The automotive turbocharger (as most drivers know them) is used to give smaller displacement engines a boost in power output. They provide smaller size engines the capability of getting them closer...
One of the first things I do upon taking ownership of a car is clean the engine bay. Not only do I despise seeing dirt under the hood, a clean engine makes it easier to work on. Plus, your hands stay cleaner and tools don't get mucked up as quickly. Cleaning under the hood is simple on modern...
I must admit I get funny looks when buying rims and tires when I ask how much they weigh, as well as how much they cost. There is some controversy around unsprung weight, what it actually is, does it make much difference to how a car accelerates, brakes, and handles. Is it worth even thinking...
Over time, UV light can start to discolor your clear headlight lens into a cloud like yellow color. If left alone for a long time, it can get so bad that the light from your bulbs can be blocked by as much as 30%. The light coming out of the lens will also no longer shine correctly and will be...
A little while back, I wrote a piece on the cars I wish I still had from the 46 or so that I have owned over the years, among them a Volvo 850R. These were the cars that in looking back meant something to me. They gave me a glow associated with good times from my past. This piece is the...
If you're a Volvo XC90 owner, chances are that you've seen that notorious leak on the floor and splash pan. You get down on the ground for your routine oil change, remove the splash pan, look up, and your heart sinks into your stomach. Where the hell is that leak coming from? You quickly...
If you have ever walked into a big box automotive parts retail store then you have likely noticed the walls and shelves dedicated to what I refer to as “automotive quick fixes”. The products for sale vary from stop leak to auto transmission slip additives. There is literally a “product” or...
I’ve been a gear head for quite some time now and have taught myself how to do most repairs that I will need to do during the ownership of a car. Because of my passion for cars, I now own three. One of those cars is my daily driver/beater that I use to commute to and from work, as well as for...
The History For those of you who do not know, BMW E30, E36, and E46 models are notorious for having the rear shock mounts fail (RSM for short). For one, they're not very heavy duty from the factory. The mount base is a stamped/molded piece of aluminum which has a rubber bushing pressed into it....
Typically, the under the hood temperature in our old V8 Chevys may have reached little more than the ambient temperature outside. There was almost enough room for me to climb in to those old engine bays and change the plugs. However, under hood temperatures have soared over the past decade in our...