Our general FAQ section provides clear answers to the most common automotive questions that apply to all vehicles, regardless of make or model. From understanding routine maintenance schedules and oil change intervals to learning about warning lights, smog checks, brakes, tires, and general car care tips, this category is designed to help every driver. Whether you’re new to car ownership or just want reliable advice, our general FAQs give you the knowledge to keep your vehicle safe, reliable, and road-ready.
How effective is drafting in racing? Drafting is highly effective: it can reduce aerodynamic drag by 25–50% for a follower in cycling, save 2–6% energy in running and speed skating, cut swim effort by 10–30%, and add several km/h (or mph) in motorsports, often deciding races and records. In essence, sitting in another competitor’s slipstream …
Who can tell me what’s wrong with my car for free If you want someone to tell you what’s wrong with your car for free, start with national auto parts stores that offer complimentary OBD-II code scans and battery/charging tests, look for local shops that provide courtesy inspections, check community college automotive programs, and use …
What Does Stock Suspension Mean? A stock suspension is when regulators or an exchange temporarily stop a security from trading, usually due to concerns about information accuracy, regulatory non-compliance, or market integrity. In practical terms, investors generally cannot buy or sell the shares on the affected market during the suspension, and open orders are typically …
Where to Put Water in Your Car You should only add “water” to your car in a few specific places: the windshield washer reservoir is the primary one. For engine cooling, use the coolant expansion tank and top up with the correct antifreeze mix (50/50) rather than plain water; distilled water is acceptable only as …
Choosing the right octane for your engine’s compression ratio As a rule of thumb for modern, naturally aspirated gasoline engines at sea level: compression ratios up to about 9.0:1 typically tolerate 87 AKI (≈91–92 RON), 9.0–10.5:1 often run on 87–91 AKI depending on tuning and heat, 10.5–12.0:1 generally benefit from 91–93 AKI (≈95–98 RON), and …
What Is the Normal Gauge for Tires? For most passenger cars, the normal tire pressure reading on a gauge is 32–36 psi (about 220–250 kPa) when measured cold; always follow the exact specification on your vehicle’s door-jamb placard or owner’s manual, not the sidewall maximum. This recommended “gauge” reading can vary by vehicle type, load, …
What It Means When Your Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) Light Comes On It means your car’s anti-lock braking system has detected a fault and likely disabled ABS, leaving normal hydraulic braking intact but without anti-lock, traction control, and possibly stability control. You can usually drive carefully to a repair shop if only the amber ABS light …
Safety Glass vs. Tempered Glass: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each Tempered glass is a specific type of safety glass, while “safety glass” is a broader category that also includes laminated glass and certain specialized products; tempered is heat-treated to be stronger and, if broken, crumbles into small granules, whereas laminated glass sandwiches …
What Is the Z Method for Backing a Trailer? The Z method is a structured backing technique that uses three deliberate steering moves—swing away, set the angle, and chase—to guide a trailer along a Z-shaped path into a parking spot. In practice, you pull forward and steer away from the target, reverse while steering toward …
When China Switched to Driving on the Right Mainland China adopted right-hand traffic nationwide on January 1, 1946, under a unification decree by the then Nationalist government; Hong Kong and Macau, however, retained left-hand driving and still do today. This change standardized a patchwork of practices that had varied by region before and during the …
Can I drive my car with the red battery light on? You should only drive briefly—and preferably just to a safe place—when the red battery light comes on. That warning means your charging system is failing (often the alternator or belt), so your car is running on stored battery power and can stall without warning, …
How Many F1 Drivers Have Died on Track? As of October 2024, 32 Formula 1 drivers have died as a result of on-track incidents during official World Championship race weekends (in practice, qualifying or the race). Counting every motorsport-related incident while driving an F1 car—including testing and non‑championship events—the total is 52. Understanding which total …
Do engine oil flushes work? They can dissolve light varnish and soft sludge in neglected engines, but they’re unnecessary for well-maintained vehicles and carry real risks—especially on modern, tight-tolerance or turbocharged engines. Most automakers don’t recommend routine chemical flushes; safer alternatives like shorter oil-change intervals with the correct, high-detergent oil usually deliver similar benefits with …
How to Adjust Self-Adjusting Trailer Drum Brakes To adjust self-adjusting trailer drum brakes, set an initial “preload” by turning the star wheel through the backing-plate slot until the drum shows a light, even drag, then perform a series of firm, low-speed stops to let the mechanism finish the adjustment. While these brakes tune themselves as …
What Car Coils Do—and Why They Matter In most automotive conversations, “the coils” refers to ignition coils: they transform a car’s 12-volt battery power into tens of thousands of volts to fire the spark plugs, igniting the air–fuel mixture in gasoline engines. Without functioning ignition coils, a petrol engine will misfire or fail to run. …
How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Synchro? Expect to pay about $1,000–$2,500 to replace a single synchro in a manual transmission in the U.S., with multi-gear or full-rebuild jobs commonly ranging $1,500–$4,000 and performance/exotic models reaching $3,500–$7,000+. The parts themselves are relatively inexpensive—often $20–$200 per synchronizer ring—but labor (8–20+ hours at $110–$250/hour) dominates …
The Downsides of Biodiesel: What Drivers, Fleet Managers, and Policymakers Need to Know Biodiesel’s main downsides are lower energy content (reduced fuel economy), cold-weather operability problems, potential increases in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and some aldehydes, shorter shelf life and oxidative stability issues, material compatibility concerns in older fuel systems, limited and sometimes unsustainable feedstocks, higher …
How to Tell If Glass Is Safety Glass The fastest way to tell is to look for a permanent etched mark (a “bug”) showing a standard such as ANSI Z97.1, CPSC 16 CFR 1201, BS EN 12150/14449, AS/NZS 2208, or CSA Z97.1; polarized sunglasses can reveal stress patterns in tempered glass, laminated glass shows a …
What Is an Example of a Lemon Car? An example of a lemon car is a 2014 Ford Focus equipped with Ford’s DPS6 (PowerShift) dual-clutch automatic transmission that persistently shudders, hesitates, or stalls despite multiple warranty repair attempts—many such vehicles were repurchased under state lemon laws and covered by class-action settlements. More broadly, a “lemon” …
Brake Light Not Working? What To Do Now If your brake light isn’t working, pull over safely, switch on your hazard lights, and verify which light is out; then check the bulb or LED module, the fuse, and the brake-pedal switch. Replace a burned-out bulb or blown fuse on the spot if you can; if …
How to Fix Steering Not Working: What to Do Now and How to Diagnose the Cause If your steering isn’t working, pull over safely, switch on hazard lights, and call for a tow—do not continue driving. In many cars, a sudden loss of assist is often a power-steering issue (low fluid, failed belt, blown EPS …
The Three Core Functions of the Camshaft The camshaft performs three primary functions: it opens and closes the intake and exhaust valves, it controls the timing and duration of those valve events relative to the crankshaft, and it often drives or actuates ancillary components such as a mechanical fuel pump, an ignition distributor (in older …
How Much It Costs to Replace a Coolant Thermostat Expect to pay about $150–$500 in the United States to replace a coolant thermostat as of 2025, with mainstream cars typically landing near $200–$350 and premium or tightly packaged models reaching $400–$700. The part itself can cost $20–$100 for a basic thermostat or $120–$350 for an …
How Much Does a Car Door Lock Cost in 2025? Expect to pay about $150–$400 to replace a typical power door lock actuator (parts and labor), $75–$250 to replace a manual lock cylinder, and $300–$700+ for smart or handle-integrated modules on luxury or EV models. Prices vary by vehicle, part type (OEM vs. aftermarket), and …
How to tell if your car is hydroplaning—and what to do about it You can tell your car is hydroplaning when the steering suddenly feels light or unresponsive, the vehicle begins to drift or “float” despite your inputs, and braking or throttle changes have little effect. In essence, your tires are riding on a thin …
Towing a Car: Tow Dolly vs. Full Trailer — Which Is Better? It depends on the vehicle and trip: a tow dolly is usually best for front‑wheel‑drive cars over short to medium distances on a budget, while a full trailer (flatbed/car hauler) is safer and more universally compatible for all-wheel-drive, rear‑wheel‑drive, low‑clearance, damaged, or electric …
When Was the Internal Combustion Engine Invented? The earliest working internal combustion engine is widely credited to 1807, when Swiss inventor François Isaac de Rivaz built a hydrogen-powered engine; however, the first commercially successful engine arrived in 1860 via Étienne Lenoir, and the modern four-stroke design dates to 1876 with Nikolaus Otto. The answer depends …
Signs Your Starter Motor Is Failing The most common signs of a failing starter motor include a single loud click with no crank, intermittent starting that improves if you tap the starter, a whirring or grinding noise when you try to start, slow or no cranking despite a healthy battery, lights dimming heavily during start …
What Is the Oldest Motorcycle Gang? The oldest widely recognized outlaw motorcycle gang still in operation is the Outlaws Motorcycle Club (A.O.A.), which traces its origin to 1935 in McCook, Illinois. If the question is meant to include all motorcycle clubs—whether “outlaw” or not—the honor for oldest continuously operating club generally goes to the Yonkers …
The Three Main Types of CO2 Dragsters The three main types of CO2 dragsters are wedge, rail, and shell (also called full-body) designs. These categories describe the overall body style students and hobbyists use to balance aerodynamics, strength, and ease of fabrication in CO2-powered model racing. While specific rules vary by competition or classroom, these …