Recent content by Carmudgeon

I have a Gunson, and a Motive, and wish there were better options on the market for a quality, affordable pressure bleeder. The Gunson is powered by a compressed air source, like a tire, and works well, but suffers in parts execution. The gaskets are crudely cut, and the tire chuck pops off...

EFBs were conceived as a lower cost alternative to AGMs, with the ability to handle more taxing duty cycles brought about by technologies like start/stop. First introduced in Europe almost twenty years ago, where the product mix created more favorable market conditions for their acceptance, and...

Took a gamble and installed mine, a 48/H6, in late 2024. No issues to report as of yet.

That type works well. I have similar ones from Autogeek. Be wary of using the typical type have have a pile, like carpet, on glass. The backing can leave scratches if too much pressure is applied.

I have the Ancel, which was cheap (<$20 at the time), and does provide some data. But keeping in mind its limits as a conductance tester, the conclusions it provides are no better than the simple household battery testers with the green/yellow/red scales to indicate the health of a cell based...

You know the provenance of the car, and have laid hands on it yourself. It doesn't get much better than that, and such knowledge is beneficial for every used car candidate, not just this one in particular. The N54 was BMW's first version of a turbo six (diesels notwithstanding) and...

The indie stores that have the full Hillman drawer setup can fulfill most needs. Even for some random hardware you didn't know you need, like furniture/lamp hardware and such, or random things like caps. They even have a selection of automotive trim fasteners, and random stuff like brushes for...

Looking at my records, Arrowhead has been Mobil's rebate processor going back to at least 2015. Up until last year, never had an issue with Mobil 1 rebates; approved quickly and arrived in a timely fashion. Could not say the same or the Pennzoil offers I've tried. But, from the design of the...

Indeed. Lots of bright folks, less bureaucracy than a legacy OEM, but very much run from the top down, for better and worse. But they get worked to the bone, and get no EPP perks as far as the vehicles go, so personal driveways aren't occupied by "company" cars unless one drives one as part of...

The chances that Chinese gizmos that retail for $0.75 each, from a seller in the fee-ripe FBA program, have legitimate safety marks -- Magic 8 ball says "don't count on it." These lights are being sold for Aliexpress prices, on Amazon, and it's hard to see how those numbers work even for...

I've always been thorough in providing documentation and never had to resubmit. For deliveries, that includes tracking and proof of delivery from the carrier. Though I will note that with the current system, it will treat each page of a single PDF file as a separate upload, so the limit of...

LOL. Amazon has reached the stage where it can now apply the screws to customers and do only as much as it pleases. Prime is not guaranteed, but still becoming less reliable. And the crackdown on return abusers has begun, as it should, but that net also affects the customers who legitimately...

Quick detailer. But it's easier and faster just to lightly run the clay over the surfaces during a second soap cycle as part of a wash.

Note the date this story was published. The TV makers have been dragged into court for it. Roku proudly proclaims that they transitioned into being a "platform" company a few years ago. Not hard to guess what that means. They just rolled out their new home screen, with a big ole' pane where...

30+, even. Power steering as well. Makes life simpler.