How and When to do a "Drain and Fill" Transmission Fluid Change (P80 Volvo)

Continuing on the path to keeping my old Volvo on the road, it was a logical step to replace the distributor cap and rotor. While I was at it, I thought I might as well replace the seals. How hard could it be? Well, in most cases, you never want to start your car project thinking that. But in...

Brittle plastic is the inconvenient truth of 90's Volvo ownership. Whether it be broken dashboard mounts, interior trim pieces, or turn signals, nothing is safe from shattering in the palm of your hand. In particular, "Little fender blinkers" are quite easy to break, and quite difficult to find...

I recently picked up a used Thor Skid Plate. A skid plate is nice to have if your car is lowered to protect the oil pan as well as other components and is a lot more durable than the plastic belly pan. This installation took place on my B6 Audi A4.   Install The install is pretty...

DIY car repair is sometimes really disheartening. For every great success, sometimes there is an equally great failure. Working on cars professionally is an art form that takes a great deal of experience to perfect and understand. Occasionally a simple shade tree service can turn nasty. In my...

The Volvo S70 is a legendary cult-classic vehicle, not because of its looks, not because of the quality of the interior, but because of the bulletproof powertrain that sits between the front wheels. Any Volvo with a whiteblock 5-cylinder is going to last a long, long time, and despite the rest of...

How do you define a “new” car? In my family, any new car is simply younger than the outgoing car. Our 2005 Volvo S80 was 5 years old when we bought it, and that was our newest car in the family fleet. I personally don’t like the idea of needing to go into a dealership and bargaining for a new...

Oxygen sensors are a common fault after 100,000 miles on most any vehicle. My old B5 Audi A4 once needed the upstream (pre-cat) oxygen sensors replaced, both of which being accessible from under the hood. Tools Required Crow's foot (specialty socket for O2 sensors)3/8" Drive Extension (about 2'...

I'm a horsepower junkie. My respectful admiration of automotive art and innovation constantly falls short of my lust for speed and performance. From muscle cars to super cars, track, race circuit, or street - I want to know what's under the hood, how fast it goes, and if I can put it in my BMW...

Over the last three years, I solved a number of issues with my Mini and want to communicate those to you in case you encounter similar issues with yours. Article submitted by reader Jim Burton Car 2005 Mini Cooper, 80,000 miles, base model, 5-speed manual, sport suspension, well maintained,...