Reject The Recession, Car Style #3

Let's talk about air filters. Chances are, you do not change your air filter as often as you should, BUT maybe you would clean it, IF it was reusable. I have a K&N air filter in my truck. Unlike a conventional filter, this one can be cleaned and used over and over again. Clean air filters help your gas mileage and help your engines last longer. A reusable filter may save you money in the long run and increase horsepower!

Here's how you clean a K&N Filter... First, take it out a lay it on the ground.

Make sure you have the right kind of cleaner and oil. I paid about $10 for this and it can be used for several cleanings.

Spray the cleaner into every crack on the filter. Leave it on for 10 minutes...

Rinse well. Do not use high pressure... a simple flush is recommended.

Once the filter is dry, spray on the oil on the "dirty-incoming" side. You may have to make a few passes on the filter. Once it is all red, it's ready to go back in!

It's that simple. I know there are other brands of reusable filters, but I'm not familiar with them. If you have a better product, please feel free to share!

Take care,

Ryan

Steve McNair

I'm sitting here at my desk this evening watching the memorial service of Steve McNair online. For those that don't know, I'm a big Titans fan. I was born and raised in Nashville. When the Titans came to Nashville, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to our city in my eyes. As a young man, the players were the coolest thing in the world. I can remember going to Titans games and waiting for players like Eddie George, Frank Wychek, Kevin Dyson, Derek Mason, and Bruce Matthews to drive into the parking lot at "Adelphia" Coliseum. They would then walk through the tunnel to the locker rooms and wave at us as we stood at the fence.

As a young journalist, I got press passes to the Titans game. I got to hang out with the players in the locker room. As a big fan, it was cool to hang out with some of the best athletes of Nashville. It's something I'll never forget and I'm sure my cousin that tagged along will never forget it either.

The older I get, I realize more and more that these athletes are human. They put their pants on like me. They have flaws. As Bishop Joseph Walker just said from Mt. Zion Baptist, we all have flaws. No man is perfect. Bishop Walker just got really fired up about people judging McNair. Only one can judge McNair. (He who has not sinned, shall cast the first stone.)

I'm guilty of it. I have made judgemental remarks. Today, we have all sinned and it's just as bad as McNair cheating on his wife.

That's hard to swallow, but true. He may not have been the perfect husband, but none of us are perfect humans.

Ryan

Reject The Recession, Car Style #2

A week or so back I blogged about changing your oil. Many of you told me that you do not know how to change your oil, SO I grabbed a camera this weekend and I'm going to give you the basics. Women, YOU can do this too. It's easy and you can buy other stuff with the money you save! Reject The Recession! Yay. Here's what you need:

• Oil
• Oil Filter (book at the auto parts store will help you find the one you need)
• Washer
• Ratchet set
• Oil Drain Container (pretty cheap to buy and you can use it for life)
• Oil Filter Wrench

Ok, first... find the drain plug. It's the bolt on the side of the oil pan, under your engine. Your oil pan is simply that... a pan on the bottom of your engine. It's easier to find than you think. Use a socket to take the plug out and let the oil drain into the used oil container. Let's move on to the filter while that drains...
The filter is a cylinder-shaped piece on the side of the engine block. They vary in color. Good ones (Fram) are orange and generic ones are black. When you buy a new one, buy Fram!

To take off the oil filter, use a tool specifically designed tool for an oil filter (see below). It's a few dollars, but you can use it for life, much like the used oil container. Grab the filter with it and turn counter-clockwise. It will leak used oil, so place the used oil container under the filter to catch the oil. It's possible to have the container under the filter and drain plug at the same time.

Once you take the filter off, double-check to make sure the old gasket comes off too. It will be a round rubber-like thing. It usually comes off with the filter, but occasionally sticks to the engine block. If you leave it on, it will leak.

Get the new filter and rub oil on the new gasket. This makes the bond to the engine block better and will not allow it to stick to the engine block when you go to remove it next time.

Take the new filter and hand tighten it to the engine block. Do not over tighten.

Time to put the plug back in. I usually change the washer each time. I buy a 2-pack of washers that are made of rubber and metal every-other-time. I have never had them leak and I strongly recommend them. Put the new washer on the plug and screw it back into the oil pan. Do not over-tighten.

Now that the new filter is in and the plug has been tightened, it's time to put the new oil into the engine. Find the opening at the top of the engine. It should be clearly marked. Grab a funnel and start pouring the oil into the funnel. You can find out how much oil to put in from your manual OR by searching it online.

Let the oil settle in... grab the dipstick... pull it out... wipe it off.... put it back in... take it out and read it! It may show a little more than full at first because the filter does not have the new oil in it yet. Start your car... let it idle... turn it off and repeat the steps to check your oil level. If all is good and you do not see any leaks underneath, you're done! Note: You may have some used oil on your frame, but it will drip-dry.

You can dispose of your old oil for FREE at many auto part stores. I typically take mine the next time I go to buy supplies to change my oil again. Saves gas! LOL

By changing your own oil, you save money. You can then use that money to go out to dinner one night and Reject The Recession!

For those that change your own oil, do you have an other tips to pass along? I'd like to learn some new things!

If you missed Part #1, click here.

Take care,

Ryan

Video of Tony Coming Home!

KING5 got video of my brother-in-law returning from Iraq! BIG thanks to KING5! What an awesome weekend!

Click here to watch it! "Soldiers return to Fort Lewis after Iraq deployment"

Ryan

Tony Is Home!

Last year, I posted THIS blog entry about my bother-in-law leaving for Iraq. Well, he's home! How cool is it to come home from Iraq on July 4th?!?!

I'm so happy for their family. His wife and girls must be sleeping so much better tonight with him in the house! Hopefully I will post some pictures soon, but here is a link to the news story from our sister-station in Seattle:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/49943067.html (Watch The Video!!!)

Good night,
Ryan

Reject The Recession, Car Style #1

For the past few months, my vents on my truck would only blow air out of the floor and dash. No air would come out of the face vents. As many of you know, I try to encourage folks to work on their own car. Don't get me wrong, if it's too big of a job.. take it to the pros! But, if you can save some money by doing a little homework, why not save some money!

Last night, I investigated the problem online. I discovered that it may be a vacuum line problem. I went outside and looked for the little tubes that come from the top of the engine and look what I found... A dry-rotted line that was split right open! Voila!
So I thought, how hard can it really be to change some tubes! I went to the auto repair shop of my choice and purchased 4 feet of line to change all three. If I'm going to change one, I better go ahead and change three. All of them looked rough! So, one at a time, I cut one off... and replaced it with a new one.

I had a hard time squeezing the new line on some of the fittings, so I used some Liquid wrench on them. Went right on!

The new vacuum lines were on and looked good! Shortly after, I went for a test ride and was amazed.

Not only were my face vents blowing harder than ever, the truck ran better! The idle was smoother and I believe I gained horsepower. Maybe it is my imagination, but I doubt it.

Here's my point. Don't run straight to the mechanic when something is wrong. Investigate it a bit, evaluate the work that needs to be done, and decide if you can tackle it yourself. It may save you some money.

If your vehicle is as old as mine (mine is a 97), you might want to go check the vacuum lines. It may fix some things!

Ryan