Bad Alternator = No Reverse

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Dan

Recently a Honda Accord Crosstour was towed in with two seemingly unrelated problems. The first problem was that the charging system light had come on and the car wouldn’t start. The second was it wouldn’t go into reverse. I hooked up a jump box and started it, and confirmed that the charging system light was on and it wouldn’t go into reverse. I pushed it out of its parking spot and put it in drive, which did work, and made it into the shop before the jump box I was running the car with ran out of power.

2019_12_12_01 Continue reading →

Posted in In The Shop | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Annoying Rattle Noise

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Dan

A couple times now, I’ve had a car come into the shop with a complaint of a rattling noise while driving. Squeaks and rattles inside the car can be hard to find because it could be two pieces of trim rubbing or not properly put together, and there are a lot of pieces. However, sometimes it’s not the car making the rattle.

2019_12_09_01 Continue reading →

Posted in In The Shop | Tagged | Leave a comment

How To: MTD Yard Machines Series 611 Snow Thrower Belt Replacement

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Dan

I recently bought a used Yard Machines snow blower and it needs new belts. Here’s how to replace them.

2019_12_05_01 Continue reading →

Posted in How-To | 1 Comment

How To Change Spark Plugs

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Dan

New blog posts every Monday and Thursday, plus pictures throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Watch Mechanical Malarkey on YouTube!

Mechanical Malarkey T-shirts, hats, and stickers are available to order!

-Dan

Posted in Videos | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving 2019

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Dan

I just want to say thank you to everybody who reads this blog, follows me on social media, and watches my YouTube videos. I wouldn’t be doing this if you weren’t reading and watching. Thank you.

2019_11_28_01.jpg

New blog posts every Monday and Thursday, plus pictures throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Watch Mechanical Malarkey on YouTube!

Mechanical Malarkey T-shirts, hats, and stickers are available to order!

-Dan

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

No Headlights? There’s a Recall For That

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Dan

A first generation Honda Pilot came into the shop to get some recalls done. It needed at least one of the airbag inflators replaced, but I don’t think that’s why it finally came in. The headlights didn’t work, and that’s why it got brought to a dealership, not because of the potentially deadly airbags.

2019_11_25_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in In The Shop | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Chewed-Through Wiring Harness

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Dan

Check engine lights on new cars are not something you want to deal with, because usually it’s going to end up a warranty job and probably not pay as well as it would on an older car. Sometimes you get lucky though and the problem isn’t cause by any manufacturing or design defect.

2019_11_21_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in In The Shop | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Clean the Snow Off Your Car

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Dan

This is your annual reminder to clean the snow off your car. Not just off the windshield, off everything. The windows, the hood, and yes, the roof. Snow blowing off your car can make it hard for the people behind you to see, and if it suddenly slides onto your windshield you might not be able to see. You can even get a ticket in several states if your vehicle isn’t properly cleaned of snow.

2019_11_18_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in My Car | Tagged | Leave a comment

Oil Leak and Ignition Coil Failure

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Dan

A Honda Odyssey came into the shop with a continuous misfire on cylinder 2. After confirming which cylinder had the misfire, the next step is usually to look at the spark plug to see if it’s damaged or covered in oil.

2019_11_14_01 Continue reading →

Posted in In The Shop | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Creative Exhaust Repair

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Dan

Exhaust systems rust out. It’s a fact of life here in New York. Usually the whole system has to get replaced at some point in a car’s life, but sometimes there are temporary fixes that can prolong the life of it just a little bit.

2019_11_11_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in In The Shop | Tagged , | Leave a comment