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1500 questions
21
votes
4 answers
Can a weak battery destroy an alternator?
I've heard a story that a weak vehicle battery can destroy an alternator or cause an alternator to fail early.
Is this true, or is it largely fiction?
Amazon Dies In Darkness
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21
votes
1 answer
What does pie cut exhaust mean?
As the title says, when looking at building a custom exhaust system I've heard the reference called pie cut exhaust but I was unable to find any definition or terminology so I was curious to know what does it mean?
Hᴇʀʙɪᴇ
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21
votes
4 answers
How does the car's ECU detect a misfire?
I was wondering what the specific mechanism used by car ECU's to detect misfires is, or are if there is more than one method.
Robert S. Barnes
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21
votes
4 answers
Why do tyres go flat after a few weeks of non-usage?
My car is a 2007 model FIAT Albea 1.3 liter 4-door saloon. I think it might be the "fire" version. Made (assembled) in Turkey. I use it 6 months a year but 4-5 weeks at a time. When it's stored/parked at my friend's place he keeps the engine running…
clint mede
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21
votes
2 answers
How exactly does a differential work?
I understand that the differential (or "diff") is the thing that allows the drive shaft to transfer its rotational velocity to the front or rear axle in order to move the car. As far as I know, the diff is the part that also allows each wheel to…
Max Goodridge
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21
votes
5 answers
How do you un-seize an engine?
I have an older engine that is seized. It is a 1953 Desoto Hemi. How can I un-seize it?
I have sprayed Sea Foam Deep Creep down the plugs and let sit for weeks. As well as transmission fluid. To no avail, this bad boy won't crack.
I have attempted…
Jonathan Musso
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21
votes
4 answers
What are the benefits of a dry sump?
I've heard references to dry sumps, usually in reference to racing engines. But more recently I came across an article about a 'supercar' which stated that it had a dry sump.
What are the benefits of a dry sump?
Could a regular oiling arrangement…
timbo
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21
votes
2 answers
What possible causes for the "check engine" light can I check for myself?
The "Service Engine Soon" light came on yesterday and isn't going away on its own. The car drives fine, no weird noises, smells, or other symptoms. The manual is not very helpful, just directing me to take it to a professional for service. Before I…
Robert
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21
votes
7 answers
Should negative trickle charger clips be attached to the battery negative terminal, or ground?
I'm trickle-charging a car using direct connections to the battery. I thought this couldn't be simpler: ventilate, unhook the battery, connect the positive first, then the negative, then turn on the power. Then I saw this article...
Locate a…
user56reinstatemonica8
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21
votes
2 answers
How To Read Car Tires
On my VW Passat B5 tires, there is a marking that reads "195/65R15 91 V".
What does this mean? Do I have to get replacement tires with this exact marking on the side of the tire in the future or not? And if not, how can it differ?
EDIT
Not a…
Max Goodridge
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21
votes
3 answers
What is valve float and how does it impact engines?
The Wikipedia entry is hard to grok:
Valve float is an adverse condition which can occur at high engine speeds when the poppet valves in an internal combustion engine valvetrain do not properly follow the closure phase of the cam lobe profile. This…
Zaid
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21
votes
3 answers
What is the pin or keycode for ELM327 bluetooth OBDII adapter?
The infamous ELM327 OBDII device came without any paper, just a crappy CD with no document related to the device (only some software and drivers thrown on the CD almost randomly).
I tried the following codes without being able to pair it with my HTC…
sorin
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21
votes
4 answers
What is a rod knock?
What is a rod knock? What causes a rod knock, how bad is a knocking rod, and how can I tell if a rod is knocking?
Jerreck
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21
votes
1 answer
Why does diesel engine need a warm-up before the start-up?
When starting up, diesel engine needs approximately 5s before turning the key for ignition. Why is this neccessary and what can be damaged if you don't do that?
winter
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20
votes
11 answers
Wheel stuck or fused to drum
1997 Chevy 1500
My right rear wheel is stuck or fused to the drum. I can get the lugnuts off, but no luck getting the wheel off. I took it to a tire place and they couldn't remove it either, and said I would probably be forced to get someone to…
Nick
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