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Auto Mechanics, New York, NY (2026)

10/12/2026

Master Tech here. Lost a couple of the driveshaft bolts somewhere during the job and I’m not paying dealership prices for new hardware, so I ran some heavy-duty zip ties through the bolt holes and pulled them as tight as I could. People keep telling me this is “dangerous” like zip ties aren’t literally designed to hold things together. I’m obviously not saying it’s permanent, I just need it to hold for a couple weeks until payday when I can afford the correct bolts. I’ll keep it under 70 and avoid hard launches. Y’all think this will hold?

10/11/2026

Rear axle bearing job on a 2011 F-150 Raptor. The rented bearing puller grabbed what it could, but it only yanked out the rollers. The outer race is still pressed tight in the end of the axle tube, sitting perfectly flush, with nothing behind it for the puller to catch.

What you're looking at: the axle shaft is out, and this is the end of the axle tube with the brake backing plate and parking brake shoes around it. The shiny ring inside the tube is the bearing's outer race. It's a press fit, which is why it won't just slide out.

Ways people usually get a flush race out:
- The weld trick: run one or two short weld beads around the inside of the race. When the weld cools, it shrinks the race slightly, and it often loosens enough to tap or pry out. Keep the welds on the race only, not the tube
- Cut and crack: carefully grind a slot across the race with a die grinder or a small cutoff wheel, stopping just before you reach the tube. Then hit the thin spot with a chisel or punch, and the race cracks and collapses
- A blind-hole bearing puller with expanding jaws can sometimes bite on the inside edge of the race when a normal puller can't get behind it
- Pull the backing plate first. Removing its four bolts gives a lot more room for a grinder and a better angle

What to be careful about:
- Don't cut into the axle tube. A deep groove in the bore can let the new bearing spin or leak. If the grinder slips, clean up any nick with emery cloth
- Stuff a rag deep in the tube before cutting or welding so metal chips don't end up in the differential
- Wear eye protection. Hardened bearing races can send sharp chips flying when they crack
- Don't overheat the tube with a torch. It's a press-fit area and the shape matters

Putting it back together:
- Clean the bore, coat it lightly with gear oil, and drive the new bearing in straight with the correct size driver until it seats
- Use a new axle seal, and check whether the axle shaft has a groove worn where the old seal rode
- Refill the differential with the correct gear oil, plus friction modifier if your axle needs it

Once you've done one, the second side usually goes a lot faster.

10/10/2026

Im being told to drive my Kia until the engine fails due to no oil. Is this really my only option?
My 2019 Kia Soul is burning or consuming oil. So my mechanic told me the dealership would do an oil consumption test and then replace the engine when it fails because there was a recall or defect with on these Kia engines. So I go to my dealership yesterday. I have the limited warranty and total loss protection. Told them why I wanted the test done. After going over my warranties and stuff, apparently I dont get power train warranty because im the second owner. And my limited warranty doesnt cover oil issues, only rod bearing issues. So the warranty lady told me to basically just keep up maintenance and drive like normal and pray that a rod bearing or other covered engine failure happens so the limited warranty kicks in. The man who walked with me back to my car told me he couldn't tell me in front of his coworker, but that if I put oil in it every 5,000 miles like Im supposed to and I dont check the oil level or fill it up between mechanic visits, that eventually the engine with blow and Kia will be forced to replace it

He said if it was him he would just drive it like normal until it blows.

So then I called my mechanic, I wanted another opinion. And he basically agreed with the other man. He said hes seen this alot with Kia and Hyundai. He said that eventually the oil will get low and the catalytic converter will get clogged up and fail, making the engine fail.

So basically Im being told to drive till the engine gets completed fu**ed. Is this the only actual solution? Its just insane to me that that is the best advice Ive gotten on how to handle this.

10/10/2026

A new 2026 Hyundai Kona owner noticed something odd. All summer, the coolant in the reservoir would rise a lot when checked a few minutes after driving. Now that the weather is cool and windy, it barely moves. Is something wrong? Most likely not. The coolant is just doing what liquids do when they heat up and cool down.

Why the level moves:
- Coolant expands as it heats up. A hot engine can push the level in the reservoir up by a noticeable amount
- The reservoir, also called the overflow or expansion tank, is there to catch that extra volume
- When the engine cools, the coolant shrinks and gets pulled back into the radiator, so the level drops again
- In summer, the engine runs hotter and stays hot longer, and the A/C adds heat too. Checking only five minutes after a drive means you're looking at a hot, expanded level
- In cool, windy weather, the engine and the coolant cool off faster, so the level after a drive is closer to the cold reading

The right way to check:
- Check it cold, ideally first thing in the morning before driving, on level ground
- When cold, the level should be between MIN and MAX
- A hot reading above MAX isn't automatically a problem. The cold reading is the one that counts

In this photo, the coolant looks like it's sitting close to the MIN line. If that's a cold reading:
- Top it up to between the marks with the coolant Hyundai specifies for the car. Don't mix in a random color or type
- Only open the reservoir cap when the engine is cold. Hot coolant is under pressure and can spray out and burn you

When to have it looked at:
- The cold level keeps dropping over a few weeks
- You see drips or pink crust under the car or around hoses
- A sweet smell from the engine bay or the vents, or fog on the inside of the windshield
- The temperature gauge climbs higher than normal

The good part: a steady level for a month, checked every few days, is exactly what a healthy cooling system looks like. And on a 2026, anything that does turn out to be a leak should be covered under warranty.

10/09/2026

This rotor was brand new when it went on. Then one caliper bracket bolt snapped off in the worst possible spot, the job stalled, and the car sat outside for over a year with the wheel off. Now the new rotor is orange from edge to edge.

The question is whether a rotor that has never been used can still be saved. Usually, yes. It depends on how deep the rust goes.

Why it looks so bad:
- Brake rotors are bare cast iron, and cast iron rusts quickly. Even one rainy night leaves a light orange film
- On a car you drive, the pads wipe that film off in the first few stops
- After a year outside, the rust has had time to go deeper, especially where moisture sat on the surface

How to tell if it's still usable:
- Clean the braking surfaces with a wire wheel, a scuff pad, or sandpaper, then spray with brake cleaner
- If you get back to smooth, even gray metal, the rotor is fine
- If there's pitting, flaking, or rough patches after cleaning, the pads won't make full contact. That can cause noise, vibration, and weaker braking
- A machine shop can resurface a pitted rotor if it's still above its minimum thickness, which is stamped on the rotor
- Rust on the center hat and inside the cooling vanes is cosmetic, as long as it isn't flaking off in chunks

When it makes more sense to replace it:
- Deep pitting that doesn't clean up
- The rotor would end up below minimum thickness after machining
- Many rotors cost around $30 to $80 each, so resurfacing isn't always worth the time

After a year of sitting, check more than the rotor:
- Caliper pistons and slide pins can seize. Make sure the pistons push back smoothly and the slide pins move freely, and grease the pins
- Brake hoses can dry out and crack
- Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, so a full flush is a good idea
- Spin the hub by hand and listen for a gritty or rough wheel bearing

About that broken bolt: cutting the bracket off to get the rotor out works, but the broken bolt still has to come out of the steering knuckle. Penetrating oil, heat, a left-hand drill bit, and a screw extractor usually get it out. If that fails, a machine shop can remove it without damaging the threads. Use a new bracket and new bolts, with thread locker if the service manual calls for it, and torque them to spec.

Whatever happens with the rotor, bed in the brakes once everything is back together. Do a series of firm stops from about 30 mph, without coming to a complete stop, so the pads and rotors wear in evenly.

10/09/2026

The plan was simple: a quick DIY oil change with a buddy. The result: the transmission is now empty and the engine has about twice as much oil as it should. Two problems for the price of one.

This is one of the most common DIY oil change mistakes, and it's easy to see how it happens. Under many cars, the engine oil pan and the transmission pan sit close together, both are flat metal pans with bolts around the edge, and both have a drain plug. Pull the wrong plug, then pour in five quarts of fresh oil, and you've got this.

The good news: if nobody started the engine or drove it, this is usually a cheap fix. The bad news: it's only cheap if you fix it before you drive.

What's wrong right now:
- The transmission is low or empty. Driving it can overheat and burn up the clutches inside within minutes
- The engine is overfilled. Too much oil gets whipped into foam by the crankshaft, which can starve the bearings, push oil past seals, and send oil into the intake

How to fix it:
- Don't start the engine. If you already did, shut it off and don't drive it
- Put the transmission drain plug back in, with a new crush washer if it uses one
- Measure what came out of the transmission, then refill with that amount of the exact fluid your owner's manual calls for. Transmission fluids are not all the same
- Many newer cars don't have a transmission dipstick. The level is checked at a fill or check plug with the fluid at a specific temperature, so follow the procedure for your car or let a shop finish it
- Now do the real oil change: drain the engine oil, replace the filter, and fill to the correct amount
- Check both levels again after a short drive, and look for leaks

How to never do it again:
- Look it up before you crawl under. A quick search or service manual shows exactly which plug is which
- Engine oil is usually brown or black. Most automatic transmission fluid is red or pink. If red fluid comes out, put the plug back right away
- The engine oil pan is usually right below the engine near the oil filter. The transmission pan is often off to one side or farther back

10/08/2026

That black, dripping part on the side of the transmission isn't supposed to be wet at all. If this truck has a clutch pedal, this is probably why it's starting to feel soft.

This part is bolted to the bellhousing of a manual transmission, where the engine and gearbox meet. It looks like a clutch slave cylinder, with a rubber accordion boot and a pushrod that moves the clutch fork. When you press the clutch pedal, fluid pushes the slave cylinder out, and that releases the clutch.

Why it's black and wet:
- Clutch hydraulics use brake fluid, which is clear to amber when fresh
- When it leaks past worn internal seals, it fills the rubber boot and runs out, then picks up dirt and road grime and turns black
- A boot soaked like this usually means the seals inside are done

Signs that go along with it:
- A clutch pedal that feels soft or spongy, or sinks to the floor
- Trouble getting into gear, or grinding when shifting
- The clutch engaging very close to the floor
- The fluid level dropping in the clutch reservoir. On some vehicles it shares a reservoir with the brakes

How to confirm it:
- Wipe the cylinder and the line fitting clean, pump the clutch a few times, and watch where fresh fluid shows up
- Pull back the edge of the rubber boot. If fluid pours out, it's the cylinder
- Check the line and fitting too, because they can leak instead

How it usually gets fixed:
- An external slave cylinder like this is often one of the easier clutch repairs. The part is commonly somewhere around $30 to $120
- The system has to be bled afterward to get all the air out
- If the master cylinder up by the pedal is also old, many people replace both at the same time

Brake fluid also strips paint and absorbs water, so wipe up any spills and don't let the reservoir run dry. If the pedal goes to the floor and won't come back, the truck can't shift properly, so it's better to fix it now than get stuck.

10/08/2026

Glue, epoxy, cold weld, sanding, even a brass tube to reinforce it. The owner of this 2000 Mercedes SLK has tried everything, and the coolant tank still drips. There's a reason nothing sticks.

The small hose ni**le on the side of this coolant expansion tank snapped off. That ni**le connects a small vent hose from the thermostat area. The owner glued a brass tube in its place, but the repair keeps letting go.

Why glue won't hold here:
- Most coolant tanks are made of polypropylene or similar plastics. They're slick and oily at a molecular level, so most glues and epoxies can't grab them, even after sanding
- The tank is under pressure, often around 14 to 20 psi when hot
- It heats up to over 200°F and cools down every drive, so the plastic expands and shrinks, and any stiff repair cracks loose
- Coolant creeps into the tiniest gap and keeps the surfaces wet

If you really want to try a repair:
- Plastic welding works better than glue. A plastic welding kit or soldering iron melts in filler rod made of the same plastic, so it fuses instead of sticking
- There are adhesives made for polypropylene that come with a primer. They work better than regular epoxy, but they're still not a sure thing under heat and pressure
- Treat any repair as temporary, keep an eye on the coolant level, and carry extra coolant

Why a new tank usually makes more sense:
- Aftermarket tanks for many older cars cost much less than the dealer part, often somewhere around $40 to $150
- A tank this old is brittle. If one ni**le snapped, the others and the seams can be next
- A sudden coolant loss can overheat the engine fast, and an overheated aluminum engine can warp a cylinder head. That costs far more than a tank

One more thing to look at in the photo: the orange-brown color inside the tank. That usually means old coolant, rust, or mixed coolant types. When the tank is replaced, it's a good time to flush the cooling system, refill with the coolant your car calls for, and put on a new tank cap too.

Never open the coolant cap on a hot engine. Hot coolant under pressure can spray out and burn you.

Would you keep fighting with the old tank, or just buy a new one?

10/08/2026

The dealership says these suspension bushings need to be replaced. The rubber is covered in cracks, but is that enough to justify the bill? Here's how to tell whether it's a real repair or an upsell.

What you're looking at is a rubber bushing pressed into a metal sleeve, most likely on a control arm. Bushings are the rubber cushions that let suspension parts pivot while absorbing bumps and road noise. The big gaps in the rubber are normal. Many bushings are made with voids on purpose so they're soft in one direction and firm in another.

The cracks are the real story. Rubber dries out with age, heat, and road salt, and gets surface cracks like an old garden hose. This one shows a lot of them.

Cracks alone don't always mean replace now. A mechanic should also check:
- Whether the rubber has torn all the way through or separated from the metal sleeve
- Whether the center sleeve has shifted off center, which means the rubber is sagging
- Movement when the arm is pried with a bar. Too much movement means it's worn out
- Fluid leaking, if it's a fluid-filled bushing

Signs you'll feel when bushings are worn:
- Clunking over bumps or when braking
- The car wandering or feeling loose on the highway
- Steering wheel shimmy or vibration
- Uneven tire wear on the inside or outside edges

How to handle the dealer quote:
- Ask them to show you the play, not just the cracks
- Ask whether it's urgent or something to watch for the next 6 to 12 months
- Get a second quote. Independent shops often charge less, and on many cars you can replace the whole control arm with new bushings already in it, which can save labor
- Plan an alignment afterward. New bushings change the suspension geometry

Prices vary a lot by car, but bushing or control arm jobs often land somewhere around $250 to $900 per side, plus alignment.

Heavily cracked rubber won't get better with time, so even if it isn't urgent today, it's worth planning for.

Looking at these, would you replace them now or wait?

10/08/2026

A couple of months after buying this car, the owner finally looked down past the hoses and found a crusty yellow growth on top of the transmission. It's not alive, but it is telling you something.

That dark part in the middle is the shift mechanism on top of a manual gearbox, where the shifter cables connect. Sitting on top of it is a pile of yellow-orange crust, pink crystals on the connector next to it, and a shiny amber puddle on the casing.

What it looks like:
- Most likely dried coolant. When coolant drips onto a warm surface, the water evaporates and leaves behind crusty, colored deposits. Depending on the coolant type, it can dry yellow, orange, green, pink, or white
- The pink crystals on the connector point the same way
- The other possibility is gear oil seeping from the shift shaft seal, mixed with dirt into a sticky crust. A quick sniff tells you: coolant smells sweet, gear oil smells strong and sulfur-like

Where the coolant usually comes from:
- A hose, hose clamp, or coupling right above this spot
- The thermostat housing or a plastic coolant pipe that has cracked with age
- A heater hose or a leaking bleed screw
- Gravity does the rest. Leaks drip down and collect on whatever sits underneath, so the crust is usually below the real leak, not at it

How to check:
- With the engine cold, check the coolant level in the reservoir. If you've had to top it off, that's a clue
- Look straight up above the crust for wet spots, white or colored streaks, or crusty hose ends
- A shop can pressure test the cooling system and find the leak in a few minutes, usually for around $50 to $150
- If it turns out to be gear oil, check the gearbox oil level. Manual transmissions don't have a dipstick, so it's checked at the fill plug

What not to do:
- Don't ignore it. A small coolant leak can turn into overheating, and an overheated engine can warp the head
- Don't open the coolant cap when the engine is hot
- Clean up spills. Coolant tastes sweet and is toxic to pets

Clean the area with water or degreaser once you've found the source. A clean engine makes the next leak much easier to spot.

What's the strangest thing you've found under the hood after buying a used car?

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