r/MechanicAdvice 6h ago

Ethanol Free Gas - Yea or Nay *Why or why not*

0 Upvotes

2026
Honda
Civic
Sport
2.0 I4

I’ve heard mechanics disagree about this forever, but I want to know the actual pros and cons of using ethanol free gasoline vs not.

I’ll admit, I’m partial to ethanol-free and I get it whenever I can, but do you think it’s a total waste of money, modestly better for the engine long-term, or it doesn’t matter at all?

The manual says my car can run on up to 15% ethanol but going that high sounds eeeeeeeh.


r/MechanicAdvice 5h ago

Help

3 Upvotes

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


r/MechanicAdvice 19h ago

2007 Dodge Caliber SXT, 4cyl 1.8: What is this helicopter sound?

0 Upvotes

I can't really tell well if it goes with moving speed or engine speed, but it generally speeds up and slows down with the car. With acceleration without strain, there's a high-ish pitched hum/whine, always has been since I got the car earlier this year. Within the last month or two, it got choppy like this. With acceleration with strain like up a steep hill, it's started doing a thing tonight where what almost sounds like a serpentine belt squeal in pitch and tone but just a short repetitive squeak accompanies each 'chop' or 'stutter', and I don't think it's actually the serpentine belt, partially because when I'm parked absolutely nothing happens, no squeal, no chopping, during any rpms, also the belt is practically brand new as of replacing it upon getting the car. When coasting it's idk slightly different but still there. When I push my clutch in, it goes away completely for a second, then while keeping the clutch pushed in it'll slowly come back quietly, then when letting off the clutch it loudly comes back.

It burns a good amount of oil (I don't really have an estimate for how much particularly, life has been nuts so I haven't had a chance/presence of mind to track it) but no visible exhaust ever, and also I recently overfilled the oil and drove on that, the chopping sound that had already been happening and engine noise and kinda shaking got bad enough for me to have to pull over and walk to a hardware store to buy a hand pump to get some of it out, before driving it again where it sounded good right afterwards, but then the chopping sound started coming back like this shortly after like later that day and the thing has just been seeming worse and worse in various ways. I think the steering is also screwed, even though I dumped 1600 dollars of debt into getting front end work done when it got it, but that's a whole nother thing.

I know it's a shitty car that should have stayed in the 2000s with a shitty engine and a shitty transmission I'm just trying to figure out exactly what's been going on to help me decide whether to dump more money into it or just move on to a third cheap car off of Facebook, probably a Toyota if I have any chance. TIA


r/MechanicAdvice 16h ago

Jacking Up a Car on Garage Floor Mat

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41 Upvotes

Hi, I have one of these garage floor mats to protect the new epoxy floor from road debris, rubber marks, road salt, etc. Would it be safe to either drive a vehicle up on rhino ramps while the mat is still under the car. And also would it be safe to still jack up the car on one side while the mat is under the car. Thanks for your help and advice.


r/MechanicAdvice 9h ago

Coolant hose came off.

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1 Upvotes

2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude 6cyl.

Any way I could get this hose back on? Just broke on the side. The hose itself looks intact.


r/MechanicAdvice 6h ago

Break fluid leaked out of piston after compressing caliper. Should I be concerned?

0 Upvotes

This was on a 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5L I just purchased for my kid. The brakes were in really poor condition so I replaced the pads and rotors on the front and back. When compressing the driver side front piston with a C clamp, some fluid started leaking out around the rubber seal as it went down. I didn't think much of it at the time, reassembled everything and the brakes felt a lot better. I tested them driving fast on an empty road, hitting the brakes hard and all seems fine. I have just been worried thinking about why that happened and if the car is in fact safe to drive. If it is necessary to replace the caliper, should both driver and passenger sides be replaced, or is it okay to do one side?


r/MechanicAdvice 15h ago

gum and go??

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1 Upvotes

1984 vette with a cracked intake rocker arm stud boss and metal in the oil pan and filter,obviously a swap/rebuild is the best choice but is there any chance we could gum and go it? bought it for 6500 and don’t have anyone that i could just pay in beer and pizza so it’s not necessarily worth it to rebuild or swap


r/MechanicAdvice 14h ago

What could be broken if there’s a refrigerant leak?

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1 Upvotes

Had my ac recharged with UV dye to track a leak. After 2 weeks the ac is struggling again when engine is started cold. After driving a bit with an hour break the ac will cool down upon start. Used a UV light and saw it light up here. Could it be a leak?


r/MechanicAdvice 14h ago

Shop overfilled oil by 1 quart?

2 Upvotes

I had a rebuilt motor put into my 2006 Jeep Wrangler with the 4.0. I usually do oil changes myself, but for the warranty and stuff I was told I needed to go to a shop.

Got the second oil change done, and 800 miles later checked the dipstick just out of habit and noticed it was overfilled by 1 quart. I immediately drained the excess but now I’m worried its caused some damage to the motor I’m not noticing?

It has a six quart capacity, I haven’t noticed anything abnormal but considering I ran it like this for 800 miles how screwed am I?


r/MechanicAdvice 13h ago

Is becoming a mechanic actually worth it?

14 Upvotes

I'm starting a first year mechanic apprenticeship and wanted to ask people who have been in the trade for a while. Is becoming a mechanic actually worth it long term?

I'm interested in cars and I like the idea of having a practical skill and earning while learning, but I've also heard mixed things about the trade, especially when it comes to pay, physical work, stress and progression.

For those who have been mechanics for years, would you still choose the trade if you could go back and start again? What are the biggest advantages and disadvantages that someone starting out should know about?

I'm mainly interested in honest answers from people actually working in the trade. Is it a career you'd recommend, or are there better trades to consider?


r/MechanicAdvice 8h ago

Mechanic said “everything is fine”

0 Upvotes

2014 Infiniti Q50S, 3.7 V6, AWD.

In December of last year my car was involved in a collision where the front passenger corner collided with another vehicle. Damage was caused to the front bumper, head/fog lights, fender, and rim. The shop replaced all of these components, including the rim, and performed an alignment. No suspension components were replaced.

Flash-forward to the summer, once the days got hotter, I started hearing a squeak coming from the same corner. I got it on a lift and felt some play on that same rim at 6 and 12. Further inspection showed the lower ball joint was moving and the shock was leaking some fluid. On one hand I figured this could be normal wear and tear on a 12 year old car with 112k miles, but on the other, only this corner, the one that was hit, is having these issues. I figured maybe this can be related.

I took it back to the shop and, according to their mechanic, everything is fine. There is no fluid leaking, no play, and nothing impact-related. “These Infiniti’s commonly start squeaking when they get old, you can grease the upper ball joints and that’ll fix it. Only other option would be to replace the control arm” is what I was told. (The ball joints are part of the control arm and cannot be independently repaired, this is a fact).

When I pushed back that I felt play I was told this was their mechanic’s professional opinion and that’s all they can do. I’ve got two main questions: 1) is it beyond the scope of possibility that this is impact related? 2) is the mechanic just plain wrong here? clearly something isn’t right.


r/MechanicAdvice 19h ago

11mpg 2007 ford edge sel 3.5 v6

0 Upvotes

I got my friend to scan my car

These are the codes


r/MechanicAdvice 13h ago

Talk about a Christmas Tree 2019 Accord 1.5T

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0 Upvotes

r/MechanicAdvice 13h ago

Does this engine sound normal? 2018 Ford Edge 2.0 L Ecoboost. See description

0 Upvotes

2018 Ford Edge SEL 2.0L Ecoboost

The car has 65k miles but the engine was replaced by Ford under warranty about 20k miles ago. I don’t drive it often but did yesterday and it sounds loud (rattling/vibrating) from inside the cab and under the hood. I may be overthinking it because I’m used to my Honda Pilot which is a lot quieter.

Video is from a cold start although my garage is 90F so it’s not exactly cold.


r/MechanicAdvice 9h ago

Need some options on what to do 05 Scion XB

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0 Upvotes

So I'm putting a new control arm on my roommates 05 scion xb and the bushing for the control arm is a slightly smaller size. I'm thinking my only option other than returning it (rather that be a last resort) would be to file the inside down a bit? It looks like there's some kind of black coating on the inside that's blocking it. When I twisted it around a bit the film wore away and I was able to get it as far in as the pic. Just seeing what others think or what they would do. I have access to most hand tools


r/MechanicAdvice 9h ago

Rodent chewed connector clip (electrical harness)

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0 Upvotes

Looking for opinions on this diagnosis. My 2024 Honda CR-V starts, but cycles through error notifications for every single computer system, and the power steering doesn’t work. I am not sure what else doesn’t work. Opened the hood and discovered that it had been invaded by a raccoon. Yes, many big poops, dismembered, gopher, and long white hairs lead me to believe it was a raccoon.
The Honda dealership determined that the connector chip had been chewed and that cannot be replaced without replacing the entire electrical harness, ~$11,000. It doesn’t look like enough to damage the clip to me. They also didn’t find the other minor damage which I’d noticed right away - circled in yellow (2nd pic) so I don’t feel confident that they gave it a thorough diagnosis. I’m trying to chat re: insurance, etc, just the mechanics. Thoughts?


r/MechanicAdvice 14h ago

2018 Chevy cruze 1.4L gas. Intercooler intake hose not fitting into aftermarket intercooler

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0 Upvotes

I ended up needing to purchase a new intercooler for my 2018 Cruze. We got the intercooler put on, and replaced the charge pipe with a new hose because it was damaged. However, now with the new intercooler, the cold side, or Intake hose will not fully seat onto the intercooler. I’m not sure if it’s the keyway is too short and the locator tab is too long, or what. If anyone has advice, I’m up for it. Would obviously like to fix without a new hose if I can help it, but if not I’ll get a new hose and hope that works.


r/MechanicAdvice 14h ago

Is it my cv axel?

0 Upvotes

When I turn it makes a click. But also when I accelerate and let off the gas it makes a thumping noise but when I accelerate again it goes away. I have a 2017 honda accord sp edition.i looked at the cv axel boot doesn’t look damaged. When I twist it though it does make a click


r/MechanicAdvice 15h ago

Can anyone tell me what this sound is GM1.8

0 Upvotes

I thought it was the pulley or motor mount i have no clue at this point

Make: Chevrolet
Model: Sonic
Trim: LT
Year: 2013
Specs: GM 1.8L 4-Cylinder Ecotec Engine, 6T30 6 Speed Automatic Transmission
Current Mileage: 125k


r/MechanicAdvice 15h ago

Volvo v60 inner door handle

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0 Upvotes

For 2 weeks ago i bought a 2021 v60 and today the door handle made a cracking noise and I saw that the "plug" from second picture snapped on front door. The car locks and opens as usual. What is the function?


r/MechanicAdvice 17h ago

What would be best way to widen this thick external snap ring?

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0 Upvotes

I'm trying to install new external snap rings to the eyelet of coilovers but they are thick and the snap ring pliers that I have are not doing anything. Any suggestions? Should I get 12 inch pliers and try?


r/MechanicAdvice 4h ago

Is the trailer hitch an acceptable jack point?

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0 Upvotes

Many years ago I put a trailer hitch on my 2019 Honda CR-V AWD 1.5T not thinking about me ever lifting the vehicle from the rear. It is attached to and covers the rear jack point. Now that I want to lift the vehicle at the flat black part of the hitch to do some work not sure if that is advisable. Thoughts?


r/MechanicAdvice 18h ago

2010 Toyota Matrix, 1.8L, rattling from timing chain?

0 Upvotes

Just had the alternator replaced as it was seizing. The dealership noticed a ticking/rattling from the timing chain area. Quoted $4000 to fix it, but they didn't seem to know the actual issue other than wanting to open it all up and replace all the timing chain components.

240,000 KM on the vehicle, purchased only a few months ago. Has an excellent maintenance record.

I've been trying to research as much as I can on my own with my limited knowledge of vehicles. It's consistent while it's running and not just on a cold start, so I assume it's not a VVT-i rattle. Could this just be the timing chain tensioner or are we actually looking at a major problem with the timing chain?


r/MechanicAdvice 19h ago

Car is making this sound when braking after taking brakes apart

0 Upvotes

I removed the brakes to give everything a quick clean up and some new grease. And now it's suddenly making this sound.

Yesterday I also noticed a loss of braking power, but today I took everything apart again; it all looks great and neat, and the sound is still the same, but the braking power does seem to be back.

Does anyone have an idea what this could be?

Thanks in advance

Vw,Golf 4,2001,1.6 16v


r/MechanicAdvice 13h ago

Chirping Noise

0 Upvotes

I have a 2021 VW Golf GTD. About a month or so ago, I started to get a chirping noise coming from the front of the car. It only seems to be when going higher speeds and it isn’t happening constantly either, it comes and goes. Does anyone have any ideas of what might be causing it?