-
Basic Car Brake Maintenance
If you have basic mechanic skills then doing your own brake inspection will not be as hard as it sounds (Unless you want a professional to do it. Find a local repair shop by searching online for something like Brake Repair San Diego) Your car brakes are made up of 5 main components. It consist of the master brake cylinder, calipers, rotors, brake drums (mainly in older vehicles) brake pads and brake lines.
The braking system in your car operates hydraulically which means that is uses brake fluid to transfer the pushing of your foot on the pedal to the brakes on your wheel. So here is the first thing you want to inspect, the master cylinder. The master brake cylinder is attached to the firewall underneath the hood of your car. Here you can inspect brake fluid levels and check if there is any dirt built up around the master cylinder.
Next you will want to inspect the brake calipers, pads and rotors. These 3 components work together to make sure your car stops. You will want to inspect them for signs of damage or wear. In order to properly inspect these three components it is best to remove the wheel so a full inspection can be made. If you can see that there is only 1/8 inch of pad left on the brakes, then it is time to get them replaced before real damage is done to your braking system. If your brake pads get to the point where they are worn they will usually make a squealing noise to let you know it is time to have your brakes replaced.
When having your brakes worked on it is important to find a qualified automotive technician. Make sure they are using quality or OEM brake replacement parts to guarantee your braking system will last. Many companies can be found in your area by doing an internet search. For example typing in will bring up many automotive repair shops that offer this type of work.
-
Repairing or Replacing The Thermocouple On Your Gas Heater
The thermocouple acts as a safety device that will shut off the gas going to your heater if the electric igniter becomes faulty or the pilot light will goes out and will not stay lit. To locate the thermocouple on your gas heater you will need to find the pilot light burner assembly. When the pilot light will not stay lit, most likely the thermocouple has become faulty and will need to be replaced or it will need to adjusted. In order to make the adjustment to the thermocouple, you will need to tighten the thermocouple nut by using the correct size wrench. You do not want to put to much pressure on the nut, so just tighten it with very little pressure. Once you have tightened the nut try relighting the pilot. If the pilot light will not stay lit, then you will need to replace the thermocouple. Next we will go over how to replace the thermocouple. First make sure and turn off the gas line at the heater. Locate the copper lead and connection nut that is attached to the gas line. There will be a mounting bracket on the thermocouple tube.You will want to unscrew the nut on the bracket that holds the tube in place and remove the thermocouple from the heater. Now you are ready to install the new thermocouple back into your heater. First put the new thermocouple through the hole on the bracket. Make sure the copper lead is down and the steel tube is pointing up, then attach the bracket nut over the tube. Now slide the connection nut to the threaded connection and connect it to the gas line. It is important not to over tighten the connection nut, a half a turn past what you can hand tighten it to would be fine. If you are not the handyman type and do not feel comfortable replacing the thermocouple, it is best to contact someone in your area that is qualified in heater repair. San Diego Heater Repair, when entered online, will find many local companies.