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

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1500 questions
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What are reverse lights used for besides showing intention to reverse?

Recently I have noticed cars in parking lots with their reverse lights on even when the driver is not behind the wheel. I stop to let the drivers back out, and then realize they have no such intention. I don't know what that signal is telling me. On…
Lee C.
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All weather tires vs winter tires on well-plowed roads

I live in Minnesota. I've seen lots of people recommend changing to winter tires in the winter. However, what doesn't make sense to me is that the roads are plowed very well here. 90% of my driving in the winter is either on dry or liquid-wet…
Patrick Szalapski
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How far should you put your handbrake up?

My feeling is to just pull it up as far as it goes, but I've heard this is bad for the brakes and the car and so it would be better to pull it up with the button pressed till you feel slight resistance, then let go of the button and leave it as…
Mustafa
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What does it take for a modern muscle car to sound like a classic muscle car?

To preface, I would grade my exhaust knowledge with a "B-". I know what the major components are and what they do, but I don't know if and when certain exhaust parts became mandated or introduced over time. I love how a throaty late-60's/early-70's…
Trevor D
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Remove smell / odor from car's interior

We recently purchased a used minivan and it wasn't until we got it home and let it sit overnight that we noticed there was a distinct smell to the interior. The smell is not offensive but it is not welcoming either. What are the best methods to…
Scott
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Is topping up the oil enough of an oil change?

If you use synthetic ester-based oil in a relatively new petrol engine, top it up regularly, and the engine runs very quietly and basically without any noise whatsoever (especially after another top up), and can easily go up the minor hills without…
cnst
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How to Unscrew/loosen stuck O2 sensor

I have been trying to unscrew my faulty O2 sensor (to replace it with a new one I purchased) in a 2001 Honda Accord, with a F23A4 engine, per the following…
ususer
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My vents randomly switch between face / windshield... how do I fix this?

I have a 1998 Ford Windstar (more details on demand if necessary.) I rarely use any vent setting besides "face", and I try to avoid using AC because my gas mileage is already lousy. About two months ago, my vent / fan started blowing on the…
MT_Head
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Is it worth having a fire extinguisher in the car?

I've always had a small 1 Kg (2.2 pounds) multipurpose ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher in the car. It has finally expired and I'm wondering whether I should get a new one. In my region it is not mandatory to carry one and, I've heard several…
John Assymptoth
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Realistically, how much can I expect to improve cloudy headlights by polishing?

The headlight lenses on my vehicle (a 2001 Ford F-150) are cloudy, and presumably as a result, the headlights are not terribly effective. (I could post a photo if you want.) I bought a polishing kit (Mother NuLens) and used it as directed. The…
Nate Eldredge
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Why would turning on the A/C affect my alternator output voltage?

So yet another chapter unfolds in the A/C gremlin saga of my LS1 Chevy. Backdrop A/C compressor is relatively new (2 years old) One of the belts is squeaking (not sure which one) Recently performed a thermostat swap (the only reason why I mention…
Zaid
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Can I use spray paint to touch up my car?

I have several really small nicks and major scuffs on my car; the nicks from driving on the highway (flying debris hitting chassis) and the scuffs from two fender benders. The nicks have started to rust and the scuffs are just annoying, so I'd like…
rdrgrtz
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Do fast cars need to occasionally be driven fast?

In the broad spectrum of cars, there's higher end models with sport-focused engines. Examples would be an BMW M3, and even more so Ferraris and Koenigseggs etc. Apparently they're more fussy, in that new cars need a careful run in, special oil,…
andrewb
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1997 Subaru Legacy - Hood won't open

I went to check out the engine on my 97 Subaru Legacy and the hood latch is stuck. Now this one of those cars that has a double latch, I don't know if it's like that on all Subarus or not, but once I pull the little lever in the car that releases…
temporary_user_name
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Does it make the most sense to replace an old car's entire exhaust system all at once?

Back story: The Check Engine light came on in my 2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS Sedan (V6 3.5L). I took the car to a mechanic #1 (M1), an independent shop. They replaced the EGR valve. A day later, the Check Engine light came on again. I took it back to…
Chris W. Rea
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