As enthusiasts and avid car nuts, we tend to know from bumper to bumper what we are looking for when we go used car shopping. Be it a car we need for the daily commute, or for when we get it in our...
Having a leak can make owning a vehicle more stressful than it has to be. Instead of just driving the car, you're forced to open the hood multiple times a week just to make sure the car hasn't belched all of its fluids out when you weren't looking. "Get in and go" no longer applies, and it can be...
You could say that I’ve been around RWD Volvos for a while. When I was young enough to still need a booster seat, I sat on my dad’s lap and steered our Volvo 240 wagon into our driveway as part of my very first driving lesson. The 240 was replaced by a 1991 Toyota Previa when its frame started...
Brake bleeding has never been a particularly fun task. It's miserable; the fluid makes your hands feel weird, it eats away at paint, isn't water soluble, and doesn't even smell good. That, and the usual way of doing it requires two people - kind of inconvenient when you're trying to get the car...
The M103 and M104 Mercedes-Benz engines are as common as they are solid. These straight-6 engines carried the line for Mercedes from the mid 80's into the late 90's. In this post, we will tackle the much debated accessory belt tensioner replacement. The job is simple if you have the right...
Abnormal vibrations while shifting and accelerating could be the sign of failing engine mounts. Failed engine mounts can result in much more than just vibrations - they often allow the engine to twist and contact other things in the engine bay, resulting in either broken cooling system components...
Fuel pumps have a limited lifespan - usually somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 miles. Some owners are cautious and see the fuel pump as a maintenance item after the 100K mark, but for the majority of us, we run our fuel pumps until they die. There are valid arguments to be made for each...
With many European vehicles, adding option packages can almost double the price of a vehicle - anyone who has ever played with Porsche's car configurator can attest to this. Option packages can transform a low end car with cloth seats into a leatherbound concert hall on wheels. Unfortunately in...
Many of us have been there before - we apply the brakes to slow down our car and suddenly, the steering wheel shakes, the car lurches and vibrates, and the car comes to a shuddering stop while you wonder what was wrong with your brakes. Traditionally, this was blamed on warped rotors, and the...
Using a high quality oil is a paramount contributor to a BMW's long life and sludge-free performance. More importantly, changing it at the correct interval will ensure your engine doesn't suffer. Our resident BMW-guru Gareth Foley is back in the shop with a quick DIY on how to change the oil in...