A Squirrely Problem (Animals Nesting in Engine)
July 31, 2022
If you park your vehicle outside, you are exposing it to all sorts of critters that would love to use it for nesting, food storage and shelter. There are plenty of pictures online of people who've discovered there was more than an engine under the hood. In one case, the driver of an SUV started... More
Cruisin' on Down Main Street
June 12, 2022
When automakers first came out with cruise control, it was a real luxury item. The older cruise controls used a mechanical vacuum system but it worked. Well, some of the time. Now days, cruise control is all electronic, thanks to computers. It's reliable and a real convenience on long trips. ... More
Power Failure (Broken Power Seat)
April 24, 2022
Know anyone who doesn't love a power seat in an SUV, a car, truck or van? They're convenient and precise in their adjustments. But when they break, oh, what a pain. Not only is it inconvenient, it may leave your seat position too close to the steering wheel or too far from the pedals. This is ... More
Something to Latch On To (Hood Latch Safety)
April 17, 2022
The other day, a driver was trying to open his vehicle's hood so he could add some windshield washer fluid. But when he pulled the hood release inside the car, nothing happened. Usually, opening any hood is a 2-step process. You pull the hood release (which is usually a handle under the dashbo... More
Singing a Different Tune (Up) (Tune Ups)
April 10, 2022
Engines required a lot more maintenance in earlier times. You'd have to have your spark plugs, wires, rotors, caps, distributor points, fuel and air filters changed periodically. There were mechanical adjustments of a vehicle's timing, dwell, spark gap and idle mixture, too. Unless you like to ... More
A Honking Big Jam (Stuck Horn)
April 3, 2022
At one time or another, most drivers honk their horn at someone who might be texting at a stoplight or not paying attention when they're driving. But what happens when you tap on your horn and all of a sudden it won't quit? Everyone's looking at you like you're an angry jerk and all you want to ... More
Start Me Up (Ignition Systems)
March 27, 2022
When you start up your gasoline engine car, you may not know that it's using the same ignition principles as it has for decades. You have spark plugs that require enough power so a spark can jump across a gap at its tip. Years ago, a vehicle's 12-volt system had to produce 15,000-25,000 volts t... More
Why You Have an O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor)
March 20, 2022
If someone asked you what gas made up the largest portion of the atmosphere, what would you guess? Well, it's not oxygen; it only makes up 20.9 percent. But since we're talking about oxygen, you should know that your vehicle uses oxygen sensors to make sure your engine is running the way it shou... More
A Real "Pane" (Window Maintenance and Repair)
March 13, 2022
It's pretty frustrating when your driver's window won't work. You can't get your food at the drive-thru without opening the door, have a tough time using the ATM from your vehicle, can't have that fresh breeze blowing through your hair as you listen to your favorite road tunes. Plus, there's a s... More
I NEED All Wheel Drive (Pros and Cons of AWD)
February 27, 2022
So winter has arrived and you don't feel confident in how your 2-wheel drive vehicle does in the snow and ice. You envy all those people with all-wheel-drive (AWD) and 4-wheel-drive (4WD) cars, trucks and SUVs. You start thinking, "I need one of those. I'll be able to go anywhere without any w... More