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Properly working headlights on a car are vital for your safety and the safety of other drivers on the road. Fixing the headlights on your Mitsubishi Eclipse is an easily implemented task with the use of just a screwdriver and a few minutes of your time. The specific headlight required for your Eclipse will depend on the year it was made so consult a auto parts specialist if there is any questions on the unit required for your specific car.

Instructions

1

Purchase you replacement headlight. Check with the auto parts representative for the correct fixture for your year of Eclipse vehicle and the proper side that you are fixing. They should be able to give you the exact part for your needs.

2

Turn your car off and remove the keys from the ignition. Pop the hood of your Mitsubishi and make sure that it is properly secured so it does not close while you are repairing the light.

3

Look at the rear of the light fixture and locate the four screws around the light perimeter that holds it in place. Remove these screws with a flathead or Phillips screwdriver, whichever that specific year of car and light fixture call for.

4

Place one hand on the back of the light fixture and one on the front. Gently but firmly push the light towards the front of the car. Stop pushing when you have pushed it forward 2 to 3 inches.

5

Work your fingers behind the light fixture and disconnect the wires that are connecting the light to the car. There will be up to three sets of wires. Pull the wires away from the unit gently to disconnect them and set the old light aside.

6

Remove your new headlight from the packaging and slide it into the space where the old light unit was. Connect the wires in the back of the new light, push the light into place, and secure the light into place with the four new screws that came with the new unit or the old screws.

7

Turn the lights on to test your new headlight. If for some reason it does not work properly, unscrew the unit and make sure the wiring is properly connected. If not, take the new unit back and get a different one to try.

If your vehicle gets old enough, chances are your windshield will get chipped or cracked. Replacing an entire windshield can be costly and is not environmentally friendly. In many cases windshields dont need to be replaced, particularly if the damage is minor. Most small chips and cracks can be easily repaired. You can do the job yourself in a few steps.

Instructions

1

Prepare the windshield by thoroughly cleaning the cracked area. Before you begin the repair process, make sure the windshield is clean, free of debris, and completely dry.

2

Take a razor blade and scrape off any excess glass particles that might be trapped in the crack itself, as well as any dried sap, bug carcasses, or other debris.

3

Clean the windshield thoroughly with soap and water, and let dry. Once completely dry, apply the glass cleaner solution.Solutions come in a variety of types, including chemical-based and eco-friendly.

4

Follow the directions on the auto glass repair kit, making sure you follow the exact steps. The synthetic glass resin used in these kits can be volatile if not applied correctly.

5

Apply the syringe of liquid glass compound to the inside of the crack, snapping and pulling the syringe across the length of the crack slowly. Use your clock or watch to precisely time these motions so the resin will fill in the crack without allowing any trapped air bubbles.

6

Fill in the entire crack from end to end with the resin, then let it sit under direct sunlight or ultraviolet lamp. The UV rays will chemically alter the resin from a liquid to a solid state.

7

Let the resin set for several hours to allow the curing process to finish. Once finished, use your razor blade to scrape any excess resin from the windshield.

Rust is created when bare metal is exposed to both oxygen and water. This creates iron oxide, better known as rust. Rust eats away at the surrounding metal, which can cause connection problems and over time makes the vehicle less structurally secure as the rust penetrates the vehicles steel crumple zones. Immediate action is required as soon as the rust appears to stop it from spreading throughout the entire car body.

Instructions

1

Remove any loose rust from the car with the wire brush. Keep using the wire brush until the bare metal underneath the rust shows through.

2

Mix the fiberglass paste included in the repair kit with the correct amount of hardener. Use a putty knife to apply the mixed paste behind the rust holes. Be sure to press the paste securely into the rust damage.

3

Wait for the paste to harden, then use the sandpaper to sand off any excess paste or rust debris.

4

Mix together the body filler and hardener, then spread over the rust-damaged area. Wait for the filler to harden, then use sandpaper to sand the area smooth.

5

Use a solvent wipe to remove any dust or grease from the area. Shake the primer can to mix the paint, then apply the first coat of primer over the damaged area.

6

Wait for the primer to dry, then sand the area. Apply a second coat of primer and wait for it to dry. Then sand again. Repeat this process until the primer surface is even with the rest of the cars paint.

7

Spray a few thin coats of the topcoat paint over the primer area. Wait for the topcoat to dry, then polish it with a polishing compound to blend the paint into the rest of the cars paint.

A fried radio in a 2001 Ford Focus can create an eerie silence inside the vehicle, especially if youre used to playing your favorite songs as you cruise down the road. Unfortunately, Ford doesnt provide any technical service specifications or repair procedures for the radio unit itself; so if your radio is truly fried, youll need to remove it and replace it with a new or used radio. Used factory radios can easily be obtained from salvage yards for a fraction of the price of new radios. If you opt to replace your radio with a new factory unit, youll need to contact your local Ford dealership to obtain pricing information.

Instructions

Removal

1

Turn off your engine, open the hood, and disconnect the negative battery terminal from the battery, using a battery terminal wrench.

2

Insert the radio locking tools into the holes on the front of the radio. Pull both tools gently back and forth to the left and right sides of the radio; this will release the locking hooks inside the radio.

3

Remove the radio from the instrument panel and disconnect the radios electrical connectors. These connectors include the power cables, antenna cables and any optional equipment cables, such as a CD changer cable.

4

Remove the special tools from the radio by depressing the locking hooks on the back of the radio, then slide each tool out of the holes on the front of the radio.

5

Remove the radio completely from the vehicle.

Installation

6

Reattach the radios electrical cables and make sure they are snug and locked into place.

7

Place the radio into the radio slot on the dashboard and press it into the dashboard. Listen for the locking hooks to engage. Make sure that the radio is flush with the dashboard and that it is fully-seated.

8

Turn on the ignition and test the radio to ensure that it is working properly.

Driving your vehicle exposes it to risks, no matter what preventive efforts you take. The undercarriage of your vehicle suffers impacts from rocks and road debris kicked up by your tires. The majority of those impacts go unnoticed, but some damage might occur. A sharp rock at the right angle will puncture a hole in your oil pan. A damaged oil pan must be replaced to avoid further damage to your vehicle, but that might not be an immediate option. Repairing a hole in an oil pan should only be a temporary solution.

Instructions

1

Position the oil bucket beneath the drain plug, and remove the plug. Drain any remaining engine oil. Remove the oil pan if possible by removing the bolts surrounding the pan and lowering it down.

2

Spray engine degreaser over the area surrounding the hole, and scrub it clean with shop rags. Spray it clean with water to remove any remaining oil.

3

Sand the area around the hole and as much into the hole as you can using 40-grit sandpaper. Rough up the surface so the bonding agent will adhere.

4

Cut a small portion of epoxy putty adhesive. Use a sufficient amount to cover the hole thoroughly. Knead the material until the color is a dull gray, and roll it out into a tube-like shape. The width of the tube shape should be just larger than the hole.

5

Push the material into the hole as if you were feeding thread into the eye of a needle. You will have to force it in, as the size of the tube should be a little bigger than the hole. Use your thumb to push down the edges of the material around the hole so there are no gaps and only a small bump remains where the hole was.

6

Allow the material to dry in accordance with the packaging. The dry time is usually 24 hours for the material to be able to handle pressure.

7

Replace the drain pan if it was removed. Replace the oil pan gasket, and install the pan and gasket onto the vehicle, tightening the bolts in accordance with factory recommendations.

8

Replace the drain plug, and torque it to factory specifications. Fill the vehicle with the proper levels of oil, and start the vehicle. Allow the vehicle to run for approximately 15 minutes while the engine warms up. Monitor the patched area for leaks. Locate any leaks and repair in a similar manner.

Most soft tonneau covers marketed as leather truck bed covers are actually made of vinyl. Even though vinyl is tougher than leather when exposed to the elements, these covers are not indestructible. Without careful maintenance, leather-look vinyl truck bed covers can become dry and prone to cracks and tears. When this happens, you can use a leather and vinyl repair kit to fix the damaged area if its small. While it wont look like new, you can make the problem area less noticeable and stop it from getting bigger.

Instructions

1

Clean the area around the tear thoroughly to remove dirt and oil that might prevent the vinyl from bonding properly with the repair material. Use soap and water first, then swab with alcohol.

2

Remove any rough edges from the tear with a razor blade, scalpel or scissors. You want the torn edges to lie flat.

3

Insert a piece of canvas backing from a vinyl and leather repair kit under the tear with tweezers. Some kits require you to apply glue between the vinyl and the canvas and press them together to seal them; with others, you apply heat with an iron or a special tool.

4

Mix the pigments provided in the leather and vinyl touch-up kit to match the color of the truck bed cover as closely as possible. Mix the pigment with filler material from the repair kit.

5

Fill the tear with filler material. Apply it in several thin layers rather than one thick layer. Press the embossing stamp which most closely resembles the grain of the bed cover to the final layer of filler material.

To work properly, xenon high intensity discharge headlights require the vehicles direct current power to be converted to high voltage alternating current. This is accomplished through a ballast, which provides a voltage to the headlamps when they are switched on. A common cause of flickering HID headlights is voltage that is too low being sent to the ballast.

Causes of Low Voltage

Low voltage in your vehicles electrical system can be caused by a defective battery, a poorly performing alternator or the use of daytime running lights. In addition, some newer vehicles have sensors that activate by sending a low voltage to the headlights when they are turned off.

Using a Relay Harness

A relay harness allows the ballast to draw electricity from the vehicle battery directly, which eliminates low voltage issues. In some cases, a capacitor is needed to work together with the relay harness to ensure proper voltage is applied to the ballast.

Incorporating High-Power Capacitors

High-power capacitors allow increased power to reach the ballast, which will then feed the proper voltage to the headlights. This is the most common fix for flickering HID lights and often solves other problems, such as eliminating the "headlights out" indicator on your dashboard display.

Installing Resistor Packs

Using a resistor pack will cause the vehicles electrical system to send the same voltage to the xenon lamps as it would if halogen bulbs were installed.

When an engines spark plug ignites the air/fuel mixture within the cylinder, the mixture explodes and pushes the piston downward. Once the engine reaches its lowest point within the cylinder, the exhaust valve in the cylinder head opens. As the piston then travels upwards, it pushes the gases which remain from the explosion through the open exhaust valve and ultimately out of the engine. These noxious gases are commonly referred to as "exhaust," and can prove to be deadly if you are exposed to the gases for a long period of time. For this reason, the exhaust gases are routed through exhaust manifolds, which in turn carry the gases to the exhaust pipes. Between the exhaust manifold and the engine is a gasket designed to prevent the gases from escaping before they reach the exhaust manifold and entering the interior of the vehicle. If this gasket becomes damaged, it needs to be replaced.

Instructions

1

Ensure that the exhaust manifold is cool by allowing the engine to sit without running for at least two hours. Exhaust manifolds can get extremely hot as the exhaust gases flow through them, and can therefore pose a serious burn hazard.

2

Remove the bolts that hold the manifold to the cylinder head with a wrench. Exhaust manifold designs differ, but most exhaust manifolds have one bolt on both sides of each pipe.

3

Pull the exhaust manifold away from the cylinder head just enough to expose the manifolds gasket. A stubborn manifold can be freed from the cylinder head by tapping the manifold with a rubber mallet, sometimes referred to as a "dead blow" hammer. The mallets rubber composition prevents the hammer from denting the manifold. Note that the manifold need not be removed from the engine compartment, which would require the manifold to be disconnected from the exhaust pipe. The manifold must only be pulled away from the cylinder head to access the manifolds gasket.

4

Remove the old exhaust manifold gasket. The gasket will either stick to the cylinder head or to the manifold itself. The gasket can usually be peeled away, but a stubborn or burnt gasket may have to be scraped away with either a flathead screwdriver or a gasket scraper.

5

Place a new exhaust manifold gasket against the manifold, then press the manifold against the cylinder head. Hold the manifold against the cylinder head with one hand, then insert the manifolds retaining bolts through the manifold and into the cylinder head with the other hand. Do not apply gasket sealer onto this gasket.

6

Tighten each of the manifolds retaining bolts in small increments with a wrench until each bolt is tight to complete the repair. Tightening the bolts in small increments is necessary to ensure that the gasket seats properly and does not warp.

LED bulbs offer a lower wattage signal that creates a brighter light. LED turn signals offer the same brighter light, lower wattage, and improved life span found with all LED lighting. You can purchase and install LED turn signals to replace your stock equipment. The LED systems fit right into your existing setup. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) requires that turn signals flash rapidly when the circuit is breached in some form. Installing LED signals triggers this reaction. Correcting the problem is simple.

Instructions

1

Purchase an LED flasher relay for your vehicle. Most vehicles maintain separate flasher relays for hazards and turn signals. You will want a new relay for both. The relays are available at any auto parts retailer, and are designed to replace your existing relay.

2

Remove your existing relay. Most relays are located to the left of the steering column mounted to the firewall beneath the dash. Some vehicles place the relay on or behind the fuse panel, while others locate the relay beneath the glove box. Consult your owners manual for the specific location.

3

Install the new relay by pressing it into place, and test the flasher. The flasher will likely still blink more rapidly than your original signals, but the speed will be greatly reduced.