Hello,

I drive a 2001 ford ranger XLT with the 2.3L 4-cylinder engine and a manual transmission.

The other day, when I pulled the dipstick, it came out low, so I wiped it and it came out dry. I added oil to no avail, and even did a complete oil change with 4 quarts of new oil. It still came up dry after the oil change, even though the oil pressure gauge read normal. Even after some driving, it’s still dry, and lowkey scares me for an upcoming 7 hour drive home from Uni. What could cause this? I’m pretty sure it’s the right dipstick, and oil pressure has remained steady on the gauge since.

TL;DR: dry dipstick after full change despite fine oil pressure

Was doing a brake job and bought one of those abrasive pads that are advertised for being safe and effective on cleaning wheel hubs.

Now while my wheel hub is smooth to the touch, it looks kinda scratched up from the pad? Did I push too hard or its superficial?

Also can I use these cleaning pads every time I change brakes since it was so much faster than a wire brush or is it really only for very bad cases?

2004 ford mustang

2007 MERCEDES E CLASS AWD
5.5L DOHC ELECTRONIC FI

Parts x2 WHEEL HUB BEARING ASSY $265.98 each
Labor $594.00 😳

I will look line to see if I can find a compatible part that’s cheaper than $265.98 but the labor concerns me… should I go to another mechanic?

Location: San Antonio, TX

Thanks folks!

i am currently driving a 2020 dodge charger sxt. ive had it for 3 months no issues, i drive this car like an old man. i dont race, i dont drive crazy i drive it to get from point a to point be but yesterday i was driving to get on the highway, i assumed a truck wasnt going to yield for me which i was right. i ended up flooring to not get rear ended. instantly i get a check engine light and the car kind of stuttered unsure how i recalled it but i immediately took it to get a engine scan. i was told it needed to have the oil and the oil filter changed. so thats what i was going to do today until i checked under the car and it looked like the bottom of the car was splattered with oil. it looked wet. but it didnt seem like it was leaking. also the car drives like nothing is wrong. could this just an oil and oil filter change issue?

I got into my car this morning and it wouldn’t start. I’m worried it might be the starter, but I don’t know anything about cars.

Any recommendations for what tool I need to get these fork clamp bolts out? They're Torx T45 torqued to 20NM.

I have a T45 socket but it's too big to get in there with the rachet attached. The biggest gap available is about 2 CM.

I'm thinking maybe a 1/4 inch T45 bit with a bit ratchet maybe? Or a T45 L key - although not sure I'll be able to shift them with something like that.

Any ideas / recommendations?

Full disclosure, I know nothing about cars. My wife's check engine light came on the other day and her Escape was sputtering a little. We took it in to have it looked at and the report we got back is we needed to replace the crankcase pressure sensor for $370 and there's misfires in the cylinders. He also pointed out that the coolant reservoir is drained. He went on to say 90% of the time this all means the coolant is draining into the cylinder and it will require a replacement of the engine...but he'd need to take things apart to confirm, which would be another $200-$300 just to check. How boned are we? Does it even make sense to sink that money in if it's just going to require an engine replacement? I have no idea how much an engine replacement would cost, but I would assume it would be enough for us to just cut our losses on the car. We just sank like $3k-$4k on it earlier this year and we were pretty on the fence about paying that when it happened.

My car doesn’t get any power at all from the battery (brand new). I have a 2006 Honda Civic and I’m pretty sure the recommended CCA is 435 and my new battery is 500. It started fine when I first installed it but it wouldn’t start the next day and now the car only starts when jumped. I took a multimeter to the battery and it only read 0.07. So is this as simple as charging the battery or could it be something else entirely?

I was driving my car on the highway and my dashboard lit up and car stalled. Towed it to a mechanic and this is what they discovered : a yankee candle air freshner lodged in my throttle body.

Multiple mechanics have said they have never seen this before . Has anyone ever seen this before ??

2012 Mazda CX-9 with 102k miles wouldn’t start this morning around 7AM. It was pretty cold, so the first thought was that it might be the battery. The dashboard lights come on, but when the key is turned, the power seems to drop and the engine won’t start.

I checked the battery terminals and even disconnected the battery, but they’re clean with no green corrosion and the issue is still there. I tried again about two hours later when it was a little warmer, but got the same result. Any ideas what could be causing this?

Is it weird they charged me for coolant and a new hose? I went in for an oil change. They said they broke the hose. They just said they broke it (did not mention it was defrosted so I assume it wasn’t). 2013 BMW x3.

Should they have charged me for that since they broke it?

I have a 2005 Corolla with 200k miles that I got last year. I runs great and has no problems. I don’t plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. Is it worth $600 to change the coolant, transmission, and brake fluid? I doubt it’s ever been done. I just don’t wanna spend the money it realistically it’ll die in a year.

I drive a 2012 Silverado 5.3 with 320,000 km on it. Sitting at long red lights in gear , under load at idle can't be good for it. So i keep the brake pressed like I normally would and just bumb the gear selector into neutral. I change the oil every 5000 but it's still only a matter of time before something in he valvetrain let's go.

Let's hear if you think this is a bad idea

1974 k5 blazer, it’s been sitting since 2006 when it was last driven. it’s got wasps nests living inside it and i wanna start fixing it up. what’s the first thing i should be doing to restore it/what order should i be going in to restore it? i want to repaint, get a nice sound system and get it running.

Helping a buddy with his 2015 Silverado 5.3, getting the heads reinstalled now and we're having trouble with the TTY bolts. The first round of torquing was fine, the 90* rotation after that was fine, and we're halfway through the first head doing the final 60* rotation and one bolt is incredibly tight. We air jetted the hell out of the bolt holes, even did a little cleaning with long q tips, but we can't get rotation on this bolt even with a jack handle slipped over the breaker bar. The motor is in the truck making this awkward, but this isn't an awkward bolt. Would love to avoid replacing all the bolts on this head if we can, and I'm hoping somebody will have some insight.

Plus my truck has a big camper on it, what should I do? 2012 Toyota Tacoma TSS sports series base model. I assume I should start saving up for a new engine? Pls help

Hi guys! (Kia sorento 2023 hybrid )

I have a question about my car’s heating system. The heat won’t work if I set the temperature to 70–73°F; it blows cold air. However, if I set it to 75°F or higher, it blows hot air. The weird part is that if I lower it from 75°F to 73°F, the air immediately turns completely cold. When I set it back to 75°F, the air is warm but not as hot as it was initially, so I have to keep increasing the temperature to get the heat back.

Could this be a failing blend door actuator, or does it sound like something else?

Maybe a stupid question but i never had my battery die before

Hi all,

The brake pedal on my 2010 Ford Escape has a far travel distance before the brakes engage.

One day when driving, the brakes were working normally, then all of a sudden, the brake pedal needed to be pushed to the floor for the car to brake.

I brought the car to the mechanic, and the master solenoid was replaced, the ABS pump and module was replaced, and the brakes have been bled about 5 times. When I picked the car up, the brake pedal still had a long travel distance before the car was able to brake. I called the mechanic, and he said it could be because they front brake pads are so worn (rear brakes are drum brakes). I replaced the brake pads, but this didn't seem to make any difference.

Does anyone have any insight on how I could diagnose this further? My next steps would be checking the drum brakes to see if they need to be adjusted/replaced, and ensuring the new ABS pump was bled properly at the mechanic.

Thank you!

honda dc2 vtir engine b18c2

really rough idling and car was shaking heaps when i put in neutral coming to a red light, then it stalled itself out. had to revv hard just to get it moving from first gear. check the spark plugs they were all cooked… replaced them, clean fuel injectors smehow there was oil on the tip… also used mutimeter on the wiring came out fine. issue still remains w fast ticking noise and rough idling. also little drops of smth comes out the tail pipe and it smells so sour. help me pls is it looking like i need to replace the whole motor 😪

Hey everyone,

I have a 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i that needs its front catalytic converter replaced. My mechanic quoted me around $900 for parts and labor, and I believe roughly half of that is labor.

I'm located in Massachusetts, near Boston, and I'm trying to find a more affordable option.

I've seen aftermarket catalytic converters online for around $250–$450

A few questions:

• Is $900 a reasonable quote for this repair or am I being ripped off?
• Has anyone purchased an aftermarket catalytic converter online? Any brands or websites you'd recommend?
• Does anyone know a reliable exhaust shop in Massachusetts that installs customer-supplied parts?
• Are there specific emissions requirements in Massachusetts I should be aware of when purchasing a replacement?

I'm not looking to bypass emissions requirements. Just trying to get the car repaired properly without overspending.

Any recommendations or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

I’m working on a 2011 Toyota Camry LE 2.5 and am having an issue getting the radiator fans to come on under normal conditions. This all began when the car started over heating. So I replaced the following: Thermostat, coolant temp sensor, and all relays (fan #1, 2, and 3). I also topped off the coolant in the radiator after replacing those parts. The car now seems to stay right around 190 when at idle for the first 30 or so minutes. But eventually the temp gauge will creep up and the radiator fans never turn on. I know the fans work though because they do run when I have the temp sensor wire unhooked. Just not it when it is connected. I have tried a total of 3 sensors (the original, a Duralast from AutoZone, and a more expensive brand from O Reilly). I also used an OBD2 scanner and found a code for temp sensor high voltage P0118 and cleared this after installing the new sensor. I’m at a loss as to where to go from here to make the rad fans work as expected. Any help is appreciated.

Edit: I should also mention that the radiator fans never turn on when the AC is on. I read multiple sources saying that turning the AC on high should make them turn on.

I recently changed the swirl flaps on my volvo v70 d5 2005

When removing the fuel pipes from the injectors the second one was particularly stiff and the adapter bolt slightly rotated (I stupidly didn't stabilise when removing the cap), it eventually came off

When I've put everything back, the second injector is slightly leaking fuel, at the bottom point where the adapter meets the injector - see pictures

Im not sure whether I need to:

\- tighten the adapter more into the injector to tighten the seal back to where it was (although im worried about over doing it),

\-replace the washer that sits between the adapter and the injector its a 10mm external ringwith a slightly raised lip, 5mm internal - although I cant seem to find where id buy one from?

\-or ive damaged the thread of the adapter or where it screws into the injector and I just need to take the plunge and buy a new injector (or use ptfe tape around the thread??)

Really keen for any advice

Ive got a 2001 f350 7.3L with 33k miles in near mint condition but it has low power ( nearly a full minute to reach 60mph) Person i bought it from said its been sitting for 16years. Im in the the process of diagnosing the issue. I hear diesel ages really well, does this look like bad diesel?

136,000 miles on my 2005 Subaru Legacy Outback wagon. Very difficult to diagnose this issue. I just replaced CV axles and flushed ATF fluid. Not sure if this is related? Started as a highway speed noise intermittent. Now it’s whining all the time over 25ish mph. Coming from my transmission tunnel area while I drive. Can a carrier bearing howl this high pitched?