Month: October 2022

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the notion of what a recall is should be changed, given that so many issues can be fixed via over-the-air updates. But that can’t fix an improperly reassembled seat belt buckle that was incorrectly put together, the problem potentially present in some 24,000 Model 3s […]

What is a cooling fan? A cooling fan is a supporting component in your car’s cooling system. The fan draws air through the radiator when the fan is engaged, drawing heat out of the hot coolant circulating through the radiator. Older models may have a mechanical cooling fan driven by the drive belt while most […]

What is a fuel pump? In the days before fuel injection, the fuel pump was a mechanical component located in the engine bay which often used the movement of the engine itself to pull fuel from the tank to the carburettor. With the advancements in electronic fuel injection and electronic engine management, the fuel pump […]

What is a brake drum? One of the oldest styles of brake systems is still in use today on some cars – brake drums. A brake drum is almost always found on the rear axle, behind each rear wheel. Inside the brake drum, two C-shaped brake shoes skim along the smooth inner surface of the […]

If you asked any EV owner to list some potential updates they’d appreciate, you’d better bet at least some, if not most, would say they wish for their car to either have more range, charge more quickly, or both. Thanks to Tesla’s free over-the-air software updates, such requests can actually be granted. Tesla just recently […]

Tesla celebrates 10 years of Supercharging. The company recently released a tweet that highlights how the network expanded over the years. The first stations were installed in September 2012 to support the market launch of the Tesla Model S (see Supercharger Event video below). Supercharging at 90 kW, and later at up to 120 kW […]

What is Coolant? Coolant is antifreeze that has been mixed with water to protect the vehicle. Coolant keeps the engine at a safe operating temperature while also ensuring that it doesn’t freeze.  To make most coolants, you mix the antifreeze mixture with equal parts of water. While water will cool the engine by itself, it […]

The most common causes include leaking seals, mechanical damage, worn-out transmission fluid or inadequate transmission fluid level, but we must examine what “acting funny” means when referring to one’s transmission before recommending a course of action. Do any of the following symptoms seem familiar to you? Slipping When an automatic transmission seems to slip in […]

When is the right time to change your engine coolant? For some vehicles, you’re advised to change the coolant every 30,000 miles. For others, changing it isn’t even on the maintenance schedule. For example, Hyundai says the coolant in the engine (what many refer to as “antifreeze”) in most of its models should be replaced after the […]

When an engine has too little oil, bad things can happen: Friction between moving parts increases, the engine may run hotter and, worst case, moving parts seize when they become starved for lubrication. Bad things also can happen when there’s too much oil. Overfilling with oil can cause foaming, which turns a slippery lubricant into a sudsy […]