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

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Why does the power output peak and then drop as engine speed increases?

I have been looking at the power bands for my car (2000 Opel Agila 1.2) recently, as I want to work out when it is best to change gear and stuff, as I have no life! This is the approximate graph I made up in Excel comparing power and torque: Why…
George
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Why do hybrids still use mechanical transmission?

One of the comments on this question reminded me of something I've been wondering for a while. Given that engines get the best efficiency at peak torque, why do most hybrid cars still use a mechanical transmission (which requires the engine to…
Nick C
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Car Battery won't charge after sitting for a Year

I have a main starter battery and a leisure batter in my van. They have been left unused for around a year with my van off the road. I am now trying to get it up and running however I am unable to charge either battery. The main battery is around 14…
Kit
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Pre-purchace Testing with a Vacuum Gauge

I'd like to use a vacuum gauge to test older, high mileage vehicles I'm thinking of purchasing. I figure I'll probably be limited to this, checking with a multi-meter, a balance test and whatever I can see with my eyes. I've found various sites,…
Robert S. Barnes
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Why doesn't my rev limiter bounce?

I have a BMW 630i Steptronic from 2007. If I floor the pedal in neutral the RPM is of course limited, but it doesn't "bounce" like regular rev limiters. Instead it keeps a constant and "clean" RPM. My old Audi A6 Multitronic 2008 did the exact same…
jhovgaard
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A most intriguing cold-start misfire mystery

I'm trying to help a friend out with a CEL on his 2009 Merc GLK 280. Hooked it up to an OBD2 reader and retrieved a single code: P0300 - 'Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected', via the 'OBD Fusion' app on my iPad. Here is the P0300 freeze…
Zaid
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Should we wait a few seconds before starting the engine?

My cousin told me when he enter his car, he put the key to ignition then count to 3 and start the engine. The main reason of him doing that is to give enough time to fluids (I'm not sure which one) to fill to the engine (I'm skeptic, need more info…
Jean-François Savard
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Where can I go to do basic work on my vehicle?

I live in the middle of a city. I have a tiny parking spot in an underground parking garage (have to fold the mirrors in just to get in!). Doing any maintenance is officially verboten, and it wouldn't really be feasible anyway -- there's really no…
Ken
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Car enthusiast beginner tool kit

What is a good place to begin building a kit/set up for performing your own service? For example: oil changes waxing detailing What are the best tools/equipment to start with?
suryalistic
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Tires stick when turning after a car wash

I have a 2010 F-150 that just went through a car wash. After the car wash, I immediately noticed that the turning feels reduced/impaired. Specifically, when I have the steering wheel turned more than one full rotation, it feels like the the tires…
Corsae
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My car has the wrong coolant in it. Now what?

Hello I realized today after beating my head about my car's overheating problems that I have the wrong coolant in it. About a year ago, my car ran dry. At the bottom of the expansion tank was an orange crust(also the manual recommend DexCool.. ). I…
Earlz
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Lots of sparks and heat when jump starting a car

I just tried to jump start a friend's car. When I connected the jumper cables, there were a lot of sparks. They were connected for nearly 30 seconds and I noticed a lot of heat and smoke coming from both batteries. I immediately disconnected and…
Mike Cole
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magnet on oil-filter- is it a good idea?

The use of magnetic drain plugs (to catch ferro-magnetic metal particles) is well established. Is it better to attach a magnet to the oil-filter?
Warren Hudson
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Paint peeling around body filled area 6 months on

I sanded and filled a dent in my cars plastic/foam bumper, applied primer and factory matched auto paint. This worked and look fine for about 6 months. Today I noticed the paint around where the filler is is beginning to crack and peel. Would anyone…
MeltingDog
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Engine Size and Fuel Consumption

I have this weird misconception that the engine size is related to the amount of fuel being burned in one cycle(4-stroke engine). I know this is stupid but how does engine size relate to the amount of fuel being burned in one cycle. For example I…
Dean
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