Car Maintenance
ANCEL AD310 Review: A Year of Driveway Diagnostics
A year of driveway diagnostics with the ANCEL AD310, from a parts-counter guy who would rather read a code himself than pay a shop to do it.
A loose gas cap, a 12-ounce scanner, and a morning that didn't need a shop visit.
A year of driveway diagnostics with the ANCEL AD310, from a parts-counter guy who would rather read a code himself than pay a shop to do it.
A plain comparison for people who just want the code and the fix.
Ten ways a cheap code reader saves a trip to the shop, one driveway at a time.
A loose gas cap, a 12-ounce scanner, and a morning that didn't need a shop visit.
Plug in, pull the code, figure out what it means, and clear it the right way. No shop visit required.
An honest look at the best-selling ANCEL AD310: what it reads, what it skips, and where the 67,000 ratings come from.
A driveway mechanic's long-term notes on the EPAuto 1/2-inch click torque wrench: what it torques, what it won't, and whether it holds up after years of use.
I put the EPAuto up against the LEXIVON on lug nuts, caliper brackets and battery hold-downs. Here's which one I'd buy again.
Why guessing at lug nut tightness is a bad habit, and why a click torque wrench belongs in every driveway mechanic's box.
How a shimmy at sixty miles an hour changed the way I put on every wheel.
A five-step method for getting lug nuts to factory spec every time, with the wrench I use in my own garage.
A straight answer on where a budget click wrench earns its keep and where it will let you down.
Six months of driveway brake jobs, oil changes and one stubborn exhaust bracket, all on a 3 ton pair of BIG RED jack stands.
Which pair of 3-ton jack stands deserves a spot in your garage? I put the BIG RED T43202 against a VEVOR pair to find out.
A floor jack lifts your car. It was never meant to hold it. Here is why a good pair of jack stands earns its spot in every driveway garage.
A driveway mechanic on the day he stopped trusting a jack to do a jack stand's job.
Where to lift, where to set the stands, and how to test the car before you get under it.
A driveway mechanic's honest take on the BIG RED T43202 3-ton steel jack stands, including the height range you need to know about before you buy.
A winter of keeping a weekend car battery alive with the NOCO Genius1.
Two small smart chargers compared for a driveway garage.
Ten ways a trickle charger prevents a dead battery morning.
A parked project car, a cold week and a small charger that changed how I think about batteries.
The right connection order, the right settings, and the one thing most people get wrong.
What a 1 amp charger can and cannot do for your battery, after a year and a half on my bench.
Six months of weekend oil changes with the HORUSDY 5-piece swivel set, on a 190,000-mile F-150 and a 2008 Accord that fights back.
Which oil filter wrench should you buy? A driveway mechanic compares the HORUSDY 5-piece swivel set with a plain cap wrench.
Ten ways the right wrench ends the stuck filter fight.
A slick filter, bloody knuckles and a better tool.
Sizing, grip, leverage and cleanup on jack stands or ramps.
A plainspoken look at the HORUSDY 5-piece swivel oil filter wrench set after six months on an F-150 and an Accord.
A year of driveway diagnostics with the ANCEL AD310, from a parts-counter guy who would rather read a code himself than pay a shop to do it.
An honest look at the best-selling ANCEL AD310: what it reads, what it skips, and where the 67,000 ratings come from.
A driveway mechanic's long-term notes on the EPAuto 1/2-inch click torque wrench: what it torques, what it won't, and whether it holds up after years of use.
A straight answer on where a budget click wrench earns its keep and where it will let you down.
Six months of driveway brake jobs, oil changes and one stubborn exhaust bracket, all on a 3 ton pair of BIG RED jack stands.
A driveway mechanic's honest take on the BIG RED T43202 3-ton steel jack stands, including the height range you need to know about before you buy.
A winter of keeping a weekend car battery alive with the NOCO Genius1.
What a 1 amp charger can and cannot do for your battery, after a year and a half on my bench.
Six months of weekend oil changes with the HORUSDY 5-piece swivel set, on a 190,000-mile F-150 and a 2008 Accord that fights back.
A plainspoken look at the HORUSDY 5-piece swivel oil filter wrench set after six months on an F-150 and an Accord.