Hot Autos, Motorcycles & Planes How-Tos « Autos, Motorcycles & Planes

How to Fix Car Dents: 8 Easy Ways to Remove Dents Yourself Without Ruining the Paint

Only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and getting a dent in your car or truck. Even if you're as careful as possible, you can't always account for runaway shopping carts, wrongly thrown footballs, out-of-nowhere light posts, and other real-life annoyances.

How To: Open Your Car Door Without a Key: 6 Easy Ways to Get in When Locked Out

Locking your keys inside of your car is frustrating, to say the least, especially if you're in a hurry to get somewhere. You can always call AAA roadside assistance or a locksmith, but you'll probably have to fork over some money, as well as wait for them to get to you. You might even get towed.

How To: Unlock a Car Door Using a Cell Phone and a Faraway Keyless Remote (Faux-To?)

What if you forgot your car keys and that keyless entry remote banded to them, how are you going to get in your car? Well, if you haven't forgotten your cell phone, too, you can call up someone who has access to that keyless remote, so you can unlock your car or truck via the wireless mobile phone! What?!?

How To: Fix a Huge Dent in Your Car at Home Without Ruining the Paint Job

There are two options when it comes to a dent in your car — live with it, cringing each time it enters your view, or get rid of it. While the latter is obviously the best option, most of us will probably just live with dents and dings since spare money is better spent on the actual functionality of the vehicle. However, there is a way to knock out automobile dents yourself with relatively little cash in the bank.

How To: Unlock a Car When the Keys Are Locked Inside

In these auto lockout emergency videos, learn what to do when you've locked your keys in the car—aside from calling a locksmith. See how to use special tools, usually readily available to the public, to unlock your car free of charge.

Boiled Water: The Easiest Way to Remove Dents from a Car Bumper

Even if you're lucky enough to not be injured in a car accident, it's rare to escape without some sort of damage to your vehicle. It goes without saying that there are some things you shouldn't try to fix yourself, but if it's just a scratch or dent, DIY can be a cheaper way to go.

How To: Replace the power steering pump in a Saturn S-Series

One day, your car may break down and you won't be able to afford to hire a mechanic, so what do you do... you look on the web for some how-to vehicle repair videos and become your own car mechanic, that's what. You don't need any advanced training to perform repairs and simple maintenance on your automobile, but you may need a few tools. Invest in the basic tools and you'll be prepared for just about any car malfunction you can think of. These tutorials will help get you on your way, as long ...

How To: Fix Broken Plastic Tabs on Bumper

A common problem on bumper covers is that the tabs that attach the bumper to the car get broken. This is critical, as this is what secures and aligns the bumper cover. Many times, a broken tab is all that is wrong with the bumper cover. With the cost of these plastic parts $200 to $700, the replacement cost can break the bank.

How To: Use Lysol to Clean Bacteria Out of Your Car's Air Conditioning System

Air conditioning systems are cold and wet and make great breeding grounds for bacteria and mold, and adding a nasty odor to the air coming out of the vents.

How To: Start a car without needing the key

Please only use the information in this video if you have lost your own car key or you are helping out a friend who has lost theirs! If you need to start a car without the key, this tutorial shows you how to find the wires in the steering column to find the eight cables underneath. Here's what to look for and then what to do so you can get your car running and go to where you need to be.

How To: Get a Dent Out of a Car Using Just a Plunger

Paying for someone to get a small dent out of your car can be expensive, especially when you realize that you can just do it yourself. If you've got a bathroom—and you probably do—then it's a surefire bet that you've also got a plunger.

How To: Turn a Samsung Galaxy Tablet into an In-Dash GPS and Music Player for Your Car

There's nothing wrong with driving an older car, but one problem that a lot of people run into is that as mobile devices get more advanced, it gets harder and harder to use them in vehicles made more than a few years ago. There are several ways around this, like installing a dash-mounted iPod Nano or putting a smartphone dock in your ashtray.

How To: Replace the electric fuel pump in a Chevy Tahoe

Don't let an overpriced mechanic take control of your Chevy Tahoe repairs, learn to fix your car yourself. Learn from an ASE certified Master Automobile Technician with over 14 years of experience. He'll teach you how to replace the electric fuel pump in a Chevy Tahoe. This step-by-step video tutorial will show you the exact actions to make when replacing the fuel pump. Pay for only parts and use your own time!

How To: Get Out Car Dents & Dings Without Damaging Your Paint Job

According to George Gjoka, a professional Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) technician, when you attempt to take a dent out of your car, you're probably doing it wrong.

How To: Pass a California DMV Driving Test

If all things go well, you'll only have to take your road test once. That's the goal: to ace your test on the first try and then start driving on your own. Granted, it's a nerve-racking experience, but keep in mind that the California Department of Motor Vehicles wants you to pass. So much so, they give you the examination answers ahead of time! All you have to do is study.

How To: Keyless Entry Remote Not Working? Try This Quick Fix Before Buying a New One

Most cars made in the last ten or fifteen years can be unlocked with a keyless remote, and once you get used to them, unlocking your car with a traditional key feels like a pain. The most common reason they stop working is just because the battery needs replacing, but when they're broken for real, a new one can cost a small fortune. So before you go out and buy one, try this quick fix that worked for Redditor diggalator, and cost absolutely nothing. Basically, he pried the remote apart and to...

How To: Unlock a Locked Car Door Without a Key or Slim Jim

It has happened to everyone at one time or another, but if you work in an environment with cars, it may happen much more often.

How To: Reset the clock in your Hyundai

There are many cars out on the market that are unable to change the time according to location or daylight savings time. So it's important to know how to change the time or reset it completely. In this helpful tutorial, you'll be finding out how to reset the clock in a Hyundai vehicle. It's easy to do and will make life a bit easier. Enjoy!

How To: Solve idling problems on a Honda Integra

A lot of people seem to have idle problems in their Honda vehicles, especially the Integra models. And idling problems are really hard to pinpoint. But you're in luck, because Eric has some great tips for hunting down those engine idling problems and eradicating them for good! Some of these tips include bleeding a cooling system, checking for vacuum leaks, reading the check engine light codes and diagnosing overheating.

How To: Install Fog Lights on a 93-99 Volkswagen VW Jetta

In this video we will show you how to install fog lights on your 93-99 Volkswagon Jetta.

How To: Find and replace your fuel pump

If there's one thing in life you should know, it's how to take care of your car. Getting around town is one of this hardest things to do unless you have a car. Automobiles transport us to work, to school, to shopping centers and they even take us to our impossible in-laws, but they can't and they won't if they aren't maintained properly. So, if you think you need a little help to keep your vehicle in tiptop shape, who better to teach than the team at NASCAR? These NASCAR racing experts will h...

How To: Clean your AC drain if water is spilling into your car

This next tutorial is going to be showing you how to take care of a problem that is very common amongst drivers. If water has ever spilled on you from inside your car, it's probably from your HVAC. When you use your A/C, condensation builds up as well, and this usually goes down a drain. But if it gets clogged then you might have a problem.

How To: Reset a Busted Speedometer After Jump-Starting or Replacing a Vehicle's Battery

In the past, most mechanics ended up having to replace the speedometer head when a vehicle came in with a broken speedometer. Nowadays, there's a possible reset procedure that can be used, and it can be done by most car owners right at home.

How To: Fix Your Car Dent with a Hair Dryer

If you've ever dinged your car—or worse, a friend's or parent's car—and caused a dent, you know how expensive it can be to fix. A two-second mistake can end up costing hundreds of dollars, but you can save yourself repairs costs and a headache with just a couple of household items.

How To: Fix error code P0300 for random misfires on your car

Error code P0300 is one of the most infamous in auto maintenance, indicating random misfires in the engine. This can mean several different things, and in this video mechanic Scotty Kilmer will teach you how to figure out where the problem is and fix it.

How To: Replace an oil pressure sending unit to fix a low engine oil pressure gauge

Your "check gauges" light comes on inside your vehicle, which prompts you to notice your oil pressure gauge, which is reading pretty low. What do you do to resolve this car problem? In this video, Scotty Kilmer shows you what you can do to shut that low engine oil light off for good!

How To: Find and fix leaking spark plug tubes in your engine

If you pull the spark plugs out of your engine and they are covered in oil, that might seem terrible, but the problem really isn't that bad in all likelihood. Your probably have a spark plug tube leak, and this video will show you how to find and fix just such a problem.

How To: Unlock a Car Without a Key

How many times have you locked your key inside your car and had to pay those outrageous locksmith fees? Ever worked for an hour or sometimes longer trying to coax a coat hanger in through a window, all the while wishing there was an easier way to unlock your car door? Well, there is, and this video will show you how. You can pop that lock open in a matter of seconds with something as simple as a tennis ball. Check it out!

How To: Unlock a Car Door with a Clothes Hanger

This video shows you how to unlock a car door with a hanger but warns it isn't easy and may take some practice. First you will need a hanger as long as your arm, then insert the hanger in the hole on the left side of the window. Try to feel around and find the pin inside the hole. After you find the pin pull up on it. Try not to lock your keys in your car so you don't have to do this anymore.

How To: Safely get into your car if you lock your keys inside

Ever lock your keys in your car? In this how-to video, find out how to safely get into your car if you lock your keys inside, just using a pole and wooden wedge. Don't call a locksmith, that's going to cost you a fortune and might take a long time too. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to break into a car.

How To: Use a coffee maker to install wheel bearings into an axle without a press

Many axle bearings must be pressed on, and it's a fairly simple job if you have a press available. But if you don't have a press, try this little trick to get the job done. All you need is a coffee maker. Yep, that's right. Make yourself a pot of hot joe, and when it's done, place the bearing on the heating element. By the time you finish the cup of hot coffee, your bearing should be hot enough to expand. This could work for any vehicle!

How To: Repair a car trunk that won't open

In order to repair a trunk that won't open, you will need the following: a screw driver. You will need to climb into your trunk, through the back seat. Remove the back seat. Pull the emergency release. Remove the trunk lock. Unscrew it. Look for anomalies. Bent screws could be the cause. You will need to repair any broken parts or replace them, if you decide not to replace the entire lock. Reinstall the lock in the trunk.

How To: Replace and repair the rack and pinion on a Ford Escape or Mercury Mariner

The Mercury Mariner, Ford Escape, and Mazda Tribute are the exact same car with different skins, so what works on one works exactly the same on the others. Watch this video to learn how to replace the rack and pinion steering gears on any of these cars.

How To: Replace the valve seals if your engine is smoking

Does your car engine blow white or blue smoke when your first start it up and then stop? That usually means that your engine valve seals aren't working correctly. Watch this video to learn how to find and fix the problem.

How To: Make an external fuel tank and pump for starting dead cars

If your car cranks and won't start, you may need to put some fresh fuel in it. Rather than push the car inside, why not construct an external fuel tank and pump system for fixing the car in the field? This video will show you how to do it.

How To: Flush your auto transmission fluid in less than 10 min

Instead of paying to have someone else do it, learn how to flush your auto transmission fluid in less than 10 minutes by following this tutorial. Unknown to most people, is the fact that draining your transmission from the bottom, only removes about half of the fluid, while the rest remains. This tutorial shows how to do a complete flush. First, find out how much transmission fluid your vehicle needs by reading the owner's manual. You will also find out what type of product you need to use. R...

How To: Replace a Honda Accord wheel bearings

If you own a Honda Accord and find out that there's a problem with your wheel bearings, then you need to pay attention to this tutorial. In the video above, you'll find out how you can easily replace the bearings with the right tools and know-how. It can be a difficult job for some, but others with more experience might have an easier time. So good luck, be safe, and enjoy!