Auto Repair For Dummies

554 Pages·2008·21.75 MB·English

by  Deanna Sclar

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Auto Repair
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
2
ND EDITION
by Deanna Sclar
John O’Dell,Technical Advisor
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01_599026-ffirs.qxp 10/3/08 11:03 PM Page i
Auto Repair
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
2
ND EDITION
by Deanna Sclar
John O’Dell,Technical Advisor
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Auto Repair For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright ©2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008929120
ISBN: 978-0-7645-9902-6
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Deanna Sclaris also the internationally best-selling author of Buying a Car
For Dummies, a money-saving guide to every aspect of car ownership includ-
ing buying, selling, financing, auto insurance and claims, and more. A former
contributing editor to Family Circle, Boys’ Life,Exploring,and the Los Angeles
Times,her articles have appeared in Redbook, New Woman,and other
national magazines.
As an automotive expert and consumer spokesperson, Deanna has appeared
on more than 800 radio and TV shows, including her own segment on NBC
Nightly News with Tom Brokaw; Good Morning America, Today;the Lifetime,
CNN, and National Public Radio networks; and local shows in 30 major cities.
Her Auto Repair For Dummiesvideo was a National Home Video Awards final-
ist. She’s co-hosted Outrageous Women,a weekly TV talk show, and has pro-
duced, written, hosted, and edited several documentaries. Her “Auto Repair
for Dummies” course at California State University, Northridge, drew the
largest crowds ever in their continuing education program.
A life-long environmental activist, Deanna led the group that threw the first
Earth Day celebration in New York City and convinced Mayor Lindsay to start
the first urban recycling program. The former “Thumbs Sclar” has restored
two classic cars, a truck, and three homes. An inveterate gypsy and blue-
water sailor, she has crewed her way across the Pacific and Polynesia, sailed
and dived Hawaii and the Great Barrier Reef, trekked alone for nine months
through southeast Asia and five months through Brazil, and crossed the
Atlantic in a small sailboat with a companion and a cat.
“My goal is to prove that we have control over our lives,” she says. “Whether
you are working on a car or making a lifelong dream come true, it’s a do-it-
yourself world. Knowing this has turned my life into a great adventure, and
I want to pass the good news on to everybody else!”
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Dedication
For my children, Gina and Casey; and my grandchildren, Jesse, Allison, Jacob,
and Kylie, who will drive the vehicles of the future.
Author’s Acknowledgments
John O’Dell, for going far beyond all expectations to provide the erudition,
insight, and dedication to make sure that this edition is accurate and up-to-
date. Thanks so much for always being there for me!
Rosemarie Kitchin, for the support, intelligence, leads, and loving friendship
that have been mainstays in my life for over 30 years.
Dave Steventon of the Canadian Automobile Association, for your friendship
and guidance through every edition of this book.
Marilyn Levak, for your generosity and skill in organizing more than five years
of Internet files and newspaper clippings for this edition.
Joanne Steventon, for researching and obtaining scrap art for this book.
Don Donesley, my first automotive guru, whose classes and advice made the
original edition possible. Thanks for introducing me to three of the finest
things in life: cars, beer, and the Mojave Desert!
The old Thursday Evening Auto Class at “Uni High,” who shared ideas, tools,
and elbow grease; served as guinea pigs; and got it all together over beer and
pizza afterward.
Lindsay Lefevere, Acquisitions Editor, and Alissa Schwipps, Senior Project
Editor, for their heroic efforts and sensitivity from the planning stages right
through to publication. Elizabeth Rea, Senior Copy Editor, for her sharp eyes
and feel for style. Tracy Barr, Editor, and Bob Freudenberger, Technical
Consultant, for shepherding the book through a last-minute review. Janet
Wahlfeldt and Thomas Brucker, Technical Illustrator (Precision Graphics),
for simple, clear illustrations of complex automotive systems; and the entire
Wiley Composition Services crew who worked so long and hard on this edi-
tion. May the Fonts be with you!
And, finally, thanks to Tweety Bird, faithful Mustang, who survived all the
experiments and mistakes and grew up to be a fine car and a worthy steed; to
Honeybun, my dream car come true; and to Esmerelda, my lovely Prius.
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What’s So Special about Auto Repair
For Dummies, 2nd Edition
This book is designed for people who think that anything technical will make
their brains shut like garage doors, who sincerely care about how their vehicles
affect the environment, and although they believe they can’t work on their cars
themselves — and wouldn’t like it if they could — are willing to give it a try.
How do I know that it will work for these reluctant readers? Because it’s written
by a genuine, certified ex-Dummy who has found that, despite total ignorance
and a complete lack of manual dexterity, getting personally involved with a
vehicle is enjoyable, rewarding, and easy. Believe me: If I can do it, so can you!
It Is NotWritten for Confirmed “Do-It-Yourselfers.” It Isfor YouIf:
(cid:1)You have never held a wrench.
(cid:1)You are positive that, in your case, manual labor can lead only to disaster.
(cid:1)You haven’t the vaguest idea of how a car works.
(cid:1)You have failed shop or arts and crafts.
(cid:1)You believe that if you do something wrong, your car can blow up.
To Enjoy This Book, It Would Help If:
(cid:1)You don’t believe that working on your vehicle can possibly be fun, but
you’re willing to give it a try for any reason whatsoever.
(cid:1)You are sincerely tired of being ripped off because of your own ignorance.
Why Is That Enjoyable? Because You Will Be Delighted to Find:
(cid:1)Cars run on principles that are as easy to understand as common sense.
(cid:1)You can save a tremendous amount of money, extend the life of your
vehicle, save on fuel, and do your bit for the environment if you know
more about your car!
(cid:1)Most of the devices on your vehicle will not hurt you unless you really
go out of your way to hurt yourself.
Here’s How Auto Repair For DummiesAccomplishes These Miracles:
(cid:1)It starts from scratch. It even shows you what a screwdriver looks like!
(cid:1)It explains each system in simple terms beforeyou get to work on it.
(cid:1)It provides step-by-step instructions for even the simplest tasks.
(cid:1)It tells you exactly what you need and how to know if you’ve been given
the wrong part, the wrong diagnosis, or an outrageous estimate.
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It Tells You the Truth About:
(cid:1)What makes your vehicle go (and how and why as well)
(cid:1)How the car you drive, how you drive it and maintain it, and how you
recycle or dispose of used parts and toxic fluids affect fuel economy and
global warming
(cid:1)The easy work involved in keeping your vehicle well maintained and
running efficiently, and how to tell what’s wrong if trouble strikes
(cid:1)How 15 minutes of “preventive medicine” avoids breakdowns
(cid:1)Whether you can handle a problem yourself, and how to get it fixed at a
fair price if you can’t
(cid:1)How to extend the life of your vehicle; keep it clean and healthy; and
repair the minor dents and dings it acquires on the road
These Features Will Make Life Even Easier:
(cid:1)A Practical Glossary of Automotive Termsthat are in special typethrough-
out the book so that you can refresh your memory if you’ve forgotten
what something means
(cid:1)A detailed Indexwhere you can look up a part, a problem, a symptom, or
a specific job and find the page you need
(cid:1)A Maintenance Recordso you can keep track of what you’ve done and
when you did it
(cid:1)A Specifications Recordfor the data you need to buy the right parts
(cid:1)Tons of illustrations that show you how things look and where they are
This Revised Edition Also Tells You:
(cid:1)About alternatively fueled vehicles and other innovations so you can
choose a safe and efficient vehicle when Old Faithful finally heads for the
Used Car Lot in the Sky
You Have a Few Things to Supply, Too!
(cid:1)You have to buy the book . . . and read it!
(cid:1)You have to try to do one small, easy job yourself (you can pick the job).
There Are Fringe Benefits, Too!
(cid:1)Your vehicle will run better and live longer.
(cid:1)Automotive technicians will respect you.
(cid:1)You’ll have more money to spend on other things.
(cid:1)You’ll no longer be a Dummy!
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration
form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Composition Services
Media Development
Project Coordinator: Bill Ramsey
Senior Project Editor: Alissa Schwipps
Layout and Graphics: Karl Brandt, Joni Burns,
(Previous Edition: Pamela Mourouzis) Shawn Frazier, Stephanie D. Jumper,
Rashell Smith, Julie Trippetti
Acquisitions Editor: Lindsay Lefevere
Special Art: Precision Graphics
Senior Copy Editor: Elizabeth Rea
Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Dwight Ramsey,
(Previous Edition: Wendy Hatch,
Shannon Ramsey
Tamara Castleman)
Indexer: Carol A. Burbo
Editorial Program Coordinator:
Erin Calligan Mooney Special Help: Alicia B. South,
Joanne Steventon
Technical Editor: Karen Greenberg
Technical Consultants:Bob Freudenberger,
Ken Lavacot (2carpros.com), Eric Pazer
Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich
Editorial Assistants:Joe Niesen, David Lutton
Cover Photo:© Bill Grove
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies
Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan,Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings,Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey,Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Services