repair

Coolant is just as important as oil when it comes to car maintenance. But so is where the coolant resides—the radiator. Compared to moving wear items like timing belts, brake pads, and clutches, your car’s radiator is fairly long-lived. But nothing on or in your vehicle lasts forever, not even the radiator. Air-cooling vs. liquid-cooling …

Find out the mechanical problems that could be causing uneven brake pad wear and how to address them.

Even outside of oil, a significant part of vehicle maintenance involves taking care of fluids. And while EVs don’t have motor oil, they do still need coolant. However, just like it’s easy to be overwhelmed by oil grades, it can be challenging to know what coolant to pick. Especially when it’s available in such a …

Vintage and classic cars’ styling isn’t the only thing that can make them more appealing than modern vehicles. Their simpler designs typically make for more straightforward maintenance. Provided, of course, you can get classic car parts. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, new technology, loyal fanbases, and rising auction values, finding these parts has gotten significantly …

The Subaru Outback is one of the most popular AWD crossover SUVs in America. The Toyota RAV4 is also a popular choice. But does the price to buy the Subaru wagon come with expensive maintenance costs that the dealer didn’t tell you about? How expensive is Outback maintenance? The investment in buying a car is …

Summer heat requires more from your car than just swapping on dry-weather performance tires. Although it isn’t a usual maintenance item, your car’s A/C can also degrade over time. And no one wants to be stuck in a hot car while you’re going on a road trip. One of the simplest ways to keep cool …

Driving wears away at your car, and not just through paint chips and scratches. Your tires work through friction, and eventually, they’re worn to the point they need replacement. Normally, that takes tens of thousands of miles, especially with regular rotation. But if you’re replacing your tires after just a few months, you may need …

Not every car paint repair requires a trip to the body shop. Use these tips to DIY car paint repair at home.

If you are a frequent Harbor Freight tool-buyer like I am, you’ve probably snagged yourself a handy and inexpensive set of jack stands for your home DIY projects. If you buy tools at Harbor Freight often, you have realistic expectations as to what you are buying, but you may not realize your safety could be …

It’s not entirely incorrect to say cars run on carefully-timed explosions. That’s why regular maintenance is so important. But your car’s engine doesn’t just rely on mechanical parts. Without vital fluids like engine oil and coolant, the motor wouldn’t run properly, if it ran at all. And as Carwow recently demonstrated, improper oil and coolant …

Although leaking oil is a clear sign of trouble, not every vehicle maintenance item makes itself none quite so easily. For example, clutch wear is a gradual process. And timing belts last so long, some owners may forget about them entirely. Until they break, of course. However, maintenance doesn’t have to be just about maintaining …

Cars have an interesting relationship with water. Standing water, combined with road salt, leads to rust. And depending on where you live, rainwater can even cause paint damage. But we also need water to keep cars clean and prevent other kinds of damage. And water mixed with antifreeze helps keep modern engines cool. But it …

Regardless of how it happens, sometimes your vehicle can sit idle for an extended period of time. Usually, that’s to protect it from winter’s salt. However, if done improperly, just parking your car or bike can actually damage it. And one of the earliest casualties is your car’s or motorcycle’s battery. However, at its core, …

Most mechanics will recommend you change your water pump with your timing belt. It may cost more up front, but the long term savings are worth it.

A cracked windshield on your car is always an annoying problem. However, as technology evolves, the problem gets even more complicated.

Regular car, truck, and motorcycle maintenance and inspection can often prevent or catch problems before they become catastrophic. However, it’s relatively easy to inspect your brakes or check your oil level. Not every vehicle component is so easily examined, especially the transmission. And apart from the transmission fluid—which isn’t actually a ‘lifetime fluid’—there’s one component …

Many people love to work on cars, but aren’t professional mechanics. When it comes to buying tools, you want professional quality without the professional investment. Depending on the vehicle, you could easily spend the same amount for tools that you paid for the car itself. Add this to the list of things your mechanic wishes …

Nowadays, it’s not unusual nowadays to see cars, trucks, and SUVs travel 200,000 miles or more. But, generally speaking, most used buyers look for low-mileage cars, which have seen less wear-and-tear on their components. This is especially true when looking at classic cars. That 1971 Datsun 240Z that recently sold for over $300,000 only had …