Cheap Exhaust Repairs Can Cause More Problems

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Dan

Up here in the rust belt, also known as New York state, cars get rusty, and one of the rustiest parts is often the exhaust. Over time that typically leads to exhaust falling apart and needing to be repaired or replaced.

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Destroyed Oil Pan & Subframe

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Dan

A Civic was towed in, and we were told that the customer had hit something in the road and that the oil pan was broken. That was a little of an understatement.

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Chewed Seatbelts

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Dan

I’m not a big fan of cars that have had dogs in them. They often smell or have hair everywhere, or have nose smudges on the windows. I haven’t often seen damage caused by dogs, though.

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2001 CR-V Transmission, Speedometer, & Alternator Problem

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Dan

I’ve learned a lesson about diagnosing strange problems. When doing electrical diagnosis you should always check fuses early on, but I’ve now learned that you should also check fuses if you have a strange problem, even if it doesn’t seem electrical.

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Aftermarket Valve Stem Caps

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Dan

One area of cars that people like to customize that is surprising to me is the valve stems on the wheels. They’re such small, easily overlooked parts, yet some people care about them enough to buy special caps to change the look of them. A lot of times that doesn’t have any negative affect. I have heard of a time when a customer had valve stem caps so heavy that they caused a vibration.

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Honda HR-V Suspension Carnage

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Dan

If there’s anything that can draw a small crowd of mechanics, it’s a car that’s gotten some impressive damage from a crash. Here’s a few pictures of a Honda HR-V that was sitting outside our body shop.

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OBD-II Connector Location

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Dan

Every car sold in the US since 1996 is required to be equipped with an OBD-II connector so all scan tools, and in some cases state inspection computers, can connect to them and read data. There are general requirements for where the connector is, but sometimes they’re not in the most obvious locations. The OBD-II connector is generally located under the driver’s side of the dashboard. Sometimes it’s behind a little cover, sometimes it’s tucked a little bit behind a panel, but usually they’re mostly out in the open.

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Dashboard Removal

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Dan

Last week was the second time I’ve had the fun job of removing a dashboard to replace part of the HVAC system, this time on a Honda Fit.

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Rim Protector Failure

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Dan

Compared to even ten years ago, more and more cars are coming with bigger and bigger wheels, meaning thinner tire profiles. That means more potential for wheel damage from potholes and curbs.

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Quick Tip: Oxygen Sensor Thread Chaser

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Dan

I’ve got another quick tip for you, once again about exhaust systems and oxygen sensor replacement.

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