Repair 7

Most people find themselves searching for their car keys from time to time. More often than not the keys are found. However, there might come a time when you simply cannot find them. When this happens, you can contact your local Pontiac dealership to request new keys for your 2006 Grand Prix.

Instructions

1

Obtain the vehicle identification number of your Grand Prix from the purchase paperwork, the inside of the drivers door, or the bottom of the left side of the windshield. Write the number down.

2

Call your local Pontiac dealership. Tell the customer service representative youve misplaced the keys to your 2006 Grand Prix and would like to obtain new ones.

3

Visit the dealership. Give the service rep your vehicle identification number. This number provides information specific to your car, such as the cut of the key and whether or not the key needs a computer chip to match your Grand Prixs computer.

4

Pay for your replacement keys. Smart keys and keyless entry fobs are more expensive than traditional car keys.

The 2006 Ford Taurus exhaust system is held in place by a number of different fasteners, each of which must be torqued to the proper value when tightening. Gaskets help to seal the pieces together completely. Improper exhaust repairs can create a dangerous carbon monoxide leak, which might get into the vehicle passenger compartment.

Exhaust System Components

There are two exhaust manifolds -- one for each bank of cylinders. They move away from the engine and merge into a "Y" connector, which then enters the upper catalytic converter as a single pipe. Exhaust travels into the second converter, through the muffler to the tailpipe, and out of the vehicle. Two oxygen sensors are located along the exhaust pathway.

Component Functions

Oxygen sensors inserted into the exhaust stream monitor emissions. The catalytic converter uses a platinum catalyst and very high temperatures to change toxic gases to less harmful compounds. The muffler contains a series of baffles that act to cancel out some of the engine noise. Exhaust system isolators are rubber extensions to the mounting brackets and serve to reduce transmission of noise and vibration to the vehicle interior.

Torque Specifications

Torque the dual converter Y-pipe-to-exhaust manifold nuts and the dual converter Y-pipe-to-exhaust system nuts to 30 foot-pounds and the dual converter Y-pipe-to-exhaust manifold bolts to 35 foot-pounds. The three-way converter-to-muffler clamp nuts should be torqued to 30 foot-pounds as should the catalyst monitor sensors. Proper torque for the dual converter Y-pipe heat shield nuts and bolt (12-valve engine) is 10 foot-pounds, while the dual converter Y-pipe bracket nut (24-valve engine) should be torqued to 30 foot-pounds. The engine mount nut torque spec is 66 foot-pounds, the transmission mount nut should also be torqued to 66 foot-pounds, while the engine roll restrictor bolts need 35 foot-pounds. The muffler rear insulator bracket should be torqued to 13 foot-pounds, the muffler front insulator bracket to 11 foot-pounds and the muffler extension pipe insulator bracket screws to 10 foot-pounds.

Exhaust System Warnings

The entire exhaust system must be allowed to cool before work begins. Support the exhaust system with a suitable jack -- components are heavy. The sharp edges on the catalytic converter can cut the CV joint boot. Protect the half-shaft boot with a small rug or mat before removing the converter assembly. Do not damage the manifold outlet flare, the converter inlet flare, or the studs when replacing the catalytic converter. Do not use oil or grease-based lubricants on the exhaust isolators -- they may damage the rubber and cause the exhaust pipe to loosen during use.

The thermostat in the 2006 Chevy Malibu regulates the engine temperature by allowing or restricting the flow of fluid that goes through the coolant veins inside the engine block and engine heads. At 180 degrees F, the thermostat opens and forces more fluid though the engine. This lowers the temperature in the engine to prevent overheating. At some point, the thermostat will fail. When this happens, the engine could overheat and cause thousands of dollars in damages.

Instructions

1

Remove the two bolts that secure the T-Stat housing to the right engine head. To locate the housing, follow the upper radiator hose to the engine head. The hose connects to the T-Stat housing.

2

Lift the T-Stat housing upward and remove the thermostat from the engine head.

3

Clean the old gasket off the engine head. Use a small scraper or wire brush if necessary.

4

Place the spring end of the thermostat into the engine head and then place the thermostat gasket over the thermostat.

5

Place the thermostat housing onto the gasket and bolt it into place.

In 1953, Ford slightly redesigned its F-series pickups and in the process revamped the names of the F-series trucks; the F-1, F-2 and F-3 became the F-100, F-250 and F-350, respectively. The 2006 Ford F-250 had three engines available, but it came standard with a 300-horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. This engine, as with all modern automotive engines in the U.S., came fitted with a catalytic converter, which converts harmful gases in the exhaust to harmless ones. Replacing the catalytic converter on the base level 2006 F-250 is a straightforward task

Instructions

Removal

1

Allow the vehicle to sit until the engine is cool to the touch, then allow it to sit for an additional hour to allow the catalytic converter to cool, as the converter typically is significantly hotter than the rest of the exhaust and retains heat more effectively.

2

Kick wheel chocks behind the rear wheels and raise the front of the F-250 with a floor jack. Slide jack stands under the frame rails and lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.

3

Crawl under the middle of the truck until you have a clear view of the catalytic converter.

4

Remove the four catalytic converter-to-Y-pipe nuts, using a ratchet and socket. If the nuts are seized, spray penetrating oil onto them and wait for the amount of time the oils instructions prescribe.

5

Loosen the clamp securing the intermediate pipe to the catalytic converter pipe using a ratchet and socket.

6

Trace the wiring for the catalyst monitor, the oxygen sensor on the catalytic converter, upward until you reach where its harness connects to the F-250s harness. Unplug the sensors harness from the F-250s harness.

7

Press the rubber catalytic converter hanger from the catalytic converters bracket. Press the converter rearward until the converter-to-Y-pipe studs are free from the Y-pipe, and lower the front part of the catalytic converter. Slide the catalytic converters pipe from the intermediate pipe and remove the converter from the truck.

8

Remove the catalyst monitor, the oxygen sensor on the catalytic converter, using a ratchet and oxygen sensor socket.

Installation

9

Apply a thin coating of an anti-seize compound to the catalyst monitors threads and hand-tighten the monitor into the new catalytic converter. Tighten the catalyst monitor to 34 foot-pounds using a torque wrench and oxygen sensor socket.

10

Scrub the mating surface on the Y-pipe with a wire brush. Guide a new catalytic converter-to-Y-pipe gasket onto the mating surface on the catalytic converter. Clean the mating surface on the inside of the intermediate pipe with emery cloth.

11

Lift the catalytic converter into place and press its bracket through the hole in the converters rubber hanger. Guide the convertor-to-Y-pipe studs through the bolt holes in the Y-pipe. Hand-tighten the four converter-to-Y-pipe nuts onto the studs.

12

Guide the rearmost pipe on the catalytic converter into the intermediate pipe. Move the intermediate pipe-to-catalytic converter pipe clamp so its within 0.15 inches of the end of the intermediate pipe and the bolt is at a 90-degree angle relative to the slots cut in the end of the pipe.

13

Tighten the convertor-to-Y-pipe nuts to 30 foot-pounds using a ratchet and socket, and tighten the intermediate pipe-to-catalytic converter pipe clamp to 41 foot-pounds.