Quick Fix: Dielectric Grease

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Dan

Recently my 1997 Civic had started running roughly and misfiring in the morning. Based on what my car did after driving through a puddle once I had an idea what the problem might be.

2017_05_04_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in My Car | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

New Family Car: 2014 Civic

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Dan

After my family’s 2003 Honda Accord’s engine bit the dust we were forced to start looking for a new car.

2017_05_01_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in Family Cars | 1 Comment

Rear Turn Signals

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Dan

I’m a bigger fan of older car designs than the current ones a lot of the time. Sometimes it’s just the smallest design point that makes a big difference in the feeling of the whole design.

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Overtightened Drain Plug

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Dan

Sometimes it seems like the last person to do an oil change must have used their full weight on a breaker bar to tighten the drain plug.

2017_04_24_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in In The Shop | Tagged | Leave a comment

So Long, 2003 Accord

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Dan

After many faithful years of service to my family, our 2003 Honda Accord has been decommissioned.

2017_04_20_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in Family Cars | Tagged | 2 Comments

Mistakes Are Okay

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Dan

If you just replaced the wrong part, broke something, or damaged a car, this one’s for you.

2017_04_17_01 Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Small Stone, Big Screech

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Dan

A pretty new car came into the shop with a really bad constant high-pitched squealing noise that happened whenever it moved. With low miles, it’d be unlikely that the brakes had worn all the way down to reach metal-on-metal contact, so the likely culprit was that the backing plate had gotten pushed into the rotor and was rubbing as the car drove.

2017_04_13_01.jpg Continue reading →

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

My Car: Leaking Trunk

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Dan

For a while I’ve noticed my trunk getting a little damp when it rains. I always just kept items away from the spots that I saw get wet, but recently I took a look in the spare tire well.

2017_04_06_01.jpg Continue reading →

Posted in At Home, My Car | Tagged , | 1 Comment

CR-V Animal Nest

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Dan

A Honda CR-V was towed into the shop because it wasn’t responding to the gas pedal and could only be driven around at idle.

2017_04_03_01 Continue reading →

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

Unusual Icy Wheel Buildup

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Dan

On a snowy day in New York I was taking a drive, and when I stopped for lunch I noticed something interesting on my back wheels.

2017_03_30_01.jpg

The snow and slush spray had built up on my wheels in an interesting pattern, collecting on the outer edge of the wheel, as well as the inner raised portion, the lug nuts, valve stem caps, and even little bits on the tire sidewall itself.

2017_03_30_02

Interestingly the right rear wheel had a slightly different pattern on it, with ice collecting in each of the holes instead of the middle portion.

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

Mechanical Malarkey stickers available for $5 anywhere in the US!

-Dan

Posted in My Car, On The Road | Tagged | Leave a comment