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What causes brake dust? Brake dust particles are formed by the degradation of brake materials during  high force high temperature braking You many think that brake dust is just ground up cast iron from the rotors. Certainly, some of it is iron oxide from brake rotor wear. But the rest of the particles come from the brake pad’s friction material. What’s in brake pad friction material? Depending on the type of friction material; non-asbestos organic (NAO), semi-metallic, or ceramic, brake pads contain a combination of these raw materials: zirconium silicate … Read More
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Brake dust etches your wheels, making it almost impossible to remove How dry brake dust damages your wheels If brake dust is, ah, dust, why can’t you just wipe if off with a rag? Well, you can if you catch it fast enough. But if you leave it on your wheels, it can cause permanent damage. Braking, especially hard braking produces brake dust. The ultra-fine particles contain trace amounts of copper, iron, and manganese as well as zirconium silicate and aluminum oxide. Georgia Tech’s School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences … Read More
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Tire alignment or tire balance — what’s the difference and when do you need each? Tire alignment or tire balance— when to get each If you have tire wear due to a bad alignment, get the new tires first and then get the vehicle alignment immediately to prevent wearing out the new tires. If you get a tire balance and the tires aren’t showing uneven tire wear, you don’t need an alignment. If you get an alignment and the vehicle isn’t showing any signs of vibrating at highway speeds, you … Read More
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How much does a car air filter replacement cost? The average cost for a car air filter replacement is between $57 and $73 in 2023. The actual cost for your vehicle depends on the labor rates in your area and the year, make and model of the vehicle. Here are some examples on car air filter replacement costs on different vehicles Car air filter replacement for a 2013 Kia Rio with the 1.6 liter engine Shop price for the air filter $39 Shop labor to replace filter .2 hrs @ … Read More
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How to tell if car air filter needs replacing Carmakers list a car air filter change interval and that’s something you should follow. But many carmakers also list caveats on the change interval, such; “change more often if you live or drive in dusty conditions.” But most car owners are confronted with whether to change their engine air filter every time they get their oil changed because the oil change places are always trying to sell you a new air filter. So how to tell if your car air filter … Read More
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What causes uneven tire wear? The two most common causes of uneven tire wear are under-inflation and alignment problems. But you can spot uneven tire wear on your own simply by checking the tire tread more often. Then you can fix the problem before your tires wear out completely. #1 cause of rapid and uneven tire wear; under-inflation All tires lose some amount of air. If you don’t check tire pressure and top off to the recommended pressure, you’ll prematurely wear out the tread on the right and left sides … Read More
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Can you really clean cloudy headlights with WD-40? You’ll find lots of home-remedy hacks to clean cloudy headlights on your car. Most of them don’t work, or work for a little while and then they look cloudy again. One of those hacks is to use WD-40 and a loofah. How does WD-40 clean headlights? The main ingredient in WD-40 is solvent naphtha. It’s a cleaning solvent used in laundry soaps and cleaning fluids. It’s actually the main ingredient in paint thinner and mineral spirits. In addition to naphtha, WD 40 … Read More
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How fluid film versus boundary lubrication operates in an engine Automotive lubrication systems protect against metal-to-metal contact using both fluid film lubrication and boundary lubrication techniques. The difference between the two can be confusing to DIYers that think that engine lubrication is based more on oil viscosity than pressure. To understand the difference between film lubrication and boundary lubrication we must first understand the difference between the words absorb and adsorb. Absorbtion versus adsorption Sorption refers to the process where a one substance attaches to another. The sorbent is the … Read More
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How to remove axle nut when replacing CV joint boot or axle Carmakers usually use three types of locking axle nuts: 1) Nuts with cotter keys, 2) Staked nuts, or 3) Prevailing torque nuts. The staked and prevailing torque nuts are the most difficult to remove. Here’s what you need to remove an axle nut • 3/4″ drive x 40″ breaker bar • 3/4″ to 1/2″ drive adapter • Pin punch • Large screwdriver • Proper size deep socket Remove staked axle nut Step 1: Unstake the nut If your … Read More
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How to diagnose car AC problems yourself using professional techniques The tools you’ll need to professionally diagnose car AC problems You’re kidding yourself if you think you can diagnose car AC problems with just the gauge on a DIY recharging kit. First, a low side pressure reading really doesn’t tell you much. At the very least you need high and low side pressures, along with outside and center duct temperatures, and even then, you still don’t have the complete picture of what’s going on in your AC system. If you’re … Read More
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