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The classic advice of using a wire wheel or wire brush is simpler and better. Electrolysis cleans the surface to bright metal, but leaves embedded hydrogen. That's bad on a stressed stud -- you don't to risk crack formation

They look rough but likely serviceable. I would replace them and use new lug nuts if inexpensive. Edit: Dorman 610-390 looks like the equivalent. Amazon has them for $20/10. Old-school part stores might have them for individually for about the same price.

Since there is already 120 VAC, there is little reason to be especially concerned about power consumption as you might be with a solar powered light LEDs are typically 1/8 to 1/10 the power for the same light output. For a security light the inherent directionality of LEDs adds to the...

You can shorten that time frame considerably. The initial reports from a year ago that said "days on surfaces" were based on detectability. We now are fairly certain that the virus is non-viable within minutes in normal conditions, even if the RNA can be matched for several days. The "spikes"...

Some older motivation activated floodlight fixtures had a slide switch to control the mode, but that's no longer the best solution. If you are going to the effort to replace the fixture, you should update to a LED floodlight with a remote control. It might seem silly to have a remote control...

Exactly the point I was going to make, including that example. Plus Audi is only one part of VWAG. They might already have been planning to shift new engine development to other divisions to avoid duplication. There is no obligation for PR announcements to reflect the actual reason for a change.

We know some details of the first widely-published accident. The initial news reporting implied that it was a Tesla self-driving crash, but that is not the case. A 22 year old male with a suspended license was driving at high speed in the early morning hours, with a 21 year old female who was...

You only think that it can tell you about the surrounding traffic. Your brain is telling you that it knows where everything is, but in reality it only knows what is happening in the narrow cone you are focusing on at the time. Machine vision is not yet as good as human image recognition, but it...

I can see a few scenarios where someone can repair a vehicle for substantially less than the insurance company estimates. An insurance company won't take on the liability of installing used airbags, and has to include new parts in the estimate. A guy doing repairs on the side won't have that...

Originally Posted by WyrTwister I pretty much replace the spark plug and change the oil on our mower each spring . And often replace the air filter . All as preventative maintenance . Replacing the spark plug annually is usually pointless. It's a routine from over a half century ago, when...

I wouldn't worry too much about the expiration date. Rockauto is always a dice roll. Consider anything you buy from them as-is. It's probably ancient stock from a closed warehouse. Even if it's unusable or the wrong part, they'll refuse a return. Build that into your buying decision: only buy...

Originally Posted by CincyDavid I don't know that I've ever used a clothesline in all of my 53 years... We dry clothes outside for most of the year. That's because we have the room and the weather supports doing it. For a few months we need to exclusively use the dryer, which is a good...

Originally Posted by MaximaGuy There is nothing that my parts guy where I service my Lexus & Toyota wouldn't give me over the phone!! In-fact the parts guy out here in Charles Maund Toyota pulls up his service manuals right up and confirms I am ordering the right part - its a drive to go his...

The Snap Circuit battery pack has a hidden 'PTC' (Positive Temperature Coefficient) resistor. That limits the current if there is a short circuit, which is a common occurrence. The PTC resistor works by dramatically increasing its resistance when it heats up. That allow almost full voltage for...

Belts run on the fibers. The rubber only seals and cushions the fabric. The fabric was already pretty awesome by the 1980s, which is why the shift to timing belts happened. It hasn't gotten that much better since then.

Originally Posted by simple_gifts 2019 Kona AWD with 20K miles for $16K; if I were not so cheap, i'd be on it. Is that a good deal? A quick search suggested that MSRP for a base model was under $20K.

A quick search suggests that most of those used Tecumseh HM80 engines. I recently repaired a long-neglected chipper shredder with that engine, and have a bit of experience. I wouldn't even bother checking out the carb. Just buy a new one from Amazon or FleaBay for $10-$12. It will take about...

BMW is typical of European design. They have used 'buffered' gauges since the 1990s. The gauges are stepper motors that are software operated. They report whatever results in the fewest customer questions and complaints. Generally the temperature is Map controlled. The ECU decides the preferred...

Originally Posted by Trav Where is this water coming from? You are suggesting that something was left open? Yes, that would be bad. It is also obvious and is not the general problem. A tiny bit at a time from everywhere. Diffusion through rubber, even thick hoses and properly functioning...

An issue that is often forgotten: does it freeze where the vehicle is located? If so, DOT5 is a poor choice. The separated water will form beads of ice that can plug the system. This is one of the reasons that DOT5 is appropriate for show cars and race cars, but not daily drivers. Personally...