Akebono Brake Pads, What is the best Brake pad?

What is the best brake pad?
Cruising along the interstate, creeping through rush hour traffic or navigating through your neighborhood, you count on your brakes to stop your vehicle every time with smooth, quiet assurance. Why possibly compromise braking performance just because it is time to replace your brake pads? Today, motorists have an option to restore OE performance. The number one choice of automakers can now be yours. Choose Akebono ProAct Ceramic Brake Disc Pads from Akebono, validated by global automakers to ensure that your vehicle will stop like new.

Ultra Quiet
Nobody Likes Brake Noise. We've developed hundreds of unique Akebono ProAct Ceramic formulations to reduce and/or virtually eliminate brake squealing, groaning and vibration. The days of frustrating returns to the brake shop are over.
Low Dusting
There's No Need To Fret Over Wheel Dust. The Carefully selected materials found in Akebono ProAct Ceramic Brake Pads are more compatible with today's popular aluminum, open-wheel designs. They help minimize and/or virtually eliminate dusting.
Enhanced Durability
See You Later - Much Later. For the vast majority of motorists, Akebono ProAct Ceramic Brake Pads provide significantly improved pad wear performance in normal driving conditions compared to traditional brake pads. This means longer time between brake jobs.
Smooth Braking
Brake with Control and Confidence. Akebono ProAct Ceramic Brake Pads provide more consistent, smooth stopping power over a wide range of driving conditions, including panic stops.
Vehicle-Optomized Formulations
One Size Does Not Fit All. Akebono ProAct Ceramic Brake Pads are formulated to meet the specific OE quality, fit and performance requirements for your vehicle. More than 150 pads are available for virtually every domestic, Japanese and European car and truck built since 1990.
Akebono is the first brake pad manufacturer to produce a true ceramic pad for European vehicles that delivers the same European pedal feel and stopping power as the Original Equipment (OE) pads. Akebono's exclusive clean wheel formulations help to eliminate the heavy brake dust issues normally associated with the OE pads, too, and a definitive control of noise, vibration and harshness is felt.

One hundred percent asbestos-free, the pads' Advanced Ceramic Technology helps to extend rotor life resulting in fewer rotor replacements (and additional dollars saved).
Akebono Euro pads are approved for use by Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

So to sum up the benefits of Akebono ceramic brake pads, the three main reasons why more and more people are choosing ceramic over metallic:

Cool: Akebono Ceramic brake pads are designed to distribute heat equally or better than metallic pads. Studies have shown ceramic pads to perform up to 350 degrees cooler than semi-metallic pads resulting in consistent braking power on each and every stop.



CLEAN: With each and every stop ceramic pads do not produce the dirty brake dust you typically get with a metallic pad leaving your car's tires and rims virtually clean with less rotor wear.



QUIET:Akebono Ceramic brake pads quiet the harsh noises that you typically hear with metallic pads due to far less friction on the rotors.

Low fuel mileage, Nissan Maxima

What should I do if my fuel economy is excessively low on my Nissan Maxima?




If your fuel economy is excessively low on your Nissan Maxima, your vehicle may need to be serviced or repaired. You may want to contact your Nissan dealer or a reputable repair facility to check your vehicle. The following are some of the diagnostic checks a mechanic will typically conduct for poor mpg on your Nissan Maxima:



Perform "On-Board Diagnostic System Check" for diagnostic trouble codes (sensors or actuators which may be malfunctioning)

Check for dragging brakes

Check transmission shift patterns for slipping, use of all gears, lock-up operation

Check ignition timing

Check owner's driving habits including A/C usage, hard accelerations, carrying heavy loads

Check emission control system

Check vacuum hoses for leaks, kinks, proper routing

Check tire pressure

Check fuel type, quality, and alcohol content

Check fuel pressure and fuel system for leaks

Check air cleaner element

Check coolant level

Check ignition system for wet plugs, cracks, wear, improper gap, burned electrodes, or heavy deposits, cracking or improperly connected ignition wires

Check for proper calibration of speedometer

In extreme cases, there may be engine problems such as poor compression or faulty fuel injectors. Replacing fuel injectors on a Nissan Maxima is not for the beginner or backyard tech. It is advisable to take it to the Nissan Dealership or a repair shop that you trust.

Low fuel mileage, Honda Prelude

What should I do if my fuel economy is excessively low on my Honda Prelude?

If your fuel economy is excessively low on your Honda prelude, your vehicle may need to be serviced or repaired. You may want to contact your Honda dealer or a reputable repair facility to check your vehicle. The following are some of the diagnostic checks a mechanic will typically conduct for poor mpg on your Honda Prelude:

Perform "On-Board Diagnostic System Check" for diagnostic trouble codes (sensors or actuators which may be malfunctioning)
Check for dragging brakes
Check transmission shift patterns for slipping, use of all gears, lock-up operation
Check ignition timing
Check owner's driving habits including A/C usage, hard accelerations, carrying heavy loads
Check emission control system
Check vacuum hoses for leaks, kinks, proper routing
Check tire pressure
Check fuel type, quality, and alcohol content
Check fuel pressure and fuel system for leaks
Check air cleaner element
Check coolant level
Check ignition system for wet plugs, cracks, wear, improper gap, burned electrodes, or heavy deposits, cracking or improperly connected ignition wires
Check for proper calibration of speedometer
In extreme cases, there may be engine problems such as poor compression or faulty fuel injectors. Replacing fuel injectors on a Honda Prelude is not for the beginner or backyard tech. It is advisable to take it to the Honda Dealership or a repair shop that you trust.

Air suspension, why it fails and coverting to standard shock and struts

When electronic suspensions with air springs were first introduced 20 years ago on the Lincoln Continental and Mark VII, few people would have imagined that someday this new technology would create a booming business for servicing air ride suspensions. But it has, and it's a market that shows no signs of deflation anytime soon. Here's why: Air springs and electronic ride controls provide a cushy, boulevard ride, but the ride doesn't last forever. All air suspensions share a common vulnerability: air leaks. And when a system can no longer hold air, it goes flat. The undercar environment is a harsh one that's exposed to road splash, salt and debris. Rubber loses elasticity as it ages, becomes hard and eventually cracks. After seven to 10 years of service, many of these older systems start to develop leaks that allow air to escape from the system eventually causing failure. The same thing can happen to plastic air lines. Wiring connectors, solenoids, compressors and height sensors are also vulnerable to corrosion and vibration, which over time may lead to failures that disrupt the normal operation of the air ride system. Now comes the good part (or the bad part if you're the vehicle owner). When an air ride suspension system goes flat, or fails it can be very expensive to fix. OEM parts are sky high and may not even be available for some of the older applications. Remanufactured OEM and new aftermarket electronic air struts and compressors can provide a more cost-effective alternative for those who want to retain the full functionality of their air ride suspension. The other option is to replace the original air springs and/or electronic struts or shocks with a conversion kit that includes conventional coil steel springs with ordinary struts or shocks. 


AIR SUSPENSION CONVERSION KITS Aftermarket conversion kits for the older cars with air ride suspensions have become a hot item in recent years because the kits provide a repair solution for vehicles that might otherwise be too expensive to fix. For example, a set of four new OEM air struts and a compressor for a 10-year-old 1994 Lincoln Continental retail for around $3,500. Add in the installation labor and it adds up to a lot of money to spend on a car that is worth maybe $2,500. The same car could be converted to a regular coil spring suspension for around $500 to $600 in parts, and it would probably be a lifetime repair (no future air leaks, compressor failures or electronic glitches to worry about). On a Lexus, the numbers are even higher. The OEM air struts list for $1,100 per wheel! If the compressor also needs to be replaced, the parts bill alone is around $5,800. By comparison, a conversion kit for this vehicle typically sells for less than $800 and includes struts for all four wheels. The only tradeoff of installing a conversion kit is that a vehicle will no longer have a cushy air ride suspension or be self-leveling. For many owners, that's no big deal because many people say air ride suspensions are overly soft and allow too much wallow when cornering. They would actually prefer a firmer handling suspension. Others, though, might be reluctant to trade their air ride suspension for a conventional suspension. Even so, most of these people will probably realize it makes more sense to convert the suspension than to sink a pile of money into a car that has already depreciated so much in value. The ironic part about all of this is that some people will gladly spend thousands of dollars to transform their vehicle into a pavement scraping "low rider" while others moan and complain about having to spend so much to fix their unintentional low rider because the air suspension has gone flat. One other change that is usually required when converting an air ride suspension is to disable or "fool" the system module. Procedures vary depending on the application, but may require removing a fuse, cutting a wire or splicing a resistor into a strut wiring harness to trick the module into thinking a solenoid or height sensor is still there when it is not. Make sure to review the conversion kit's instructions or check other sources like manufacturer TSBs. Not following the proper procedures can effect other systems controlled by the body control module. 


AIR RIDE SUSPENSION OPTIONS This brings up another potential service opportunity: converting conventional suspensions to air ride suspensions. It's not a traditional kind of repair job, but it is one that can be profitable, especially if you're searching for a niche market to expand your business. A whole new generation of younger vehicle owners are spending serious money these days customizing sport compact cars. The hot nameplates are Honda, Accord and Mitsubishi, but you'll also see Chevy Cavaliers, Ford Focuses and other nameplates among their ranks. The upgrades are done to improve ride and handling as much as cosmetics. The owners of sport compact cars will buy larger diameter 17- to 19-inch alloy wheels, sticky ultra low profile street performance tires, beefier sway bars, high pressure monotube gas struts and shocks, drilled and vented brake rotors, wings, spoilers, low restriction air intakes and mufflers, and lots of other bolt-on accessories. Coil-over kits that replace the stock struts are a popular upgrade for making suspension adjustments and lowering ride height, and now we're seeing aftermarket coil-overs that use an air spring instead of a steel spring for a fully adjustable suspension on the fly. One such system that has just been released uses air strut suspension with adjustable height, rate and dampening. The kit includes air spring struts, compressor, dryer, lines and driver-adjustable control module. It's available now for the 2002 and up Subaru WRX, and will also be available for a number of popular sport compact cars. Another upgrade possibility is installing air shocks or air helper springs on vehicles that are used for towing or hauling. Here, air provides extra load carrying capacity to keep the rear end from sagging when a vehicle is heavily loaded. Installation is easy and requires no wiring or other changes. 


GROWING MARKET If performance modifications are not your thing, there's still plenty of repair work to be done on aging vehicles with electronic air suspensions. Current applications include Lincoln Continental, Town Car, Mark VII and VIII, Ford Crown Vic, Mercury Grand Marquis, fullsize Chevy, Buick and Oldsmobiles, Cadillac Deville, Seville and Eldorado, various Chrysler models, Dodge Dynasty, older Jaguar models, Land Rover, Range Rover, Lexus, Lincoln Navigator, Ford Expedition and Ford F250 pickups, and Mazda MPV. AIR RIDE BASICS With an air ride suspension, hollow inflatable rubber bags (air springs) are used in place of ordinary coil steel springs or leaf springs. The rubber bags are flexible and have a certain amount of give, so they help absorb and dampen bumps to better isolate the suspension from the vehicle's occupants. Air springs also provide a variable spring rate and offer increased stiffness the more they are compressed. On some vehicles, an air bladder is incorporated into a strut or shock to provide additional dampening and/or ride height control. Air shocks are one such example, and are often used on the rear for automatic load leveling. On some applications, a strut may have both a conventional steel spring with an additional air bladder on top to vary ride height and/or spring stiffness. Most air suspensions and automatic load leveling systems use some type of height sensor to monitor ride height. When the suspension is lower than its normal ride height, the system module energizes a relay to turn on a compressor and pump air into the air springs, shocks or struts through solenoid valves. When the desired ride height is reached, the module turns the compressor turns off and remains on standby until further corrections are needed. If ride height is too high because a heavily loaded vehicle has just been unloaded, the system module will open solenoids to vent air from the springs. Maintaining a consistent ride height is important because ride height affects wheel alignment, tire wear handling, traction and the aiming of the headlights. It can even affect fuel economy at highway speeds. Some late-model SUVs with air ride suspensions automatically lower themselves an inch or two at highways speeds to improve their aerodynamics and reduce wind resistance. The driver may also have a ride height switch that allows him to increase ride height and ground clearance when driving off-road. On many applications, the air ride system may remain active for a certain period of time after the engine has been turned off. The system continues to monitor ride height and may make corrections by adding or venting air as needed. There may be a built-in delay so the corrections do not occur immediately when the occupants exit the vehicle or unload the trunk. Understanding the operating logic of an air ride suspension system is important when trying to make a diagnosis because all of these systems are different. If you don't understand the logic, you can't always tell if the system is functioning correctly or not.




LINCOLN AIR SUSPENSION On the older Lincoln systems, the control module monitors ride height for up to an hour after the ignition is turned off, venting pressure as needed to maintain correct ride height. During this time it will lower, but not raise the vehicle. At the end of the hour, the compressor will kick in for up to 30 seconds to add air if ride height is low. After that, it shuts down and makes no further corrections until the ignition is turned back on. When the ignition is turned on, the system will raise ride height if necessary, but not lower it. After 45 seconds, it will then make lowering corrections as needed, but only if all the doors are closed. It will not make any corrections if the brake pedal is depressed. Once the system is in its "driving" mode, it averages input from the height sensors before making any adjustments in attitude. This prevents the suspension from trying to compensate for every bump in the road. Only when a continuous high or low indication is present for more than 45 seconds will it react and make a change. If a change in ride height isn't accomplished within three minutes after the need is indicated, the system warning lamp comes on and stays on as long as the ignition remains on. When the key is turned off, the warning lamp will go out and remain out unless the same problem is indicated the next time the key is on. AIR RIDE failure Air suspension problems fall into one of three categories:

• Electrical - Problems with the height sensors, air spring solenoids, module control circuit, compressor relay, compressor or vent solenoid. These can be isolated by using the system's self-diagnostic procedures (if available) and various volt/ohm checks. Service consists of replacing the faulty component or wiring, or readjusting the height sensors. Electronic problems will usually set a fault code and turn on a warning or failure light. On the older vehicles, there is usually a self-diagnostic procedure for reading the codes and doing self-tests. On newer vehicles, codes can usually be accessed with a scan tool. On the more sophisticated systems, you may need a bidirectional scan tool with the appropriate software to do system tests and to recalibrate height sensors. On late-model Cadillacs with the CVRSS electronic suspension, you can get codes by pressing the WARM and OFF buttons on the climate control system simultaneously. Refer to a manual for the code retrieval and clearing procedure when using the panel buttons.
• Air supply - Leaky or obstructed air lines, faulty compressor or spring solenoids. Diagnosis is made via the self-test and visual inspection. A bad compressor or solenoid must be replaced, but damaged air lines can be repaired by splicing. Result: Failure
NOTE: One of the leading causes of compressor failure is air leaks (usually in the air springs or lines). If the compressor is constantly running, it's going to work itself to an early death. If you're replacing a compressor, the dryer should also be changed to protect the new unit from moisture. If the dryer is saturated with moisture, it can create backpressure that can overload and burn out a compressor.
• Air springs - Leaking, damaged, deflated or unfolded springs. Damaged springs must be replaced as an individual assembly (replacement in pairs is not necessary with air springs). If unfolded, the spring must be carefully inspected for cuts or cracks before it is reinflated.

GENERAL SERVICE PRECAUTIONS The first thing to keep in mind when servicing vehicles with electronic air suspensions is to watch out for those that are self-leveling - especially if the vehicle is going to be raised on a lift to change the tires or work on the brakes. If you're working on a Lincoln or a Ford Crown Victoria with an electronic air suspension, there's a switch in the trunk to deactivate the system. If the system is not turned off, it will remain active after the ignition is switched off and try to level itself when the wheels are raised off the ground by venting air from the air springs. When the vehicle is then lowered back down, the suspension may go flat because there's no air in the bags. Later systems are supposed to maintain a minimum pressure in the springs so this doesn't happen, but it's no guarantee the vehicle will have enough ride height to clear the lift. You also want to deactivate a self-leveling suspension when doing brake or suspension work. Why? Because you don't want the suspension moving because a height sensor is telling the system module the vehicle is riding high. Disconnecting a battery cable

will also deactivate an electronic self-leveling suspension, but you'll also cut power to all the other onboard electronics. So to save yourself the embarrassment of erasing all the preset channels on the radio as well as the PCM's memory, use the deactivation switch (if one is provided) or find and pull the fuse that powers the self-leveling control module or air compressor. Don't forget to reactive the system after the vehicle has been serviced or it may cause the warning light to come on then next time the vehicle is driven. Another thing to keep in mind on Lincolns, Fords and other vehicles with full air spring suspensions is that the air springs support the weight of the chassis and are under pressure (25 psi minimum - unless the springs have gone flat). Do not vent an inflated spring or remove a spring solenoid unless the vehicle is supported on a frame contact hoist, or the chassis is supported by safety stands when the wheels are off the ground. Why? Because the chassis will drop when air is let out of the springs.

2002 Honda check engine light is on, how do I turn off the check engine light?

2002 Honda check engine light is on, how do I turn off the check engine light?
The proper way to turn off the check engine light on a 2002 honda accord, of course, is to repair the problem that caused it to come on. Another way I read on a website was to bring your car to an Autozone who will diagnose the problem and reset the light for you (and hope you buy the part to fix the problem). The quick and dirty way is to remove one of the battery cables for about 10 seconds (when the engine is off of course) then reconnect it.
-It is actually illegal for Autozone employees to just erase the engine code because they did it before and got sued by several people because they erased the engine code and then something went wrong with the car and the people got hurt in accidents. so they arent actually supposed to. i only know because my boyfriend works there and he and his boss explained this to me one day when i was curious about this exact thing and started asking questions.
I just had the EGR valve replaced on our 2002 Accord for the second time in two years. At least the price of the part has come down a huge amount in this time - from $300 to $70 - I suppose since it is a mass produced item since so many 98 Accords have this problem. The last time the car had under 80Kmi so was under warranty but this time I paid an independent mechanic $170 which included the part. He said it is a poor design since even a speck of carbon in the EGR valve can cause it to stay open and the check engine light to come on. And he expects it will happen more often as the car gets older.
An guy who is a mechanic where I work said he thought it was best to clean out the deposits and a good product to do this was Marvel Mystery Oil (at Walmart for about $2 per pint). He said to use 4 oz in the gas tank when filling once per month for a few months. Besides possibly preventing the valve from fouling as often, this should also allow the car to run longer without needing premium fuel, according to him.
Every Honda I have had (and all I have had is Hondas for well over 20 years) has required midgrade fuel at about 120Kmi then premium at around 160Kmi to prevent it from pinging, no matter how many times I had it tuned, the plugs replaced, and the valves adjusted. The guy said the Marvel Mystery Oil will fix this, too - use it once per month until the premium fuel is no longer needed, which will take 3 to 4 months. I have no idea if this will work (it's a Mystery to me! ) but I will give it a try since otherwise this is still an excellent car.
Here is more input from others:
When I bought the 2002 Honda Accord the salesmen told me that the Check Engine Light would come on at about 7K miles and not to be alarmed. This would be freindly a reminder to bring it in for the 1st service he said. Well just as the guy said at aproximatly 7K the check engine light came on. I called the service department and he insisted on me bringing it in so that they would perform the normal oil/filter changes then reset the light. After a bit I convinced the guy to tell me how to reset the light.
THIS IS HOW YOU RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE 2002 HONDA ACCORD. 1. With the Car Off, Press and hold down the Odometer Trip Reset Button. 2. While still pressing the Trip Reset Button, Turn the Ignition Key half way on where all your oil, check engine lights etc.. turn on. Don't turn it as far as you would to normally start the car. Wait a few seconds and the Check engine light will turn off. 3. Turn the key back to the Off position and you're done. What a scam Honda has with the BS Check Engine Light.
In the repair book it says to remove the number 13 (clock back up) fuse on the passenger side while the ignition is off for 10 seconds. That should work according to the repair. If the light comes back on then u might have a problem.
Two different things being addressed on this whole topic. 1. To reset the "Maint Rqrd" light, you push and hold the reset knob and then engage the accessories via the the ignition switch. 2. To reset the "Check Engine" light, you need to either pull the fuse already mentioned in previous answers or disconnect the negative battery cable for a while. (Then make sure you know the Radio Code to reset your radio unit so it works).
The previous steps for resetting the service light and the check engine light also work on the 2002 Honda Accord. Excellent insights! Thank you! Just a note for the novice repairmen: the fuse panel is inside the passenger door on the side of the dash assembly (not under the hood).
First you need to determine if it is a "check engine light" or a "maintainance required light" A check engine light is usually an amber light with the picture of an engine with a line through it. If this light is on you should take it to a QUALIFIED REPAIR TECHNICIAN who is capable of working on a Honda. They have all the tools needed to diagnose your repair.If it is a maint. required light new Honda"s are reset by holding the trip reset button down and turn the ignition switch to "on" while holding the button. wait until the light goes out (about 15 seconds) before releasing the button. This light will come on every 7500 miles.
AS YOU KNOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. A DIAGNOSTIC WOULD NEED TO BE RUN TO SEE WHAT CODES ARE COMING UP. ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE DONE THIS AND MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AT A SHOP, THEN THE SHOP SHOULD HAVE RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IF YOU DID THE REPAIRS YOURSELF YOU CAN DISCONNECT THE BATTERY(BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS) LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 15-30 MINUTES. IF YOU RECONNECT THE BATTERY AND START THE ENGINE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, THEN ALL OF THE NECESSARY REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE.
All you have to do is disconnect the Negative battery terminal. It is not necessary to disconnect both. Once you've disconnected the terminal, let the car sit with no power for a few minutes, then reconnect the battery terminal. Your light should not come on, unless your engine sensors throw another code through your car's computer.
You DO NOT need to disconnect the battery terminals. All you have to do is turn the key to the "on" position (not running, but so that the radio etc. come on) and hold the trip reset button for about 15-20 seconds. KEEP IN MIND - that the light could be an indication of needed service as opposed to just coming on based on mileage.
To be clear, you must hold in the trip odometer reset button and THEN turn the key to the "on" position. If you prefer the battery disconnect method, be sure you have your radio code handy to re-initiate.
A couple things real quick. The MAINTENANCE LIGHT can be reset by holding down the odometer while turning the key. You can reset the CHECK ENGINE LAMP (technically the "MIL"...stands for "MALFUNCTION Indicator Lamp") by removing the power supply to the "ECU"...stands for "Engine Control Unit" or "Electronic Control Unit" depending on the manufacturer. This will clear all OBDII (On-Board Diagnostic II) codes without question (I'm assuming we are working on a 1996 or newer vehicle when I reference the OBDII, but even if not the codes will still be cleared.) This can be definitely be accomplished by removing the negative cable for a couple minutes and probably by removing the radio fuse like the manual says (in Hondas the two general share that constant power source for memory functions such as fault codes, radio stations, and whatnot.) If you are doing this to get through an emissions inspection where they hook up to the computer via the OBDII connector you'll have to wait anywhere from 5 to 50 miles, rarely longer, for the computer to run a series of diagnostic self checks on the different systems. Until that happens the inspection will not even initiate because, guess what, the EPA that mandates the OBDII system is not a bunch of idiots. They require manufacturers to meet specific requirements when programming these rascals and the self-checks (known technically as "Readiness Monitors") are one of them. For this type of inspection two (2) of these "Readiness Monitors" can be left unchecked when inspected on vehicles up to 1999, from 2000 on only one (1) "Readiness Monitor" is allowed to be unchecked for the inspection to initialize. Also, you should know that when a diagnostic query is made on that computer a block of time before and after the error is stored. This block contains all of the vehicles streaming telemetric data at the time of the fault(s). When you erase the code you erase that data too. This information is extremely helpful to anyone trying to diagnose your problem. They'll be able to tell if the engine was hot or cold, what your speed was, what RPM range, how much air and how much fuel the engine was using, the position of the throttle, how hot the air coming into the engine was, and a lot of other stuff that they'll definitely be billing you for should they have to take the time to recreate the problem to regather a large enough data set to make a proper diagnosis. Should you clear the codes, they'll be able to see that too, by looking at how many key starts/warm up cycles and how many "Readiness Monitor" checks have occurred since the car had the battery disconnected/codes cleared. The mechanic in me gets thoroughly irritated when Jiffy Lube or some parts store clears the code after checking it and not knowing how to fix it or even what it is besides what the scan tool in their hand or their computer tells them the description is...and not the slightest clue how to properly go behind the computer and manually check the systems (after all car computers can go bad too and report false positives). It'd be ashame to replace even just a hundred dollars worth of sensor(s) only to find out you actually needed a $200-$1200 computer [don't know the year]). When the customer comes to me with only a code in their hand and says I need this fixed, I just shake my head...okay, all you have is the code guess the entire system will have to be checked instead of keying in on specifics within the fault data set. This can be most frustrating to a mechanic, but the businessman in me just wants to laugh...SURE, Heck yeah, must be a tough one, if Joe Bob Partscounterman with his high dollar scan tool can't figure it out then we'll probably have to spend awhile on it (I really don't gouge in this scenario, but there are plenty who do...by the way Joe Bob's scan tool is what we call a generic scanner and probably cost the store about $300-$600...pretty expensive right, NOPE a shop that services your type car should have something a bit more specific to your car, such as our $2200+ Teradyne Tester w/ Honda software [1])...an hour & half or three later in real time, if you come out on the lucky side of this I tell you, you need a set of plugs and somebody misrouted a vacuum hose and you just wasted good money and hours of our time (mainly trying to get it to act up/set a code/etc.), and yes, believe it or not most mechanics do feel like it's a waste of time regardless of whether or not you're paying. On the flip side of this I come back to you and say yeah your torque converter is starting to come apart and clogged up some of the fluid passageways in your transmission which led to some of the other internal components burning up and we'll need to take it out, tear it down, and make a list...but it shouldn't be too bad though considering there doesn't seem to be any obvious symptoms, all the gears stills function so the hardparts should be good. At this point, the customer asks how much and I tell him around a $1000.00 since we caught it early. EARLY! they exclaim...$1000.00! they cry, but it doesn't feel like anything's wrong, and I tell them, "That's because ingenius Honda engineers programmed an alternate shift pattern for events such as this to save the hard parts. That way it can make it to the shop when the "MIL" comes on without doing huge amounts of damage running the bill up even higher for a full overhaul. Generally we'd just have to replace the torque converter for $400-$600, but this one must have come apart too fast and now we're dealing with internals," I say. IT'S AT THIS EXACT MOMENT THAT EVERY SHOP OWNER/MECHANIC/SERVICE WRITER/ETC. CAN SEE IT IN THEIR FACE, THEY WANT TO KICK THEMSELVES SO HARD IN THE . "WHY DID I PUT IT OFF! WHAT DOES A PARTS GUY AT SUCH & SUCH AUTO PARTS KNOW ABOUT THE INSIDE OF A TRANSMISSION, IF HE'S SO SMART HE'D BE DOING THIS NOT THAT" AND IT'S AT THIS EXACT MOMENT THAT EVERY ONE OF US CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL WHAT THE GERMANS CALL "SCHADENFREUDE" (look it up). It's the truth, a human being in that scenario might outwardly show some empathy or at least professionlism, but inside the mischievous little voice in our heads is laughing it's rear-end off. Unless you personally unplugged something and right after that the light came on, don't disconnect the battery to reset the light, especially if this is for a state inspection and it's due this month. By the way I used the transmission example because I just dealt with this for fella on his Toyota 4Runner. He was so man he was going to take me to court because he thought I was trying to rip him off. I ended up making a deal with him. He'd take it to a dealer (I'm an independent), have them check it, and if I was wrong I'd give him a refund and reimburse him for the tow to the dealer. After the dealer looked at it and told him they didn't rebuild transmissions he was informed he'd need to buy another for well over $2,000. Needless to say we did that for him, and now his little around town beater (again his description) is in having an entire list (mostly his list LOL) done to it. It's actually pretty funny, in my experience it's situations like these that make the best customers.
All you do is take a key and push the little black indent part, and light goes back to green.
Fuse 13 worked like a charm. When I plugged it back in the headlights came on. I use auto-off and had to cycle them manually once. Check Engine is off. We'll give it 50-100 miles and see. THANKS
The best and only true way to reset a "check engine light" is not to go to Autozone or any where that has a scan tool or OBD II and have it turned off just fix the problem then a auto technican will turn it off or it will just come back on in a matter of time,
DON'T disconnect the battery your just going to reset your vehicles memory and reset all emission monitors and have to go through a drive cycle and by time it resets its going to trigger the "engine light" agian. So there is the basics on your 2002 honda accord check engine light and how to turn it off.

2001 Honda Accord Check Engine light is on, how do I turn off the Check engine light

2001 Accord Check Engine Light is on, How do I turn off the check engine light?

The proper way, of course, is to repair the problem that caused it to come on. Another way I read on a website was to bring your car to an Autozone who will diagnose the problem and reset the light for you (and hope you buy the part to fix the problem). The quick and dirty way is to remove one of the battery cables for about 10 seconds (when the engine is off of course) then reconnect it.

-It is actually illegal for Autozone employees to just erase the engine code because they did it before and got sued by several people because they erased the engine code and then something went wrong with the car and the people got hurt in accidents. so they arent actually supposed to.

I just had the EGR valve replaced on our 98 Accord for the second time in two years. At least the price of the part has come down a huge amount in this time - from $300 to $70 - I suppose since it is a mass produced item since so many 98 Accords have this problem. The last time the car had under 80Kmi so was under warranty but this time I paid an independent mechanic $170 which included the part. He said it is a poor design since even a speck of carbon in the EGR valve can cause it to stay open and the check engine light to come on. And he expects it will happen more often as the car gets older.

An guy who is a mechanic where I work said he thought it was best to clean out the deposits and a good product to do this was Marvel Mystery Oil (at Walmart for about $2 per pint). He said to use 4 oz in the gas tank when filling once per month for a few months. Besides possibly preventing the valve from fouling as often, this should also allow the car to run longer without needing premium fuel, according to him.

Every 20001 Honda I have had (and all I have had is Hondas for well over 20 years) has required midgrade fuel at about 120Kmi then premium at around 160Kmi to prevent it from pinging, no matter how many times I had it tuned, the plugs replaced, and the valves adjusted. The guy said the Marvel Mystery Oil will fix this, too - use it once per month until the premium fuel is no longer needed, which will take 3 to 4 months. I have no idea if this will work (it's a Mystery to me! ) but I will give it a try since otherwise this is still an excellent car.

Here is more input from others:

When I bought the 2001 Accord the salesmen told me that the Check Engine Light would come on at about 7K miles and not to be alarmed. This would be freindly a reminder to bring it in for the 1st service he said. Well just as the guy said at aproximatly 7K the check engine light came on. I called the service department and he insisted on me bringing it in so that they would perform the normal oil/filter changes then reset the light. After a bit I convinced the guy to tell me how to reset the light.

THIS IS HOW YOU RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE 2001 HONDA ACCORD. 1. With the Car Off, Press and hold down the Odometer Trip Reset Button. 2. While still pressing the Trip Reset Button, Turn the Ignition Key half way on where all your oil, check engine lights etc.. turn on. Don't turn it as far as you would to normally start the car. Wait a few seconds and the Check engine light will turn off. 3. Turn the key back to the Off position and you're done. What a scam Honda has with the BS Check Engine Light.
In the repair book it says to remove the number 13 (clock back up) fuse on the passenger side while the ignition is off for 10 seconds. That should work according to the repair. If the light comes back on then u might have a problem.
Two different things being addressed on this whole topic.

1. To reset the "Maint Rqrd" light, you push and hold the reset knob and then engage the accessories via the the ignition switch.

2. To reset the "Check Engine" light, you need to either pull the fuse already mentioned in previous answers or disconnect the negative battery cable for a while. (Then make sure you know the Radio Code to reset your radio unit so it works).
The previous steps for resetting the service light and the check engine light also work on the 2001 Honda Accord. Excellent insights! Thank you! Just a note for the novice repairmen: the fuse panel is inside the passenger door on the side of the dash assembly (not under the hood).

First you need to determine if it is a "check engine light" or a "maintainance required light" A check engine light is usually an amber light with the picture of an engine with a line through it. If this light is on you should take it to a QUALIFIED REPAIR TECHNICIAN who is capable of working on a Honda. They have all the tools needed to diagnose your repair.If it is a maint. required light new Honda"s are reset by holding the trip reset button down and turn the ignition switch to "on" while holding the button. wait until the light goes out (about 15 seconds) before releasing the button. This light will come on every 7500 miles.

AS YOU KNOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. A DIAGNOSTIC WOULD NEED TO BE RUN TO SEE WHAT CODES ARE COMING UP. ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE DONE THIS AND MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AT A SHOP, THEN THE SHOP SHOULD HAVE RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IF YOU DID THE REPAIRS YOURSELF YOU CAN DISCONNECT THE BATTERY(BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS) LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 15-30 MINUTES. IF YOU RECONNECT THE BATTERY AND START THE ENGINE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, THEN ALL OF THE NECESSARY REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE.

All you have to do is disconnect the Negative battery terminal. It is not necessary to disconnect both. Once you've disconnected the terminal, let the car sit with no power for a few minutes, then reconnect the battery terminal. Your light should not come on, unless your engine sensors throw another code through your car's computer.

You DO NOT need to disconnect the battery terminals. All you have to do is turn the key to the "on" position (not running, but so that the radio etc. come on) and hold the trip reset button for about 15-20 seconds. KEEP IN MIND - that the light could be an indication of needed service as opposed to just coming on based on mileage.

To be clear, you must hold in the trip odometer reset button and THEN turn the key to the "on" position. If you prefer the battery disconnect method, be sure you have your radio code handy to re-initiate.
A couple things real quick. The MAINTENANCE LIGHT can be reset by holding down the odometer while turning the key. You can reset the CHECK ENGINE LAMP (technically the "MIL"...stands for "MALFUNCTION Indicator Lamp") by removing the power supply to the "ECU"...stands for "Engine Control Unit" or "Electronic Control Unit" depending on the manufacturer. This will clear all OBDII (On-Board Diagnostic II) codes without question (I'm assuming we are working on a 1996 or newer vehicle when I reference the OBDII, but even if not the codes will still be cleared.) This can be definitely be accomplished by removing the negative cable for a couple minutes and probably by removing the radio fuse like the manual says (in Hondas the two general share that constant power source for memory functions such as fault codes, radio stations, and whatnot.) If you are doing this to get through an emissions inspection where they hook up to the computer via the OBDII connector you'll have to wait anywhere from 5 to 50 miles, rarely longer, for the computer on a 2001 honda to run a series of diagnostic self checks on the different systems. Until that happens the inspection will not even initiate because, guess what, the EPA that mandates the OBDII system is not a bunch of idiots. They require manufacturers to meet specific requirements when programming these rascals and the self-checks (known technically as "Readiness Monitors") are one of them. For this type of inspection two (2) of these "Readiness Monitors" can be left unchecked when inspected on vehicles up to 1999, from 2000 on only one (1) "Readiness Monitor" is allowed to be unchecked for the inspection to initialize. Also, you should know that when a diagnostic query is made on that computer a block of time before and after the error is stored. This block contains all of the vehicles streaming telemetric data at the time of the fault(s). When you erase the code you erase that data too. This information is extremely helpful to anyone trying to diagnose your problem. They'll be able to tell if the engine was hot or cold, what your speed was, what RPM range, how much air and how much fuel the engine was using, the position of the throttle, how hot the air coming into the engine was, and a lot of other stuff that they'll definitely be billing you for should they have to take the time to recreate the problem to regather a large enough data set to make a proper diagnosis. Should you clear the codes, they'll be able to see that too, by looking at how many key starts/warm up cycles and how many "Readiness Monitor" checks have occurred since the car had the battery disconnected/codes cleared. The mechanic in me gets thoroughly irritated when Jiffy Lube or some parts store clears the code after checking it and not knowing how to fix it or even what it is besides what the scan tool in their hand or their computer tells them the description is...and not the slightest clue how to properly go behind the computer and manually check the systems (after all car computers can go bad too and report false positives). It'd be ashame to replace even just a hundred dollars worth of sensor(s) only to find out you actually needed a $200-$1200 computer [don't know the year]). When the customer comes to me with only a code in their hand and says I need this fixed, I just shake my head...okay, all you have is the code guess the entire system will have to be checked instead of keying in on specifics within the fault data set. This can be most frustrating to a mechanic, but the businessman in me just wants to laugh...SURE, Heck yeah, must be a tough one, if Joe Bob Partscounterman with his high dollar scan tool can't figure it out then we'll probably have to spend awhile on it (I really don't gouge in this scenario, but there are plenty who do...by the way Joe Bob's scan tool is what we call a generic scanner and probably cost the store about $300-$600...pretty expensive right, NOPE a shop that services your type car should have something a bit more specific to your car, such as our $2200+ Teradyne Tester w/ Honda software [1])...an hour & half or three later in real time, if you come out on the lucky side of this I tell you, you need a set of plugs and somebody misrouted a vacuum hose and you just wasted good money and hours of our time (mainly trying to get it to act up/set a code/etc.), and yes, believe it or not most mechanics do feel like it's a waste of time regardless of whether or not you're paying. On the flip side of this I come back to you and say yeah your torque converter is starting to come apart and clogged up some of the fluid passageways in your transmission which led to some of the other internal components burning up and we'll need to take it out, tear it down, and make a list...but it shouldn't be too bad though considering there doesn't seem to be any obvious symptoms, all the gears stills function so the hardparts should be good. At this point, the customer asks how much and I tell him around a $1000.00 since we caught it early. EARLY! they exclaim...$1000.00! they cry, but it doesn't feel like anything's wrong, and I tell them, "That's because ingenius Honda engineers programmed an alternate shift pattern for events such as this to save the hard parts. That way it can make it to the shop when the "MIL" comes on without doing huge amounts of damage running the bill up even higher for a full overhaul. Generally we'd just have to replace the torque converter for $400-$600, but this one must have come apart too fast and now we're dealing with internals," I say. IT'S AT THIS EXACT MOMENT THAT EVERY SHOP OWNER/MECHANIC/SERVICE WRITER/ETC. CAN SEE IT IN THEIR FACE, THEY WANT TO KICK THEMSELVES SO HARD IN THE . "WHY DID I PUT IT OFF! WHAT DOES A PARTS GUY AT SUCH & SUCH AUTO PARTS KNOW ABOUT THE INSIDE OF A TRANSMISSION, IF HE'S SO SMART HE'D BE DOING THIS NOT THAT" AND IT'S AT THIS EXACT MOMENT THAT EVERY ONE OF US CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL WHAT THE GERMANS CALL
"SCHADENFREUDE" (look it up). It's the truth, a human being in that scenario might outwardly show some empathy or at least professionlism, but inside the mischievous little voice in our heads is laughing it's rear-end off. Unless you personally unplugged something and right after that the light came on, don't disconnect the battery to reset the light, especially if this is for a state inspection and it's due this month. By the way I used the transmission example because I just dealt with this for fella on his Toyota 4Runner. He was so man he was going to take me to court because he thought I was trying to rip him off. I ended up making a deal with him. He'd take it to a dealer (I'm an independent), have them check it, and if I was wrong I'd give him a refund and reimburse him for the tow to the dealer. After the dealer looked at it and told him they didn't rebuild transmissions he was informed he'd need to buy another for well over $2,000. Needless to say we did that for him, and now his little around town beater (again his description) is in having an entire list (mostly his list LOL) done to it. It's actually pretty funny, in my experience it's situations like these that make the best customers.

All you do is take a key and push the little black indent part, and light goes back to green.
Fuse 13 worked like a charm. When I plugged it back in the headlights came on. I use auto-off and had to cycle them manually once. Check Engine is off. We'll give it 50-100 miles and see. THANKS

The best and only true way to reset a "check engine light" is not to go to Autozone or any where that has a scan tool or OBD II and have it turned off just fix the problem then a auto technican will turn it off or it will just come back on in a matter of time,

DON'T disconnect the battery or your just going to reset your 2001 honda memory and reset all emission monitors and have to go through a drive cycle and by time it resets its going to trigger the "engine light" agian. So that is the basics on a 2001 honda check engine light and turning off the check engine light.

My check engine light is on, 2000 Honda Accord, how do I reset the check engine light

2000 Accord Check Engine Light
The proper way, of course, is to repair the problem that caused it to come on. Another way I read on a website was to bring your car to an Autozone who will diagnose the problem and reset the light for you (and hope you buy the part to fix the problem). The quick and dirty way is to remove one of the battery cables for about 10 seconds (when the engine is off of course) then reconnect it.
-It is actually illegal for Autozone employees to just erase the engine code because they did it before and got sued by several people because they erased the engine code and then something went wrong with the car and the people got hurt in accidents. so they arent actually supposed to. I just had the EGR valve replaced on our 2000 Accord for the second time in two years. At least the price of the part has come down a huge amount in this time - from $300 to $70 - I suppose since it is a mass produced item since so many 2000 Accords have this problem. The last time the car had under 80Kmi so was under warranty but this time I paid an independent mechanic $170 which included the part. He said it is a poor design since even a speck of carbon in the EGR valve can cause it to stay open and the check engine light to come on. And he expects it will happen more often as the car gets older.
An guy who is a mechanic where I work said he thought it was best to clean out the deposits and a good product to do this was Marvel Mystery Oil (at Walmart for about $2 per pint). He said to use 4 oz in the gas tank when filling once per month for a few months. Besides possibly preventing the valve from fouling as often, this should also allow the car to run longer without needing premium fuel, according to him.
Every Honda I have had (and all I have had is Hondas for well over 20 years) has required midgrade fuel at about 120Kmi then premium at around 160Kmi to prevent it from pinging, no matter how many times I had it tuned, the plugs replaced, and the valves adjusted. The guy said the Marvel Mystery Oil will fix this, too - use it once per month until the premium fuel is no longer needed, which will take 3 to 4 months. I have no idea if this will work (it's a Mystery to me! ) but I will give it a try since otherwise this is still an excellent car.
Here is more input from others:
When I bought the 2000 Accord the salesmen told me that the Check Engine Light would come on at about 7K miles and not to be alarmed. This would be freindly a reminder to bring it in for the 1st service he said. Well just as the guy said at aproximatly 7K the check engine light came on. I called the service department and he insisted on me bringing it in so that they would perform the normal oil/filter changes then reset the light. After a bit I convinced the guy to tell me how to reset the light.
THIS IS HOW YOU RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE 99 HONDA ACCORD. 1. With the Car Off, Press and hold down the Odometer Trip Reset Button. 2. While still pressing the Trip Reset Button, Turn the Ignition Key half way on where all your oil, check engine lights etc.. turn on. Don't turn it as far as you would to normally start the car. Wait a few seconds and the Check engine light will turn off. 3. Turn the key back to the Off position and you're done. What a scam Honda has with the BS Check Engine Light.
In the repair book it says to remove the number 13 (clock back up) fuse on the passenger side while the ignition is off for 10 seconds. That should work according to the repair. If the light comes back on then u might have a problem.
Two different things being addressed on this whole topic. 1. To reset the "Maint Rqrd" light, you push and hold the reset knob and then engage the accessories via the the ignition switch. 2. To reset the "Check Engine" light, you need to either pull the fuse already mentioned in previous answers or disconnect the negative battery cable for a while. (Then make sure you know the Radio Code to reset your radio unit so it works).
The previous steps for resetting the service light and the check engine light also work on the 2000 Honda Accord. Excellent insights! Thank you! Just a note for the novice repairmen: the fuse panel is inside the passenger door on the side of the dash assembly (not under the hood).
First you need to determine if it is a "check engine light" or a "maintainance required light" A check engine light is usually an amber light with the picture of an engine with a line through it. If this light is on you should take it to a QUALIFIED REPAIR TECHNICIAN who is capable of working on a Honda. They have all the tools needed to diagnose your repair.If it is a maint. required light new Honda"s are reset by holding the trip reset button down and turn the ignition switch to "on" while holding the button. wait until the light goes out (about 15 seconds) before releasing the button. This light will come on every 7500 miles.
AS YOU KNOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WOULD NEED TO BE RUN TO SEE WHAT CODES ARE COMING UP. ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE DONE THIS AND MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AT A SHOP, THEN THE SHOP SHOULD HAVE RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IF YOU DID THE REPAIRS YOURSELF YOU CAN DISCONNECT THE BATTERY(BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS) LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 15-30 MINUTES. IF YOU RECONNECT THE BATTERY AND START THE ENGINE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, THEN ALL OF THE NECESSARY REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE.
All you have to do is disconnect the Negative battery terminal. It is not necessary to disconnect both. Once you've disconnected the terminal, let the car sit with no power for a few minutes, then reconnect the battery terminal. Your light should not come on, unless your engine sensors throw another code through your car's computer.
You DO NOT need to disconnect the battery terminals. All you have to do is turn the key to the "on" position (not running, but so that the radio etc. come on) and hold the trip reset button for about 15-20 seconds. KEEP IN MIND - that the light could be an indication of needed service as opposed to just coming on based on mileage.
To be clear, you must hold in the trip odometer reset button and THEN turn the key to the "on" position. If you prefer the battery disconnect method, be sure you have your radio code handy to re-initiate.
A couple things real quick. The MAINTENANCE LIGHT can be reset by holding down the odometer while turning the key. You can reset the CHECK ENGINE LAMP (technically the "MIL"...stands for "MALFUNCTION Indicator Lamp") by removing the power supply to the "ECU"...stands for "Engine Control Unit" or "Electronic Control Unit" depending on the manufacturer. This will clear all OBDII (On-Board Diagnostic II) codes without question (I'm assuming we are working on a 1996 or newer vehicle when I reference the OBDII, but even if not the codes will still be cleared.) This can be definitely be accomplished by removing the negative cable for a couple minutes and probably by removing the radio fuse like the manual says (in Hondas the two general share that constant power source for memory functions such as fault codes, radio stations, and whatnot.) If you are doing this to get through an emissions inspection where they hook up to the computer via the OBDII connector you'll have to wait anywhere from 5 to 50 miles, rarely longer, for the computer to run a series of diagnostic self checks on the different systems. Until that happens the inspection will not even initiate because, guess what, the EPA that mandates the OBDII system is not a bunch of idiots. They require manufacturers to meet specific requirements when programming these rascals and the self-checks (known technically as "Readiness Monitors") are one of them. For this type of inspection two (2) of these "Readiness Monitors" can be left unchecked when inspected on vehicles up to 1999, from 2000 on only one (1) "Readiness Monitor" is allowed to be unchecked for the inspection to initialize. Also, you should know that when a diagnostic query is made on that computer a block of time before and after the error is stored. This block contains all of the vehicles streaming telemetric data at the time of the fault(s). When you erase the code you erase that data too. This information is extremely helpful to anyone trying to diagnose your problem. They'll be able to tell if the engine was hot or cold, what your speed was, what RPM range, how much air and how much fuel the engine was using, the position of the throttle, how hot the air coming into the engine was, and a lot of other stuff that they'll definitely be billing you for should they have to take the time to recreate the problem to regather a large enough data set to make a proper diagnosis. Should you clear the codes, they'll be able to see that too, by looking at how many key starts/warm up cycles and how many "Readiness Monitor" checks have occurred since the car had the battery disconnected/codes cleared. The mechanic in me gets thoroughly irritated when Jiffy Lube or some parts store clears the code after checking it and not knowing how to fix it or even what it is besides what the scan tool in their hand or their computer tells them the description is...and not the slightest clue how to properly go behind the computer and manually check the systems (after all car computers can go bad too and report false positives). It'd be ashame to replace even just a hundred dollars worth of sensor(s) only to find out you actually needed a $200-$1200 computer [don't know the year]). When the customer comes to me with only a code in their hand and says I need this fixed, I just shake my head...okay, all you have is the code guess the entire system will have to be checked instead of keying in on specifics within the fault data set. This can be most frustrating to a mechanic, but the businessman in me just wants to laugh...SURE, Heck yeah, must be a tough one, if Joe Bob Partscounterman with his high dollar scan tool can't figure it out then we'll probably have to spend awhile on it (I really don't gouge in this scenario, but there are plenty who do...by the way Joe Bob's scan tool is what we call a generic scanner and probably cost the store about $300-$600...pretty expensive right, NOPE a shop that services your type car should have something a bit more specific to your car, such as our $2200+ Teradyne Tester w/ Honda software [1])...an hour & half or three later in real time, if you come out on the lucky side of this I tell you, you need a set of plugs and somebody misrouted a vacuum hose and you just wasted good money and hours of our time (mainly trying to get it to act up/set a code/etc.), and yes, believe it or not most mechanics do feel like it's a waste of time regardless of whether or not you're paying. On the flip side of this I come back to you and say yeah your torque converter is starting to come apart and clogged up some of the fluid passageways in your transmission which led to some of the other internal components burning up and we'll need to take it out, tear it down, and make a list...but it shouldn't be too bad though considering there doesn't seem to be any obvious symptoms, all the gears stills function so the hardparts should be good. At this point, the customer asks how much and I tell him around a $1000.00 since we caught it early. EARLY! they exclaim...$1000.00! they cry, but it doesn't feel like anything's wrong, and I tell them, "That's because ingenius Honda engineers programmed an alternate shift pattern for events such as this to save the hard parts. That way it can make it to the shop when the "MIL" comes on without doing huge amounts of damage running the bill up even higher for a full overhaul. Generally we'd just have to replace the torque converter for $400-$600, but this one must have come apart too fast and now we're dealing with internals," I say. IT'S AT THIS EXACT MOMENT THAT EVERY SHOP OWNER/MECHANIC/SERVICE WRITER/ETC. CAN SEE IT IN THEIR FACE, THEY WANT TO KICK THEMSELVES SO HARD IN THE . "WHY DID I PUT IT OFF! WHAT DOES A PARTS GUY AT SUCH & SUCH AUTO PARTS KNOW ABOUT THE INSIDE OF A TRANSMISSION, IF HE'S SO SMART HE'D BE DOING THIS NOT THAT" AND IT'S AT THIS EXACT MOMENT THAT EVERY ONE OF US CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL WHAT THE GERMANS CALL "SCHADENFREUDE" (look it up). It's the truth, a human being in that scenario might outwardly show some empathy or at least professionlism, but inside the mischievous little voice in our heads is laughing it's rear-end off. Unless you personally unplugged something and right after that the light came on, don't disconnect the battery to reset the light, especially if this is for a state inspection and it's due this month. By the way I used the transmission example because I just dealt with this for fella on his Toyota 4Runner. He was so man he was going to take me to court because he thought I was trying to rip him off. I ended up making a deal with him. He'd take it to a dealer (I'm an independent), have them check it, and if I was wrong I'd give him a refund and reimburse him for the tow to the dealer. After the dealer looked at it and told him they didn't rebuild transmissions he was informed he'd need to buy another for well over $2,000. Needless to say we did that for him, and now his little around town beater (again his description) is in having an entire list (mostly his list LOL) done to it. It's actually pretty funny, in my experience it's situations like these that make the best customers.
All you do is take a key and push the little black indent part, and light goes back to green.
Fuse 13 worked like a charm. When I plugged it back in the headlights came on. I use auto-off and had to cycle them manually once. Check Engine is off. We'll give it 50-100 miles and see. THANKS
The best and only true way to reset a "check engine light" is not to go to Autozone or any where that has a scan tool or OBD II and have it turned off just fix the problem then a auto technican will turn it off or it will just come back on in a matter of time,
DON'T disconnect the battery your just going to reset your vehicles memory and reset all emission monitors and have to go through a drive cycle and by time it resets its going to trigger the "engine light" agian. Especially on a 2000 Honda accord Check engine light is on, reset or turn off check engine light

How do i know if the shock, shocks are bad on my Lexus

When it comes to Lexus shocks and suspension, many people are confused as to what the shocks on their vehicle do. The job of the shock is to slow down and damp the movement of the body on the wheel. The real function of shock absorbers are to:

1) Prevent bottoming, that is slowing down the compression of the spring and create lifting force on the wheel.

2}Prevent the tires from bouncing up and down on bumps and absorb some of the energy.

3)Keep the vehicle from bouncing up and down on the springs before settling down.
I’ve put together a few simple tests you can do even if you have no mechanical knowledge about your Lexus at all.

The same principle applies for strut suspension.

1}Push your weight down on the front or rear of your Lexus and release .The vehicle should bounce up and settle down. If it continues to bounce the shocks are worn out.

2)Drive over a small bump at a speed of 20 mph and the wheel should lift to it and settle down without a thud.(the thud is the rubber snubber)

3)At 60 mph the vehicle should rise and fall quickly over a dip, then stabilize itself after 2 rebounds..If it does not the vehicle will feel like it is floating and this makes the steering very unstable.

4)On rough roads does your vehicle shake and vibrate after you go a short distance? Well if it does, it is because the oil in the shock is overheating and starting to foam. That problem can be corrected with a nitrogen gas shock.

5)The last is to look at the shock or strut and see if it is leaking oil, if so it has no compression or rebound.
If your Lexus failed any of these tests either the shocks are worn out are mismatched for your vehicle. Some of the best shocks and struts on the market are Bilstein’s Monroe, and KYBs . And remember that maintaining the shocks and or struts on your Lexus is very important to the handling and tire wear on your vehicle.

How do i know if the shock, shocks are bad on my Hyundai

When it comes to Hyundai shocks and suspension, many people are confused as to what the shocks on their Hyundai do. The job of the shock is to slow down and damp the movement of the body on the wheel. The real function of shock absorbers are to:

 1) Prevent bottoming, that is slowing down the compression of the spring and create lifting force on the wheel.

2}Prevent the tires from bouncing up and down on bumps and absorb some of the energy.

3)Keep the vehicle from bouncing up and down on the springs before settling down.

I’ve put together a few simple tests you can do even if you have no mechanical knowledge about your Hyundai at all. The same principle applies for strut suspension.
1}Push your weight down on the front or rear of your Hyundai and release .The vehicle should bounce up and settle down. If it continues to bounce the shocks are worn out.

2)Drive over a small bump at a speed of 20 mph and the wheel should lift to it and settle down without a thud.(the thud is the rubber snubber)

3)At 60 mph the vehicle should rise and fall quickly over a dip, then stabilize itself after 2 rebounds..If it does not the vehicle will feel like it is floating and this makes the steering very unstable.

4)On rough roads does your vehicle shake and vibrate after you go a short distance? Well if it does, it is because the oil in the shock is overheating and starting to foam. That problem can be corrected with a nitrogen gas shock.

5)The last is to look at the shock or strut and see if it is leaking oil, if so it has no compression or rebound.
If your Hyundai failed any of these tests either the shocks are worn out are mismatched for your vehicle. Some of the best shocks and struts on the market are Bilstein’s Monroe, and KYBs . And remember that maintaining the shocks and or struts on your Hyundai is very important to the handling and tire wear on any Hyundai.

How do i know if the shock, shocks are bad on my Toyota

When it comes to Toyota shocks and suspension, many people are confused as to what the shocks on their vehicle do. The job of the shock is to slow down and damp the movement of the body on the wheel. The real function of shock absorbers are to:

1) Prevent bottoming, that is slowing down the compression of the spring and create lifting force on the wheel.

2}Prevent the tires from bouncing up and down on bumps and absorb some of the energy.

3)Keep the vehicle from bouncing up and down on the springs before settling down.

I’ve put together a few simple tests you can do even if you have no mechanical knowledge about your Toyota at all. The same principle applies for strut suspension.

1}Push your weight down on the front or rear of your Toyota and release .The vehicle should bounce up and settle down. If it continues to bounce the shocks are worn out.

2)Drive over a small bump at a speed of 20 mph and the wheel should lift to it and settle down without a thud.(the thud is the rubber snubber)

3)At 60 mph the vehicle should rise and fall quickly over a dip, then stabilize itself after 2 rebounds..If it does not the vehicle will feel like it is floating and this makes the steering very unstable.

4)On rough roads does your Toyota shake and vibrate after you go a short distance? Well if it does, it is because the oil in the shock is overheating and starting to foam. That problem can be corrected with a nitrogen gas shock.

5)The last is to look at the shock or strut and see if it is leaking oil, if so it has no compression or rebound.
If your Toyota failed any of these tests either the shocks are worn out are mismatched for your Toyota. Some of the best shocks and struts on the market are Bilstein’s, Monroe, and KYBs . And remember that maintaining the shocks and or struts on your Toyota is very important to the handling and tire wear on any Toyota.

How do I know if the shocks on my nissan are bad

When it comes to Nissan shocks and suspension, many people are confused as to what the shocks on their vehicle do. The job of the shock is to slow down and damp the movement of the body on the wheel. The real function of shock absorbers are to: 1) Prevent bottoming, that is slowing down the compression of the spring and create lifting force on the wheel.
2}Prevent the tires from bouncing up and down on bumps and absorb some of the energy.
3)Keep the vehicle from bouncing up and down on the springs before settling down.
I’ve put together a few simple tests you can do even if you have no mechanical knowledge about your Nissan at all. The same principle applies for strut suspension.
1}Push your weight down on the front or rear of your Nissan and release .The vehicle should bounce up and settle down. If it continues to bounce the shocks are worn out.
2)Drive over a small bump at a speed of 20 mph and the wheel should lift to it and settle down without a thud.(the thud is the rubber snubber)
3)At 60 mph the vehicle should rise and fall quickly over a dip, then stabilize itself after 2 rebounds..If it does not the vehicle will feel like it is floating and this makes the steering very unstable.
4)On rough roads does your vehicle shake and vibrate after you go a short distance? Well if it does, it is because the oil in the shock is overheating and starting to foam. That problem can be corrected with a nitrogen gas shock.
5)The last is to look at the shock or strut and see if it is leaking oil,if so it has no compression or rebound.
If your Nissan failed any of these tests either the shocks are worn out are mismatched for your vehicle. Some of the best shocks and struts on the market are Bilstein’s Monroe, and KYBs . And remember that maintaining the shocks and or struts on your Nissan is very important to the handling and tire wear on any Nissan. If you have any questions, please post them here or contact me at thewrightimport@gmail.com

How do I check my Brake fluid

The brake fluid reservoir is usually located on the top of the engine in front of the steering column (on the engine side of the firewall). Many reservoirs have the fluid level indicator on the side. Check the fluid level. Read your owner’s manual to determine the proper fluid to add. Add fluid if needed. If level seems exceptionally low to you, you may have a brake issue occurring. We recommend you take the vehicle to a repair center for inspection.

**INSTALLATION OF THE WRONG FLUID COULD RESULT IN SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. SUCH AS, ALL OF THE RUBBER IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM SWELLING UP AND CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SUDDENLY LOCK UP IN MOTION***

BRAKE INSPECTION:

When getting your brakes inspected at a repair center tell them to tell you how much material is left by 32nd not by percents. Pads and shoes are not standard, thus making it virtually impossible to know what percent they really are.

EXAMPLE:

A pad that starts at 12/32 and is now 6/32 has “50” percent left, but what if that pad started at 14/32 (this pad only has 42 percent left), or if it starts at 10/32 (this pad has 60 percent left).

It is virtually impossible to know what the pads started at, so it is virtually impossible to know what the percent was / is.

When your pads are down between 2/32 and 3/32 you should replace them.

Brake shoes tend to start at 3/32.

Remember you have pads on the front and rear side of each rotor. A proper brake inspection will tell you the 32nd for all the pads.

BRAKE FLUID FLUSH:

We use FASCAR test strips to tell you the condition of you brake fluid. We will show you the test strip and the fascar scale to help you understand the test.

Contaminated / broken down fluid does not offer proper lubrication / cushioning for brake parts and may lead to early failure of braking components.

Can I use a Brake Strip to test my own brake fluid?
To be able to test your own brake fluid you must be able to find the master cylinder. In today's cars sometimes this is more difficult then you would think. The master cylinder cap should be identifies with the writing 'DOT 3 Brake fluid only' or DOT 4 Brake fluid only'. Contact your local Autozone store. You can also request a test from your local service facility. Remember this is new, so he may not be up-to-speed yet on this new technology.
What do I do if my shop tries to sell me a brake flush based on color, moisture or time/mileage?

Realize that most automotive service facilities are honest and trying to do the right thing for you and your vehicle. In most cases, unnecessary brake fluid replacement recommendations are based on color, time/mileage, moisture or boiling point and are not intentionally to deceive you. It is more likely they are not aware of the new MAP standard or FASCAR technology.**Testing for copper NOT water**


Color - If your shop recommends brake fluid replacement based on color, it is likely that he is just following 'tradition'. It has been determined by brake fluid manufacturers and experts that you cannot tell brake fluid condition by color. There is no science or standard to justify brake fluid replacement based on color or it 'looks dirty'. One common tactic is to show a sample of new fluid compared to a sample of your fluid. Again there is no basis or foundation that the 'color' means the fluid should be replaced. Please be patient, the shop is not likely trying to intentionally deceive you, and they may not be informed on this new technology. The only justifiable reason to suggest replacement based on color is if the standard brake fluid has been replaced with the wrong fluid and the fluid is red or purple in color.

Moisture - A recommendation based on moisture also falls into the same category as color. It has been a tradition. If the shop uses a boiling point tester and tells you that your brake fluid has a low boiling point, realize there is no standard for 'used' brake fluid boiling point.
Time/Mileage - If your vehicle has O.E. (BMW, Mercedes...) brake fluid recommended maintenance based on time/mileage, your technician is following the MAP guideline. Many shops still use Brake Strip because it will help clarify service within maintenance parameters.
I failed a Brake Strip test soon after I had my brake fluid replaced?

Occasionally we hear this statement, 'they told me something must be wrong with the strip because they just changed my brake fluid'. FASCAR Brake Strips never gives a false reading. It tests for copper so there is no way to 'fake' the test.
The answer is very simple. There is still copper in the brake fluid. The problem is the type of brake flush that was performed. If they use vacuum, gravity or pedal flushing, they probably won't be able to properly flush the contamination out of the brake system.

WARNING:

FLUID FLUSHES ARE DESIGNED FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PURPOSES. THEY ARE MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN PERFORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS. WHEN SERVICE IS PERFORMED ON A NEGLECTED SYSTEM IT MAY LEAD TO LEAKAGE OR OTHER PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS. THIS IS A RESULT OF DAMAGE THAT IS ALREADY THERE. IT BECOMES NOTABLE AFTER A FLUID FLUSH BECAUSE A FLUSH REMOVES THE “GOO” / SEALER FROM THE SYSTEM. IF YOU HAVE A HOLE IN YOU SYSTEM THAT IS SEALED WITH GOO IT WILL OPEN AND YOU WILL SEE A LEAK AND / OR HAVE PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS.

THIS IS THE FAULT OF NEGLECT; NOT THE FAULT OF THE CENTER FLUSHING YOUR SYSTEM.

Change your own drive, serpentine belt

Do you remember the screams of protest when serpentine belts were dumped on us by the automobile industry? One broken belt and everything's dead? They are an absolute nightmare to replace? They cost a fortune? Now we wonder why they weren't invented sooner. The old "fan" belts were a pain
to replace and tension. Slippage from being too loose was annoyingly common and any one of them would leave you just as stranded when broken.

First of all, do you have a serpentine belt and does it need replacing? A serpentine belt is much wider than the conventional "v" belts and it will have a number of ribs on the inside edge. It will have the distinction of being the only belt under the hood. Don't be alarmed if it has a few cracks on the inside edge. Once these cracks occur in 1/8 inch intervals, it's time for a "pre-emptive transplant".

If your vehicle uses a serpentine belt with five ribs, don't settle for a four rib replacement (even though it will fit and work). Some cheaper brands will consolidate several lengths to reduce inventory and part numbers. It may be wise to pay for a name brand or dealer replacement for the simple reason of getting a better fit.

The single most important step to replace a serpentine belt is to ensure you know the path of the belt BEFORE you remove it. It looks easy to remember but trust me, when the belt is off, it's easy for uncertainty to creep in. The vehicle will have a diagram under the hood. Make sure it's not missing. Make a sketch of the path either in a notebook or in chalk on the shop floor. Better yet, take a couple photos with your digital camera.
Gone are the days of searching for which of those grease encased bolts loosens the belt, prying until your eyes bulge to apply tension and simultaneously re-tighten the bolts. And then do it all over again after determining the belt is now either too loose or tight. These fond memories
can now be left to restoration and vintage car projects. All serpentine belt equipped vehicles will have a tensioner wheel. Whether it's a bolt, hex, or torx fastener, applying quite a bit of force (often 80 pounds or more) in a counter clockwise direction is standard. Just slip the belt off the handiest pulley and release the tensioner.

Before installing the new belt you should check the condition and alignment of the pulleys. They may be out of alignment diagonally (crooked) or parallel to each other. Either situation may have caused premature wear of your belt and will have to be remedied. In some cases, washers can be used as shims, but replacement of the component is often required. Carefully check each pulley for nicks or sharp edges. The tensioner wheel itself is a common source of failure. Make sure that it works and that it spins freely and quietly. There will be at least one idler wheel, which should also spin without noise or sideways movement. The idler wheel is normally smooth and will allow the belt to slip off if it's in poor condition. The bearings on these devices endure a punishing life and will wear out. So do the bearings on the alternator, air conditioning compressor and water pump. Grease and oil are a death sentence to any belt. If it exists anywhere on the serpentine belt path is must be cleaned. Just as importantly, the source must be isolated and fixed.

To install the new belt, start at the lowest pulley and work upwards toward the tensioner wheel. Be extremely careful to avoid dragging the new belt through grease and dirt. Make certain the ribs on the belt align perfectly to the grooves on each pulley. A mistake here will doom your new belt to a premature death. Finally, pull back on the tensioner and slip the belt on. Strictly avoid releasing the tensioner with fingers between the belt and a pulley. Most tension wheels will have indicator marks. Make sure the new belt is within the min and max. ranges. One last thing to check: the new belt will fit tighter and will follow a slightly different path than the old one. Ensure the belt has a clear route to follow. Once in awhile a loose bolt or bent piece of tin will interfere.

Before throwing the old belt out, strongly consider keeping it in your emergency toolbox (assuming you've replaced the belt before it exploded into shreds). A spare belt might really save your day in the future. Or, you can sell it for a small fortune to a less prepared motorist in the middle of nowhere. Just kidding of course.

How do I change my vehicle's battery

Most people can change their own car battery. The most difficult part of changing your batter will be lifting it out of the vehicle once you have disconnected the battery terminals, primarily because it weighs so much. By following these simple steps, you will be able to change your own battery no matter where you are.

In order to change your battery you will need battery cleaning solution, anti-corrosion solution, a socket and ratchet, a combination wrench, a wire brush, a new battery, and a screwdriver.

1) Turn off your engine, lift the hood, and locate the battery. Take off the negative (black) battery cable first by loosening the connecting nut with a wrench. Twist and pull the battery cable off of the battery with upwards motion or pry it up with a tool or screwdriver if it is stuck.

2) Repeat this same method with the positive (red) cable.

3) Use a socket and ratchet or a combination wrench to remove the hold-down clamp on the battery, if one exists.

4) Remove the battery from the battery tray. Remember, batteries are very heavy, so hold onto the bottom with both hands. Set it down on the ground to ensure your safety and the safety of your vehicle.

5) Use a wire brush and water to clean away any corrosion from the hold-down clamp and the battery tray. Clean the battery cable connectors with the wire brush as well, but without the water or other liquid. If the connectors have heavy corrosion, you may use a special battery-cleaning solution that is available at most auto-parts stores.

6) Place a new battery in the battery tray and secure it with the hold-down clamp. Re-attach and tighten down the positive (red) battery cable first, then the negative. You may choose to spray the terminal ends with an optional anti-corrosion solution, which will prevent most corrosion collections. Check that the connection is tight, because if the cables move at all, the vehicle may not start.

Most car batteries have at least a 60-month warranty. If it fails within that time period, you can get it replaced for free.

Clean air filter is key to engine performance

Checking you air filter on a regular basis is key to engine performance. all vehicles have one and it is easy to check and or replace.
A clogged air filter affects your car's performance on a number of levels. It robs your car of power, something you need every ounce of when you're navigating a freeway on-ramp. Perhaps more important is the effect a clogged air filter has on your gas mileage. It takes 10 minutes and usually costs less than $20. These easy steps will get you there and back in no time flat.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 10 minutes
Here's How:

1. Locate and Open the Filter Housing
With your hood open and safely propped, locate the air filter housing. On any car made in the last 20 years or so, it'll be in a black plastic case with metal clips on the sides. You'll also see a black tube going into the plastic case on most cars. Flip the little metal clips downward. If they are tight, slide a flat-head screwdriver in between the clip and the case from the top, and pop it off. Some housings will also have a nut holding them from the top.
2. Squirrel Your Nuts
If you removed nuts from the top of your filter housing, be sure to put them in a safe secure location. You don't want to lose these! In the vehicle used in our example, the top of the filter housing comes off, so we put them in the housing top where they couldn't roll away. You can even stick them in your pocket. Whatever you do, put them someplace safe.
3. Remove the Old Filter
Your filter (round or rectangular) will be made of lots of folded paper surrounded by rubber. Before you remove the dirty filter, take a moment to note how it sits in the housing so you can be sure to put the new one in correctly. Carefully pull it out, being sure that nothing falls into the bottom of the box. I've seen sticks, trash and some really big bugs caught in the filter. If it looks anything like the filter in the above photo, you know you're doing the right thing.
4. Put the New Filter in Place
Put the new, clean filter in place, being sure to put it in the same configuration as the one you removed (as in which side is up, etc.). Don't worry about making a mistake here, if you have the filter in upside down you won't be able to get the top closed. Also be sure to press the rubber gasket of the filter all the way into its groove in the housing. If you find the cover hard to get back on, re-check this as it's often the culprit.
5. Empowerment!
That's it! You just saved money on gas, and saved a nice bit of cash by installing the air filter yourself.

Automotive preventive maintenance is key to engine and vehicle performance

Reasons to perform routine Preventive Maintenance on your vehicle

Preventive Maintenance is a schedule of planned maintenance actions aimed at the prevention of breakdowns and failures. The primary goal of preventive maintenance is to help prolong the life of the vehicle and reduce vehicle failures therefore providing a worry free driving experience. Automotive technicians say the key to keeping vehicles running well today and down the road, is routine preventive maintenance. Many drivers tend to stall when it comes to keeping up with some everyday automotive basics. Maintenance

A recent survey by the Car Care Council found:

* 38 percent of cars had low or dirty engine oil.
* 54 percent had low tire pressure.
* 28 percent had inadequate cooling protection.
* 19 percent needed new belts.
* 16 percent had dirty air filters.
* 10 percent had low or contaminated brake fluid.
Some of the most important preventive maintenance steps you can do yourself and save you some time and money. Here is a quick list of some of the most common preventive maintenance steps that you should be able to handle yourself.
Airfilter: Check it every month. Replace it when it becomes dirty or as part of a tune -up. It is easy to reach, right under the big metal 'lid', in a carbureted engine; or in a rectangular box at the forward end of the air in a duct hose assembly.
Battery: Extreme caution should be taken while handling a battery since it can produce explosive gases. It is advisable not to smoke, create a spark or light a match near a battery. Always wear protective glasses and gloves.
Belts: Inspect belts and hoses smoothly. Replace glazed, worn or frayed belts. Replace bulging, rotten or brittle hoses and tighten clamps. If a hose looks bad, or feels too soft or too hard, it should be replaced.
Brake Fluid: Check the brake fluid monthly. First wipe dirt from the brake master cylinder reservoir lid. Pry off the retainer clip and remove the lid or unscrew the plastic lid, depending on which type your vehicle has. If you need fluid, add the improved type and check for possible leaks throughout the system. Do not overfill.
Engine Oil; Check the oil after every fill up. Remove the dipstick, wipe it clean. Insert it fully and remove it again. If it is low, add oil. To maintain peak performance, the oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. Replace the oil filter with every oil change.
Exhaust: Look underneath for loose or broken exhaust clamps and supports. Check for holes in muffler or pipes. Replace the rusted or damaged parts. Have the emission checked at once per year for compliance with local laws.
Hoses: Inspect the hoses and belts monthly. If a hose looks bad, or feels too soft or too hard, it should be replaced.
Lights: Make sure that all your lights are clean and working, including the brake lights, turn signals and emergency flashers. Keep spare bulbs and fuses in your vehicle.
Oil Filter: To maintain peak performance, change oil every 3 months or 3,000 kms whichever comes first. Replace oil filter with every oil change.
Power Steering Fluid: Check the power steering fluid level once per month. Check it by removing the reservoir dipstick. If the level is down, add fluid and inspect the pump and hoses for leaks.
Shock Absorbers: Look for signs of oil seepage on shock absorbers, test shock action by bouncing the car up and down. The car should stop bouncing when you step back. Worn or leaking shocks should be replaced. Always replace shock absorbers in pairs.
Tires: Keep tires inflated to recommended pressure. Check for cuts, bulges and excessive tread wear. Uneven wear indicates tires are misaligned or out of balance.
Transmission Fluid: Check transmission fluid monthly with engine warm and running, and the parking brake on. Shift to drive, then to park. Remove dipstick, wipe dry, insert it and remove it again. Add the approved type fluid, if needed. Never overfill.
Washer Fluid: Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir full. Use some of it to clean off the wiper blades.
Wiper Blades: Inspect the windscreen wiper blades whenever you clean your windshield. Do not wait until the rubber is worn or brittle to replace them. They should be replaced at least once per year, and more often if smearing occurs. Remember, preventive maintenance is easy and you will benefit from it in the long run by saving yourself time and money at the repair shop.
Suspension
Spark plug wires
Exhaust and convertors
K&n oil and air filters
Oxygen or o2 sensor
Brakes
Step by step instructions on how to change your own spark plugs and wires
Keep your engine properly tuned
Isuzu suspension
Volvo suspension
Toyota suspension
Subaru suspension
Ford Suspension
Chevrolet suspension
When Should I replace my shocks and struts