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.
What Size Socket Is an Oil Pan Drain Plug? There isn’t a single universal size for oil drain plugs. Most passenger cars use a 13 mm, 14 mm, 15 mm, or 17 mm hex socket; some trucks and European models may require 19 mm–24 mm, while a minority use an internal hex (Allen, commonly 6 …
What Happens to Cars After a Crash: From Tow Truck to Final Fate After a crash, cars are either repaired and returned to the road, declared a total loss and sold for salvage, or dismantled and recycled; the path depends on damage severity, the vehicle’s value, safety considerations, and local laws. In between, vehicles are …
Tire Noise vs. Wheel Bearing: How to Tell the Difference on the Road If the sound changes with steering input (louder when turning to load one side) and rises with speed, it’s usually a wheel bearing; if it tracks with road surface, tread type, or moves after a tire rotation, it’s likely tire noise. Below …
Who is the top NASCAR driver? There isn’t a single, definitive “top” NASCAR driver—historically, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson are widely regarded as the sport’s greatest, while among active competitors, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch are often cited at the front based on recent form and career résumés. The answer depends on whether …
GVWR vs. CCC: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters GVWR is the maximum allowable weight of a fully loaded vehicle as set by the manufacturer, while CCC is how much cargo weight you can add before you reach that limit. In other words, GVWR is the ceiling; CCC is the remaining “room” under that …
How to Know If an Alternator Is Failing While You’re Driving If your battery light comes on, your headlights dim or flicker, accessories begin shutting off, and the car runs rough or dies at low speeds, your alternator likely isn’t charging. Pull power-hungry accessories off, head for a safe place to stop, and avoid shutting …
Are Headers Really Worth It? Yes—headers are worth it when they serve a clear goal such as security, performance, accessibility, compliance, or power delivery. In web protocols and HTML, the right headers are foundational; in codebases and email, they can reduce risk and improve workflow; in automotive tuning, they can boost output under the right …
Is a flatbed better for towing? For most modern vehicles—especially AWD/4WD, EVs, hybrids, and low-clearance performance cars—a flatbed is generally the better and sometimes the only safe towing option; however, wheel-lift or dolly towing can be appropriate for certain vehicles, distances, and recovery situations. The right choice hinges on your car’s drivetrain, ground clearance, the …
Why Seatbelts Lock After an Accident They lock because the seatbelt retractor’s emergency mechanisms—and often a pyrotechnic pretensioner—activate during a crash to stop the belt from feeding out, keeping you firmly restrained through the primary impact and any secondary hits. In practice, this means the belt can feel “stuck” after a collision, which is by …
How the Clutch Works in a Manual Transmission In a manual transmission, the clutch is a friction-based coupling that temporarily disconnects the engine from the gearbox so you can start, stop, and change gears; pressing the pedal releases a spring-loaded pressure plate to interrupt power flow, and releasing the pedal re-engages the disc to transmit …
Can you buy ex cop cars? Yes. In many countries—especially across the United States—you can legally buy retired police vehicles through public auctions, government surplus sales, and specialty dealers. These cars can be bargains with heavy-duty components, but they often have high miles and idling hours, decommissioning quirks, and legal restrictions on emergency equipment you …
Does Leaving Your Car Dirty Ruin the Paint? Yes—letting grime sit on your car can dull, stain, or etch the clear coat and, over time, accelerate paint failure. The risk depends on what the contamination is (bird droppings, road salt, bugs, tree sap, hard water spots), how long it stays, the climate, and how well …
What Are the Parts of a Brake Booster? A conventional vacuum brake booster contains a two-piece shell, a flexible diaphragm (or dual diaphragms), an input pushrod, an output pushrod to the master cylinder, a reaction disc, a control/spool valve with air and vacuum poppets, a vacuum port with a one-way check valve, return springs, an …
What Is an Open Differential? An open differential is the simplest and most common type of automotive differential: it splits engine torque equally between the two wheels on an axle while allowing them to rotate at different speeds, which is essential for smooth turning; its major trade-off is that overall torque is limited by the …
Is Jann Mardenborough still racing? Yes. After a period away from a full-time seat, Jann Mardenborough returned to professional competition in 2024, racing in Japan’s Super GT Championship in the GT300 class, and he remains active, with additional appearances in endurance events and ongoing plans to continue competing. Where he is racing now Mardenborough re-established …
Can You Drive in 4-Wheel Drive All the Time? Yes—if your vehicle has full-time 4WD or AWD; no—if it’s a part-time 4WD system. Full-time 4WD and most AWD systems are designed for continuous use on all surfaces, while part-time 4WD should only be engaged on loose or slippery terrain to avoid drivetrain damage. Understanding which …
What the “S” and “L” Mean on an Automatic Gear Selector In most modern cars, S stands for Sport and L stands for Low. Sport mode keeps the engine in lower gears longer for quicker response, while Low locks the transmission in a lower gear (or simulates it) to provide stronger torque and engine braking. …
Can You Go 10,000 Miles on Synthetic Oil? Yes—many modern vehicles can safely go 10,000 miles on full synthetic oil under normal driving conditions when the manufacturer specifies that interval, but it is not universal and depends on your engine, driving habits, oil specification, and oil-life monitoring system. In practice, 7,500–10,000 miles or one year …
How a Car Engine Starts, Step by Step A car engine starts when the vehicle authorizes your key or start button, powers the fuel pump, engages the starter motor to spin the crankshaft, and then delivers fuel and spark (or high-pressure diesel injection) at the right time so the engine fires and runs on its …
How to Tell if a Small Engine Carburetor Is Bad You can usually tell a small engine carburetor is bad if the machine is hard to start or won’t start, runs only on full choke, surges or hunts at idle, smokes black (rich) or backfires/overheats (lean), leaks fuel, or has poor throttle response despite fresh …
Battery, Starter, or Alternator? How to Tell What Your Car Really Needs If your car won’t start, here’s the quick guide: you likely need a battery if you get slow cranking or rapid clicking and a jump-start gets you going; a starter if you have a single solid click or no crank at all even …
Who Is the Most Famous Race Car Driver? Michael Schumacher is widely regarded as the most famous race car driver worldwide, thanks to his record-equaling seven Formula 1 world titles, era-defining dominance with Ferrari, and enduring name recognition beyond motorsport. That said, Lewis Hamilton—also a seven-time champion and the sport’s all-time wins and poles leader—rivals …
Is the NASCAR Camry a Real Camry? No. The NASCAR “Camry” is a purpose-built race car that only looks like a Toyota Camry; it shares virtually no mechanical parts, platform, or powertrain with the production sedan sold at dealerships. It carries Camry branding and some styling cues to represent Toyota in NASCAR’s Cup Series, but …
Do You Still Need a Clutch With a Sequential Gearbox? In most cases, yes—you still use a clutch to launch and come to a stop with a true sequential manual gearbox, but you typically don’t use it for upshifts (and often downshifts) once the vehicle is moving. In automated “sequential” systems and dual-clutch or automatic …
What a Rack-and-Pinion Does—and Why It Matters A rack-and-pinion mechanism converts rotational motion into precise linear motion (or the reverse), with the pinion as a round gear that meshes with a straight gear called the rack; it’s most famously used in vehicle steering and in linear actuators. The term “racket pinion” is uncommon and likely …
Are Air‑Cooled Engines Good? Weighing the Trade‑Offs in 2025 Yes—air‑cooled engines can be very good for simplicity, durability, and low weight in specific uses, but liquid cooling is superior for most modern cars and high‑performance or emissions‑constrained applications. In 2025, air cooling remains relevant in motorcycles, small aircraft, and compact equipment, while the broader market …
How Airbags Fill With “Air” They don’t actually fill with ambient air. In a crash, sensors trigger an inflator that explosively generates or releases gas—usually nitrogen or argon—filling the cushion in about 20–30 milliseconds, then venting it to absorb energy. This rapid gas production, not a fan or pump, is what creates the protective “pillow” …
Does LEGO Produce the Most Tires in the World? Yes—by number of tires produced per year, LEGO is widely recognized as the world’s largest tire manufacturer, thanks to the tiny tires used in its toy sets. This refers to unit count, not the size, weight, or value of the tires, and the distinction has been …
Do Two‑Stroke Diesel Engines Exist? Yes—two‑stroke diesel engines not only exist, they power much of the world’s oceangoing cargo fleet and have a long track record in locomotives, power generation, and military applications. Beyond their historical presence in Detroit Diesel trucks and EMD locomotives, modern low‑speed, large‑bore two‑stroke diesels from MAN Energy Solutions and WinGD …
What D1, D2, and D3 Mean in Automatic Cars D1, D2, and D3 are “range” selections on many automatic transmissions that limit the highest gear the car will use: D3 allows shifts up to 3rd gear, D2 limits the car to 2nd (and on some models starts in 2nd), and D1 holds 1st gear. Drivers …