How to Safely Change a Tire: The Basics | Beginner's Step by Step Easy T...

In order to safely change a tire you'll need a tire iron and a jack. It is best to use a jack stand as well in case your jack fails. Many people get crushed every year by relying on their jack alone. If you absolutely must not use a jack stand than take all precautions to anticipate the vehicle coming down and the jack failing. This means keeping your body and all body parts out of the way between any part of the vehicle and the ground.
The first step is to make sure the vehicle is on flat ground. To be super safe place two wheel chocks on both sides of any wheel that is not to be changed out. Loosen the lug nuts (with the lug wrench) on the wheel before jacking it up. Then jack up the vehicle with a jack using part of the vehicle's frame as closest to the wheel/tire you are changing out treating the situation as if the jack will fail, slide the jack stand under the frame so it's snug and will hold if the jack should fail. Finish loosening the lug nuts on the wheel and remove them and set the aside. Remove the wheel and plug the spare on. Hand tighten the lug nuts on the new wheel getting them as hand tight as possible in a star pattern. Carefully remove the jack stand and lower the jack. Now tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern. If you used wheel chocks remove those now. Drive slowly to the nearest tire service station to get your tire repaired as soon as possible. Don't drive on the spare for longer than necessary as it is only made to be used as a temporary crutch.

Error Code P0521-GMC Sierra/Silverado Circa 2010 Models

Just bought a brand new pre-owned vehicle from the dealership and my check engine light came on and I couldn't believe it. I took it down to the local auto parts store and got a digital readout for the error code. This came up as P0521 which was oil pressure related. I figured I'd start with the basics or start with the cheapest fix first. So I checked my oil. Sure enough it was low. I went and purchased the correct oil and filled it to the correct level. Sure enough, after starting again, the check engine light had disappeared.

If you are not used to trucks or cars with bigger motors, often times you will find yourself adding more oil to them than you would have in the past with vehicles containing smaller sized engines. Below is a diagnostic code reader if you want to save yourself a trip to the parts store to have the code read out.



One of the things to be aware of is not to overfill our oil. This can cause engine problems as well. If you are just topping off you oil make sure to just add a little at a time to avoid overfilling. Take your time and check the dipstick often. It takes a minute or so for the oil to settle and accurately read on the dipstick. Also, check your owner's manual to see what kind of oil your vehicle should take. Another helpful tip or the a reason that your vehicle may be running low on oil is that it could have a leak somewhere. Does your driveway or place you park have fresh drops of oil on the ground?


If you detect oil drops coming from your vehicle you may just start with the simple stuff first before tearing into it too far. When the vehicle is cool, make sure the oil filter is hand tight and also make sure your oil pan plug is in tight. If you've taken your vehicle in to get an oil change they may have left something loose.