This is the time of year when the leaves begin to change color, we begin to pull out our warmer clothing, and prep our cars for the coming winter season. Usually during this time we perform some...
As your beloved Volvo parts age, more and more of the suspension is wearing out and can make funny clunking noises. The most recent job I did is to replace the front control arms on my 2006 XC90 V8. As the control arm bushings wore out, I would get odd changes in steering during braking and...
Power windows on the E53 BMW X5 have became known for failing with age, often leaving the window jammed in the fully down position. Earlier BMWs tended to use a 'scissor lift' style window regulator, but around the time of the X5 BMW started moving to a cable & pulley system. There are...
The most common reason for a car failing to start is simply that the battery cannot provide enough power to turn the starter motor. While the easy repair seems like a battery replacement, there's a chance the problem is elsewhere within the battery and electrical charging system. Before you go...
Drive belt tensioners are a sometimes overlooked maintenance item, and if your car has 100K-200K miles on the clock then it could need replacement. As the name suggests the job of the tensioner is to keep tension on the drive belts on the front of the engine that link components suggest as AC...
Now that the vehicles are approaching 20 years old, the AWD Volvos we love are starting to get a bit long in the tooth. A frustrating fault that is occuring more and more involves the rear subframe, and the fuel equipment snaked through it. Rear Subframe Removal The P80 chassis was comprised...
Making your car last a million miles can either be a joyful or a dreadful experience. If you’ve got a rust bucket that’s nearing a million miles out of necessity, I tip my hat to you. On the other hand, if you’ve got a car that you want to keep on driving into the sunset, then read along and...
When servicing older BMWs specifically the drivetrain, there are several areas which should be at the top of your list. These are but not limited to the Flex Disc, center support bearing, seals, mount bushings, transmission lubricants, and differential gear oil. Since this maintenance differs per...
Not having air blowing in the cabin, either from AC or heating, is usually electrical in nature and can be quickly narrowed down to either fuses, the control module, or the blower motor. Fuses are easy to check of course, but control modules can be tougher as they are somewhat of a black box. You...
Even the best kept Volvo can unavoidably feel, well, old. While it would certainly be a tall order to refresh every surface and restore every nook and cranny of the car, you can pretty quickly return some of the things you come in contact with most. Master Window Switch After inadvertently...