The Polar Vortex this past winter was quite the weather system. Temperatures regularly dipped below negative 20C, even reaching negative 30C on a few occasions. Farther up north, it was even worse....
We’ve all seen it, someone is selling a car that is maybe worth $4,000 but they have it listed for $8,000. Why? Because they have a kickin’ stereo, or an aftermarket turbo kit, or $4,000 wheels/tires mounted with camber a’la Hill Valley in 2015. This type of thing tends to be more prevalent in...
Reliability is in the eye of the beholder. While it has many different meanings to different types of people, it all boils down to being able to drive your car to work in the morning without worry of failure or catastrophic damage. Oil is an engine's lifeblood, so what is its coolant? It's more...
I bought a replacement steering rack used from the local Volvo recycler. I had begun experiencing lumpy steering, and after doing a power steering fluid flush, it wouldn't go away. For whatever reason, I guessed it was the rack as opposed to the pump. Luckily, I guessed right, and it was obvious...
Choosing the right engine oil can be a tedious process. How do you figure out exactly which oil will best protect your engine, and how long should you run that oil before it becomes detrimental to your engine’s health? 1. Read the owner's manual for a starting point The owner's manual, and...
The other day our S80's fuel door broke. On P2 Volvos there is an electric solenoid that locks the fuel door closed. If the door doesn't shut properly, the solenoid will still 'lock', but the door will be free to flap around in the wind like a Maple Leafs flag on your window. To fix a fuel door...
I've always been a leak-free man - but it takes a lot of work. Especially on vehicles with six-digit mileage. While the Volvo Whiteblock is one of the longest lasting engine designs out there, it still relies on rubber seals to keep its lifeblood within the engine. If you're finding that your...
A funky smell can come from a number of areas on the interior of your car. It could be from a previous owner's dog or cat, items dropped or spilled in the HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) , cigarette/cigar smoke, garbage hidden away under the seats, previous water damage/flooding,...
The lower front ball joints on the W220 and W211 chassis can take a real pounding, and are often the first thing to fail on the front-end suspension. A creaking noise is the usual giveaway but you may detect handling problems before this, usually in cornering. You can use a prybar to check for...
Cooling system maintenance often goes undone. While BMW recommends a cooling system flush every 2-3 years, people generally will go 5+ years. The reason to you need to change your coolant every couple of years is the coolant becomes old and exhausted and can cause irreversible damage to your...