Do you, as a DIY mechanic, ever give much consideration to your engine’s coolant? I would wager that if you do you are an exception. I believe most DIY’ers do not. This belief is based on years of interacting with DIY’ers on various European car forums and at local car meetups. Most simply shop...
Sway bars are critical to good handling in corners. They connect the suspension components on either side of the car and help the vehicle ride flatter through curves. As a car starts to lean outward in a turn, the load on the outside wheel's suspension components creates torsion in the sway bar....
During a rainy week I noticed water coming in around the front dashboard area. It seemed to be coming from the headliner near the top of the windshield in a few spots, mostly from right above the rearview mirror. I kept a hand towel nearby to protect the area when the car was parked but noticed...
When the OM61X equipped diesel cars were being produced back in the 1970's and 1980's, Mercedes-Benz knew that the diesel fuel available could often be rather dirty - full of particulate matter that could clog and damage the lift and/or injection pump. While less common this can still be the case...
A reader asked if I could write a post on replacing a radiator (which I assumed would be for the 2004 Saab 9-3 Arc I usually write posts about). I wasn’t planning on replacing mine (yet) but figured I could outline what’s needed to complete the job for those that need to do it. I’ll be using a...
One of the most effective ways to make sure your classic diesel Mercedes keeps on ticking for a long time to come is to stay on top of fluid changes. In between changes, however, all of the fluids in your car shouldn't just be ignored. Slow leaks can gradually drain the pans and reservoirs that...
Car batteries are a wear item that gets replaced every few years. Hopefully you’ll change it before you get stuck somewhere with a bad battery, which is the leading cause for car breakdowns. Most batteries fail because of sulfation: a build-up of lead sulfate crystals. A sulfated battery can lead...
Our April AER race at Watkins Glen was cut short when the engine went "boom" and stopped running at about 100 mph through the esses. Many hours of "what the hell happened" later, we discovered that one of the rod bearings had failed, causing the rod to overheat and eventually snap in half. We...
I’ve been to plenty classic car shows that had sections devoted to my favorite marques, but I have never before seen so many ancient variations on a single brand until The Vintage visited my hometown this weekend. If your BMW isn’t rocking round (or popup) headlights, it’s probably too young for...
In the winter I’d get this endless, annoying noise from the dash whenever I drove the 2004 Saab 9-3 Arc. It didn’t come back as much when the spring season warmed it up but it would still return at times. I figured out that it was coming from the trim right about the heating controls below the...