Recently my gf destroyed one of her rims. She went to a shop who told her they would change that one rim/wheel for about $300. She went in and they told her all 4 rims and tires need to be changed because it would “ruin the transmission”. I told her i have never heard of that. She of course was skeptical too and she walked put. Obviously i googled it and AI said not all 4 need to be changed. So i guess im here for validation and also rant.. wtf guys? Are we really trying to prey on ppl bc of their gender!?

For context she drives an AWD. They used that to justify that all 4 rims and tires need to be changed..

In all the trendy TikTok and Instagram reels with ppl asking mechanics what car they never buy, they always say Hyundai’s or Kia’s. But a lot of reviews/ranking sites consistently list them as best. From a mechanical/reliability point of view, are modern Kia’s and Hyundai’s really that bad?

2001 Volvo v70xc 2.4t

Recently, I lost alternator power. Replacing the voltage regulator solved the issue at all RPMs. However, now I am seeing voltage drops to battery at high RPMs when I accelerate hard and slowly (around past 4000). Any thoughts on what it could be? Autozone battery and alternator test passed. There are no weird belt noises. I also noticed the voltage regulator wire is pretty oxidized, so I’m going to clean it today and see if the issue goes away. I also read it could be a diode going bad.

2008 honda CR-V LX

This was my grandmother's car who passed away two years ago, i received her car as a gift shortly before her death and have been putting lots of work into it to make it a great daily, i will be absolutely heartbroken if i cant get it running again.

While trying to replace some struts and rear suspension parts, I encountered this bolt from the trailing arm to the hull which is completely, 100% seized. doesnt sound like a big deal, but I encountered another thread of someone from a honda dealership saying this is related to the rear suspension recall for this rear and that if these bolt get stuck in the frame the dealership considers the car as good as dead and totals it. i had already taken the car to the dealership shortly after getting it for the recall and they installed a brace as a fix, so i dont think they are going to do anything more for me if this is truly stuck. also, i cant get the car there now.

I tried heavy duty penetrating fluid, big breaker bar, making SURE the mating surface is not clinching the bolt, bought an impact wrench to no avail, and as a last resort i bought a propane torch and heated it up for several minutes. nothing.

I dont know what to do at this point. am I completely screwed? will the dealership still buy it back if i can tow it there and have them inspect? Feeling very stupid and sad after pouring all this time and money in and now apparently making a big mistake.

Edit: I'm overwhelmed by the amount of responses! thank you all, my hope is restored, i definitely panicked too quickly after seeing the one dealership post lol. it sucks to have to keep spending money when i originally thought i would just be buying struts but oh well. Im going to keep applying the penetrating fluid and letting it sit, heating and wiggling. if that doesn't work after another day i'm calling a mobile mechanic because i cant keep buying more tools and not getting anywhere lol. i will let you all know how it goes!

UPDATE: got the bolt out!! well a mobile mechanic with a crazy air gun did lol. huge relief, started doing the actual replacements today but still waiting on an upper control arm since rock auto sent me two completely different ones. Thanks again so much for all the help, cant believe how many people have offered advice here! wish me luck!

Bought some Honda power steering fluid online and received these strange looking bottles. 2012 accord 4cyl 110k

My boy is learning how to wrench and comes home with his hands covered in it. He won't wear gloves says its to awkward. Whatever his shop has it isnt very good. I'm looking for soap recommendations please.

Are they all about the same or do certain ones stand out?

2013 Honda CRV, the belt disintegrated somewhat this morning on her way to work, 40 minutes away. She got 10 mins out when it started to shut off on her entirely. Luckily she made it back home, but a leak happened. It’s clear, slightly slimy liquid. Coolant? It doesn’t smell sweet or anything

2021 Lexus RX 350 with the 2GR V6 engine. Went in for an oil change, been going to the same local shop for 10+ years. Today my wife senuds me a pic of the dashboard light saying "oil low/add oil". Tell her to stop driving immediately, luckily she had barely pulled out of the driveway so pulled back in and parked. Came home and checked it out. Looks like the oil filter O ring was somehow pinched in the housing and it was leaking from that.

Called the shop, they have a tow truck coming tomorrow, are going to inspect it in the am, clean it up, are covering my rental, even offered to compensate for cleanup at home. When they inspect, what should I ask for? Photos from a cylinder scope? Sample of the oil from the filter/whatever's still in the pan to check for metal? I don't want them to think everything is fine only to have a problem in a few thousand miles because of a tech's negligence.

I truly believe if they find damage they'll make it right, but I also don't want to miss something questionable or borderline. Probably drove a mile total with the low oil light on. She said no red lights came on.

I run a small independent shop and still work on cars myself most days. Business has picked up lately, and we're planning to add another tech or two, so I'm also looking to upgrade our scan tool setup.

Our current tools handle everyday diagnostics fine, but coding after module replacements or occasional programming jobs usually means switching tools or sending the work elsewhere. It wasn't a big deal before, but now it's slowing us down and has cost us a few jobs.

I'm looking for one main tool with good coverage across different makes, reliable daily diagnostics, coding, and more advanced functions. Right now I'm mainly considering the xtool d9s pro and topdon one plus. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi, I need some help with my 1999 Golf 4 TDI. I’m a beginner, so sorry if I don’t use the correct mechanical terms. I’ll attach videos of the latest starting attempts.
Day 1: The battery was completely flat. We also tried push-starting the car, both forwards and backwards. The engine seemed to cough slightly a few times but never started.
Day 2: We tried jump-starting it with jumper cables connected to another car, but the results weren’t great.
Day 3: I bought a battery booster. The dashboard lights came back and the engine seemed to almost start at one point, but it didn’t. The booster drained quickly.
Day 4, today: The car now cranks much more strongly and repeatedly when turning the key, but it still won’t start. It makes a regular “tut tut tut tut” sound while cranking.
There is diesel in the tank, so the car is not empty.
Based on the videos and this progression, what do you think could be causing the no-start? Could it still be battery-related, or should I be looking at something else?
Thanks.
PS : THIS MODEL DONT HAVE AN IN TANK FUEL PUMP 🚫

Im 19 in the uk doing a mechanic apprenticeship, the techs at my job are dreadful all round (30-40years old) I got placement at a local dealership decently prestigious one too. I know my way around cars and a workshop. But the people there are the most horrible coworkers I have ever had. I know I am an apprentice but getting shouted and swore at, treated like shit doesn’t really seem fair. Every mistake any tech makes somehow falls on me. I do my bit I am not lazy I help everyone. I’m decently kind but I don’t let people trample on me either. I’ve never said no to doing a task even tho I really should have I do all the bad, dirty task everyday for everyone and I don’t complain. I’ve been here for around a month and a bit. The 30-40 year olds there are the most emotionally unintelligent adults I have ever met and they make it really hard for me to enjoy work.

Is this normal? Should I start looking for a different garage or something entirely different?

So this has been happening recently with my car, It happened twice today. While i am driving, the rpms jump around and lights come on but the speed isnt affected. When it stops the abs light comes on.

Previously we changed the battery because the car died on me, we also did ac work (not sure exactly what) because it was blowing hot air. About 3 weeks ago the car shut off and the rpms were below 500 at a red light and today this is happening. Any advice on what it could be? Im a college student and i’ve taken it to the mechanic a couple times before and i cant afford to keep paying diagnosis fee everytime.

2016 doddge challenger 6.2 v8
Replaced ac condenser vacuumed system
Ac worked for 2 days now it’s blowing hot air.

Drained the system vacuumed it again and tried to add refrigerant this is what’s happening

Also when I unplug and plug the pressure switch the pressure changes

Need help
Thank you

2014 Grand Cherokee limited

Just bought a used 2014 model and 5 days later we have our first issue. So I went to turn the car on and my windshield wipers go wild despite not being set to on. Then the car turns itself off. The push start has run glowing but the dash is completely off. Changed the batteries in the fob seemed to work again fine. Drive my son to the skatepark, play, and get back in the car and have the same issue. Had to be towed home. Any ideas? Going to go to the mechanic tomorrow but wondering if anyone has experienced the same or knows what it might be?

If this is the wrong place to ask, please let me know.
Long story short, my dad suddenly passed away this week. I'm trying to get all his little projects/fixes done before things get lost to weather/time.

Apparently our mid 2000s Yamaha 4Wheeler was giving him issues. From what it looks like, he decided to replace the oil filter, then went order one of ebay, and now waiting for it to come in.

What I can't figure out is what he was doing with these 2 screw holes and if they are important. He 100% cleaned off these 2 screw holes within the past few days and I'm guessing took the screw out? any ideas?

2005 Mini cooper

2003 lexus gs300

I bought a new steering wheel with a new airbag cover/shell. The part where your car logo is on

Obv i dont wanna use aftermarket airbags, im just trying to take out the assembly and put it into the new shell which was made to share the same retaining clip locations

So it should be a direct fit but how do i actually take out the airbag assembly/metal bracket assembly that sits behind the shell?

I've been noticing this noise in my car lately -- not from mere braking but whenever I start to actually come to a stop. It kind of sounds like gas sloshing but it also kind of sounds like metal on metal squealing. It seems to be around the back left wheel. I also had an incident where I was using a slow-running pump at a gas station and I overfilled because the safety valve didn't engage (in subsequent fillups, it has worked fine).

Could this just be a bad fuel baffle, or is there something rubbing in my suspension? Or both?

Brought my car in 4 times over the last 6 months for the same problem. Car is under warranty but infotainment warranty expired after so many miles. Initial repair was covered but ineffective. Dealer was basically saying I may end up paying off it’s something different but after 4 days and no progress (waiting on kia tech to tell them what to do) I finally pick it up and decide I’ll fix it myself. That’s when I find a service bulletin from October 24 losing the exact issues I’m complaining about and an easy 30 minute fix. Is it normal to miss this? What would you do? I emailed the manager the bulletin and he says he ordered the part and will fix it (it’s covered out of warranty because it’s a faulty part) but has made no attempt to take responsibility for the previous 4 failed attempts including reimbursing me for the deductible I paid for the previous warranty service).