If your car or truck is misfiring, you may wonder how long can I drive with a misfiring cylinder. The quick answer is it varies greatly and depends on how bad the problem is and how many cylinders you have. For example, if you have an 8-cylinder engine and a spark plug wire is causing the misfire, it… Read More »
The TOPDON ArtiDiag800BT is a professional wireless OBDII scan tool built with many features and options. It uses a Bluetooth VCI OBDII Dongle to communicate with the scan tool, making it highly portable. This makes it a good option for watching real-time data from anywhere within the range of 33 feet. The ArtiDiag800BT also has many other very… Read More »
The ThinkScan Plus S4 is a new OBD2 scan tool for 2021 with many advanced features and options. The unit runs Android 7.0, has a 5-inch touchscreen along with a handle to easily carry it about. It can connect to almost any vehicle, both foreign and domestic, with features such as reading SRS (Airbag), ABS (Anti-lock Brakes), Evap… Read More »
If you have a car or truck and are not sure it will pass a smog test, an easy way to tell is to use an OBDII scan tool with an emission check. While each state has its emission requirements, a compatible OBDII scan tool has built-in functions that cab show if it will pass or fail. What… Read More »
If your car has an air conditioner refrigerant leak, it can be fixed by a home DIY (do-it-yourself) backyard mechanic. There are a few ways to approach a leaking air conditioning system. If the leak is slow, it likely is small and a can of Stop Leak can be added to a system to help it seal up.… Read More »
A Video is at the bottom of the page for a visual walk-through if needed. If you have a 2009-2013 Toyota Corolla and the air conditioning stops blowing cold air it may need to be recharged. This is a common problem with cars as they age with it being a simple fix to add more refrigerant to the… Read More »
A hot car in the summer is all but unbearable especially in very hot climates. Many things can go wrong with a car or truck A/C system with the most common being the unit has a low refrigerant charge. Once all other possible problems are eliminated recharging a system is an easy task that most any home DIY… Read More »
If you own a 2005-2009 Kia Spectra and the air conditioning stops blowing cold air it may need to be recharged. This is a common problem with older cars with it being a simple fix to add more refrigerant to the system. I have a 2006 Kia Spectra that needed charge last year so I wrote this post… Read More »
A video is at the bottom of the post for a visual walk-through if needed. Replacing the headlight bulb on a 2007-2016 Toyota Highlander is an easy task that falls in the DIY category. As always if in doubt take your vehicle to a professional. Below are the steps with screenshots to replace them along with a video… Read More »
Having road side emergency lights is something that is nice to have in many scenarios from breaking down, back tail lights stopped working, or any time road hazard lights are needed. Using them when being broken down is no doubt the time they are used the most but I have also used them in many another scenarios. For… Read More »
Having a good book on auto body repair can go a long way to learn not only how to do automotive body repair but also tips and tricks. Online resources are great also but often times can skip steps. A good book will guide you though the entire process from start to finish. Our Picks for Best Auto… Read More »
If you own a Diesel truck and have an engine light on or simply need to pull the codes there are many scan tools available. The first thing you’re going to need is a scan tool to find out why the check engine light is on with dealerships having the best equipment to troubleshoot a problem. Most people… Read More »
Setting up a car with a power inverter is easy to do and is a nice feature to add to any vehicle. Adding a 110/120 AC power outlet is useful for for many situations from traveling to simply recharging a laptop. Inverters have different Amps and Watts they can supply depending on the unit bought. Since cars use… Read More »
Portable car battery smart jump starters have become very popular in recent years. Portable jump starters are a great item in an emergency when a battery has lost its charge. Modern-day devices from smartphones to laptops can drain a battery leaving a user in need of a jump which makes emergency jump kits a good item to have… Read More »
Having a good OBDII scan tool when troubleshooting a Chevy or GM vehicle is a nice thing to have. An OBDII scan tool can point to the problem a car or truck is having. Being able to communicate with the onboard-computer (ECM) will give invaluable data as to what the problem is. What Is a Chevy OBDII Error… Read More »
The INNOVA 6100P is an advanced scan tool that can read standard OBD2 engine codes as well as ABS and SRS errors. Most any OBDII scan tool can read and erase standard errors but only advanced units can also scan and erase ABS and SRS. Troubleshooting ABS (Anti Brake System) or SRS/Airbag (Supplemental Restraint System) is much easier… Read More »
Vacuum leaks that give Evap codes can be a pain to find at times and cause an engine to not run correctly. If the leak is small enough it can often be ignored but an engine light will come on which is not good in many scenarios. An Evap Smoke machine is an easy answer to this and… Read More »
Privacy Policy: UPDATED: 3-03-2021 We have created this privacy statement for https://www.backyardmechanic.org in order to demonstrate our firm and continuing commitment to the privacy of personal information provided by those visiting and interacting with https://www.backyardmechanic.org. We hold the privacy of your personal information in the highest regard. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for this… Read More »
A friend of mine had a fuel filter go bad in a 1999 Chevy Suburban 1500. Replacing the fuel filter should part of regular maintenance but in this case it was blocking fuel from going to the engine. In this tutorial, I will go through the steps we went through to change it out. I would rate this… Read More »
Having the right tools goes a long way when doing auto body repair and getting the job done quickly and right. One of the more common tools is the Random DA (Dual Action) sander. A DA spins and is moved about sanding off paint or rouging in bondo on a car or truck body. Most any professional will… Read More »
OBD2 automotive scanner tools come in a wide range of packages from small wireless scanners to large professional units. With the huge variety available there is no-doubt that the Best OBD2 scan tool is debatable. What it really comes down to though is how often will the tool be used and in what conditions. For example, a large… Read More »
Replacing the Upstream O2 sensor on a 2007-2012 Toyota Camry very much falls into the DIY category. Of course, always call a professional if in doubt. It is located on top and front of the engine making it easy to access. Tools Needed New 02 Sensor 10mm socket 22mm wrench Screwdriver Pliers Copper anti-seize (Usually included with Sensor)… Read More »
Having a good OBDII scan tool with ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) is a nice thing to have when troubleshooting ABS vehicle problems. There are many ABS OBDII scan tools available from low-cost to high-end units. Everyone will have a different requirement from an automotive scan tool. For example, a DIY mechanic will not have the need for an… Read More »
A video is at the bottom of the page for a visual walk-through if needed. The process of locating an electrical short can be difficult and time-consuming. By using a simple test light method you can narrow your search dramatically. This process will save you time and money. Here is how to find a short on most any… Read More »
Resetting the Service light on a 2011-2015 Mini Cooper is easy to do. The Maintenance light can come on for a variety reasons and will need reset, mainly after an oil change. A series of buttons are pressed in the right combination of steps to reset the light. These same steps are used for other service lights that… Read More »
The 1968-1970 Dodge Chargers are some of the more popular muscle cars with a unique aggressive body style. It has been used in countless movies and TV shows as the fast muscle car such as the Blade movies, Fast and Furious, Bullitt, and many more. I am one of those fans of the old B-body Chargers and own… Read More »
Small Bluetooth OBD II scan tools have become very popular and used by everyone from DIY mechanics to used car buyers. The Vgate iCar2 is once such small unit that will link to a smartphone, tablet, or computer via Bluetooth and give errors and clear codes. These small units are very cheap and are able to read information… Read More »
Automatic Shifters are a specialty performance part that gives more control to a driver and looks cools doing it. While mainly used for drag racing they also can be used whenever more control over a vehicle is needed. If you are looking to get an automatic shifter there are many available with those below some of our favorite… Read More »
Flushing a radiator is an easy task for the DIY Backyard Mechanic. Precaution should be taken mainly that the engine must be cold. Never open a radiator cap on a hot engine as it will have built up pressure that could explode out possibly causing injury. Since radiator fluid is damaging to the environment be sure to dispose… Read More »
Recently a friend brought a 2012 Toyota Corolla to me to look at that had the ESC(Electronic Stability Control) Light On and would not shut off. The ESC light also called ESP or DSC has a dashboard light with a car and wavy lines under it. After reading online below is what I found so far with… Read More »
Having a good VAG-COM scan tool can go a long way to help not only find a mechanical problem but to do some light modding. There are many VAG-COM VCDS scan tools available for Volkswagen, from low-cost units to high-end expensive models. Below are some of our favorite options that would be a good fit for the DIY… Read More »
There are many good OBD2 scan tools for most any vehicle including Honda’s. Some scanners can only read basic functions while a few have more advanced features that are Honda specific. With the many available below we list some of our favorite options. As always be sure to read the reviews on Amazon, here, forums, or elsewhere to… Read More »
Having a good Portable 12-Volt DC tire inflator with a built-in tire pressure gauge to see the air pressure is ideal in many situations. From having a spare tire that has deflated to airing up a bicycle tire having a good working inflator is invaluable. A 12-Volt unit that can run from the cigarette lighter or hook directly… Read More »
A video is at the bottom of the page for a visual walk-through if needed. Replacing a bad headlight bulb on a 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla is simple DIY task. Of course if in doubt take your car to a professional. There are two bulbs located from the back of the headlight assembly. The outside bulb is Low Beam… Read More »
Having a good OBDII Scan tool can help greatly when it comes time to troubleshooting a car. They display the error code that points to the problem a vehicle is having. There are many OBDII scan tools that give basic engine codes with most unable to read ABS, SRS, or transmission errors. Transmission codes are in the P0700… Read More »