Many of us belong to a roadside service, but if you’re stuck in a remote area, you’ll want to know what to do.

You Will Need

* A spare tire
* A lug wrench
* A jack
* And something to put behind the wheels, like bricks or large rocks
* Roadside flares (optional)
* Reflective triangle

Check your owner’s manual before attempting to change a tire. The directions may be different, depending on the year, make, and model of your vehicle.

Step 1: Park on flat, level surface
Make sure the car is parked on a flat, level surface far from any oncoming traffic.
If you have roadside flares or a reflective triangle, use them to warn other drivers that you’re working on your vehicle, and turn on your hazard lights.

Step 2: Get out spare tire, jack, & lug wrench
Get out your spare tire, jack, and lug wrench.

Step 3: Slip heavy objects behind wheels
Find heavy objects—like bricks or rocks—to slip behind the wheels. Put them on both sides of the tire diagonally across from the one that went flat.If you have plenty of rocks, block both wheels on the opposite axle.

Step 4: Pry wheel cover loose
Pry the wheel cover loose with the flat end of the wrench.
If it’s locked, look for a key in your car’s wheel replacement kit.

Step 5: Loosen wheel's lug nuts
Loosen the wheel’s lug nuts—usually by turning them counterclockwise, though on some cars it may be the opposite.

Step 6: Place jack
Refer to the owner’s manual for the best spot to place the jack—typically along the frame nearest the flat tire.

Step 7: Jack car up
Jack the car up until the wheel is off the ground.

Step 8: Remove lug nuts
Remove the lug nuts one at a time.

Step 9: Remove flat tire
Remove the flat tire.

Step 10: Mount spare tire onto wheel lugs
Mount the spare tire onto the wheel lugs. You may need to jack the car up some more to slip on the spare tire.

Step 11: Replace lugs
Replace one lug nut at a time. Begin tightening each by hand, then continue with the lug wrench.

Step 12: Lower car
Lower your car to the ground.

Step 13: Tighten lugs
Tighten each wheel lug one last time with the wrench.

Step 14: Remove objects behind wheels
Remove the objects blocking the wheels.

Step 15: Place tools & flat tire in trunk
Place the tools and the flat tire in your trunk.

Step 16: Hit the road
Your new wheel is ready for the road—now drive yourself to the nearest garage so they can fix your tire!

 

Making sure your air pressure is correct will get you a safer, smoother ride, longer-lasting treads, and – most importantly – peace of mind.

You Will Need

* A car with tires
* A tire gauge

Consult factory recommendation sticker : Check how much air each tire should hold by consulting the factory recommendation sticker, located inside either the driver’s side door or the glove compartment.If you can’t find the sticker, or if you can find it but can’t read it, check your owner’s manual.The number posted on your tire is the maximum air capacity—never exceed this number.

Uncap tire stem & attach gauge : Uncap the tire stem and press the tire gauge onto the opening until it’s firmly attached. If you can hear air escaping, reposition the gauge until it stops.

Remove gauge & check reading : Remove the gauge and check the reading.It’s best to check tire pressure in the morning before you start driving; the gauge reading won’t be accurate if the car has been on the road for a while.

If the pressure is high ... : If the pressure is high, let some air out of the tire. Use the small nib on the back of the pressure gauge to depress the tire valve.Check the pressure again and keep letting out air until you reach the right amount.

If the air is low ... : If the air is low, locate an air compressor, usually at a gas station. Place the air hose nozzle over the tire valve and push down. Keep checking your tire pressure until it’s at the optimal reading.

Check all tires : Make sure you check all 4 tires and fill each as needed.

Your car doesn’t run just on gasoline—without electricity from the battery, it’s going nowhere, fast.

You Will Need

* Eye goggles
* Distilled water
* Protective gloves
* Coca-Cola
* A damp cloth
* An old toothbrush
* And an old kitchen baster
* A tool found in auto parts stores called a terminal cleaner (optional)

Cool engine : Make sure the engine is off and the car is cool.

Wear goggles : Put on protective eye goggles. 12:47:58

Unscrew battery caps : Unscrew the battery’s removable battery caps; there are usually two.If your car doesn’t have a battery cap, it probably has a small “eye.” A green or yellow “eye” indicates a charged battery, but a black “eye” means you need to head to your local auto shop.

Check water level : Look inside each opening—known as the “cell”—and find the little ring, or the “Full” line, near the bottom of the opening. Check the water level in comparison to this line. If it’s low, add some distilled water.

Replace caps : Replace the caps.

Check terminal ends : Check the battery terminal ends—the cable ends that connect the battery cables to the battery terminals. If you see heavy corrosion—it will look like white or bluish fuzz—have it checked out by a mechanic.

Apply sodium bicarbonate : If you see light corrosion on the terminal ends, put on your protective gloves and pour a cola or baking soda dissolved in water over them. Both contain sodium bicarbonate, which attacks the acid that has formed on your battery.

Rinse : Rinse the battery with water to flush away any residue, and then close the hood.

 

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Ouch. You haven’t gotten a raise in 3 years, but the cost of gasoline just keeps on rising. Here are some tips to save a little bit on gas. It won’t cut your gas cost down to 0, but it will ease your wallet strain just a bit.
You Will Need

* 1 Car

Get a gast station cred card. : 1. Get a gas station branded credit card. Many gas stations will offer credit cards that rebate you up to 5% each time you buy gas from that station. If you live in an area where you can regularly fill up at one provider, this sort of rebate can add up in the long term.

Get low resistance tires : 2. Get low resistance tires. A new technology offered by some tire companies promises to reduce your gas cost. Granted, given the expense of tires, you probably won’t consider this option unless you are already in the market for new tires.

Tune up your car. : 3. Tune up your car. A properly maintained car uses less gasoline. In addition tuning up your car will help you keep your car running longer.

Keep your tires inflated. : 4. Keep your tires at the proper air pressure. Low tire pressure hurts fuel efficiency.

Look for specials. : 5. Look for specials in your neighborhood. Some local gas stations will offer specials like “wacky Wednesday” or similar where gas is $.10 cheaper on that day.

Slow down. : 6. Slow down and drive less. This is probably not advice you want to hear. But if you drive slower or drive less, your total gas bill will decline

Park in the shade. : 7. Park in the shade. While the effects are extremely small, gasoline does evaporate from your tank in the hot sun. Every drop counts!