r/MechanicAdvice

I recently got a 2014 Chevy spark from my grandparents, I'm paying them $2,000 for it and we're all on the title, they said they didn't want ANYONE messing with it, especially my dad because he's a "YouTube mechanic" as my certified mechanic grandfather likes to call him.

He didn't listen, because "that's my kid's car and I can touch it if I want to" (I'm 19, I don't need or want his help with anything, he's an idiot and incompetent, I only live with him to take care of my brother as he's jobless until I can get custody myself) regardless of me telling him I didn't want him touching my car, and he put regular transmission fluid in it, regardless of it being a CVT. It already had transmission issues my grandparents were trying to help me fix, and because of my dad and me not knowing any better until recently, I got stranded in a Walmart parking lot. Now my car is in the shop to get fixed.

What should I expect to happen to my car because of this?

Edit: My maternal grandparents, they don't care for my father and my mother is dead, regardless they have been divorced for years anyway. Just wanted to add in case anyone thought these were my dad's parents lol.

The car was bought for 4k a few years ago. I would do the work myself over a few days and probably swap other power steering components at the same time like the hoses and the reservoir. Im concerned that this is too much work for a car worth only 1k or 2k right now.

I have a 2016 Buick Encore Leather and the mechanic who worked on my car flushed the brakes and used DOT 3 fluid when DOT 4 was needed. I only drove maybe two miles to get back home and noticed my brakes were spongy. I haven’t driven it since (3 days if that’s important) and another mechanic is telling me I need a whole new master cylinder now that the DOT 3 is in the lines. Will I really need a new master cylinder, or can I flush the lines fully and use DOT 4?

I drove my car to and from work today with no issue. This evening I needed to run an errand and it wouldn’t start. Nothing happened when I put the key in. My partner went inside to get the battery charger and I noticed the overhead light blinking so I messed with it until it turned off. Right after that I was able to turn on the car like nothing happened. I drove it to the store around the corner and took the battery charger with me just in case, but I was able to start it after leaving the store and drive home with no issue.

What’s possibly going on? I know the battery is old, 5+ years old and I’ll change it, but I want to make sure I’m not potentially overlooking something else. Could the 90+ degree weather be me sign with? I filled up my tank yesterday so it’s not low on gas.

My oil pressure light popped on for a few seconds then off when coming home today. It seems to be coming on when breaking and/or going downhill I know i really need an oil change. is it safe to drive my car 1.5 miles to get it changed if the light isnt staying on consistently, or should i call aaa? (2013 hyundai accent)

Just curious because I've heard of shops adding fuel cleaner or using top end cleaner (usually for hefty markups) but I can't think of a time I've heard a mechanic, even a shady mechanic, suggest using an internal engine cleaning product before an oil change. Seems like an easy way to add fifty bucks or so to a bill. Does this stuff not work or is it potentially harmful or something?

The ac compressor on my 2012 Honda Odyssey has seized up. I'm not 100% sure if it's the clutch or the actual compressor itself. I'm not sure how to tell without removing the compressor.

If the compressor did seize up is it likely the entire HVAC system is toast? I just had the condenser replaced because it was bent in a collision, but otherwise fully functional. The ac has not worked well since the condenser was replaced, but the shop just brushed off my concerns and said it was working fine.

What should I buy to fix this myself if the shop won't warranty anything? Rockauto has a ac compressor and component kit that includes an ac compressor, condenser, o-rings, and front and rear expansion valves.

I'm worried that the system has grenaded a bunch of metal into the system and I don't know what happens then. I can likely change the compressor myself, it didn't look too bad. But I'm out of my depth if the system is full of metal or something.

Can a seized clutch or bearing cause it to just 100% lock up like it did? It was pouring smoke so I couldn't see if it was just the belt spinning on the pulley. But it was a ton of smoke.

Hey guys. I drive a Polo 9n3. My cigarette lighter is always on, even when key is not inserted, and I’ve found out this is how Volkswagens were made. Is there anyway to wire it so that it’ll only be active when the ignition is on?

Hey guys. My wife’s car possibly seized up. Had to towed to the house because we can’t afford a mechanic let alone the dealership. We are rethinking about the dealership but wanna get your guy’s take on this since it has a recall for the “oil pump tensioner replacement” that has no fix from ford yet.

She was driving it when the Oil light came on. In the span of a few minutes it started to lose power and could not keep up to highway speeds. It then started making clanking sounds coming from the engine as she describes it and it died as she got it on the shoulder. Now it won’t start let alone turn over. No engine light. Threw these 3 codes which make me wonder if that recall has something to do with it. P0012, P0014 and P0299 (Turbocharger underboost).

2018 Ford Focus SE 1.0L Auto with 65k Miles (Of course it had to be out of warranty)

Edit: Put 2021 Instead of 2018 for the model year

I have a 2008 Honda accord coupe 2.4cyl EX-L. My ac would stop blowing cold intermittently and I’d have to push the cord that connects to the compressor clutch (I think) in a little and then it would click and start blowing cold. Yesterday it went hot again and I tried pushing the cord and it didn’t do anything and there’s no click. Any ideas? I live in Florida and cannot stand driving in my car and I have a 2+ hour weekly commute.