Category Archives: In The Shop

Good Engineering…For Once

Talk to any mechanic and they can tell you about times it was hard to do a repair because the people who designed the car didn’t make it easy to get to a bolt or part. I’ve made a few … Continue reading

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Wiring Harness Replacements

For a non-mechanic, something like an engine replacement sounds like a big job. Usually those actually aren’t a bad time. What mechanics really dread are jobs that dig deep into other areas of the car.

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VTEC Stickers Do Not A Racecar Make

It’s always kind of puzzling when you see a car that has stickers or emblems added on saying things like “turbo” or some other word that means it’s fast and fancy.  If they’re trying to impress people who know about … Continue reading

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Leaking Sunroof

A customer came in with a wet rear seat. The immediate suspect was the sunroof. It’s not easily possible for a sunroof to be 100% watertight when it has to be able to tilt and slide, so there are drains … Continue reading

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Identical Mismatched Tires

Now this was a strange one. A customer came in because she had gotten her tires replaced at a tire shop and her low tire pressure warning light kept coming on. The first thing I did was make sure all … Continue reading

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2001 Honda CR-V Driveshaft Noise

My brother’s 2001 Honda CR-V had developed a strange noise. When accelerating in reverse there would be a short clank noise. I couldn’t tell what it was, so I took in to work, and they had never heard the noise … Continue reading

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How-To: 1997 Honda Civic Noisy Idler Pulley

My car’s engine began to make a high-pitched squealing noise at times, and I tracked it down to the idler pulley for the AC compressor belt.

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CR-V Parking Brake

Once in a while I come across some small feature in a car that is really cleverly designed.

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Features You’d Think All Cars Would Have

Over time, so many features that at one time were “luxury” items are now found on every car. Power steering, power locks, radios with Bluetooth and touch screens, cruise control, and the list goes on. Sometimes I run across a … Continue reading

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4 Types of Parking Brakes

A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about the different ways that you as a driver engage the parking brake. This week let’s look at the different ways parking brakes work. Drum Brakes

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