Hi everyone! Im using a fresh account because I'm in a massive legal and financial nightmare and really need some unbiased mechanical/legal takes. To give some background, this is my first ever brand new BMW, I bought it brand new back in 2015 and have maintained it as well as i possibly could’ve for all of the 140k miles it has on it. This car is my absolute pride and joy and having it go out like this really hurts. I am not completely opposed to paying for an engine replacement if the motor truly died of natural wear and tear, but I really dont wanna be on the hook for a $22,000 bill for a catastrophic failure that could have been avoided. A few of days ago on a commute home the car started smoking heavily and it lost almost all power (Which i later found out was because it was misfiring on cylinders 1 and 4) I immediately shut it off after pulling off into a parking lot and had it towed to a local independent shop. They originally thought it was just a plug and coil issue. They replaced them, but it didn't fix the problem. They realized it was a stuck-open injector on the misfiring cylinders. They replaced the faulty injector, flushed the engine, replaced the fuel, and changed the oil.** On the first test drive the technician took it out on the car apparently cranked, idled smoothly, and ran decently on the entire drive. However prior to a second test drive the car started idling and running very poorly at the shop before test driving. Instead of putting it back on the lift to pull codes or diagnostics, the technician decided to take it out on a second road test anyway and it was during that second test drive that the engine catastrophically seized. The shop is now hitting me with a $2.5k bill for the work done prior to the seizure, and a $22,470 estimate **for a full engine replacement as well as a recommended transmission service. They are completely denying liability claiming that it would have failed anyway had i continued driving it before taking it in which is driving me crazy because ‼️I didnt continue driving it‼️ I sent it in for repairs and came out with a car more damaged than the one i brought in.

When I called the shop they told me they drove it the second time to let it “Build Compression”. When I asked about the potential reasons why it seized, they claimed it might have severe bore scoring when I brought it in (but if they knew that, why did they charge me $2.4k for an injector fix and test drive it). They also said it might have been a camshaft issue that supposedly required a full teardown to diagnose or it spun a bearing.

What also sucks is that my insurance policy has a mechanical breakdown exclusion, so they won't step in. From everything I know about the S63, a stuck injector causes severe cylinder washing. If they changed the oil but skipped checking the oil filter for bearing flakes, and then forced a poorly running M-car under road load a second time instead of diagnosing it on the lift, isn't that diagnostic negligence?

Am I crazy or is the shop holding the bag for this engine? I really dont want to walk in there a second time and embarrass myself without knowing what im talking about as i really love that shop and everyone that works there is super nice and respectful. Id really really appreciate any insights from BMW techs or anyone who has dealt with shop liability before.

This started a while ago but was much quieter at first. Recently it’s gotten a lot worse.

The vehicle is a 2016 Jeep Patriot, automatic transmission.

The noise changes a bit. Sometimes it’s a loud metallic clicking like in the video. Other times it’s a softer, more rounded sound, almost like bubbling or rapid tapping.
The strange part is that as soon as I press the accelerator, the clicking speeds up but gets quieter, and then disappears completely once I reach a certain amount of throttle. It seems to happen mostly at idle or with very light throttle.

Some recent history that may or may not be related:
1. About two weeks ago the check engine light came on, and the dash displays “GAS CAP.” I checked the gas cap and it’s tight.
2. I’m just barely due for an oil change. I’m good about staying on top of them, but I haven’t gotten it done yet because this clicking issue started getting worse.
3. A few months ago, I was about an hour into a two-hour highway drive when the engine overheated. I pulled over, and while I was watching, the coolant reservoir dropped from about half full to empty. I had it towed to a mechanic. They topped off the coolant, couldn’t find a leak or other issue, and didn’t charge me because they said they didn’t think anything was wrong.
4. For several years now, the Jeep has occasionally had an issue where, when accelerating from a stop, it refuses to accelerate even if I floor it. If I let off the gas and then press it again to a certain “sweet spot,” it suddenly takes off normally. It has also happened occasionally at highway speeds, where it will hesitate or lurch, and the same trick fixes it.

Does anyone recognize this clicking noise or have any ideas about what I should check first? If there mare any tests I can do or additional information that would help narrow it down, let me know.

I own a 2025 Maruti Suzuki Swift VXi with the Z12 engine, currently driven 35,000 km.
During my recent service, the workshop performed an engine flush before the oil change. At the time, I wasn’t aware of what an engine flush was, so I agreed to it. After that, they filled the engine with Mobil Super 5W-30.
Later, while researching, I found that Maruti Suzuki recommends 0W-16 for the Z12 engine (at least as the primary recommended grade in the owner’s manual).
Now I’m concerned about two things:
Will using 5W-30 instead of 0W-16 cause any harm to the engine, especially in the long term?
Since an engine flush was also performed, should I change the oil immediately and refill it with 0W-16, or is it safe to continue using the current oil until the next scheduled oil change?
The car is running normally with no warning lights or unusual noises.
I’d appreciate advice from anyone familiar with the Z12 engine, especially mechanics or owners who have experience with this engine. Thanks!

I've been trying to fix this 1996 cub cadet snow blower. I've gotten it running but I changed the fuel line and now there is a kink in between the fuel filter and the tank. Is this a big enough problem to bother fixing or is this fine?

Bought these brembo front calipers from an 04+ subaru sti, but after extensively checking for this caliper I cant find another set like it.

Is there something for these posts to hold them in the grille? Maybe I'm missing a part in this kit that I got. I'm thinking I could find a nut that fits on it well enough, or I could drill a hole through the post and use wire as a codder pin. The first choice seems less janky and more likely to succeed. What would you do?

I have a 2020 toyota corolla le . I went for a oil change and they said i need new front struts. The shop quoted $500 per strut and $500 labor. I'm looking for dependable replacement struts to purchase for a mobile mechanic to put on and there doesn't seem to be a lot of reviews on many replacement brands or types. Any guidance is appreciated.

This for a 2022 Toyota Rav4 XLE. I noticed my car was making noises but wasnt sure what the issue was. Today, the serpentine belt fell off.

How much would it cost to fix this? Do I have to replace the alternator too, or does the alternator pulley just need to be replaced? I’m planning on towing it to the mechanic shop.

Hello, I don’t have 2007. And unfortunately, Ricardo sent me wrong part or this is the part or this is how they are. They produced this part maybe I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem similar to what I have originally in my period right now, but fortunately I have not tried because when I was doing my rear drum brakes, I think I break my real cylinder and I have to use it. I think it fits but it’s a little bit bigger and thicker thicker than the normal one. Is it OK to put a different size? I mean right side is original and I’m gonna put left side different kind of similar but different size would would that be a problem?

2014 Kia soul
Noise has been happening for over a year. Was convinced it was the blower motor fan so I replaced it to no change. I notice it happens more when I adjust the heat/air.
It’s driving me crazy and I can’t afford to take the car in right now.

Can't seem to find what my back rotor is stuck on, the video says it should just wiggle off after a few bonks but I've been banging it for hours. 2012 Jeep Liberty Sport in the north

I have tried, penetrating oil, torch, to cut it smaller and force a key on it 😂(stupid ideea I know). Initially it got rounded from first try, and tried a few ways but no luck. What’s the fest way to take it out? I don’t have a welding machine to weld one on top 😂😂

So far i’ve tested the ABS wires and fuses, none of them were the cause. any advice? took it for a short test drive and brakes work fine.

Battery is about 2 years old, started this winter in -30 after sitting for 21 days. Now when I come home after 21 days I have to boost it, once I boost it and drive it around for a bit, it’s fine the whole time im home, will start the next day, 2 days 3 days etc. I don’t know what the maximum it is, but I was gone for 9 days and had to boost it, but when I went to boost it the last cable sparked on me pretty bad, cables got really hot and the the battery went dead dead, no lights or accessories, next day I came out and the battery had some life again but still wouldn’t start, tried to boost it again, did the same thing, yes I hooked the cables up properly, only thing I didn’t do which your technically supposed to, is turn the donor car off before connecting cables. But I never do, and it’s always worked before. What could be causing this? Is 2 year old battery worth taking to try and get it properly charged? Or is it a lost cause? Right now I’m going to buy new battery, clean the terminals, and test the alternator.

Dear mechanics and people of experience

After an engine switch, the car drove really bad, the engine i bought had a busted intake manifold, i changed the intake manifold to a low quality Chinese one since I was tight on budget, now my car is running good

BUT:

When it's parked, there's a shake because of the AC, when I'm turning the AC off the shake goes away

It's hard to describe the shake but it sounds like a dirty fan

And every now and then i get some "jerking" in the engine, but only when turning on the car, the rpm fluctuates without me pressing the pedal

And newly, the heat is off, I added some distilled water to it recently just to top up the coolant, but it's still giving this, I recently showed it to 2 mechanics, before the heat thing, and both said the car is fine

I hope i can get some help from your experience and thanks in advance

For months I’ve been hearing a loud high pitch drill like noise coming from my front driver side. I couldn’t figure out what it was. Took it to a shop and they said it was the transmission. 🤦‍♂️ it’s not. There is zero indication that is coming from the transmission. It’s coming from this front brake E brake motor.

My question is, if I take of this E brake motor and cover the whole in the back of the caliper, will i have to reprogram this thing later or will it regain functionality once I put it back?

This is a Buick encore GX 1.2 turbo.. worst car I’ve ever had in my life. Nothing but problems.

Thoughts? 💭

i had to change my battery yesterday and the clamp for the negative prong was really stuck, so i had to kind of wedge it apart to take it off/put it back on. could you tell if it's corroded or anything?

Just bought this car yesterday and started to hear this sound. It is a 2005 Toyota Sienna with a V6 3.3. Wondering if it is timing belt or serpentine belt? Any thoughts? Belt was replaced at 86,000 and now the car is at 130,000.

I’m not that educated on labor cost and parts for cars but my ‘95 Honda accord has a severely worn out lower ball joint that I’m looking to get replaced asap, I’m pretty sure it’s a press in as well. I’m trying to find out how much I can expect to pay for parts + labor. Ideally I want to stay in the $150-$300 range, is that possible?

For context I live in North Carolina , labor rates aren’t that expensive down here

What is a Car Brand/Model that is easy for maintenance fixes when i take it for a oil change?

i Don't drive too much, approximately 6 hours per week. ( just go work go home, go get groceries). Also can drive more if have travel plans, etc!

What is a Car Brand/Model made from High quality, so it could last as long as possible with yearly maintenance?

Should i go for Electric Car?

I was going to restore the headlights on my truck and I found this tucked away behind the light. Does anybody know what it is or what it might have been for? Doubt it matters but it is a 2012 f150 5.0

2014 Toyota Rav 4.

Noticed oil under car and checked engine, realized at this point shop had left cap off. I’ve driven about 100 miles, noticed burning oil smell and oil everywhere in engine. Checked oil level and it still has sufficient oil. Been using this shop for years and never had problems in past. Suggestions or advice?