Posts Tagged ‘Tools’

What should I put in my vehicle in case I am stranded in a winter storm?

Tuesday, August 20th, 2019

stranded-main_FullWhat should I put in my vehicle in case I am stranded in a winter storm?

This article will help answer this and be your survival guide to increase your chances of staying alive if the worst occurs.  This article is not written as a survival guide that is guaranteed, it is just written to show you a couple things that you should be aware of and have in your vehicle in the chance that you are in a survival situation.  I am not saying that you should be somebody who loads there vehicle with survival gear, but I am saying you may want to consider having some items in your vehicle just in case.

Winter is now approaching so you are going to want to decide whether or not you are going to go ahead and purchase some winter survival gear for your vehicle or not.  You can do as little or go as extreme as you want.

First we will discuss some tips on little things that you can do to help prepare yourself in case you are stranded.  The first thing that you can do is keep your vehicles gas gauge always above ½ of a tank.  This will allow you plenty of fuel to burn if you are stranded allowing you to have heat.  It will also insure that you will not be left with only the water left in the bottom of your tank freezing your gas lines.  This will prevent vehicle trouble from occurring.  If however you do have frozen gas lines you can put Seafoam in your tank and try cranking your vehicle over, it should unfreeze your gas lines.  I would recommend carrying one bottle of Seafoam in your trunk in case this happens while you are driving.

The next thing that you can do to help yourself out in the cold winter without doing anything is to make sure to carry your cell phone.  Make sure that it is charged.  If you are sick of always buying new car chargers like I am every time you get a new phone try investing in the ATD-5951 Power Inverter.  This ATD-5951 Power Inverter will allow you to bring your home phone charger with you and plug it in to your vehicle.  All you do is simply plug the inverter into your cigarette lighter or 12v power source inside your car and turn it on and plug your charger in.  It is simple and will pay for itself the first time you do not have to buy a car charger.  They work great because in the cold winter months the cold will decrease the batteries life so if you are planning on going on a road trip during the winter the ATD-5951 Power Inverter will allow you to charge your phone giving you some peace of mind.

This next thing is common sense, but I figured with our busy lives it is worth mentioning.  Make sure to dress warm when driving in the winter.  I know that all of us get in a hurry and leave the house with just our winter jacket on, but if you are stuck or stranded you will need gloves and a hat so you will not freeze your fingers and ears.  If you have trouble remembering to put these on before leaving the house do what I do and just set a set in the glove box for just in case.

Now we will move onto some of the things that you should carry in your survival kit.  You can use as little of this list, or as much.  I will say the things first that I feel are necessary and will then add on some extras.  First things first you are going to want to have a blanket in your vehicle.  I am assuming that you are wearing a heavy winter jacket this is why I would recommend a heavy blanket that is extremely warm first.  This will help you stay warm in the event of being stranded.  You may want to throw in one old winter jacket just in case, this would be considered one of the add ons.  Next you will want to have a couple pairs of warm socks and winter boots.  Old winter boots will work just fine.  These will help keep your feet warm and prevent you from getting frostbite.  Now that you have your body warm you will want to make sure that you have some food in your car.  You will want to have some high calorie food such as nuts, candy, anything that is able to stand cold temperatures and still be edible.  If you have old snow pants I would also advise putting these in.  They do not have to fit the best and they do not have to be in perfect condition, but something to keep your legs warm is a must.  With the snow pants I would also recommend some warm gloves, warm hats, and any facemasks.  If you have scarves those work excellent for keeping your neck and cheeks warm.  Now that you have all of these items to keep you warm we will discuss some items that you could add to this list and make it even better.  You could add some cheap candles and matches.  These will provide some heat just make sure to vent the fumes and be careful not to catch anything on fire.  These items listed above will help you from receiving frost bite on any part of your body.  Frost bite can become severe and lead to some serious problems.  Make sure to carry warm clothing at the very least when traveling to help prevent frost bite from occurring if you are stranded.

Now that we have some warm clothing and food we will go into some of the tools needed to survive.  The first thing that you should have is a good set of booster cables such as ATD 7972 Booster Cables these will help allow you to start a dead vehicle if you are stranded.  The best option for starting your car would be this DSRPSJ2212 Schumacher Jump Starter this is an all in one jump start pack that will allow you to jump start your vehicle without having another vehicle.  Another Jump Starter that will not only charge your phone, laptop and Jump Start your car without connecting to another vehicle and fit in your glove box………it is also rated to Jump Start Heavy Duty Diesels which is the Cal Van 560 mini jump starter and comes in an organized zippered case with all the cables and DC charger included . You will also want to have a shovel in your vehicle in case you need to dig out.  There are small collapsible shovels that will work great for this so that they do not take up too much space.  I would also recommend a flashlight such as this . This will help you to have light while you are stranded.  This Master Appliance Triggertorch is also a good idea.  This is a handheld blow torch with a 2 hour constant run time life.  It is rechargeable and will allow you to unfreeze frozen parts on your vehicle.  It will provide heat if need be, and will also provide flame.

Now that you have a list of some ideas of what to have you will also want to follow a couple of these instructions.  You will never want to wander off during a storm you will want to stay with your vehicle.  It provides shelter.  Next if your vehicle is running make sure that the tail pipes are clear otherwise harmful carbon monoxide can build up.  And lastly keep hope.

I know that this article is a little different but with winter fast approaching we really need to think about what we should put in our vehicles preparing for the worst.  It is always best to be over prepared than underprepared.  For more information on checks you can do to make sure your vehicle is ready for winter check out this article How should I winterize my car?.  I wish you all a good winter season and please take the time to prepare and avoid driving in bad weather.

Written by: Cody Mammenga an NDSCS Student

My Heater in my car only works on one speed. How to fix.

Thursday, August 1st, 2019

lA common problem among vehicles is heating concerns.  In this article we will discuss what occurs when your vehicle’s blower motor won’t run or will only run on one speed.  We will discuss how you can test this and fix the problem.

When your blower motor doesn’t work most people just assume that the blower motor is at fault.  This is not true and can lead you to waste money on replacing a blower motor that will not fix your problem.  In order to understand how to diagnose and fix the problem we must first understand how a blower motor circuit works.

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Riveted or Pressed Fit Ball Joint Removal.

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

sBall joints are a common cause of problems in the suspension and steering systems of new vehicles.  They can be easy to replace if they need to be or else they can be difficult to replace if they are riveted or pressed into place.  If you have ones that are simply bolted in place or threaded in take a look at this Ball Joint Replacement and Inspection.  That article will tell you how to properly diagnose and replace bolted on or threaded in ball joints.

                                         OTC-6530  Ball Joint Master Kit

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Bartec 400SD TPMS Tool Tutorial

Sunday, January 12th, 2014

BTC-WRT400SD Wheelrite Bartec Tech 400SD TPMS

The latest in Combination TPMS Tool Technology, the TECH400SD! Improving on Bartec’s widely used TPMS Diagnostic and Programming tool, the added features will certainly help Tire Shops and Repair Facilities build their success in TPMS!

The TECH400SD has market leading coverage for the diagnosis and repair of the TPMS of Domestic and Import vehicles. Through its uniquely robust OBD cable, the TECH400SD can diagnose problems and reset the TPMS control module of Asian makes such as Nissan, Honda, Subaru and Toyota. Also, because the TECH400SD is an activation tool, it can quickly activate the TPMS Sensors during a domestic car relearn on such makes as GM and Ford.

Lisle Tool 22100 Duramax Flywheel Locking Tool Instructions!

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

Lisle Tool 22100 New Duramax Flywheel Locking Tool! How to Remove Harmonic Balancer  

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Lisle Tool just released its newest automotive specialty tool.  This tool is the 22100 Flywheel Locking Tool.  This tool is a new specialty tool released by Lisle Tool.  This tool is among the great automotive tools.  It makes changing a water pump and removing the harmonic balancer on the 6.6 liter Duramax truck equipped with an Allison automatic transmission a breeze.  The new tool comes with everything you need to remove the harmonic

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Oxygen Sensor Tech How to replace an 02 sensor

Sunday, November 17th, 2013

How to diagnose and replace a faulty O2 sensor using a Fluke 233/a multimeter

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With gas mileage a major concern of many people today it is smart to know when you should replace your O2 sensor.

FLU-233/A Fluke 233/A Remote Display Automotive Digital Multimeter Kit

An O2 sensor or oxygen sensor sends a signal to the PCM or Powertrain Control Module in your vehicle and lets it know how much oxygen is in your exhaust.  The O2 sensor is the main source of input on the PCM control of fuel.  The O2 sensor can be misleading to the PCM however.  If the O2 sensor is not functioning properly your vehicle can be running extremely rich, causing your vehicle to lack power and have a decrease in fuel mileage.  The O2 sensor can also cause your vehicle to be running lean and can cause a dangerous situation for your vehicle engine.

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How Do I Pressure Test a Car Cooling System?

Sunday, September 1st, 2013

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A video by Eric the car guy

Cooling systems are vital to any car running correctly, and are often time mis-diagnosed.  This is because a lot of technicians today over think it, and often times forget to check the little things.  This article is aimed at the backyard mechanic or everyday do it yourselfer.  It will help you to understand how to properly pressure test your vehicles cooling system.  This is one of the simplest, yet most effective tests for diagnosing a cooling system.

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How do I Flush my Automobile Cooling System?

Sunday, July 28th, 2013

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UVW-570000 Uview Vac U Fill 570000ROB-75700 Robinair Anti Freeze Coolant Recycler

Coolant Flush tools                                 Uview 570000             Robinair 75700

 

 

How to properly flush your cooling system manually

Your vehicle’s cooling system can become corroded after years of use. This corrosion occurs from the minerals in your coolant collecting inside your cooling system.  Some other damage may occur over time due to old age of your vehicle’s cooling system.  Another damaging factor could be that your vehicle has some sort of mechanical malfunction which damaged the cooling system.

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Working on hybrid vehicles

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013

Working on hybrid vehicleshy

With the new trend in vehicles being better mpgs, it is eminent that there will be more hybrid vehicles.  These vehicles are similar to regular vehicles, but they do however require some extra caution and special tools to work on them.

The main problem with hybrid vehicles is that a lot of shops do not know how to correctly work on them.  This article will be aimed more for the shop, or the backyard mechanic who really knows what they are doing.  When it comes to hybrids SAFETY is number one.  These vehicles use extremely high voltage to run their electric motors.  This is what makes knowing what you are doing extremely vital, or else you could end up hurt or worse dead.

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Recharging Your Air Conditioning Robinair 34788 Instructions

Tuesday, January 29th, 2013

rob-34788lg   Recharging Your A/C System

   Set up and operation part 1 Robinair 34788

                   

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