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    Rebuilt caliper = reseized caliper? Help!

    Six weeks ago, my daughter-in-law's car (2010 Ford Fusion) was giving a lot of vibrations on the highway. I found that one of the front brakes was dragging badly - the affected wheel was getting very hot and the car would not roll naturally in a parking lot. I replaced the front brake pads and...
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    How do you like the driving aids in today's cars?

    Just took the Prius in to get the peeling white paint repaired. Been waiting for months. For a loaner, they set us up with a 2024 Corolla SE. I've been driving older vehicles so long... I don't think I've been so impressed with a rental car, ever. Anyway, this thing has Toyota's TSS 3.0, so...
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    Sway bar links - steel vs aluminum vs plastic

    I know a few cars use plastic links, but I just put that in there for the clickbait. I need to replace the front sway bar links on my "$3000 Prius" that I posted about previously. Looks like the Genuine Toyota parts are aluminum and I might be able to get a pair "overnighted from Japan" for a...
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    I bought a 2010 Prius for $3000

    Since a popular topic on here is the state of the used car market, here's my recent experience. A few weeks ago, I bought a Prius from a local seller. He was offering the car for $3000, with 207k miles and claimed that it ran good. It had a lot of peeling paint, so I wasn't too sure, but then...
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    Max A/C = closed heater core valve

    An interesting feature on my 1997 Ranger: when you turn the A/C all the way to the "max" setting, the valve for the heater core closes. So you cannot adjust the temperature of the air coming out the vents if it's on "max". A plus of this system is if your blend door gets messed up, your A/C...
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    What is your protocol for testing A/C vent temperature?

    Yeah, I know -- just drive the car and if you're miserable, there's a problem. It's easy to fool yourself, though. If you are wanting to take a more "scientific" approach, how do you eliminate as many variables as possible? Fan on high, full cool... recirc on or off, windows open, etc. Rear a/c...
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    When you search online to try to figure something out -- are you getting a lot of generic results? Is it AI generated?

    Title says it all -- trying to figure something out online and you search for help... a lot of the web search results are generic web pages that will seem like they are helpful but they are kind of generic and vague. I think they are AI generated. Are you seeing this same stuff?
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    Oil not returning to A/C compressor... why?

    I have a post about this going on a model-specific forum, but I thought I'd ask the A/C experts over here. My car is a 2006 Volvo S40... recently, the accessory belt started slipping and smoking, but everything was still turning. When I was trying to test it turning off the A/C, the belt broke...
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    Wander-around junkyard vs. inventoried junkyard

    So over the last few years, I have learned about self-serve junkyards and I have found they are an excellent resource for keeping old cars running. First, I went to well-organized junkyards that were part of the Pick-n-Pull and LKQ national chains. These places allow you to search online for...
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    Greatest/worst 3.5/3.6 24-valve V6 of the late 2000s?

    Seemed like in the late 2000s, every car manufacturer had a 3.5 or 3.6 normally aspirated V6 that was pumping out 250-300hp. Pentastar, J35, GM High Feature, VQ35DE. Now these high tech sixes are being "displaced" by 2.0 turbo fours. What, in your opinion, was the best of this era? The worst...
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    200k vs 100k timing belt change

    Took off the timing belt at 200k on my Odyssey. All Honda-branded parts underneath, and I'm wondering if I'm the first person to do a timing belt change or not. The previous owner said he had replaced it, and that he worked at a Honda dealership, so maybe he purchased all OE parts for the job...
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    Average age for a car on the road equals average age for an EV battery to fail

    I believe the average age for a car on the road these days is around 12 years old. Also, I believe the average age at which modern EV batteries will get bad enough to become nonfunctional is 10-12 years. So what does an EV future look like? A lot of cars with failed batteries that are too...
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    "Optimal" brand parts, any experience?

    Thinking I might have a wheel bearing acting up on the Volvo. Noticed Optimal brand wheel bearings for a bit cheaper than skf,timken, etc. Normally, I'd say forget it, but this brand is carried by FCP for some applications, and looks like it's maybe made in Germany..? Hard to find much about...
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    What is the riskiest used car to buy?

    So I have been looking a little at Chevrolet Volts recently. I'm starting to think that a Gen 1 (2011-2015) Volt is one of the riskiest used car buys, here's why: They didn't make many of them, so there's not a ton of junkyard parts out there. Also, not a lot of knowledge on how to fix them...
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    Intermittent (?) dead battery

    Just wanted some quick thoughts from you guys before I do anything. I have a 1997 Ranger 2.3 that has a Costco Interstate with a 2018 date on it. Had several occasions where when trying to start it in the morning, the battery would be dead. But generally, it was working reliably, and it was...
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    How are brakes bedded in at the factory?

    I've heard that the reason brakes "warp" is pad deposits and, therefore, you must bed in your brakes after a brake job. What about new cars? Is there a factory brake bedding going on, or is it just up to the test drivers and/or new owner to drive gently enough to avoid deposits? And do new cars...
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    Old Prius

    My oldest son just bought his first car, got a 2005 Prius with around 140k miles on it. I didn't know that much about them, but it's looking like we dodged some potential issues. The date code on the HV battery is 2017 and the Dr. Prius test shows 85%+ capacity. So that looks good for potential...
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    Parts Price Inflation

    Are you seeing significantly higher prices for the parts you are installing than 1-2 years ago? I'm about to do a J35 timing belt, and it seems like the Aisin kit has been just a bit under $200 on Rockauto for forever, and still is. Maybe I'm wrong. But the price for Centric discs and pads for...
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    How important is a great engine?

    There are some engines that are legendary for whatever reason, a few duds out there and some that don't get talked about much. If you are buying a used car to keep for a while, how important do you think it is to have one of those "legendary" motors? I look back on the cars I've owned over...
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    Replacing door seals on an older car?

    So our family has a fleet of a few older cars with high miles. Most of them are in pretty good running condition. They ride nicely on refreshed suspension. But one difference between a new car and an older one is the noise level inside, and I think part of that may be down to the exterior rubber...
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