Smart cars are a quirky brand of urban vehicles designed to be as small and affordable as possible, all while maintaining great fuel economy. You will be hard pressed to find a smaller car with a better turning radius, especially in the American market. Despite their size, they are surprisingly roomy once you climb inside. … Read more
Inside an internal combustion engine, metal components move very rapidly, with tight clearances under intense temperatures and pressures. Without a source of lubrication, these components would quickly wear each other out from metal on metal contact. Engine oil is specifically designed to prevent this catastrophic wear. Engine oil has a pretty tough job. It needs … Read more
To start a diesel engine successfully, it will need a special heating component called a diesel glow plug. A diesel engine cannot start and operate properly without the heat generated from this plug. If you normally drive your diesel-powered vehicle in colder environments, your engine will rely on the diesel glow plug to generate the … Read more
Are you an experienced DIY mechanic looking for the best mechanics tool set for the money? Or are you simply looking to learn basic automotive maintenance tasks such as changing your oil, car battery, or air filter? Whichever side of the equation you sit on, having a tool set that has all the basic tools … Read more
Combustion engines operate on the principle of burning things to go faster. Ironically, you’re not supposed to smell anything burning while you’re driving down the road. If you do encounter a burning smell while in or around your vehicle, it’s important to identify the source and correct the problem. Some burning materials are very dangerous … Read more
If you’ve ever been in the situation where you wondered, “Why is my tire pressure light on when my tires are fine?”, you’re definitely not the first. In 1980s Europe, a new technology was debuted that greatly increased safety. The TPMS (or Tire Pressure Monitoring System) uses sensors on the vehicle to determine when a … Read more
Picture this: you’re sitting at a stop light on a hot day, getting ready to merge onto the highway. As you pull out and step on the gas, you hear an awful noise that sounds like shaking a bunch of marbles in a can. The car hesitates, stumbles, then proceeds to accelerate slower than normal. … Read more
Racing teams spend billions of dollars to develop technologies that can give drivers a competitive edge on the track. It’s no wonder that car manufacturers want to capitalize on these investments by adopting new technologies, using them to change the look of familiar everyday car components. Race Car Innovations in Everyday Cars 1) Semi-Automatic Transmission … Read more
Microfiber towels are one of the best cleaning inventions in the past century. They are soft, lightweight, durable, and exceptionally absorbent. If you want to dry, wax, or detail your car or truck effectively, then you must have a number of these around. Because of their high absorbency, they’ll save you time. Because of their … Read more
Some Subarus have a reputation for eating head gaskets at a very low mileage. Where did this reputation come from? Though there was never an official Subaru head gasket recall, the problem is pervasive enough where it can be expected that certain original head gaskets will fail between 100,000 and 150,000 miles (160-241k kilometers). This … Read more