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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
The post Spark plug condition — How to read a spark plug appeared first on Ricks Free Auto Repair Advice.

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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Ford Parking Brake Service Mode — Activate or Deactivate Maintenance Mode Many Ford vehicles use an electronic parking brake (EPB). The electronic parking brake uses an electric motor to apply and release the parking brakes. When performing a brake job on vehicles equipped EPB, you must deactivate the EPB using the procedures listed below. Deactivate Ford Electronic Parking Brake 1.    Turn the Ignition to the ON position. 2.     Press down all the way on the accelerator pedal and hold it while also pushing down on the EPB switch. Continue to … Read More
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Exhaust resonator purpose— what it does A muffler reduces exhaust noise volume, but an exhaust resonator changes the sound of the exhaust. The resonator’s is mostly a hollow tube with a few baffles that cause it to act like “echo chamber” where the exhaust noise bounces off the sides, colliding with one another and cancelling out the highest pitched sound frequencies. Exhaust resonatorsExhaust resonators Should you replace a resonator if it rusts out? Yes. Any muffler shop can install a replacement resonator on your vehicle. It does not have to … Read More
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The Mechanic Doctor – Resources for Amateur and Pro Auto Mechanics
It can be embarrassing and inconvenient when your motorcycle battery dies while you are on the road. Most of the
The post Motorcycle Battery Maintenance: The Dos and Don’ts appeared first on The Mechanic Doctor.

The Mechanic Doctor – Resources for Amateur and Pro Auto Mechanics
Summertime is the perfect time to take your motorcycle out for a ride, but it can also be one of
The post Tips For Staying Cool When Riding Your Motorcycle in Hot Weather appeared first on The Mechanic Doctor.