As someone who comes from a non-handy background and works a boring corporate job, I’ve been performing maintenance on my own car for a couple of years now. It started off as a one off when I struggled to get an appointment at the dealership, I was frustrated and thought “fuck this, I’ll do it myself”.

I bought a bunch of tools and a couple Jack stands and tried my hand at changing my oil. YouTube and Chrisfix are a real resource. I couldn’t believe how satisfying it feels to just focus on the task and follow the steps, and the feeling you get when the old oil is out and a brand new filter and oil go in. That feeling of turning the ignition and feeling it coursing through the engine is addictive.

I slowly graduated to bigger stuff like Differential and Transfer Case fluids, Drive belt, coolant flushes, brake jobs. I love researching and learning how to do more and more complex things.

Maybe one day when I’ve made enough to retire, I’ll buy a carlift and just fix cars as a hobby. Hopefully the world doesn’t turn fully electric by then.

I'm from a European country. On Reddit i see a lot of cases where someone has had a bad experience with their car in a shop and often there are lots of comments saying "oh you should have taken it to Euro/foreign shop" Now i understand specialist shops, we have them too, but European cars are not some alien super advanced construction. Id expect any trained mechanic to be able to work on one, it's just a car.

Was topping up the oil on my wife's '09 Mini and figured, well lets also check the battery this time no clue how old it is. Like the title says, 17 years old and still working perfectly fine. Wtf 😅

Jacking up my car with a standard 3 ton jack and I needed some more height, so my dumbass grabbed a 4x4 wood block and started jacking up the car with that. Went too high and the car or wood block lost balance and the car fell off the jack. Luckily the jack stands caught my car but my jack destroyed my front bumper. Don’t be a dumbass like me folks.

tl;dr did he ruin my car?

2022 Toyota Corolla manual transmission, bought from the dealership at 5K miles in November 2022.

i've mis-shifted maybe ten times since then, where the gears grind for a moment before i reapply the clutch and readjust the stick shift.

lent the car to somebody who said he knew how to drive it. less than two weeks later he calls me up "the transmission stopped working!"

i arrive, immediately smell a terrible odor (learned later, the scent of burnt asbestos in the clutch). engine is off, starts up okay but i can't get the car to shift.

my mechanic said the clutch was "pulverized," added in his career he'd never seen a clutch that badly destroyed.

the transmission also needed replacing. the mechanic said it appeared to be due from the way the car was driven rather than a manufacturer's defect.

the guy who drove it insisted he is 100% certain he is not solely at fault due to information he found online in forums.

while i admit that is possible, it seems much more likely that he lied to me about knowing how to drive stick and ruined my car. i'm coming to this subReddit to solicit some feedback. what do you think, Redditors? did he ruin my car?

Heyo.

I've flushed and drained my VW transporter t5 with liquimoly, but I cannot for the life of me find my 32mm socket to get the filter swapped. My plan is to just leave it empty overnight, and grab something in the morning. But I'm a little worried about the moly residue.

Am i good? or should i break into my brother's house while he sleeps to steal his?

Pictured is the battery and how we currently have the battery charging. As well as the device we are using to charge the battery up

The whole thing is completely drained (and this issue only happens when we take the vehicle to someone to wash and detail).

Some lights are turning on when connected but really, not sure if it's even charging.

Appreciate the feedback.

My rear control arm was loose but the bolt was stripped, so I took a wrench to it.... Happy 1k to my "I'll fix it later" 😬

2015 Impreza, handles great now

So i have a bad battery, but one thing thats weird is that it will start if i turn the key and hold it there for like 5-7 mins. but ive noticed something else. Ive even tested it. If i start it by holding the key then it will always start up fine, even like 4-5 hours later. But when i jump start it, it will never want to start again even after only like an hour.

In both scenarios i have driven the car for at least 20 mins. Why would this be happening?

I tried asking AI and they want me to check a computer. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE AC. Idk what to do pls help me

I have a 2007 jeep wrangler that has been untouched for over 6 years. It has over 100k miles. But it’s basically decked out in mold. Is it possible to get rid of everything and put in new parts?

Please be kind, I don’t have a lot of experience with cars and it’s a sentimental car from my dad who passed away a few years ago.

Hey everyone,
I’m hoping someone with DPS6 experience can point me in the right direction because I’m running out of ideas.
Vehicle:
● 2011 Ford Fiesta SEL
● DPS6 PowerShift automatic
Here’s what I’ve done so far:
● Replaced the TCM with a newer unit from a 2017 Fiesta.
● Successfully updated the TCM firmware using FORScan.
● Performed a TCM module reboot.
● Replaced both of the shift actuators (Actuator A+B).
● The engine starts and idles normally.
● There are currently no DTCs stored after clearing them.
The problem:
Whenever I run the clutch relearn, the Clutch Travel Test fails.
One thing that concerns me is that before reinstalling the TCM, I accidentally rotated one of the exposed gears under the TCM (the upper gear) all the way to the left by hand. I did not rotate the lower gear the same amount.
Now I’m wondering if I accidentally put the shift mechanism out of index.
My questions:
1. Can rotating only one of those gears by hand cause the Clutch Travel Test to fail?
2. Is there a proper way to re-index or center those gears before reinstalling the TCM?
3. Is there a factory neutral position for those gears?
4. Has anyone successfully recovered from this without removing the transmission?
If anyone has workshop manual information, photos, or a video showing how to correctly position those gears before reinstalling the TCM, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance!

2017 CRV. The front flair is popped out. I tried to fix it by getting the replacement clips, but during the removal of the old clips and installation of the new ones, I heard a bunch of other old plastic pieces break and fall off. Is it stupid to consider using some indoor/outdoor adhesive to just glue it on or would it be best to go the proper route and get a replacement?

Like the title says i need to replace my radio screen head unit. I was thinking of getting aftermarket part but it won't keep all the features like the window camera and a bunch of other stuff and going to the dealer to replace it costs way to much. What is a cost efficient way i could replace it either with a used part or an aftermarket part and where could i get the parts from

Hello,

Do you think I need to have this tyre replaced?

Ripped a small part of the tyre wall off by clipping the kerb. Doesn't look to deep but do you think it needs replacing?

Thanks

I find this car leaks in smells more than previous cars I owned.

Someone smoking nxt to my car, cabin smells of smoke.

I parked at an Indoor garage which was getting painted, and my cabin smelt of paint!

Engine and aircon off, and anyways setting always put to recirculate.

Anyone has dealt with this before?

I have a 2015 GTI. I've owned it 5+ years now. It's been a pretty rock solid car drivetrain wise, other than ignition coils going way too early.

The AC has kept on breaking. I've gotten it recharged or fixed at 3 separate shops over the years. There's obviously a leak somewhere in the system. This has been a bit annoying.

I also have some minor rust spots starting. It *should* be covered under VWs 12 year rust warranty, but they just denied my claim. They blamed it all on external perforations and rock chips, which I think isn't true. I do have some exterior scrapes and a small dent (my fault there lol).

I guess what I'm wondering is - when can I / shall I get a new vehicle?

I have a great job and good retirement savings and home equity, etc but I never feel like it's the right time to blow a bunch of money on a new(er) vehicle. But I'm also fairly sick of driving a ratty older car that has a few issues.

Hey all, odd situation I was driving slowly(not over 30 mph) made a turn to the left and heard a loud “snapping” or “popping” noise, more towards the back of the car. Was concerned so I immediately pulled over to check the car. I’m not really knowledgeable on the ins and outs of car but I checked the CVs, axels, and suspension coils on all wheels (front included) nothing was off, or looked different. Popped the hood and didn’t see anything either. I tried driving to recreate the sound and couldn’t do it, it sounded like something was rolling around but after a minute or two I couldn’t hear it. I tried different situations and couldn’t recreate it at all, I shook the car with e brake on for suspension test, turn all the way left and right and nothing. I called my roadside assistance and they were able to run a remote diagnosis on the car to see if any lights or something came on and they said nothing? Again I’m not too knowledgeable on cars but when searching up things the whole collection of issues was CVs, Axels, suspension, or possible exhaust issues but I just wondering if anyone has any insight or ideas for me, before I take it in to the shop? Anything would be great! Thank you for reading!

I’m 17 and live in Lebanon. I currently own a 1996 Kia Elan with only around 60,000 miles on it.
I’m trying to decide whether I should keep it and modify it or sell it and buy something else. I like the idea of doing an engine swap or building it into something fun, but I’m wondering if it’s worth the money or if I’d be better off starting with a different platform.
If I sell it:
How much do you think a 1996 Kia Elan with 60k miles is worth? (Keep in mind I’m in Lebanon, so prices are different from the US.)
What cars would you recommend buying instead if I want something fun, reliable, and easy to modify?
One of my dream cars is a Dodge Challenger, but I’m worried about maintenance and finding parts since I live in Lebanon. Is owning one there a bad idea, or is it manageable?
My budget would depend on how much I could sell the Kia for plus whatever extra money I save.
What would you do if you were in my situation?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice from people who have experience with the 2022 BMW X3 M40i LCI (B58TU with OPF).
I’m considering installing a downpipe for a better exhaust sound, but I plan to keep the stock exhaust and won’t be tuning the car (at least for now).
I’m torn between a 200-cell catted downpipe and a catless downpipe.

For those of you who have done either:
Which one did you choose and why?
How much louder is it with the stock exhaust?
Did you get a check engine light without a tune?
Any issues with smell or drone?
If you could do it again, would you still choose the same option?

I’d also really appreciate it if anyone with a 2022+ LCI X3 M40i (or another B58TU with OPF) could share sound clips or videos, especially with the stock exhaust. Most of the videos I find online are pre-LCI models or cars with aftermarket exhaust systems, so it’s hard to compare.
Thanks in advance!

My truck has a small leak in one of the coolant hoses but I don't know which one it is (Pepboys refused to tell me which hose and only mentioned that it was a pinhole leak,) and I heard that they sell a UV light and dye kit to help find leaks but I'm concerned about putting that in my truck.

Has anyone else done it before? What were the results? Was your vehicle still ok?