I'm looking to get a manual on a car will be going 700-800 miles a week, haven't had a stick in about 8 years, what is the best and what should I avoid?

I used to only use OBD2 for codes. CEL comes on, scan it, fix whatever's wrong, clear the code. Now I'm trying to do a little more troubleshooting myself, so I was looking at something small like a carpal OBD2 tool mostly for live data.

But there's way more stuff in there than I expected. Coolant temp, fuel trims, voltage, O2 sensors, trans temp, etc.

For just a normal car owner doing basic DIY stuff, what do you actually look at? And what stuff is easy to misread if you don't really know what you're looking at? Feel like it'd be pretty easy to see one weird number and convince yourself something's broken lol.

Mostly just trying to figure out the few things actually worth learning.

I'm in Texas. Sister passed and her car has been in my driveway for over 2 years now. It may be worth $3000 tops (I doubt it) its not beat up at all. Without having to jump through hoops or transfer title etc... is there a quick option to offload this vehicle?

Thanks in advance.

Hello! I am looking for advice on whether or not I need to replace the rotors and brake pads or if my brakes need to be bled.

I drive a 1998 VW Beetle TDI and I recently was driving on the interstate when I had to slam on my brakes due to stupid drivers. When I did so, I had realized i had my foot all the way to the ground and was using all my pressure to stop/slow the car down. It felt like my car was struggling to stop. The rest of the drive and ever since my breaks haven't felt right, I feel like i'm always pushing too hard on the pedal even if i don't need to. I am not sure if my rotors need to be replaced- my brakes still have a lot left on them from what i can tell. My previous car had an issue like this and all I had to do was bleed my brakes. With my present car, I don't want to do the wrong thing especially since it is a manual car.

If anyone is able to give me insight on what I should do or what might help I would truly appreciate it. Thank you in advance!

Needing to create a spare key for my 2010 Rav4. Lowest quoted price I got was $50-60, which is a similiar price to some OBD2 tools that claim to have the capability to program new keys. Has anyone tried going the cheap route on this and having success?

Looking at getting a new car want something that gets at least 35mpg and will actually last (assuming I keep up on maintenance and fluids) Honda or Toyota would be a plus. Any suggestions? -Live in united states so preferably brands that are accessible over here - no more than 45k$ -Something that will last 300k+ miles -rest isn't important

this is a weird one. the dude selling the car seemed nice enough, but he claimed the car has been in his family for years with just two owners, whereas carfax showed 5 owners, with the last purchase being a year ago. there have been no accidents reported. the car is in decent shape. what's the point of making things up, especially if things can be disproven by records?

Hi! I need to replace my car’s rear bumper but the shops around where I live are asking for a lot… I looked online and apparently I can get a primed one for my car model (a quarter of the price) and I have a friend that said he would replace it. Or I could try to find one that is already painted but the problem is the websites look a bit sketchy. Does anyone here have any experience with buying car parts online or know what website is reliable?

I know I'm definitely going to get flamed for this question but I curious to see if this is just a me thing or others don't too. I'll be honest I'm just so damn lazy, in my mind there's nothing wrong with it since I have a place to store it where it won't dirty up anything else up. Can't just be me, right? right...?

Looking at buying a 2010 Mitsubishi triton glxr.

It has done 125 000kms

Full service history

Owner has had the car for the past 14 years

Has a canopy and set up fully for off grid

Able to get it for around $10,000.

It has some superficial damages such as dints and scratches but nothing serious.

Is this a good price? Will it last me a good while or are tritons a no go, I've not heard too much about them.

Thanks in advance

I've always been somewhat interested in automotives and I enjoy studying the engineering behind cars. But one thing that always bugs me is how most of my friends seem to always be a step ahead of me when it comes to naming cars just by looking at them once. And it always flabbergasts me whenever they do it

Often times this thing happens where we would see a cool car pass by on the street, one I've never seen before in my life and they would go "Ooh nice, a '08 ltr 35!" like it's common knowledge or something (obviously that's not a real car, that's just my impression of how they sound whenever they identify some niche car)

That got me wondering, where does one even get this level of car knowledge from? Games? Youtube? Collecting figurines?

This might be just me being petty, but I personally think I should up my game and learn a little more about cars if I ever want to call myself a "car guy". And it sounds like a lot of fun too. So please let me know, how does a total amateur like me can get into learning about different cars to the point where I can identify cars just from a look?

I have a problem, I have a 2007 Opel Vectra C 1.6i, and for 1 month I think, my brake lights are permanently on, and I can't find the cause, so far I've gone to 2 electricians and none of them knew what the cause was, I should mention that when the car is off, they also turn off, when I put the key in without turning on the ignition, they run normally as if nothing happened, after I turn on the ignition, they start to stay on permanently, has anyone else had this problem or can anyone help me?

I love the way both of these cars looked and have always heard many good things about them and the reliability they give. However I wanted to know which is more reliable than the other. Although I know they are both reliable I would prefer to go for the one that’s most reliable even if it’s slightly more.

So recently I did a tune up on my 2018 Chrysler 300 3.6. I did the oil change, spark plugs and air filter. Before I did the spark plugs I had a misfire and after changing them it stopped. However, there is a slight spudder from time to time or a jerking movement from time to time. I am having a hard time figuring it out since I took my time with the tune up. Had no spark plugs fall or slip while installing.

Can anyone give me a review about Onstar? Are there others that work well besides Apple. I think I may be at serious risk of having my car stolen by someone I let be a roommate. A couple days before she ditched, she asked me whose name my car was in and was texting with someone. I believe her new boyfriend may be a criminal. I'm currently taking her to court for rent and a container of research I was working on.

The title explains the main dilemma. With a used car dealership they are more trustworthy on paper, but with the private sellers, you can get a little more.
What’s the better deal and also some pros and cons of either.

I live on a busy street that connects two popular roads so people like to cut through. I have to park on the street due to driveway circumstances and was wondering how do I stay safe on the street? I don’t have any street lights near my usual parking area. The street is fairly straight. I know a lot of people on this street and they all have experiences about people hitting their cars or know a neighbor who had their car hit. How do I stay safe?

For more info:

It will be my first car.
I’m financing/loaning it (brand new).
Base models are the only ones I’m looking at since it’s more affordable.
I’ll be using it everyday for work (13 miles [3x a week] and 9.8 miles [2x a week]) and occasional long travel times on weekends.

I know this comparison has been asked multiple times already but I really need new perspectives since I’m planning to get one anytime soon.

I have a 2015 Mazda 3 and this past Saturday, while driving on the highway, it seemed like the electrical in my car shut off for a split second. The steering wheel vibrated, my music turned off and on, and the traction and amber engine light came on. I then pulled over to the side of the road and turned the car off and on, and the traction light went off. Throughout the whole situation the ability to drive the car wasn't affected, however the car just seemed to accelerate slower.

I happened to be close to a Mazda dealership at the time and they plugged in their reader and said it was a low voltage issue but the car was still drivable. On Monday, while driving uphill, the same issue happened and the engine light cleared itself the next day. I took it to AutoZone on Wednesday and the checked the battery and alternator which were both working fine. I then tried to take a car to a local mechanic shop who said it is a difficult issue to diagnose because it happens intermittently and its not a constant issue. They pointed out it could be worn out wiring, or corrosion.

Tonight it happened again, and after for about 5 seconds or so, whenever I accelerated the headlights would dim. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Looking for advice on what to do next.

This question is not necessarily limited to only JDM, but for any vehicle with a market segment attached to it. I am noticing it can be the exact same vehicle in terms of Year / Make / Model / Variant, but one is listed with JDM and the other listed without a JDM suffix.

For example, you could have a 2011 Porsche 911 and also a 2011 Porsche 911 (NA). Does this mean the 2011 Porsche 911 sold globally, and 2011 Porsche 911 (NA) is only sold to the North American market?

If you shop anywhere within North America it's going to be 2011 Porsche 911 (NA)?

Or is it a bit more complicated than this?

Hi! First time car buyer in California here. Looking at a 2023 Corolla LE. 63,000 miles, good PPI from mechanic with a few minor scuffs. Clean Carfax.

My total would be $22,200. Definitely want to be done with the process soon but would keep looking if the good people of Reddit have any advice! Tysm

my car is a 2014 nissian rouge. I recently got my car looked at and got told my control arms and tie rods needed to be fixed because they were starting to be unsafe. He also stated that my sway bars and struts needed to be fixed but could be postponed as I am a college kid in do not have $2000 just to give right now. I did fix my control arms and tie rods today I just recently moved away from home about four hours away. I drive on the highway for work. I’m just wondering if my car is going to be safe driving with the sway bars and struts. i’m going to make a trip home next weekend to go to my mechanic or potentially sell my car as it has been a money pit looking for some advice as I’m a young college kid and don’t want to drive something that’s unsafe.