Category Archives: In The Shop

Scraped Bumper, Broken Wire

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Dan

A Honda Accord came into the shop with only a few thousand miles on it and a check engine light. It had a code for no signal from the radiator coolant temperature sensor, so I got started on electrical diagnostics.

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Broken Spring & Mount

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Dan

It’s not too unusual for a coil spring on a higher-mileage car to eventually break, I’ve seen it many times. A lot of times it’s just half a loop from the top or bottom and it rattles around and makes … Continue reading →

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Unsafe Ball Joint

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Dan

I was starting to work on another Honda Accord axle shaft recall and was giving the car a quick once-over when I noticed that the left front lower ball joint was loose, along with some other suspension issues. After pricing … Continue reading →

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Tools Stuck in Tight Spots

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Dan

Working on cars often involved squeezing your hands and arms into tight spots. That also means getting tools into those areas, and sometimes they get can get stuck in awkward positions.

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Excessive Bedazzlement

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Dan

I’ve posted before about how some people like to stick little gems on various buttons and knobs in their car interiors, but this one beats them all in how much it has.

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Chewed Injector Wires

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Dan

I was given a Honda Ridgeline with a check engine light to diagnose. It came up with two codes, one current and one pending. The current code was P219A AF Ratio Variation of Cylinder, which on Honda Pilots and Ridgelines … Continue reading →

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Melted Spark Plug

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Dan

Misfires are probably one of the more common engine problems. They can be caused by a variety of problems, often something to do with the spark plug. Usually an engine can run okay with a minor misfire, but if it’s … Continue reading →

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Bolt-Bending Ball Joint Tool

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Dan

Several years ago, I bought a ball joint separator tool from Harbor Freight. It was the best $20 I’ve ever spent there. I don’t use it that frequently, but it works great. It’s finally failed on me, but not so … Continue reading →

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Rusted Out Gas Tank Straps

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Dan

A customer had their Honda Civic towed into the shop with a bit of a problem. They said that they had run over a deer carcass and now their gas tank was falling out. The car wouldn’t run, so it … Continue reading →

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Speaker Failure Diagnosis

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Dan

A Honda CR-V was in the shop, and one of the customer’s complaints was that the two rear speakers didn’t work, and the left front had a lot of static and distortion. After confirming that the speakers weren’t working, the … Continue reading →

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