Heater Fan Only Works on High? Or Sounds Like a Helicopter? Here’s the Fix

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Heater Fan Only Works on High? Or Sounds Like a Helicopter? Here’s the Fix I couldn’t tell you how many blower motors I’ve pulled out of cars over the years and found a mouse condo inside. Seriously. Half a bag of dog food, shredded seat foam, the whole works. They love that squirrel cage —…

Grinding Noise When You Hit the Brakes? Pull Over and Read This

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Grinding Noise When You Hit the Brakes? Pull Over and Read This Thirty years in the shop, and brake grinding is one of those noises that makes me wince every time. Because by the time you’re hearing it, you’ve already ignored two or three warning signs. Brakes don’t just go from fine to metal-on-metal overnight….

Engine Misfire? Don’t Fire the Parts Cannon — Do This First

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Engine Misfire? Don’t Fire the Parts Cannon — Do This First I’ve been chasing misfires since before OBD-II was a thing, back when you had to count the flashes on the check engine light and look it up in a Chilton manual. These days the computer tells you exactly which cylinder is dead, and half…

Full Coolant Tank, Pegged Temp Gauge — Yeah, That’s Usually the Thermostat Housing

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Full Coolant Tank, Pegged Temp Gauge — Yeah, That’s Usually the Thermostat Housing Customer came in last week. 2012 Ford Explorer, temp gauge buried in the red, steam coming from under the hood. He’d already topped off the coolant twice that week. “I don’t get it,” he says. “The reservoir’s full.” I walked him out…

Car Clicks but Won’t Start? Don’t Throw a Battery at It — Check These First

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Car Clicks but Won’t Start? Don’t Throw a Battery at It — Check These First Thirty years turning wrenches, and every winter the phone rings with the same thing: car won’t start, turn the key and all I get is a bunch of fast clicks — or one loud clunk and then nothing. Here’s the…

P0011 or P0014? Before You Replace That VVT Solenoid, Check Your Oil

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P0011 or P0014? Before You Replace That VVT Solenoid, Check Your Oil I’ve been under hoods for thirty years, and I’ll tell you what — half the P0011 and P0014 codes I see aren’t a bad solenoid at all. They’re a neglected oil change. Customer rolls in with a check engine light on, maybe a…