Don’t use kitty litter to get grease and gasoline stains off of cement–you will never get it all. Instead, use powdered dishwasher detergent. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then scrub back and forth with a stiff broom before sweeping it away. It will break down the grease and soak it up at the same time.
Before working on vehicle, roll down one window to ensure that you don’t lock yourself out. This is especially important with newer vehicles, some of which have an automatic system that locks all the doors when the ignition switch is turned on.
Draping a sheet or towel over your workbench area when working on something small with lots of parts that could scatter will help you to find them more easily. Leave the material loose and lumpy instead of smooth, and anything that gets dropped or falls will sit in the material instead of rolling off the bench and into a dark crevice.
Can’t get enough torque on a nut or bolt to break it loose? Use the end of your floor jack handle and slip it over the wrench handle. The added length should provide you with plenty of leverage to break the fastener loose.
Most any manufacturer nowadays has an electric in-tank fuel pump. Leading cause of death? Overheating due to low fuel levels. Today’s pumps are actually cooled by the fuel and when the tank gets too low; the pump is exposed and gets hot. The pump actually starves momentarily as you stop, go, and corner, which only adds to the problem. Don’t wait until the light is on to refuel.
Caught in a jam with only a standard wrench to try and turn a metric bolt or nut? Spare change from your pocket, like a penny or dime, can be used to slide between the wrench and bolt, taking up the slack and allowing you to turn the fastener.
