Tips on Buying and Installing Car Parts

Checking Your Car’s Tire Pressure

Some people might remember a time when getting gas meant pulling up to a station and having an attendant fill the tank and check the tire pressure. Those days are long gone in most places. Even full-service gas stations usually won’t check the pressure. That means motorists need to either learn to do it themselves or have a mechanic do it for them. Below, I’ll describe why you need to maintain the right pressure in your tires. Then, I’ll explain how to check them.

Importance Of Tire Pressure

When your tires don’t have enough pressure in them, it can reduce the safety of your vehicle while driving, limit its performance, and result in higher operating costs. First, low pressure can reduce traction and make the tires less responsive to your steering commands. During bad weather, this can lead to traffic accidents.

Second, if you have ever driven your car when the pressure is low, you may have noticed a sluggish response. This is due to a gripping reaction that the tires are having on the road, often because of worn treads. Third, it’s estimated that motorists burn through 5 million extra gallons of gas each day as a result of low pressure. The reduction in fuel efficiency drives up the cost of operating your car.

How To Check Tire Pressure

First, you’ll need to buy a gauge. A digital model that offers an accurate reading of the pressure should cost less than $15. If possible, check it before driving your car. When you drive, heat builds in your tires, and it can gradually increase the pressure within.

You’ll notice a small cap that covers each of the air valve stems. Remove the caps and place them next to you. They have a tendency to disappear, so you might want to put them in your pocket. Next, place your tire gauge on the valve stem and press in. You’ll hear a momentary hissing before it connects snugly. A couple of seconds should be long enough to get an accurate reading of the pressure. Write it down for each of your tires.

Before you fill them with air, take a look at your car manufacturer’s handbook. It should list the recommended pressure levels. Sometimes, the recommended levels will be the same for all 4 tires. Other times, the levels for the front will be different than those for the rear. Once you have checked the air pressure and you know the manufacturer’s recommended levels, you can visit any gas station to fill them. Most stations will charge a few quarters for the compressed air, so bring some change with you.

Does Your Car Battery Need To Be Recharged?

Your car’s battery needs to be strong enough to crank the engine. Unfortunately, there are times when the battery can begin to lose its ability to do so. When turning the ignition, you may notice the engine cranking slowly. If the problem persists, you’ll need to either recharge or replace your car’s battery. Even if your engine eventually turns over and starts, the battery can become damaged over time. In this article, I’ll describe how a battery generates its charge. Then, I’ll explain how you can recharge it when necessary.

Overview Of A Battery’s Charge

Your car battery is comprised of cell plates, lead, and sulfuric acid. Ideally, when you turn the ignition, the lead that is in the cell plates interacts with the sulfuric acid. That creates a current. The battery transmits the current to crank the engine over. However, sulfate will begin to gather and build up on the cell plates over time. When it does, it can hamper the battery’s ability to generate a current.

The more sulfate that gathers, the less capable of creating a current your battery becomes. The build up happens more quickly when a battery is charged and discharged frequently. It can also happen as a result of the battery laying dormant for several days.

Checking The Charge

Even though you can’t technically test your battery without the help of a mechanic, you can still check its “state of charge.” If your battery has a cap on top that can be removed, you can use a floating hydrometer to check the level of acid solution inside. If the hydrometer shows a level of 1.265, it indicates a full charge. If it shows 1.230, it’s 25% depleted. 1.200 suggests that the battery is only charged at half its capacity.

If the top of your battery can’t be removed, it’s likely that it has an internal hydrometer. It will usually suggest only the charge for one of the cells, but it may also provide an average over all of the cells. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s still useful.

How To Recharge The Battery

In most cases, you can recharge your battery by having someone jump start the engine. Your car’s internal charging system can do the rest. Once the engine has been jump started, drive your car uninterrupted for 20 to 25 minutes. That should completely charge the battery. If it’s already fully discharged prior to the jump start, you won’t be able to do much. At that point, it’s time to buy a new one.

Basics Of A Catalytic Converter

Your car’s catalytic converter controls the emissions from the engine. Specifically, it manages the toxicity of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. All 3 are found in the exhaust of your car. The catalytic converter transforms them into compounds that are virtually harmless. In doing so, it controls the pollutants emitted from your car while it’s running. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how they work and why they’re important.

A Growing Problem

Each day, tens of millions of cars are driven in the U.S. alone. The exhaust that spews from them is often invisible, but potentially harmful. The problem is that many of these cars are driven in busy cities. Over time, the emissions can create a health issue and an environmental impact. Years ago, laws were passed in order to help control the problem. Those laws basically limit the level of pollutants that cars can legally release. In response, car manufacturers designed the catalytic converter. It converts the pollutants into compounds that aren’t nearly as dangerous.

What Pollutants Do They Control?

As mentioned, catalytic converters manage 3 main pollutants. First, hydrocarbons are the byproduct of fuel that isn’t used. When it evaporates, it becomes smog. Second, carbon monoxide is a gas that is poisonous. Third, nitrogen oxides are known to contribute to both smog and acid rain.

There are other compounds within your car’s emissions. They include carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas. Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of a combustion process that fuses the carbon within the fuel to water. On the other hand, nitrogen gas is a mostly harmless vapor. It passes through your car’s engine without even reaching the catalytic converter.

Can Catalytic Converters Fail?

In a word, yes. They can become clogged or plugged. This often happens as a result of receiving fuel from the engine that hasn’t been burned. When enough of it accumulates, it creates intense heat within the catalytic converter, causing the ceramic substrates to melt down. They can also fail when too much oil is present. The metals found in the oil can cause the converter to become clogged.

If you suspect that your car’s converter is not working properly, have a technician test it. Not only can it impact the performance of your car, but it will fail to effectively manage the toxicity of the compounds within your car’s exhaust. Eventually, your car will fail a smog check, forcing your to have the catalytic converter repaired or replaced.

How To Know When Your Fuel Filter Needs Replacing

Your fuel filter has an important job. It catches the tiny particles that are present in your gas tank. Those particles can enter your tank when you take the cap off to fill up with gas. Or, the inside of the tank can begin to flake. The fuel filter is the first line of defense in preventing those particles from reaching the fuel injection system or carburetor. If the filter becomes clogged, it can prevent fuel from passing through. When that happens, your car will stop running. Even if the fuel filter is partially clogged, the engine will only be able to operate at low speeds.

In this article, I’ll explain why you may want to ignore your car manufacturer’s suggestions for replacing the filter. Plus, I’ll describe a few details that you’ll need to know if you’re replacing it yourself.

Better Safe Than Sorry

First, you should realize that a fuel filter will only cost about $20. Plus, replacing it only takes a few minutes. A lot of car manufacturers either fail to suggest when you should replace the filter, or they’ll suggest replacing it every 5 years. This is one of the only cases in which you should ignore the manufacturer’s recommendation. Your car’s fuel filter can become clogged much sooner than 5 years, especially if you’re using cheap gas. Given how inexpensive the part is, and the minimum labor required to replace it, you should do so once a year.

Replacing Your Fuel Filter

Before replacing the fuel filter, you’ll need to let your engine cool. Then, find the fuse box or relay that controls the fuel pump, and relieve some of the pressure. You need to do this before disconnecting the filter. If you don’t, you may injure yourself. Once you’ve released the pressure, remove the old fuel filter. If your car has a fuel injection system, you’ll need to find 2 wrenches to take it out. A quick note of caution: be careful when removing it because it will likely still have gas within.

Installing the new filter is simple. Just make sure that you also replace the fuse or relay. Once the new filter is installed, your car will probably get better gas mileage. This is due to the carburetor or fuel injection system working more efficiently with cleaner gas. Remember, new fuel filters are inexpensive. Replace it each year to avoid clogging issues that can prevent your engine from functioning properly.

Advice For Replacing Your Car’s Air Filter

You can’t see it, but the air that goes through your car can play a major role in the long-term integrity of its engine. Over time, the dust and debris in the air can reduce your engine’s performance while limiting its life. Fortunately, your car’s air filter can help preserve your engine by catching most of the debris. But, it’s not infallible.

If you have ever looked at your car’s air filter, you may have noticed how dirty it is. Chances are, you need to have it replaced. It’s life cycle is limited because after awhile, it becomes clogged. When that happens, your engine’s power will begin to deteriorate. Below, I’ll describe when you should replace the air filter in your car in order to preserve the life of your engine.

Your Mileage May Vary

Unlike an oil change that should be performed every 4,000 miles, there’s no mileage interval that tells you when it’s time to replace the air filter. Some drivers will need to replace it after driving 20,000 miles. Others may need to do so after 10,000 miles.

The reason is due to the type of air that the filter – and potentially, the engine – is exposed to. For example, if you drive your car mostly on freeways, the air won’t have that much debris in it. As a result, the air filter will likely last for 20,000 miles. But, consider what happens when you’re driving on a dusty, gravely road. The dust and dirt is kicked up into the air constantly. Over time, your filter becomes filthy due to the high level of debris. In that case, your filter may only last 5,000 miles.

When To Replace Your Air Filter

First, a little dirt actually helps your filter clean the air of debris. That’s mostly due to the dirt that’s already in the filter catching the tiny bits of debris that can otherwise slip through. But, that’s a short-lived stage. Once too much dirt accumulates, you’ll lose fuel efficiency and you’ll notice your engine performing sluggishly.

The best thing to do is check your air filter whenever you change your car’s oil. If you have a mechanic change the oil, ask him to check the filter. Hold it up to the light. If there’s a significant amount of debris, replace it. They’re inexpensive (usually $20 or less). And at that price, preserving your engine can be a fantastic investment.