Unusual Fluid Leak

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Dan

A Honda Pilot came in for us to look at because the owner saw fluid leaking from the rear. I put it up on a lift and took a look. The rear differential was dry, but the subframe had some kind of fluid on it. I also noticed some running down the spare tire.

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New Car Accessories

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Dan

It used to be that when you were buying a new car there was a big list of factory options to choose from. Nowadays it seems like your choices are restricted to a trim level and then two or three options within that, with little customization available. That’s where dealer-installed accessories come in.

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Just Get The Torch

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Dan

When starting as a mechanic, there are things you learn from reading, and things you learn from seeing and doing. After a while you know when not to bother with some things and when to skip straight to what’s usually the last option, brute force or the torch.

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Sway Bar Link Mistake

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Dan

Almost all cars have sway bars, a long piece of metal running from one side of the car to the other. They tie each side of the suspension together to lessen body roll during cornering. Most cars have one in front and many have one in the rear as well.

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My Car: Sprung Drum Brakes

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Dan

Rarely a dull moment with my car, which isn’t surprising given that it’s a 1997 Civic with over 200,000 miles. I was driving along as usual, when suddenly I heard a clunk and a horrible rotational scraping noise started. I knew it had to be something with the rear brakes, which was surprising because I rebuilt them back in December.

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Wholesale Rust

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Dan

Many times dealerships get trade-ins that aren’t worth their time or effort to fix up and sell. Older cars, higher mileage, damaged, rusted. When they decide not to do anything with them they get put on the wholesale line where other dealers sometimes buy from, or they get sent to an auction.

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Throwback Thursday: Using The Tools You’ve Got

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Dan

Today I’m going back to a time before I was a mechanic. Before college, I’d never really done any mechanic type work, except for a little bit on our lawn mower with my dad and brother. One year, the starter died, and we had to replace it. This led to some creativity with the few tools that we had.

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Bend a Line, Cook an Engine

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Dan

If you don’t know what it is, don’t drive over it. A Honda Odyssey came into the shop for a check engine light.

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More Animals in Cars

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Dan

As I’ve written about before, wild animals and cars don’t mix. They can cause damage or get themselves injured or killed by getting in places they shouldn’t be. I once found a dead mouse in an air filter box.

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Broken Engine Mount Bolts

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Dan

I had a late model Honda CR-V come in for a noise complaint. The customer said there was a rattle when taking off from a stop. I heard it immediately, and when I lifted it I found that the transmission/transfer case was actually hitting the subframe.

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