The first step is removing the battery cables and if you have an older car that has clamp style ends on the cables you will need a box end wrench, flat head screw driver, pliers and a pair of safety glasses. The safety glasses should be worn at all times when working with automotive batteries. A good pair of rubber lined mechanics gloves will also be needed when working with the battery to protect your hands from any battery acid that may be present. In Most cases the box end wrench will need to be a half inch SAE or 12mm. After using the wrench for loosening the clamp on the cable you will need the flat head screw driver to spread the connection open. Grasp the clamp on the cable with the pliers rotate it and pull at the same time until the clamp comes free from the battery post. If your car is newer it may have the cable ends that bolt directly to the side of the battery. These are usually small bolts that take an 8mm wrench. When removing the positive battery cable be careful not to touch the metal wrench to any other metal objects while it is on the bolt of the cable as this will cause sparks. Now you will need tools for removing the bracket that secures the battery to the car. If the bracket that secures the battery to the car is on the lower side of the battery you will need a deep well half inch socket, long extension and a ratchet for removing the bolt in the retaining bracket. Now you will be able to lift the battery out of place. Before putting the new battery in you will need a wire brush to clean any corrosion from the surface that the battery sits on. The cable ends will also need to be cleaned to ensure a good connection for the electrical current to pass through. Using the wire brush clean the cable ends and install the new battery. It is a great idea to have a fire extinguisher close by anytime you are working on the car especially the battery.

Now take a deep breath and feel the air move through your nose into the deep parcels of your chest. Stay with me on this one – we’ll get to your car in a moment. Open your mouth and breathe deeply, sensing the flow rush through your larynx, caressing the mucus membranes, down through the bronchial tubes, disseminating into the microscopic recesses of your lungs.

The human body has been intelligently designed to filter out the precious air that we so desperately need to breathe. Have you ever crossed a street in downtown New York, or anywhere in Bangkok, or the boulevard in front of the museum in Cairo? The air filters of your body – the hairs of your nose, your mucus membranes, other fleshly components – cringed in the absorption of dirt, pollutants, and carbon monoxide. Had your filters not been working properly, you would not be reading these words now.

That’s how the air filter in your automobile works. Every car, truck, motorcycle, any motorized vehicle contains some type of air filter that protects the engine from dusty roads and dirty streets. Even your lawn mower contains an air filter that causes the motor to run efficiently so that you can cut the green grass.

The air filter on your automobile is one of the more overlooked parts of the engine. People forget about it because of its lack of glamour. But forget too long, and you’ll start experiencing hiccups, sputtering, and eventually engine failure. Funny that a piece of paper plays such a crucial role in getting you down the road so efficiently.

There are several key aspects to ensure that your air filter enables your engine to perform properly that everyone can easily master. Heed these simple measures and your engine will breathe cleanly. Choose to forgo this advice, and you’ll be paying for a large auto repair.

All you need to remember is: review, replace, and renew.

Review your air filter by periodically looking at. A good air filter will last 30,000 miles or more. Find the canister that contains the filter and gently lift off the lid. Each canister is slightly different and located in a different place on each engine. You may need your car manual to locate the filter, or you can simply ask a friend or neighbor to point it out to you. Most filters easily pull out. Once taking it out, blow on it to remove dust and dirt. If it is dark gray to blackish in color, it needs to be changed. Light gray means it has been there a while and will need to be changed within a few months, based on normal usage. Reinsert the filter and you are good to go.

If you need to replace the filter, head to a local auto parts store. Ask for help or find the booklet that tells you what size filter you need. Air filters come in many shapes and sizes, designed to fit various types of engines. Typically your engine will take only one size. Find the right size and place the brand new white filter into the canister on the engine. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how simple this task is.

After reviewing and replacing your filter, the next step is to renew it. Write down the mileage of your automobile when you put in the clean filter. Check the filter every 10,000 miles. If someone else changes your oil, they will no doubt check your air filter, and recommend that it be changed, if necessary.

Maintaining your air filter is truly the simplest form of maintenance that you can do on your own vehicle. Now that you know how to do it, you’ll never be taken by a mechanic trying to pull one over on you. Now that you’ve read this, go check your air filter.

The warranty for your car should be treated like a legal document. It should be read from cover to cover once you receive it and stored along with your other important papers. You might need that “war-ranty” someday to go on a “rant” while at “war” with the dealer where you purchased your car, in the event that you have purchased a lemon.

When purchasing a new vehicle you will automatically receive a warranty for a period of time. The warranty covers almost any defect in the vehicle for a certain period of time, say 3 years, or 5 years. Or the warranty may cover the vehicle from “bumper to bumper” for a few years, and then cover only the “powertrain” for another few years after that. The powertrain is most of the engine and transmission. Although bumper to bumper implies that everything is covered, the parts that undergo normal usage wear and tear such as tires, spark plugs, and basic maintenance are not part of the warranty coverage.

It may also be possible for you to purchase an extended warranty that either supplements what the original warranty covers or adds additional years to the present warranty, or both. Extended warranties can get quite expensive and can be purchased from the dealer or a third party. You would probably only want to purchase an extended warranty if you anticipate that your car would undergo unnecessarily heavy usage after the original warranty has expired.

When purchasing a used vehicle, obtaining a warranty becomes more difficult. Often no warranty is included. If the vehicle is a recent year model, the dealer may add a limited one year warranty.

Whatever the case, you need to ask the dealer what is covered under the warranty. You also need to understand that a warranty will expire whenever one of the mileage or date thresholds expires. If the warranty says 5 years/60,000 miles then it expires once you reach either the five years or the 60,000 miles.

Having a good handle on your warranty will give you piece of mind and help to keep your vehicle running well for years to come.

An excellent option for entertaining your kids in the car around town or for long trips is a DVD player. The most convenient option is a DVD player built into your car. These systems offer options for several screens, audio through your car’s speakers or headphone jacks, and even multiple players for the different screens. The downside of these systems is that they are obviously something you must order when you buy your car or have them installed after-market. Also, if any part of the system needs repairs, your car may be unavailable while the repairs are made. Another option is to purchase either an individual DVD player for each passenger or a DVD system that can attach to the backs of the seats in front of your passengers. Kids can watch movies, their favorite TV shows, or educational programs as they ride. If you have a single system that shows one movie but have more than one child, use choosing the video that will be watched next as an incentive for good behavior.

While watching shows can be a great way to keep kids entertained in the car, it’s not the only option. Kids also love music, and the same system of choosing the next movie can work with music. Before the trip, have each child select a playlist of his or her favorite songs and put them on an mp3 player or burn a CD of each one. Alternately, each child could have a personal music player.

Hand-held electronic games are another possibility to help keep your kids entertained in the car. Consider making these devices a special treat only for the car so that they will not lose their novelty. If you have more than one child, you might consider buying just one of each of the above devices; then they can trade off during the trip.

Plenty of options for keeping your kids entertained in the car involve less technology and less money that hand-held games and DVD/mp3 players. Many games can be played with little more than a pencil and paper. Consider getting a notebook for each child so that they can play games like tic-tac-toe and hangman. Make hangman more fun by having kids use the names of places you have been on your travels. Other pencil and paper entertainment includes having kids mark down which states’ license plates they’ve seen, makes, models, and/or colors of cars, or even fast food restaurants. Mad Libs are another fun paper and pencil option for the ride.

Consider having an ongoing tournament/contest with the games above and other games specially designed for the car. Keep track of who wins which games, and construct the tournament to take as much time as possible.

With advance planning, keeping kids entertained in the car can be a manageable task. If you have a variety of options and a plan for keeping the fun organized, your next trip can be your best ever.

A clean air filter for your vehicle is going to make it operate more fuel efficient. Since the cost of gas continues to increase we can all benefit from that. The air filter allows the right combination of fuel and air to be mixed in the chambers. When your air filter is clean then the mixture is going to burn cleaner. As a result that will lower the amount of emissions your vehicle releases into the environment.

The oil filter should be changed every single time that you change your oil. That should be occurring every 3,000 miles. Don’t skip this important step because a reused oil filter can cause serious damage to your vehicle. It can get plugged up and then your oil pressure will drop. When you don’t have the right amount of oil flowing through the engine there can be too much friction within the moving parts. These parts include the cam shaft, crank shaft, and bearings.

Most people fail to realize that there is a transmission filter that has to be checked and replaced as well. This particular filter can restrict the amount of transmission fluid that flows through the engine. This can be a cause of the transmission slipping and that can result in metal on metal contact. Over time, this process can cause your transmission to go out.

You will only find a transmission filter on your vehicle if you have an automatic transmission. In your owners manual you will find the information about what the manufacture recommends for this particular filter maintenance. The length of time it can be on your vehicle and how to replace it will depend on the make and model of your vehicle.

Your fuel filter needs to be replaced too so that they don’t get plugged with debris. An inadequate fuel filter can cause your fuel pump to go out due to the additional pressure. It can also allow debris to get through the filter and into the fuel injectors. If they are clogged then you can have some serious engine damage.

It is certainly more cost effective to replace all of these types of filters for your vehicle than to pay for serious repairs or an new engine. Most of these filters don’t cost more than a few dollars so they are a very wise investment. You can also remove the old filters and install the new ones in just a couple of minutes. This isn’t a hard process or one you need to pay a professional mechanic to do.

Make sure you learn how to check the various filters for your car. Make it a habit to check them often and to replace them when you need to do so. Your vehicle will require a certain type and size of filter for the various areas too. It is a good idea to write those numbers down so you always have them for quick reference when you need to replace them.