Repair Guides

A misfire won’t fix itself. The fastest way to make a misfire go away is to pull the OBD2 diagnostic trouble code, then check the spark plug and ignition coil on the affected cylinder. Most misfires come from a worn plug, failing coil, or clogged injector. Read the code, swap the suspect part to confirm,…

Your check engine light just turned on. Here’s the short answer: A steady yellow light means a non-emergency problem – you can usually drive a short distance to get it diagnosed. A flashing light means stop immediately – you risk catalytic converter or engine damage. The light won’t reset on its own until the underlying…

When the water pump begins to fail, your car typically gives clear warning signs before a total breakdown. The most common early symptoms are a coolant leak (a puddle or drips under the front-center of the car), a high-pitched whining or grinding noise from the engine bay that changes with engine speed, and erratic temperature…

The best way to check if your alternator is bad is with a digital multimeter. With the engine running, a healthy alternator delivers 13.5 to 14.5 volts across the battery terminals. Below 13.0 volts means it isn’t charging properly. No multimeter? Start the car and turn on the headlights—if they’re dim or flicker at idle,…

If your engine won’t crank and you hear a single click or nothing at all, you might get it going again with a few temporary workarounds. But those fixes buy you minutes or miles, not months. This guide helps you confirm the starter is the actual problem, explains the handful of tricks that sometimes work,…

Is it better to fix a blown head gasket or replace the engine? If the block and cylinder head are flat and crack-free, and the engine has under 120,000 miles with regular oil changes, fixing the head gasket is the smarter move. If the block is warped, the head is cracked, or the engine already…