Automotive Gearz

When your vehicle goes up on a trailer, it is vital you understand how to adjust trailer brakes so they will work efficiently. If you have no experience working on your brakes, then you should not attempt this task alone. You should make sure you know what steps you need to take in order to properly adjust the brakes. This will ensure your vehicle is as safe to drive as possible, and you will feel confident enough to do whatever necessary in order to ensure your vehicle is secure. Tips on How to Adjust Trailer Brakes Step 1: Unplug Brake Pedals First off, you should always start with your brake pedals un-plugged. Once this is done, you should proceed to slowly ease the pressure off the brake and allow the pads to slowly extend. You should do this until you are almost at maximum braking force. Be sure to pay special attention to the amount of pressure being used, because you do not want to damage your wheels or brake lines while trying to make these adjustments. Step 2: Check th...

If you are looking at how to resurface rotors , there are a number of reasons it may be necessary. Then this article is for you. How To Resurface Rotors In many cases, the wear on your rotor s is causing your vehicle to operate less properly. It may feel slow or bogged down. There may be a lot of noise from the brakes as well. Replacing the rotors yourself is often the only way to make a significant improvement. Important Role of Rotors Rotors play an important role in your car’s control system. They direct and control the speed and movement of the axle that the tires are connected to. The speed of the axle depends on the diameter and length of the rotors. When they begin to crack or break though, the control mechanism no longer has complete control. This leads to loss of traction and maneuverability. Causes Wear and Tear of the Rotors There are a number of different causes of this wear and tear. Some of the most common include road debris, road tar, road salt, brake dust, and br...

So you are interested in learning how to change front brakes on Dodge ram 2500. Well, you have made a good choice because brake pads are one of the most important parts of your automobile. Your brakes keep your vehicle from rolling when you apply them, and they keep you from driving bumpers into things when you break a rule. However, you cannot simply take off your old brake pads and replace them with new ones just because you want to make your car look cool. Believe me, your brakes will not look so good, so why try that? Here are some simple steps that will get your brake pads looking good again. What You Need for Your Car The Size of Caliper and Pads  When looking at the brakes on your car, notice the front wheel and then the caliper . You will see that the caliper is the rubber portion that surrounds the caliper, and it has two pads inside of it. The size of these pads is very important, and you should get the correct size caliper for your vehicle, regardless of what you mi...

The average life of brake rotors is six thousand to eight thousand hours, depending on what brand you purchase and how you use your brakes. What is The Average Life of Brake Rotors Why do Brake Rotors Need to be Replaced While many drivers will not even think about the possibility of brake rotors needing to be replaced, the truth is that brake rotor s require constant attention and care to ensure that they do not get damaged or even break. Wearing Brake Rotors Rotors wear differently than brake pads. With brake rotors, the wearing takes place primarily at the center of the rotors where the metal casing is joined to the steel rotors. Because of this wear, brake rotors require that they be replaced more frequently because they have a much shorter useful life. Wearing Brake Pads It is important to realize that the wear rate of brake rotors and brake pads are related to each other. Both rotors and brake pads wear at the same rate. Therefore, it is very important to give your roto...

Normally, your trailer’s brake lights will illuminate green when you first apply pressure and stop the engine. If, for some reason, there is a problem with the brakes, however, the “blue” message on the dashboard will illuminate instead. Learning how to reset service trailer brake lights so they light up blue can save you money on repairs, prevent further damage to your vehicle and give you peace of mind knowing that the trailer brakes are properly working. Reset Service Trailer Message The “blue” message that indicates brake difficulty is not always reliable. Sometimes, this is simply a mistake by the manufacturer. Other times, it indicates a more serious problem with your vehicle that needs to be tended to by trained professionals. For example, a battery that has failed, the starter that isn’t running, or other problems with the electrical system could all cause the “blue” message to illuminate. In the past, these were the only kinds of messages that you would see on your servi...

If your brakes are giving you problems, one of the first steps you should take is to learn how to remove brake fluid from the master cylinder. How To Remove Brake Fluid From A Master Cylinder This is especially important if you notice that your car is suddenly slowing down or stopping entirely. There could be a number of reasons why this has happened. It may be a combination of items that need to be taken care of together. Removing the Reservoir It is possible that some of the fluid may have come out of the brake lines while you were driving. While your car is running, the brakes will draw in the excess fluid, and it makes its way into the master cylinder . The problem is that it can be very hard to get all of the fluid back out. You need to clean out the reservoir to get rid of any extra fluid that might be left behind. Removing the reservoir is the best step you can take to correct the problem. Items Needed Some of the items needed to take care of how to remove brake fluid fr...

If your vehicle’s brake pads are wearing down to the point where they are losing their effectiveness and causing annoying and inconvenient delays when going up and down the road, it may be time to find out how to use brake cleaner. So the question is how to use brake cleaner for maximum benefits? Unlike many brake repairs to the brakes, cleaning the brakes with a spray on cleaner is extremely inexpensive and does not require much prep time or even removal of any parts. It can often be done in a matter of minutes and all the required tools and supplies can be found within any local garage or storage shed. Here’s how to use brake cleaner to improve your vehicle’s braking power: How to Use Brake Cleaner For Maximum Benefits Main Ingredients of Brake Cleaners What do you need to use brake cleaners for? Like any chemical cleaner, there are several different kinds on the market, but the main ingredients are carbamide peroxide and sodium hypochlorite. Other chemicals that are commonly ...

Brakes squeak when stopping slow and they can sometimes be quite annoying. In this article, we cover another way to fix brakes squeak when stopping slow . Brakes Squeak When Stopping Slow  Reasons Why Brakes Squeak There may be a number of causes for this type of sound and it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what is causing it. The first thing you should do if you are concerned about this is to take a close look at the brake fluid and check to make sure that there is no problem. It is always a good idea to check the brake fluid periodically to make sure that it does not need to be replaced as it is not likely to break because it is dirty. However, if there is a serious problem with the brake pads or the brake system then replacing the brakes may be required. If the problem is in these areas then you should ensure that you know what is causing the squeaking before you make any changes to the brakes. There are a number of reasons why brakes squeak, and there is often nothing w...

Many drivers encounter brake checks on the road and wonder why do people brake check ? It is done due to either someone is tailgating or their brake is actually in problem. Brake checking can be done when the car behind is getting too close to the car in front, in other words, tailgating. And the front driver decides to brake suddenly to stop the rear driver from following too close. Is Brake Checking Illegal If someone does a brake check just because the car behind them is too close to them, then brake checking or break test is a mistake. Since the 90s, law enforcement has declared that this is illegal. However, many hot-tempered drivers still cannot get rid of this habit. Why do People Brake Check: Technical Problems There are various reasons for which cars may fail the speedometer test. The most common include improper stopping, brakes being used beyond their limits, engine problems, and faulty transmission. Let’s take a look at the 3 main reasons why your brakes will fail a...

In case you need to know how to unfreeze a brake caliper , then this article is for you. What Causes Your Brakes to Stop Working I am going to show you exactly what causes your brakes to stop working. This will save you time and money and you will be able to repair the problem yourself. Here are the steps: 1. Check the Master Cylinder The first thing that causes your brake to stop working is the Master Cylinder . This is a small cap on your brake caliper. It holds the master cylinder and keeps everything else working correctly. When this breaks, it makes all the other parts start to work incorrectly. The reason why this happens is that when you apply pressure to your brakes, the master cylinder expands. This expansion then causes tiny fractures in the master cylinder itself. This causes the piston inside to stick out of the caliper. When this happens, you should be able to feel a small pop and you will hear a grinding noise. After that, the problem is already fixed. 2. Check the...

Do you wonder how to get air out of brake lines without bleeding them ? In previous articles, I wrote about some simple steps you can take to remove “powerful” air from your brakes. In this article let’s study how to get the air out of the brake lines without bleeding them! How to Get Air Out of Brake Lines Without Bleeding Them How to Get Air Out of Brake Pads Step 1: Disconnect the Negative Cable From Its Nut The first thing you will want to do is disconnect the negative cable from its nut. This is located under your car and is marked by a red arrow. Once the cable is disconnected, it should be sitting sideways with the “lever” facing down. Step 2: Check Out Some Damage to Your Brakes There could be some damage to your brakes that you cannot see. If your brakes have even the tiniest amount of wear, you need to bleed them before you replace them. You can use an air compressor or shop vac to remove the excess pressure. You must be very careful when doing this. You don’t want t...

Many drivers wonder whether can a low battery cause a car alarm to go off . A low battery can cause many serious problems. Here, we provide useful tips for recharging it. Can a low battery cause a car alarm to go off? Yes, as the low battery causes false alarms and electricity blackouts can be a trigger. Some inexpensive wireless alarms do not tell you when the battery is running out. If the alarm you own cannot work without electricity when the power goes off, it is a veritable nightmare for you. In these cases, the siren can sound. Or if the system has a telephone dialer, we can make a call to the police or relatives and friends. Inattention and forgetfulness are some of the most frequent causes.  A detailed explanation during installation and a manual explaining all the functions, buttons, and how to use the components is essential. Having a constant help service for any doubts or requests can be very useful. How to Deal With a Low Battery? In order not to have problems...

Checking and replacing the transmission fluid is no straightforward task. Some people ask, can I just add transmission fluid with no control? The answer is no. The replacement oil for the automatic transmission is an operation progressively that is less common on newer cars. It becomes necessary in terms of automatic transmission vibration and noises than you expect. Some people ask, can I just add transmission fluid with no control? Changing the oil on the automatic transmission is not a simple operation like the traditional engine oil. What is Automatic Transmission Fluid? In some modern cars with a manual transmission, the replacement of the gearbox oil is an intervention that is not foreseen in the maintenance plan (check the car owner’s manual). On some old-fashioned models, the automatic gearbox has specific maintenance works in the workshop. Most times, replacing the filter and automatic transmission fluid becomes a routine intervention to prevent noise and wear on the a...

This article will provide information to answer the question “ can a speed sensor cause shifting problems ?”. Can a Faulty Speed Sensor Cause Shifting Problems? The answer is yes. To understand how and why the speed sensor causes shifting problems, we will first need to know more about vehicle speed sensors. What Are Vehicle Speed Sensors? Vehicle speed sensors (VSS) are commonly known as transmission speed sensors. It gives the onboard computer information about the speed of the vehicle. Its function is to calculate the actual transmission gear ratio while the car is in use.  Two transmission speed sensors work in association with providing correct transmission data to a computer, commonly referred to as the powertrain control module (PCM). The first speed sensor is known as the input shaft speed sensor to monitor the transmission’s input shaft’s speed shaft. The second sensor is the output shaft sensor. Once data is registered, VSS transfers the data to transmission and ...

Are you finding the answer to “ Why does my key gets stuck in the ignition ?”? Click and read this article to get what you need! It seems to be stressful when you cannot get your key out of the ignition. You will be more confused as you can just leave it there with the unlocked door and go to work or home. And you should wonder at least one time, “Why does my key gets stuck in the ignition?” Whatever the problem is, you should not try to get the key out forcibly. Let’s have a quick look at this article to find out some fundamental cause of this problem! The solutions are also attached.  Why Does My Key Get Stuck in The Ignition? A lot of factors might contribute to the reasons why your car key does not come out. There might be an obstruction in the keyway, or you may have your steering wheel locked. Sometimes, the reason is that the car key is broken, or the battery is dead.  Apart from these causes above, there are some others that will be figured out in the following s...

This writing will provide information about what are the symptoms of a bad fuel filter ? So you’d better know when to replace it The fuel filter is one of the most integral components in almost all vehicles equipped with combustion engines. Its function is to keep any dirt, debris, and other particles from entering the car’s fuel systems. Over time, the fuel filters can be excessively dirty that cannot efficiently filter the particle and dirt, restricting fuel flow. Sometimes, fuel filters are clogged excessively to the point that it negatively impacts the fuel line, fuel injectors, and engine performance. So how to recognize fuel filters become bad? What are the symptoms of a bad fuel filter? And when to replace it? This writing will let the driver know some common problems associated with a faulty fuel filter, so you know when to replace it. Do You Know What Symptoms of a Bad Fuel Filter Are? 7 Things You Should Aware 1. Difficult to Start the Car One of the most common cl...