The difference in tire sizes.

How to Tell the Size Difference on a Car Tire

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Understand and decode the markings on tires.

Steps

1. Look at the letter/number combination on the tire. Most tire sizes begin with a letter or letters that identify the type of vehicle and/or type of service for which they were designed. The common indicators are as follows:
   
   • P225/50R16 91S
     
     • P = When a tire size begins with a "P," it signifies the tire is a "P-metric" size that was designed to be fitted on vehicles that are primarily used as passenger vehicles. This includes cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles and light duty pickup trucks (typically 1/4- and 1/2-ton load capacity). The use of P-metric sizes began in the late 1970s and they are the most frequently used type of tire size today.
       
     • /50R16 92S = If there isn't a letter preceding the three-digit numeric portion of a tire size, it signifies the tire is a "Metric" size (also called "Euro-metric" because these sizes originated in Europe). While Metric tire sizes are primarily used on European cars, they are also used on vans and sport utility vehicles. Euro-metric sizes are dimensionally equivalent to P-metric sizes, but typically differ subtly in load carrying capabilities.
       
     
     
   • T125/90D16 98M
     
     • T = If a tire size begins with a "T," it signifies the tire is a "Temporary Spare" ("space saver" or "mini spare") that was designed to be used temporarily only until a flat tire can be repaired or replaced.
       
     
     
   • LT245/75R16 108/104S
     
     • LT = If a tire size begins with "LT," it signifies the tire is a "Light Truck-metric" size that was designed to be used on vehicles that are capable of carrying heavy cargo or towing large trailers. This includes medium and heavy-duty (typically 3/4- and 1-ton load capacity) pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and full-size vans. Tires branded with the "LT" designation are the "little brothers" of 18-wheel tractor-trailer tires and are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.
       
     
     
   • 50R16LT 112/107Q, 8.75R16.5LT 104/100Q or 31x10.50R15LT 109Q
     
     • LT = If a tire ends with "LT," it signifies the tire is either an earlier "Numeric", "Wide Base" or "Flotation" Light Truck size designed to be used on vehicles that are capable of carrying heavy cargo and towing trailers (Numeric sizes), use 16.5-inch diameter rims (Wide Base sizes) or are wider, oversized tires designed to help the vehicle drive on top of loose dirt or sandy surfaces (Flotation sizes). This includes light, medium and heavy-duty (typically 1/2-, 3/4 and 1-ton load capacity) pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Tires branded with the "LT" at the end of their size designation are also the "little brothers" of 18-wheel tractor-trailer tires and are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.
       
     
     
   • /70R15C 104/102R
     
     • C = If a Euro-metric sized tire ends with a "C," it signifies the tire is a "Commercial" tire intended to be used on vans or delivery trucks that are capable of carrying heavy loads. In addition to being branded with the "C" in their size, these tires are also branded with their appropriate Service Description and "Load Range" (Load Range B, Load Range C or Load Range D).
       
     
     
   • ST225/75R15
     
     • ST = If a tire size begins with "ST," it signifies the tire is a "Special Trailer Service" size that was designed to only be used on boat, car or utility trailers. ST-sized tires should never be used on cars, vans or light trucks.
       
     
     
   
   
2. Look at the three-digit numeric portion. This identifies the tire's Section Width (cross section) in millimeters.
   
   • P225/50R16 91S. The 225 indicates this tire is 225 millimeters across from the widest point of its outer sidewall to the widest point of its inner sidewall when mounted and measured on a specified width wheel. This measurement is also referred to as the tire's section width. Because many people think of measurements in inches, the 225mm can be converted to inches by dividing the section width in millimeters by 25.4 (the number of millimeters per inch). mm / 25.4 = 8.86"
     
   
   
3. Look at the two-digit number following the Section Width number. This is the Sidewall Aspect Ratio.
   
   • P225/50R16 91S. The 50 indicates that this tire size's sidewall height (from rim to tread) is 50% of its section width. The measurement is the tire's section height, and also referred to as the tire's series, profile or aspect ratio. The higher the number, the taller the sidewall; the lower the number, the lower the sidewall. We know that this tire size's section width is 225mm and that its section height is 50% of 225mm. By converting the 225mm to inches (225 / 25.4 = 8.86") and multiplying it by 50% (.50) we confirm that this tire size results in a tire section height of 4.43". If this tire were a P225/70R16 size, our calculation would confirm that the size would result in a section height of 6.20", approximately a 1.8-inch taller sidewall.
     
   
   
4. Look at the letter following the numbers -- it identifies the tire's internal construction.
   
   • P225/50R16, P225/50ZR16. The R in the P225/50R16 91S size identifies that the tire has a Radial construction in which the tire's body plies "radiate" out from the imaginary center of the wheel. Radial tires are by far the most popular type of tire today representing over 98% of all tires sold.
     
   • If the R in the size was replaced with a D (225/50D16), it would identify that the internal tire body plies crisscross on a Diagonal and that the tire has a "bias ply" construction. Tires using this construction are for light truck and spare tire applications.
     
   • If the R in the size was replaced with a B (225/50B16), it would identify that the tire body plies not only crisscross the tire on a diagonal as before, but that they are reinforced with belts under the tread area. This type of tire construction is called "Belted." Tires using this construction are practically extinct.
     
   
   
5. Look for the Speed Rating. Today, the only tires that continue to include the speed rating "in" the tire size (P225/50ZR16) are Z-speed rated tires. In this case, following the two digits used to identify the aspect ratio are the letters ZR to identify the tire's speed rating (Z) and its internal construction (R). Since 1991, all other speed ratings are identified in the tire's Service Description (which will be covered shortly).
   
6. Consider the Tire and Wheel Diameter.
   
   • P225/50R16 91S. The 16 indicates the tire and wheel diameter designed to be matched together.
     
   • Tires that have a rim diameter expressed in inches (P225/50R16, as well as 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26 and 28) are called "inch rim" sizes, are the most common type of tire size and are used on most cars, minivans, vans, sport utility vehicles and light duty light trucks. While not as common, two additional "unique" types of tire/wheel diameters are still in use today.
     
     • Tires and wheels that have a rim diameter expressed in "half" inches (8.00R16.5LT, as well as, 14.5, 15.5, 17.5 and 19.5) are used on some heavy-duty trailers, heavy-duty light trucks and box vans.
       
     • Tires and wheels that have a rim diameter expressed in millimeters (190/65R390, as well as, 365 and 415) are called millimetric sizes. Michelin initiated millimetric sizes for their TRX tires that saw limited use on many different car models in the late 1970s and 1980s.
       
     • Michelin PAX System run flat tires have been introduced as an integrated wheel/tire system on a very limited basis as Original Equipment (O.E.) in North America. An example PAX System size of 235/710R460A 104T expresses tire and wheel dimensions in millimeters (235 mm Section Width, tire Overall Diameter of 710 mm and a 460A mm rim diameter, with the "A" in 460A signifying these tires feature "asymmetric" beads in which the outside bead (450 mm) and inside bead (470 mm) are actually different diameters.
       
     • All of these "unique" tire/wheel diameters were developed specifically because the tire and wheel design or intended vehicle use required them to be different than conventional tires and wheels. All of these tires and wheels feature bead profiles that have a different shape than traditional "inch rim" sizes.
       
     
     
   
   

Related wikiHows

• How to Change a Tire
  
• How to Fix a Flat Car Tire with Fix a Flat
  
• How to Check Your Car Tire Wear
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Tell the Size Difference on a Car Tire. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Clean water marks off your car

How to Take Water Marks Off Vehicles

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

It's difficult to take water marks off vehicles, once they dry up. Best way to avoid them is not to allow them form, that is, wipe them off before drying, while they are still wet.

Steps

1. Always keep a clean, soft, dry piece of cloth ready in your vehicle.
   
2. Wipe off any water mark, as soon as they appear.
   
3. If you have noticed it when it has already dried or formed, rinse the area with fresh/clean water and wipe off while still wet. For stubborn marks, car wash solutions or light detergent solution will help.
   
4. Start with a cool to the touch vehicle wash as you normally would. Rinse well
   
5. Wash again with water and white vinegar, this will remove all wax, and mineral deposits from finish and glass. Rinse and follow up with a good grade polish and wax.
   

Tips

• Start at the top and work your way down
  
• Never let the soap or vinegar start to dry out.
  
• It's difficult to take water marks off vehicles, once they dry up. Best way to avoid them is not to allow them form, that is, wipe them off before drying, while they are still wet.
  
• The use of grease cutting dish soap such as Dawn will help remove road grime and water stains, while providing a barrier to prevent buildup with each car wash at home, however this will strip the wax off and you will need to wax after.
  

Warnings

• Never try to forcibly wipe off dry marks.
  
• Never use stain removers, spirit or any alcohol containing cleaner.
  
• Don't use anything, such as a brillo pad, to clean: they will scratch the paint.
  
• Using Grease Cutting dish soap or Vinegar will remove all wax from your paint and leave your paint unprotected; you should re-wax your car every time you wash it with dish soap or find a milder car wash soap to protect the paint.
  

Things You'll Need

• A clean, soft, dry piece of cloth
  
• White vinegar
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Remove a Very Streaky Wax Finish on a Car
  
• How to Wax a Surfboard
  
• How to Remove Candle Wax
  
• How to Use Sealing Wax With a Melting Pot
  
• How to Remove Wax from Clothing
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Take Water Marks Off Vehicles. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Fix your Air Conditioning

How to Fix Your Car's Air Conditioner

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you been sweltering in your car because of a broken air conditioner? Here's a short guide to how air conditioning (AC) works, why it might not work, and what you can do about it.

Steps

1. Realize that auto AC is basically a refrigerator in a weird layout. It's designed to move heat from one place (the inside of your car) to some other place (the outdoors). While a complete discussion of every specific model and component is well outside the scope of this article, this should give you a start on figuring out what the problem might be and either fixing it yourself or talking intelligently to someone you can pay to fix it.
   
2. Become familiar with the major components to auto air conditioning:
   • the compressor, which compresses and circulates the refrigerant in the system
   • the refrigerant, (on modern cars, usually a substance called R-134a older cars have r-12 freon which is becoming increasingly more expensive and hard to find, and also requires a license to handle) which carries the heat
   • the condenser, which changes the phase of the refrigerant and expels heat removed from the car
   • the expansion valve (or orifice tube in some vehicles), which is somewhat of a nozzle and functions to similtaneously drop the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, meter its flow, and atomize it
   • the evaporator, which transfers heat to the refrigerant from the air blown across it, cooling your car
   • the receiver/dryer, which functions as a filter for the refrigerant/oil, removing moisture and other contaminants
   
   
3. Understand the air conditioning process: The compressor puts the refrigerant under pressure and sends it to the condensing coils. In your car, these coils are generally in front of the radiator. Compressing a gas makes it quite hot. In the condenser, this added heat and the heat the refrigerant picked up in the evaporator is expelled to the air flowing across it from outside the car. When the refrigerant is cooled to its saturation temperature, it will change phase from a gas back into a liquid (this gives off a bundle of heat known as the "latent heat of vaporization"). The liquid then passes through the expansion valve to the evaporator, the coils inside of your car, where it loses pressure that was added to it in the compressor. This causes some of the liquid to change to a low-pressure gas as it cools the remaining liquid. This two-phase mixture enters the evaporator, and the liquid portion of the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the air across the coil and evaporates. Your car's blower circulates air across the cold evaporator and into the interior. The refrigerant goes back through the cycle again and again.
   
4. Check to see if all the R-134a leaks out (meaning there's nothing in the loop to carry away heat). Leaks are easy to spot but not easy to fix without pulling things apart. Most auto-supply stores carry a fluorescent dye that can be added to the system to check for leaks, and it will have instructions for use on the can. If there's a bad enough leak, the system will have no pressure in it at all. Find one of the valve-stem-looking things and CAREFULLY (eye protection recommended) poke a pen in there to try to valve off pressure, and if there IS none, that's the problem.
   
5. Make sure the compressor is turning. Start the car, turn on the AC and look under the hood. The AC compressor is generally a pumplike thing off to one side with large rubber and steel hoses going to it. It will not have a filler cap on it, but will often have one or two things that look like the valve stems on a bike tire. The pulley on the front of the compressor exists as an outer pulley and an inner hub which turns when an electric clutch is engaged. If the AC is on and the blower is on, but the center of the pulley is not turning, then the compressor's clutch is not engaging. This could be a bad fuse, a wiring problem, a broken AC switch in your dash, or the system could be low on refrigerant (most systems have a low-pressure safety cutout that will disable the compressor if there isn't enough refrigerant in the system).
   
6. Look for other things that can go wrong: bad switches, bad fuses, broken wires, broken fan belt (preventing the pump from turning), or seal failure inside the compressor.
   
7. Feel for any cooling at all. If the system cools, but not much, it could just be low pressure, and you can top up the refrigerant. Most auto-supply stores will have a kit to refill a system, and it will come with instructions. Do not overfill! Adding more than the recommended amount of refrigerant will NOT improve performance but actually will decrease performance. In fact, the more expensive automated equipment found at nicer shops actually monitors cooling performance real-time as it adds refrigerant, and when the performance begins to decrease it removes refrigerant until the performance peaks again.
   

Tips

• If you suspect bad wiring, most compressors have a wire leading to the electric clutch. Find the connector in the middle of that wire, and unplug it. Take a length of wire and run it from the compressor's wire to the plus (+) side of your battery. If you hear a loud CLACK, the electric clutch is fine and you should check the car's wiring and fuses. If you get nothing, the electric clutch is bad and the compressor will have to be replaced. Ideally, if you can do this test while the car is running, you can see if the hub spins. Take care to keep fingers and loose clothes away from moving pulleys and belts. That would rule out a clutch that actuates properly but then slips so badly it won't generate pressure.
  
• If your system is empty and you're refilling it, be sure to first replace the receiver/dryer and evacuate the system. If you don't have access to a vacuum pump (like what they'd use in a lab or shop), it's best get a shop to suck all the air out of the system before filling it. Air contains moisture, and both are unacceptable in AC systems for a multitude of reasons.
  
• Your system will have a light oil in it. If you vent off any refrigerant, be prepared to wipe some oil off things nearby.
  
• Another possible replacement refrigerant is HC12a which is used quite a bit more in Europe. It performs better than R-134a or R12. It is more flammable. HC12a is illegal in many U.S. states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia[1]. HC12a has a lower impact on global warming and ozone depletion than R12 or R134a, but since HC12a contains hydrocarbons, it could contribute to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Must be ordered on the Internet as local shops do not seem to stock it. The issue is that shops will not work on a car that has other refrigerants in it. Special equipment is needed for each type of refrigerant's recovery. Standard R12 or R134a is a safer choice.
  

Warnings

• Be extremely cautious about converting your old R-12 system to R-134a. The R-134a conversion kits sold at Auto Parts stores and even WalMart, are called "Black Death Kits" by some AC repairmen. Frequently, the new R-134a refrigerant will not circulate the R-12 oil and you will burn up your compressor. The R-12 mineral oil has chlorine contaminants that will destroy the R-134a PAG or POE special oil. The only way to reliably convert from R-12 to R-134a is to remove the compressor and flush out all the old oil with the new type of oil; then replace the old Receiver-Dryer or Accumulator with a new one; then flush out all the lines, the evaporator, and the condensor with special cleaner then vacuum to a steady vacuum; and finally charge with 70-80%, (by weight) of the original R-12 weight, with R-134a; and expect poorer cooling ability. It is much easier to keep the old R-12 system running with R-12 that is readily available via ebay.
  
• If you have any reason to suspect that your refrigerant has leaked out completely (the DIY pressure gauge you bought at the parts store reads 0 psi; the compressor won't engage because it may be sensing no pressure in the system; you stuck a pen in one of the service ports and no refrigerant hissed out; etc) then you are best off taking it to a professional unless you are familiar with what you are doing. As a general rule of thumb, you are probably not familiar enough if you are reading this article. The reason for this is that a completely depleted refrigerant system has no pressure to keep air and moisture from coming in through wherever the refrigerant leaked out. Air and moisture are possibly the two biggest enemies of an air conditioning system. The ways in which they can do harm are outside the scope of this article, but suffice it to say that it is NOT ok to have a significant amount of either in the lines. The receiver/dryer unit MUST be replaced in a case like this as you can almost guarantee that it has absorbed enough moisture to be completely useless, and before refilling the system it MUST be evacuated (pulling a vacuum on the system, effectively removing nearly all air and moisture from inside) with the proper equipment, which few DIYers are likely to have access or knowledge to use. Let a professional handle it, and you may get away with paying for a fixed leak and an evacuate/recharge. Try to fix it yourself, and a few months down the road you might wind up having to pay for the same evacuate/recharge service, plus replacement of a seized compressor, as well as a new condenser, evaporator, and expansion valve/orifice tube because the compressor sent shards of metal throughout the entire system when it died.
  
• Venting refrigerant -- even R-134a -- is illegal in the United States, so act accordingly.
  
• NEVER connect refrigerant cans, oil or leak-detector cans to the "high pressure side" of the system. This is often marked with H or HIGH, or a red connector cap. Cans can explode, and that would hurt.
  
• Stay away from major leaks of refrigerant. As it vents it will get cold enough to freeze your skin.
  
• Look out for moving fan blades and fan belts!
  
• HC12 is a hydrocarbon, usually some mix of butane or propane. It will ignite with an ignition source (as will R-134a). Professionals don't use it because the EPA has not certified it for automotive use. And it could blow up in your face if you aren't careful.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Change a Tire
  
• How to Create a Battery Tester
  
• How to Cool Yourself in a Car Without Air Conditioning
  
• How to Retrofit Air Conditioning in Cars to New Refrigerant
  
• How to Understand the Basics of Car Maintenance
  
• How to Get Your Car Problems Sorted if You Know Nothing About Cars
  
• How to Stop an Engine from Overheating
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ Reference: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Fix Your Car's Air Conditioner. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Go Off Roading

How to Go off Roading

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Want to go off-roading? If you're a first time 4 wheeler then there are things you'll need to know.

Steps

1. Get an off road vehicle if you don't have one already.-Older Jeeps are the best.-New Wranglers are good but they cost a lot!-The best off road vehicles are small with lots of ground clearance.-BIG Trucks aren't good. They are just too big to fit on trails.
   
2. Get supplies for you and your vehicle. (Extra oil, spare tire, jack, water, and things for you in case of that small chance you get stuck and have to hike back)
   
3. For beginners, find a easy trail, but not just a flat dirt road. Old Mountain Back roads that aren't used often are usually good for beginners.
   
4. Once arrived at the start of the trail, engage your vehicle's 4x4 option.
   
5. Start down the trail.
   
6. Watch for rocks in the center of the trail, some may be too big to straddle. If you try drive straight over a rock that is too big you can damage the bottom of your vehicle. You could also hit the oil pan and then your vehicle is stuck.
   
7. Learn your vehicle's wheel location and placement. This will help you go over difficult spots without a spotter to tell you where to drive up. Still, a spotter always helps. A good way to do this is setup aluminum soda cans in a parking lot, and then try to crush them with the passenger side tires. Successfully doing this in reverse a few times is really helpful if you find yourself at the dead end of a wrong trail.
   
8. Know Your limits. Don't become someone with "Jeep Ego". Some people with Jeeps think they can go anywhere and get themselves stuck.
   
9. Complete your trail!
   

Tips

• It's always better to go with another vehicle so one can help the other if one gets stuck.
  
• Vehicles with a solid front axle are better. It gives you more flexibility when off-roading. Independent front suspension vehicles are generally more comfortable on the road, but will struggle more off the road.
  
• Lower your tires to around 15 PSI. This makes them "squish" around rocks and get more traction, but it's not required.
  
• Get a vehicle with a limited slip differential or a locking differential. This allows a vehicle to provide power to a wheel even when the other wheel on the same axle is spinning without any traction. This will help you when you are climbing over rocks and one wheel lifts into the air.
  
• Most cameras don't effectively take pictures of depths, so if you want to show off to your friends you'll have to get a special camera. Rocks look smaller on camera than what they did when you went over them.
  
• Bring a tow strap. You may need to tow someone out, or get yourself out. A winch may prove to be helpful as well.
  
• Help other people if they are stuck, wouldn't you like help if you were stuck?
  

Warnings

• Straddling big rocks. You could damage your vehicle or get stuck.
  
• Rolling your vehicle. Off-road vehicles have a higher center of gravity due to their height, so they are especially prone to tipping over.
  
• Water holes. You never know how deep the water is, or the mud under it. A 4,000 pound vehicle will sink like a rock. Even if a stick or branch only sinks 8". Your HEAVY vehicle may sink 8 feet.
  

Things You'll Need

• Off road vehicle (4x4)
  
• Extra oil
  
• Extra water (for you and the vehicle, in case it overheats)
  
• Tow strap
  
• Time
  
• Gasoline
  
• Spare tire
  
• Jack
  
• 4-Way to get tire off if it's flat.
  
• Camera (optional)
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Identify Cars
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Go off Roading. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Jump your battery

How to Jump Your Battery

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A battery has a negative terminal and positive terminal. Each terminal will be labeled with a symbol. A plus sign (+) indicates positive, and a minus sign (-) indicates negative. On a top-post battery, the posts are located on the top of the battery, and the positive post is larger than the negative post. On most vehicles, the existing battery cables are red and black. Black is negative, red is positive. On a side-post battery, the posts are located on the side of the battery. Always observe the color of the cables and the negative and positive symbols.

Steps

1. Get a working vehicle. Bring it to the disabled vehicle.
   
2. Verify that both the dead battery and the rescue battery have the same voltage. Car batteries are usually 12 Volts. Truck batteries are usually 24 Volts.
   
3. Position the vehicles so that the car batteries are close enough to each other for your jumper cables to reach each one. Make sure the cars are not touching.
   
4. Turn off both engines. Open the hood of each of the cars.
   
5. Turn off the headlights, wipers, radios, and all accessories on both cars. Unplug anything charging in the cigarette lighter.
   
6. Untangle and unwind the jumper cables. The jaws of the cable clamps are designed to bite into the soft metal of the battery clamps that are attached to the battery terminal posts.
   
7. If goggles or gloves are available, put them on now. Have anyone not wearing safety equipment stand clear of both vehicles.
   
8. Visually check both batteries for cracks, leaks, and damage. If any of these exist, STOP. Call a tow truck, do not attempt to jump the car, do not even connect the cables.
   
9. Connect a red clamp first to the positive post on the dead battery. Then connect the other red clamp to the positive post on the good battery.
   
10. Connect a black clamp to the negative post of the good battery.
    
11. Connect the only remaining clamp (a black clamp for the dead battery) to a solid piece of grounded metal on the dead car. Avoid connecting this clamp to the negative post of the dead battery--do this only as a last resort. (See tips for suggestions on what to clamp to)
    
12. Start the working vehicle.
    
13. Let it idle for ~5 minutes. Never race the engine. If idle is not enough to charge the dead battery then it's not going to charge.
    
14. Try to start the disabled vehicle. If it doesn't start, wait five minutes and try again. Repeat until the disabled vehicle starts.
    
15. Remove the jumper cables from the vehicles in the reverse order from when you attached them.
    
16. Keep the recently-disabled vehicle's engine running a little above idle for at least five minutes, then on or at least at idle for at least twenty.
    

Tips

• When looking for a good ground for that last clamp, look for shiny metal around or on the engine. Painted, oily, or rusted metal will not work. Nuts, bolts, or other protruding shiny metal is best. There may be some sparking when you connect to a good ground. It's strongly recommended not to clip the last clamp to the dead battery (which would be an obvious choice) as the sparks that may fly when you complete the electrical circuit could ignite the hydrogen gas coming off the battery.
  
• Don't connect the black leads first and the red leads afterwards: if you would do that and accidentally drop the red cable onto the car's frame, a massive short-circuit will form, possibly welding the clamp to the chassis.
  
• It may be necessary to remove the disabled automobile's battery cables from the battery terminals and clean both cables and terminals. Use a stiff wire brush to remove all corrosion. Reconnect the cables to the battery terminals and jump the car.
  
• Do not use cheap jumping cables with thin wire. Use good heavy-duty jumping cables.
  
• Don't let the working vehicle leave for at least ten minutes. The dead battery must charge for a while, and sometimes will go dead again (especially if you do not keep the engine above idle).
  
• Remember that batteries are not always in the same place. Some vehicles have the battery under the hood, some behind the cab, and some are even in the trunk.
  
• Look at your jumper cables. Many will have instructions with pictures explaining the order to attach the clamps.
  

Warnings

• Never cross the cables while attached to a car battery.
  
• Make sure you are connected to the right posts.
  
• A charging or discharging battery creates hydrogen gas, which under the right circumstances will cause the battery to explode. This is why one must avoid connecting two batteries directly to one another (all four clamps on battery posts). Use this as a last resort when the primary method fails and you have taken proper safety precautions. Make sure you stand clear. There may be sparks which can cause an explosion.
  
• Keep your face as far away from the batteries as you can at all times.
  
• Tell people to back off. Batteries can explode if you don't do the job right.
  
• Always protect your eyes with goggles or other protection.
  
• If the alternator in the working car is either worn or very small there's a small chance it will break during this operation.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Your Car Problems Sorted if You Know Nothing About Cars
  
• How to Get Rid of Tobacco Odors in Cars
  
• How to Fix Cars Air Conditioning
  
• How to Add a Car Dealer License to an Existing Automotive Business
  
• How to Find a Good Auto Mechanic
  
• How to Create a Battery Tester
  
• How to Repair Your Vehicle
  
• How to Merge Onto the Highway Without Crashing
  
• How to Fix an Ignition Key That Doesn't Turn
  
• How to Solve Some Mysteries About Air Cooled Engines Ignition Systems
  

Sources and Citations

• Jump-Starting a Car — Printable Reference Sheet
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Jump Your Battery. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Replace your windshield

How to Replace Your Automobile Windshield

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

This article is published for the purpose of educating the reader on the techniques and principles of auto glass installations and explaining the Aftermarket Auto Glass industry, for the purpose of helping the reader to make an educated decision in choosing a quality professional to replace their auto glass. This article is written to explain the process of aftermarket auto glass installations and is not to be used as a teaching tool or to instruct the reader on windshield installations. Your windshield is a safety device and should only be installed by a qualified professional. Due to the many manufacturers and various designs of automobiles this book is not written to be a complete explanation of the automotive industry’s auto glass technology.
"Your Windshield is a Safety Device"
"Your Windshield Can Save Your Life" by Raymond Clough

Steps

1. Remove the side and top moldings correctly. Don't pry the clips that hold them on; these clips are small plastic pieces specific for the vehicle and its molding. This saves time, but the result is that the molding will need to be glued on if no replacement clips are on hand. Time saved ten minutes or more and about $5.00 for the clips. Most are simple and totally astetic in value and are just an inch of plastic which is attached to the windshield. They do nothing for the windshield except make it look nice. Some are extremely complex with plastic clips and clamps which hold the molding securely to the windshield.
   
2. Cut out the windshield. This can take anywhere from fifteen minutes to almost an hour. The urethane which holds the windshield in place is flexible but extremely strong; this allows the glass to move and not crack from every stress placed on it during driving.
   
   • Use a cold knife to cut the urethane from the outside between the glass and the pinchweld. The major problem with this is when the previous installation has placed the glass close to the pinchweld and not allowing for sufficient space for the blade to drag it will break the glass causing shattering. Most often an aftermarket glass which has been pushed down too far to the pinchweld leaving only 1/8” or less for the cold knife blade to cut through. This causes the glass to break, shattering glass and making a mess.
     
   • Often the glass pieces will fall down into the defroster vent to be blown out later. Cutting the windshield out from the inside of the vehicle is the only other option. Using a special extended handle razor knife the urethane is cut with a repeated dragging motion. Many installers use power cutters which are faster but do more damage to the metal of the vehicle, scratching the paint in the pinchweld area is not a problem if the scratch is painted with a pinchweld primer which must be matched to the urethane.
     
   • This stuff is tough up to 1000 psi. Practice is the key, how much pressure to put on the razor without breaking it. How long to make your strokes so you don’t slip and cut the dash board or the head liner. It all takes practice but when you are not relying on repeat customers you can do it fast. The pinchweld has the old urethane about ¼” thick more or less and it needs to be trimmed down to 3/16” or about 3 mm.
     
   
   
3. Prepare the glass with a primer specially matched to the urethane adhesive. The purpose of the primer is to open the molecules of the frit band (the black band around the perimeter of the windshield) this is done to prepare the glass to accept the molecules of the urethane. If your installer is in a hurry, ignorant or just does not care if your windshield pops out he will skip this step. After the glass is activated, the molding is attached to the glass and the urethane is next.
   
4. Apply the urethane with an electric caulking gun. (Insert Picture) The best thing for the new urethane to adhere to is the old urethane. (Insert Picture of contaminated pinchweld under the molding) It must be clean and free from dirt, oil or other contaminants. A problem installers have is wind blowing dust onto the pinchweld before the urethane adhesive has been applied. This wind is caused from not only the weather conditions but other vehicles including the big trucks.
   
5. Place the windshield in, carefully aligning the top bottom and sides by sight alone. Some vehicles have mounting block for the bottom of the windshield to rest on some do not. Careful not to touch the frit band because the oils and dirt from your hands can contaminate the activated glass and reduce the effectiveness of the activator. Use gloves, either latex or Nitrile to eliminate contaminates from reducing the ...
   

Warnings

• The author shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be cause directly or indirectly by the information contained in this article or by any information omitted from this book of the subject matter contained herein.
  

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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Replace Your Automobile Windshield. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Race your car at the Drag Strip

How to Race Your Car at the Dragstrip

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Many people like to take the car that they drive everyday to their local drag strip and make a few passes down the track. Some build dedicated track-only, non-street legal cars, and still others modify their street-legal cars to be a cross between a race car and a street car. These cars are most often referred to as Street/Strip cars. This article is mainly for those that have never raced before, and outlines the basics of drag racing your car, whether it's your daily driver or a street/strip car. Dedicated racecars usually have special equipment installed, such as delay boxes, trans brakes, and dry-sump oil systems, and will not be covered here.

Steps

1. If you are new at this, it's best to go on a day or night when the track is hosting a "street-legal drags" type of event, where all street-legal cars are welcome regardless of engine size, tire type, etc.
   
2. Call your local dragstrip and ask them if they are holding an event where you may bring your street-legal car to race just for fun. Ask about the price of admission and any additional charges (tech card, parking, etc) and also inquire as to whether or not they will be giving out time slips after each race. Most of the time they will, however during some events your time will only be displayed on the board at the end of the track, and no timeslip will be given. If this is the case and you want to know how fast your car is, you should have a friend stand near the track to record your time and speed after each run. If you've never been to a dragstrip before, ask if they have a website you can go to and view a layout of their facility so that you may familiarize yourself with the individual areas that make up the track. If not, ask for a map once you arrive.
   
3. Get your car set up to race. Inspect, change, or top off all oils and fluids. Check your brakes, steering, and suspension for wear and repair if needed before you race. If you have a nitrous system, have your bottle filled before you go. Alternatively, most tracks have nitrous available on site, however expect to pay more for it, as well as for fuel. Put whatever tires you are going to race with on your car, and set them to the proper air pressure. If you are going to drive to the track on one set of tires and install race-only tires when you arrive, set the tire pressures on both sets to the proper specs. Don't fill your fuel tank all the way, as it will make your car heavier than necessary. Ideally, you want to race a street car with a 1/4 tank or less depending on the vehicle and size of the tank. Be careful not to run out of fuel completely. Once you feel your vehicle is ready to begin racing, drive to the track.
   
4. Once at the track, pay your entrance fee, find a spot to park and walk to the signup area. Depending on the event there will be some paperwork there for you to sign, and you will probably get an arm band or similar identification indicating that you've registered and are authorized to race. Go back to your car and move to the staging lanes if racing has begun.
   
5. If you've never raced before, look at the layout you obtained and see where the staging lanes are. These will be located at the beginning of the dragstrip, and are clearly marked with painted lane stripes and numbers. Ask a track attendant for help if you can't find them. Follow all directions from track attendants carefully to avoid a collision, and remember top speed is 10 MPH in this area at most tracks. A track attendant will come alongside your car to make sure you've registered, and depending on the event, you may or may not get a number on your car window. Mentally prepare to go racing at this point, and make sure your car is set up to do so also. You may wait a while in the lanes, so although it's okay to get out of your car and chat with other racers, make sure to stay near your vehicle so that you can move it forward at any time. Don't be afraid to ask other racers questions. With few exceptions, they'll be willing to help and provide advice to you.
   
6. Near the end of the staging lanes, watch other cars from your lane and see where they pull up to. Some will drive through the "water box" (wet area for doing burnouts), others will drive around it. If you have street tires, it's best to drive around it and proceed onto the dragstrip. With slicks, drive into it and wait for the signal to do your burnout. In either case, don't do anything until a crewman signals you that it's okay to proceed. Generally, one person will signal you to pull out of the staging lane onto the track, where another will wave you forward. Slowly drive around or into the water box, and continue to follow hand signals. If doing a burnout, wait for the signal from a crewmember.
   
7. Now, pull up to the starting line and watch the "Christmas Tree" (display of lights at the beginning of the track, between the two lanes.) Each lane has it's own set of lights in order from top to bottom: 2 small bulbs at the very top of the tree (Pre-Stage), 2 identical small ones under that (Stage), 3 large amber bulbs, a green bulb, and a red bulb. Roll you car forward slowly until the first set of bulbs are lit (Pre-stage), this indicates your front tire are approximately seven inches from the starting line. Continue to creep forward until the second set of small bulbs are lit (Staged), then stop.
   
8. Depending on the tree, either all three amber bulbs will light at once followed 0.4 seconds later by the green (this is called a Pro-Tree), or the three amber bulbs will flash consecutively 0.5 seconds apart followed by the green coming on 0.5 seconds after the last amber (this is called a Sportsman or Full tree.) When you see the green light, GO! Keep racing until you reach the finish line, at which point you should begin to slow down and decide which turn-off you are going to take. If you have smoked your competitor, make sure you have his/her vehicle in sight before you turn off...you don't want to hit him while turning because he was in your blind spot!
   
9. If the track is giving out timeslips, there will be a shack on the return road where you can stop and your time will be given to you on a slip of paper. If it doesn't make any sense to you, ask another racer to explain it, but basically it shows your reaction time (R/T), time until your car reached the 1/8 mile mark, your speed at that point, time until you car reached the 1/4 mile mark, and again your speed at that point.
   
10. You can go around to the staging lanes and race again, or park for a while and get some food/drink or watch others race.
    

Tips

• Some events (those that are set up to replicate street racing) have a Christmas Tree that resembles a traffic light like you would find on the street, instead of the traditional Tree. If you encounter this type, treat it like any other traffic light. GO on green!
  
• Practice "launching" your car (getting it moving from a dead stop quickly), in a safe, legal place. It does take practice, and other racers who drive the same or similar vehicles can be a great source of information.
  
• Instead of waiting for the green light to come on, try leaving on the last amber light. By the time your car starts moving, the green light will have come on.
  
• If you get a red light on the Christmas Tree, it means you left the starting line before the green light came on!
  
• Try different setups with your car, like changing the tire pressures, running more or less fuel, different launch techniques, etc.
  

Warnings

• This IS a dangerous sport! Although many precautions have been made by the track to prevent serious injury, you can still be hurt by yourself or by others. Be careful, and if your car is not able to handle racing because of faulty brakes, fuel, oil, coolant, or other leaks, bad tires, etc then DO NOT RACE IT. You run an increased risk of injury to not only yourself but others.
  
• Consider some safety equipment like an approved helmet, fire extinguisher, and protective clothing.
  
• It's bad if you leak any type of liquids onto the track. This includes water dripping from your A/C, so be sure to switch it off well before you get out of the staging lanes.
  

Things You'll Need

• A car or truck that is capable of handling the increased stresses of racing.
  
• Extra oil and coolant, some rags, and a flashlight.
  
• Money to get into your track event and to cover drinks and food.
  
• Driver's License
  
• A friend (optional, but most "for fun" events allow you to bring one rider along for the race. Even if they can't race with you, they still provide good company.)
  
• Camera or video recorder (optional)
  

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Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Race Your Car at the Dragstrip. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.