Recent content by RaymondP

Couple of issues I have come across. My new Toro mower (Briggs & Straton engine) states NOT to use E15 gasoline, only E10. Not always easy to find in summer. I frequently cross into Canada (Detroit/Windsor) and fill-up with their duty-free gasoline at the crossing. Only Premium available is...

What I am wondering is DOES IT MATTER? Is there any evidence that hearing the tapping/clicking is an indication of bad things to come? Noticed both the BMW (N20) and Merc (GLC300) clatter at cold start-up but are a lot quieter once warmed up. Not as much as a small car diesel engine that...

While I always remove the oil drain plug when available to service my vehicles, I have several applications where I need to extract used oil using a pump of some kind. These include a boat (Diesel M25 engine) and a lawnmower. Was wondering what the readership on this forum use? Have...

A number of the Mercs have TWO batteries, so make sure you are chasing the correct one. The big one is for starting while the smaller one serves the instruments, computers, controls, etc. Had some crazy things happen to my Merc while driving. Had already replaced the main battery and had a...

Buying a car, new or used is no longer fun. Most recently tried to buy a used car, 2 - 4 years old with under 50K miles. Didn't find any worthwhile deals, just a lot of fights with overpriced dealerships and used car salespeople. Ended up buying new from a dealership as minimal savings didn't...

Possess an interesting dilemma, particularly if you have owned the vehicle since new/nearly new and maintained it well. Today what you get in dollars for the replacement of an older vehicle (say 10+ years) is usually much less than what it is worth to you, assuming it is running and serving you...

Would be interesting to see the break-out of parts vs. labor costs in a similar format. My experience with German cars has been that parts are a little more expensive, being more durable(?) and more complex, but the BIG difference is in cost of labor/no. of hours for repairs. As an aside, the...

Maybe some money to be made importing Ru Bars, as in Australia. Should work! :ROFLMAO:

Always encourage learner to try on my manual trans in a quiet parking lot for selfish reasons. Reasoning: more manual trans capable drivers = more demand, at least until EVs overtake. Have had several successful converts as well as family members moving abroad where the market is still...

Always have adhesive weights on my rims. Not by choice. Often they seem to fall off eventually (due to salt/cold?), but before tires need replacing. Wishful thinking is that as the rubber wears, maybe not a bad thing to counter the loss in rubber. Reality is rims/tires always seem to be out...

Mostly had manual transmissions. Several have had clutches fail at projected or longer replacement miles, if that counts. Other than that, lost second gear on a Porsche Boxster S. Still missing it....a great convertible. Did change the trans fluid but made no difference. Old fluid was clean...

Check out Sanibel Island, Fl. Been a few years but was a great experience, particularly if you can find somewhere on the island.

Congrats. As the owner of a 16 328i F30 I think you will be well pleased. Mine is a six-speed manual rear wheel drive and I run snow tires November through April. Handles great and nice and peppy, although a bit of a harsh ride with the OEM replacement tires that it came with. Not hard to...

Exactly the same for me. The 2A NOCO has been doing the job for me and seems to satisfy the needs of multiple AGM batteries in cars, an SUV and a motorcycle. Recognize they are NOT cheap. Did not find any deals and the cost varies depending on retailer.

"Some newer VW engines use a plastic drain plug that only turns so far (o-ring makes the seal with the plastic sump). They seem foolproof, but I’m sure there are ways around it." My 3 Series BMW too. Must be a German thing! Just need to be sure it's the "kit" when buying the filter. Or you...