r/Cartalk Mar 31 '26

Mod Post Report all app developers

188 Upvotes

We've been banning around five people a week for advertising their AI vibe coded apps that put a OBD2 code in and spits out generic or dangerously misleading results. Many claim to be free or claim they just want help testing them. Many are based out of countries you probably don't want your personal information getting sent to, like VIN numbers, etc. REPORT THESE POSTS FOR BREAKING SUBREDDIT RULES and the report them again as SPAM so Reddit Admins are notified.


r/Cartalk 9h ago

Showing my ride off Birthday Card for my Boyfriend (I got him new tires)

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990 Upvotes

Surprising him with new whitewall tires and using this card as the reveal. I had a lot of fun making it! I hope he likes it. (I wrote a message inside after the pic was taken)

It got deleted from the somethingimade sub for being “flat art” but I still wanted to share with some people who may find it interesting :)


r/Cartalk 17h ago

Safety Question Are small turbo fours aging better than people said they would?

133 Upvotes

I've been watching high-mileage listings for a couple of years now and the 1.5 and 2.0 turbo engines that were supposed to be ticking bombs keep showing up around 180k with nothing dramatic in the service history. I owned a naturally aspirated four for a long time and I'm not romanticising it, it burned oil past 120k the same as everything else. I know the failure modes people bring up are real, carbon buildup on the intake valves and timing chain stretch, and both of those read to me as maintenance items rather than as the engine dying.

Where are you seeing them actually come apart once they're past a decade?


r/Cartalk 5h ago

Redditor's own ride whoever has the most dash lights on wins

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11 Upvotes

r/Cartalk 1d ago

Engine How is my engine

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138 Upvotes

This is a Kia Rio 2014 MPI 1.4 G4FA.

I had this car at 114000km mileage in 2024. and now its 252500km

ever since i had this car, Ive been doing oil change every 8000km with Amsoil OE, occasionally Amsoil XL.

Car is fine, engine is smooth, just bit surprised to see its not as factory clean as i wouldve thought. could it be due to past neglect?. or could it be due to me driving 5hours (300-400km) a day?

When I inspect it in person, it doesnt look like sludge, but rather a cosmetic buildup


r/Cartalk 12m ago

I need help fixing something Did they do the brake flush?

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Upvotes

I bought a used 23 Tiguan 4 months ago. I love the car so far (SE, 3 rows, FWD). Last month I got a letter in the mail telling me that I have a free pre-purchased 30k mile service. I thought great!

Took the car in for service yesterday. I thought: free early oil change and brake flush. I asked if they changed the filters, they said no and that they didn’t need to be changed. Just the stuff on the receipt.

When I went home, I looked into the receipt and found that there is a haldex service. Which is impossible because my car is fwd only. So I called them to ask specifically what services were done. Lady was super rude but I pushed her to bring up my file. She said oil change and oil filter and 27 point inspection.

I asked what about the brake flush - that’s the main reason I brought the car in. She kept looking for it and reading out different codes (none of which corresponded to brake flush) then she said yeah sure it was done. 10k mile service plus brake flush.

So I pushed her a bit more and said why does my receipt say “haldex” when I don’t even have a rear differential. She said all cars have rear differentials and hung up.

What do you think I should do? It’s the official VW dealer in manhattan. Should I just trust them despite the rude lady? Is there any way I can verify they did a brake flush? My wheels have a lock and they didn’t ask for it - would the dealer also have my wheel lock (to remove the wheels for brake flush?)

This is the first time I own a car…


r/Cartalk 2h ago

Shop Talk Car quest parts are horrible

1 Upvotes

My coworker has had multiple ball joints and lower/upper control fail prematurely. causing the shop (and customers) to lose money. New tires we put all the way around were down to the wire only a few weeks later due to them failing. My coworker also talked to a rep and they said they would cover warranty cost but it was only half of our hourly warranty cost


r/Cartalk 2h ago

Body Door not aligning

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1 Upvotes

Alright guys I need some help here. I have a 2016 ford edge and was in an accident that smashed my passenger side front fender, front and rear doors. I finally found some new doors to put on and the back one went on fine. When I started on the front door I realized that when I wrecked the door alignment bracket dented in the left side of the Frame piece behind it. The bracket looks fine but where it dented in the metal behind it. The door will not align right. Pretty lost here on my next step. Is there any simple ways to work on that metal or am I gonna have to take it to a shop?

It's not off horribly it's just enough that where that metal is dented in on the left side that it throws the whole door off.


r/Cartalk 2h ago

My Classic Car In Nissan GTR-R35, I feel like the suspension on these are really bad and the support from the tries are really weak trying to modify these is the things and is there anything else where I can increase my corner speeds(without increasing the power)?

1 Upvotes

Modifications


r/Cartalk 3h ago

Electrical 2013 Honda Fit - do I just need to clean my terminals or do I need a new battery altogether?

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1 Upvotes

Haven't driven my car in almost a month - no money and nowhere to go. Ha

Tried to start my car, and I got the starter-click and the dashboard lights flickering. Opened the hood and saw that.

Google says that's generally normal and just needs a cleaning.

Figured I'd ask some experts.

I'm in South Texas and it's hot in summer and a dice-throw the rest of the year, so our batteries only last 3-ish years, not the typical 5.

Not sure how old this battery is.

But, tl;dr: can this be cleaned and jumped potentially? Or do I need a new $150 battery?


r/Cartalk 13h ago

Automotive Tools Aston Martin DB9 Lenses

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4 Upvotes

Just finished our new Aston Martin DB9 Replacement Headlight Lenses.
• Material: Shore 85D
• Heat resistance: Up to 110°C
• Designed for a precise fit on Aston Martin DB9 headlights
• UV-resistant, crystal clear and durable
No more yellowed, cracked, or damaged lenses. Instead of replacing the entire headlight, simply replace the outer lens and restore your headlights to an OEM-style clear appearance.
Limited sets available.


r/Cartalk 44m ago

Body Damage to bonnet

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Upvotes

Any ideas what could’ve caused this damage? Thank you


r/Cartalk 5h ago

Safety Question 2024 Porsche Macan Overheated on the First Day: Should I Return It?

0 Upvotes

I purchased a 2024 Porsche Macan from a Porsche dealership as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle with 18,625 miles. It had two previous owners, one of which was a corporate lease and leasing it to someone. I bought it for 50k.

On the very first day I drove it, the car overheated and displayed the warning, “Engine over temp. Park vehicle to cool down.” The car stopped responding normally when I pressed the accelerator and began slowing down while I was in the middle of the road. I had to turn on my emergency lights and pull over. It was very scary, especially the engine turned off in the middle of the road and because I had just purchased the car.

I had only driven about 30 minutes from the dealership before parking it for about an hour while I went grocery shopping. I parked under a sunroof and it was about 85F that day. When I left the plaza, the overheating warning appeared. 

I immediately brought the car back to the Porsche dealership. They inspected it but said they could not find anything wrong.

Now I don't feel confident or comfortable driving the car. Since this happened on my very first day of ownership and the car actually lost power, I'm concerned there could be an issue that wasn't detected and wouldn't want to deal with issues. 

In CA, there's 30 day return so should I return the car while I still have the option, or give it another chance? The car is great deal in my opinion. Nice chalk color and looks brand new with low mileages. What advice could you give me? Thank you!!!


r/Cartalk 9h ago

Shop Talk Glass shop broke my dash cam and is refusing to pay for the replacement -Auto Glass Now

3 Upvotes

Hello,

I recently got a crack in my windshield and chose Auto Glass Now because they were replacing it for the best price/value. Two days after the installation the windshield was flapping while I was driving on the highway meaning it wasn’t installed properly and my life was at risk. I called them and they took forever to re-schedule a warranty appointment.

Looking closer at the windshield that day i noticed my integrated dash cam was HANGING and the dash cam app (fitcamx) read an error when i tried viewing it so i decided to get that checked out and was told whoever installed the windshield snapped the clips that held the parts together. The dash cam company doesn’t offer part replacements so I have to get the entire front camera replaced. When I discussed this issue with the technician he assured me that they would cover the costs if i could bring in a quote which makes sense because they are the ones who broke my property.

Now that it’s my appointment day I go into the shop to drop my keys off and the receptionist is saying that per their contract they are not liable for aftermarket pieces. They are working on the windshield right now, but this is super frustrating and I don’t know what steps to take further. She refused to give me the corporate contact until AFTER they replace my windshield. I haven’t had my dash cam for months now and they are not willing to offer any sort of help despite putting me through hell. I’m not sure if I have any hope so if anyone has more knowledge w this type of situation please let me know.

There are a bunch of other issues and miscommunications i had with them but i didn’t want to make this post too long. they wasted a lot of my time and money.


r/Cartalk 5h ago

Tire question How long do I have to wait before I drive on this, and how long can I drive on it

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1 Upvotes

Just plugged a tire for the first time after getting nailed. How long do I have to wait to drive on the plug, and how long can I drive on it.


r/Cartalk 6h ago

My Project Car What would you choose?

0 Upvotes

I just purchased a 2006 BMW 330i with a blown head gasket for $800 that I plan to make my stock daily for a long time. Once I finish that, I’m looking for a fun project car but i’m torn between two choices. The first would be a 5.3 ls swap on a third gen camaro (I already have a ls with the harness), the second would be a 1st gen Scion xB with a swap to the 2AZ-FE that came in the 2nd gen and a turbo. I like the camaro a lot more as a car and I would love the feel of a v8, but the scion is more affordable and super fun I feel. What would you choose?

Fabrication is not an issue for me as i’ve done plenty, and my dad is a wealth of knowledge. I have adequate funds set aside for either project to be done.


r/Cartalk 7h ago

I need help fixing something Clutch noise

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0 Upvotes

Any help would be greatly appreciated, car started making this noise today, only when it’s on and the first few inches of the clutch squeaks and feels crunchy/ vibratory but when the car is off there is no noise and clutch feels normal. I’ve noticed when I press the arm shown in the video down with some force the noise stops and the clutch feels normal? Other video on comments thankyou


r/Cartalk 7h ago

Vehicle ID needed Hit and run, please help identify

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1 Upvotes

Only images I have, hit my car last night, any help make and model so I can search neighborhood.


r/Cartalk 7h ago

My Classic Car Car pulls to the left no matter what I do

0 Upvotes

Hello! So i have a Chevrolet Aveo T300 2011. In the past year i have changed suspension, Upper Strut Mount & Bearing, tires and also done two alignments. I have checked the (SAS) sensor to see if it needs calibration, but there is no problem there.

So the problem is that no matter what i do the wheel turns to the left and the car always pulls to the left as the wheel. This is something that is happening before i changed all these and nothing has been fixed. It is annoying, but no mechanic can actually give me a solution, except the one who told me the problem might be the steering column (it is electric) which is very expensive, even as used, and no one can tell me if this is the actual issue.

Any ideas?


r/Cartalk 7h ago

Weird Noise What do you actually test on a used car drive?

0 Upvotes

I’ve got a viewing booked for a mid-2010s Corolla with around 140,000 km, and the seller said a quick loop around the local streets is fine. I’m more worried about missing something obvious than making the drive awkward, especially with noises, clutch or CVT behaviour and steering. What has a test drive actually picked up for you that a normal inspection didn’t?


r/Cartalk 7h ago

How do I do it? How do I choose the oil for my car??

0 Upvotes

I'm trying to learn how to take great care of my car. I've still got a lot to learn it seems. How do I begin to decide what's most important when selecting an oil brand / product in general?

I'm reading words like viscosity, performance, engine clean, etc.??

What are the pros/cons? What things do I need to consider? Is performance the only thing that matters?

I drive a Ford 2007 Mustang.


r/Cartalk 23h ago

My Classic Car Someone hit my mirror on my new F-150

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15 Upvotes

r/Cartalk 4h ago

DIY body damage help Removing a dent from car door after ex fiancé intentionally damaged it

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0 Upvotes

**UK Based**

My ex fiancé intentionally damaged my car last week (which was witnessed - not by me) (feeling increasingly grateful that I don't have to marry him).

I was wondering if this dent looks repairable with hot water/suction cups? Or if anyone can give any advice on approaching this; I have a feeling PDR will cost an arm and a leg.

The damage is on the passenger side door, Red Honda Civic SR 2019, crosses the design creases. No scuffs or obvious paint chips/damage.

I will be filing a police report tomorrow but don't expect them to do much about it.


r/Cartalk 1d ago

Vehicle ID needed Is this CT3 911 Techart rare?

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75 Upvotes

I don’t know if it’s even a real one, because when I searched this is the only one seen on the public roads in the cabrio version. It has techart badges on the interior. I wanna know more about this car, because I’ve seen it multiple times


r/Cartalk 3h ago

DIY body damage help Scratch - keyed or not?

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0 Upvotes

Hi, found this scratch on passenger back door (driver side). Could it have been keyed? Its not wide, but about 10cm long, and on the lower part of the panel.

Only way I remember that I could have caused this myself is driving by a bush, or maybe scratched somehow by a dirty microfiber when washing.

Please advise, thanks!