Praise For Auto Repair for dummies potx

Praise For Auto Repair for dummies
"Ms. Sclar stresses preventive medicine for the automotive patient
with a bedside manner that any physician would envy."
—Reprinted with Permission of The Dallas Morning News
"It has dispelled automotive myths and mystique for long-suffering
motorists, male and female."
—Paul Dean, Los Angeles Times
"This book may be easily used as a primer for both understanding auto-
motives and performing service and repair on all major car components.
If only a few titles are purchased for an automotive collection, this should
be one of them."
—Library Journal
"An auto repair manual for people who think they can't do it themselves."
—The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA
" an idiot-proof guide to painless, money-saving car care."
—The Toronto Star
"An indispensable manual for any do-it-yourselfer."
—Auto Advocate
"If you're tired of macho mechanics who seem to talk to you in a foreign
language, who you suspect may be ripping you off and who never
seem to completely-fix your car, then Deanna Sclar has just what you
need."
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"Even car owners who consider do-it-yourself car repair with the same
trepidation as they would a self-performed tonsillectomy will find valu-
able material in this volume .valuable to anyone who drives."
—The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA
TM
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Hungry Minds"
1/01
Auto Repair
For
Dummies
Auto Repair
by Deanna Sclar
Hungry Minds™
HUNGRY MINDS, INC.
New York, NY • Cleveland, OH • Indianapolis, IN
Auto Repair For Dummies®
Published by
Hungry Minds, Inc.
909 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
www.hungryminds.com
www.duramies.com
Copyright © 1999 Hungry Minds Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and
icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 99-88811
ISBN: 0-7645-5089-6
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8
1B/SQ/QU/QR/IN
Distributed in the United States by Hungry Minds, Inc.
Distributed by CDG Books Canada Inc. for Canada; by Transworld Publishers Limited in the United Kingdom; by IDG
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LIMIT OF UABIUTY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS
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As set forth in a 1979 Settlement Agreement and Release between McGraw-Hill, Inc. and Philip R. Martin, Hungry Minds, Inc. includes
the following statement: "Title by permission of Philip R. Martin, author of Auto Mechanics for the Complete Dummy, © 1974."
About the Author
Deanna Sclar is the internationally best-selling author of Buying a Car For
Dummies, a guide to purchasing new and used vehicles, insurance, and
more. A former contributing editor to Family Circle, Boys'Life, and
Exploring, she also writes a regular column for the Los Angeles Times and
has written articles that have appeared in Redbook, New Woman, and other
national magazines.
As an automotive expert and consumer spokesperson, Deanna has
appeared on more than 700 radio and TV shows, including Good Morning
America, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Today, Sonya Live, and The
Gayle King Show. Her Auto Repair For Dummies video was a National Home
Video Awards finalist. She's co-hosted Outrageous Women, a weekly TV talk
show, and has produced, written, hosted, and edited several documentaries.
The former "Thumbs Sclar" has restored two classic cars, a truck, and a
house. An inveterate gypsy and blue-water sailor, she has crewed her way
across the Pacific and Polynesia, sailed and dived the Great Barrier Reef,
trekked alone for nine months through southeast Asia and five months
through Brazil, and crossed the Atlantic in a small boat with a companion
and a cat.
"My goal is to prove that we have control over our lives," she says.
"Whether you are working on a car or making a lifelong dream come true,
it's a do-it-yourself world. Knowing this has turned my life into a great

adventure, and I want to pass the good news on to everybody else!"
Dedication
For my children, Gina and Casey, who are now old enough for cars of their
own. May we stay "in tune" forever!
Acknowledgments
Terry Miller of the Auto Parts and Accessories Association (APAA), Tim
Sullivan, Rick Johnson, and Jack Trotter — the "godfathers" of the original
edition. Your good advice, bright ideas, valuable leads, and unhesitating
friendship meant a lot to me. I hope the good Karma flows back your way!
Don Donesley, my first automotive guru, whose classes and advice made
this book possible. Thanks for introducing me to three of the finest things
in life: cars, beer, and the Mojave Desert!
Tim Tierney and Bob McMinn, of the APAA, who offered valuable sugges-
tions for the revised editions. Thanks for the time and trouble!
Rosemarie Kitchin, Bob Rodriguez, Tom Houston, Anton Veseley, and A. B.
Schuman, who provided leads and illustrations for the first revised edition.
You are the kind of friendly, helpful people who make working in the auto-
motive field a pleasure indeed!
The old Thursday Evening Auto Class at University High School, a truly
communal group who shared ideas, tools, and elbow grease; served as
guinea pigs for one another; changed master cylinders by flashlight; and
got it all together over beer and pizza afterward. Wherever you all are now,
pals, thanks for being your beautiful selves!
John Cutsinger, who provided the kind of backup that every writer needs to
free her so she can write. Thanks for the hot meals, the errands run, the
unfailing good humor, and the sympathy that only another car-freak can
offer.
Paul Dean, John O'Dell, and Ira Siegel, whose technical insights were invalu-
able in updating this book.

All the wonderful people at Hungry Minds who held my hand, advised and
encouraged me, and worked hard and long on this book, especially Holly
McGuire, Acquisitions Editor; Pam Mourouzis, Senior Project Editor; Tracy
Barr, "Dummification expert"; Wendy Hatch and Tammy Castleman, Copy
Editors; Heather Prince, Acquisitions Coordinator and Internet wizard;
Regina Snyder, Project Coordinator; Brian Drumm, Graphics Technician;
Brian Torwelle, Page Layout Technician; Nancy Reinhardt, Proofreader; and
Carol Burbo, Indexer. You are absolutely the best editorial team I've ever
encountered. May the Fonts be with you!
And, finally, thanks to Tweety Bird, faithful Mustang, who survived all the
experiments and mistakes and grew up to be a fine car and a worthy steed,
and to Honeybun, my dream car come true.
What's So Special about Auto
Repair For Dummies
It Is Not Written for Confirmed "Do-It-Yourselfers." It Is for You If
V
0
You have never held a wrench.
V* You are positive that, in your case, manual labor can lead only
to disaster.
t* You haven't the vaguest idea of how a car works.
V You cannot identify anything you see under the hood of your
vehicle.
!<" You have failed shop or arts and crafts.
W You believe that if you do something wrong, your car can
blow up.
To Enjoy This Book, It Would Help If
You don't believe that working on your car can possibly be fun,
but you're willing to give it a try for any reason whatsoever.
* You are sincerely tired of being ripped off because of your

own ignorance.
Why Should That Be Enjoyable? Because You Will Be More Delighted
Than Anyone Else to Find
f* Cars run on principles that are as easy to understand as
common sense.
V
0
Most of the devices on your car will not hurt you unless you
really go out of your way to hurt yourself.
v>* Not only can you get a fair deal, but you can save a tremen-
dous amount of money, extend the life of your vehicle, save on
fuel, do your bit for the environment, and have a heck of a
good time working on your car!
V** It's fun because it's so easy and you expected to hate it or be
bored or befuddled.
Here's How Auto Repair For Dummies Accomplishes These Miracles:
By starting from scratch (it even shows you what a screw-
driver looks like)
0
By providing step-by-step illustrated instructions for even the
simplest tasks
v
0
By telling you exactly what you need and how to know if
you've been given the wrong part
J> By covering each system thoroughly in simple terms before
you get to work on it (it's easier to work on something that
you understand)
There Are Fringe Benefits, Too!
v* Your vehicle will run better and live longer.

V* Automotive technicians will respect you.
v* You'll have more money to spend on other things.
v* You'll no longer be a dummy.
It Tells You the Truth About
J^ What makes your vehicle go (and how and why as well)
i* The easy work involved in keeping your car well tuned and
running right, and how to tell what's wrong if trouble strikes
V A program of "preventive medicine" to avoid trouble, which
takes about 15 minutes a month
& Whether you can handle a problem yourself, and how to get it
fixed at a fair price if you can't
These Features Will Make life Even Easier
* A Practical Glossary of Automotive Terms that are in special
type throughout the book so that you can refresh your
memory if you've forgotten what something means
* A detailed Index where you can look up a part, a problem, a
symptom, or a specific job and find the page you need
* A Maintenance Record so that you can keep track of what
you've done and when you did it
* A Specifications Record where you can keep all the informa-
tion you need to buy the right parts for your vehicle
* A Tool Checklist so that you can tell what you need, what you
already have, and what you'd like for your birthday
* Tons of illustrations that show you how things look, where
they are, and what to do with them
This Revised Edition Also Tells You
How to keep your vehicle young and healthy looking, and how
to repair the dents, dings, and other hard knocks that life has
inflicted on its body
A whole bunch of stuff about diesel engines, alternatively

fueled vehicles, turbocharging, fuel injection, electronic igni-
tions, anti-lock brake systems, and other innovations that may
come into your life, like it or not
What to do if you meet with The Unexpected
You Have a Few Things to Supply, Too!
* You have to buy the book.
0
You have to read it.
* You have to try to do one small, easy job yourself (you can
pick the job).
And That's What's So Special about This Book!
It is probably the only auto repair manual designed for people who think
that they can't do it themselves, feel that they wouldn't like it anyway, but
are willing to give it a try. How do I know that it will work for these reluc-
tant readers? Because it is written by a genuine, certified ex-dummy who
has found that, despite total ignorance and a complete lack of manual dex-
terity, working on a car is enjoyable, rewarding, and easy. Believe me: If /
can do it, so can you!
DEANNA SCLAR
Publisher's Acknowledgments
We're proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Online Registration Form
located at www. dummi es.com.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and
Media Development
Senior Project Editor: Pamela Mourouzis
Acquisitions Editor: Holly McGuire
Copy Editors: Wendy Hatch,
Tamara Castleman
Technical Editors: Paul Dean, Ira Siegel

Editorial Coordinator: Maureen F. Kelly
Editorial Manager: Rev Mengle
Production
Project Coordinator: Regina Snyder
Layout and Graphics: Amy M. Adrian, Brian
Drumm, Angela F. Hunckler, Kate Jenkins,
Brent Savage, Jacque Schneider.
Janet Seib, Michael A. Sullivan,
Brian Torwelle, Maggie Ubertini,
Mary Jo Weis, Dan Whetstine
Special Art: Precision Graphics
Proofreaders: Nancy Price,
Nancy L. Reinhardt, Marianne Santy,
Rebecca Senninger, Toni Settle
Indexer: Carol Burbo
Special Help
Tracy Barr, Nicole Haims,
Jonathan Malysiak
General and Administrative
Hungry Minds, Inc.: John Kilcullen, CEO; Bill Barry, President and COO; John Ball, Executive VP,
Operations & Administration; John Harris, CFO
Hungry Minds Consumer Reference Group
Business: Kathleen A. Welton, Vice President and Publisher; Kevin Thornton,
Acquisitions Manager
Cooking/Gardening: Jennifer Feldman, Associate Vice President and Publisher
Education/Reference: Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher
Lifestyles: Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Publisher; Tracy Boggier, Managing Editor
Pets: Dominique De Vito, Associate Vice President and Publisher; Tracy Boggier,
Managing Editor
Travel: Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher; Suzanne Jannetta, Editorial Director;

Brice Gosnell, Managing Editor
Hungry Minds Consumer Editorial Services: Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Publisher;
Kristin A. Cocks, Editorial Director; Cindy Kitchel, Editorial Director
Hungry Minds Consumer Production: Debbie Stailey, Production Director
The publisher would like to give special thanks to Patrick J. McGovern,
without whom this book would not have been possible.
Contents at a Glance
Introduction I
Part I: Getting Started 9
Chapter 1: Things Every Driver Should Know 11
Chapter 2: The Way to Your Car's Heart Is through Your Toolbox 29
Chapter 3: Preventive Maintenance: A Monthly Under-the-Hood Check 55
Part II: What Makes It Go> 75
Chapter 4: The Inner Secrets of Your Car Revealed 77
Chapter 5: The Electrical System: Your Car's Spark of Life 89
Chapter 6: The Fuel System: The Heart and Lungs of Your Car 105
Chapter 7: From Horses to Hybrids: The Dope on Diesels and Alternatively
Powered Vehicles 131
Chapter 8: The Cooling System Up Close 159
Chapter 9: Take the Drive Train: Understanding Transmissions
without Losing Your Mind 167
Chapter 10: It's the Brakes! 179
Chapter 11: Steering and Suspension Systems Smooth the Way 191
Part III: Keeping \lour Car in Good Condition,
System by System 201
Chapter 12: Keeping Your Electrical System in Tune 203
Chapter 13: Keeping Your Fuel System in Tune 265
Chapter 14: Keeping Your Car from Getting Heartburn 293
Chapter 15: Changing Your Oil 327
Chapter 16: Lubrication Extends the Life of Your Vehicle 343

Chapter 17: What to Do If Your Transmission Stops Running Smoothly 355
Chapter 18: Being a Buddy to Your Brakes and Bearings 365
Chapter 19: Checking Your Tires, Alignment, and Steering 397
Part IV: Beating vOith On-the-RoadEmergencies ^!9
Chapter 20: Troubleshooting Leaks, Squeaks, Smells, and Strange Sensations 421
Chapter 21: What to Do If Your Car Drops Dead or Won't Start 433
Chapter 22: When All Else Fails: Finding and Dealing with a Good Mechanic 447
Part V: Helpinq Hour Vehicle Look Its Best
Chapter 23: Keeping Your Car Clean and Beautiful 469
Chapter 24: Getting Rid of Dings, Dents, and Other Hard Knocks 489
Part VI: The Part of Tens 503
Chapter 25: The Ten Most Important Preventive Maintenance Measures 505
Chapter 26: Ten "Eco-Logical" Ways to Save Fuel 509
Appendix A: A Practical Glossary of Automotive Terms 515
Appendix B: Specifications and Maintenance Records 545
Index 551
Book Reqistration Information Back of Book
Cartoons at a Glance
Bu Rich Tennant
: 978-546-7747
E-mait: ri chtennant@the5thwave. com
WwW (W/te Wefc www. the5thwave. com
Table of Contents
Introduction 7
About This Book 1
How I Became Intimately Involved with My Car
(and Why You'll Want to Do It, Too) 2
How I Picture You 4
How This Book Is Organized 4

Part I: Getting Started 5
Part II: What Makes It Go? 5
Part III: Keeping Your Car in Good Condition, System by System 5
Part IV: Dealing with On-the-Road Emergencies 6
Part V: Helping Your Vehicle Look Its Best 6
Part VI: The Part of Tens 6
Glossary 6
Special features 7
Icons Used in This Book 7
Where to Go from Here 8
Part h Getting Started 9
Chapter 1: Things Every Driver Should Know 11
Before You Tackle Any Job 12
Safety Rules 12
How to Fill 'Er Up Yourself 14
How to Open the Hood 15
The Safe Way to Use a Jack 16
How to Change a Tire 20
Removing a hubcap 20
Loosening the lug nuts 21
Changing the tire 22
Getting Back into a Car When You've Locked Yourself Out 25
How to Take Anything Apart — and Get It Back Together Again 27
Chapter 2: The Way to Your Car's Heart Is through Your Toolbox .29
Shopping for Tools 29
Screwdrivers 30
Screwholders 31
Wrenches 32
Combination wrenches 33
Offset wrenches 33

Ignition wrenches 34
Allen (or hex) wrenches 35
Aut0 Re
P
air For Dummies
•
Socket wrenches 36
Torque wrenches 38
Adjustable wrenches 40
Hammers 40
Pliers 41
Gauges and Meters 42
Wire, taper, and flat feeler gauges 42
Compression gauges 44
Work Lights 45
Jacks 46
Jack Stands 47
Creepers 47
Fire Extinguishers 48
Funnels. 49
More Things to Carry in Your Car 49
Tool Checklist 53
Chapter 3: Preventive Maintenance:
A Monthly Under-the-Hood Check 55
Check the Air Filter 57
Check the Accessory Belts 58
Check the Serpentine Multi-Accessory Drive Belt 59
Check the Battery 59
Check the Radiator 64
Opening a radiator cap safely 65

Checking and adding coolant to a radiator 65
Check the Hoses 66
Check the Oil Dipstick 67
Check the Automatic Transmission Fluid 69
Check the Brake Fluid 70
Check the Power-Steering Fluid 72
Check the Wiring 72
Check the Windshield-Washer Fluid 73
Other Important Checks 73
Check and replace windshield wipers 74
Check the tires 74
Part //: What Makes It Go> 75
Chapter 4: The Inner Secrets of Your Car Revealed 77
What Makes It Start? 79
What Makes It Run? 84
The ignition system 84
The cooling system 85
The lubrication system 85
The exhaust system 86
What Makes It Stop? 87
Table of Contents
Chapter 5: The Electrical System: Your Car's Spark of Life 89
The Starting System 90
The battery 90
The starter 92
The Charging System 94
The alternator 94
The voltage regulator 95
The Ignition System 96
The ignition coil 98

The spark plugs 98
The distributor 100
Other Electrical Gadgets 104
Chapter 6: The Fuel System: The Heart and Lungs of Your Car 105
Basic Fuel System Components 106
Fuel tank 106
Fuel lines and fuel pump 107
Fuel filter 107
Air cleaner and air filter 107
Following the Fuel through Carbureted Vehicles 108
The float bowl 108
Theventuri 110
The choke Ill
The accelerator pump 112
The throttle 113
The idle speed screw 114
The idle mixture screw 114
The idle air bleed screw 115
The idle stop solenoid 115
The intake and exhaust manifolds 116
Following Fuel through Fuel-Injected Vehicles 117
Throttle body fuel injection 118
Multi-port fuel injection 118
The Engine Block: Where the Fuel System and
Ignition System Meet 119
Major engine components 120
The four-stroke power cycle 123
Turbocharging 127
Chapter 7: From Horses to Hybrids: The Dope on Diesels and
Alternatively Powered Vehicles 131

Diesels For Dummies 132
The good and bad about diesels 132
What makes it go? 134
The diesel four-stroke power cycle 138
Diesel fuel 140
The electrical system 141
Caring for your diesel 142
Auto Repair For Dummies.
Getting started on a frosty morning 145
Curing a sick diesel 147
Finding a reliable diesel mechanic 147
Cars of the Future: Alternatively Powered Vehicles 148
ICE isn't melting away 148
Alternative fuels 149
Alternative power plants 152
Operating an electric vehicle 157
Chapter 8: The Cooling System Up Close 159
The Radiator 160
Additional hoses 160
Coolant/Antifreeze 161
The coolant recovery system 161
The radiator pressure cap 162
The Fan 164
The Water Pump 164
The Thermostat 165
The Heater Core 165
Air Conditioning 166
Chapter 9: Take the Drive Train: Understanding Transmissions
without Losing Your Mind 167
The Drive Train 168

How Power Flows through the Drive Train 169
Manual Transmissions 172
What a manual transmission consists of 172
How a manual transmission works 173
Automatic Transmissions 176
The Transfer Case 177
Chapter 10: It's the Brakes! 179
Brake System Basics 179
The brake pedal 180
The power-brake booster 181
The brake master cylinder 181
Brake lines 182
Drum Brakes 183
Brake drums 184
Wheel cylinders 184
Brake shoes 186
Brake linings 186
Adjusting devices 186
Disc Brakes 187
The Parking Brake 188
Table of Contents
Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS) 189
How ABS works 189
What ABS doesn't do 190
Driving with ABS 190
Chapter 11: Steering and Suspension Systems Smooth the Way .191
The Steering System 191
The steering linkage 192
Tie-rod ends 192
Ball joints 192

The Suspension System 193
Types of suspension systems 194
Control arms 195
Stabilizer bars 196
Springs 196
Shocks and struts 199
Part ///: Keeping four Car in Good Condition,
System by System 201
Chapter 12: Keeping Your Electrical System in Tune 203
How Often You Should Tune Your Car 204
What You Need to Do the Work in This Chapter 205
Buying the right parts for your car 208
Understanding tune-up specifications 209
Changing Your Spark Plugs 211
Finding your spark plugs 211
Cylinder sequence 212
Firing order 215
Removing the spark plugs 216
Dealing with difficult plugs 218
Reading your spark plugs 219
Gapping your spark plugs 223
Installing a spark plug 224
Servicing Your Distributor 225
Get to the scene of the action 226
Remove and replace the condenser 231
Remove and replace the points 235
Get it all together again 245
Restart your car 248
Check your distributor with a dwell meter 249
Check your timing with a timing light 253

Adjusting your timing 259