Car Maintenance: 6 Car Repairs You Can't Afford to Skip

1. Brake Pads

It seems like common sense: Don't neglect your car's brakes. Still, when it's time to replace your car's brake pads, it's easy to look the other way. For one thing, brake pads tend to wear gradually, so you might not notice changes in your braking performance right away. Secondly, a car with worn brake pads will still stop -- just not as well. So what's the harm in saving some money and holding off?

It turns out the harm in not replacing your brake pads is about $400. When your brake pads are worn, they can cause damage to brake rotors. As the rotors rub against the worn pads, they become warped, which makes it tougher to stop the car (if you feel your car shudder as you brake, you probably have warped rotors). Fixing the rotors requires that they be turned or smoothed out -- something that requires a mechanic and can run over $100 per rotor. If the rotors need to be replaced, you'll end up spending four times what it would have cost to replace the brake pads.

2. Oil Change

An oil change should cost you around $40 at most quick oil change stations. And that same station will probably tell you to come back in three months or 3,000 miles. But do you have to? It depends. That old rule of thumb still applies to some cars, but others can go much longer between oil changes. To find out how long your car can go between changes, read your owner's manual.

After you've found out the oil change interval for your car, follow it. Oil is like your engine's blood. But unlike your blood, all sorts of impurities build up in unless your oil is changed regularly -- not to mention that all engines lose some oil. Too much buildup and not enough oil lead to your engine seizing up. Sure, you can save $40 by putting off an oil change, but you could end up spending $4,000 on a new engine.

3. Air Filter

Changing an air filter is cheap. It's even easy enough for most people to do themselves. Not changing your car's air filter, on the other hand, is expensive. According to the EPA, a dirty air filter can reduce fuel economy by up to 10 percent simply because your engine won't breathe as efficiently. By not changing a dirty air filter, you'll save about $15. But, if your car is supposed to get 25 miles per gallon, and gas is $2.50 a gallon, those savings have evaporated by the time you've driven about 150 miles.

Even worse, if the air filter isn't clean and that means enough air isn't getting to the engine, you could foul your spark plugs and might have to replace them. Depending on your engine, that can cost anywhere from $100 to $300. Now, spending $15 for a new air filter doesn't sound so bad, does it?

4. Transmission Fluid Leak

One of the most common problems associated with your transmission is a fluid leak. You'll likely first notice it when you see drops of red fluid on the pavement where you usually park your car. Ignore it for long enough, and you'll definitely notice it when the leak leads to your transmission shifting roughly, or the gears slipping.

Transmission fluid is what cools and lubricates your transmission. If it's leaking, you need to fix it, and fast. Resealing a transmission is a relatively easy job and should usually only cost a few hundred dollars. Ignoring the leak can lead to the transmission seizing up and a subsequent transmission replacement --which costs several thousand dollars.

5. Burned Out Lights

Here's one car repair on our list that is really easy to ignore. After all, a burned-out tail light won't eventually lead to engine failure or to your transmission falling out. While that's all true, you should still fork over your hard-earned $5 for new tail light bulb if yours is burned out.

Believe it or not, failure to keep your rear lights working can be an expensive proposition. First, if a police officer sees you with broken tail or brake lights, you're going to get a ticket. In some states, the fine for a broken tail light is $150, which makes paying for a new bulb seem like chump change. Second, broken lights increase your risk of being on the receiving end of a rear-end collision. And while the other driver's insurance should cover any damage (assuming they have insurance), you still have to deal with the headache of getting your car fixed.

6. Clogged Fuel Filter

An important part of maintaining your car is keeping impurities out of the engine. While the air filter does part of the job by keeping airborne impurities out, the fuel filter keeps impurities from the fuel out of the engine. Like the air filter, if it gets clogged and you don't fix it, you're looking at some major problems.

On older cars, a fuel filter is relatively easy to replace because it's easy for mechanics or car owners themselves to get to. On newer cars, it's a more complex job. More complexity means more money, which makes this repair tempting to skip -- despite the fact that it can lead to the car stalling or refusing to start altogether.

Don't skip it. At its most expensive, replacing a fuel filter will be a few hundred bucks. Let it go too long, and not only are you looking at dealing with a car that will barely run, you could also have dirt in your fuel injectors -- causing them to need replacing. Replacing just one fuel injector can cost over $500. But if they all need replacing, you're looking at least $1,000 in repair bills.

Free Car Brakes Guide - A better car brake?

Brakes on any vehicle work with a friction pad placed against a disc with force. The friction of the pad against the disc causes heat to spread out over the brake disc, causing the car to slow. The same applies for brake drums with the brake shoe pressed against it, heating up and again slowing the vehicle.

Starting under your foot the pressure you apply to the brake pedal is transferred to the brake servo, this utilises engine power to increase the pressure and ensuring you can still feel your leg after a long journey!

How is the pressure transferred to the friction (brake) pads? Well the secret is brake fluid - this is contained in a brake pipe that runs from the servo to the brakes. Fluid is used as cables would require constant adjustment due to stretching from the heat and constant use.

As mentioned the heat is dissipated from the pad by the brake discs. For improved dissipation vented brake discs have a central channel that increases the surface to air ratio of the disc and gives more efficient cooling. Drilled and vented discs increase the air ratio, prevent a build up of gases and keep the pads in a clean condition. To further improve the braking of a high performance car you can always fit larger discs but you may have to fit different wheels.

Brake pads are obviously an essential part in stopping your car and the higher the friction the better the performance. Fast road pads give a good compromise between standard and racing pads with some generating zero pads. Remember that regardless of the pads your driving style will play a large part in the wear on the pads and discs.

ABS helps to prevent lockups under heavy braking and allows you to steer the car but steering will reduce the braking efficiency as the ABS cuts in more.

Brake Upgrades Stainless steel braided hoses prevent any flexing and therefore loss of pressure at the pad end, they also look nicer and theoretically last longer too - get a full set and do the front and back at the same time.

You have many options to upgrade your cars braking system. The fitting of bigger discs is an upgrade that could be a fairly simple option. Take a standard family car for example with small discs - you could visit your local breaker or buy brake parts online for a performance model from the same vehicle. Small cars usually share the same brake parts than their larger brothers and just a small amount of research could turn up some surprises.

General Care of Your Brake System At least once per year you need to give your brakes a once over. Start by checking your pads and discs for wear and tear. The discs should not have a ridge on the edge due to excessive wear, thin discs can warp under immense heat conditions. Check your pads for wear as they will eat into your discs when worn.

Brake fluid levels should be changed at least once per year but no longer than every two years.
One point to make is to test your brakes by applying them after driving through standing water to remove the water and grease build up.

I hope you have found this information useful, it’s important to understand the attention you need to give your brakes as you need to stop your car with confidence.

Volvo Improves Brake Functions

To increaseroad safety, Volvo, a world-leading Swedish auto manufacturer, improves its braking functions for the European market. If customers choose a Volvo truck with electronically controlled Brake System (EBS) in base form, more functions are incorporated to it without the burden of paying extra cost. Among the additional features now made available by the automaker are Hill Start Aid that prevents the truck from rolling backward when starting on an uphill gradient, and Wheel Brake Monitoring that alerts the driver if the brake force on the wheels abruptly falls.


The EBS system incorporated in Volvo trucks can be ordered in 3 program packages: Standard, Medium and High. The Standard package remains in the base version. Moreover, the Medium version is already equipped with the EBS system. Moreover, the base version has been upgraded with six new functions, available for both semi-trailers and rigids.
Power bleed Volvo brakes are now upgraded to boost safety in driving. "We are now providing our customers with an extremely high safety level as standard, no matter the type of truck they order," said Lars-Göran Löwenadler, safety director at Volvo Trucks. "This is entirely in line with our constant determination to increase safety for drivers and other road-users alike."EBS system has a number of sensors and valves to monitor and regulate the braking system of the vehicle. Additionally, it is possible now for the wheel and auxiliary brakes to interact with in just a short span of time to effectuate shortest viable braking distance in all sorts of driving situations. The braking force is also distributed optimally between the tractor and trailer. This is done to sustain stability even when braking.The base range of Volvo trucks is now equipped with 6 functions. The first function is Hill Start Aid, which makes it easier to move off on an uphill gradient by automatically maintaining brake pressure until the engine has built up sufficient torque to move the truck forward without slipping backward. This feature is significant when hauling a heavy load.Another significant function is the Panic Brake Assistance, which is designed to boost brake pressure in a panic braking situation. The system registers when the driver presses the brake pedal quickly to help cut the stopping distance. Other functions include the Wheel Brake Monitoring, Lining Wear Analysis, and DifferentialLock Control. These functions contribute significantly to improve road safety in driving.

Tips on taking care a Mercedez braking system

The Mercedes master cylinder that is usually used for Mercedes vehicles are manufactured by Girling, ATE, and Bendix. These master cylinders utilized two or three-chamber reservoirs, a level sensor contact built into each chamber. In times when brake fluid level is low or when there is pressure differential between two brake circuits caused by loss of fluid in either circuit, a warning light is activated.



The series 190, 420, and 500 make use of floating type front disc brake calipers while the other Benz models especially those with parking brakes and are cable actuated in rear brake rotor calipers utilizes non-floating type. All Mercedes cars have brake pad wear indicators and differential pressure warning indicator. The 420 and 500 series have inner pads only while the Anti-Lock Brake System is offered as a standard feature on the 420SEL, 300 and 560 series and optional for the 190 series. For the diesel models a vacuum pump is incorporated to provide vacuum to the power brake unit. Adjusting Pedal Height The height of the pedal measured from pedal pad to pedal stop should be 150mm.

To get the correct pedal height adjust the loosen lock nuts and turn stop light switch afterwards tighten lock nuts and pedal free play 5-15 mm. Above the brake pedal is the stoplight switch, loosen lock nuts and adjust switch in such a way that the contact button extends 6-8mm and then afterwards tighten lock nuts.

Parking Brake

1. Before raising the vehicle it is best to remove only one lug bolt at each rear wheel.
2. Try to rotate wheel until lug bolt hole is positioned over parking brake adjuster at an angle of 45 degrees forward for diagonal swing axle and 90 degrees forward for diagonal swing axle with starting torque compensation. And remember that parking brake must be adjusted if the brake pedal can be depressed by more than 2 steps of 6 without any braking effect. Try not to try to alter screw on parking brake intermediate lever since these screws are for balancing cable lengths only.

3. using a screwdriver inserted through the lug bolt hole, hand turn the adjuster until rear wheel can no longer be turned, back off the adjuster until it can be turned without the dragging the wheel.

Checking the Brake Warning Light
1. On the dash is mounted a dual warning light, try to turn the ignition on. Normally you will see a light glowing once parking brake lever is pulled tone notch and goes off when brake lever is full released.
2. To test the circuit warning sensor, again turn on the ignition, release the parking brake and make sure that the light is off. Open the bleeder screw on one wheel and depress brake pedal and the light should light up.
3. Close the bleeder screw, refill the brake fluid and bleed system. Make sure also that light goes out after testing and if the light didn’t turn off then the differential pressure pin of the Mercedes brake master cylinder should be reset.

Types and styles of break lathe repair system

Replacing drums, rotors, and other sections of the braking system can be an expensive venture. One of the best ways to lower this cost is by doing a brake lathe repair that resurfaces these items to restore their effectiveness. Brake lathe parts and machines are available that can repair all different styles and fix a variety of problems, including sticking and noise. Whether you are an at-home mechanic or working in a professional repair shop, these systems allow you to achieve the highest quality repair. Many different styles and models exist to help you reach this goal.

Bench Brake Lathe Repair Systems


Bench type models require you to remove the drums and rotors from the vehicle in order to repair them. These are commonly found in private and commercial settings. To use these systems, you only have to set the part into the machine and start the cutting process. With a high quality machine and practice, you can produce parts that are equivalent or even better quality than the original piece. The brake lathe parts, known as adapters and mounting cones, determine the majority of the quality. If you are looking for the best quality, these are the brake lathe parts that you want to be careful about selecting. If they begin to wear, replace them immediately.With bench units, you have the option of single, variable, or high-speed styles. Digital measuring and printouts are another great option for achieving the best possible results. Some of these repair machines are designed specifically for rotors or drums. Other units can repair both, which is a huge advantage over the second type known as an on-car system.

On-Car Brake Lathes
A great addition to bench styles is on-car brake lathe repair systems because they allow the work to be performed directly on the car. One of the biggest benefits to this style is that there is no risk of wrecking the hub or wheel bearings because all of those parts can be left in place. They are also known for their ability to reduce the risk of runout on the rotor and uneven surfaces.This type of system attaches in one of two ways. One style, called a caliper mount, attaches directly to the knuckle where the caliper mounts. On the down side, it requires some movement in the wheel bearing which means you may need to tighten adjustable styles. A hub-mounted style is also available. It can produce the same level of quality, but has similar issues to caliper-mount versions.The biggest downfall of both brake lathe repair systems is that they need to be set up perfectly in order to get a high quality repair. Standard models are made with either a one or a three-point system with a dial to help you define the perfect setup. To help eliminate this problem, some have brake lathe parts, such as a computer system, to set up the equipment accurately with very little effort.

Guides on Keeping The Brakes Reliable

Being on a freeway can be tough. You have to act as though you're in one of those fast car movies that don't seem to notice that there is a steep cliff ahead. It has become a race. The first one to pass it goes home early. But what if you are hurrying and doing a hundred on the freeway when suddenly, you notice a very important part of your driving aspect is missing. You freak out knowing that your breaks aren't working. Worst part is, you see traffic up ahead. Is this it for you? This is something you don't want to experience.



If you ask anyone that owns a car, the most important thing to do before driving off somewhere is always checking the credibility of your brakes. You have to inspect the brake rotors, pads, and be sure that you have enough brake fluid to withstand tough rush hours.The good thing about vehicles today is that drivers can now check the level of their brake fluid or the status of it without even opening the lid. This reservoir is located at the side of the driver just behind the engine bay. The moment you have spotted the reservoir, you have to replace your brake fluid.
Once you find out that your fluid is low, don't fret because you can fill it up in no time following some simple instructions.Before opening the cap, remove foreign materials surrounding it. Better yet, wipe it clean.Use a rag or a piece of cloth that you have never used for anything else. You have to realize that your brake system is sensitive enough that when it catches a foreign material inside it, this would cause your engine some trouble. Better clean than sorry.
The moment you take off the cap, slowly pour the brake fluid into the reservoir till it rises to the desired level. Do not let it overflow. Replace the cap and wipe off smudges or spills. Do this process whenever you notice that the brake fluid is becoming low. The checking of the pads and rotors must be done every other day before going someplace. You have to remember not to shake the bottle of fluid before dipping it into your car. Bubbles can cause a few problems. Now that you're done, have a safe trip!

Free Tips on How to Replace Brake Pads

Brake pads naturally wear out over time. Luckily, it is not as difficult to replace them as you may think. The tools that you need for this project include a lug wrench, c-clamp, adjustable or open wrench, Allen wrenches, hammer, and a bungee cord. When you jack up your car, make sure that you have it supported by blocks or jack stands. It is never safe to work on a car that is supported by a jack only. The first thing you need to do is remove the wheel. The lugs should be easy to take out, it is best to do so from the bottom up.



Next, in order to remove the brake pads you must first remove the brake caliper. The brake caliper can be located just above the lug bolts, sitting on top of the brake disc. There is a bolt that keeps the caliper in place. You can remove it easily using the suitable wrench. There are different types of bolts that could be keeping it in place, so it is a good idea to have different wrenches handy. Now you can pull the caliper off by pulling directly up. You may need to wiggle it a bit in order to loosen it. Now you can sit the caliper some place convenient, or use your bungee cord to tie it up.Now comes the time to remove the brake pads. They should actually slide right out without giving you any trouble. Remember how they are attached though, because you will need to know this when you are installing the fresh ones. If you are driving an older vehicle, you may need to tap them with your hammer a bit to get them unstuck. There may be some small metal tabs keeping the pads in place as well. If so, make sure you hang onto them; you will need them when you put the new pads in.
Now you can easily slide your new brake pads in, using the metal tabs to keep them in place if applicable. Now with your new pads affixed, you should adjust the brake piston. This piece of equipment adjusts as your pads wear out in order to keep your brakes working efficiently. To readjust it, you need your c-clamp. Put the end of the clamp with the screw against the piston. The other end should rest behind the caliper assembly. Now just slowly tighten the clamp until the piston has moved to a point where you can insert the pads easily.The next thing you need to do is slide the caliper assembly over your new pads. Replace the bolts. At this point, it is a good idea to push down the brake petal a few times so that you may be assured of your brake pressure. Now you can replace the wheel and the lug nuts. It is a good idea to make sure that the lug nuts are truly secure. At this point you have successfully changed the brake pads on your car.

Guides on Break Shake - Machine the Rotors or Get it Replaced

If the steering wheel shakes when the brakes are applied, the brake rotors most likely have excessive side to side run-out or they are more commonly known as being warped. Auto techs call this brake shake or brake pulsation. Brake rotors being warped is not a dangerous condition by itself, but it can be very annoying. The brake pads may not need to be replaced, but if they are more than half worn it would be a good time to consider replacing them. Most shops will check brakes for free, it's best to make sure they use a micrometer to measure the thickness of the rotors to verify if they are legally able to be machined (also known as turned or resurfaced).
Replace or not.

Many vehicles today have very thin rotors from the factory, depending on the thickness there may not be an option to machine them. Many replacement rotors are low priced depending on the make and model of the vehicle. It may be a good idea to replace the rotors if the replacements are priced well, instead of machining the old ones. After machining the rotors they are physically thinner and more susceptible to being warped again. In the past I owned a vehicle that warped rotors frequently. I would machine them myself using the brake lathe at the shop I worked at and the rotors would warp again in about six months time. I finally bought some aftermarket replacement rotors for around $30 a piece and put those on and never had anymore pulsation problems.
Types of Brake Lathes. There are two types of brake lathes. There is the conventional brake lathe that the technician uses to machine the rotor off the vehicle. And there is the on the car brake lathe used to machine the brake rotor on the vehicle. The best way to machine brake rotors is on the car. The reason is because of the possibility of other components having run-out. When rotors are machined on the car, any run-out in the wheel hub is compensated for. The result is a much better cut that allows the rotor to be machined much more precisely. Rotors that are machined on the vehicle have less re-occurrences of being warped as quickly when compared to rotors being machined off the vehicle. So if possible consumers should opt to find a repair shop that has the capability to machine rotors on the car if needed. Auto repair shops that have on the car brake lathes realize the importance of having the right auto tools and equipment to service their customer's cars properly.

A better braking system? Free Tips on How to clean your ABS wheel sensor

Does your ABS light come on consistently and you do not know what is wrong! Well, when you check your code, you may see that it says that your front wheel sensor is damaged. However, that is not always the case. A lot of times, your ABS wheel sensor is just fine; they just need to be cleaned. Of course, if you take it to a shop, they are going to tell you that you need a new one. So we are going to go over how you can clean your own ABS wheel sensor in your Toyota and save yourself a lot of money. After you clean it, if you are still having the problem, you will need a new one. However, most people have noted that nine times out of ten, this does indeed fix their problem.

First of all, before you get started, you are going to want to make sure you have everything that you need to perform the job. The only things that you are really going to need are a ratchet, jack, wheel lock and, of course, a rag or paper towel to clean it off with. After you have all of this stuff, you can feel free to get started. This should only take you an hour or two to do yourself.



Getting Started On Your Wheel Sensor
First, you have to choose which side you want to get started on. You can choose either the passenger side or the driver side; it does not really matter. However, whichever side you do choose, that is the side that you, of course, need to jack up first. Before you jack up the car, you need to turn the steering wheel to the opposite side that you are working on. For example, if you are working on the driver side, then you are going to want to turn the wheel to the passenger side. Also, when you get it jacked up. You should use a jack stand, not just the jack. You never know how long you will need to have this car jacked up, so you will want the jack stand.After you turn the wheel and get everything all set up, you will notice that you should be able to locate the ABS wheel sensor very easily. It should be located directly mounted to the knuckle. To take this off, you are going to have to remove the two bolts that are holding them in place. In most Toyota cars, they are 10mm bolts. However, some of them can change from time to time. Overall, there will be about four bolts you have to take out. To do this, just follow the ABS sensor around so that you can remove all of the bolts. When you get the sensor off, you will notice that it is all covered in dirt. Take your rag or paper towel, and start whipping it off. As you do, you will notice that the very middle of it has a sliver strip that you could not see before. A lot of times, dirt blocks this and can cause problems, as you found out. After cleaning it, simply reverse the steps you did to reinstall it. Also, be sure to check both of the front ABS sensors. The one on both sides of the car!

Still Having Problems
Most of the time the procedure discussed above will fix any problem that you are having with your ABS sensor. If you have cleaned both of the front sensors and there are still problems, then you do have a damaged ABS sensor. At this point, you need to get new ones and replace them. If you want, you will be able to install them the same way you cleaned the other ones. However, instead of cleaning the old ones and putting them back on, you can simply put on the new ones. Overall, this is a one day job that can save you a ton of money. Most people do not notice how much money that they can save by doing this themselves until they actually do it!

Checking Brake and Brake Fluid

The brakes in your car have got to be the component that you rely on the most. Though you may not consciously think about it, you sure would if they suddenly didn’t work. Don’t forget about your brakes. They need maintenance as much as any other part of the vehicle does. Checking the brakes as well as the brake fluid is something that you should have written on your calendar along with things like oil change and transmission flush.Start by checking to see if your brake fluid is topped up enough. Identify where the brake fluid reservoir is. It should be clearly labelled like everything else on your car. If you aren’t sure you better check with your manual to confirm where the brake fluid can be found so you do not make a mistake and confuse it with something else.

The brake fluid reservoir should be clearly marked with minimum and maximum to indicate the proper levels. Some of these reservoirs are see through so you don’t need to look inside. However, if not you will have to remove the cap to look in and see how high the fluid is. If the fluid is low then simply add more brake fluid until you reach the full line. But make sure it is brake fluid designed for your make and model of vehicle. If you really are not comfortable with doing this you can always have a professional do it. Some may even show you how.

You should take a good look at all of the components that make up your brake system. Look for any signs of obvious wear or damage. If there is anything you’re not sure about, take a photo or make notes so you can look it up or ask a mechanic if it’s normal. Brake pads also need to be checked and replaced every so often. Check for signs of wear and have them serviced if you see any.Pay attention to your brakes when you drive the car. Make note of any squeals you hear or anything abnormal you feel, like sticking. Don’t put stuff like that off hoping it will get better. Some vehicles experience squealing brakes when they are cold or wet. However, if your brakes always make noise then it is time to see your dealer or mechanic.

If you do not know how often your brakes should be professionally serviced, check your user manual that came with the vehicle. Someone that is certified can change brake pads, fluid and anything else that you may not be able to do yourself. Your brakes are easily the hardest working part of your car and in some cases like bad weather, they work even harder. Though you can check brake fluid yourself, a professional should check the rest of the braking system at least once a year.

Checking the brakes over as well as the brake fluid is part of increasing the lifespan of your vehicle. Safety should always be your first concern when it comes to driving and car care.