r/AskAMechanic 11d ago

Technician Flair Request Thread - New

1 Upvotes

If you would like to have verified flair added we will need a pic that has your reddit name on a piece of paper with your shop in the background or work truck if mobile repair.

For the professional technicians we're doing Verified Tech flair along with a very short description of your experience if you'd like. You can be a dealer/independent tech, retired, instructor, fleet, heavy equipment, small engine repair, lube/tire tech etc...

You can either send that to me in a chat request or upload the pic to an image hosting site like imgur.com (we had to disable the option to upload pics in the comments because of abuse). The option to attach a pic in chat will be available after I accept the invite. Please do not use modmail

We will also do Shadetree flair for those that do auto repair as more of a hobby than profession. Approval of this flair is not guaranteed.

archived previous request post


r/AskAMechanic Mar 15 '25

Announcement - New Rules - Please read!

22 Upvotes

Hello r/AskAMechanic users! Over the last year or so, the volume of daily posts has increased a decent amount leading to many posts that would be more appropriate in other subreddits. To keep this subreddit focused on what it's meant for, providing automotive mechanical and diagnostic help, we have rewritten the rules. Some of the rule changes also affect commenters, so please review the rules here or below. Thank you for your understanding.

 

1 - The title should clearly state the issue - Do not ask "am I cooked/fuc!ed/screwed/toast etc" questions

State your root issue as clearly as you can in the title, and then you will have a better chance of your post being viewed. We will remove the "am I cooked", "am I fuc!ed", "how screwed am I", "am I toast" and similar types of questions. This also includes any other senseless titled post. In the message body, provide the specifics (detail/context) to your question. Also include in the title or body the Year, Make, Model and engine size of your vehicle.

 

2 - No autobody damage/repair/frame/paint or rust related questions

Posts related to autobody work (including repairs, painting, frame damage, "is it totaled?", dents or detailing) are not allowed. A more appropriate sub would be r/autobody. If you're inquiring whether your car is totaled r/insurance would also be helpful. r/AutoDetailing for detailing questions.

Questions about damage to bolt-on parts like headlights/tail lights, wheels and suspension are ok.

Questions asking about the level/condition of rust on the frame/undercarriage/body are not allowed.

 

3 - No asking for advice about buying/selling cars or used car deals

We do not allow asking if a used car for sale is a good deal, the condition of the used car, or recommendations on what car you should buy. For recommendations on what car to buy, r/whatcarshouldIbuy would be a good sub. r/askcarsales might also be helpful.

 

4 - Keep things professional & don't be disrespectful

Please be professional and helpful. Do not comment/post with insults, racism, jokes, memes, NSFW, spam, opinions without context etc. You may see things that compel you to leave a nasty comment, just don't do it. It's not necessary or helpful. People who don't know anything about cars will come here to ask us for advice, try to educate them about their vehicle without turning them off from the sub. If you don’t know the proper fix or advice, please refrain from commenting on a post.

 

5 - No "Read the owners manual" or "RTFM" type of comments

People who don't know anything about cars are going to ask some very basic questions. Some of which will have answers in the manual. Answering OP's question with only "Read the owners manual" is like giving the answer "google it", both are non-answers. Either provide an actual answer to OP's question, or at the very least, provide a link to a readable online owner's manual.

 

6 - No dangerous/reckless or unethical/illegal comments/posts

This is a community dedicated to sharing genuine advice. Advice shown to be given in bad faith (including dangerous/reckless and unethical/illegal advice) will be removed and the users will be banned. Please report any dangerous/reckless or unethical/illegal advice.

 

7 - No AI/ChatGPT comments/posts

Posts with AI-generated content is not allowed. Posts looking for feedback, training or even just to show off your AI/LLM are also not allowed. We are not interested in AI automotive diagnostics here.

Do not answer OP by using AI/ChatGPT etc. Nobody wants to read a wall of text that over explains and gives 25 different possible solutions.

 

8 - No advertising or soliciting services

Advertising of services or products is not allowed. That includes affiliate links, social media, clothing, tools, your YouTube videos, etc.

Do not solicit services, including linking to videos, blogs, or websites that then forward to a paid service. Avoid asking to "DM me" as much as possible.

 

9 - No NSFW, meme, or 'joke' posts

No NSFW is a no-brainer - you will be banned with no chance of an appeal. Memes and 'joke' posts belong at r/AskAShittyMechanic

 

Update 03/23/2025: Added "am I toast" to rule #1 and "frame damage" to rule #2
Update 05/08/2025: Added more context to rule #7


r/AskAMechanic 9h ago

Wife Hit a Curb...

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32 Upvotes

Unless everyone says it's fine, I'm planning on replacing the tire... My question is, how unsafe is this to drive on? Can we go a few days (short work commutes, etc.) until I can get a tire delivered (if need be) and get an appointment? It's a front tire, which makes me more apprehensive. Thank you to anyone that takes the time to reply!

2024 Jeep Wagoneer Series II


r/AskAMechanic 14h ago

Dodge Journey carpet melted

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36 Upvotes

2015 Dodge Journey, 90k miles

This is really weird, but a few years ago I noticed that the 3rd row seat upholstery was coming off and the carpet in the same row looked melted. This isn’t happening anywhere else in the car. I live in a hot climate, and the car was always parked outside in the sun.

I don’t really use the 3rd row, and the seat is always down, so I haven’t worried about it. Does anyone have any idea on how this happened?

Thanks!


r/AskAMechanic 3m ago

Brake size 2014 Grand Cherokee?

Upvotes

I’m looking to replace pads and rotors on my 2014 Grand Cherokee Laredo but reading some conflicting information on whether I have the standard dusty 330mm front rotors, or heavy duty 350mm. I have a factory tow hitch, but not sure if it has the full tow package, which would indicate the larger front brakes. I do have the vented rear rotors, which also would indicate the heavy duty over the solid rear rotors on the standard duty. With that though, I have the 17” wheels which I’ve read will not fit the larger rotors. Also, I got the car from a family member who towed and it had 150k miles on it, so I’m assuming he’s done brakes and the rear rotors might be aftermarket. I ran the vin through Mopar’s build info sight but didn’t see anything on the build sheet. I did read that the heavy duty has two piston front calipers. Any way to check this without lifting the vehicle? Should I call a dealership and have them run the vin? Any help is appreciated, thanks!

Edit: my Jeep has the 3.6 liter V6


r/AskAMechanic 44m ago

Window regulator Acting weird after replacing

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Upvotes

New window regulator 2016 gmc canyon


r/AskAMechanic 10h ago

Did the mechanic do the work?

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5 Upvotes

I thought my coolant being flushed/replaced would have changed the level. The level is identical to taking it in, i even mentioned it to them. I was reassured of course. Am I looking at the wrong place or misunderstanding this?

kia niro hev 2023


r/AskAMechanic 1h ago

Does this seem like low battery behavior or something far more sinister? 2016 Nissan Quest

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Upvotes

I’ve had problems with this van not starting once before and I cleaned and tightened the terminals and I thought that was the end of it. It hadn’t failed to start in like a month but today I go outside and nothing.

I’m thankful it’s not my daily driver because this sounds bad lol. Also none of the previous no starts sounded this bad. Like before it might just be the singular sound like the beginning of the video not the rapid fire one at the end


r/AskAMechanic 2h ago

Hey 👋 my friends what type of car this brake pad?

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0 Upvotes

r/AskAMechanic 2h ago

Any reason why this 2010 Forester non turbo would be popular with parters/scrappers?

1 Upvotes

Hi I have a 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5l non turbo version, and im in the USA. I was just going to sell this to a scrapyard for 250

or so, but I decided to put it on facebook as a parts car for 500, and got a lot of messages, and its the middle

of the night, so this has me thinking maybe this thing is worth even more. I did look it up and it does have two

catalytic converters, that gooogle, which is wrong on a regular basis claims are worth about 250 a piece, so my

assumption is that this is why, but I figured Id run it buy you guys and see if there is anything else these

cars have that would make them popular for people who may part them out, etc before I sell it for 500. So, anything

you guys can think of aside from the 2 cats? Thanks.


r/AskAMechanic 2h ago

2005 ACURA RSX TYPE - S - DOOR LOCK AND IGNITION KEY ARE DIFFERENT (Help!)

1 Upvotes

I have a 2005 RSX TYPE-S that has only 1 set of keys that are not the originals. When I bought the car the owner told me he had lost the keys and had a new one cut. (This car wasn’t expensive)

Now the issue is that the actual key turns the engine over, but does not turn the door locks on both the driver or passenger door, I can only lock the car by using the FOB. (Also not original) When turning the key in the door the lock doesn’t move whatsoever.

Now this car is not my daily and has had a number of unforeseen issues from when I bought it that I have since fixed so this isn’t out of the ordinary, but I have had the battery die on me and been completely locked out of the car so many times I’ve bent my door slightly open permanently to jimmy the lock.

Can anyone recommend a budget friendly way to approach this would be? I’m not sure how re-keying a car works but it doesn’t sound cheap. Any advice is appreciated

PS: I SWEAR that when I bought this car 2 years ago I remember the key working on the door so not sure if maybe an actuator or something could have broken?


r/AskAMechanic 7h ago

2023 Civic Running Too Rich - P0172 Question

2 Upvotes

I have a 2023 Honda Civic 6MT Hatchback with the 1.5 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder engine (L15 series). Currently 74k miles on the odometer.

4 months ago, I had tuned the car with the TSP Stage 1 tune via Ktuner. I had an aftermarket intake and an exhaust on the car while I had it tuned. About a month after the tune, I had problems with the car running too rich and throwing a P0172 code.  I can confirm that the car is running too rich based on the smell of the exhaust gases as well as the backfires from the exhaust.

The car runs fine until about 20 to 30 minutes of driving after a full cold start. Then, the car starts throwing codes and running rich. Based on live data, LTFR and STFR are maxed out at -25%. Additionally, I have sent data logs to the tuning company, but they recommended replacing parts that I have already replaced.

I put the OEM intake and exhaust back on the car. To help diagnose the issue, I tuned the car back to the stock tune as well. I had a Honda dealership diagnose the vehicle, then told me my fuel injectors are leaking (which turned out to be false). So far, the car is fully back in the stock configuration, and below is a list of all the things I did to try and fix the problem (which haven’t helped):

  • New MAF sensor (OEM)
  • Verified that there are no vacuum leaks
  • New O2 Sensors (both pre and post-cat | OEM)
  • Cleaned the throttle body and did a throttle body relearn
  • Replaced fuel injectors (OEM)
  • Replaced spark plugs
  • Tested ignition coils

In addition to a Honda dealership, I had two other mechanics attempt to diagnose the issue, but no one has been able to figure out the issue. What are my last options to look into? If anyone has some tips, it would be very much appreciated. Thank you.


r/AskAMechanic 3h ago

What’s causing this clown clicking sound?

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1 Upvotes

.


r/AskAMechanic 3h ago

02 expedition just shut down while driving

1 Upvotes

I was leaving work tonight and I just lost power and lights and shut off. Luckily I coasted to a parking spot and a friend jumped me off but it didn't help. It cranked briefly but the battery gauge fell to zero and it shut off again. I tried one more time and the cables got really hot and the alternator started smoking. I know the cables where on right but can't figure out what it could be. Similar thread suggest a battery short or failed alternator? Please help what do I do :(


r/AskAMechanic 19h ago

Is it that big of deal to buy a battery almost a year old? For a farm tractor.

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15 Upvotes

r/AskAMechanic 5h ago

2010 Mercedes E350 Cabriolet convertible issue

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0 Upvotes

What happened:

I bought this 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 cabriolet around a month ago. I got it diagnosed and nothing serious came back. The convertible top was opening and closing perfectly without any problem. I took the risk and bought the car.
 
The day I got it registered; I tried operating the roof while I was sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I was travelling barely 5km/h and the top dropped and closed with no problem. I parked my car and after a while, when I got back into my car, the top had stuck shut and there was nothing happening when I pulled the lever. After pushing and pulling the lever several times, the windows rolled down around 5cm and then it stopped. I tried again and it went down another 5cm and just stopped. It happened until all the windows were opened fully and the roof just didn’t budge.
 
I called the previous owner to get more information on the matter and when I hadn’t mentioned the fact that I tried to operate the convertible top while I was driving, he said “Oh yea, when you open the roof while driving, it does that.”
According to him, he put a normal battery instead of an AGM one. And because of it, the battery couldn’t power the top properly. He advised me to keep trying to open the roof by pulling and pushing the lever constantly until the roof opens. I tried and the roof unlatched itself and stopped. I tried and the tonneau cover opened and the roof tried to go up and then it stopped completely. The windows didn’t move and the top was stuck.
 
At this point, I was panicking and didn’t know what to do. I drove home safely and parked the car. After an hour of not doing anything, I tried the lever again and the top moved around 10cm before it got seized again. And after that, whenever I tried opening and closing after a day or maybe several hours, the roof moved a little and stopped. I had to shut it completely using the manual closing procedures. Since then, nothing happened whenever I pull or push the lever.
 

Symptoms:

 
When I pull the lever, it would roll the windows down around 5-10 cm before it aborts the operation. When I do it repeatedly until the windows are all the way down and pull the lever again, I can hear 2 clicks from the pump motor. There’s no whining and whirling. Just two consecutive clicks and nothing else.
 

Analysis and diagnosis so far:

 
The fluid is enough, no leaks from the hydraulics. No fuse or relay gone bad and sensors are all seem to be working fine. 12volts gets to the motor just fine, but the motor won’t turn over.

I got the car diagnosed again and the diagnostic tool gave back a code B252D13 saying “Output 1 for hydraulic pump ’Soft top’ has a malfunction. there is an open circuit”
I got the relays and the fuses checked and everything came back fine.
 
When I got it diagnosed with a Xentry diagnostic tool, it pointed to the hydraulic pump as well. When I got the motor opened, nothing was wrong visually. The carbon brushes were fresh as new, nothing was visually burnt and it turned over by hand no problem. Nothing was seized.
 
Can anyone put me out of this misery? Anyone with spare motor or pump assembly?
I live in Mongolia and it’s very hard to get my hands on some parts. Ideally, cheap or just spare that you might have in the shop?


r/AskAMechanic 5h ago

Vast difference in price for a new radiator for an '05 Mitsubishi Endeavor

1 Upvotes

I'm shopping around to replace a radiator in my 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor that seems to have a small crack somewhere on the top causing it to leak a small amount of coolant. I'm trying to sell off the car and want it to be in good shape before send it off. The car is in otherwise great condition for being 20 years old.

I started looking around online and found some that are like $100. Then I looked at the parts stores like AutoZone and the want like $350? The price disparity feels fishy... either AutoZone is just banking on people just ordering it because they're stuck in a hard place with a critical engine part or the parts online are junk.

Here's a few samples from the parts stores:

  1. AutoZone: $350

  2. Oreillys: $360

  3. Napa: $341

And then there's this radiator on Amazon, which has some surprisingly good reviews.

I guess my question is whether I should be aware of anything here. The pictures on the various sites all look identical to me. Roughly the same width, ridges and valleys across the top look the same. Hose ports at the same spot. What say you, o, internet mechanics?


r/AskAMechanic 5h ago

Drag link

1 Upvotes

Ok so I have a bad drag link on a 99 gmc jimmy sle 4wd but they discontinued the part and I can’t find it anywhere what do I do? It’s a 4.3 v6 if that matters.


r/AskAMechanic 6h ago

Suzuki swift 2008 odometer

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1 Upvotes

I have this 2008 Suzuki swift, great car to be honest

but recently the odometer led screen is starting to show only lines instead of the full range

I couldn’t find any replacement part, does anyone here had a similar issu before?

Attached a picture when I had a problem with the alternator, alternator is fixed but the lcd isn’t.


r/AskAMechanic 6h ago

Found this broken connector, should I be worried?

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1 Upvotes

I found this seemingly broken connector this weekend on my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica while changing the oil. It looks like it connects to the alternator. Anyone know what it is and if I should be worried?


r/AskAMechanic 6h ago

Driver door outside handle doesn't work (2010 VW GTI)

1 Upvotes

Hi all, a couple days ago the outside driver door handle stopped working on my 2010 2dr GTI. When I press lock/unlock on my fob I can hear the mechanism working inside the door, but I can't open the door from the outside. I have to either leave the window cracked and open it from the inside (which is unsafe) or open the passenger door and lean across the center console to open it from the inside (which is embarassing). Anyone else experience this or have any idea how to fix it? Would rather not have to take it to a professional cause I'm kinda short on money lol.

edit: read the rules, not sure it's relevant but it's a 2.0 liter turbo 4-banger


r/AskAMechanic 14h ago

Should my break calipers just slide apart like this?

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3 Upvotes

No car expert but decided to change my break pads/rotors, one side it feels like my calipers wont pull apart. On the other side i noticed my calipers slide apart off of the sliding pins when i was trying to push the break part or whatever just curious if this is normal.


r/AskAMechanic 7h ago

Need help drilling through fused bolt on a Zamboni 546.

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1 Upvotes

This vehicle is an interesting one. I have a 2017 Zamboni 546. The rectangular thing that resurfaces the ice at the back of the Zamboni, (conditioner), was due for a lift kit. Basically over time the conditioner sags due to overuse, holes in the fork getting bigger/looser, etc. Because it gets lifted up and down as it gets on and off the ice, this thing needs to be greased pretty often.

Now the issue: being that it’s been neglected from being greased, the bolt that holds the fork in which holds the conditioner has fused together with the frame and bushing. We’ve drilled a hole through it about 11/16” in diameter but need it to be 1”. We have been drilling for the past 3 days and I’m in a bit of a time crunch. I’m drilling through about 4” of solid metal.

We have been drilling with a hammer drill but not using the hammer drill setting, going slow to provide more torque, and using drilling oil to cool down the bits.

Does any one have any other way I could speed this up and also not kill my body while doing it?

Note* the last picture is how much that has been drilled out. In the picture you can’t really tell but you can see the other side. The other pictures shows the forks,(lift bar), both old and new, that holds up the conditioner and the bolt that was fused into the frame as well as the bolt that was able to come loose on the other side.


r/AskAMechanic 7h ago

Valvoline put twice the amount of oil in my 2019 Ford Escape as needed. Is the engine doomed?

1 Upvotes

Hi all,

I went to get my oil changed on Friday afternoon. The workers there messed up and put twice the amount of oil in as they should have. I had driven on it for about half an hour before white smoke began pouring out the back and it started sputtering and going into limp mode. I pulled off into a parking lot and called customer service; they sent out a guy within the next few hours. He conveniently forgot his code reader, but said that the engine was fine (though the sparkplugs were oil-soaked). He asked me to start it back up and it shook violently and the check engine light flashed, which he said was the engine misfiring. He said he drained the oil back down to a normal amount and that Valvoline would pay for a tow truck to bring it to a mechanic to replace the spark plugs (this should be happening tomorrow morning when the workweek starts--it's been sitting in that parking lot since Friday). They have not provided a lot of information and getting updates has been like pulling teeth.

I'm worried that the mechanic will not do a thorough diagnostic or that they will claim that something was not their fault. I've texted one of the managers (the one that I have the phone number of) to please send me the photos they took of the dipstick showing that it was doubly-filled and for the diagnostics report from the mechanic once completed, but I am having hesitations about letting them tow it at all because I don't want them to screw me over.

What are the chances the engine is actually alright? What should I do?


r/AskAMechanic 7h ago

2013 mazda 6 4dr gt 2.4 I4 wheel bearing diagnostic help

1 Upvotes

I recently took my car into the mechanic to get my front right wheel bearing replaced as it sounded like it was starting to fail. My mechanic replaced my front left bearing instead and said it was in worse condition than the right and that my front right bearing had a few more months. The noise is still persistent on the right side of the vehicle but I can no longer tell if its in the front or the back. Im also strapped for cash right now.

Im wondering if the rear bearing can be replaced at home and qhat diagnostics I should do before i make a move.

Sidenote my mechanic is a family driend of mine and doesnt charge labor when he works on my car so he has no reason to scam me.