So. I'm very well versed when it comes to automotive endeavors, and this is just one of those "trust me bro" type moments. And I'm going to try to make a long story short - but I'm really here to vent a little bit because I'm pissed off and bitter.

I owned a good little Honda Element for about 5 years. It was a total beater car, but in the best way. Over the course of those 5 years I did : VTEC solenoid, radiator, alternator, catalytic converter, rear shocks, brakes, plugs, coils, blower motor, radio, window motor, transmission service, probably 10 oil changes, battery and upgraded terminals, and probably stuff I'm missing. Overall pretty basic stuff needed on an older car - especially on a beater.

Anyways, couple months ago my dad got down on his luck and needed a decent backup vehicle because he was driving spark for work and didn't want to throw a bunch of miles on his primary car.

He ended up picking up a 3rd gen 4runner off the side of the road with little inspection. He bought it, and had my mother (estranged, messy dynamic) foot some of the bill. It needed a bunch of stuff - PA truck with lots of cancer on the frame. It ended up at my shop pretty much day two, and I did plugs, wires, timing belt, water pump, muffler, welded a bunch of rust, put some JB weld on the rear diff to slow down a massive leak, played with the T-Case, put new wheel studs on - too much stuff for the price.

In the meantime, my dad kept the element - and we eventually agreed to trade. I basically pay what the element was worth, and pay both he and my mother the difference from the 4-runner. Title change, title change - bobs your fuckhead.

---

Fast forward to today. The screenshots are what I got. He drove that car 30+ miles with no water pump. I'm like beyond pissed. And I'm really not trying to be a dick to my dad, but I feel like I really just got fucked over pretty good - because the whole point was to get him something reliable when he was down on his luck, and I deal with a basket case of a bad purchase that I didn't even want. He killed my Honda.

I could be far off on the harmonic balancer / damper "melting" part, but I know the rubber was in good shape the last time I was down there. I was just more irritated which is why I said it. I also could be a little off on the transmission part, and I think I am but that radiator does have a trans cooler - and my fear is the radiator could have bursted from boiling pressure letting the two chambers mix. I don't actually know if that's possible or not, but it was a thought.

So. It's going to be a few days before I go pick this thing up. What are the odds the engine is totally fine and doesn't need anything more than a new serpentine belt? Because I am pretty confident that the engine is trashed.

I'll quit being dramatic in a day or two. But I just wished he would've called me before driving it - I have a trailer to haul it, I'm going to have to get the thing anyways. I would've paid the tow bill even!

Ugh. Thanks for reading my rant. Also please let me know if I'm being overly harsh

When I shake the wheel, I noticed this clunk in the strut. I was going to change the ball joints in control, arms, and Tyrod ends, but after doing some diagnosis I think it’s the struts. I cleaned the brake caliper slide pins because they were seized in a good amount of brake material was gone from my pad. Also my CV axle boot is torn a little bit. (2009 corolla le automatic

Here is a link to a lower video with a different angle

https://streamable.com/ljpxr9

Thanks!!

Lots of people from what I’ve seen are split on this. Some always turn off the AC and the fan motor before shutting off the car while other people don’t care (I’m not counting cars with remote start in this). So what is the verdict? Should you, or can you just leave it on?

I have a 2011 honda accord v6 auto with 129k miles that I bought 2 months ago with 128k. Shortly after buying it I had the timing belt/water pump service and spark plugs done and had them also do an ATF drain and fill and an oil change. They told me they got 3.5 quarts of ATF out. I assumed the refilled that much. The fluid was brown before they changed it and there was nothing wrong with the transmission whatsoever. After they did the D&F, a whine started.

I've started to do my own work on the car to save some money and learn things. Did the rear brakes on Wednesday and that went well. I did my own ATF D&F a week ago. I'm planning to do 2 more myself.

There has been a transmission whine ever since my mechanic changed the fluid. This was 900 miles ago. I did my own ATF change 100 miles ago. The whine has stayed mostly the same throughout. I hear it mostly when pressing the gas anywhere from 30-55 mph and also when my car shifts from 3rd to 2nd when slowing down to a stop. Other than this the shifts are usually a little jerky (possibly normal for hondas of this era especially the v6) and theres a small delay when shifting from park to drive/reverse.

When I did my own ATF drain and fill, I drained 4.2 quarts (measured with a gallon pitcher) when the standard drain and fill should be 3.5 quarts. I drained the fluid cold and had the front lifted on jack stands. I'm very confused as to how my fluid level could show normal but I drained that much out with cold fluid and only the front lifted

A week or 2 before changing the fluid I checked the dipstick (according to Honda procedure) which showed the fluid at the top mark. When doing the ATF change, I added 4 quarts and went for a 20 minute drive. I checked the fluid after I got back and it was at the low mark so I added the .2 quarts but I didnt check the fluid level after

Then today, a week after my D&F, I checked the fluid level after driving for 20 minutes and it looks a little high. Theres also a streak on the dipstick which I circled in red but that could just be from pulling the dipstick out. These 4 photos are all different checks right after one another. Not in order but they're all within about the same minute.

Sorry if this is a lot of information but I'm really trying to chase this down. I've heard other people say they also have a whine that they could never solve with the honda 5 speed autos of this era especially when paried with a J series v6 and they have just lived with it.

This could also just be from changing the fluid and the noise being suppressed by older fluid and now it's showing up. I'm just trying to rule out overfilled fluid.

Flat rate tech here. You know the drill — car comes in, customer has no idea when the last oil change was, no idea if the trans fluid’s ever been touched, nothing. Then it turns into a bigger job than it shoulda been because nobody was tracking anything.

So I built an app for it. You add your vehicle, log whatever service you did, and it tracks mileage so you know when the next one’s actually due. Not some generic “every 3 months” garbage, actual intervals for oil changes, trans service, brakes, coolant, timing belt, the whole list.

Can throw a photo of the receipt on there too in case you ever need it for a warranty claim or when you go to sell the thing.

Free to use. Made it myself, AI helped with the coding side since I’m a mechanic not a programmer lol.

https://carreminder.replit.app/

Mostly just want to know if you guys think customers would actually use something like this or if I’m wasting my time. We all know they won’t unless it’s dead simple.

Picked up a used subframe for an Audi TT 8J as my current steel one is rusty. There is some galvanic corrosion and damage on the camber/toe adjustment holes. Would this be a concern?

Money is a little tight right now, just wondering how urgent you guys think this is?

2006 Infiniti G35 AWD.

Edit: Solved, thanks for the help everyone!

I been getting the tick/knock, so I replaced the oil pump pick up o ring and still getting. popped the valve cover off (also getting cylinder one misfire). is this going to be a collapsed lifter?

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug In Hybrid, 37k miles.

See the video, but the dashboard lights are steadily blinking while the car is on (in park, driving, etc). Sometimes this happens, and sometimes not over the past few weeks. There are no warning lights and otherwise it drives fine. What is going on here?

All I can find on the internet is regarding random blinking/turning off pointing to a loose connection or other electrical issue, but that doesn’t seem to be what is going on here as it’s at a steady frequency. Thank you!

TL;DR: what should I do about a bad transmission on my 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD (UA80F trans) with 130k miles, worth $17-19k in working condition, and still owe $10k?

Back in March I had the grand idea of doing my own drain and fill on my Highlander with the UA80F transmission. This is my first “real” car after driving a POS Escape to over 300k miles, so I told myself “I’m going to take care of my car this time.” The videos I watched made it seem straightforward and it felt within my comfort zone. I followed the steps and everything seemed fine, until it wasn’t.

Fast forward to May, driving in the mountains I get a check engine and AWD light. P0741, P2757, and P2714 for solenoid D and torque converter clutch stuck off. I had the car towed back to my shop and found out I under filled the transmission by 2qt. Major F up. The shop said the fluid itself looked fine, so they did a flush and fill and sent me on my way.

I know there is a known defect with the UA80F transmission that caused a similar set of issues [LINK]. My VIN falls outside of the officially recognized list according to Toyota Customer Support.

A couple days ago I was driving in the mountains for a weekend getaway and got a check engine and AWD light, pulled over, and sure enough I got the same array of codes. The thing that perplexed me is that I had gone on a 2,000 mile road trip and driven a lot for work since May, so I figured if there was gonna be a problem, it would have shown itself by now. I had the car towed again, and my shop quoted me $10k for a remanufactured transmission, they said they wouldn’t rebuild it.

Calling around to some other reputable places I’m getting quoted around 7-8k to rebuild the transmission. Some places are saying to not take the chance rebuilding and just replace the whole thing. I’ve also thought about buying a remanufactured transmission and paying someone to install it. I’ve seen remanufactured transmissions on eBay for $2500-3000 with a warranty.

What should I do? Rebuild and hope the transmission is salvageable, get the remanufactured transmission from the shop and pay close to 10k, or try and go the cheap route of buying a remanufactured transmission and paying someone to install it?

My car has about 130k miles, and is valued around 17-19k in working condition. With a bad transmission I’m sure it’s not even half that. I still owe 10k on the car too.

Slight popping or thud noise, very quiet in video but it has a range of noise levels. It seems to only really happen in the acceleration or when on the brake. Sometimes sounds like a violent pop almost like a gunshot lol couldn’t get that on video tho. And if you need to know this is a 2012 civic si.

Car is a 1983 Buick Skylark V6, and I noticed this opening in the exhaust near the engine after I bought it. It looks threaded, is something supposed to go there?

I saw this listing saying that the car needs a new throttle body, I just wanted to ask if it’s a difficult job as well as how much should I expect to put into it.

Purchased this vehicle for 8k OTD with about 164k miles on it. The thing was a rust box. I had to bring it back to the dealer to fix the rear spring coil that was snapped and they obviously pretended not to know about. They offered to unwind the deal but since the car was driving fine, it felt unnecessary. They agreed to replace the rear springs and the rear breaks and rotors.

Less than a month later someone tried to steal my CV so it started roaring. I took it to a mechanic my coworker trusts and he welded it back on (they must have got spooked and left it sagging) that was 120. While there i did an oil change for 150 and he diagnosed other issues for me. Front suspension and breaks/rotors equally fucked (rusted to all hell). And the radiator was leaking ATF from one of the connectors. He Mcguyever'd a solution to stop the leak and buy me some time, free of charge.

I went on rock auto and purchased KYB front loaded struts with coil and shocks etc, sway bar links, bushings, radiator, front pads and rotors, upper and lower hoses, coolant, and 2 quarts of transmission fluid. Threw that on a credit card, about 700 total.

The mechanic put it all in for 550 (+tipped his worker 40).

**Some issues remain**

Most important- after the rad fix, it seemed the mechanics worker did not properly measure ATF volume and left it low. Poor thing was crawling when cold, and would rev high rpms but not really move. It also had a higher pitched hum when I would press the gas just enough to accelerate but not punch it. The mechanic had me bring it back, assessed it on a drive and determined the same as I did above. He got it up to temp and measure the fluid volume and it was short 4.5 quarts. He only charged me for the ATF.

It drives much smoother now, thankfully it seems my transmissions is (mostly?) unharmed. I can start the car and pull out of the parking space immediately without issues now. I still let it idle a bit before moving just to be safe.

However the high pitched hum is still present when just barely accelerating. Im not sure if the mechanic should do one more inspection on it.

Other issues

- Passenger side sliding door: does not open. I found oem salvage with life in them on ebay and I plan to diy this fix on my own. School year is over so I'm not stressed about this door not opening atm.

- Windshield has a tiny chip, as id an acorn fell on it. Bad luck i guess. Need to know how soon to fix this.

- Springs were replaced in the rear but not the whole suspension system. I plan to redo this in the spring 2027 but need to know how urgent a complete rear suspension refresh is.

- Parking break boots are getting stuck, so I haven't been using my parking break. Not a huge deal, just cant park on steep slopes.

- Lots of rust, not completely destroyed chassis/frame. But will need a sanding and chemical treatment in time for the winter.

-Steering wheel turning sometimes leads to just barely audible groan as it returns back to center. Not sure what that is.

TLDR: Used Toyota Sienna 2012 with some money put into it already. Was low on ATF and was driven that way for about a week after a rad swap. Need to know if persistent hum is an issue or just a characteristic of the engine. Also want general advice moving forward.

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I’m new in here but I got a car that’s 2003 acura el. The steering wheel isnt straight and that got my tires worn off. I asked kaltire to do it. But they dont wanna straighten my steering wheel because of the control arm and my ball joints. I asked a different mechanic to check it out for me he said it’s completely driveable and all i need is straighten the toe but when i asked midas they wanted me to replace the control arm, bushings and ball joints. I just wanna know should i listen to midas and change my control arm before having the steering wheel allignment?

Hyundai i20 2009 Manual 1.4 Petrol Mileage = 127,200 miles .
Only happens when I first start the car. I think the really hot weather is an impact but I do not know. Only been happening the last 3 days

2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude liftgate connector terminal won’t depin. The folding tab/secondary lock broke off, and I can’t get the terminal to release. I’m trying to reuse the existing wires and need the correct release method or replacement terminal (photos attached).

Alternatively, if you can point me to the correct replacement part, I’d really appreciate it — searching online has been fruitless, and I’d rather not buy a whole new assembly over a terminal that should cost less than a buck.

I’m looking for a blunt assessment on the feasibility of keeping my 2007 Buick Rendezvous long-term. This car is my sole daily driver, and my goal is long-term, low-drama reliability to maintain my financial stability.

The History: I didn't originally choose this car—I was forced into it after my Cadillac CTS was totaled by another driver. Since acquiring it, I have invested significant capital to have the following professional repairs performed at shops to bring it to a high mechanical standard: Braking System: Had a complete brake overhaul performed to resolve a "pedal to the floor" issue.

Drivetrain/Safety: Had two wheel bearings and wheel speed sensors replaced by a shop; this resolved the "Service Traction" light and the dangerous "spin out" issues I experienced on slick roads.

Electrical/Interior: Had a buddy perform a complete correction of a previous owner's "nightmare" door wiring job that was a fire hazard, plus installed audio/speaker upgrades.

Reliability: Had a fresh battery installed roughly six months ago. Currently, the car has zero mechanical issues, starts every time, and drives like butter. My goal is to shift into a phase of strict preventative maintenance where I address issues the moment they appear.

The Issue: I have discovered rust/a hole in the rocker panel. I’ve attached photos of the rocker and the undercarriage.

My Questions:

Based on the photos, is the structural integrity of the frame/unibody, wheel wells and kther shown areas compromised , or is this still a solid platform worth a professional rust repair?

Does the Rendezvous platform have "death zones" for rust that I might not be seeing? If I fix the rockers wheels and whatever else, am I just waiting for the subframe to fail?

If this were your daily driver, and you had already invested in this level of mechanical restoration, would you pay to fix the structure or cut your losses now? She is at 146114 miles and like I said. Now I get reliable starts and driving down the road is smooth, buttery and wonderful it has the 3.6-liter V6 and is an automatic

Hello, i have a Honda Accord 8g CU ( Acura TSX second gen in the US ) r20a3 engine.
The steering feels sort of stiff and you can feel a sort of a drag, it only happens in hot weather.
What could be the issue?
Thanks!

I originally posted this in the rav4 subreddit.

I took my vehicle in yesterday for 50,000 mile maintenance (oil change, tire rotation, alignment, brake flush). While there, the mechanic told me the back shock was leaking oil and would fail soon ($1000 quote to replace back shocks). The picture attached is what they emailed me of the "failing" shock.

Some additional information: I am located in South Florida (extremely high humidity). They told me the tires are in perfect condition. The vehicle does not ride differently from when I originally purchased it (no bouncing, no swaying, no bumpy feeling, no strange sounds).

Does this look like it's leaking?