Recent content by jmb3675

My 2002 Focus started OK Tuesday night at -23f but failed to start Wednesday at -33f. It tried to start but just couldn't. It has Super Tech synthetic high mileage 5w20 with 4000 miles on the oil. My 1993 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0 did start Wednesday with Resolute 10w30. It was banging pretty...

It kind of looks like the hole in the FL-820s from my F-150 I posted a few years ago. This one had just under 4000 miles on it. I am sure it was bad from the factory.

I have AAA premier. It will cover a tow for my vehicles and my travel trailer. I think it is worth it. If I break down with the travel trailer, I get one tow up to 200 miles and 3 tows up to 100 miles per year to a destination I choose. The insurance companies road service tows to the nearest...

My 2002 ZTW had a hard 1-2 shift and didn't go into overdrive. I replaced 2 solenoids in the transmission. it was a fairly easy job and didn't cost a lot. I changed the filter while I was at it, and filled it with Maxlife. It has been shifting great since, but it has only been 50k miles since I...

I just met a guy that used to start his Escort every 6 hours if it got colder than -10f. He said it was hard to start or wouldn't start otherwise. Turns out he was using 10w-40 because that is what his dad said to use and that is what his dad used in his Jeep. I use the remote start and let it...

Last week I noticed the Michelin LTX M/S2s on my truck have age cracks between the treads on all 4 tires. They are 3 years old with just under 11k miles on them. I only put 3-4000 miles a year on it. I have never seen a tire get age cracks that fast. The Firestone tires on the RV are 8 years old...

My 2002 Focus Ztec had the same problem but the wire was broken inside the shielding and I did not see it. When I stepped on the gas the movement of the engine was enough to break the connection but not all the time at first. I also had 2 broken ears on my coil and had replaced it with no...

I have a set on my AWD 93 Grand Cherokee. I only have 7000 miles on them, but I really like them so far. I thought they did fairly well in deep snow, but they are amazing in slush and rain. They are quiet and I really like how they feel on the highway. I had all 4 installed for less than 400...

My Focus was hard to stop when it was wet or after it had been sitting for a few days. I think it was the cheap brake pads and rotors I put on. New Wagner Thermo Quiet pads and new rotors cured the problem. It stops much better now. If the brakes will lock up, the ABS system is not working...

I had unusual pressure readings after an oil change with my 4.0 Jeep, but it turned out to be a faulty pressure gauge. It seemed like it was working fine and I was convinced it was, but a few weeks after changing the oil it failed completely. I put in a new gauge and the readings were more in...

There used to be a shop by my moms that let people keep their cars on the lot for up to 6 months until they could afford to fix them. After 4-6 months he usually bought the car from them or traded it for one that was already fixed. He would take a loss on most of them, but it kept people coming...

I have never had a bad Motorcraft battery. They have all lasted 7 years or longer. I regret not getting one for my Grand Cherokee. I got a cheap one and had to replace it after 1 year. The price varies a lot between dealers. I got biggest battery available one for my F-150 last year for 80...

The truck I drive at work has a ground strap and I still get zapped all the time.

Since I drive in snow a lot, I would go for all wheel drive. If I rarely saw snow, and didn't tend to camp in muddy places, I would go with a front wheel drive only because it is cheaper not because of reliability concerns. All wheel drive does seem to add more resale and trade in value to most...

The Discount tire near me will give you a similar tire as a loaner until a replacement tire can be shipped in. It is usually the cheapest tire that meets the same specs and has a similar tread, and they always put them on the rear.