May 2023

Perform a coolant drain and fill at home It’s hard to do a full coolant flush at home (see why here). But it is a bit easier to do a coolant drain and refill yourself. Here’s how. Ignore the recommendation to drain coolant from the radiator drain The old plastic drains break and leak In the old days metal radiator contained brass drain petcocks. But modern radiators have plastic side tanks and plastic drains. The drain sits unused for almost 10 years before you decide to open the drain. I … Read More
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Everything you need to know about car maintenance checklist guides You bought a new or used car and promised yourself you’d maintain this vehicle better than their last one. After driving it for a year, you take it in for its second oil change and are told that it’s time for its first major “service,” and that’s going to cost $800. It’s right there in the owner’s maintenance checklist guide. That’s when your promise to maintain your vehicle starts to fall apart. You question whether your vehicle really needs all … Read More
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Kia owner alleges vehicle stolen AFTER anti-theft software was installed Source: Devin Bartolotta / Eyewitness News (WWL) Published: 10:16 PM CDT May 15, 2023 First case of Kia stolen after security software upgrade reported in New Orleans Updated Kia Optima stolen and totalled New Orleans resident Taylor Rose’s 2020 Kia Optima was stolen in the early morning hours on April 15, 2023. Rose had just had her Kia’s software updated to the latest Kia anti-theft software at Premier Kia of Kenner. The stolen vehicle was found. But photos from the … Read More
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Kia Hyundai car theft settlement — What’s included in the settlement? On May 18, 2023, Hyundai Motor America and Kia America, Inc. announced an agreement to resolve class action litigation with owners of certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles with KEY IGNITION SYSTEMS. The settlement does not apply to vehicles with push-button ignition Kia and Hyundai vehicles covered by the settlement Vehicles Included In Class Action Settlement 2011-2022 Hyundai Accent 2011-2022 Hyundai Elantra 2013-2017 Hyundai Elantra GT 2013-2014 Hyundai Elantra Coupe 2011-2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring 2011-2014 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2018-2022 Hyundai … Read More
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Why is the Subaru electronic parking brake light on? Normally the Subaru electronic parking brake warning light means the parking brake is on or there’s a problem with the system. But Subaru has discovered another problem; a cracked connector at the electronic parking brake actuator. A broken locking tab on the Subaru electronic parking brake connector can cause the parking brake light to light up Subaru has issued a service bulletin #06-87-224 to address a crack formation on the electrical connector lock tabs for the electronic parking brake. This can … Read More
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What is a tire contact patch? A tire’s contact patch or footprint represents the amount of tire tread in contact with the road when the tire is inflated to the proper temperature. Tire contact patch dimensions vary with load, air pressure, tire aspect ratio A tire contact patch’s final dimensions depend on the tire size and inflation pressure being used, as well as how much load is being carried. A compact car tire’s contact patch size is about 25 square inches, a bit bigger than the size of a 4” … Read More
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How far can you drive on a donut spare tire? Answer: You can only drive 50 miles on a donut spare tire The carmakers say can only drive 50 miles on a donut tire and they mean it. Here’s why: They’re smaller, thinner and have little-to-no tread • Most donut tires only have 4/32″ tread. 4/32″ on regular tires is considered the lower limit of safety. As you wear below 4/32″ on a regular tire, your braking distances increase dramatically and it’s even worse on wet, snow and ice covered … Read More
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Topdon TB6000PRO battery charging system tester and charger The Topdon TB6000PRO is an affordable tool for testing your battery and charging system as well as charging your battery. It is incredibly easy to use, especially with their Bluetooth app; it’s a screen generated step by step process. What the Topdon TB6000PRO tests Battery condition The battery tester feature tests the condition of your battery by testing: Battery voltage state of charge (SOC) as a percentage and state of health (SOH) as a percentage of your battery. cold cranking amps (CCA) … Read More
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How to test a head gasket for leaks or failure #1 test for a head gasket leak —Combustion gas test kit Use this test if you have rapid overheating and pressurized radiator hoses and suspect exhaust gasses in your coolant If the head gasket fails between the cylinder and a cooling passage, the engine can pump very hot  exhaust gasses into the coolant causing rapid overheating and over-pressurization. The over-pressurization can actually pop radiator hoses off the radiator. Each compression cycle pumps exhaust into the cooling system causing it to … Read More
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Best auto glass cleaners Auto glass cleaner reviews You can spend your time reading all the auto glass cleaner reviews online. But you’ll waste a lot of time because it all comes down to these 5 glass cleaning products. Why the glass cleaner reviews differ so much It’s the plastics Just about any glass cleaner can remove dust and dirt from your windshield and rear and side glass. But the real problem isn’t dust and dirt, it’s the film generated by off-gassing from the vinyl products in your car. The … Read More
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