Recent content by RAR

Diagnosed the non-working rear liftgate on the Grand Caravan as an attack of the green crusties in the power connection. Pulled it out and the ground snapped in a small puff of corrosion. The connectors in the plug are swollen and damaged beyond repair. But the module has two flat spade...

I’m across the state and working on my Grand Caravan (loaned to my brother). Wiper motor died during the recent rain so I ordered up a new motor and linkage assembly from NAPA. Only one 10mm bolt holds the assembly, along with rubber bushings in steel slots. It was a 5 minute job and I was...

Rain! It knocks out any plans I had for working on my nieces van as it’s stuck on the garage apron and can’t be brought inside. 🤨 So I’m doing indoor domestic chores.

Absolutely! I was changing out an oil pump in my mom’s 2008 Silverado 5.3 last summer and a drop got near the corner of my mouth. Bleah! That nasty taste didn’t go away for an hour.

We have planes overhead constantly here in northern Minnesota, headed either northwest or coming from that direction. A couple I’ve seen were going more directly north but as I was deep into an engine repair I didn’t research it more. Almost always twin jets now. They used to be quad jets a...

Tax stuff. Picked up my air and cabin air filters for my Charger at NAPA. I’ll plan to get more done today as yesterday was interrupted by a medical issue for my mom. It turned out ok, but is always a concern until it’s resolved. Doctor even said she’s doing beautifully. 😁

The brake line. What can happen is the crimps rust and crush the rubber part so that it can’t flow freely. I had it happen on a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. I installed new calipers but the lines were crusty. The caliper locked and removing it freed it up. New lines fixed it right back good as...

It will likely be fine, and I’m certain the owner’s manual will specify what conditions need to be present to ensure trouble free use. I would recommend far more frequent oil changes than the manual might state, just as insurance. Like it or not, turbocharged engines are becoming the norm in...

BMW and Mini are two that I know personally use these E-Torx fasteners just about everywhere. I have a couple of sets of these sockets for the work I do. In a pinch, and in the past, my old Crafstman splined sockets would fit and I used them without an issue.

Changed oil on the Mini Cooper S. Had some difficulty with the oil filter cap, and found that a spring clamp on a hose next to the filter housing was clocked just enough to interfere with removing the cap. On this engine the hose is accessible, but just barely. It took some effort, patience...

I have a low profile 27 mm I just happened to have used today to remove an oil filter cap on my Mini. It’s low profile for other uses like the tensioner for the timing that is right up against the firewall on the same car. I have also used my 20mm socket on a VW New Beetle for the struts, as...

I recently dragged home my brother’s 2014 Chrysler Town & Country minivan on a U-Haul tow dolly. I did a one-way rental across the state and was considering the full trailer, but in the end chose the dolly. I used my mom’s 2019 Ram 1500 Hemi to bring it back. No issues, just needed to extend...

I’ve been “testing” my newly completed Mini Cooper S 1.6 turbo this week, using it for routine errands. I really do enjoy driving it with the new turbo and everything operating as it should. While it’s probably not necessary, I still do an idle after my drive to allow coolant and oil to...

I buy frequently from RockAuto and yes, they’ve messed up a couple of my orders. But I still trust their parts (like filters, coils, plugs, small electronics, etc.) over the eBay alternative. My latest lesson learned was the Mercury and the faulty no name eBay ignition coils. The NGK...

Parked the 2014 T&C in my yard. Brother told me he’s going the used engine route, so we will pick one up from a salvage yard we use and recondition it on the stand. That’s pending in the next few weeks. I decided to sell my Charger as a project for someone despite it driving and running...