Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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4 answers

Is it correct to downshift to brake?

I'm taking the driving license and my instructor told me that I have to downshift to slow down the car, without using brakes. He said that I have to use brakes only when needed (when I need to stop or in case of emergency). Is it correct? Could…
SyncroIT
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3 answers

What are the causes of fluctuating intake manifold vacuum

I have a 2005 Honda CBR600 F4i which suffers from occasional hesitation at low rpm when accelerating. I also get occasional fault codes from the ECU indicating a vacuum leak. Today I connected a vacuum gauge between the MAP sensor and the intake…
Ian Oakes
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What are the audible symptoms of a failing starter motor?

My 2004 Subaru WRX has 110000 miles on the odometer and I'm worried about the original equipment starter motor. Here are the audible symptoms that have me concerned: During the winter, I noticed that sometimes on a (very) cold start, turning the…
Bob Cross
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What problems may occur if clutch is not used?

I was curious about what problems may arise if clutch is not used when shifting gears. Are the problems similar for both cars and bikes?
Dharmit Shah
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2 answers

What is the function of a blow-off valve vs a wastegate?

I am waiting for a 2013 STI and have been looking into upping the performance, but before I go down that road I would like to thoroughly understand the components in a forced induction vehicle. I've done a bit of reading but I'm still confused as to…
Bill.Caffery
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5 answers

Why don't FWD cars have rear differentials?

This confuses me. The point of a differential is to make it so the wheels don't slip when one needs to be turning faster than the other, such as during turns. So if the rear wheels are directly connected by a solid axle, doesn't that force them to…
temporary_user_name
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Can I change the oil without changing the filter?

I have a car on which the filter is fiendishly difficult to access (Alfa GT 3.2) and as I want to keep the car running for many years (and drive it quite hard) I want to supplement the manufacturer's recommended service interval (12K miles) with an…
Matt Bowyer
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1 answer

Machinist Straight Edge Tolerance

I want to purchase a straight edge which I can use to measure the flatness of heads & blocks and other such nifty things. My question is, what is considered a good tolerance for a straight edge? To make this a little easier, if I wanted to buy a 24"…
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
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Stubborn oil drain plug caused by hot oil?

I'm trying to change the engine oil but running into difficulties removing the oil drain plug. One of the instructions I followed to change the engine oil was to give the car a short drive prior to the oil change; this would heat up the oil so that…
methon.dagger
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3 answers

how can I quiet a 'chirping' ventilation fan motor blade?

I have a 2006 VW Golf and the internal fan motor that blows the a/c & heat will start to 'chirp' (sound something like a bird singing) randomly. I believe the fan blade needs to be lubricated, but I have no clue how to go about accessing the…
Patrick
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3 answers

Switching gears without clutch

I drove manual car for a long time but never tried to switch gears without clutch. Question: given that clutch-less shift is executed properly, does it take a toll on transmission in any way? For example: does clutch-less shifting reduce life of…
MeIr
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Why does my 2013 Honda Fit's horn sound when I am jump starting my car?

I had to jump start my car recently, and couldn't get the horn to turn off for a long time. I'm still not sure what actually caused it to stop. The horn sounded on and off continuously from the moment I finished hooking up the cables. Next time I…
Jonathan
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2009 Toyota Camry 2AZFE idle vibration remains after new motor mounts

My wife's Camry went in to the shop 2 months ago for a rough idle. We bought the car used in February with 72K miles. We've put on 10K and decided to have a mechanic look it over and tell us what it needed. The shop noted the engine left and right…
caddymob
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10 answers

How can I disable my 2002 Ford Explorer so someone with a key can't start it?

A person at my house continually moves my 2002 Ford Explorer from the driveway to the street without permission. The key is shared and must remain easily accessible. Personal issues aside, is there a way we can disable my truck so he can't move it,…
dave
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Squeaky Brakes: How much of a concern are they?

I recently bought a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a dealership. When we bought it, I noticed that the brakes were not working very well, and the dealer fixed them before we finalized, putting in a completely new system. However, my wife, who is the…
PearsonArtPhoto
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