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
Driving at night or with glare from the sun can be dangerous when the windshield isn’t nearly spotless. Most drivers understand that the windshield needs to be clean and free of cracks in order to see through it well, but not everyone remembers to clean the interior of the windshield. Doing this regularly dramatically improves … Read more
What is a CVT Transmission? A CVT (continuously variable transmission) is a type of automatic transmission that has an indefinite number of gear ratios. While a conventional automatic has a fixed number of gears (4 gears for a four speed, 6 gears for a six speed, etc), a CVT can form any number and combination … Read more
Your car is one of the most expensive purchases you will ever make, and chances are you hope to keep it in good running order for a long time. So, exactly how long should you expect your car to last? The answer is actually a bit complicated. Some vehicles seem to fail spectacularly right after … Read more