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Thank you BITOG. After almost exactly 10 years, I can report that the “Garry Dean” rinseless car wash method I learned here has been a howling success. (concentrated rinseless car wash in spray bottle followed by use of multiple sopping wet microfiber towels, followed by wrung out mf towel...

Followed a very fancy car today. I thought it was a Jaguar or Aston Martin, but after googling it turns out to be a Citroen DS9. A test car of some kind, or a one off import by an eccentric? It was on a twisty mountain road for what it's worth.

Hey, what is the cheapest PEA fuel additive these days? Regale seems cheap, but it's also a pretty small bottle. Obviously, I don't care about brand.

So what new cars offer the biggest bang for the buck right now? I'm talking about cars generally available right now, not the close out Ford Fiesta from six months ago or the intro priced Mitsubishi Mirage from three years ago. Has the Chrysler inventory overhang showed up in prices? Try to...

I was at Best Buy today and they have an intriguing new product called a "Polaroid" camera. According to the brochure, unlike a cellphone picture which never leaves the screen, with this new "Polaroid" camera, you can squeeze off a shot wait sixty seconds and have a printed picture to pass...

Anyway, I've been pleased with the UOAs I get from Motorcraft synblend and the Quicklane service. But I saw jugs of Castrol Edge EP for cheap at WM and I somewhat impulsively bought it. As we all know, products that come in gold colored jugs are the best. Also, I was hoping I could get a solid...

Who makes the highest detergent Dino oil these days? I'm a short-haul (incomplete engine warm up) moderate to low mileage (10-12kish) light duty driver. My vehicle only demands a minimum of one oil change per year. Based on the UOAs I'm seeing around here, I'm beginning to think that my best...

Car carefully maintained and now out of warranty. 80,000 miles. No sludge issues. Any reason not to use high mileage formulation of my favorite oil?

Most of us have developed a little regimen for maintaining our cars. What would you do differently if starting over? For me, when I found out how much it costs to replace a water pump in an F-150, I wouldn't have waited 5 years (as per manual) to make the first coolant change. Otherwise...

A series of UOAs and observations of others' UOAs tells me: I get roughly 1.7 ppm iron per thousand miles, using Motorcraft oil. If I switch to quality synthetic, I can get that down to 1 ppm iron per thousand miles. My question: Does the difference matter? That is, does getting it down to...

Saw an article in the Truth About Cars.com that said that $40k + tricked up pickups depreciated only about $450 a year more on average than much cheaper sedans. No wonder we truck owners see ourselves coming and going. I checked. It's true. My no-option 2012 XL F150 has a couple thousand...

I've taken to using a float charger on my daily driver. Short haul vehicle and the battery was declining faster than I liked. Anyway, I got in the habit of using it every single day. Works great at protecting the battery. Now 6+ years old and going strong. I admit I'm one of those guys who will...

Saw a Fiesta ST at the ski area today. Splashed with mud and Michelin Ice-x tires with steelies. Three young guys with snow boards. I'm sure they bombed it all the way up the mountain. ( Don't worry. It's bone-dry this year) Impressed (and truth be told, a little envious). It's just great to...

Hi All, This was meant as a checkup as my 3.7L 2012 F-150 as it heads into middle-age at 62,000 miles. Motorcraft filter. Nothing but Ford Quicklane service since new. I let it run down to the 7% range again as another check on the IOLM---normally I would probably do this in the mid-teens. 9.2K...

VW is now giving 6 yr. 72k warranty on their new cars. Sounds pretty attractive to me. A lot of their cars are price competitive anyway.By all accounts they have good driving dynamics. You take hit-or-miss VW quality out of the equation, or mostly out of the equation, all you have to worry...

Can't seem to dial up what must be a dozen old threads, sorry. First coolant change coming up on Ford 3.7L. I could have sworn that Ford didn't like flush--only drain. Can't find it in the manual though. What say you? Drain or flush and drain?

Kid moved to an area where they don't allow runoff while washing cars. Not clear if that includes rinseless (our preferred method) or not. Car manual is surprisingly detailed. They like plain water, pressure wand not too close to the paint, no harsh detergents, no swirl-o-matic. (well, they...

I need a recommendation on a good toy for a new born baby. So, as everyone knows, BITOG is the go-to place for that kind of information. I want something the babies like, not what Mom and Dad think is "adorable". The stuff my kid liked has all been taken off the market by the CPSC it seems...

I've been out of the new car market for a while. Where do you go to get reliable information about dealer cost these days? Seems like the old sources have dried up or now have puffed up prices

Shopping for new tires for truck. Why the vast difference in tire pressure between brands? Kumhos are 51 pounds OEM Hankooks are 35 pounds. Neither very off-roadish. Why the big difference? Sidewall or something?