A vehicle’s engine has two key parts, that is the engine block which is also known as the lower section and is the heaviest, and the detachable cylinder head which contains the valve-controlled passages through which the air-to-fuel mixture comes through the cylinder. This vehicle component can sometimes be blown up and exhibit the signs of a blown engine. Your vehicle can’t probably do without this single most important part of the machinery, the engine. The engine is the heartbeat …
When diagnosing, servicing, or installing a brand-new alternator in your car, one of the common questions that often gets asked is whether or not should an alternator spin freely, or should there be resistance? In practice, I’ve learned, over the years, that both are true! Typically, a freely-spinning alternator that does not have any resistance is generally a good sign. This indicates that the alternator has healthy bearings. However, it’s important to note that a tiny bit of resistance, particularly …
Your car’s MAF (mass airflow) sensor is an important part of any vehicle, as it determines both the volume and the density of air entering the engine. However, what should the MAF sensor read when it’s idle? In practice, there’s no one-size-fits-all reading, as your MAF sensor readings at idle can vary depending on the make and model of the car. Moreover, there are other factors to consider, like the size of your engine. For example, a 3.0-liter engine might …
When performing an oil change, one of the things that most people seem to forget is properly tightening the oil drain plug or bolt. So then, what is the right and ideal torque spec for your car’s oil drain plug? Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to torque specs for your oil drain plug or bolt. In practice, the precise torque specs can vary significantly from one car to another, so it’ll differ. On average, most regular passenger …
I can’t even remember how many spark plugs I’ve replaced over the years, but no matter how much experience you may have, every once in a while, you’ll likely have to figure out how to get a spark plug socket out. It’s a situation many enthusiasts and DIY mechanics dread: a spark plug socket getting stuck on the spark plug or inside the spark plug hole. But, don’t panic, as removing it isn’t as daunting as it might seem. There …
Winter can be tough on a lot of cars, and especially if you’ve been through as much snow as I have. One of the most pressing issues that I’ve faced is ice in my car’s intake, so how to de-ice the air intake system? Given that the air intake feeds much-needed air for your engine to combust, any sort of ice (as well as any blockage in general) could lead to reduced engine performance and even potential long-term damage. Thankfully, …
The exhaust manifold is the first part of any vehicle’s exhaust system. Tasked with the important duty of collecting gases from numerous cylinders into a single pipe, an exhaust manifold is usually a stainless steel or cast unit. It primarily delivers the exhaust gases to the exhaust pipe. Since the job it does is so important, a cracked exhaust manifold repair is somewhat pricey. It’s not only the price of repairing the cracked bit but there’s also the high labor …
Have you ever driven your car and then suddenly you’re not getting any power? And then your check engine light suddenly turns on? That means your car is in limp mode. A check engine light denotes that there’s something wrong with your car’s powertrain. It could be the engine, the gearbox, or the exhaust system. If this happened to you recently, don’t worry. We’ll discuss the limp mode in this post, from what it is, why it happens, and how …
Your car has a lot of sensors that feed information to the computer to keep it running smoothly. One such sensor you might not know of is the O2 or oxygen sensor. This is a sensor that sits in your exhaust system and monitors the level of oxygen inside your car’s exhaust gases. For such an important component, it’s not a surprise then that the O2 sensor cost isn’t inexpensive. As with any other car part, the O2 sensor can …
Are you planning to purchase an Acura model and you are looking to find out whether are Acuras reliable? Well, if that is the case, then you are at the right place because there will be a lot to cover on this topic and we are going to discuss Acura models in great detail and find out whether they are reliable or not. Acura History & Background Acura vs Honda Pros & Cons Of Owning An Acura Current Acura Lineup …