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So, what does this smoke do for our vehicles driven in it? I rode my motorcycle through the Berkshires yesterday and it was eery. Looked like fog much of the time. Could smell smoke most of the day. I felt fine except for a scratchy throat at the end of the day, but probably not the best for my...

I don't know if they are still any good, but I returned an Advance Auto alternator and got a new one, which has now outlasted the first one by many years. I suspect the lifetime warranty is more of a marketing gimmick than a real guarantee. They've calculated out the average return rate vs. the...

I ran into a guy who seemed very level headed. He said he only uses 110-volt charging at home for his Nissan Leaf, which he supplements with commercial chargers when roaming further afield. For those who do this, what's the real-world performance you are getting from 110-volt charging at home...

Back in the day in the Adirondack High Peaks my dad's VW bus wouldn't even turn over one morning with the temperature down around 38 below F or so. Actually, we didn't know exactly how cold it was because all the mercury in our thermometer had dropped into the bowl at the bottom and it only read...

I have the original engine manual for a Perkins 4.236 diesel installed in my boat in 1978 and it has a full page of oil specs for different brands. There is no mention of 15W-40 as a grade. The closest is 20W-40. There are lots of listings for various brands at 10W-30. I currently run Rotella...

The Garage 56 car is faster than the GTE class. https://jalopnik.com/could-the-nascar-garage-56-camaro-beat-every-gte-car-at-1850515221

I have found that no matter how big the vehicle the family will fill the available space. Backseat legroom and space can become a problem when they become teens, and in general that is the biggest problem with small sedans. If the kids can sprawl out, have their own corner, play games, eat food...

What does a change cost with full synthetic? What filters do they use?

The Garage 56 crew won the pit stop challenge in the GTE class: https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2023/06/06/nascar-garage-56-crew-wins-pit-stop-challenge-at-le-mans/

I seem to recall that someone once calculated the surface area of all the holes on some filter that was deemed "too restrictive" and it was surprising how much area there was. Maybe I'm wrong, but I imagine reputable companies pull samples off the assembly line on a regular basis for testing to...

Compact Ford Escort wagon was just OK when we had two kids in car seats. Then moved to a minivan, which despite what many people say is the ideal family vehicle. Way more usable interior room than most SUVs, better on gas than the SUVs available at the time, lots better on the highway on long...

I find the messy part is removing the oil filter, with oil cascading all over the place.

The valves don't stop splashing when you take off the oil filter, though that is less of a problem. Still need an oil pan of some sort to do the filter.

Similar question for @macarose : Are state vehicle auctions to be avoided? I see them near me and I know one person who got a Ford Explorer that served him well for years. He was a big fan of the state vehicle auctions. At least some of the offerings appear to be low-mileage vehicles that were...

Seems like a messy thing to store between oil changes. Do you use one?

Interesting that Tough Guards still win out even at 2 OCIs. I wonder how much difference there is between the Tough Guard and the Ultra? Doesn't look like much other than the media.

Thanks for the quick update! Unfortunately, my go-to autoparts store (closest to home) is Advance Auto and they sell the Pure One at $12.79. At that price I can get the Fram Endurance at Walmart, which I think is a better filter. Obviously, you have to adjust the spreadsheet for your own local...

I want a drain pan that catches most of the splashes.

"Doesn't have the resources" is really a matter of priorities. I see the same thing locally. I have contacted them about various things over the years, and that is their standard reply no matter what you are dealing with. OTOH they seem to have plenty of time and equipment to play combat with...

I typically change my oil with various cars up on plastic ramps, so there isn't a lot of room under there. I find that the oil drain pan I have used for years always creates splashes of oil, particularly if the oil is hot and flowing fast...