Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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2 answers

How exactly does a differential work?

I understand that the differential (or "diff") is the thing that allows the drive shaft to transfer its rotational velocity to the front or rear axle in order to move the car. As far as I know, the diff is the part that also allows each wheel to…
Max Goodridge
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What is the best way to prevent my doors from freezing shut in the winter?

What is the best way to treat door seals to prevent the doors from freezing in winter? I noticed that the doors on both of my vehicles are a bit "sticky" this time of year, where the temperature is above freezing during the day, but drops below…
chris
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How do you un-seize an engine?

I have an older engine that is seized. It is a 1953 Desoto Hemi. How can I un-seize it? I have sprayed Sea Foam Deep Creep down the plugs and let sit for weeks. As well as transmission fluid. To no avail, this bad boy won't crack. I have attempted…
Jonathan Musso
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What are the benefits of a dry sump?

I've heard references to dry sumps, usually in reference to racing engines. But more recently I came across an article about a 'supercar' which stated that it had a dry sump. What are the benefits of a dry sump? Could a regular oiling arrangement…
timbo
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What possible causes for the "check engine" light can I check for myself?

The "Service Engine Soon" light came on yesterday and isn't going away on its own. The car drives fine, no weird noises, smells, or other symptoms. The manual is not very helpful, just directing me to take it to a professional for service. Before I…
Robert
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Should negative trickle charger clips be attached to the battery negative terminal, or ground?

I'm trickle-charging a car using direct connections to the battery. I thought this couldn't be simpler: ventilate, unhook the battery, connect the positive first, then the negative, then turn on the power. Then I saw this article... Locate a…
user56reinstatemonica8
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How To Read Car Tires

On my VW Passat B5 tires, there is a marking that reads "195/65R15 91 V". What does this mean? Do I have to get replacement tires with this exact marking on the side of the tire in the future or not? And if not, how can it differ? EDIT Not a…
Max Goodridge
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3 answers

What is valve float and how does it impact engines?

The Wikipedia entry is hard to grok: Valve float is an adverse condition which can occur at high engine speeds when the poppet valves in an internal combustion engine valvetrain do not properly follow the closure phase of the cam lobe profile. This…
Zaid
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I drove with my Parking Brake on for 30 mins: should I be worried?

Yesterday, I was driving my car for about 30 minutes on the highway at speeds of up to 60 mph. I felt my brakes weren't really working and looked down to notice my emergency brake had been on the whole time (my indication lights don't work, so I…
Siena
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How to (relatively safely) store a small amount (200 milliliters) of gasoline for up to a month?

In my country of residence (developing nation) I sometimes see people stopped alongside the road because they apparently forgot to buy fuel or couldn't afford it. I also would like to be able to push a bit further on my motorbike since the fuel…
Sebastiaan van den Broek
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Wheel stuck or fused to drum

1997 Chevy 1500 My right rear wheel is stuck or fused to the drum. I can get the lugnuts off, but no luck getting the wheel off. I took it to a tire place and they couldn't remove it either, and said I would probably be forced to get someone to…
Nick
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Is it worth switching to full synthetic or blend oil in my older car/truck?

I have an older (enter vehicle here) that has 100k miles on it. Would I see any benefit switching to full synthetic or synthetic blend oil? Is it worth the extra cost in an older vehicle? For example: Valvoline makes a conventional, Max Life…
Troggy
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Steering wheel shakes at high speeds

the steering wheel sometimes shakes at high speeds around 70 miles per hour. It does not always happen. Some day when I am driving at 70, I feel no shakes. some day it shakes badly at the same speed. Also, if I drive slower or faster a speed range…
aminfar
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Should I really keep my gas tank at least half full?

I've seen a number of sources that state you should keep your car's gas tank at least half full, some of which saying it's only important in winter. Some…
Daniel Griscom
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Use of Neutral Gear in Automatic Transmission

I am new to driving A/T cars and I am trying to understand the use of Neutral(N) gear. Should I shift my gear from D to N when my car comes to a complete halt on a red light or somewhere else? As per my understanding, putting brakes on while waiting…
Piyush Kansal
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