September 2022

Top 6 Auto Repair Rip-offs 1) Engine flushing is a rip-off Shops often promote engine flushes as a way to “clean up your engine by circulating hot solvent through to remove sludge and oil deposits.” Not a single carmaker recommends this service and many have issued service bulletins warning their dealers not to perform routine engine flushing. An engine flush is actually a “wallet flushing service” designed to flush money from your wallet and into theirs. You should never agree to an engine flush. Here’s why. If you change your … Read More
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Honda throttle body relearn Any time you disconnect the battery or clean the throttle body on a Honda vehicle with an electronic throttle body, you must perform a throttle body relearn procedure. Honda calls it an idle learn procedure. The shop manual says you need a scan tool to do this, but you don’t. How to perform a Honda throttle body relearn procedure 1) Turn off ALL electrical loads. No lights, blower, AC, etc. Nothing on. 2) Start engine and let it idle until the radiator cooling fan comes on. … Read More
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The Mechanic Doctor – Resources for Amateur and Pro Auto Mechanics
By law, there are certain steps that you need to take after a car accident, such as stopping to check
The post Most Common Mistakes People Make After A Car Accident appeared first on The Mechanic Doctor.

The Mechanic Doctor – Resources for Amateur and Pro Auto Mechanics
Maintaining your car’s engine is crucial to keeping your car’s overall health. Regular engine maintenance includes cleaning oil off the
The post How to Clean Oil Off an Engine: Step by Step Guide (2022) appeared first on The Mechanic Doctor.

Tune up — What’s included? In the old days before electronic ignition systems, a tune up included new spark plugs, new contact “points,” a new distributor rotor and cap, and a new condenser. In addition, the ignition system would be timed using a timing light. The shop would also clean the carburetor choke and linkage, check the drive belts, check and top off fluids, check/change your air filter and check your coolant for freeze protection. What is a tune up now? There are no points, condensers, rotors or distributor caps … Read More
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Diagnose and fix Honda P0141 The P0141 trouble code is defined as: P0141: Secondary Heated Oxygen Sensor (Secondary HO2S) (Sensor 2) Heater Circuit Malfunction. Don’t automatically replace the oxygen sensor just because it’s listed in the code. Here’s how to diagnose the code. The connector to the post cat sensor is located under the passenger seat carpet. If any work was done on the seat or the occupant sensor in the seat, the connector may be at fault. Open the connector and check for corrosion on the terminals. If no … Read More
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Spark plug condition Every day on auto forums I see people post a picture of their spark plug and ask, “How’s my spark plug? Should I put it back in?” If drives me crazy for two reasons; first, their pictures are so bad you can’t even see the center and side electrode condition and that’s what determines whether you can reinstall it, and second, spark plug color only tells you how the engine has been running up to this point. It tells you nothing about how it will run in … Read More
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Anti-seize versus brake grease Never use anti-seize on brakes That’s right, many youtubers are dead wrong in recommending anti-seize for brakes. In fact, using anti-seize grease on your brakes can actually cause the problems you’re trying to avoid. Here’s why anti-seize grease is the wrong product to use on your brakes: • Anti-seize is not a lubricant and should never be used to lubricate sliding/rotating parts. • It’s petroleum based, so it can degrade rubber boots, seals, and O-rings on contact. • Because of its high metal solids content, copper, … Read More
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