Under the Hood

The Under the Hood Channel explores the systems that make your car function correctly. Learn about car parts and systems and how to do routine maintenance.

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You'd like to learn how to polish the aluminum valve covers on you car's engine and restore their shine. Let's show you in this article how to polish aluminum valve covers.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

You want to check ball joints, but you're not sure how to do it. Learn about how to check ball joints in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Learn how to clean your leather car seats and your car will feel like new. Learn about how to clean leather car seats in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

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There is a sudden vibration in your car and you suspect it's time to learn how to clean the wheel bearings. This article will save you money by teaching you how to clean wheel bearings.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

A good dealer can restore flood-damaged cars so they look almost new, but don't let the good looks fool you. Buying a damaged auto can be a huge risk. So, how do you decide whether to gamble on a car with a watery history?

By Denise Harrison

Visit an online classifieds Web site, and mixed into the glowing descriptions of vehicle histories are two words that can quickly throw a wrench into your dreams of finding the auto deal of the century: "salvage title." What does this mean?

By Matt Cunningham

If you're wondering if you need tire warmers for your motorcycle, there's just one question you should ask yourself: street or track? For one of these, tire warmers are an important piece of safety equipment. So which one is it?

By Garth Sundem

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If you're planning to be away from home for an extended period and no one will be using your car in the interim, it's important to know how to properly store your car's battery. Read this article to learn how to store a car battery.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

If you know how to install lowering springs you can improve your car's handling as well as the comfort of the ride. In this article we will discuss how to install lowering springs.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Junkyards salvage parts and whole vehicles for reuse, crush stripped or intact autos into scrap metal, and serve as a final resting place for wrecked cars. But is it worth your time to rummage through one to find an old replacement part for your car?

By Terri Briseno

You may need to learn how to gap a spark plug if you get a new one for your car's engine. Learn how to gap a spark plug in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

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You're sick and tired of your car getting stolen, so you've decided to learn how to install a car alarm in your car. Learn how to install a car alarm from this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

If your front end is not aligned, you may find your car veering to the right or left. Here's how to fix that.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

It's not hard to learn how to match auto paint exactly. Learn about how to match auto paint in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

When your car overheats, the best thing you can do is head to a garage for coolant. But in a pinch, you can add coolant yourself, if you're careful. We'll tell you how.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

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The difference between hot and cold spark plugs lies in their ceramic insulation. Learn how hot and cold plugs are different in ignition systems in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

You need new tires, and would like to measure your car's tire size before going shopping. Here is a guide how to measure car tire size.

You'd like to learn how to use a dial bore gauge so you can measure the inside diameter of a pipe. This article will teach you how to use a dial bore gauge.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

You're having difficulty braking and you realize you have to install a new the proportioning valve to your master cylinder. Follow the steps outlined below to learn how to install a proportioning valve to a master cylinder.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

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Some tires are built to handle mud and snow… and some are not. Learn about mud and snow tire designations in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Would you like to tint your car windows yourself, but are not sure how to apply the car window tint? Learn how to apply car window tint in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Turbochargers can increase an engine’s horsepower and are relatively lightweight. Find out how turbochargers help engine performance in high altitudes, in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

On one hand, it seems obvious that a little extra padding and the rigidity of a carbon-fiber rod here and there would do good things for you when bouncing along the pavement. But is full-on body armor really necessary for motorcyclists?

By Garth Sundem

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Often, riding a motorcycle comes down to physics. A frame slider can stretch out the time it takes for a collision to occur, spreading out the force of the impact by letting the bike slide to a more natural stop. So how can this help save your bike?

By Jacob Clifton

The fact that driving a motorcycle is more dangerous than driving a car is no news flash. What is newsworthy is that, increasingly, motorcyclists can do something about the dangers they face. How can body armor help keep them safe?

By Garth Sundem