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Previous UOA here. 170000 miles on the engine at the time of this sample. No engine-related maintenance/repair operations this OCI. AFAICT, titanium is an additive in this oil. Asked the lab to stop flagging it but they insist for some reason, so here we are. Usage on this car has cratered...

WD Green SN350 2TB SSD. Realized after I started using it (derp) that it had a rated endurance of 100 TBW; that seemed low to me, so I've been monitoring the drive periodically with CrystalDiskInfo. Currently at ~2.5 TBW while "Health Status" is still 100%. I didn't really understand TBW...

It's especially funny because this car is notorious for BMW's insistence that their own-branded 10W-60 is the only suitable engine oil. Again, that's one single solitary oil – not a published spec that anyone could formulate to. Not even an exclusive OE-specific spec, as BMW does with its...

Summary: Diesel engines generate a lot of soot. If that soot were uncontrolled, it'd be like sand circulating in the engine causing abrasive wear everywhere. Not good. So, Diesel engine oils are loaded with detergent/dispersant additives to cope with that soot. The trade-off is that those...

122,570 total miles on the vehicle. This is the 2.5L MZR L5-VE engine – slightly bigger than in previous Mazda5s and Mazda3s. This is not the same 2012 Mazda5 as the one from the previous Mazda5 UOA I posted, but it's identical in spec and fuel used. Slightly more conservative driving style...

I want something like this: https://www.hazet.de/en/products/hand-tools/grinding-/-separation-and-cutting-thread-repair/file-brush/product/ean-4000896186860 ...but for a hub with 90mm long M12 lug studs. Anyone know of such a thing off the top of their head? And/or another tool/method that'd...

I'm planning to install a set of brake calipers that was pulled from a new car due to a cosmetic defect and sitting for at least 5 years. Seals appear to be good. Right now, my plan is 1. Just throw them on at first (the initial bleed after install should flush out at least some...

Been using this for a while when on-the-go: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083XRJXSD It's a 5' extension cord with two well-spaced outlets on a 3.3" x 1.8" pod with an integrated two-port USB-A charger. Very handy. I just wish it had surge protection and USB-C. Anyone aware of a similar...

Been using Pinnacle Souveran liquid wax for a while and liked it, but my knowledge hasn't been updated in years (and wasn't very good to begin with). I end up doing a full wash and wax on each of our cars about twice a year. How the car looks when I'm done isn't a priority at all; I just want...

Spinning off from this thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/weird-hard-drive-issue-questions.386355/ I have an old PC acting as a file server. One SSD, three platter hard drives, two optical drives, all SATA. The case itself is well ventilated but it sits somewhere that isn't...

Description of the problem and steps taken so far, then questions below. I have an old Windows 10-based PC acting as a file server. Twice now, after it has been on for a few days, I've seen the HD access LED stuck on. In Explorer, one of the hard drives looked like it was half-disconnected...

Previous UOA here. 165296 miles on the engine at the time of this sample. Did this change a bit earlier than normal because I had a gap in my schedule and didn't know if I'd have one later. Changed spark plugs ~370 miles before draining the oil. A little more than halfway through this OCI, I...

Previous UOA here. 160529 miles on the engine at the time of this sample. For about three months right at the beginning of the OCI, the car ran only a few times, only for moments at a time, and only to move in and out of a garage, occasionally without its O2 sensors. Also, I discovered a...

I want the Wi-Fi router equivalent of a Toyota Hilux. Something I can set up once and never have to touch it again for like 10 years – no mysterious Wi-Fi drops, no needing to reboot it, etc. – even if it's subject to more than normal heat, dust, etc. Happy to consider commercial/industrial...

My M3 doesn't come with a spare tire. I'm considering buying a full-size spare for the occasional road trip. I want it to 1. Be usable in a variety of conditions (including snow), and 2. Last as long as possible in storage (100% indoors). Literally nothing else about the tire matters...

I know opened brake fluid is subject to moisture lowering the boiling point. Are there any other risks associated with it? I always have some amount of opened but unused Castrol SRF kicking around. SRF's wet boiling point is over 500º F, which is higher than the dry boiling point of many DOT4...

2012 Mazda5, 2.5L MZR L5-VE engine, 6-speed manual. 177k miles. Clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing are all basically new; hydraulics are all original AFAIK. Background first, then question. After a few fast shifts yesterday – not clutch dumps or anything; just...

175,681 total miles on the vehicle. This is the 2.5L MZR L5-VE engine – slightly bigger than in previous Mazda5s and Mazda3s. 6MT. First UOA on this engine. It's actually had a few oil changes since I bought it with ~157k miles, but those didn't make sense to sample because they weren't all...

Been reading up on the Control Blade rear suspension in a lot of Fords and Mazdas pre-2014 or so (e.g. our family's own 2012 Mazda5). One thing I've seen mentioned in multiple places – though not everywhere – is that the blade itself is meant to flex so that other joints in the suspension can...

Which commercial airliner, fully loaded, can put you back in your seat the hardest at takeoff? Curious about this because I was in an A321 Neo recently and felt like its takeoff acceleration was harder than I’m used to from most jets. We all know the limitations of the butt dyno, though…