Author Archives: Dan

Snow-Packed Splash-Shield

New cars just keep adding more and more plastic covers on the undersides. They are usually for aerodynamics or protection of less-robust parts. It can make it harder to perform some services because of having to remove these shields, but … Continue reading

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Check Your Tires

It’s important to check your tires regularly. Tire pressures should be checked every month, especially in places with widely varying temperatures. Every 10 degrees Fahrenheit of temperature change will affect the tire pressure by 1 PSI. Proper tire pressure is … Continue reading

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My Truck: Lost Headlight Lens

I took my truck to lunch one day, and later that afternoon I noticed that the lens from my left headlight was missing. The housing is broken so there’s very little holding it in, so I figured it probably fell … Continue reading

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My Truck: Brake Light Switch Wiring

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, my 1990 Ford F-250 has had its wiring hacked together by previous owners. Recently this came to light again as my brake lights stopped working.

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Incorrect Battery

Getting the right battery for your car is important. It needs to have enough power to start your engine on a cold morning, and that depends on how big your engine in. Batteries are usually rated by their cranking amps … Continue reading

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Dead Engine Autopsy

We recently had a Civic in the shop with zero oil pressure. The oil was full, but while running there was no oil coming out of the oil filter or pressure gauge port. That meant that it needed a new … Continue reading

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Aftermarket Remote Starts

A CR-V came into the shop with a complaint that it went dead every few days. After confirming that the battery is good, the next step is to check for a parasitic draw on the battery, which is when something … Continue reading

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Filthy Interiors

I’ve seen cars filled with trash, I’ve seen dirty floor mats, but then there are some cars where I put on gloves before driving.

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House Wiring in Cars

My 1990 F-250 has led a hard life, and the wiring has taken a beating. It’s been hacked together enough that I don’t even want to touch any of it if I can avoid it. One thing I noticed with … Continue reading

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It May Look Like A Walnut

And it is a walnut. But walnuts have caused a surprising number of problems in cars compared to other plant material.

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