Having a good heated car seat goes a long way in helping to stay warm and comfortable during cold days. They have many uses from simply getting warm quick or even getting heat when a vehicles built-in heater stops working. There are many units available including material type and heat output. There are many good units available with… Read More »
Using a Bluetooth scan tool with the OBD2 port in a car or truck allows you to read the vehicles information and give you the data in real-time. The adapter is paired with your smartphone and plugs in under your dash of your car into the computer OBD2 port. It reads the data from your car to your… Read More »
Having a portable window heater defroster on colds days can be very handy to have. There are many units available most of which are 12 volt defrosters that sit on the dashboard. One thing to keep in mind is that 12-volt systems don’t put out a lot of energy and so can be slow when it comes to… Read More »
12-volt electric car heaters are an option when it comes to helping to heat your vehicle. Notice I say help to heat. 12-Volt heaters do not have enough power output to heat a car or truck the way a standard heater does. In fact, depending how cold the place you live in is they might not even seem… 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 »
Having a good OBD2 scan tool goes a long way to help troubleshoot a vehicle problem and point to the repair needed. There are many good OBD2 scanners to use that come with different menus, features, and price ranges. Often, what works for one person may not work for another so below we list our favorite picks for… Read More »
Having a good portable air compressor that can quickly air up car tires can some in very handy in many scenarios. From airing up a flat spare tire, to helping someone that is broken down, portable air compressors are nice to have. There are many good units available with our favorite option below. As always be sure to… Read More »
Having a good OBDII scan tool with ABS (Anti lock Brake System) is a nice thing to have when troubleshooting these types of vehicle problems. There are many 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… 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 »
Since their introduction, OBD2 Bluetooth scanner tools have become a favorite among part-time mechanics and professionals to find and fix engine problems. They are low-cost engine diagnostic tools that can help troubleshoot a problem. For example, if an engine light comes on which gives no indication to the problem a small low-cost OBD2 adapter code scan tool can… 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 »
Anyone who has an engine light come on will no doubt like to know what the problem is. The standard way is to use an OBD2 scan tool which will give the error code which can then be looked up. But what if you dont have a scan tool? Most vehicles have a built-in diagnostic system that can… Read More »
There is a video at the bottom of the page for a visual walk-through if needed. If you have a check engine light come on in your Jeep Wrangler there is built-in diagnostics that show the code. After the code is read it can be Googled to find the problem. The steps are simple by cycling the key… Read More »
Doing a compression test is an easy task for a DIY mechanic and can show if you have bad piston rings or valves. Bad rings or valves can cause a leak to occur around them which instead of sending a piston downward the air goes around the piston. This will give an engine a lack of power and… Read More »
If you have an engine with a compression problem you need to know if it is the vales or piston rings. This can be an issue since you may only need to pull the head instead of puling the entire engine apart. There is an easy way to find out by doing a compression test. Tools Needed Engine… 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 »
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 OBDII scan tool for a 2012 Toyota Camry is nice to have when making repairs or doing maintenance. The 2012 Camry onboard computer (PCM) can give basic OBDII codes along with more advanced Airbag and SRS errors. Most any OBDII scan tool will read the basic codes but the more advanced errors need a more… Read More »
Replacing a car thermostat is an easy straight forward tack that most DIY mechanics can do. A 2000-2004 Volkswagen Passat with a 1.8 Liter engine is no different with most able to replace it with moderate skills. Below is my experience at replacing the thermostat. The most difficult part is the placement the the thermostat housing as with… Read More »
Being a mechanic and buying tools is a never ending process. Many think that like other trades a few tools are bought and that is it. In reality, as many beginner mechanics will find out, is that after the basic tools are bought there is always one more tool needed. Often, a tool will bee needed that does… Read More »
If you own a Kia and need a good OBDII scan tool there are many available. Owning an OBDII scan tool is ideal for troubleshooting a car or just knowing why the engine light is on. What Is a Kia OBDII Scan Tool? All modern vehicles including Kia have an OBDII port which communicates with the onboard computer.… Read More »
There are a few ways you can get a free diagnostic test done on your car or truck. All vehicles from 1996 and newer have an OBDII port under the dashboard that with a scan tool can read engine codes. Many vehicles also have built-in diagnostics for basic troubleshooting. Here are the best options to get a free… Read More »
Having an OBD2 scan tool is useful in many situations when an engine light comes on. But what if you dont have a scan tool and need to know the code? Many vehicles has a built-in diagnostic that will give the code as I recently found out with Dodge cars and trucks. I haven’t tried this on all… 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 »
If you have a 2001-2005 2.4 Liter Mitsubishi Galant that is giving a P0340 OBDII Code the Camshaft Position Sensor usually needs replaced. A bad Camshaft Position Sensor will cause a vehicle to not start at times and other times work intermittently. Camshaft Position Sensor Location The Camshaft Position Sensor is located at the back of the cylinder… Read More »
Changing the oil on a 2005-2009 Kia Spectra is an easy task the falls in the DIY category. Of course, if in-doubt be sure to take it to a professional. Items Needed To Replace the Oil on a 2005-2009 Kia Spectra Oil 5W-20 or 5W-30 Synthetic Oil Filter 17 mm Wrench or Socket Drain Pan Oil Filter Wrench/Pliers… Read More »
A video is at the bottom of the page for a visual walk through. This unit was sent to me to review with my honest opinion and results below. Congress passed the clean air act in 1970 and started the epa, however it wasn’t until January 1st 1996 that all vehicles were required to have OBD (on-board diagnostics)… 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 »
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 »
There are many OBDII scan tools available all with different features, options, and price ranges. A good scan tool must be able to read and clear errors a vehicle is having and display them to the user. It also should have an easy to use interface. OBDII scanners tools can range from expensive to low-cost units. The expensive… Read More »
A P0301 error code is a misfire that spark plug 1 is not sparking correctly. Other P030 errors point to other cylinders not working correctly. For example, P0302 code is spark plug 2 misfire, and P0303 would be spark plug 3. P0301 Error Code Causes Bad Spark Plug Spark Plug Wires Bad Coil Fuel Injector P0301 Error Code… Read More »
Knowing what grit of sand paper and what to do with it is what makes a great paint job. Most automobile painters will agree that sanding is one of the most time consuming parts of the entire paint job. The more time you take in your sanding techniques the better the end result of your paint job will… Read More »
An OBDII scan tool can read and erase engine error codes from a vehicles computer that the engine has given. A vehicle engine problem is often displayed to a driver with the dashboard engine light. Cars and trucks today all have an onboard computer (ECM, PCM) that controls the vehicles engine and will get an error when there… Read More »
The TOPDON OBDCAN Plus 2.0 is a low-cost OBDII scan tool that has a lot of features. Like most all OBDII scan tools it works on 1996 and newer US-Based cars and trucks, as well as 2000 and newer EU-Based and Asian vehicles. It can read and clear engine codes as well as do O2 Sensor test. *This… Read More »
OBDII WiFi adapters for cars and trucks that send information to a smartphone have become very popular. They are low-cost units that can do anything a standalone OBDII unit can do at a much lower cost. They are also simple to use with many Apps available for both Android and Apple smartphones. The ELM327 is one such unit… Read More »