Getting a spongy feel on your brake pedal? Then it’s high time you bleed your brake system. A spongy or resistance-free brake pedal means there’s too much air that’s taking up the space of the brake fluid.

Bleeding your ride’s brake system is easy. All you have to get is a wrench that would fit the bleeder screw, a container, a rubber hose that would fit the bleeder valve, new brake fluid, and a buddy to help you out. Here’s how you do it:

1. If you don’t have a garage to work in, just park your car on a flat surface where you can have enough space to work around your vehicle. Engage your ride’s parking brake.

2. Open your car’s hood. Find the brake master cylinder reservoir.

3. Take out the old brake fluid from the reservoir. You can use a turkey baster or battery solution filler to siphon the old fluid out.

4. Top off the reservoir with new brake fluid. Make sure you use a brake fluid that meets the specifications set by the manufacturer for your vehicle.

5. Lift up your vehicle using a floor jack. Lift the front first and then the rear. Support your vehicle with jack stands on its frame rails and pinch weld points. Never depend only on floor jacks to support your vehicle.

6. Beginning at the rear, take off either the left or right wheel assembly. This should be easy to do with these easy-to-follow instructions on wheel replacement.

7. After you’ve removed the wheel, locate the brake bleeder screw. It should be on the brake caliper or brake wheel cylinder.

8. Attach the end of a rubber or plastic hose onto the bleeder valve. The hose can be as short as 1.5 feet. It just has to be long enough for you to be able to dip its other free end into a container filled that’s partially filled with clean brake fluid. To be able to monitor the flow of the brake fluid, it would be best to use a clear hose and container.

9. Have your buddy pump the brake pedal for about 5 to 10 times before holding it down with constant pressure.

10. Using a wrench, slowly loosen the bleeder valve by about 3/4 turn. With your assistant holding the pedal down with constant pressure, the pedal should slowly drop to the floor as old brake fluid and some air bubbles come out of the drain hose.

11. When there are no more bubbles and old fluid flowing out, tighten the bleeder screw. Have your assistant release the pressure on the pedal. Don’t release the pedal before you close the bleeder valve as it will suck air in back into the brake system.

12. Repeat the bleeding procedure (steps 7 to 11) until no more air bubbles and old brake fluid are coming out of the drain tube.

13. Once you’ve completely bled the system, check the brake master cylinder and refill it. Don’t allow it to be completely drained.

14. You have just successfully bled the brake line in one of your wheels. You just have to follow the same steps for the rest of your wheel cylinder and brake caliper assemblies. Just remember to bleed the rear wheels first.

15. After you’re done with all the calipers, do a final check on the master cylinder. Refill if necessary. Check the firmness of the brake pedal. Put the wheels back and lower your vehicle. Go for a test drive.

The entire bleeding process may require quite an amount of brake fluid. Though it would allow you to save, it’s not advisable to reuse brake fluid that’s been bled out or mixed with the old fluid. This is to ensure the quality of the fluid in the system. To make your brake fluid last, just protect the system from leaks and keep its brake pads and shoes maintained.

The ball joint is an integral part of any vehicle’s suspension system. It might sound like a minor component, but it’s really not. It is basically a bearing that acts as the pivot to allow movement between the suspension and the wheels of your car. They are used in linkage systems to control the motion of the linked parts, which is why no steering and suspension system can do without a non-functional ball joint. Make sure you replace any bad ball joints as soon as possible, because a failed ball joint will mean loss of control over your car—something that can lead to accidents and injuries. The tires and other surrounding parts may also be damaged when the ball joint fails.

You will need a few tools on hand to replace that busted ball joint. You’ll need a ball joint separator, a ball peen hammer, a half-inch drive torque wrench, a standard wrench set, a socket and ratchet set, and a bunch of jack stands. Don’t forget that brand-new ball joint. You can get one from your local auto parts dealer or your trusted online auto parts retailer.

First, make sure your ride is parked on a solid and level surface so that you encounter less hassle while jacking it up. You don’t want it to roll or lean—especially while you’re underneath. Afterward, loosen the lug nuts of your wheels. Don’t remove them yet.

Lift your car’s front area using your floor jack, then support it with the jack stands. This ensures total safety while you work from underneath your car. Don’t let the floor jack bear the weight of the car; the jack stands will distribute the weight.

With the car fully supported, you can now completely remove the wheel lug nuts and the wheels themselves.

Use another floor jack to support the lower control arm. Seat the jack near the ball joint. After that, remove the cotter pin attached to the ball joint retaining nut. The cotter pin is the tapered fastener that secures the retaining nut. Turn the nut a few times to loosen it up.

Use your ball joint separator to take the ball joint away from the knuckle. Remove the nut before you set the knuckle aside.

Press out the damaged or bad ball joint from the upper or lower control arm using a tool, and then press your replacement ball joint where the old one fits.

Reinstall your steering knuckle into the assembly of the ball joint and control arm. Make sure you torque the castle nut to the amount specified by your manufacturer or in your car’s user manual.

Get a new cotter pin in place, and then reinstall the wheels. Make sure you torque the lug nuts according to your car’s specifications.

Now you have a new ball joint to keep your suspension and steering systems performing at their best. Make sure you maintain the ball joints in your ride. If your ride uses standard ball joints, make sure that you keep them well-lubed. Of course, sealed ball joints don’t require any additional lubrication. However, you might need to check for sealed ball joint failure in the neighborhood of every 80,000 miles because this type will break eventually. When you hear snapping or clicking when you turn and squeaking when you stop or when you go over bumps, check if you need to replace a ball joint again. Keeping ball joints in top condition will ensure your safety and your car’s smooth operation on the road.

You can never be too sure when it comes to your ride. That’s why auto manufacturers and mechanics recommend that you perform regular maintenance on your ride. And when it comes to servicing operations, one system you should regularly inspect is the transmission. Considered the most complicated of all systems in a vehicle, the manual transmission depends on hydraulic pressure to let you change gears and drive your car in varying speeds. So aside from keeping all its components in good condition, you should also make sure that its fluid is always sufficient.

To check your car’s manual transmission fluid, you’ll have to use a car jack, a jack stand or ramp, and a socket wrench. Unlike with automatic transmissions, you should check the fluid in a manual transmission when the engine isn’t running. Following are the steps on how to do it.

1. Turn off the engine. Let it cool for a couple of hours if it has just been driven. Jack up your vehicle and secure it with axle stands. Be sure that the car is held up at the proper jack points before going underneath it.

2. Locate the filler bolt or plug on transmission’s side. Don’t confuse the filler bolt with the drain plug; the first is located higher than the latter. You wouldn’t want to make the mistake of removing the drain plug when you’re directly under it—unless of course you want to bathe in your ride’s transmission fluid.

3. Using a wrench, loosen the filler bolt. Turn it counterclockwise. It could be hard though, depending on how much muck or rust have accumulated around the bolt. If you want, you can spray WD40 on the bolt to loosen up the rust. Leave it for about one hour to make it easier for you to unscrew the plug. If you’ve done this and it still won’t budge, you might have to remove it by heating the plug or the immediate area around the hole. You can use propane gas torch to do this while trying to slowly loosen the plug. But if luck isn’t really on your side, and all of those ways fail, then you would have to bring your car to the auto repair shop for professional help.

On the other hand, if you’ve been able to loosen the plug without so much trouble, then congratulations! You can now unscrew the bolt carefully. Put a catch pan underneath just in case the transmission fluid spills.

4. Now you can check the fluid level. Do this by sticking a finger into the filler hole. Curl your finger downwards. If you can feel the transmission fluid, then the level’s still all right. If not, you might need to refill it. (For refilling, go to Step 6.)

5. Check the fluid condition. Just like the coolant, brake fluid, and engine oil, the transmission fluid also becomes quite soiled over time. The color of new transmission fluid is red. Over time, it turns brownish, which means it’s already dirty and needs to be changed. To check your transmission fluid, drip some of it onto a clean sheet of white paper.

Check the fluid’s appearance and odor. It should be clean and transparent. There should be no metal filings, flakes, or any visible particulates in it. If it’s already too dark in color or almost black, and it has a burnt odor, that means there’s something wrong in your transmission system, and most probably it won’t be long before it gives up.

6. Topping the fluid off. Since the filler hole is located under the vehicle, you can’t possibly use a funnel to pour transmission fluid into the gearbox. So the best thing to do is to use an oil pump (It usually looks like an aluminum gun with a trigger and a cylindrical barrel in which you put the fluid.) Pour the transmission fluid little by little until the level reaches the filler hole.

7. Once it’s full, you can finally screw the filler bolt back into place. Tighten it first by hand and then use a torque wrench.

It would be best to check the transmission fluid every 30,000 to 50,000 miles or so, or as often as recommended by the car manufacturer. You may look for this specification in your car owner’s manual.

The alternator is an indispensable part of any vehicle. Not only does it convert the power generated by your ride’s engine, it is also responsible for charging your battery. Without a functional alternator, then you’re going to have an uncomfortable time without the electricity-powered devices on your car. Worse, your battery might suddenly discharge in the middle of nowhere, leaving you unable to start your vehicle. A faulty alternator can even damage your battery. Replace the alternator right away once you feel that something isn’t right with your electrical system.

You will need the following tools for this replacement task: a combination wrench set, a screwdriver, a serpentine belt tool, and a socket and ratchet set. You will also have to prepare a multi-meter—preferably a digital one—for troubleshooting other electrical components and wiring before replacing the alternator, as well as for checking your replacement job. The multi-meter, also known as a multitester, is an electronic tool that measures current, resistance and voltage.

To start, pull up the hood and look for the alternator. Before you begin working on it, check your car battery’s voltage first. If it shows less than 9 volts, then you most likely have a dead battery and your alternator could be just fine. If the battery has enough voltage—12 to 13 volts on the digital multi-meter reading should be enough—and passes the load test, then it means you have a bad alternator that needs to be replaced. When you start the engine, the digital multi-meter reading should spike to somewhere around 13.5 to 14.5 volts.

Disconnect the negative cable of the battery using an open-end wrench, then the power and ground wires. These wires are located at the back of the alternator. Make sure you take note of where each wire is connected to exactly, so that you can have a reference when you reconnect them after when the new alternator is installed. Next, disconnect the connector of the wiring harness.

Get the bolts of the alternator bracket loose without remove them completely. After that, loosen the alternator belt tensioner and the alternator adjusting bolts. With those fasteners removed, you can now remove the alternator drive belt. If you see considerable signs of wear as well as fraying on the belt, then it would be best to replace it, too.

Get the appropriate socket or ratchet and remove the following: the mounting bolts of the alternator, any equipped spacers, any adjusting bolts, any lower pivot bolts and finally, the alternator itself. Put the new alternator in and reinstall all of the bolts and spacers that you removed from the old alternator (where applicable).

Reinstall the alternator belt then pull it up to the point where the alternator belt is tight enough. Tighten the mounting bolts on the alternator as you move the alternator unit gently, so that you can get the proper tension on the alternator belt. Proper alternator belt tension plays an important role in the smooth function of the alternator. A loose alternator drive belt will tend to slip, and the belt won’t be able to handle the electric load.

Once you achieve proper belt tension, you can now reconnect the power and ground wires. Refer to the notes that you took before as to which wire goes into which connection. After that, reinstall the connector of the wiring harness.

Check the alternator belt tension again by pushing down on the belt’s middle section. You will have to adjust it if it moves in excess of half an inch, because that means your alternator belt is too loose.

After adjusting the belt, reconnect the battery’s negative cable. Start your ride’s engine and check for the voltage from the battery using the multi-meter in order to find out if your alternator can now charge your battery. Shut the engine off before doing another inspection on the tension of the alternator belt. When necessary, readjust the belt for tightness.

That’s the last step. Replacing the alternator wasn’t so hard, wasn’t it? Now you don’t have to worry about getting stuck on the road thanks to a dead battery. You will also be able to enjoy the services of the many electric-powered devices on your car. With a fully-functional alternator, electric power won’t be an issue on your car anymore. Just make sure you check it periodically and replace it when needed.

Without proper automotive weatherstripping, you and your ride are both at the mercy of various elements like rainwater and gusts of wind. It’s also important to seal the gaps and openings in the frame and between doors so that the cold air in your car stays in your car. This way, the air conditioning unit won’t need to work overtime just to keep the cabin cool and comfortable. One such weatherstripping piece is the window belt strip. Because of its location, chipping and peeling of the material is a common problem after some time. To keep your ride locked tight, you need to replace damaged window belt strips right away.

Before you start doing anything, make sure you prepare your screwdriver and needle-nose pliers for this task. A pocket screwdriver will do, since you will only be using it to pick off a portion of the weatherstripping material. These are the two simple tools you’ll need to complete the replacement of that damaged window belt strip.

You will also need new weatherstripping material to replace the damaged strip. If you can, get material that matches the rest of your weatherstripping to keep things consistent. Depending on the dimensions of the material that you manage to get, you might need to trim it to fit the dimensions of your window belt.

The first order of business is locating the window belt strips. When you’ve found them, check for any damage like cracking. Sometimes, entire sections of the material will be missing or torn off. If there is considerable damage to a belt strip, you’ll know you really have to replace it. You can probably ignore a few chips and smaller peeled sections, but these are already indications that the strip material is starting to wear out.

Roll the window down to the lowest possible point it can go. After that, you can now start prying a part of the window belt strip off the door panels. The best place to pry away is a corner of the strip material. You will need your pocket screwdriver for this purpose. Be careful not to chip the upper edge of your window in the process.

When part of the window belt strip has already been pried loose, take out the entire strip carefully by pulling it out using your needle-nose pliers. The operative word here is “carefully.” If you try to force the issue, you might not remove the material cleanly and you’ll have to scrape some of the leftovers off. This will make you spend more time for removal.

After removing the old strip, you should also remove the old adhesive used to attach it. Make the painted surface underneath rougher by rubbing sandpaper over it. This way, the new strip will be able to attach faster as adhesive will be able to latch on to the rough surface much easier compared to a smooth, flat surface.

Using the existing clips of your old belt strip, snap and secure the replacement strip. Once you have it in place, roll the window up to check the window belt strip for proper fit and sealing. Make any necessary adjustments to make sure the strip has a tight fit.

The next chance you get, check if the new piece of weatherstripping on the window belt will seal properly even when your car is moving. Weatherstripping’s ability to seal on a stationary vehicle is different from when a moving vehicle is concerned. Good weatherstripping should be able to compensate for high speeds as well, so that the strip can keep the respective section sealed tight while moving.

Those are the simple steps it takes to replace the window belt strip. Making sure that each piece of weatherstripping on your car is always in the best condition helps keep you and your ride protected while allowing for a more comfortable drive. Even some weatherstripping pieces that you may neglect, such as the window belt strip, contribute significantly to the overall comfort of your drives. So, when you see that the window belt strip can’t fulfill its function right, just follow the easy steps above and you’ll be good to go once again.