Mechapedia

Have youever experienced a milkshake coolant in your radiator. Never think its a modern coolant, your oil cooler is just bad and needs to be replaced. I just finished working on a 2011 Mercedes Benz C300, which had this problem. Steps to fixing the problem on a C300 1. Observe where the milkshake colour is. If its in the sump, its probably a blown gasket but if you see it only in the water reservoir then the oil cooler is bad. 2. Remove the radiator hose and allow the coolant to flow out. 3. Loose the power steering reservoir so as to get access to the fasteners on the oil cooler. 4. Loose the fasteners on the cooler and bring it out. 5. Replace the old damaged oil cooler with the new one. Make sure you change the seal between the oil filter cup and the oil cooler and also use a good sealant gum on the seal between the cooler and the oil filter cup. The oil cooler spoils when the seals inside it gets bad. 6. Fasten the power steering reservoir back. 7. Flush the entire eng...

It is very easy to change the dashboard of your car, but there are steps to take if you don't get things mess up.  1. Remove the positive terminal of your battery, if you don't want to fry up your fuse. Note; if your car doesn't on after changing your dashboard display please check your fuse box. 2. Sit on the drivers seat. Check on the dashboard display, you will find two screw. Use a screw driver and undo them. 3. Pull out the housing covering the dashboard display.unscrew the dashboard display and pull it out. 4. Remove the electrical wire harness socket at its back. 5. Fix the new dashboard display. 6. Fix your battery terminal and on your car... Taadah.... Your car is good to go....

Brake lights are been turned up on the dash board whenever the brake pads wears to an unbearable level or sometimes when the sensor become faulty. so when you see a break light pop up, don't get weary it might just be that the fluids are very low.. First check the brake fluid level, then check the level of your brake pad and see if it needs to be change.  Range rover has two brake pad sensors, one in the front- left tyre and the other one in the rear right tyre.                                            Steps to detecting a faulty sensor Trace the brake sensor wire from where it fits into the brake pad upwards to a junction box close to the wish bone. Open the junction box, be careful not to tamper with the ABS sensor. Disconnect the brake sensor wire. ...

VIN (Vehicle identification Number) or chassis Number is series of code in numbers and alphabet which helps individuals to identify cars, trucks and other automobiles.The VIN can be found by the side of the hood, on the windshield and by the side of the door. click this link to get full details on  VIN 

Every automobile uses an exhaust system for two major reasons; to expel unwanted gases into the surrounding and to reduce the sound made by the engine into its barest minimum. The system rusts both from the inside and the outs The exhaust consists of; the exhaust manifold, mid-pipe, catalytic converter, exhaust pipe, muffler/silencer, and the exhaust pipe tip (tail pipe). 1. The exhaust manifold; The exhaust manifold helps to collect the gases from the engine. 2. Catalytic converter; This is an emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in the exhaust gas to less toxic pollutant by catalysing a redox reaction. For instance the carbon monoxide(CO) reacts with oxygen(O 2 ) and unburned hydrocarbon to form carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water (H 2 O). 3. Muffler/ silencer; Every engine produces supersonic sounds which are not palatable to the ear. So there is need to device a system to reduce this noise. The silencer consists of a baffle...

All cars in recent times are fitted with air cleaners. Air cleaners are materials fitted in a car to prevent dust and unwanted materials from entering the combustion chamber. Air cleaners also acts as silencers which muffles the hissing sounds from the carburettor air intake. Many cleaners have summer and winter settings. In winter the air cleaner entry tube is swung round to pick up warm air from the exhaust manifold. This helps cold starting and prevents carburettor icing. NB: make sure your air cleaners are cleaned at regular interval, lets say , clean air cleaners during engine service. Blow paper air filters with pressurized air to remove dust from it. If you don't clean your air filters at regular intervals, it will reduce the amount of air going into the engine which can cause the check engine light to come up. So it is advisable to clean or replace(if it is too bad) as the case maybe. Types of air cleaner: 1. Paper : This filters are more efficient , easy to s...

The brake system is one of the most important controls in a car. Some car owners don't know when to change the brake pads. Some times you might not need to remove the tyre of a car to know if the brakes are gone. An eye inspection is all you need. Check the brake pad and see if the it has reduced. There are some cars that you may need to pull out the tyres to inspect the brake pads. You can also know if you brake pads are worn from the kind of noise it makes. if you hear a screeching noise while driving, that is probably the wear indicator on the brake pads telling you ' I need to be changed'. You can also open the hood of your car to check the level of your brake fluid, if it is lower than expected your brake pads are probably worn out. Please don't wait until the brake pad wears out completely before you change it. 

To troubleshoot a car that is not starting , one must know if it is a no crank/no start issue or a crank no/start issue. No crank/no start means when the key is been put in the ignition the engine doesn't revolve. While a crank/no start means that the engine revolves but doesn't start. Troubleshooting no crank/no start case: When the key is turned into the on position and the car doesn't start rather a click sound is heard. Check if the car has security. Open the hood of your car and check the connector wires if they are well fitted on the battery head. If they are not,tighten the nut and start the car. If the no start/no crank continues check if the terminals are corroded. If they are, make sure they are cleaned. If the car doesn't start after cleaning the terminals and tightening the connectors, the battery might be faulty. Put on the head lamp and see if it shines bright, if its dim the battery is probably low or bad as the case may be. Check the voltage of...

The level of your car's automatic transmission fluid ( ATF) should be checked every morning and topped if need be. ATF should be changed according to the millage specification by the car's manufacturer. Some manufacturers demand you to change it in every 30,000 miles. While changing your ATF your self, the following steps should be be followed; 1. Drive the car around to make the fluid hot and less viscous. 2. Jack the car and support it with axle stands. Never go under a car that is not supported with axle stands, it can cost you a lot. 3. Unscrew the drain plug under the gear box and drain the ATF. 4. Screw the drain plug back 5. Open the hood. 6. look for where the dipstick for the ATF is located. This is for honda cars and some Toyota. 7. Remove the dipstick. 8. Fill your oil gun with the ATF. 9. Use the gun to fill the gearbox via the hole for the dipstick. 10. constantly check the gauge of the ATF.  

To improve the life span of your tyre, one must ensure that the correct pressure is what is filed into his tyre. Every car manufacturer writes the pressure that should be filled into the car's tyre. This pressure which is in either kilopaschal or bar can be found on a sticker by the door. When a tyre is not well gauged it causes: 1. irregular wear on the tyre tread; when a tyre is over inflated it causes the tyre to wear very fast at the center and if under inflated it wears faster by its sides. 2. It can also cause the steering to be stiff which in turn causes high consumption of fuel. 3. It can also reduce the stability of a car.

Changing car batteries can really be dicey,so one must be careful. Changing batteries can also be easy and fun, if you follow this easy steps. 1. Make sure you buy a battery with the same amperage with the used one 2. Loose the fastener holding the battery. 3. Unscrew the nut holding the negative terminal and remove it. Make sure the terminal is not touching any metal in the car. 4. Do same thing to the negative terminal. 5. Place the new battery on the position of the old one 6. Connect the positive terminal first and screw the nut. 7. Do the same to the negative terminal. Make sure your car is not on .

There are many causes of vibration in a car, some simple while others are complex. So when next you notice that your car is vibrating you  don't have to get all worked up. 1. bad spark plugs. 2. loose air hose. 3. bad engine mount. 4. bad gearbox mount. 5. little or no oil in the gearbox. 6. broken fan. 7. bad or loose timing belt. 8. leakage or block in the fuel intake system.

The car engine converts chemical energy to mechanical and heat energy, most of the  heat dissipated must be transferred out of the system to keep it in a good working condition.  The car engine use the radiator which in turn uses the electric fan and thermosyphon method to cool its system. For a car to overheat that means the car has a problem either with water circulation or an electric fan issue. CAUSES OF OVERHEATING 1. Low coolant; The coolant level might be low due to leaky hose. To stop overheating the coolant level must be between the minimum level and the maximum level in the reservoir. Also check the radiator for leaks  2. Faulty thermostat; The thermostat is located in the engine, it helps regulate the flow of coolant into the engine block. 3. Faulty electric fan; The fan helps to cool the coolant in the radiator. 4. Clog in the radiator and engine; this clog is caused by minerals in the water. They tend to block the water ways there...

Engine is  the life of a car and must be taken care of , one must take note every little change in his engine be it sound or the kind of smoke it brings out. When a smoky engine is detected ,you don't have to get all worked up because you might not have to spend much to bring the car back to a sound state. STEPS TO TROUBLESHOOTING A SMOKY ENGINE 1. Check the colour of the smoke being emitted by the engine. a. Blue smoke; blue smoke implies the engine oil is entering into the combustion chamber. b. Black smoke; This implies that the fuel entering into the combustion chamber is too much and there is incomplete combustion of fuel in the engine. c. White smoke; This implies that coolant is entering the combustion chamber. The white smoke is actually steam. Take note; Its normal to see a white smoke when you turn on your engine in the morning. 2. Check the oil to see if it is contaminated by water or fuel. smell it to check if it has a hard fuel smell , if it do...

Due to the constant motion and combustion in the engine, the engine produces very high temperature which has an adverse effect to its working. So to keep engines in the right working condition, scientists came up with a substances called COOLANT. Coolant basically is any substance that can reduce the working temperature of any component. NB; The working temperature of a car is between 80- 85degree Celsius. Causes of overheating 1. No water in the radiator 2. Minerals from the water has formed clogs in the water ways 3.  Bad thermostat 4. Faulty fan 5. bad hose Steps to adding coolants 1. Check manufacturer's manual for the right coolant to use 2.Open your bonnet and locate the radiator reservoir 3.Open the cap slowly 4.  Pour the coolant into the reservoir to the maximum point. Do not exceed the maximum point. NB ; you can pour only the coolant or mix it with distilled water (50/50)

When you see a this light on your dashboard ,your car is telling you that there is something wrong with your engine and it demands you to check it pretty fast. This can vary from emission system malfunction to misfiring of the cylinders to low fuel pressure and so on. In this article we will be talking about P0174. P0174 is the trouble code the OBD II would bring out when you probably notice that your fuel intake is higher than normal, although there are many causes of this symptom. P0174 means that the oxygen sensor bank 2 has detected too much of oxygen in the exhaust ( a lean mixture). Possible causes of P0174 1. Intake air leaks 2. Faulty front heated oxygen sensor 3. Ignition misfire 4. Exhaust gas leaks 5. incorrect fuel pressure 6. lack of fuel 7. faulty MAF, mass flow sensor. Possible Solutions 1. change the Air filter 2. Clean the MAF sensor 3. Check for leakages in the air system 4. Clean the injectors

An injector is a device in a vehicle that allows fuel or diesel enter into the intake manifold of the engine in the right proportion and time. When the a car is scanned with an OBD II and it brings out codes like P0300 to P0308 it shows that the car in question is misfiring. Engine misfire can be caused by any of the following ; 1. bad spark plugs. 2. dirty injector pumps. 3. vacuum leak in the intake manifold. 4. weak injector coil. 5. low fuel pressure.   Tools needed to clean an injector 1. a set of spanner 2. choke cleaner 3. a container lets get started ; 1. Remove the cover from the engine. 2. pull out the wires from the injectors and pull the injectors out of the engine, one after the other 3. use paper to cover the holes where the injector fits in. This will prevent foreign bodies from entering the engine while working on the injector. 4. put the injectors in a container. 5. cover the container half way and spray the choke cleaner into th...

After changing the oil of your car  , the oil life is suppose to go back to a hundred percent. But in some cases it doesn't. The steps below proves true for all Q5 models from year 2013 to 2015. step 1; scroll down to service interval and select it. step 2; select reset oil change interval step 3 ; select yes step 4; turnoff the ignition . step 5; start the engine. Having any questions to ask about your car? ask, an you shall receive answers.

Tires could be very costly in the market. So to preserve expenses one must learn what to do to maximize or increase his car tire life.  There are certain things habit that one should cultivate. This habits helps the tire thread last longer, it ensure smooth car coasting ,reduces the consumption of fuel. 1. Wheel Balancing ; Due to rough roads ,must times weights are unevenly distributed on the rim this makes the rims unbalanced.If you notice a n uneven tire wear or wobbling, it is advisable for you to do wheel balancing. 2. Wheel Alignment; Improper car alignment also causes uneven wear on your tire. Sometimes you will find out that the wear is on the outer part of the tire , this is because its the outer part of the tire that makes the contact with the road and the pressure will be more there. 3. Put the right pressure ; Different cars demands different pressure , some cars may need 35psi while some might need 40psi. I know of some cars that even use different pressures for t...

 Since car owners have to change there oil every 10000 mile during mild conditions, 5000 miles during severe conditions or even every three months as some mechanics will advise, car owners must learn the do it yourself procedure if they want to save cost.  cars perform well with the right oil in their engines , so the choice of the kind of oil to use comes into play. how do you know the right oil to use?, should i use the SAE5W- 30?or the SAE 5W -20? , my friends Honda uses the SAE5W-30 it should be good for my car. Different cars uses different oil grades .   Open the hood of your car and check on the oil cover on the engine or check manufacturers manual for the right grade of oil to use.  Next  know the quantity of oil to use . This is very easy to ascertain, the first question you should ask yourself is , is my car a V6 , a V8 or does it use four plugs. if its a V6 it can not use more than 7 litres of oil, if it is a V8 it can not use more than 9 litres o...

The market is seen as a loin's den. Where every body want to make money at the other persons expense. Now most marketers even sell bad tires in place of new ones. here are simple steps to make good buys in the market. 1. YOUR TIRE SIZE; check your old tire for the specification . this will help you buy the right tire for your car .    225/55R17  the series of number above is the tire specification. You don't need to be a genius to understand the number above , it just tells us about the width ( 225), aspect ratio (55) , the construction of the tire (R), and the Rim size.  so check the side wall for this very information. 2  CHECK FOR THE YEAR OF MANUFACTURE 3  CHECK FOR BULGE AND WEAR ON THE TIRE ;This bulges can cause the tires to womble while driving. 4   CHECK FOR HAIRLIKE FURS AND RUBBER LINE ON THE TIRE; This shows that the tire has not been used on a any car.

Do tires actually expire ? , or do they last forever. this are questions people ask about tires and I have the answers for them. But before I answer the this question ,I would like to ask some questions. The drugs you drink do they expire?, what of your  food, do they go bad? OK sorry maybe this are perishable items. what of the oil we put in our engine? .If they do then tires definitely does expire. tires expire because they are made of rubbers and rubbers degrades with age. HOW DO WE KNOW THE EXPIRY DATE OF A TIRE Actually tire manufacturers don't write the expiry dates on tires but they put the manufacturing date. Tyre expires five years after manufacture. To know the manufacturing date of your tire ,check for a four digit number at the sidewall of the tire.                                         ...