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

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1500 questions
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1 answer

How can I be sure of the reading on my automatic transmission fluid dipstick?

This may seem like a silly question. I've been trying to read the dipstick for my automatic transmission fluid but am having a very difficult time determining the level. The fluid is very light and translucent and I'm unsure if it is in the proper…
Jim
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What is surging?

I've been reading a few of the questions here just to learn a bit more about cars out of curiosity and one thing I see quite a bit is the word "surging" I searched and I'm not seeing any straight and clear definition of what surging is and how to…
Earlz
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Driving electric cars through large pools of water

The state of California is expected to be hit by a large storm in the coming days and there are frequently clogged drains in my town. I have an electric vehicle that seemed to handle driving through large puddles during the last storm but I was…
Chris.Stover
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What are reverse lights used for besides showing intention to reverse?

Recently I have noticed cars in parking lots with their reverse lights on even when the driver is not behind the wheel. I stop to let the drivers back out, and then realize they have no such intention. I don't know what that signal is telling me. On…
Lee C.
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All weather tires vs winter tires on well-plowed roads

I live in Minnesota. I've seen lots of people recommend changing to winter tires in the winter. However, what doesn't make sense to me is that the roads are plowed very well here. 90% of my driving in the winter is either on dry or liquid-wet…
Patrick Szalapski
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How far should you put your handbrake up?

My feeling is to just pull it up as far as it goes, but I've heard this is bad for the brakes and the car and so it would be better to pull it up with the button pressed till you feel slight resistance, then let go of the button and leave it as…
Mustafa
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What does it take for a modern muscle car to sound like a classic muscle car?

To preface, I would grade my exhaust knowledge with a "B-". I know what the major components are and what they do, but I don't know if and when certain exhaust parts became mandated or introduced over time. I love how a throaty late-60's/early-70's…
Trevor D
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Remove smell / odor from car's interior

We recently purchased a used minivan and it wasn't until we got it home and let it sit overnight that we noticed there was a distinct smell to the interior. The smell is not offensive but it is not welcoming either. What are the best methods to…
Scott
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Is topping up the oil enough of an oil change?

If you use synthetic ester-based oil in a relatively new petrol engine, top it up regularly, and the engine runs very quietly and basically without any noise whatsoever (especially after another top up), and can easily go up the minor hills without…
cnst
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How to Unscrew/loosen stuck O2 sensor

I have been trying to unscrew my faulty O2 sensor (to replace it with a new one I purchased) in a 2001 Honda Accord, with a F23A4 engine, per the following…
ususer
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My vents randomly switch between face / windshield... how do I fix this?

I have a 1998 Ford Windstar (more details on demand if necessary.) I rarely use any vent setting besides "face", and I try to avoid using AC because my gas mileage is already lousy. About two months ago, my vent / fan started blowing on the…
MT_Head
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Is it worth having a fire extinguisher in the car?

I've always had a small 1 Kg (2.2 pounds) multipurpose ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher in the car. It has finally expired and I'm wondering whether I should get a new one. In my region it is not mandatory to carry one and, I've heard several…
John Assymptoth
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Realistically, how much can I expect to improve cloudy headlights by polishing?

The headlight lenses on my vehicle (a 2001 Ford F-150) are cloudy, and presumably as a result, the headlights are not terribly effective. (I could post a photo if you want.) I bought a polishing kit (Mother NuLens) and used it as directed. The…
Nate Eldredge
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Why would turning on the A/C affect my alternator output voltage?

So yet another chapter unfolds in the A/C gremlin saga of my LS1 Chevy. Backdrop A/C compressor is relatively new (2 years old) One of the belts is squeaking (not sure which one) Recently performed a thermostat swap (the only reason why I mention…
Zaid
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Why can't I fill my gas tank in one go?

For the past couple of months, I've been having trouble filling my gas tank. I have a 2003 Hyundai Elantra, which has a 55-liter tank (approximately 14.5 US gallons). When I buy gas, the pump clicks off after dispensing only two or three gallons.…
Scott Severance
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