If you can’t get or afford the price of gas and your fuel gauge looks like this often, you might want to try some different ideas to save gas or improve mileage. First always make sure your car is running as good as it can. This can be done by performing a tune up which generally consists of spark plugs, plug wires, air filter, fuel filter, and distributor cap and rotor if applicable. If you have a fuel injected car and the check engine light is on you may have a problem that is costing you a lot of extra fuel. The car will then be running in a “limp” mode which usually consists of using extra fuel for the safety of the engine. Things such as the oxygen sensor (o2) will cause the engine to use extra gas also.
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Thermostat replacement is generally done if a car is overheating. The other possibility is that the car is no longer heating up correctly due to the thermostat sticking. Before changing the thermostat verify that the engine coolant is full and that the cooling fan is working when the car is up to temperature. You will also need to find out the recommended temperature of your car’s thermostat when you purchase it. This sunbird has a 3.1 liter v6 engine that will randomly overheat. Another possibility is that the water pump is bad. Removing the radiator cap (if possible) when it is cool, can some times be helpful to see if flow is occurring although it won’t always work.
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Upgrading an old points type distributor to a hei which stands for high energy ignition can be a rewarding upgrade. This distributor is on a 1966 ford mustang with a 289 v-8 engine. The upgrade distributor is a msd unit made specifically for this engine, some people may use a distributor off of a newer model ford engine. Unlike points you will never need to adjust a high energy ignition because it will never degrade. The engine will run smoother due to the higher energy spark sent to the spark plug. The cylinder combustion will be much more complete due to the increased ignition spark energy of the new distributor.
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This is an intake manifold and carburetor (carb) swap for a 1966 mustang. The engine is a 289 ci v-8 engine. The stock intake manifold will be replaced with an edelbrock performer aluminum intake which is lighter and makes more horsepower. The stock carb or carburetor will be replaced with an aftermarket edelbrock carb. The new carb should make the car start and run better and maybe make a little more power also. The edelbrock carb has an electric choke which will idle high when it’s cold and then down when it’s warmed up. This carb is superior to the original.
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If a coil pack dies the car will generally quit and won’t restart, especially if the engine is warm. When first diagnosing the engine remove a spark plug and still connected to the spark plug wire, lay it on the engine. Crank the engine over and look for spark to jump across the plug. This is a 1999 Chevy Cavalier with a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine. The engine quit quickly and would not restart on this car. The next step was to check the 12 volt power wire that powers the coil pack. After disconnecting the plug and checking the wire, there was power to the coil pack. This eliminated the possibility of a fuse or the ignition switch.
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The ac on this 3.3 liter Dodge Caravan is still working but it is now making a terrible noise when it is engaged. The other problem is that the ac is not disengaging and still makes noise after it is turned off. If the ac is still blowing cold air the compressor is probably still operating fine. If no cold air is blowing then you will first need to verify that there is enough coolant in the system to allow it to turn on. The other possibility is that the compressor has gone bad. This article will only cover the compressor which is a very common problem with ac units.
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If the serpentine belt breaks on a car the alternator will quit charging and the water pump may not work, causing the car to overheat. Before the belt breaks it is good to inspect it for cracks on the inside where the ribs are located. Also if the belt is worn the topside of the accessory belt will look rough instead of smooth. In the picture you can see the arrow pointing to the belt tensioner. Depending on where this is located will judge how tough of a job it is to do. There is a breaker bar connected to the tensioner in this picture. The breaker bar is a 1/2 inch drive bar. Some tensioners will have a nut to place a wrench on instead of this square hole for a breaker bar.
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