Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
27
votes
10 answers

How should I remove a paint scuff on my vehicle?

The painted edge of a side mirror on another car recently scraped the side of my vehicle, leaving a scuff of paint about half a meter long. There is no indentation or scratch, but the other vehicle left its mark behind in a very difficult-to-remove…
JYelton
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6 answers

Pros/cons of higher capacity car battery?

I'm shopping for a new car battery for a 1998 Subaru Outback (2.5l). For the physical dimensions, the battery has to match. But I see some variance in capacity (Ah) rating, and in price too, of course. The intuition goes, as usual, "higher is…
Pēteris Caune
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6 answers

What are the risks of overfilling a small engine with oil?

I recently overfilled a 4 stroke lawnmower engine with oil. It has been run for about 1.5 hours while overfilled. It smokes a lot right after being started but after 30 seconds or so the smoke clears. Now that I have figured out what I did I plan to…
Greg B
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26
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6 answers

Does a Car Keep Moving If Neither Accelerator, Nor Brake Is Pressed?

I am not sure if if this is the right forum to ask this, but even my driving instructor cannot give me a clear answer, hence the question. Learning driving on a toyota vios, automatic transmission. The interrelated questions I have are Does the…
Della
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26
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7 answers

Is it safe to drive a car that has a broken suspension spring?

Yesterday I was driving home from work and heard a loud noise which I can only really describe as a "clang". After looking at it today, it looks like the spring for the front left (passenger side) suspension has snapped at the bottom. Here is a…
Flyk
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26
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6 answers

Does a timing chain need maintenance?

Does a timing chain (as opposed to timing belt) need any specific maintenance? In particular I'm talking about a BMW Z4
m.edmondson
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26
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5 answers

Is it really impossible to fix a seized engine?

I had an engine seizure that happened while I was driving the car: it ran low on oil and suddenly the engine stopped working (with a bit of smoke). Now after being towed, I have left the car (and added oil) for a couple of weeks, hoping to try and…
Jalapeno
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26
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12 answers

What is the best way to remove a stuck/rusted exhaust bolt?

I'm trying to disassemble the exhaust system on a 2000-2003 Nissan Maxima and I'm having trouble removing one last bolt. It's got a 14mm head and its just plain STUCK. I've tried soaking it overnight with PB Blaster, then the next morning I tried…
NoCarrier
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26
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10 answers

Grease on wheel bolts or not?

My father (an engineer, but not an auto mechanic) taught me to use a tiny dab of machine grease on the thread (not the rim) of each wheel bolt. This would help against corrosion, and help when loosening the bolt. We've traditionally always switched…
Torben Gundtofte-Bruun
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26
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4 answers

What actually happens when there is way too much oil in a car engine?

I saw the answers to a question I posted recently highlighting the disadvantages of having too little oil in an engine, but that got me wondering what if the complete opposite were to occur! I know that having an excess amount of oil in the engine…
Max Goodridge
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26
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6 answers

Clutch less shifting - why does it work? Is it bad?

I have been driving stick for 15 years and within the last year I learned I can shift gear without the clutch. Normally the transmission will not let me shift gears without using the clutch. However, if I hit the right RPM, my stick will let me…
Nelson
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25
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4 answers

What are the benefits of low profile tires?

I have yet to find anyone that knows of any benefits of low-profile tires. All of the pros that I've asked have said there is no benefit. Naturally, the number of pros that I have available to ask is limited so I'm wondering what a wider audience…
Dave
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25
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2 answers

Why do the brakes "freeze" the suspension?

Last week I was driving a motorcycle. When I stopped at a traffic light I noticed the rear suspension dropped a little when I released the rear brake. Later I noticed my car did the same thing. When you suddenly stop, but not release the brake the…
user60481
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25
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8 answers

Accidentally left car idling for 14 hours. What are possible consequences from this?

I have an 08 ford focus that I haven't been driving. I just turn it on and let it run for about 30 minutes every few weeks so that it's not just sitting. One time I left it running in the parking lot and forgot about it until 14 hours later. How bad…
Mike
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25
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14 answers

How long should I let my car warm up in the winter?

I have been reading mixed reviews about how long to let your car warm up before driving in the winter months. Most of the articles say that the best way to warm it up is to let it idle for 1-2 minutes, then drive gently until it reaches its optimal…
Frantumn
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