How to Remove Double DIN

1. Lift the vehicle's hood to gain access to the battery terminals. Loosen the bolt securing the negative battery cable to the negative battery terminal with the adjustable wrench or pliers. Lift the cable from the battery and set it aside. Move to the inside of the vehicle.
2. Remove the dashboard panels from the vehicle's dash following the instructions specific to your vehicle make and model found in the shop manual.
3. Remove the bolts or screws at the corners of the double-DIN stereo deck with the socket and driver or Phillips-head screwdriver. Some vehicles require the use of special extraction tools. For those vehicles (including Ford, Audi, and Mazda) insert the tools into the slots on the stereo's face. Slide the stereo from the vehicle's stereo dock far enough to reach the stereo wiring and antenna cable connected to the back of the unit.
4. Disconnect the wiring connected to the outlets on the back of the stereo. The stereo wiring may have release mechanisms that must be engaged before you can unplug the cables. See the repair manual for any special instructions before pulling the cable connectors from the outlets on the rear panel of the stereo.
5. Remove the antenna cable lead from the outlet on the lower-left corner of the double-DIN stereo's rear panel. Set the panel aside.

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How to Identify Automobile Alternator Problems

1. Start the car and check for problematic indications on the car's instrument panel. Look for illuminated warning lights that look like a battery, or if the car has an electrical gauge on the dashboard, determine if the needle is in the red low or danger range. If there are no warning signals the electrical charging system, including the battery and alternator, is operating normally.
2. Ensure the battery is not failing by charging or testing the battery. Attach a battery charger to the battery and allow it to charge to full capacity, or take the battery to an auto parts store to be tested (which in most cases is free). If the battery does not fully recharge or fails its testing, it is the source of the electrical problems (not the alternator) and needs to be replaced.
3. Check the alternator voltage. Set the electrical multimeter to measure voltage. Touch the multimeter's red positive lead to the alternator's positive terminal, and touch the multimeter's black negative lead to the car's frame or a common ground. Read the voltage on the multimeter; the alternator should produce at least 14 volts, so a reading of 12 volts or less is indicative of an alternator failure.

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How to Repair a BMW Z3 Seat Motor

1. Open the hood and remove the cover from the Z3's fuse block.
2. Remove the fuse from slot 14 and install a replacement 30A fuse. Reattach the cover to the fuse block. If the power seats are still malfunctioning, you may need to replace the motor.
3. Slide the Z3's seat all the way to the back and use a socket wrench to remove the retaining nut from the front of the seat. Slide the seat all the way to the front and remove the two bolts at the rear of the seat.
4. Unplug the two electrical connectors of the Z3's seat and remove the seat from the vehicle.
5. Use a flat-head screwdriver to remove the four clips from below the seat, retaining the cushion with the metal part of the seat. Remove the two Torx screws with a Torx screwdriver and remove the cushion from the seat. Once the cushion has been removed, you can locate the seat motor at the bottom, right corner of the seat.
6. Remove the four Torx screws from the seat motor and disconnect its electrical connector. Remove the motor from the seat.
7. Place a replacement motor onto the seat and connect its electrical connector. Reattach the four screws.
8. Reattach the cushion and its retaining screws and clips. Reconnect the electrical connectors to the seat and place the seat back into the Z3. Reinstall its retaining nut and bolt.

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How to Buy a Mercedes

1. Decide whether to go new or used, depending on your budget and the amount of value depreciation you're willing to accept. The Mercedes brand has a fairly high level of depreciation once off the lot, but if you plan to hold on to your brand new Mercedes you don't really need to worry. If you're thinking about replacing the Mercedes within a few years, then take a look at the used market before you buy.
2. Check out the warranty that the car comes with, especially for used Mercedes models. The new cars all come with comprehensive warranties that include annual services. However, make sure that the dealership provides 'loaner' cars in case you have to get something repaired that's covered by the warranty. With the used cars, take a careful look at the warranty since getting a car that's still covered adds considerable value.
3. Think carefully about the kind of driving you do and the driving environment of your area. While Mercedes are tough cars mechanically, body work on them is notoriously expensive. So if you live in a place where roads are narrow and drivers are aggressive, you might consider going with one of the everyday Mercedes models like the E-class.
4. Scope out the dealership and specialized mechanics in your area before you buy. If you're covered by warranty this is less of a concern. If you're not, then you should be aware that Mercedes require a higher level of service and also require parts that are considerably more expensive than similar parts for less luxurious cars.

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How to Change Brake Pads on a Mercedes

1. Turn the lug nuts 1/4 of a turn on all the wheels, using a tire wrench.
2. Jack up the Mercedes using the front jack point. This is in the front of the vehicle, normally located near the radiator.
3. Place jack stands under the frame of the Mercedes and lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.
4. Loosen the lug nuts all the way and remove the wheel. Start with the driver's side and work your way around the vehicle (order of brake replacement is not important).
5. Unbolt the top and bottom caliper bolt and remove them using the Torx wrench. The Torx wrench is a wrench with a 'star'-shaped end instead of a standard socket end. Turn counterclockwise to loosen the Torx bolts.
6. Life the caliper up and secure it to the coil springs with zip ties.
7. Slide the pads out.
8. Place the face of the old brake pad over the caliper piston. Then, place the c-clamp over the brake pad and caliper and force the piston back into the caliper housing by tightening the pad to the caliper piston. Make sure that the piston boot folds accordion-style back into the caliper housing.
9. Insert the new pads in the same orientation as the old pads, reassemble the caliper and brake assembly and put the wheels and lug nuts back on. Assembly is the reverse of dis-assembly.
10. Repeat steps 4 - 9 for all wheels.
11. Lower the vehicle to the ground and torque the lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs using the torque wrench.

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How to Repair BMW Windshield Wipers

1. Pull the wiper arm away from the windshield until it locks in a vertical position.
2. Clear away any debris with a nylon-bristled brush. If this does not fix the problem, you may need to replace the motor or the wiper assembly. If the wiper arms are bent, replace the arms. If the blades are worn, replace them. If the wipers hesitate while on or the motor seems weak, replace the motor.
3. Press down on the release tab on the top of the wiper blade assembly and pull the wiper off of the wiper arm. Slide the new wiper blade into the wiper arm lock. Installation is the reverse of removal.
4. Replace the wiper arm. To do this, remove the nut at the base of the wiper arm with a socket wrench and pull out the wiper arm motor. Installation is the reverse of removal.
5. Replace the wiper motor. To do this, open the hood and unplug the wiper motor electrical leads (the wiper motor is on the firewall). Unbolt the wiper motor from the firewall and slide the old motor off of the firewall. Install the new motor. Installation is the reverse of removal.

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How to Change Headlight on a Mercedes C240

1. Ensure the power to the headlight is turned off. The way to be completely sure is to disconnect the battery from the Mercedes C240.
2. Open the headlight cover. To gain access, open the hood and locate the headlight cover at the front of your Mercedes, on either side of the front grille. The cover opens by pressing the clamp that secures the compartment.
3. Pull the electrical connecting wire from the bulb. Remove the retaining spring to remove the bulb. The spring does not need to be fully removed; un-clipping one side will provide access to the bulb.
4. Insert the new bulb. Only handle the bulb with paper or cloth--no skin to glass contact. Connect the power wire to the base of the new bulb.
5. Click into place the retaining spring. Replace the headlight cover (snaps into place).
6. Reconnect the battery and test the new headlight.

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How to Program BMW Door Locks

1. Close all the doors and the trunk.
2. Open the driver's-side door, and get in the car. Shut the door.
3. Put the key in the ignition.
4. Turn the key from the 'on' position to the 'off' position five times quickly without starting the engine.
5. Pull the key out of the ignition.
6. Press and hold the 'unlock' button on your remote.
7. Press the 'lock' button three times while continuing to hold the 'unlock' button.
8. Release the 'unlock' button. Once you've released the button, the door locks will begin to cycle, indicating that the remote has been properly programmed. If this does not happen, begin again from Step 1.
9. Put the key back into the ignition, and turn it from 'on' to 'off' once more to set the remote programming.

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How to Put a Third Row Seat Into An Audi Allroad

1. Drive the Audi Allroad somewhere where there is ample room in the rear to load the seats, and enough room for the trunk lid to open fully. Place the Audi in 'Park' and pull the parking brake to keep it in place.
2. Turn the Allroad off and go to the rear. Open the trunk lid and extend it fully. Remove any items you have in the rear of the Audi. Fold the back seats down for additional maneuvering room, by pulling up the latches on either side of the rear seat, and then pushing the seat backs down.
3. Lift the third row bench seat up and slide it into the rear of the Audi with the seats facing the rear. If the third row bench is too heavy for you, then have an assistant help you. Align the bolt holes on the bottom runners with the four bolt holes in the floor. A flashlight can be very helpful.
4. Drop a bolt into each bolt hole and rotate them down by hand. Once all the bolts are in place, wrench the bolts down, until they are flush with the bolt holes. Push on the seat to make sure it does not budge under pressure.
5. Close the rear of the Audi, fold the rear seats back up, and turn the car on. Take the Audi for a test drive and listen for any creaks in the third row that would indicate looseness. Have the assistant ride in the third row to check this as well.

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How to Connect an iPhone to an S430

1. Insert one of the two plug ends of auxiliary cable into your iPhone's headphone jack. Regardless of whether you are using an iPhone 4, or an older model like the 3G or 3GS, the headphone jack is located on the top of the device.
2. Connect the second of the two plug end of the auxiliary cable to the 'AUX' input on your S430's car stereo faceplate.
3. Turn on your S430 and press 'AUX on your car-stereo faceplate. This will activate the 'AUX' input and allow you to listen to your iPhone in your car.

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