TTAC commentator Geo. Levecque writes:

Hello Sajeev, greetings from Canada. If you switch Oil to Synthetic, can you go back to the old stuff? If it matters, I am asking about my 2008 Toyota RAV4 2008, 4 Cyl, with 18,000 kms on it.

(Read More…)

Rishi writes:

I am a long, long time lurker but not a poster on TTAC (yet). I have a question regarding a 2004 Honda Accord EX four-cylinder.  When I am driving, the headlights flash at different intensities depending on what gear it is in (its an automatic). When I accelerate, and it drops some gears, the headlights flash a bit brighter, but then become dimmer as the car settles into fourth. Could this be a sign of water damage or a major electrical issue? Thanks so much for your time.

(Read More…)

John writes:

I own an E92 M3 and it’s my huckleberry, except for one thing—with a gas tank capacity of about 16 gallons, road range is a measly 300 miles between fills. And when I drive, I want to drive.

Every other car I have owned has been able to do 400 miles on a single tank in highway driving with the exception of my STi, which only did 330 before rapid maneuvers caused temporary starvation.

So my question is this: is it possible to fit a larger gas tank to my car—say one of about 20 gallons or so?  If so, what are the positives and negatives of this, and where would I get one?

(Read More…)

Sokhom writes:

I’m in the Army and I’ve moved to Korea for at least two years. I have a 2000 Honda S2000 that I left with my father in law in his garage. I’ve read advice from S2000 forums about slightly jacking up the car to “unspring” the suspension to spraying something into the cylinders to keep the piston rings from drying. There’s also a debate about whether it’s good to crank the car every so often or not. What is a guy to do?

(Read More…)

TTAC Commentator Nick R writes:

Two questions pertaining to the Thunderbird we previously discussed:

My dad waxed this thing almost every month.  However, those layers and layers of wax have now turn greyish.  I have tried to remove it with rubbing compound and this filthy grey coloured crap eventually comes off. However, it does come off to an adequate extent and it is VERY time consuming. I’d love to hear some tips on sloughing this crap off more quickly.

Some the plastic in the cabin is a bit faded. Can it be redyed or should I look for NOS parts (yes, I know, good luck with that)?

And now, two generic questions:

(Read More…)

TTAC spammer “ajara ali” writes:

My name is Mr Alfonso Perez the CEO of Shandon International Company LTD. And am located in France, am sorry if i have contacted the wrong Company for this order. I will like to make some orders from your Company to my Company and the product is Car Cover.

Please get back to me with the price per unit so that i will know the quantities to order. And also if you dont have this type, you can email me with the one that you have together with the price so that i can make some orders. Thank you very much and hope to hear from you soon. And also you can advice me on the type of payment you accept.

Best Regards

(Read More…)

One of the least publicized aspects of the “New” GM is how much of the old company remains on the books. More to the point, bad ideas with new window dressings still reign (Cutlass) supreme. But not the new 2006—sorry, 2010—Chevrolet Camaro: this idea had the right stuff. On paper. In the real world?

Bob from The Land Down Under writes:

G’day Sajeev, here is a question for you. In my ML320 (2001) the accelerator pedal has broken and for the life of me I cannot remove the pedal assembly from the bulkhead of the car. I have undone the two bolts I can see but it refuses to budge. No one in the Mercedes Benz forums can/will answer my question. Plus the actual workshop manual is held by Mercedes Benz, who will not part with it unless an inordinate amount of money crosses their palms. (The last time I checked they wanted about $400 Australian for the manual on DVD and I thought movie DVD’s were expensive!)

Thanks for the help, oh master of the wrenches, mystic diviner of the oil sludge.

Bob (from Oz)

(Read More…)

Joe writes:

Last Christmas, my wife bought me a 2006 Saleen Mustang Convertible s281. As it was winter in Idaho and the last week of the year, what with Saleen Corp announcing that it would be filing for bankruptcy, the dealership was very eager to remove this very beautiful car from their showroom.

I would like to think that the Saleen could be a decent long-term investment. That being said, it is just an S281 model, no supercharger. So do I hope I made a good investment and keep the car as built? (Really sucks that a kid in a 300zx can keep up with me.)

To protect the car’s collectibility, should I upgrade the power with very expensive Saleen parts, or forget about long term resale and go with other superchargers that provide more bang for the buck?

(Read More…)

Rick writes:

I was walking home and passed an independent mechanic shop. He appeared to be passing something like a black light (rectangle case with a “purple” cylindrical bulb) over the rim or tire of an older BMW 3 Series. What’s up with that?

FYI: while I enjoy the column and the rest of the writing, I suggested online that there is some follow up to the problems. I’ve learned a lot about what might be wrong but not so much about what was wrong. Thanks for reading.

(Read More…)

Frequent Piston Slapper and TTAC Commentator HEATHROI writes:

A while back I wrote-in with a question about the back end of the Ford Focus wandering about at higher speed. Well, it turned out the bushings through the rear suspension were all worn out. Managed to fix that, but do you suggest replacing the fronts? Not because there is anything wrong, but fixing the rear was fun. Anything I should look out for?

(Read More…)

TTAC Commentator stingray writes:

My friend has a 2002-2003 Opel Corsa. In fact it’s “Made in Brazil.” I think it has GM’s family 1.6L 4 cyl engine. And here in Venezuela, this Opel is sold as the Chevrolet Corsa.

It’s throwing code 43: O2 sensor, lean mixture. Has a popping in the exhaust. I got the code using the MIL lamp and recommended that he change the air filter, fuel filter and clean the injectors. He did clean the injectors, also changed spark plugs, wires, coil and O2 sensor. Doesn’t know much about car fixing so got a bit PWNED on that. And the popping still continues . . . and the code too.

(Read More…)

Down on the showroom floor, the guys talk about the “Needs-Payoff:” trying to turn a customer’s perceived need into a coveted sale. This marketing concept finds its Ford translation in the highly anticipated solution, the Transit Connect. The Blue Oval Boyz see gold in them there panel vans—assuming gas prices go north of the three dollar mark as their number crunchers and street-walking doom preachers predict. Gas prices be damned; the Transit Connect screams success for many self-made citizens, provided they don’t carry more than 1600lbs or tow anything to bring home the bacon.

TTAC commentator deanst writes:

I have a question about the windshield wipers on a 2002 Chevy Venture minivan. The wipers function as expected, except that when they are turned off, they park in an upright position – not horizontally at the bottom of the windshield. This first occurred two winters ago, and they miraculously fixed themselves when summer came. This winter they again started parking in an upright position, and continue to do so. My mechanic thought a new wiper motor should fix the problem, at a cost of three or four hundred dollars. A quick search on the internet suggest that there is some reset procedure which might cure the problem. What is the best course of action?

(Read More…)

Frank A. writes:

This is not a question about mechanical malfunctions exactly, but more about the avoidance thereof. I’d like you to give us your advice on engine cleaning. Clearly, it’s not a matter of putting a baggie over the carburetor and sticking a hose in there anymore!

The engine in my ’03 Town Car is looking dingy, but I don’t want to do anything prejudicial to the, I guess, thousand or so computers under there. I’ve noticed that practically all the shops in my area that used to advertise steam cleaning have quit on it, so that makes me think even the pros find this tricky nowadays. What do you think?

(Read More…)