Emergency Guides on Car Maintenance and Repair Work

Inspect your car for routine maintenance every 3,000 mi (4,800 km). As long as you operate your car, you can expect it to require periodic fixes. Give your car a total inspection on occasion to look for any dirty or damaged components. Then, replace these as soon as possible to keep your car in working order.

• Check your owner’s manual for a recommended repair schedule. It will list how long each part lasts, but remember that these are only estimates. Frequent inspections are a more accurate way of determining when a car needs repairs.
• For example, oil and oil filters should be replaced about every 3,000 mi (4,800 km). Check batteries, fluids, and hoses at this point as well.
• Replace air filters about every 12,000 mi (19,000 km), along with components like power steering fluid. Inspect the brake pads, suspension, and similar components for damage.
• Most other components will last at least 35,000 mi (56,000 km). This includes the battery, spark plugs, fuses, and tires.
  

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Perform maintenance on your car if you notice leaks or other problems. If something seems wrong, inspect it right away! Letting a problem go can lead to more extensive damage. Look and listen for issues while driving the vehicle. A rattling noise may be a sign of loose nuts or bolts while grinding can be the brake pads, for instance.

• The check engine light should not be taken lightly. If it comes on, inspect your car as soon as possible.
• Use your car’s symptoms to diagnose your car. If your car lacks power, you know it is likely an issue with the electrical system, such as a dead battery or blown fuse.
• Get a diagnostic reader to easily locate problems. Auto part store employees have these and will even rent them to you. You can also buy your own online.

Locate the distributor cap underneath the car’s hood. Open the hood and look for round, usually gray or black piece of plastic near the center of the engine compartment. The cap looks a little bit like a crown with thick, black cables connected to the spokes on top. These are the spark plug wires that power the engine.

• Refer to the owner’s manual if you need help locating the cap.
• If the cap or rotor look worn or cracked, they need to be replaced right away.
  

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Loosen the clips or screws on the cap. Check the cap’s side to find out how it is connected to the vehicle. No matter what car you have, the cap will be relatively easy to remove. If it attaches with clips, pull the clips up to free the cap. If you see screws holding it in place, you will need a Phillips-Head screwdriver to turn them counterclockwise.

• Some distributor caps have neither clips nor screws. For this type of cap, push down on it and rotate it counterclockwise until it comes off.
• Avoid pulling the spark plug wires off the cap right away. These wires need to be attached to specific parts of the cap, so they have to be handled with caution or else they can overload the car’s electrical system.

Slide the rotor off of the distributor housing to replace it. The rotator will be right underneath the distributor cap in the engine compartment. It looks like a small fan blade. First, check it for screws. Most rotors aren’t bolted in place, so you can usually remove it with force alone. Wiggle the rotor back and forth until it comes off, then slide the new one firmly in place.

• If your rotor has a screw, the screw will be on the shaft, underneath the blade. Remove it carefully so it doesn’t fall into the engine.
• Spin the rotor by hand after you replace it to ensure it turns freely.
  

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Move the spark plugs from the old cap to the new cap. Set the distributor caps down on a flat surface, orienting them so they look identical. For help, check the old cap. It should have a marking like “#1,” indicating the first spark plug. Start with the first spark plug, pull it off of the old cap, push it onto the corresponding spoke on the new cap, then repeat this with the remaining plugs.

• Work slowly and make sure the plugs attach to the proper spokes. If the plugs are out of order, you could end up causing electrical damage to your vehicle.

Replace the cap on the distributor assembly. Put the cap back in the engine compartment, making sure it is in the same position the old cap was in before you removed it. The spark plug cords need to be tucked neatly into the compartment, inspect them to ensure they aren’t coiled or bunched up at all. When you’re ready, secure the cap with any clips or screws you undid earlier.

• If the spark plugs are bent or otherwise obstructed, your car’s systems may not get adequate power.

Start the vehicle to see if it runs smoothly. Misfires or backfires are a sign that the cap and rotor aren’t positioned correctly. Shut down the car so you can take another look at them.

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Locate the fuel filter near the fuel tank. There are 2 different places the fuel filter can be, so you may need to do a little searching. The most common location is underneath the car, right next to the fuel tank. In some vehicles, the fuel filter is in the engine compartment. Open the hood and see if you can spot it underneath the dashboard.

• The fuel filter is a round canister with 2 spokes sticking out the sides. The car’s fuel line hoses connect to the spokes. The canister itself is often black, gray, or orange.
• Refer to your owner’s manual! With it, you can pinpoint the filter’s location right away.
• A slow or stalled car may indicate a dirty fuel filter. Replace it to see if this brings your car back up to speed.