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Always thought there was a kernel of truth to this, but as the proud owner of a new set of Contis I find that Continental actually recommends a tire break-in regimen. For the first 500 miles avoid hard starts/starts, drive at a moderate speed and avoid wet (!) roads. This allows manufacturing...

Two things seem pretty clear to me: 1) Gasoline is less dense than motor oil 2) If left in open containers, gasoline will evaporate fairly quickly, motor oil will not If these things are true, when fuel dilution occurs and the engine is off for a period of time, why doesn’t gasoline separate...

The factory maintenance schedule for my 2008 Mazda MX-5 with the 6-speed manual gearbox calls for a gearbox and differential fluid change at 60k miles or 48 months, whichever comes first. I get the 60k mile requirement, but not sure about the 48 month limit, considering both fluids operate in...

Buick has announced its vehicle offerings will all be electric by the end of the decade. For those old enough to remember, Buick’s top-of-the -line auto here for years was the “Electra”. All EV Buicks will bear the Electra name (nice coincidence, no?) with individual models identified by a...

The Wall Street Journal reports Saudi Aramco may offer to buy Valvoline’s lubricants business. Valvoline has talked about separating its product division from its services/franchise business, so this makes some sense. Nothing definite, but this would likely be an unpopular outcome here..

I’ve been offered a goodwill replacement on a Honda transmission with Honda kindly picking up the majority of the cost. Even so, this is far from a freebie to me. My existing transmission is original and under 60k miles but time has expired on the factory powertrain warranty. The problem the...

There’s been a discussion on a Honda forum about an issue with its CVTs as described in TSB 18-072. The issue is excessive clearance between the torque converter stator and transmission input shaft that allows fluid to slowly seep from the torque converter to the transmission. When a cold start...

An out of town friend has asked to look at captioned truck. Photos look nice, only 31k miles and fleet maintained. I know little to nothing about this vintage - other than the usual used car stuff is there anything in particular that deserves attention? Thanks.

My Honda CRV has an “indirect” TPMS that has produced a few false alarms lately. When first back in the garage tire pressures are within 1 PSI or so among tires (one side higher than the other) and slightly above the door placard recommendation. After garaging overnight, pressures are within .5...

So my dealer tells me my 3 year old Interstate battery is testing low and should be replaced. And remarkably, Costco says to bring it in for a replacement no questions asked. It will take an hour or two to retrieve the replacement. What’s the best way to preserve the car’s electronic memory in...

As noted here (I think) and in the “Engineering Toolbox”, oil volume expands with increasing temperature. And if I’m interpreting the “Toolbox” graphs correctly the increase is of some significance: from room temperature to 100C on the order of 5-6%. So when we buy a 5-quart jug of oil, at what...

The car in question is a 2008 Mazda MX 5 (nee Miata). 26,000 miles, summer use only, stored winters in a garage in northern Wisconsin. This is a vacation home that isn’t visited from November to May. Yesterday I noticed a rattling sound from beneath the car, sensitive not to road speed or load...

I've been changing oil on my cars for 50 years or so, so this ain't my first rodeo. But I had a new oil filter oil experience (sad, isn't it, when new experiences are oil filter-related). Changed the oil on my 2015 Honda CRV about 2,000 miles ago and used a Wix filter for the first time. I used...

My 2017 Acura TLX seems to have brake balance very heavily biased to the front. While some of this is normal in fwd vehicle in my case it seems extreme: rust on rear rotors from rain can persist for weeks even with regular brake use. I'll take it in to the dealer but expect the usual "it's...

I have stored an MX-5 over the winter for a number of years. Every year I've fogged the cylinders as the last part of the storage prep process. Stored for about 6 months in an unheated garage in a cold climate. It's an in-line 4 so not a huge effort, but wonder what others do. Anyone here do...

Just as an FYI, Shell’s website has been updated to reflect Pennzoil Platinum’s designation as an SN Plus engine oil. Specs are a little skimpy (no HTHS or Noack), but are at least available. The marketing verbiage that goes along with th TDS notes that it has been “Redesigned for modern...

This was the car’s third oil change since new, the last being very short because of an upcoming trip. Two comments: The oil is Idemistu Zepro 0w-20 with Molybdenum. Haven’t seen this in a UOA before, so thought it would be of interest. And the 625ppm of Moly says the label doesn’t lie. My...

According to Motor Trend, Ford will be replacing its 4 cylinder 1.5 liter TGDI engine with a 1.5 liter 3 cylinder TGDI. It will also have cylinder deactivation, enabling it to run on 2 cylinders under some conditions. First use is expected in the 2019 Focus and then likely to the Escape and...

High Temperature High Shear viscosity is a (the most?) important specification for each oil viscosity. But I’m not sure how it relates to everyday engine protection. Using 20 weight oil as an example, my understanding is: * 100C viscosity should be in the range of 6.9-9.2 cSt * HTHS must be at...

Noticed on the Pennzoil website that Pennzoil now says its dexos1Gen2 oils are “SN Plus Ready”, and will be labeled as such at the earliest allowed date: May 2018. It makes sense that oil makers would not reformulate separate oils to meet d1G2 and SN PLus, but Pennzoil,is the first I’ve seen to...