm grip on the wiper arm once you remove the old blade. If it gets away from you, it can hit the windshield with enough force to crack it.
2. Service Your 'Tuck-Under' Spare Tire Lift Now!
-Loosen and lubricate a corroded spare tire lift so you can get to your spare tire when you need it. See how to keep that spare tire lift loose so you can get the tire when you need it. Most trucks, vans and SUVs stow the spare tire under the vehicle. It's a great space-saving idea, but one that doesn't always work well in the real world. The corrosive brew of road salt, mud and sand usually eats away at the tire lift's metal components, rendering the lift unusable when you need it most. Picture yourself with a flat tire at the side of the road—in a storm, of course. You can prevent that nightmare by checking your spare tire lift right now, in the comfort of your garage. If you don't know how to lower the spare tire, consult your owner's manual. Check to make sure you still have the factory cranking tools. Now is the time to get any replacement parts. Start by raising your vehicle and supporting it with jack stands. Try lowering the spare tire. If it's stuck, shoot spray rust penetrant through the wheel openings to saturate the lift. Required Tools for this Project You'll need jack stands for this project.
3. Solve Rough Idle by Cleaning EGR Valve
Idling and stalling problems can really add stress to your daily commute. The most common culprit is carbon buildup on the throttle body, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve and idle air control (IAC) valve. In this article, we’ll show you how to clean an EGR valve. This simple procedure can often bring an EGR valve back from the dead and restore a smooth idle. If the cleaning doesn’t work, you’ll have to replace the valve.
Refer to a shop manual to find the location of your EGR valve. If it’s fairly accessible, stop at an auto parts store and buy a new EGR gasket, a spray can of throttle body cleaner, and rust penetrant. Spray the EGR retaining bolts with rust penetrant and let them sit while you disconnect the electrical and vacuum lines from the valve (label the vacuum lines so you know which ports they came from). Then remove the retaining bolts and lift the EGR valve out of the engine compartment.
Place the valve on a bed of paper towels and tilt it so the cleaning solvent won’t drain into the electric solenoid or vacuum motor, which operates the metering rod—the solvent can damage those components. Spray the port and metering rod until they’re clean (wear eye protection and gloves). Once the parts are clean, check for smooth metering rod operation by forcing the rod in and out of the port with a screwdriver. It should slide smoothly and close completely in the port. If not, apply solvent to a cotton swab and clean the shaft and port.
Check the passage under the EGR valve to see if it’s clogged with carbon. If it is, gently chip out the carbon with a small screwdriver and vacuum it out with a shop vacuum. Then reinstall the EGR valve using the new gasket.
Required Tools and Materials;
- 4-in-1 screwdriver
- Rags
- Shop vacuum
- Socket/ratchet set
- Cotton swabs
- Disposable gloves
- EGR gasket
- Rust penetrant
- Throttle body cleaner
4. Fix a Leaky Valve Cover Gasket
Assess your engine type and gather tools and materials
If you could look inside the valve cover on the top of your running engine, you’d see a whole lot of oil splashing around. The valve cover catches that oil and sends it back into the engine. But over time, valve cover gaskets shrink, harden and start leaking oil. On a V-type engine, the leaking oil usually just drips down the side of the engine (and onto your driveway) and turns into black muck. But on a four-cylinder engine, it can actually leak into the spark plug tubes and cause misfires. Replacing the gaskets on a V-type engine is a job for the pros. But you can replace the gasket on a four-cylinder engine in about an hour and for less than $25
Pick up a new valve cover gasket kit, a tube of room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) sealant and a spray can of brake cleaner. You’ll need ordinary metric sockets, a plastic putty knife and a torque wrench.
Tap the cover loose; Remove the bolts and tap around the valve cover with a soft-faced mallet to break it loose. Never pry with metal tools—they can gouge the aluminum cylinder head and cause permanent leaks.
Start the job by removing the decorative plastic cover on the top of the engine (if equipped). Next, remove (and label) any hoses, cables and electrical connectors that attach to the valve cover. Then remove the spark plugs.
If you see any oil pooling in the spark plug tubes, clean it out with a rag wrapped around a screwdriver. Get out as much gunk as you can and then remove and, if necessary, replace the spark plugs with new ones before proceeding. Once the new plugs are in, remove the valve cover hold-down bolts, noting the length and location of each bolt. Then break the valve cover loose and lift it off the engine.
Peel off the old gasket and clean the valve cover with brake cleaner and clean rags. Next, clean the gasket mating surfaces on the engine. Use the plastic putty knife (never metal) to remove any traces of old RTV from the timing belt cover-to-cylinder head. Catch the old RTV with a rag so it doesn’t fall into the engine. Once the cover and mating surfaces are clean and dry, apply new RTV in the same locations and install the new gasket. Valve cover gaskets are designed to seal “dry,” so don’t apply sealant to the face of the gasket.
Finish off the job by snugging up the valve cover bolts to the torque specifications in your shop manual. Keep in mind that valve cover bolt specs are usually shown in inch/lbs., not foot/ lbs. To convert inch/lbs. to foot/lbs., simply divide by 12.
Reinstall all the cables, hoses, ignition components and electrical connectors and fire it up.
Required Tools for the Valve Cover Gasket Repair Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.
- plastic
- Putty knife
- Rubber mallet
- Socket/ratchet set
You’ll also need a torque wrench.
Required Materials for the Valve Cover Gasket Repair Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here’s a list.
- Brake cleaner
- Valve cover gasket kit
- Vulcanizing (RTV) sealant
DYI Success Story
When my dad and I were changing the spark plugs on my Saturn, we noticed oil leaking around them. My dad said it was from a leaky valve cover gasket. We bought a new gasket for $20 and had it installed in about 20 minutes—it was really easy. But a few weeks later it was leaking again. We didn’t know we had to smear silicone sealant over the timing cover joint. We redid the whole job, including the goop step this time, and it’s been leak-free ever since. Best part is, I figure I saved about $100! Morgan
5. Replace Sway Bar End Links
-Loosen the nut
Soak the nut and stud with penetrating oil. Then use the special tool to hold the ball stud while you put all your force into breaking the nut loose. Then use the holding tool and a metric box end wrench to finish the job.
Worn stabilizer bushings and sway bar end links can cause horrible clunking noises when you drive over bumps. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to check them by feel (they’re loaded with vehicle weight) or by sight. So you have to start replacing parts until you find the noisy culprit.
Start with the stabilizer bushings. They’re the most likely candidates, and they’re also the cheapest and easiest to replace (about $10 a pair). Just remove the bushing brackets one or two bolts each) and slip on the new bushings. But if you’ve replaced those and are ready to tackle the sway bar end links (about $40 each), stop! Removing the rusted nuts can easily turn into an all-day affair. Since you’ll save about $100 labor by doing the job yourself, it’s worth getting a special stabilizer bar end link tool. Once the nuts (two per link) are off, the rest of the job is a piece of cake.
Required Tools for this Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.
- Socket/ratchet set
- Wrench set
You’ll need a special stabilizer bar end link tool.
Required Materials for this Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here’s a list.
- Penetrating oil
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