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1500 questions
20
votes
15 answers
Should I pull my wipers away from the windshield when parked during a winter storm?
When we are expecting snow storm and the vehicle is parked, do we pull out the wipers so they don’t touch the glass to avoid the freezing to the windshield? Or would that hurt the springs in the wiper and make them weaker for future use?
Dan Dietrich
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Why is towing a manual transmission car, in neutral, with the drive wheels on the ground, considered safe?
It is clear that cars with automatic transmissions cannot be towed with any drive wheels on the ground, engine off, in neutral, because the torque converter powers the lubrication pump for the transmission.
Why is it considered safe for a manual…
Narcotixs
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8 answers
When the handbrake is not working, is it safe to fully depend on putting car into park instead?
I have an old Toyota in which the handbrake wire is broken. I have been using the car for few months now and I don't really want to spend more money on it. I now put the car in park and that is it and I had an argument with a friend on this matter.…
user76646
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5 answers
What are these loops in the brake line for?
I was watching a show on the Velocity network about truck modifications, and I saw the following closeup of the trucks master cylinder and booster.
What I don't know is why the designers put the loops in the brake lines coming out of the master…
cdunn
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20
votes
1 answer
Are oils from the skin a problem with turn signal bulbs?
I'm aware that headlight bulbs are very sensitive (reduced lifespan) if you touch them with bare hands during install. Does the same apply to lower wattage bulbs like turn signals (and dome lights)? Some of those are ridiculously hard to get even…
Brian Knoblauch
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20
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3 answers
Should I replace fuses as a part of regular maintenance?
I've been having a few problems that might be electrical in my car.
Seeing as mechanics always want to replace parts first, I'm having to diagnose this problem myself.
It seems like replacing all the fuses would be cheap and preventative, and more…
Betsy Dupuis
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20
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2 answers
What are the dangers of refilling your air conditioner yourself?
Both of the Haynes manuals for my cars list refilling the refrigerant in your car as a do it yourself procedure. Both vehicles use R-134a refrigerant and the manual shows them being recharged with a simple hose without a pressure gauge on it.
I…
Robert S. Barnes
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5 answers
HOW urgently should I replace this tire? Is it safe to drive on at all?
Update: I actually don't even have the car anymore. But I did immediately change this tire at the time.
It's my rear right tire. It has a significant bulge in the sidewall.
Here are two pictures of the bulge (original URL):
Do I need to replace…
CrazyPenguin
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20
votes
7 answers
Seized nut & bolt - difficult to access
Last year I added crash sliders to my aging Honda CBR 600F (1998)
Recently whilst trying to remove the fairing for other work, I found the nut and bolt were "seized". Actually, by using a spanner at either end, the nut will turn on the bolt, but it…
Stewart
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20
votes
4 answers
Why does a Turbocharger only produce boost when the engine is under load?
Why does a turbocharged car only produce significant boost whilst the engine is under load? Is is something to do with how much exhaust is being produced or is there some kind of valve mechanism that controls this?
i.e. running the engine at 3000…
general exception
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7 answers
Are manual transmission cars disappearing?
You don't have to be an expert to notice that over time, the percentage of manual transmission cars has lowered. Automatic cars are not only more popular, but more comfortable, easier to use and actually better in fuel efficiency. I've searched the…
Gabe12
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2 answers
Does (forcefully) overriding the self-canceling damage my indicator levers?
Sometimes I don't want my indicators to self cancel, so I hold the indicator on while turning the wheel, and it makes a cracking/clicking noise.
Am I damaging anything if I do this?
EDIT: To clarify, I am holding the indicator in the on position…
George
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20
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5 answers
Why do Harley Davidson engines suffer from such poor performance?
The modern Harley Davidson engine has very poor power output. Even when highly modified a 130HP engine can cost tens of thousands of US Dollars.
Here are specs on one of the modern engines.
Harley-Davidson Twin Cam (1800cc / 110” 45 degree single…
DucatiKiller
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20
votes
3 answers
What does a flywheel do and what is it connected to?
I understand roughly how an engine works and that there is a crankshaft which is able to turn the flywheel using internal combustion.
I have just realised that I have got absolutely no idea how the kinetic (movement) energy of the crankshaft is able…
Max Goodridge
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20
votes
6 answers
What is regenerative braking and why don't we use it?
I know that many electric cars use regenerative braking to enable the car to become more efficient by converting what would otherwise be lost heat energy in to a more useful, reusable form of energy.
Surely, there must be some way of engineering a…
Max Goodridge
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