Car Maintenance and Repair Blog

Symptoms of a Bad Differential & How Much it Costs to Fix

Cars are a delicate balance of many systems and parts which can become almost undrivable if certain elements are not working correctly. Understanding symptoms of certain problems therefore is important to keep ahead of problems that may compromise your vehicle.

What are the Symptoms of a Bad Water Pump?

A lot goes into making an engine run smoothly and ensuring the conditions are right for its operation. A constant stream of alterations and processes take place in the modern engine and even seemingly minor issues can throw off the balance.

What Color Should Your Engine Oil Be?

When we are given goals for car maintenance milestones we might be forgiven for thinking that they are gospel and there is no wiggle room. The truth is these are estimates and they can not possibly take in every eventuality.

What Does SAE Stand for on Motor Oil Bottles?

You have decided you are going to take a shot at changing your own oil or at least topping up the oil in your engine. It may seem like the easiest part of the process would be purchasing the new engine oil but perhaps it is not as simple as you might think.

What Does the Esc Light Mean & How Do You Fix It?

There is no ignoring the fact that modern vehicles are just safer than they used to be even a few decades ago, let alone when they first hit the roads. Our cars are packed full of clever gadgets and sensors many of which are geared toward making them easier to drive and ultimately as safe as possible.

What Does the ESP BAS Light Mean & How Do You Fix It?

Warning lights on our dashboards are worrying enough when they don’t turn off but they are especially so when we don’t know what they mean. Some are pretty self explanatory while others are just odd symbols or initials.

What is Rod Knock & What Does it Sound Like?

New sounds from our cars can be alarming and often if we do hear something we've never heard before it means that we have some form of problem. We should always pay attention when our cars start to make a new noise as quick diagnosis and repair can save us a lot of money in the long run.

What is the Best Oil Filter to Buy?

When it comes to automotive replacement parts all things are very much not equal. You will find varying levels of quality when it comes to car parts because manufacturers are competing for your business and some are willing to gamble on creating budget options.

Why Might Brake Lights Get Stuck On & How Do You Fix Them?

There’s a reason we have electric lights on our cars and not just for driving after dark. It is all about safety from being visible at night to warning other road users of what we are doing or plan to do. These lights are vital.

Best EVAP Smoke Machines for 2024

To the committed at home mechanic getting the right equipment is essential especially if you plan to spend a lot of time working on your cars. This includes tools that not only fix the vehicles but can help to diagnose the issues as well.

How Do You Clean a Catalytic Converter Without Removing It?

The emissions our cars produce are of great environmental concern these days and rightly so. When we burn fuel in the internal combustion engine some nasty gases are created which need to be cleaned. Depending on the car there may be a few steps in that process but in most cases the last step will be a catalytic converter.

How to Bleed Your Cars Cooling System

The cooling system in your car is vital to the safe operation of your engine. If you have ever faced an overheating issue with your engine you know how stressful it can be. Not only is it stressful but if you do not deal with it you can seriously damage the engine.

How to Make Your Car's Exhaust Louder

Some people are just fine with keeping their new car as it is and there is nothing wrong with that. Others however want to make their vehicle different, they want it to stand out or turn heads. There are many ways to do this by altering its appearance, performance and even the way it sounds.

Reasons a Car Radiator Fan is not Working & How to Fix It

The internal combustion engine is powered by the burning of compressed fuel and air inside multiple cylinders. This occurs as a series of timed ignition events which as you can imagine creates a lot of heat. While a certain level of heat is expected too much heat will actually do damage to the engine.

Signs of a Bad Powertrain Control Module (PCM) & How to Fix It?

The cars of today are filled with wires and computers which, while they make for a very high tech vehicle, is a setup that can have its problems. When everything is working great we have some of the best performing and user friendly vehicles when compared to decades ago.

Symptoms of a Bad EGR Valve & How Much It Costs to Replace

Our engines are full of unsung heroes, those tiny parts that we don’t know the names of but that do a major job in keeping our engines working at their best. These are often sensors or valves that may not seem important but actually have very vital jobs.

What are the Worst Tire Brands?

You can have everything in or on your car working perfectly and in top condition but if you neglect one very key element you can ruin it all. It is easy to look upon tires as just pieces of rubber wrapped around a wheel.

Why Might You See Water Coming From Your Exhaust?

If you have ever taken notice of the exhaust pipe of a car while it is running you may have noticed what looks like water dripping out of it. This is definitely not an uncommon sight especially while you are idling.

Why Would a Car Alarm Keep Going Off & How Do You Fix It?

We live in a world where people are struggling financially at an increased rate which can often lead to people making bad decisions. Crime is on the rise so protecting your property is important. This is why most cars have security systems.