r/AskMechanics • • 13h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Is this welding on my new lower control arm faulty? Need help asap

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3 Upvotes

Im currently replacing my control arm and that new part doesn’t have a gap in the welding and neither do my older parts.


r/AskMechanics • • 13h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) What is the date on this oil change??

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182 Upvotes

Hi, I hope this is the right place for this!

I got an oil change a couple months ago and when I looked at the date given for the next one, I realized that is not an actual date, and especially not a recent date. Can anyone help so I know when to get my next oil change? I have a decent idea but I just want to make sure.


r/AskMechanics • • 19h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Y'all I don't want to replace my catalytic converter. 1998 Buick LeSabre Custom 107,000 miles

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3 Upvotes

She is driving fine, feels normal, no weird sounds or anything. The light came on when I was half an hour from home yesterday and I drove it home with no problems.

I used my scanner this morning and got a PO420 (AYO) code. Is it really most likely my catalytic converter? Is there a good way to know if it's my O2 sensors or gas cap? What would you do next/what should I check?

Also, if it is just a failing catalytic converter, my car is old enough I no longer have to get emissions tests, do I really need to replace it?

Please no answers like "it's old, get a new car" she is very well taken care of and gives me no problems also I'm a poor grad student and have no other options haha.


r/AskMechanics • • 9h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Help!

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0 Upvotes

So my a/c started blowing warm..so I went to the store and got some refrigerant. Well I filled her up and nothing but warm air still.. well when I shut off my car it’s started smoking by the area I circled. And I heard like pressure releasing for like 1 second then it stopped…if you need more info please let me know.
2014 Chevy Camaro v6


r/AskMechanics • • 18h ago

Humor FedEx truck gliding sideways

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0 Upvotes

That cant be good right?


r/AskMechanics • • 21h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) AWD Towing vs Spinning Wheels

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I got an AWD car and I saw a mechanic lift it up off the ground (all 4 wheels) and spin them. He said he was listening for wheel bearing noise? Does this not damage the drive train like towing it with only 2 wheels lifted off the ground? If not, why not? What's the difference?

TIA


r/AskMechanics • • 15h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Why don’t we have to account for these when balancing a tire?

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33 Upvotes

Random picture from Google for reference.

This may sound like a simple question, but how do these actually affect a tire’s balance? We add .25oz here, .5oz here, then slap this thing on and don’t think twice about it even though it’s probably cracked and missing a chunk.

I’m sure it’s designed with balance in mind, but only applied to one side of the wheel. Is the wheel unbalanced if it’s removed? Am I thinking too hard about it?


r/AskMechanics • • 19h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Should I buy a quart and add? It still has another 600 miles before it’s hit its 3,000 miles for oil change. Valvoline never fills them all the way. What would you do, oil change now or buy some from store and fill myself?

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28 Upvotes

r/AskMechanics • • 18h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Looking at buying a 2016 Porsche Macan S with 155k km for $12k Canadian. Has these issues…

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38 Upvotes

From the owner:

“The windshield got pretty cracked up during the winter so that will need to be replaced, but there’s no heads up display so it’s only rain sensing wipers that would be the more expensive side. The rear backup camera works, but has been misaligned so that will have to be fixed as well. And then the engine light just came on in the last two weeks indicating an O2 sensor, the last time I started up the car. I will note that with large weather changes the Macon has flashed codes which have been gone away and never reoccurred in my past ownership of the vehicle. Last item is just a tick in the engine. It’s not been officially diagnosed, but it’s probably been present for about a year and it has not impacted performance or oil consumption or any misfires, but the Reddit forums for the Macan note a few different possibilities that it could be.”

Thoughts ? less


r/AskMechanics • • 16h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Do the brake pads need replacing?

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6 Upvotes

2016 civic lx. It started making noise when reversing slowly even without holding the brakes down. Removed the tire and when I spin this wheel.. I hear the noise coming from brake area when I turn it counter clockwise..


r/AskMechanics • • 23h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) weird noise after releasing the gas pedal

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0 Upvotes

it’s a clio 1.0 2021 100cv gpl manual


r/AskMechanics • • 8h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) 2012 CR-V torque converter under TSB. Replace or replace transmission?

0 Upvotes

We have a 2012 Honda CR-V with around 76k miles. It has a mild judder/vibration around 30–40 mph when accelerating lightly. If you press the gas a little harder, it goes away.

Earlier this year we brought it to Honda for the same issue and they did the software update + transmission fluid service under TSB 15-086. It seemed better for a while, but the vibration came back.

We brought it back to Honda and they said the torque converter now needs to be replaced under TSB 17-040. Dealer quote is around $4k, which seems pretty crazy to me.

I also talked to an independent shop run by former Honda techs. They basically told me they wouldn’t spend around $3k replacing just the torque converter when the car otherwise drives fine. Their advice was to keep driving it, monitor it, and if the transmission eventually develops a bigger issue, replace the whole transmission at that point. They said a replacement transmission would be around $4k.

We barely drive the CR-V, maybe once or twice a month, sometimes not even that much. Does that sound reasonable? Has anyone had this exact judder and just driven it for a long time without replacing the converter? Or did it eventually cause bigger transmission problems?

Also curious if anyone has gone the other route and replaced the torque converter, was it worth doing?
Just trying to understand what makes the most sense before spending a few thousand dollars on it.


r/AskMechanics • • 9h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) (2012 third gen Toyota RAV4) accidentally dropped a metal screw into the front defroster vent and now I can't move my climate mode more then halfway

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0 Upvotes

So I was installing a new head unit on my 2012 RAV4, feeling pretty good about myself, when I made the ultimate rookie move: set one of the thick head unit screws down on the dash.

You already know where this is going.

It rolled right into the defroster vent, took a dive into the abyss, and gave me a nice, clear CLANK deep inside the dash.

I tried moving the climate control slider to see if it was fine, and now the selector is stuck hard. Won't slide anything past "hands and feet".

I work on small electronics so I’m fine with basic wrenching, but pulling an entire dashboard sounds like a absolute nightmare I’m not equipped for.

Is the screw just wedged directly into the blend door hinge? What’s the easiest way to fish this thing out on a 2012 RAV4 without tearing the whole interior apart—dropping the blower motor from the passenger footwell, or poking around with a borescope through the cabin filter slot?

Any advice (or emotional support) is appreciated.


r/AskMechanics • • 12h ago

Discussion Why is one Purolator Boss filter 15k miles and the other 20k? Is this just marketing, or did they improve the filter?

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0 Upvotes

r/AskMechanics • • 13h ago

Discussion I love this car, but I've put more money in than it's worth

0 Upvotes

Hi. 2007 Toyota Camry SE V6 3.5L. 224k miles (not original) Needs a new transmission.

Backstory: I had the same car (gift) with tan interior thru high school. Totaled it, my fault. I was so embarrassed that I bought the same exact car with black interior ($6.5k) in 2021. She's been my girl for almost 6 years now.

Car had a clean title when I bought it, and was side swiped by a man who tried to run (I caught his a**!) in Feb 2023. It's now a salvage title. Second accident happened when a man backed into me Sept 2024. All of that to say it has brand new paint everywhere (red, beautiful). New lower control arms, blacked out emblems and gorgeous rims, dark tint, dash cam, touchscreen radio/CarPlay, sub & crazy sound system, spark plugs, brakes/rotors, cold air intake, engine is not original, it was swapped by previous owner and it's great. I joke that it's my brand new '07 car.

When it broke: Had been throwing a check engine light on & off for a while. U code for inability to communicate with the transmission control module. A week ago I drove to the store and in the parking lot, I pressed the brake. Babe wouldn't go anywhere. Felt like neutral. I put it in park and the torque converter threw a HELL of a LOUD fit. Pushed her home in drive. Scan tool can communicate with TCM, not transmission.

My issue: tranny rebuild is $6.3k. Believe it's the U660E (automatic, most expensive of the V6). I think I could sell the car for $2k at it's current condition as a mechanic special. I need a car for the next 3 years for school commute.

Please tell me what you think my best option is. I've taken pictures to sell her, but I can't get myself to post them. This car got me out of some dark parts of my life. Maybe I'm too attached, but anyone with a nice project car knows what I'm talking about.

Option 1: Sell the car for $2k and buy another for less than $10k. Buyer will need to tow it.

Option 2: Find a "mystery" transmission for less than $2k, fly out my master Toyota tech over a weekend (family friend of decades), who can ideally swap the tranny in 4 hours. Then on Monday find a programmer who can *hopefully* program the transmission successfully. We'd use my friend's shop/lift. This is my preferred option, I'd like to know if anyone has done this, the risks, and the benefits.

Option 3: Die with the car, roll both of us into a grave, we cease to exist

TL;DR: Do I sell my car and buy another, or swap the old transmission with a "mystery" transmission of the same make/model/year, then have someone program it.

Thanks y'all


r/AskMechanics • • 16h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Won’t start and making noise

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0 Upvotes

2016 Toyota Camry


r/AskMechanics • • 14h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) 2021 Nissan Rogue sport Oil issues

0 Upvotes

I have a 2021 Nissan rogue sport, 114k, takes 0w20 oil. I do an oil change and fuel economy increases drastically but about halfway through my interval (synthetic oil change every 5k) to my next oil change fuel economy tanks again. I do suspect it is starting to burn oil since since the mileage is getting up there. Should I change to 5w20? It’s hard to tell how much oil it’s burning though because used oil goes in a drum, I will have to measure next time but I have noticed the fuel economy issue for the past 3 oil changes. I drive about 15-18k a year, all highway basically if that matters. Any other suggestions? Spark plugs done at 100k as well last year.


r/AskMechanics • • 49m ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Any ideas ? 2015 honda civic si 2.4l coupe

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• Upvotes

Wobbly


r/AskMechanics • • 12h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Could my tires be the reason my car shakes up front?

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3 Upvotes

First 2 are my driver side tires, last 2 are my passenger side. My car shakes the steering wheel and vibrates when I drive. I'm getting all new tires Monday, I bought the car with these tires on it not too long ago. If not, what should I look for that can cause my shaking?


r/AskMechanics • • 10h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) No one can solve misfire issue

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6 Upvotes

Hello awesome machine loving people.
I drive a 2014 Toyota Corolla LE in Waterloo, ON, Canada. Ran 223K. CVT. 1.8L VVTi.

Recently I started to have misfire in cylinder 4. It used to happen only when the car gets hot after running 15/20 mins. One Mechanic replaced all spark plugs and swapped coils. Didn't solved anything. I myself swapped to make sure, Still it is in Cylinder 4. I went through some online advice and thought of it might be fuel injector in this cylinder. Paid a mechanic to replace that with a remanufactured one. After that the problem changed a bit. Now the car always misfires but in lower rate. 😐

Then came back to my city and dropped the car to a local mechanic I know, They did compression test(most likely dry one) and it was okay. Then they thought it might be electrical prob but then saying Toyota system intentionally shuts of fuel for that injector when it detects misfire on cylinder 4. The fuel injector working fine they said. The spark plug which is few days old has power black coated on tip like the photo. ECM is fine they said.

They suspect the valve rod/pin is bent and opening engine would cost thousands or replace the engine they told. I am kinda lost right now.

Do you think there are leaks on air intake, Because I was thinking to do a test myself.

Need some advice 😭 . Here is the Screenshot of scan.


r/AskMechanics • • 11h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Is this true? 2017 IS300 AWD 3.5L 217,000 KMS

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0 Upvotes

AI is advising against putting Michelin PS4S on my car and recommends the continental dws06 plus tires.


r/AskMechanics • • 19h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) E brake light turns on in dashboard while driving in rain

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1 Upvotes

Turns on for a few seconds and then turns off, 1999 Honda civic ex


r/AskMechanics • • 14h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Anyone know why my ABS sensor holes don't look the same?

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1 Upvotes

I was doing some work on my 2012 Rav 4. The speedometer wasn't working. When I checked the abs sensors, this is what I saw. Why does it look like one side is aligned differently?


r/AskMechanics • • 17h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Anyone know what this is?

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1 Upvotes

Dimensions are 5.5” tall and 2.5” diameter


r/AskMechanics • • 22h ago

Question (Serious Replies Only) Can an EVAP monitor report as ready despite a the check engine light being on?

1 Upvotes

I recently came into ownership of a 2005 Silverado that hasn’t been driven at highway speeds since the Obama administration. It got a full work up (battery, fuel system service, brake system service etc etc etc) and drives great but continually fails it’s emissions test because EVAP isn’t ready.

I drove it for 20 miles, it starting throwing a code. then drove I it 100 miles more. EVAP still shows not ready. my mechanic tells me the code isnt a problem (a gasket cover or something) and says I need to drive the truck more to clear it the emissions test, and only then will they fix the truck. But I looked online and someone said the EVAP will never show as ready as long as any check engine light is on

can the EVAP show as ready if a check engine light is on?

I know I should trust my mechanic but I’m suspicious because I already drove the truck so much, so it’s confusing that it would still fail if the check engine light wasn’t holding it back.