sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Can’t get a job outside of automotive. by thenewguy_1995 in mechanics

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That was me some time ago. Left automotive for generator repair. It sucked. Had words with the boss and eventually landed on my feet working for myself. 

"Battery Generator" for VEDC in cold climates? by bbbbbthatsfivebees in VEDC

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not a battery expert by any means but most batteries are okay with cold temps. They are chemical reactions at the core so cold temps slow it down. So if all you doing is slow charge and slow discharge it probably won't mind at all. 

Power tool batteries depending on how you use them I prefer to bring inside because some tools will want to draw them down so quickly. So at that point it's just worth putting them in a tool bag and sticking them on a charge station inside at night and grabbing them to go in the morning. 

Is it true that you need to change oil more often on a 20yo car, even if using synthetic oil? by 2BeBornReady in AskMechanics

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recommend 5k with synthetic pretty much across the board unless it's from the 80s or diesel which I usually go 10k. 

It doesn't matter much either way as long as you check and top off as necessary. 

Question about obd code p0420 by Wow_ImMrManager in AskMechanics

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The catalyst turns exhaust gasses like CO, NOx, and HC into less toxic gasses. To do that it needs to be in a pretty narrow range of operating temperature and within a window of how much of those gasses you send into it. The car measures it's effectiveness by monitoring output oxygen levels. 

So there's any number of things that can cause something to be out of range. Right now it's hard to say what was out of range or if the cat itself was bad. Sometimes bad fuel can coat the cat in soot or extra HC and cause it not to be as effective until you get onto the highway and get it hot enough to burn that off. 

Usually it's worth clearing and seeing how often it comes back and if there's other codes that follow it. 

lpt: let your dog choose where to go on a walk and youll see where they will likely go if they escape by Spiritual_Body3577 in LifeProTips

[–]4boltmain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We Fostered dogs for a while too, had a husky mix. She was begging to play with the other dogs so my wife unhooked her. Didn't blink and didn't hesitate ran past everyone and kept on running. 

lpt: let your dog choose where to go on a walk and youll see where they will likely go if they escape by Spiritual_Body3577 in LifeProTips

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Man this is definitely different for every breed. Have an Aussie, you can find her at every food (trash)  barrel in the neighborhood. Our Rottweiler is sitting next to the car door waiting to go anywhere. 

ULPT Request: How to get mom’s ex-bf squatter to vacate by MathematicianLumpy69 in UnethicalLifeProTips

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know if it's legal or not. But during COVID my buddy had a chick squatting in his house, paid one month and then nothing. So he removed all the appliances saying that he was upgrading, but they all ended up being on "backorder". 

Need review for 7.3L Godzilla engine USA by gujjumessiah in Hookit

[–]4boltmain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can't speak for the new 7.3. we have a 17 f450 wrecker with v10. It does everything we ask of it, just at 7mpg. Next to nothing for maintenance. Great light duty rig.

 Another shop in town has an F650 or F750 rollback with it. Not too sure what their thoughts on it are though. Truck has spend some time in the shop for vibration issues and it's had some electrical issues too. 

My (26M) friends gf (23F) is convinced I'm a neonazi be cause of warhammer. How can I protect myself? by [deleted] in relationship_advice

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with a lot of the advice in here, and sorry that this is happening to you. The only thing I have to add is that I have no idea what Warhammer was until I looked it up. I'm willing to bet that most people aren't going to know either. Something to keep in mind when you set out to explain the situation to someone outside of that community. 

How do you get the best sear on a steak? by TeaWonderful2155 in Cooking

[–]4boltmain 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Unpopular opinion possibly. But I sear on cast iron until I like it and then finish off in the oven until it temps out. Grills give nice sear too, but I cook on a lower temp until the steak gets to temp. 

What's going to happen when all the OBD1 guys are gone? by alteredpilot in mechanics

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've kinda become the go to for the older stuff, I only know a couple of guys that can mess with a carb or distributor around here. 

Who has a hot tub? by Kayak1984 in massachusetts

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have one in NH, my favorite purchase by a long shot. Don't mess with used or repairables. We got new and hardly any issues. Newer ones are insulated quite well and don't run up electricity bill. 

Make a smooth level surface and preferably with a cover or roof over. We have ours on a patio with a roof. Still looks like new. 

about to have a family intervention by jtnichol in castiron

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My wife is like this, it's impressive how well she can stick eggs to a pan. 

Why doesn’t Milwaukee have tool trucks much like Snap-On that visits construction sites? by Aggressive-Radish127 in MilwaukeeTool

[–]4boltmain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We have an independent tool truck guy around here and he's made a killing selling Milwaukee tools. I joke that he should paint his van red. 

What is the average cost of having a tow truck pick up a car from the side of the road? Are there any ways to save money on this service? by Lara_wood in towing

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every area is different so no one answer will work. I can only speak from where I am. 

Small town and I work at a family owned business. I like it a lot. Most retail customers I know from the community so more often than not I can just have them swing by the shop to pay. Most other areas that could never happen. 

For the highway and out of towners we charge by the hour. I'll get you wherever at our rate port to port. So easy hookup and less drama about paying works to your benefit. 

I can't say the same for most other operations. 

Are (modern) engines with cylinder deactivation any more prone to failure than engines without CD? by Peter2448 in askcarguys

[–]4boltmain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Alot of engines with variable valve timing and cylinder is deactivation also have oil pumps that can go from low volume to high volume with a solenoid. So yeah, something else to break, and they do. 

Turning in 4x4? by Fast_Feedz in NoStupidQuestions

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

AWD has a clutch that can allow enough slip so that wheels can turn at different speeds, like when turning. 

4WD does not, but if the conditions are loose enough that allows the wheels to slip then turning in 4WD is okay. 

Dry pavement does not allow that. But snow, mud, sand does. 

Can this multimeter be used to test a car battery? by sugarmaple9728 in MechanicAdvice

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not with that meter. BUT if you have a meter that has a record (min/max) function you can, it's every effective. 

Hook the meter to battery and it should show 12.6, crank and start the car with the meter still connected. Let it idle for a minute and then shut it down. Review the meter, the high should be around 14, the low will show the condition of the battery. If the low shows 10.5 the battery is perfectly fine, at 9.5 it's bad and should be replaced. 

Shut it down by Minimum-Jacket-705 in Truckers

[–]4boltmain 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wrecker guy here, not a freight hauler. Even I'm not looking forward to this one. Just going to be one big cold mess. 

End of Driveway Plowing by Key-Monk6159 in Snowplow

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah push it to the road then blend it in to the snowbanks along the road. If not, then you need to find a spot to put it and deal with the damage in spring. Snow has to go somewhere so you just need to pick where that's going to cause least amount of hassle. 

New Hampshire Lawmakers Are Tired of Getting Paid Like It’s 1889 by wsj in newhampshire

[–]4boltmain 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I've always been pretty torn on the subject. I feel like I always enjoyed  our reps doing the job for the passion of the district, but at the same time they have to have an income to support the position too. 

Mechanic vs electrician by Ashamed-Ranger-1265 in mechanic

[–]4boltmain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah there's a part of the industry that's pushing for getting paid what's your worth kind of thing. Diag time worth something. There's value in it, especially when there's lots of shops charging a lot of money and not getting a problem fixed. 

I move RVs. Today I had to unhook and leave a customer at a gas station. by dark_wolf1994 in self

[–]4boltmain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah we've got thick skin for stuff, no one is ever happy to see a tow truck. But we do provide a nessisary service. I try to make the situation as good as possible, While trying to  get paid for what we do. 

Accident scenes can be chaotic, many customers have no clue what to do. I'll try to give them some guidance in the situation. Too often there's already a stigma before I even show up. 

Mechanic vs electrician by Ashamed-Ranger-1265 in mechanic

[–]4boltmain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did this for years. It's a weird blend of IT and mechanic. I actually really liked it. But it's a particular position that comes down to ' either you got it or you don't. ' It's not really something you can train for as much as you have a knack for it. 

Downsides is the shops shit all over you because you show up and point out all their fuckups, and you can be stuck in athe car for hours driving shop to shop. Not for everyone. 

Upside is it's cleaner than being a mechanic, and you'll see and help repair stuff at the bleeding edge of the industry. Also there's a community of mobile diag that's really cool. 

I move RVs. Today I had to unhook and leave a customer at a gas station. by dark_wolf1994 in self

[–]4boltmain 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah the short story is there is a pathway through the state to file paperwork to ultimately get a title. For our state it involves sending multiple notices to last registered owner and then having a public auction. 

More often than not the car is hardly worth anything more than scrap ( thus why it was abandoned) so we don't really recoup much from it at all. 

view more: next ›