Author Archives: Dan

Throwback Thursday: A Friday Morning Nightmare

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Dan

In memory of my previous job at a Toyota dealership, which I left two years ago today, here’s a post from the day before, March 14th, 2016. Usually Fridays are the day you look forward to, if you don’t work … Continue reading →

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Dropped Oil Cap

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Dan

Dropping tools or bolts while working on a car is annoying, especially when it’s into the engine bay. When a mechanic drops something there’s always a silent pause while they wait to hear if it hits the ground. If not, … Continue reading →

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How to Replace the Rear Wheel Bearing on a 1996-2000 Honda Civic

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Dan

The left rear wheel bearing on my 1997 Civic had been making a lot of noise for a while so I finally replaced it, and it was easier than I expected. If you have to do this yourself, here’s a … Continue reading →

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Snow-Packed Splash-Shield

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Dan

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

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Dan

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

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Dan

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

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Dan

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

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Dan

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

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Dan

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

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Dan

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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