While your car already has its own intake system installed, you might want to add an additional cold-air intake system if you use the car for racing, or if you want to potentially improve your car’s horsepower and mileage. You can purchase a system that’s already made for the make and model of your car and install it with ease. However, if you’re an automobile enthusiast, you can also make your own cold-air intake by following a few simple rules and tips. Step 1 – Mark Your Path First, use copper tubing to mark a path through the engine. Copper tubing is easily bent and manipulated, so you can do this with your hands. The air intake pipe will follow this path. Once the tubing has reached your engine’s location, decide where you want the air filter to go, and cut the copper tubing at this point. If you have an older cold-air intake system that your homemade model will replace, simply use the piping from that, rather than shaping a new path with copper. Step 2 – Shape the Exhaust Pipe

Once you have marked out the path, remove the copper tubing and mold the exhaust pipe to match the shape of the tubing. Then, remove the copper tubing carefully, so that you can copy the identical shape with your exhaust tube. You can complete this step in your own workshop, or you can take the tubing to a automobile garage to have them shape it for you. Before you begin fitting the pipe into the space, make sure it will fit. Also check that you can close the car bonnet completely with the new pipes in position. Step 3 – Fit the Exhaust Pipe Your exhaust pipe will become your new cold-air intake pipe. Before you put it into the engine, place the cone filter at one end of the piping, and then fix it into position by using hose clamps. As an alternative, you can place the air filter into a box at one end of the piping, and fix it into position by screwing it to the frame of the vehicle. Complete the project by applying a layer of heat-resistant paint to the outside of your piping.

How to Install a Steering Damper in a Jeep Use Lysol to clean bacteria out of your car air conditioning systemair duct cleaning in apartment How to Use Lysol to clean bacteria out of your car air conditioning systemdo air purifiers reduce cat hair Air conditioning systems are cold and wet and make great breeding grounds for bacteria and mold. air purifier for 2nd hand smokeIf the AC in your car is making a foul smell, it may well be inundated with bacteria. Watch this video to learn how a simple can of Lysol can fix the problem.What You Need To Know About Changing Your Air Filter Look under the hood and find the air filter housing. Your air filter is usually enclosed in a black plastic casing or housing.

It’s either square or rectangular (on fuel-injected engines) and typically has a big air intake hose connected to it. On older vehicles with carbureted engines it will be located in a large round housing sitting on top of the engine. Remove the top of the housing. Start by wiping off any dirt, so it doesn’t fall down when you open the housing. Now use the appropriate tool, as indicated in your service manual, to remove the screws and or clamps that hold the top and lift off the top of the housing. If you have an older vehicle with a round air filter housing, remove the wing nut holding the air filter cover and any other clips. Remove the old air filter. The old air filter should lift right out. Once you remove the filter, use a clean rag to wipe any dirt and debris from the housing and the seal. Also check for cracks or damage to the interior and exterior of the housing and connecting air intake hose. Be careful that no dirt or debris falls into the carburetor or the intake during this process.

Install the new air filter. The new air filter goes in just like the old one came out. Put on the top of the housing, replace the screws or clamps, and you’re done.Why spend more at the gas pump when you can easily spend less? The team at The Family Handyman shares this list of DIY tricks for a noticeable difference in your fuel costs. The savings are based on driving 20,000 miles per year, in a car that gets 20 mpg, with gasoline priced at $3.75 a gallon. Surveys show that 60 percent of the vehicles on the road have tires that are underinflated by at least 30 percent. That's at least 9 psi below the manufacturer's recommended pressure. That can cost you almost 7 percent in wasted fuel ($245 per year, or 24¢ per gallon). Plus, low air pressure causes premature tire wear, and that can cost almost $300 over the life of the tires. For best results, check your tire's air pressure with a digital pressure gauge (about $10 at any auto parts store) and fill to the recommended pressure shown on the decal inside the driver's door or on the driver's door pillar.

If your 100,000-mile spark plugs have 80,000 miles on them, they're 80 percent worn. Misfires and incomplete combustion occur more frequently during that last 20,000 miles, costing you almost $562.50 in wasted fuel. You have to replace your spark plugs anyway, so do it early and pocket the savings. Even if you have to replace the plugs one extra time over the life of your car, you'll still come out way ahead. And don't automatically assume your plugs are good for 100,000 miles. Many four-cylinder engines require new spark plugs at either 30,000 or 60,000-mile intervals.Your engine sucks in 14 million gallons of air through the filter every year. On older vehicles (pre-1999) a dirty air filter increases fuel usage by almost 10 percent ($350 per year, or 35¢ per gallon). On newer vehicles, the computer is smart enough to detect the lower airflow, and it cuts back on fuel. So your engine will lack power and pick-up. Check the filter when you change your oil and replace it at least once a year, or more if you drive in dirty, dusty conditions.

If your tires are bowed out of alignment by just .017 in., it's the equivalent of dragging your tire sideways for 102 miles for every 20,000 you drive. That'll cost you $187.50 a year in wasted gas. It will wear your tires faster, costing you $70 more a year. Here's an easy way to check your alignment without taking your car in to the shop. Buy a tread depth gauge ($2) and measure the tread depth on both edges of each tire (rear tires too). If one side of the tire is worn more than the other, your car needs to be aligned. An alignment costs about $80, so you'll still save $177.50 the first year alone.Hard acceleration in stop-and-go driving costs you 20 percent in gas mileage. If you live your life in rush hour traffic and like to put the pedal to the metal, spend all your extra time at the next stoplight figuring out how you could have spent the $750 a year you're wasting (70¢ per gallon). The plastic air dam (aka "spoiler") that's broken or missing wasn't just for a sporty look.

If your car had an air dam, driving without it or with a damaged one can reduce your gas mileage. The air dam literally "dams off" airflow to the undercarriage of your car, forcing the air up and over the hood. That helps your car cut through the air with less drag. It also increases airflow to the A/C condenser and radiator, reducing the load on your car's electrical system. to get a replacement air dam.Yes, you've heard it before, but how about some real world numbers to drive the point home? Aerodynamic drag is a minor concern in city driving, but it really kills your gas mileage at speeds over 55 mph. In fact, increasing your speed to 65 increases drag by 36 percent! If you do a lot of highway driving, getting to your destination a few minutes early could cost you an extra $500 to $600 a year. Keep it closer to 55 mph and use your cruise control. It will pay off. Oxygen sensors monitor the efficiency of combustion by tracking the amount of oxygen remaining in the exhaust. But they degrade over time and that can cost you up to 15 percent in gas mileage.

When they fail, the computer lights up your "service engine soon" light, forcing you to incur an $80 diagnostic fee. On pre-1996 vehicles, replace your oxygen sensor every 60,000 miles to keep your mileage at its peak. On 1996 and newer vehicles, replace the sensors every 100,000 miles. Oxygen sensors cost about $60 each. Some vehicles have as many as four, but the sensors installed behind the catalytic converter rarely fail. Save Money on Gas: Tips for Better Gas Mileage & Fuel Economy | The Family HandymanThe Family Handyman is the DIYers best friend, offering a variety of print and digital resources for do-it-yourself homeowners. Our forte is accurate and complete how-to instructions for improving homes, yards and vehicles. We publish The Family Handyman magazine, the oldest and largest publication for DIYers, and a variety of newsstand publications in addition to this web site. The Family Handyman is part of the Reader's Digest Association family of brands, including Taste of Home, Birds & Blooms, and of course Reader's Digest.