1. left
   right
2. it doesn't matter
   the same way the Earth rotates

The righty-tighty and lefty-loosie rhyme has helped countless mechanics and amateurs remember which way to turn a screw or bolt. Alternatively, you can think of clockwise as tightening and counterclockwise was counter-tightening or loosening something.

1. Choose one with a nice label
   Always pick 10W-30
2. Refer to the owner's manual or contact the local dealership service department
   It doesn't matter

Oil viscosity is critical to properly protecting the different components of your car's engine. It is literally a measure of the oil's resistance to flow in different temperatures, so you must choose one that flows enough but not too much, or serious engine damage may be the result.

1. tire gauge
   brake thickness gauge
2. screwdriver
   a penny

Brake pads don't wear down at the same rate, so you can't say for sure that after a certain amount of time or mileage they need to be changed out, thanks to driving style differences, among other things. That's why mechanics use a brake thickness gauge, which is a series of steel strips representing different thicknesses, so you get a fairly accurate measurement.

1. You can see writing on it
   The clamps have sunk into the rubber
2. It feels crunchy
   It looks black instead of silver

When you first remove a radiator hose from its package, the rubber is already beginning to break down, thanks to the exposure to oxygen. What makes the material wear out faster is heat, which is what the hoses deal with constantly. If the hoses are dry or crunchy to the touch, have cracks, or are deformed in any way, the best thing to do is to swap them out immediately.

1. The coolant level is low
   The oil needs to be changed
2. The tires need to be rotated
   The air filter is clogged

As the hot coolant flows out of your engine, it hits a little compartment called the heater core. Located usually inside your car's dash, it looks like a miniature radiator. When you switch on the heater, fans blow the heat from that compartment through the vents and into the cabin. If your coolant level is too low, the fluid won't flow into the heater core, but topping off the coolant will fix the problem.

1. Kick the wheels
   Spread grease on the wheel rims
2. Loosen the lug nuts slightly
   Do a big burnout

If you try to initially loosen the lug nuts with the car jacked up, you're either going to find loosening them is too difficult, or you'll exert so much force you'll cause the jack to tip. You don't need to loosen the lug nuts too much, but you should turn them all a few times with the tires on the ground.

1. solar flares
   oxidization
2. water vapor from the snow
   salted roads

As plastic ages and sits in UV light, it oxidizes and isn't as clear as before. Eventually, an older car's headlights aren't nearly as bright as before. You can fix this problem with a kit from the store, or some people use things like toothpaste to strip off that old layer of plastic, returning the lenses to their former glory.

1. You've been doing too many burnouts
   The tire has been over-inflated
2. The tire has been under-inflated
   The tire is of poor quality

You can tell much about how a car's been treated simply through the tread wear. People who put too much air in the tires will wear out the center of the tread too quickly, because the tires will be pumped up so much they only ride on the middle of the tread. Tires that are under-inflated have the opposite problem, with the sides of the tread wearing down faster.

1. Vaseline
   Tabasco
2. a thin layer of oil
   the filter wrench

Spreading just a little bit of clean oil on the gasket that surrounds the opening on an oil filter is a great preventative measure to take. It keeps the gasket from leaking, sticking to the metal surface, or cracking over time, which would all cause serious problems.

1. cover
   strap
2. terminals
   the label

Terminals covered with corrosion or debris can be the cause of your engine not starting, or struggling to start. You should keep the terminals as clean as possible. A wire brush is good for this job, or your can invest in a terminal brush that fits around the terminals perfectly, speeding up the process.

1. spark plug pliers
   spark plug socket
2. ball ping hammer
   mini hacksaw

Of course you'll need a socket wrench as well for the job, plus likely a breaker bar, since spark plugs can be difficult to budge. When you install new spark plugs, apply some lubricant to them first, making the removal process in the future easier.

1. it doesn't matter
   under the axles
2. at the jack points designated by the manufacturer
   under the CV boots

All cars have jack points, which are often labeled on the chassis, and are also pointed out in the owner's manual. You can also use a jack on a differential cover, if you're placing jack stands under the jack points.

1. rust
   worn hangers
2. the chassis is disintegrating
   an oil leak

Modern cars have rubber hangers to which the hooks on your exhaust system attach. These hangers help to isolate exhaust vibrations from the chassis, but the rubber wears out over time. Fortunately, replacing worn hangers is a quick and easy process.

1. positive cables to positive terminals, and negative to negative on both cars
   only connect the negative cables to the positive terminals
2. ground the positive cable in the car that's running
   ground the negative cable on the battery that's lost charge

Many, many people get this setup wrong. While something bad might not happen, improperly hooking up the jumper cables can cause a serious problem, including a power surge in one of the vehicles, or one of the batteries exploding, which might involve serious injuries.

1. Drive over a speed bump at freeway speeds
   Go off-roading
2. Press hard on one corner of the vehicle
   Drive over a curb

While not a perfect test, pressing on one corner of the vehicle will compress the shock, and then you can see how it rebounds. If the car bounces up and down, instead of bouncing up and down just once, likely the shocks need to be replaced.

1. chocks
   shims
2. jack brake
   air pillows

Wheel chocks are shaped like wedges and have tread on the side that touches the tires. The point is to keep the wheels from rolling even one millimeter, since that would present a major safety problem for anyone working under a car supported by a pair of jack stands.

1. low oil level
   blown head gasket
2. worn spark plugs
   clogged radiator

White exhaust is normal when an engine is running cold, but once it warms up all the way it should go away. If not, the problem could be that coolant is making its way into the cylinders through a blown head gasket or cracked block/head.

1. your finger
   a pencil tip
2. tape measure
   tire tread depth gauge

Some people will use a penny or a quarter to test the depth of tire tread, but those methods only tell when the tread is low enough that it needs to be replaced. A depth gauge gives you an accurate read of exactly how much tread is left on any tire.

1. Lay on them
   Wax them beforehand
2. covers
   Spread Vaseline​ on them

Hardware stores and auto parts shops carry a variety of covers for a car's fenders and front bumper area, designed to keep tools and components from scratching up the paint, chrome, etc. Investing in these can save you from having to repair damage later.

1. to see how much slack is in the belt
   to see if the belt is cracking
2. how much the belt is slipping
   how worn the pulleys are

Belts can stretch out over time, sometimes becoming thinner from cracks in the material, and it poses a serious problem. The belt could slip off the pulleys, causing a variety of problems, including the possibility of catastrophic engine damage.

1. Pour acid around it
   Tighten it slightly
2. Hit it with a hammer
   Spray it with a penetrating lubricant

All the the other methods can help loosen a bolt that won't budge. You can use other means, like a breaker bar, applying heat to the bolt, and even use a tap and die set for extreme situations, giving you plenty of options.

1. box wrench
   socket wrench
2. torque wrench
   counting turns

A torque wrench is the most common method of tightening bolts to specification. Using one is simple, although some vary in their exact operation, due to differing designs.

1. coolant depth gauge
   engine temperature sensor
2. antifreeze tester
   the boil test

Instead of waiting for problems with the engine overheating to arise, you can test the coolant in any car with this simple tool. An antifreeze tester not only guards against overheating, but also prevents the coolant from freezing in the winter.

1. driving on dirt roads regularly
   giving a goat a ride in your cargo area
2. driving several hours every day
   often driving in heavy traffic during hot weather

In general, you should follow the schedule laid out by the manufacturer in the owner's manual for how often you should swap out the air intake filter. A clogged air filter hurts performance, including fuel economy, so you get less out of your vehicle.

1. thread configuration
   gap
2. coating
   composition

While spark plugs are shipped with a gap, that doesn't mean they match the specification from your car's manufacturer. You will need a gap tool to properly set the gap for each spark plug.

1. Remove all the hoses
   Unbolt the radiator
2. Wait for it to cool off
   Shoot water into it

Cooling systems can become incredibly hot over time, and that's dangerous if you need to flush the system. If that's the case, allow your car to sit for a few hours. Otherwise, you risk seriously burning yourself.

1. bad radio reception
   squealing brakes
2. dimming lights while driving
   backfiring

While hard starts or even needing a jump could point to alternator failure, that could just as easily be from a bad battery or other issues. But if you experience problems with electrical power while the car is running, it usually means the alternator is struggling.

1. hard starting
   the check engine light turning on
2. rough idle
   backfiring

You should turn the gas cap until it clicks at least once, and on some car models more times, and it doesn't hurt to tug on the cap to ensure it's on tightly. Not only does a loose gas cap cause this problem, it can cause the gas to evaporate from the tank, wasting some of what you buy.

1. camber
   toe
2. tracking
   barometric pressure

Wheel alignment is a deceptively complex subject. What you should understand is that it takes specialized tools to measure it, because you can't see if a car is out of alignment or not. Improper alignment can lead to uneven tire wear, diminished handling, and problems with suspension components.

1. mushy pedal feel
   grabby brakes
2. squealing
   smoke coming from the rotors

Bleeding the brakes is something you should do whenever the brake pedal feels differently. Air and even moisture in the brake lines will make it so you need to press on the brake pedal more to slow or stop the car, and that is a safety issue you must address.

1. cold weather
   hot weather
2. dirt/debris on them
   wind

Too often, people just assume streaks left by their windshield wipers means the blades need to be changed out. The fact is they might just be dirty and a simple cleaning will correct the problem, saving you some money.

1. battery
   power modulator
2. fuses
   blinker fluid

Usually a blown fuse is the culprit, but there are other potential causes. Loose wiring connections might be the cause, or the horn itself might have failed, which would make installing a new one necessary.

1. better burnouts
   even tread wear
2. cleaner drifts
   lower idle RPM

You might not realize it, but the front and rear tires don't wear evenly on a car. The front tires turn with the wheels and undergo some other forces. On top of that, sometimes the wear is uneven between the two sides of the car. Rotating the tires evens this out, so your tires last longer.

1. Pull it on the freeway
   Roll it down a hill
2. Drive down the street with it on
   Pull the lever and see if you get any resistance

You need a hill that the car will roll down while the transmission is in neutral. When you pull on the parking brake, the car should stop rolling immediately. Test this with the car going backward and forward, ensuring the parking brake is adjusted properly.

1. They're imbalanced
   T​hey're pointed away from the car's center line
2. They're pointed toward the car's centerline
   The lug nuts are loose

You have to look at a car from the bottom or top to see toe-in and toe-out accurate, which are measurements of how the wheels sit in relation to the line that runs down the exact center of the vehicle. Changing the toe of a vehicle will alter how it handles in turns.