Tag: replace

Categories
Cars

Replace your own brake pads and rotors!

You’re at the mechanic for a routine check-up or maybe an oil change and the mechanic says it is time for new brakes!  This is what happened with Hunter’s girlfriend.  She was told her brake pads are worn out and she has warped rotors.  They also said that her ball-joint needs replacing and gave her a final quote of $1200.

YIKES!

This is a 2006 Pontiac G6 with only 40,000 miles on it.

So Hunter and I did what we always do, we learn how to do it ourselves.

Here we show you how to replace your rotors and brake pads all the way around the car.  We also talk about troubleshooting whether or not you have a bad ball-joint.

Tools:

  • Jack
  • Jack stands
  • Ratchet set
  • Wrenches
  • Flat head screw driver
  • Bolt cutter (Side cutter would work, but this is what we used)
  • Rubber mallet
  • Extra set of hands
  • C-Clamp

 

Parts:

  • Rotors for the front
  • Rotors for the rear
  • Brake pads for the front
  • Brake pads for the rear
  • Control arm (If it actually needs replacing)

 

One thing that may not have been clear in the video is that you can use a C-clamp to compress the piston to make way for the fresh pad that is thicker than the old worn out ones.

Stolen google image (https://i0.wp.com/www.2carpros.com/images/articles/brakes/front_caliper/compress_caliper.jpg?resize=453%2C337&ssl=1)
Stolen google image (https://www.2carpros.com/images/articles/brakes/front_caliper/compress_caliper.jpg)

Also we did not talk about the pad retaining clips.  They pull out easily, pay attention to orientation before you pull them out.  Brake pads usually come with fresh replacements. They should be placed before putting the pad back in.

Stole this from google (https://i0.wp.com/www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/MINI/33-BRAKES-Brake_Pad_Replacement/images_med/Pic17.JPG?resize=580%2C435)
Stole this from google (http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/MINI/33-BRAKES-Brake_Pad_Replacement/images_med/Pic17.JPG)

 

Anyways, thanks for reading!

 

HWL

Categories
Cars

Changing out an old alternator!

I received a call from my buddy Hunter again about his ES300.  He said his alternator went out which he wasn’t excited about obviously because that means he needs to buy a new one.  To me this was exciting  because it was another opportunity to learn how to do something.  He got it diagnosed at the local auto parts store and they said the solenoid was bad.  He ordered one online and it was set to arrive the next day.

Some symptoms he was having include:

  • Car won’t start (really inconvenient when leaving for work)
  • Car won’t start again (hmmmm this is when you know something isn’t right)
  • In the case of the Lexus ES300 the traction control light came on (I am guessing due to lack of voltage from the battery

After having these issues it could either be a tired old battery or an alternator.  Getting the the alternator checked at the local store was an easy way to diagnose.

Our video shows the struggles of learning how to take the old alternator out and putting in the new one!

The process goes like so:

  1. Disconnect the negative terminal of your battery
  2. Loosen the tensioner on the alternator (This was the lower bolt on the alternator)
  3. Slip the belt off of the pulley on the alternator
  4. Loosen and remove the remaining support bolts from the alternator
  5. Place the new alternator in position of the old
  6. Place the support bolts into position and tighten just enough to hold the alternator in position (We still want it to be able to pivot with tensioner)
  7. Tighten the tensioner until the slack in the belt is gone (Do not over tighten or it could cause excess belt wear and puts strain on pulleys)
  8. Tighten the support bolts to desired torque rating

That is it!  You just saved yourself a bit of money by applying yourself instead of paying some other guy to do easy work for you!

 

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy the video!  We never know what we are doing until the job is done.

Categories
Cars

Engine Misfire fix!

Hello all!

I had the pleasure of helping my buddy Hunter fix his 1999 Lexus ES300.

He noticed that his car was running rough.  He checked the engine fault code and it read P0302 – “Engine misfire detected on cylinder 2”.  Before we go any further we needed to figure out what could cause this issue.

Things that could cause the problem:

-Spark plug is out of gap or should be replaced

-Ignition coil is faulty/worn out

-Bad compression (This would be worst case)

Now that we have some things to check we decided to start on the project.  We began by locating which cylinder was cylinder two:

es300 cylinder count

This cylinder happens to be located at the front left cylinder of the engine block.

Tools:

  • Socket Set

Materials:

  • Spark plug
  • Coil pack
  • Anti seize grease

We did not have a compression tester on hand so we decided to try a new spark plug first.

We used a socket wrench with 5/8″ socket with an extender.  To remove the spark plug we simply plugged the coil pack back on to the spark plug to pull it out.

After replacing the spark plug we started the engine up and still had a misfire.

The next step was to replace the coil pack which ended up being the solution!

Check out the video of the process!

Cheers!