Hot Autos, Motorcycles & Planes How-Tos

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 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: 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: Use a deadbolt cable and ballmount trailer lock

This is a cable and ballmount lock set for 1-1/4 inch trailer hitch receivers. What it does is attach to your bicycle rack through the receiver and also the cable lock attaches your bike to the receiver and the bikes themselves. See how to set it up in this video.

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: Replace Headlight Bulb on Pontiac G6

Cars are quite different than they used to be. Sure, modern cars have some cool things, but repairing them are becoming difficult. Even simple things like changing a headlight bulb.

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 a thermostat on a GM 3.1L or 3.4L automobile

Replace the thermostat on your GM 3100 or 3400 vehicle with this nifty tutorial. The video shows you how to replace a thermostat on a 3.4L GM but it should also help you repair a 3.1L GM as well. Just a heads up - you'll need to replace an o-ring when you install the new thermostat as well.

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.

Skip the Long DMV Line: Renew Your Driver's License at a AAA Office Instead (No Membership Required)

If there's one way to get a visceral response from someone, it's bringing up the DMV. Regardless of the reason, whether it's the long lines, disgruntled employees, or just general inefficiency, I have yet to meet a single person who doesn't mind the trip. Just look at all those happy faces.

How To: Use a shortcut to quickly remove a heater core on a 2001 Ford Taurus

When working on the dashboard of any vehicle, make sure you disable the vehicle's airbag system first. Your service manual should tell you how to do that. In this video, the heater core is plugged up in a 2001 Ford Taurus, which means it needs to be taken out. The book states it will take 5 hours to complete, mostly because of the dash. But this trick will cut the time down to 1.5 hours. First, get you heater hoses off in the engine area. Then proceed to watch a mysterious bracket being cut o...

How To: Replace the kickstand safety switch on a Ninja 250R

In this tutorial, we learn how to replace the kickstand safety switch on a Ninja 250R. When this is broken, it will turn your engine off when you put it into gear and cause your motorcycle to not run properly. First, remove the screw from around the safety switch until you can remove the switch from the bike. After this, replace a new switch onto the bike. Next, replace the bolts and screws back on the switch where they originally where. Use clamps or a screwdriver to help replace the screws....

How To: Build a Newman cool motor

In this three-part video tutorial, learn how to build a "Newman Motor". From the website of Joseph Newman, this motor is an "electromagnetic motor that runs cool (unlike all conventional motors) and harnesses the

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: Wire a Trailer on a Nissan X-Trail 2005

Hi there, first I'm canadian and my SUV so. I'm a hobbyist doing his best, not a mechanic, I don't take charge of other people's installation issues. Anyway, I decided to buy a SUV some months ago, and it comes without the wiring harness for the trailer and the hitch. I made it myself. In this part, only the wiring will be presented. This is for 4 pins harness connector. In any doubt, you can do as I have done for some wires; use a multimeter. Everything on that car works on a 12VDC. Ground y...

How To: Fix a Broken Door Latch Cable in a 1980-97 Ford F150, F250, F350, or Bronco

Can't get your door open? Could be the door latch cable. This video will help you install a new door latch cable in your Ford F150, F250, F350, or Bronco pickup truck (1980-1997).

How To: Hack Your Car's Cassette Deck into a Wireless Bluetooth Music Player

Still have an old tape deck installed in your car? This nifty hack lets you upgrade to the digital age without sacrificing your love for cassettes. There's nothing wrong with some low-fidelity tunes in your car every now and then, but if you want to listen to the tunes on your iPod or smartphone too, it's a lot easier (and cheaper) than buying a new in-dash player that supports line-in connections. Just add some wireless capabilities to you tape deck! All you need is a cheap cassette adapter,...

How To: Replace the blower fan motor in a 1998-2004 Dodge Intrepid

Are you sweating without AC on hot days? Freezing without a heater when it's cold out? Time to replace the blower fan motor in your 1998-2004 Dodge Intrepid. Removing the old broken blower fan motor and installing a new one will bring your AC and heating systems back to life.

How To: Use jumper cables to jump start a car

This video explains how to use jumper cables to jump start a car. First, determine that a dead battery is the reason your car is not starting. If the engine cranks when you turn the key, the problem is not the battery and jump-starting won't help. If the windshield wipers, lights and heater blower all work, the battery is probably fine and you may have a bad starter. A jump-start won't help if you have a bad starter. If you hear no sound at all when you turn the key or if the engine cranks ve...

How To: Drive Peugeot 308 with Automatic Gearbox (Transmission)

This is an in-depth look at how to drive a Peugeot 308 ALLURE SW (2015, 2016, and 2017 European model) with an automatic gearbox and transmission.

How To: Spray primer sealer and base coat paint on an automobile fender

If you're painting your auto yourself, you might need a little help if you've never done it before, especially when it comes to the primer sealer and apply your first base coat of paint. This video will show you how to do just that. An OEM fender was already prepped by sanding with 500 grit sandpaper on a DA with a soft pad and surfing the edges with a maroon scuff pad.

How To: Access XM Satellite Radio in a 2010 Prius

In this tutorial, we learn how to access XM satellite radio in a 2010 Prius. To access this feature, press the "sat" button the dash or the "sat" button the steering wheel. You can also use the voice recognition button on the steering wheel by saying "satellite radio" out loud after pressing it. You can search for music by channel or use the type scan button while in audio mode to find the type of music you prefer. There are a variety of channels offered, look at your channel guide to find th...

How To: Fix the lamp out module on a 1996 Ford Explorer if your headlights are broken

Ford Explorers have a weird problem where the lo-beam headlights won't work even after the bulbs and fuses have been replaced. This is because they draw their power from the lamp out module, and this often breaks. Learn how to fix it in this video.

How To: Listen to bearing noise and determine where it comes from

Most wheel bearings that aren't brand new make some noise when you're driving. If you want to be able to tell whether there's a serious problem, watch this video to learn how to lift the car up and use a listening device to figure out exactly where the noise is coming from.

How To: Change front brake pads on a Ford Escape

Don't waste money on pricey mechanics! Doing your own vehicle repairs can save you tons of dough, but just because you're avoiding the mechanics, doesn't mean you can't learn a thing or two from them. In this video, a professional shows you the quick steps to changing out the front brakes on a Ford Escape. After taking of the front wheel, you'll have to deal with the calipers and the brake pads, along with a few other things. But don't worry. Any do-it-yourselfer can change brakes. And the Fo...

How To: Install a subwoofer into a BMW 3 series (E36)

Bavarian Soundwerks teaches you how to install a BSW ib108 stealth subwoofer system for BMW 3 Series, M3 Convertible 93-99 (E36).

How To: What Side of Your Car Is the Gas Tank on? This Easy Trick Will Tell You Every Time

Ever drive a friend's car? Maybe a rental? Then you've probably found yourself in a very frustrating situation when you realize you need some gas. Heck, it probably even happens to you in your own car sometimes.

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: 9 Tricks to Keep Your Car Functioning in Freezing Temperatures

Nothing about living in a snowy climate is easy, but life with a snowy, frozen car doesn't have to be the worst part of your day. With a few clever hacks and some anti-weather tactics, you can fight off frozen windshields, icy locks, and even stubborn car doors, while keeping your car running smooth all winter. 1. Deice Your Car Locks in Seconds

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 Front Inside Door Handle on a 04-10 Toyota Sienna

In this video we will show you how to replace the inside door handle on your 04-10 Toyota Sienna.

Quick Tip: Pointing Your Car Remote at Your Head Increases Its Range

Keyless entry remotes are great, but they don't always work how you want them to. One of the most common complaints is that they just don't reach far enough, and there's nothing more annoying when you can't remember where you parked. After all, what's the point of having "remote" entry if you have to be right next to the car for it to work?

How To: Jack Up a Chevy Venture Van

This article will show you how to lift a Chevy Venture van using a floor jack and jack stands. This procedure may work on other vehicle types and models, such as cars and trucks. The key is to use the proper sized heavy duty floor jacks and jack stands to lift your vehicle, and locate the proper area of the vehicles frame to place the jack and stands.

How To: Replace the fuel filter in a Saturn S-Series car

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: Start a Car After a Very, Very Long Time in Storage

My grandfather's brother won this car in a lottery during 1957. He had no driver's license, but his brothers used to give him a lift in it. From 1975 to 1996, the car was parked in my grandfather's brother's garage. My grandfather moved the car on a trailer in 1996 to his garage a few miles away, but it's been standing still there until this year when I rolled it out and started it up. This was the first time someone turned it on in 38 years!

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: Replace the front crankshaft oil seal

In this video demonstration you will see the work done on a GM 3.1 Liter V6; your instructor is replacing the cam cover seal. First raise the car into the air, remove the tire wheel assembly and place a jack stand underneath the car or vehicle on the side where you have removed the tire wheel assembly. Now remove the serpentine belt from the engine by using a 3/8ths breaker bar. Place it on the tensioner and lift up while removing the belt from the alternator. Keep lifting the belt out from t...

How To: Replace a Saturn S-Series engine coolant temp sensor

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: 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: Change Your Own Oil — A Beginner's Guide

If you're one who enjoys a good DIY project, or if you're just tired of paying exorbitant labor fees to have your vehicle serviced every 5,000 miles, changing your own oil can be a rewarding endeavor. Even though cars and trucks are becoming increasingly over-engineered these days, manufacturers generally see to it that the basic maintenance items can still be taken care of in your driveway with a few common tools.