Recent content by RMaybeth

Sir those two words are the best summary of way too many types of problems, that I ever heard in my life...not just automotive issues but probably almost everything else in life too. I actually caught myself getting stuck fixing some issue only to have those two simple words immediately pop...

I'll offer my non-expert opinion to say that, yep one of the functions of grease is to create a semi-solid barrier to moisture. The big problem with most greases is, most of them eventually dry out, at which point they are no longer protecting much of anything. Of course it all depends on the...

I got my first car in 1978. It was a 1964 Plymouth Fury my dad passed down to me to fix (valve job) and then gave to me. 318 V8, push button torqueflite transmission, 4 wheel drum brakes. I learned how to fix cars on it, and at one point I became very interested in engine oils. And one day I...

What i hear you saying is: "I want to use the best oil so my car lives the longest but there is too much information and I'm confused about what oil I should actually use." I felt the exact same way when i first got my 2017 Lexus LS 460. It has 69,500 miles when I bought it in May 2023 but...

Friend, I'll reply to this year old question even though not everybody will like my opinion on this: But I think it makes not the slightest difference which oil you use in an engine fitted with a "wet belt". The oil could be Pennzoil Ultra for $20 a quart or it could be Walmart oil for $5...

Sta-bil only keeps new gas from chemically degrading, it does not fix old gas already gone bad. I used to work for a fleet, one time I had a conversation with another mechanic asked him how long does gas last before going bad? He thought 6 months at the longest.

I'm wondering if you did coolant changes at shorter intervals, like every 2 years (that used to be the recommended interval for a lot of cars) might effect on whether you get a blown head gasket or not? Also I know it almost seems bonkers to even bring it up in this day and age, but would...

I'm curious about one thing, how often did you, and do you, change the coolant?

MaximaGuy, I hope you've resolved this problem by now, but just in case you haven't - I hope you've taken the car in to the proper place for diagnosing such a problem, i.e. to the auto body shop! If I read you correctly, you're saying the car hit something hard enough to knock the car's upper...

I have owned 13 or 14 cars over the years, can't even remember them all anymore, but I've always gone by the same oil change intervals as you do and for exactly the same reasons. I have seen NO compelling reasons, no changes, no miraculous improvements in the tribology (even the widespread use...

Yes I have heard about these engines, made by Ford i think (probably to no one's surprise). For a car company whose cars have always had issues with reliability, designing an engine with its oil pump driven by a rubber belt BATHED IN OIL, is truly going too far making designed-in defects! Even...

Some people keep an old sock and put kitty litter in it, and knot the end (to keep the kitty litter inside the sock). This absorbs most of the moisture inside the car and helps keep the windows from fogging up. The only draw-back to this, not everybody can understand why somebody would be...

Well, of course there's a reason for it, but it only makes sense if you're an automaker. And when you view the question from their point of view, the logic is flawless. The automaker wants one thing above all else, to sell you another car. So they obviously figure if they make the car hard to...

I'm thinking he probably only rotated the engine with the spark plugs out? And, I'm on board w everybody else saying the inside of the exhaust system is probably loaded up with chemicals that make all the smoke. And the reason smoke is still coming out after 40 miles is because there's a lot...

I used to be a certified A/C tech. And I run my car's A/C at least once a week, 52 weeks a year. And there's a good reason for that, too. I'm sure you've experienced turning on A/C, any kind, only to have it blow out nothing but uncooled ambient car instead of blowing cold. 9 times of 10...