The Bespectacled Bespoke Mechanic

09/07/2026

Today is Labor Day. It is a special day for our family. We have heavy equipment operators, electricians, pipefitters, carpenters and farmers in our family. Many belong to their union and some do not. Thank you to everyone who builds and maintains the infrastructure we mostly take for granted.

08/15/2026

If you have hazardous waste - like coolant or other automotive fluids - the Champaign County IEPA recycling date is 26 Sept 2026. You must sign up to participate. Thanks to IEPA and to chambanamoms.com for promoting this event!

⚠️ The Illinois EPA will return to Champaign for another Household Hazardous Waste collection on September 26th- but you must make an appointment to participate!

🚮: chambanamoms.com/2026/08/13/champaign-waste-hazardous/

➡️ This includes items like batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, paint thinners, pesticides, and pool chemicals. Registration is OPEN now! Article above for details 👆

05/18/2026

Ever wonder how your window goes up and down? Actually pretty darned brilliant.

05/12/2026

Tomato Plants! My father has grown too many standard size red and yellow fruit tomato plants. They are over 12" tall and some have flowers. Cost is a donation and he would like the plastic pots back to reuse next year. I will run back to the farm Thursday afternoon and can deliver Thursday evening. DM if you are interested. Thanks for rescuing a tomato plant from the compost pile.

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05/07/2026

Subaru CVT drain and fill. Should you? Shouldn’t you? I didn’t have an opinion until last week. The pictures are pretty clear. Do I recommend the full flush with chemicals, etc? No. Do I think a drain and fill could be a good thing? Yes. You are replacing about 1/3 of the overall CVT fluid, so I would do it every 45,000-60,000 miles. Customer says it shifts smoother.

05/06/2026

Today is National Skilled Trades Day! We salute all who work in the Trades and all those who help to train them. Our hard hat is off to the Heavy Equipment Operators (like our son), the Electricians, Plumbers and Pipefitters (like our Pa), Welders, Carpenters, and Laborers. You will always have a job in the Trades where hard work is appreciated and safety comes first. Thank you for all you do!

04/20/2026

2017 Subaru Outback. 152,000 miles. Spark plugs will tell you a lot about how your engine is running. These plugs were probably original and the engine was starting to have a rough idle. They were also covered in oil which means the valve cover gasket and spark plug tube seals need replaced. Yes, I can do that! The parts are not expensive, but it will take some time to do the job correctly. Then ready for another 150,000 miles!

03/29/2026

Just a couple of Porsche 911 cousins out for a Sunday drive around the neighborhood. You know...as you do.

03/28/2026

A great week! 2006 Lincoln Mark LT / F150 5.4L with Smart Charge. Battery jumped repeatedly. Battery light illuminates on the dash after 2 minutes. Alternator tester says it is charging normally, so why is the battery light on? The clue is the battery voltage is 13.94v steady. Scan data tells the story. When the PCM cannot monitor the charging system (Gen Monitor 0%), it cannot control the system and illuminates the panic light. The root cause is a failed voltage regulator in the alternator. Replace battery (too many jump starts) and alternator (failed voltage regulator), and both the PCM and the customer is happy.

Thanks to South Main Auto LLC for the vintage Smart Charge video which gave me the clues and the data pids to test and not guess.

03/17/2026

There are cars that you work on because they are special...and there are special cars that also hold special memories.