Maintenance/Repair

If you’re someone that prefers to work on your own vehicle, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that simple jobs haven’t gotten any easier over the years. You are certainly not alone in feeling that way. Automakers are very obviously making formerly simple maintenance routines an absolute chore and the latest example comes from the owner of a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N who dared to try and change his own brakes after some hard use.

Hey hey, it's podcast time!

In light of today's podcast, I am asking of you -- what car brands have lasted the longest when it comes to your buying history?

Hello there! It's podcast time again!

Today's podcast was all about a company that is helping dealers bring mobile service and repair to the customer.

Mr. Guy went over the sometimes agonizing decision on when to bring your car in for service/repair as opposed to when to do the work yourself.

On our never-ending quest to improve this place by listening to feedback from the B&B, we are taking a new tack with these product posts, choosing instead to focus on items we use and may have purchased with our own meagre income. After all, if we’re giving you the truth about cars, we ought to give you the truth about car accessories.

As gearheads, we know – just know – that a clean car runs better. Don’t bore us with any of that logic stuff; a muscle car with shiny paint runs the quarter way quicker than one that’s dustier than an Arizona sidewalk. Right? Right?

This week on the TTAC podcast, the talk is all about modifying your own car.

Matthew G. went over a few ways to keep your car running well for a long time -- a few inspections that can take just 15 minutes a month.

On our never-ending quest to improve this place by listening to feedback from the B&B, we are taking a unique tack with product posts, choosing to focus on items we have actually used or purchased with our own income. After all, if we’re giving you the truth about cars, we ought to give you the truth about car accessories.

While our Stuff We Use series of posts generally talks about gear for DIYers, this one is going the extra mile to add a lesson in word origins on top of some tool recommendations for your garage.

We kicked off our Friday with a list of budget tools every gearhead should own.

Corey used YouTube to deal with his water-logged Bimmer. Do you, the shadetree mechanic, also turn to the video site to help with your own car repairs?

On a recent podcast, we discussed how consumers like dealership service departments a bit more than we might guess.

It's considered common knowledge that consumers would rather take their cars to an independent shop for repairs than the more-expensive dealership. But is it true?

We've been talking about car detailing a little bit on the TTAC podcast, and it's that time of the year where warm weather is starting to appear -- at least some of the time. Spring has sprung.

I've been wanting to ask this since we showed last week that consumer trust in dealership service departments is high. Other QOTDs took precedent. But now I have my chance.

Do you trust your dealerships service department?

On our never-ending quest to improve this place by listening to feedback from the B&B, we are taking a new tack with these product posts, choosing instead to focus on items we have actually used or purchased with our own meagre income. After all, if we’re giving you the truth about cars, we ought to give you the truth about car accessories.

Nearly all TTAC readers and writers have wrenched on a vehicle equipped with the OBD-II diagnostic system. Having a handheld code reader in yer box of tools can help douse that infernal check engine light – or, as we’ve found in today's revisitation of this topic, accurately diagnose which wheel speed sensor is wonky on a 12-year-old Lincoln.

Ultra-low viscosity oils are becoming the norm for modern engines, especially smaller units prioritizing efficiency. Unfortunately, the trend has resulted in conflicting opinions about the actual usefulness of thinner oils. Manufacturers like them because they help them pass emissions and newer engines have been designed with tighter tolerances. But some enthusiasts and mechanics are skeptical that they’re actually better in terms of protecting an engine over the long haul.

I had an interesting chat with Sparq Diagnostics as part of our newest podcast episode.

On our never-ending quest to improve this place by listening to feedback from the B&B, we are taking a new tack with these product posts, choosing instead to focus on items we use and may have purchased with our own meagre income. After all, if we’re giving you the truth about cars, we ought to give you the truth about car accessories.

As gearheads, we know – just know – that a clean car runs better. Don’t bore us with any of that logic stuff; a muscle car with shiny paint runs the quarter way quicker than one that’s dustier than an Arizona sidewalk. Right? Right?

Right-to-repair legislation has been revived.

Will it pass?

Today's podcast was all about the longest-lasting cars and trucks you can buy.

A trio of insurance companies are suing a New York dealership and the American Honda Motor Company after over a million dollars in property damages were paid to a local homeowners association and the owners of a vehicle that caught fire while parked in their garage. Insurers are claiming that the fire was the result of botched maintenance and negligent vehicle design and are looking to recoup payments.

Today's podcast was all about car care.

Hello there, it's time for another episode of the TTAC podcast!

Today our podcast went deep on which brands are the cheapest and costliest to maintain.

Now I am curious what your experiences have been.

Hey hey, whaddaya say? Today is podcast day!

Yesterday we reported on a Consumer Reports story listing the most expensive and least expensive car brands in terms of maintenance.

With the average vehicle now older than ever before and fewer people capable of spending the kind of money required to purchase a brand-new automobile, maintenance has become even more relevant. To that end, Consumer Reports has furnished an analysis on just how much each nameplate is likely to set you back in terms of upkeep over its lifespan.

You wouldn't know it by the weather, at least in parts of the country, but it is springtime according to the calendar.

Snow tires are coming off. So are car covers. And soon, the nation's detailers will be setting to work getting people's rides summer ready.

The question is -- is it worth it to pay for professional detailing?

We, along with Quaker State, gave away some oil this month.

That got me thinking about something -- not what oil you use (that might be a future QOTD), but where you get it changed.

A Detroit-based startup hoping to normalize robotic tire changes has filed for bankruptcy, perhaps offering hope to all the humans worried that they're about to be displaced by automation. RoboTire, which launched in 2019, had stated its intention to speed up vehicle maintenance for auto repair shops, fleet operators and dealerships. Now its status is Chapter 7.

Right to repair is a contentious issue for all consumer products, especially smartphones and cars. Massachusetts voters approved a measure that would require automakers to open access to their over-the-air processes and data in 2020, but the feds only recently gave the okay for it to proceed after the NHTSA pumped the brakes. 

If you’ve taken a car to the dealer for repairs, you’re probably aware that costs can add up fast. Independent shops are a great way to save money on car repairs, but a new J.D. Power study found that owners are less satisfied with aftermarket service providers than in years past. 

This one spoke to my past, brief life as a service writer. For those who don't know, service writers often use the term "customer states" followed by the customer's description of the problem.

Like so: "Customer states there is a creaking noise when turning left at under 15 mph."

Hey Cary,

I have a 2009 Smart car that seems to be having some issues and I was wondering if you might have some advice on what I should do. I went to drive it recently and the transmission seems to not shift or do anything at all. I put it in drive and the engine just revs, if I restart it a couple of times sometimes it will go into gear and move. What should I do?

Thanks, Phil.

I had a friend ask me recently about my experience with older air-cooled vehicles and what my feeling about the right oil weight to run was. Well, I have driven air-cooled vehicles for many years and many thousands of miles and have experimented with oil to see what had the best results.

Cary,

Here is kind of an odd one for you. I have a ‘71 Citroen D series car and it seems there is an issue finding the Hydraulic Mineral fluid for the system. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for me?

Thanks,

Mark

Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a right-to-repair bill into law for New York after it lingered within the state legislature for the better part of a year. However, many advocating for legal protections allowing consumers to fix and modify products have started criticizing changes made to the rule on behalf of large business entities hoping to see it neutered. While much of this pertains to the tech lobby representing companies like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, sizable exemptions have been similarly carved out for automakers. 

Cary,

I was wondering if you had any good tips and tricks for bringing an old car back to life that’s been sitting for a long time. I’ve read and heard different things, but I want your advice on what you have ever done.

Thanks,

Tom

Recently I was talking to several people I know about maintenance and care for a couple of Powerstroke Diesel engines and was surprised that neither had heard of oil stiction and the effects it causes.

You may have noticed our new tech column was missing last week and hasn't been posted yet today. Our writer was out sick.

The State of Massachusetts' Right-to-Repair law was passed in 2012, laying the foundation for the rest of the United States to begin securing consumer protections that would allow them to work on the products they own. General Motors and Stellantis are now claiming they cannot possibly adhere to the rules and have done nothing to prepare for complying with the law.

There are some things best enjoyed without filters – Instagram photos, discussions about pay with your boss, and those Camel cigarettes from the ’80s. What definitely does require a filter is the oiling system on your car’s engine. We’ve gathered a few of them here.

Ford and Stellantis are issuing recalls on some of their biggest models — figuratively and literally — this week. But the issues are quite a bit less dire than the repeat fire risks you’ve probably grown accustomed to. These defects will still allow customers to park their vehicle indoors without fear of awakening to a raging inferno emanating from the garage. Owners could probably even get away without having their cars fixed by the manufacturer until the relevant parts actually started breaking. Though why anybody would turn down free repairs on any component that didn’t pass muster is beyond me.

Impacted vehicles include 2021-22 model year Dodge Durango SUVs, 2019-22 MY Ram 2500 pickups, and 2019-22 MY Ram 3500 Chassis Cab trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) under 10,000 pounds, all with bunk electronic stability control (ESC) warning lights. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 375,000 vehicles should be affected. Meanwhile, Ford is only looking at 175,000 units of the 2021 F-150 pickup with bum wiper motors.

Volkswagen cannot seem to get away from software issues on its newer vehicles. This problem botched the launch of numerous models, including the Mk8 Golf, and seems to have returned now that every single example of the car is being recalled in Europe.

Drivers have been reporting gauge clusters displaying incorrect data, infotainment systems going offline, keys failing, and advanced driving aids that are perpetually on the fritz. The latter issue has also resulted in Golfs engaging in some erratic behavior, like erroneously triggering their own forward collision-warning sensors. This has left more than a few drivers complaining about cars stopping randomly in traffic as the automatic emergency braking system came alive.

Honda is recalling nearly 789,000 vehicles over a defect that could cause the hood to fly up while driving. While anyone wanting to reenact their favorite scene from 1995’s Tommy Boy is going to be thrilled, those less eager to follow Chris Farley into an early grave will probably want to get their car repaired ahead of any hilarious mishaps.

A report filed by the manufacturer with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) listed the affected models. They include the 2019 Honda Passport, 2016-2019 Honda Pilot, and 2017-2020 Honda Ridgeline. This impacts 788,931 vehicles globally, with the vast majority (725,000) being located in the United States.

While the right-to-repair movement is fighting a national battle, the brunt of the action has been taking place on America’s coasts. Consumer activists are taking on multinational corporations that don’t want you to modify your mobile devices, affix aftermarket components to your vehicle, or have complete access to the data that’s amassed by the staggering number of products that are needlessly networked to the internet. After years of petitioning the government, often while arguing with high-paid lobbyists, the group achieved a major victory in Massachusetts in 2020. Voters decided that automakers should not be allowed to withhold information from the vehicle’s owner or use it as a way to prohibit them from taking their car into independent repair shops (rather than manufacturer-certified service centers) or tinkering with it themselves.

Now the federal government is getting involved. Joe Biden has signed an executive order that effectively forces the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take regulatory action that would settle the matter. But we don’t really know if that’s going to lead to a market where customers are free to treat their property (and private data) as they wish, one where the manufacturer holds all the cards, or simply result in a regulatory minefield displeasing all parties.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) has managed to stall enforcement of a ballot measure recently passed in Massachusetts that expands access to data related to vehicle maintenance and repair. Last week, the relatively new lobbying/trade group asked a U.S. district court for a temporary order that would bar implementation of the state’s new right-to-repair rules aimed at giving vehicle owners more direct control of their private data and independent repair shops a fighting chance of staying in business. But the state’s attorney general has already decided that the rules are invalid until after federal cases have been decided.

The decision represents another victory for giant, multinational corporations at the expense of disgusting citizens interested in controlling their personal information and small business owners who have had it easy for far too long.

Over the last few months, the automotive industry has been feeding the media a steady stream of materials about how great electric vehicles are. Your author even spent an hour last week on a press call where a famous German automaker attempted to educate us on how to use the cost of ownership over 10 years to help readers rationalize buying them over something requiring gasoline. While that should stay something about how the industry sees our relationship, it also seems to indicate it’s preparing an EV offensive in North America or has next to nothing up its sleeve for the remainder of 2020.

Of course, these are the legacy manufacturers we’re discussing, EV startups walk a slightly different path. Awash with more investment funding that seems reasonable, they’re in the midst of setting up factories so they can begin production of largely hypothetical products. There are also logistical questions that need handling, including figuring out who will be fixing EVs when nobody seems interesting selling them using the dealership model.

Over the weekend, Rivian explained how it planned on handling repairs. Though, if you thought it would be more complicated than copying a page from the Tesla playbook, you’re going to be disappointed.

Independent repair shops and aftermarket parts retailers have been pitted against major automakers and their dealer networks in Massachusetts for years. The state has served as the primary battleground for right-to-repair legislation that would permit/prohibit customers and independent entities from working on or modifying vehicles. However, a major victory came on Tuesday after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure updating existing right-to-repair laws to give vehicle owners and small shops better access to vehicle data typically reserved for industry giants.

The resulting decision gives consumers substantially more control over what’s done with the data being harvested by the industry (often without their knowledge) and frees up their options on who to go to when their vehicle needs fixing.

Everyone knows a friend or, more frequently, a friend’s middle-aged dad who has “a guy.”

The guy in question doesn’t necessarily need to be male and the friend only needs to know them tangentially. They just have to be some kind of professional or tradesman that they trust implicitly with a single important aspect of their life. For automotive enthusiasts, the guy is a mechanic and usually has a whole shop backing him up. Unfortunately, “the guy” has remained elusive for younger generations.