100th post! For the 100th post on the blog, I had to do something special. I've had this box for a while and just never got around to posting about it. I'm a big fan of new tools and new toolboxes (if you haven't figured that out yet), so for this special 100th post I'll … Continue reading New Toolbox! (100th Post!)
The Buick LaCrosse came in with a check engine light and a code P0496 "EVAP system flow during non-purge condition" with no other symptoms or concerns. In my research, I found that another common symptom of a failed purge valve in addition to the check engine light is difficulty starting after refueling. If you remember … Continue reading In the Shop: 2015 Buick LaCrosse P0496
Something's wrong with your car. You do a little deductive reasoning and figure out the general area of the problem and narrow it down to a few things, then throw a new part on. Problem fixed? Great! Move on with your life. But what if that doesn't fix it? Then you have to move on … Continue reading You Can’t Always Trust New Parts
In modern cars, you may or may not be able to check the automatic transmission fluid, but most still allow you to check the manual transmission fluid. In the old days autos had a dipstick and manual trannys didn't. If you want the privilege of rowing through your own gears, you'll have to work a … Continue reading Tech Tip Tuesday: Checking Manual Transmission Fluid
When my wife was a teenager, her grandmother gave her some money to put aside until she needed to buy her first car. Well, when that time came, her parents bought a '97 Jeep Grand Cherokee for her to use. When we got married, they gave us their 2000 Impala as a wedding gift, so … Continue reading In the Garage: Introducing Amanda’s Wagoneer
The Gearwrench brand became popular when they introduced the 5-degree ratcheting wrench in 1996. While their ratcheting wrenches still rank high on my list of every day go-to tools, Gearwrench now offers a full line of hand tools including ratchets, sockets, screwdrivers, pliers, and specialty automotive tools (disclaimer: I'm super picky about my ratchets. I'll … Continue reading Tool Review: Gearwrench Hand Tools
Honestly it's pretty much the worst way to end an otherwise uneventful oil change. It doesn't matter if you're working on a customer car or your own pride and joy, a stripped drain plug spells a bad day. Most of the time, drain plugs are striped because an inexperienced neanderthal feels the need to hang … Continue reading Tech Tip Tuesday: Preventing and Repairing a Stripped Drain Plug
This video is the first in a series of Service Station videos called "The Barber's Chair" which is dedicated to the men and women who influenced us car guys and gals. I hope this will eventually be a means of others sharing their stories about getting into the car world. Thanks for stopping by and … Continue reading The Barber’s Chair: Archie, Ep. 1
As a car guy, I love tools. I've invested many thousands of dollars over the years in quality (and some not-so-quality) tools of all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. When I started wrenching professionally over 10 years ago, there were mainly air tools and hand tools, but cordless tools weren't as popular yet. I should clarify … Continue reading Tool Review: Cordless vs. Air Tools
Anyone who has been working on cars for more than about 5 minutes will tell you the same thing: tools are expensive! It can be tough to keep track of all your tools when it seems like you have every tool you own spread out on the ground and under the hood of the project … Continue reading Tech Tip Tuesday: No Tool Left Behind
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