Maintenance in Autos

Only Maintenance: the latest headlines first, then BRO’s own Maintenance stories and video. All of Autos →

The paint job that still looks right in three years

Most rooms don't fail because of the paint. They fail at the caulk line, the patch you didn't prime, and the coat you called good enough.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Changing your own oil without making a mess of it

The order to do it in, the two mistakes that dump five quarts on your driveway, and the parts nobody tells you to buy.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Changing a tire at the roadside without getting hurt

The order matters more than the muscle. Loosen before you lift, and know the one place you should never do this at all.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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Home6 min read

Find Your Shutoffs Tonight, Not At Two In The Morning

A burst supply line puts out hundreds of gallons an hour. The difference between a mop and a claim is whether you already know where the valve is.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20265 min

How to bleed a radiator without soaking the carpet

Cold at the top and hot at the bottom means trapped air. The whole fix takes eight minutes, and the mistake people make is doing it in the wrong order.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20265 min

How to stop a dripping tap in fifteen minutes

Water off, handle off, washer out, washer in. The job is small. The mistakes are the expensive part.

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GuideHomeWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Five house repairs you should stop paying someone else to do

A running toilet, a blocked sink, a hole in the wall, a dead switch, failing caulk — all of them are an evening's work with tools you already own.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

The six multimeter checks that solve most problems

A multimeter does forty things. You'll use six of them, and they cover almost every dead battery, dead outlet and dead appliance you'll meet.

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

How to wire a plug properly, and when to leave it alone

Brown right, blue left, earth on top, and a fuse that matches the appliance. The rest is knowing which jobs aren't yours.

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Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideHomeWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Ten tools that cover ninety percent of household repairs

Most jobs around a house fail for want of the right tool, not the right skill. This is the short list that handles nearly all of them.

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Jumping a dead mower without frying the battery

A flat mower battery is a twenty-minute fix if you do it in the right order, and an expensive one if you don't.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Unblock the drain yourself before you pay somebody

Most household blockages are within two feet of the plughole and clear in under an hour with a plunger, a bucket and a bit of patience.

GuideHomeWes Dunbar20 Sept 20263 min

The first aid kit in your house is probably useless

Shop-bought kits are built to a price and to a picture. Strip half of it out and add the things that actually get used.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Sharpen a knife properly with what's already in your house

No fancy stones, no gadget clamps. A marker pen, something flat, and twenty minutes gets you a knife that slices paper.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

Skills6 min

The wiring jobs worth doing yourself and the ones that aren't

Skills6 min

Changing a tire in the dark and the rain

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideSkillsWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

How to jump-start a car without wrecking the electronics

The order of the clamps matters, the ground point matters, and three minutes of patience saves a control module.

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