Valvoline.com

Electrical

• Pretty Pointless

  Over the years manufacturers have made a number of changes to the basic internal combustion engine. One of the most important advancements by far was doing away with the contact points and going to... Read More

• High-Performance Ignition Upgrade

  Let's admit it. Nearly anyone who can identify their tools by name can install aftermarket parts on their vehicle. Be it an intake, an ignition system, or something as simple as plug wires, it really... Read More

• Single Wire Ignition Upgrade

  If your classic GM V8 is throwing a spark across a set of points, then you've either become proficient at adjusting and replacing those points or have paid out a fortune over the years to a mechanic... Read More

• Early GM Alternator Resto

  The alternator in your car is often the Rodney Dangerfield of the engine compartment. While we spend untold hours detailing the carburetor, air cleaner, manifolds, wiring etc., we generally just wait... Read More

• Speedometer Replacement

  Until the introduction of electronic instrumentation, most auto speedometers were cable driven. The drive cable has a square end and threaded bezel that simply inserts into a fitting in the back of... Read More

• Speedometer Cable Replacement

  If your speedometer has been acting weird—the needle jerking wildly or not moving at all—chances are that its cable is bad. Like most other automobile parts, speedo cables eventually wear... Read More

• Wiring Harness Resto

  Most older domestic cars have two wiring harnesses: one for the headlights, taillights, and interior and another for the engine compartment. Over the years the wiring becomes dry and brittle due to... Read More

• Manual and Electric Trunk Access

  Sometime in the early Sixties a Detroit whiz kid came up with the idea of offering a remote trunk opening gizmo—a device that would allow you to unlatch the trunk without getting out of the car.... Read More

• Correct Date-Coded Plug Wires

  You can have an 800-horsepower engine, but without the spark to fire it off, it's just another chunk of inanimate metal. Obviously, plug wires are an integral part of your ignition system but they... Read More

• Battery Tray Restoration

  Every vehicle has a battery tray of some kind. That heavy power source is usually secured to the tray with bolts, preventing it from shifting or falling over. The inherent problem with these trays is... Read More

• Muscle Car Rewiring

  Muscle cars' popularity never wanes. But as the Sixties become more distant, the high-horsepower cars produced in that era continue to deteriorate. Hot rodders are forever updating and upgrading... Read More

• Battery Bombs

  All car batteries come with warning labels. Most people are familiar with the cautions about battery acid, which can melt skin and cause blindness if it contacts eyes. As such, the sulfuric acid gets... Read More

• Gauging Interest

  The average driver could really care less about what's going on under the hood of whatever they're driving. Around they drive, oblivious to their engine's operation. Enthusiast drivers, however, want... Read More

• Relaying Information

  Coursing through the copper, inside a myriad maze of wires stuffed into the nooks and crannies of the modern automobile is the electricity required to run primary systems such as the starter motor,... Read More

• Spark Plugs

  Pity the poor spark plug. It lives in a hole, gets hit with a high voltage shock thousands of times every minute, and has to endure searing heat from explosions. The spark plug has the tough but... Read More

• Chip Service

  In the good old days, car buffs could fiddle with their carburetors, make a few adjustments and end up with improved performance. The power increases focused on the enthusiast's particular... Read More

• Spark Plug Wire Replacement

  Time was when your mechanic tuned up your vehicle you could often get the plug wires installed just for the additional price of the parts, since it only took a couple of extra minutes. And the parts... Read More

• Spark Plug Diagnosis

  In times past, one of the easiest maintenance items on a vehicle was checking and changing the spark plugs. That was before engine compartments became shrouded in emission's tubing and computerized... Read More

• Selecting a Battery

  What's the best battery? Ask a dozen different experts and you'll receive a dozen different answers. Some will simply recommend a DieHard. Others swear by immobilized-cell, no-maintenance models.... Read More

• Spark Plug Hole Thread Repair

  Theoretically, routine spark plug replacement should be a simple task. Crank out the old plug, thread in a new one, and you're done. Fiendish engine gremlins often work against you though, and can... Read More

• Replacing Fuses

  Electrical problems can present one of the biggest troubleshooting challenges in automobiles. Unlike flat tires or other easily visible problems, electrical shortcomings can be tough to track down.... Read More

• Battery Replacement

  Needless to say, if you don't have a powerful battery residing in today's electricity-dependent automobile (42-volt systems are right around the corner), your car becomes a large, curb-hogging... Read More