So Fix it

Removing a steering wheel lock cylinder can be tricky, and definitely requires patience. But with instructions, the right tools and a little patience, you can easily accomplish this task on your own. The technique may differ among car models, but the same tools are required.

Star Bit Drivers

The star bit drivers tool is used to remove the two sets of screws from the back of the steering wheel. This enables you to disconnect the wires connected to the airbag. The star (torx) drivers are also used to disconnect the horn button from the steering wheel by removing the two screws attaching it. This is done by pushing down a plastic tube, while turning it counterclockwise, and pulling the tube out.

Steering Wheel Puller

The steering wheel puller is a specialized tool used to remove the steering shaft nut locking the steering wheel. This is achieved by sliding the wheel puller through the holes on the steering wheel while removing it. The steering wheel puller forces out the steering wheel by jerking the center tube of the puller against the column shaft.

Wheel Spring Compressor

The wheel spring compressor is used to remove the steering wheel locking center. The spring compressor is fitted on the steering tube and is yarned down. It turns the nut down, pushing the fork down on the center. The spring compressor compresses down the center enough for you to see if the snap ring retainer is loose. If loose, you can easily pick it with a small pocket screwdriver.

Phillips Screwdriver

The Phillips screwdriver can be used to retract the horn pad from the steering wheel, by removing the two screws behind the steering wheel shafts. It operates by turning the screwdriver counterclockwise. The Phillips screwdriver is also used to remove the two screws holding the plastic signal in place by turning it counterclockwise. It also removes the ignition lock holding screw, which is accessed by lifting up the turning signal mechanism. Once this screw is out, it allows you to pull out the lock cylinder off the steering wheel shaft.

Adjustable Wrench

The adjustable wrench is used with a wheel puller to remove the steering wheel. An adjustable wrench is a type of spanner with a jaw that you can adjust to fit any width and is suitable to use with a variety of nuts. It works by turning the center screw on the wheel puller clockwise until the steering wheel is lifted of the shaft. The adjustable wrench also enables you to remove the middle screw connecting the steering wheel to the steering tube by backing it out in a counterclockwise manner.

Needle Nose Pliers

The needle nose pliers is made of hard steel; it has a thin blade with a sharpened edge making it suitable to pick on thin wires. Needle nose pliers are used to expose the locking ring in the keyhole. This is achieved by pressing down the lock ring inward so that it is released from the cap inside. When the pliers compress the ring down enough, the cap pops off by itself.

Finding your locked gas cap frozen can be more than an inconvenience, especially if youre nearly out of fuel and need to fill the tank. Although you can use hot water to unfreeze a gas cap lock, this could result in water leaking into the gas tank. If youre at the gas station, you may not have access to conventional methods such as de-icing sprays or hairdryers, but there are methods to unlock the cap without them. If you live in a cold weather climate or the lock freezes frequently, keep remedies for thawing it with you in the vehicle.

Instructions

1

Heat the key on the engine while the car is running and try inserting it in the lock. If the key is warm enough, it will thaw the lock. You may have to repeat this several times. Its a handy method if you dont have any other method of thawing the cap available in the car. The key can also be heated with a match or cigarette lighter.

2

Wet a cloth with warm or hot water and lay it over the lock. Avoid pouring hot water on the lock, as this may compound the problem if the water reezes or gets into the gas tank.

3




Spray de-icer on the lock and the key. Use it sparingly on the lock. Spray the lock caully to avoid getting the de-icer into the gas tank.

4

Direct hot air from a hand-held hairdryer at the lock if youre at home, in a garage or close to an outlet that will allow you to use one.

5

Use a cardboard cylinder from a paper towel or toilet paper roll. Place one end over the lock and breathe through the other. Your warm breath may help thaw the lock. This may take some time.

Twist-lock fuse holders protect the electrical system of your vehicle from spikes in voltage, amperage and equipment short circuits. The design of the fuse holder allows the fuse to sit in line with the electrical wiring it is protecting. This allows you to install a twist-lock fuse holder in tight places in the vehicles engine compartment, under the dash or in the trunk. Installing a fuse holder correctly requires the same tools and techniques as other types of electrical wire installation.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of your vehicle. Remove the ground cable from the vehicle battery by loosening the battery clamp bolt with an adjustable wrench and pulling the loosened cable from the battery post.

2

Cut the wire loop midway between the two connected halves of the twist-lock fuse holder with a pair of wire cutters. Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from both ends of the cut wire with a pair of wire stripper/crimpers.

3

Cut the "hot" wire that requires the fuse, using the wire cutters. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from each end of the cut wire as earlier described.

4

Slide one stripped end of the hot wire in one end of a crimp-style connector and one stripped end of the fuse holder wire into the other end of the connector. Place the crimping section of the wire stripper/crimper over the center of the connector. Depress the crimper handles to add a center crimp to the connection. Place one additional crimp on either side of the center crimp to secure the wires.

5

Repeat the procedure to secure the second stripped end of the fuse holder wire with the second stripped end of the hot wire.

6

Reconnect the ground cable to the vehicle battery. Tighten the battery post clamp with the adjustable wrench.

Most modern passenger vehicles use two or more anti-lock brake sensors to determine the rotational speed of the wheels. These sensors relay wheel speed information to the ABS computer and the powertrain control module, or PCM. The ABS and PCM computers use this information to calculate when to activate the anti-lock brake system, engage the traction control, retard the ignition timing and many other actions. When a wheel sensor fails, the on-board computers cannot gather information properly. In this situation, they disable one or more of these systems until the problem is remedied.

Instructions

1

Drive your vehicle to a safe location where you can perform an isolated road test. This could be a large, empty parking lot or a remote street without pedestrians and cars. Youll need to read a scan tool while the vehicle is moving, so its important to be in a safe testing location.

2

Connect an ABS-capable scan tool to the vehicles diagnostic port and turn on the scan tool. Navigate to the ABS menu and select the Live Feed function. Your scan tool may have the Live Feed menu labeled as something different, but youll need to find the menu or setting that allows you to read the live data from the wheel speed sensors.

3

Drive the car forward and accelerate to 15 miles per hour. Glance down at the scan tool and make sure that all of the wheel speed sensors show the same 15 miles per hour reading as the speedometer inside the vehicle. If one of the sensors shows 0, Zero or N/A, then that sensor is not providing the computer with a wheel speed value.

4

Return home and park inside your garage. Turn off the engine and raise the end, front or rear, of the vehicle that has the bad wheel sensor. Support it with jack stands and chock the wheels on the opposite end. Apply the parking brake, if the opposite end is the rear of the vehicle.

5

Crawl underneath the vehicle and locate the wheel speed sensor that wasnt responding. Use a work light to inspect the wiring harness and for cuts, frays and other damage.

6

Disconnect the wheel speed sensors electrical connector and turn the ignition to the ON position. Measure the voltage at the sensors electrical connector with a digital multimeter. Look up the specified value in a service manual and compare that to the value on your digital multimeter. If the value is correct, and the wires arent frayed or damage, then the sensor is bad and must be replaced.