This automotive tutorial shows you how to maintain the color and finish of your car by applying a sealant. Specifically you will learn how to apply Wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant using a power buffer or hand application. Make sure to use a small amount of sealant and not to ...more
Checking the waveform on a car plug-in inverter, like the type you would use to power a laptop computer in a car. I used my NLS MS-215 Miniscope to view the waveform. As you can see it is much more like a squarewave than a sinewave, like a staircase waveform.
Calculating resistance and power isn't hard... and, as David explains, knowing Ohm's Law and the Power Triangle can be darn useful when you're designing a project, sorting out power supply issues, or want to keep from burning your car down.
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills. Submit your best shot to our weekly competition for a chance to win an awes ...more
Remember what life was like before your iPhone? Before there were palm-sized smartphones with seemingly endless features, there were phones like Motorola's RAZR that peaked with its embedded camera. Before that, there were simple flip phones with texting capabilities, bulky tw ...more
Just the other day, we featured Perry Watkins' "Wind Up" mini car, plus his extreme lowrider, the "Flatmobile". Both impressive. But somehow I missed Watkins' most delightfully absurd vehicle. "FastFood" is a 130 mph Queen Anne dining room table, complete with the fine silver ...more
What happens when a bunch of Bollywood filmmakers unleash their imagination with the aid of Maya and After Effects (plus lots and lots of paisas)? The sci-fi flick Enthiran (Robot), the most expensive Indian film ever produced. Non-stop action, violence, explosions... absolut ...more
Not only does this solar-powered cinema have all the trimmings of a great movie theater — ticket booth, brick façade, Ionic columns, popcorn machine, fancy art deco signage —, it is itself remarkably trim: The Sol Cinema was commissioned by media arts charity Undercurrents an ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to operate the solar powered vent system in a 2010 Prius. Prius models that come with a moon roof also have a solar powered roof. The control switch is on the left hand side of the steering wheel. With the ignition on and the switch turned on, yo ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to read the information displays inside a 2010 Prius. There are a lot of features on the Prius that can improve your fuel economy. The energy monitor and hybrid system indicator can help you save gas and tell you how your car is running, along wi ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to jump start a car using another car's battery. First, you will need to position the two cars in front of each other. Turn off both of the cars completely, then attach the jumper cables. You need to connect the positive post of the dead battery ...more
Electrical diagrams are hard to read for all but the most mechanically-inclined, and the ones for the power windows on cars are notoriously complicated. This three-part video will teach you how to read these diagrams and make sense of what you see. Part 1 of 3 - How to Read a ...more
If you own a Toyota Tundra and are looking to change things up a bit inside your car, this tutorial may be what you need. In this video you'll find out how to install a TRD supercharger to your truck. More specifically, a 2008 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8. Adding a supercharger is a ...more
Or at least that's what Nick Homer and Stewart Clyde, students at Brigham Young University, claim. Nick and Stewart say: "Of course we get all the ladies..." But sadly their chick magnet has been banned: "Two twelve volt car batteries power the broken wheel chair moving the ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to clear the check engine light on your dashboard. This could be caused from an over-boost from the turbo charger that the engine does not recognize. The solution is to grab a tuner device and plug it into the car. Wait for it to power up, then g ...more
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to solve power steering moans. Users will need a vacuum pump. Begin by filling reservoir about half way full. Then draw a vacuum of approximately 20"/Hg and let the vacuum sit for 5 minutes. Now recheck the fluid level in the reservoir ...more
Like a timing belt, a serpentine belt is an important tool that helps make sure that various tools are working. A/C, alternator, and power steering pump are just a small set of examples. Finding the right one for your car is easy, but adding it to your car can be a very diffic ...more
In order to clean and restore your headlights, you will need the following materials: razor blades, tape, liquid rubbing compound, and a power polisher. Tape the area surrounding the headlight. To remove the yellowing film, scrape it with a razor blade. This is an alternative ...more
Gas prices haven't significantly lowered for some time and it looks like they won't either. So some people are trying to find another way to fill up their cars in order to get to work or wherever else they need to go. One way is by making ehtanol fuel or gas. This is a great w ...more
It's simple: if you've got a brushed motor, you'll want to break it in under controlled circumstances before taking it out into the world. Why break in your engine? The main idea of breaking in your engine is to wear down your engine's brush so as to maximize surface contact w ...more
Have your battery tested. If your battery is at least 3 years old, take it to a certified automotive repair facility. You do not want your battery, whose power is reduced by 50 percent during the cold weather, to go dead while you're in the middle of a snowstorm. If they are y ...more
Last year WonderHowTo's favorite daredevil Travis Pastrana attempted to land the world's very first monster truck backflip. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out as he had hoped. Here's what happened: Now, one year later, Pastrana's fellow Nitro Circus stuntman, Cam McQueen, ...more
Want to learn how to harvest the sun? Just watch this science experiment video to see how to convert sunlight into hydrogen fuel. It's simple and environmentally friendly. You'll need a multimeter, a solar panel, some crocodile clips (or alligator clips), glass, water and car ...more
For most automotive applications a battery needs to supply a lot of current for a short period of time to turn over the engine and get the car started. With the engine running, the car's alternator produces all the power the car needs. Thin plates inside a starting battery inc ...more
This vehicle video tutorial contains a basic testing procedure using an automotive fuel pressure gauge as a detection tool. Correct fuel pressure and fuel pressure regulator operation is essential for your truck or car's engine to operate properly. Many engine run-ability prob ...more
With give or take 250 million cars in America, odds are most city dwellers waste time hunting for parking spots. And while a smartphone app can't make free parking spots magically appear, it can aid in the searching process. The Parker app isn't new to the iPhone, but its fou ...more
Spice up dinner tonight and try making Chicken Biryani! Chicken Biryani is a traditional Indian dish that is packed with flavor. This dish is good for you and tastes amazing, so why not give it a go? You Will Need: * 6½ tbsp. vegetable oil * 4 potatoes, peeled and halved * 1 t ...more
We've all heard of the power that red wine holds. It can help lower risks of heart disease, boost your brain power, and can even recharge your car battery. But last year, a group of Japanese physicists made headlines when they announced that they could induce superconductivity ...more
The fifth (B-5) of the National B License Tests in Gran Turismo 5 on the PlayStation 3 is all about basic cornering. This video will show you how to get the gold trophy! If you haven't unlocked these tests yet, all you need to do is purchase your first car. B-5: Basic Corneri ...more
China's latest futuristic project is a massive "3D Express Coach", a clever project proposed by Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co. as a solution to traffic in the extremely overpopulated country. The gigantic bus will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel unde ...more
Sounds like an odd bragging right, but hold your horses, artist Hannes Langeder's handmade Porsche is pretty damn interesting. "The bicycle Porsche functions as signifier for the fascination with the figure of an automobile that has lasted since the 1950s; yet Hannes Langeder ...more
Start cooking four large baking potatoes in the microwave. After they are cooked, take a knife and cut them in half by cutting down the length of the potato. With a metal spoon, scoop out the middle of the potato. Potatoes are a great side dish. A medium potato is about 100 ca ...more
Can you barely keep your eyes open at work? So bored you could sleep through the entire day? Seinfeld's George Costanza built a bed under his desk, but we'll tell you how to be a bit more subtle. Here's some tips on how to get a some quick shut-eye at work. You Will Need: • ...more
Giving up food and drink is an important part of this Jewish holiday, the Day of Atonement, because it helps focus the mind on repentance. Stay strong mentally and physically with these tips. You Will Need * Preparation * A filling pre-fast meal * Self-discipline Step 1: Know ...more
Make restaurant-quality fries with less fat and fewer calories by skipping the deep fryer. Watch this video to learn how to make oven-baked french fries. You Will Need * 2 large baking potatoes * 2 tbsp. olive oil * 1 tsp. minced garlic * 1 tsp. paprika * 1 tsp. chili powder ...more
Infiniti is like no other car, it has emotion, it has soul, it inspires. There's a difference between being physically transported and emotionally moved, and you can tell them apart when you sit inside this magnificent automobile. Although the Infiniti is like a dream car, it ...more
Infiniti is like no other car, it has emotion, it has soul, it inspires. There's a difference between being physically transported and emotionally moved, and you can tell them apart when you sit inside this magnificent automobile. Although the Infiniti is like a dream car, it ...more
A CNC router machine is probably the most useful tool a hobbyist can own, but the price for a CNC machine on the market is way more than the average hobbyist is willing to spend. You can build your own CNC with very basic tools, little knowledge of machinery, mechanics, or ele ...more
Gran Turismo 5 cars, such as the Suzuki Cappuccino, drift with a lot of body motion and weight shifting. Get free Gran Turismo 5 tips and hints on how to drift with front engine rear wheel drive cars, such as the Suzuki Cappuccino with lower power in this free video. Drift wit ...more
Watch this automotive video tutorial to see how to scan your automobile for diagnostic trouble codes. If you see a "check engine" or a "service engine soon" light in your instrument cluster; your car has stored a diagnostic trouble code. This means the computer system on your ...more
Chris Burden's latest piece is a portrait of L.A.'s hot mess of traffic, entitled Metropolis II. The artist has constructed a miniature highway system, complete with 1,200 custom-designed cars, 18 lanes, 13 toy trains and tracks, and a landscape of buildings made with wood blo ...more
Back in the '80s, I was just a kid with a LEGO hobby. I remember building castles and floating boats, spaceships and monster trucks, even a working LEGO train powered by battery, lights and all. But I wasn't aware of the advancements underway in the educational department—lik ...more
Understandably, the tragedy in Japan has substantially risen the level of worldwide radiation-related hysteria. So much so, as an alternative to stampeding health food stores for iodine tablets, crafty individuals and organizations are hacking together personal radiation detec ...more
Look what came in the mail today! The File Cabinet from hell. Die hard Jackass fan and file cabinet mod-junkie Jeff Dahlin tracked us down to drop off this gem at WonderHowTo HQ today. It is his official entry for the Jackass Prank Contest. It has three wheels.... so it's a tr ...more
It is the file cabinet from Hell. Look what came in the mail today! Die hard Jackass fan and file cabinet mod-junkie Jeff Dahlin tracked us down to drop off this gem at WonderHowTo HQ today. It is his official entry for the Jackass Prank Contest. It's a three-wheeler, does tha ...more
Feeling unprepared for the next earthquake? In this tutorial, learn what to do and what not to do to survive "the big one". You'll be surprised to learn that hiding in a doorway is a myth! You Will Need: • A safe place • Sturdy shoes • A fire extinguisher • A flashlight ...more
Today's fancy cars come with all sorts of options, from power mirrors to working seat belts. Some of us condemned to live in the reality of capitalist recession have no car, or perhaps a very modest one. But your modest car can still have some cutting edge technology wedged in ...more
How do you review an app that refuses to work for you? I was quite excited this week to review iCinegraph, an iPhone App that simplifies the creation of cinemagraphs. However, if this was a car review it'd be the kind of review where the car under consideration is never able t ...more
If you haven't had a pile of pipe and fittings to play with before, it's hard to see what is so cool about a plain, plastic pipe. All it does in the house is carry the poop away. Really, who cares? It's hard to even decide where to begin here. The first chance I personally ha ...more
Back in the Super Nintendo days, playing one RPG after the other, memorizing maps and mazes became second nature if you didn't want to look at the mini map or get lost often. I would make it a point to memorize corners and the overall structure of the dungeon or location, so t ...more
We've gathered some of our favorite pranks with the seasonally appropriate for all you college kids out there. You're more than likely cohabitating with a complete stranger, and what better way to make a good first impression and develop a strong personal relationship than sub ...more
Oh, LifeHacker, we love you. You've brought us so many handy HowTo's: Hack Wireless Internet, Bypass Blocked Websites, Convert a Laptop Into a Projector, Watch TV & Movies on the Web For Free, 10 Must-Know Google Privacy Settings, and more. And now, another great one: LifeHac ...more
I love making beeps and bloops with the Arduino pitches library, but sometimes archaic 8-bit tunes just don't cut it. Whether you want your robot to terrify your enemies with a demonic synthetic voice, you just need a pocket boom box on the go, or you want to a miniature guita ...more
How many of you know all the amendments of the Constitution? Do you even know how many there are?? Well, many of the people I speak to don't. And let me tell you, that's a bad thing. Knowing even the basics of the Amendments can have a profound effect in your lives. Ever got p ...more
Building a DIY Alarm System: The Concept So, you want to protect your property, or maybe a room, car, or even your backyard. The concept of an alarm system is to notify the "alarm administrator" that there is an intruder entering the previously designated boundaries. The trig ...more
Since its release three years ago, Canon's EOS 5D Mark II has been the most sought out digital SLR for photographers everywhere. But it's also becoming a favorite amongst cinematographers, thanks to its compact size and high-def video recording mode, seeing action in everythin ...more
China is a hot mess of traffic and is stereotyped for spawning some of the craziest drivers in the world. The traffic jams are known to be so bad, drivers have been gridlocked for 9 straight days. A truck driver washes himself after waiting more than two days in the jam on an ...more
How do we really come to the decisions that we make? Is it just flip a coin and hope for the best or is there some underlying procedure that we go through, consciously or unconsciously, that guides our course of action? Gary Klein is the author of "Sources of Power: Real Life ...more
Use this safe and easy technique next time you need to replace a shattered light bulb. You Will Need Needle-nose pliers Work gloves Safety glasses Electrical tape (optional) WARNING Working with electricity is dangerous. Be extremely careful and, if you have any doubts, co ...more
WonderHowTo is made up of niche communities called Worlds. If you've yet to join one (or create your own), get a taste below of what's going on in the community. Check in every Wednesday for a roundup of new activities and projects. Thanks to all of our active moderators and ...more