22 Dec 11 Five Auto Repair Tools You Shouldn’t Be Without
We can’t live without our cars, they are an indelible part of our lives. Our society is built around them. Our cities are laid out so we can’t really walk anywhere, and bus services are an interesting experience to say the least.
That makes keeping your car on the road vital, and knowing how to perform basic auto repair tasks a real bonus. Auto repair shops are great, but can be expensive. As you generally pay for time and not the job, even the most basic repairs can cost a lot. That’s why you should know the basics of what your car needs to stay healthy.
To that end, we have put together a list of the five auto repair tools you should have in your garage. They don’t cost much and will save you an awful lot of money compared to taking the car into the shop.
First up is the jack and axle stands. The jack often comes with the car, but should be partnered with a pair of axle stands to secure the car while you’re working on it. You need these tools when checking brake wear, rotating tires, checking wheel bearings and other simple tasks.
While a jack comes with the car, it’s basic to say the least. If you’re serious about doing your own automotive repairs, invest in a trolley jack. They are stronger, more robust and offer a much stronger lift.
An oil wrench is another essential auto repair tool you should have. If you drive in the city, or in bad weather, you should change your oil every 3-5,000 miles at a local Naples car repair shop. While there are plenty of places offering oil changes, it’s cheaper to do it yourself. An oil wrench is essential to remove the oil filter, so appears on the list.
Third in our list is the humble screwdriver. A basic but essential auto repair tool that has a million and one uses in the garage and around the home. You will need one to free fuses, change filters, deflate tires and a whole host of other tasks.
Fourth is the trusty socket set. If you have ever opened your hood, you know there are a dizzying array of fixings and bolts securing everything in place. A basic socket set is enough for most automotive repairs.
Finally, but certainly not least are the trusty vice grips. Sometimes, parts simply won’t come undone, or need to be held together while you work on them. That’s where vice grips show their worth. Get a good, strong pair to give you good purchase and leverage while working on the car.
Repairing your own car is a rewarding, if messy pastime. With money tight, it’s something every car owner should learn. Even covering the basics like changing oil, filters, tires and fuses could potentially save you hundreds of dollars. We have some of the best auto repair shops in the world, but you pay for the privilege.
01 Mar 10 50-city survey of auto repair shops ranks New York No. 20; Memphis 1st, Chicago last
MUNCIE (Wish) – Many men and women in Muncie are lucky to get alive right after a vehicle crashed by means of an auto repair store.
Surveillance tape exhibits what took place when, just immediately after noon Thursday, a girl driving a white car or truck slammed via the store. 1 worker was seriously hurt, but it’s a miracle nobody was killed.
- * To determine the surveillance movie from the crash, click for the movie player during the left margin of this story.
“It was only a mess. It absolutely was chaos. We had been yelling, ‘Call 911!’ I’ve certainly not witnessed something like this in my life,” shop operator Earl Follin claimed Thursday.
Follin was standing just feet apart when the automobile came through. He claimed the girl hit the gas attempting to stay away from an all out crash with yet another car or truck, but clearly panicked and kept pedal for the metal, wheels spinning and smoking.
“She floored it and certainly not allow off, got up around the curb, got into the making and smashed everything up against the following. Thank God I had a whole lot of stuff decrease by means of there that took a number of the blow,” Follin mentioned.
Mechanic Tim Jenkins was even closer and watched in horror because the vehicle took fellow mechanic Mark Reynolds down, slamming him into heavy metal products. The result broke Reynolds’ ribs and twisted his legs. He yelled for assist.
“I thought, how on the planet could a car or truck can come crashing that far through a brick wall? How speedy would you have to be going to come as a result of a brick wall and get that far on the creating?” Jenkins explained.
Miraculously, nobody else was harm, which includes the girl driver who may be seen obtaining out in the auto dazed and confused, using the car or truck still running. Even so, Earl estimates the business lost effectively to the tens of thousands of dollars.
The only factor that held up the roof pursuing the crash Thursday were being two wooden beams.
Follin claimed Muncie Police desired to condemn his property, but he was in a position to convince them otherwise for the time getting.
“I’ve been in this article 15 a long time. I’m performing document enterprise, almost everything is wonderful, document profit final year. Then a car happens busting via the walls, shut lower my whole enterprise these days,” Follin claimed.
Mark Reynolds was used to Ball Memorial Hospital and is recovering.
Follin is expecting insurance representatives to occur out on the property Friday morning.
The lady who crashed the car or truck had just occur from obtaining her nails completed and, because of the way, the vehicle she was generating was not really a Toyota.
16 Jul 09 Auto Repair
If you do your own auto body repair then it is all too easy to get car paint on other parts of your bodywork. There is a quick and easy trick to remove it without taking off the original paint underneath.
Wash the car as thoroughly as you can, being sure to remove as much dirt and grease around the affected area as you can. Dip a very clean cloth into nail polish remover and squeeze off any excess. Lightly rub the area with the cloth until the unwanted paint lifts clear. Do this until all the paint is removed while being careful not to remove the original paint.
Wash the car again, paying particular attention to the affected area as there may be acetone still on the body work. Once dry, wax the car to a shine. The area should now resemble the rest of the car and the unwanted pain should now all be gone.
Alternatively, if you don’t have or want to use nail polish remover you can buy wax that contains a rubbing agent. Applying this was and rubbing it in over the affected area can also remove the paint, again, being careful not to remove the original paintjob in the process.
Using either method will return your bodywork to its original color scheme without affecting the paint around it.
