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Reference and Technical Data for Auto Repair

Proper information is important when working on your car. Use these reference pages to brush up on technical jargon with out complete auto repair dictionary, database of OBD and OBDII DTC Codes, timing belt information and more.
How Does An Alternator Work?
How does an alternator work? What does an alternator do? If you've ever wondered what's going on inside your alternator, read up here.
Buying a Repair Manual: Choose the Make of Your Car
Before you start working on your own car doing your own repairs or maintenance, you need a good repair manual. Having a proper automotive repair book will mean your repairs will happen quickly and reliably. Let me help you find the best repair manual for your car so you can get down to the business of auto repair!
Buying a Repair Manual: Choose the Make of Your Car
Before you start working on your own car doing your own repairs or maintenance, you need a good repair manual. Having a proper automotive repair book will mean your repairs will happen quickly and reliably. Let me help you find the best repair manual for your car so you can get down to the business of auto repair!
Buying a Repair Manual: Choose the Make of Your Car
Before you start working on your own car doing your own repairs or maintenance, you need a good repair manual. Having a proper automotive repair book will mean your repairs will happen quickly and reliably. Let me help you find the best repair manual for your car so you can get down to the business of auto repair!
What's This Fluid?
If something is dripping underneath your car, leaving a wet spot in your parking space, you need to figure out what's leaking. What fluid is leaking from your car. Is it red, is it green, is it clear and thick? Check out these photos of common engine leaks to see what you need to look into.
What is a Helical Gear?
What is a helical gear? It's in your transmission. See this photo of a helical 4th gear to see for yourself.
ABS Brakes and the Facts
How does ABS work? What is my antilock braking system doing? Here is a guide to the ins and outs of your car's ABS brakes and the system that runs them.
What is Ride Height, Set Back, Kingpin Offset
If you hit a serious bump you might need to get an alignment. Alignments are not expensive usually, and include adjustments of suspension like camber, caster, toe in, toe out, thrust, and 4-wheel alignment. Let us show you definitions of what all of these things mean to you and the health of your car or truck. Kingpin offset, set back, and ride height included.
What is Thrust Angle, Included Angle and Steering Axis Inclination?
If you hit a serious bump you might need to get an alignment. Alignments are not expensive usually, and include adjustments of suspension like camber, caster, toe in, toe out, thrust, and 4-wheel alignment. Let us show you definitions of what all of these things mean to you and the health of your car or truck.
What is Toe In or Toe Out?
What is Toe In? If you hit a serious bump you might need to get an alignment. Alignments are not expensive usually, and include adjustments of suspension like camber, caster, toe in, toe out, thrust, and 4-wheel alignment. Let us show you definitions of what all of these things mean to you and the health of your car or truck.
What is Camber?
If you hit a serious bump you might need to get an alignment. Alignments are not expensive usually, and include adjustments of suspension like camber, caster, toe in, toe out, thrust, and 4-wheel alignment. Let us show you definitions of what all of these things mean to you and the health of your car or truck.
What is Caster?
If you hit a serious bump you might need to get an alignment. Alignments are not expensive usually, and include adjustments of suspension like camber, caster, toe in, toe out, thrust, and 4-wheel alignment. Let us show you definitions of what all of these things mean to you and the health of your car or truck.
Wheel Alignment Defined
If you hit a serious bump you might need to get an alignment. Alignments are not expensive usually, and include adjustments of suspension like camber, caster, toe in, toe out, thrust, and 4-wheel alignment. Let us show you definitions of what all of these things mean to you and the health of your car or truck.
What Type of Headlight Bulb Is This
IF you don't know what type or size headlight you have, you can use this chart to identify your old bulb, then go to the parts store or order online. Quick and easy. Halogen and old school.
Identify Your Headlight Bulb
Don't know what type of bulb your car takes? We'll show you how to identify that dead headlight bulb in a hurry.
Your Ignition System, How Does it Work?
Your ignition system is an essential component to your car's engine. Without an ignition coil, distributor cap, rotor, spark plug wires and spark plugs, you can't do much at all with a tank of gas. So how does your ignition system work? It helps to know how things work when you need to troubleshoot them, so learning about your car's ignition system (which consists of the ignition coil, distributor and cap, rotor, spark plug wires, spark plugs and, in newer cars, an ECU (computer).
EGR Valve
The EGR valve is a crucial part of your car's emission control system. The EGR valve was an invention that made your car more efficiently burn its fuel and create fewer emissions. Do you need to know what an EGR valve is? Do you wonder whether you can replace your EGR valve? We'll help you out.
How Does Fuel Injection Work?
Fuel injection was a marvel of automotive engineering. Fuel injection, including single port and multi port fuel injection systems save fuel and add horsepower. They are much greener and more environmentally friendly than carburetors. How do fuel injection and fuel injectors work? What is a fuel rail?
What is a Fuel Injector
Cars these days run fuel injection systems. But what is a fuel injector? A fuel injector is the last stop for gas in your fuel injection system. That and spark plugs.
Air Conditioning: How A/C Works
If you understand your car's air conditioning system you can maintain your car's air conditioning system. A/C is not hard to work on if you understand how it works. Check out this A/C description and you'll be the air conditioning know it all.
Air Conditioning Dye Test
Warm air conditioning can be caused by a leaking air conditioning system, causing a freon leak. A common air conditioning leak test is a pressurized dye test.
How Does My Cooling System Work?
Your cooling system consists of many parts, including your radiator, water pump, coolant, electric cooling fan and other parts. Understanding how your cooling system works is very important to understanding how to troubleshoot your cooling system if you have an overheating problem. Overheating can be avoided through good troubleshooting and understanding.
What Exactly is a Catalytic Converter?
Your catalytic converter is an important part of your car's emission control or catalyst system. No vehicle is a green vehicle if it has pollutants pouring out of the back thanks to a clogged catalytic converter or a catalytic converter that isn't working in conjunction with your oxygen sensors.
The Plus One Tire Theory
You've heard car guys talking about a "Plus One" tire setup, but what are they saying, and why are they saying it?
What is a reverse-threaded bolt?
What does reverse threaded mean? Does my car use a reverse threaded bolt? When threads are reversed it can be confusing, so be sure to find out which ones go which way. we can at least help with a definition of reverse threads along with a barrel of other auto repair tips.
Push Screw
Trim panels can be held on with these type of push screws.
Honda's Rube Goldberg Experience
Award Winning Honda Car Commercial made auto parts history. Rube Goldberg machines are exciting, Honda made this ad to highlight the Rube Goldberg machines history and honor the Rube Goldberg concept. Your Auto Repair Questions Answered by your About.com Guide to Auto Repair:
Ford 3.6 Liter V6 Cylinder Firing Order and Timing Marks
Firing order for Ford 3.6 liter V6 engines. Also timing marks location.
Money
It's all about the money, but in the Automotive Empowerment Zone, it's all about saving money.
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