48
votes
Accepted
Dealership says European cars need rotors replaced with every pad change because they use softer metals in rotors
You are right to be skeptical, the 'softer metals in european rotors' is complete horsedung. A bit of rust is completely normal, the rest of your criteria for replacing rotors is right on the money, ...
- 16.2k
31
votes
Heavy condensation inside car during winter. Tried multiple things, but no results!
Check the A/C drains are not blocked. The A/C condensates moisture from the air at the evaporator behind the dashboard. If the drains are blocked you will have a pool of water there ready to ...
- 24.9k
30
votes
Accepted
How can I prevent the backup camera from turning off in a Volkswagen Passat 2014 when going backward at over ~30 km/h?
It's set in the ECU in the "Park/Steer Assist" module and controlled by an adaption channel called "Switch-off speed for parking assist" IIRC and you can change the value there (...
- 9,999
27
votes
Broken Coil Spring - How urgent is the repair?
That spring can rotate and rip out the tire - catastrophic loss when entering a bend could mean driver, occupants, other drivers, and/or bystanders could be singing with the angels...
Ground the car ...
- 34.6k
25
votes
How can I prevent the backup camera from turning off in a Volkswagen Passat 2014 when going backward at over ~30 km/h?
I want to offer more on the frame challenge, that you just shouldn't.
What you are doing is bypassing a convenience feature that refuses to support you being more unsafe.
Start by considering what a ...
- 381
22
votes
Could a car left sitting for 6 years ever run again?
I restored a 1981 Mk1 Golf some years ago. It was an abandoned project and came with the engine in the boot, no interior and no front wings. Total cost to put back on the road was around £550 (GBP) ...
- 23.5k
18
votes
Accepted
How do manufacturers detune engines?
There are several different ways a manufacturer can detune an engine:
Mechanically:
Cam profile can be changed. For instance, reducing the lift from one cam to another will not allow as much air to ...
- 153k
17
votes
Why are spare wheels smaller than normal wheels?
Because you rarely use it, reducing its size and weight is an effective method for cutting down costs. It also saves space and makes packaging easier for the engineers. The cost aspect is also the ...
- 2,944
16
votes
Accepted
Why are spare wheels smaller than normal wheels?
Do all cars that come factory fitted with alloys follow this rule?
No, there are three basic options that I see all the time.
An Emergency wheel - Will get you to the next tire shop or gas station. ...
- 365
16
votes
Heavy condensation inside car during winter. Tried multiple things, but no results!
I think the point everyone else (and you) are missing here is if the weather is cold enough the temperature of the windscreen is below the dew point, your breath has enough moisture in it to do ...
- 153k
16
votes
Broken Coil Spring - How urgent is the repair?
My biggest concern with issues like this is causing additional damage since the spring is no longer being supported the way it was designed to be.
Also, the rear suspension is (obviously) compromised,...
- 12.1k
15
votes
Heavy condensation inside car during winter. Tried multiple things, but no results!
If you can't find the source of the moisture, you can use a work around.
You say there isn't a problem if you leave the windows open a little to ventilate the car, but it lets in the rain. A solution ...
- 1,848
13
votes
Accepted
Why are VW recalling their cars to remove a defeat device?
The recall is not to remove the cheating logic; it is to actually make the engines meet emissions requirements so they do not violate the law any more. From Autoblog's initial article on the scandal:
...
- 39.1k
13
votes
Accepted
Why are VW tail light bulbs listed as 12W / 5W?
If it is a 21W/5W bulb, then it has 2 filaments of different brightness.
The 5W filament is for the side/tail light for night driving.
The 21W filament is for bright illumination when you press the ...
- 24.9k
13
votes
Broken Coil Spring - How urgent is the repair?
The basic issue from a mechanical point of view is that the spring (not the shock!) is what supports the weight of that corner of the car. Clearly, with a piece missing, it is not doing that as it was ...
- 2,954
12
votes
Accepted
Fuse box above battery melting
As I understand it, there was a fundamental redesign in the cars from around 2002 onwards. Unfortunately that doesn't help you but I wonder if it is possible to retrofit the later model fuse box.
...
- 23.5k
12
votes
Anyone know what car this is?
Judging from the lights and body shapes I would say it looks like a 2015 Volkswagen Touareg.
12
votes
Heavy condensation inside car during winter. Tried multiple things, but no results!
You say that when you close the car, the air inside is dry.
This might be the case, but cold air can hold significantly less water vapour than warm air. That is, the same air which was "dry" when you ...
- 221
11
votes
Accepted
2000 VW Polo struggles to/won't start when engine warm
This sounds like a problem with the coolant temperature sensor. Don't worry - replacement is cheap and can be done easily by yourself or a friend who worked on cars before.
Cause
Cold engines need ...
- 1,301
11
votes
Accepted
Anyone know what car this is?
It's a custom-wrapped VW Touareg.
It looks like it belongs to an employee at Vehicle Wraps, a custom-wrap shop in Brisbane. There is a gallery on their Facebook page documenting the process and the ...
- 226
11
votes
Could a car left sitting for 6 years ever run again?
Yes it can run again, but is it worth it.
Edmunds show a poor condition 1992 as worth about $650, where as a very good condition is around $2000.
With your posting that it has rust above the wheel ...
- 1,533
11
votes
Accepted
How can I flat tow a 2003 manual Jetta 5 speed?
No you cannot safely tow the Jetta as you'll exceed the towing capacity of your Outback. The Outback can tow (depending on the options) between 2,700-3000lbs. The weight of the Jetta by itself is ...
- 153k
11
votes
Accepted
Will I be better off turning the start stop function off?
Generally, these systems don't activate until the engine is warm, so you probably won't see it for the first 5-10 minutes of your journey - of course it largely depends on the nature of your journey ...
- 28.7k
11
votes
Is it harmful to keep 12V accessory on ignition start?
The reason for this warning is, when you start the engine of the vehicle, there is a large power draw. This drops the voltage which the Ecoflow battery will see from the charging port. When you shut ...
- 153k
10
votes
Hit a curb today, taking a chunk out of the tire and some damage to the rim. Is it still safe to drive?
I highly recommend having the tires replaced.
Even if physical deformation/damage is not evident from a visual inspection, there could be damage to the internal structure of the tire, like the steel ...
- 129
9
votes
Is there a difference in cars manufactured for hot or cold climates?
The engine will be fine - cars are designed to work in all conditions anywhere in the world. VW has a testing center that can theoretically test their cars and engines to work from -40 to 150C (saves ...
- 8,672
9
votes
Accepted
"Always Replace" (torque-to-yield) Bolts
I cannot tell you directly if the bolts you are using are Torque to Yield (TTY or T2Y) bolts, but if Bently says to replace them, you bet I'd do it. What are three bolts in comparison to the well ...
- 153k
9
votes
How do manufacturers detune engines?
Don't know much about detuning gasoline engines, but in diesels one way that it is done is by using smaller injectors which deliver less fuel. Since a diesel engine is designed to run with "excess" ...
- 14.4k
9
votes
Dealership says European cars need rotors replaced with every pad change because they use softer metals in rotors
No, rotors can go through 2 or 3 sets of pads.
But if a stone or piece of grit causes scoring then they need replacing. Sometimes resurfacing is sufficient but often the time needed is more than ...
- 34.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible