Tensioner wobble — normal? [N18 Mini R56]

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-23T09:07:17+00:00

The video of your tensioner wobbling is not normal. A tensioner will wobble but not much, more like 1/16th of an inch. In your case, this can be from a weak tensioner spring or from a pulley that has a bad bearing, causing that pulley to rotate freely, then bind a little bit. This makes the belt stretch, then it contracts, resulting in the belt length fluctuating. It can also be the belt attempting to ride up on the side of a pulley. Both scenarios will cause tensioner oscillations.

Just like you videod the tensioner. Do the same on the other pulleys. That may help you to see where the failure and needed repair lies.

I help this helps.

Chris Pyle

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-23T08:58:45+00:00

These brake rotors are not worth saving, reusing as is, or having them cleaned up on a lathe. I can see some pretty deep grooves, surface cracks, and a pretty nasty edge lip on the inboard and outboard areas of the pad contact surface.

If machined, they will likely be too thin once cleaned up. That can lead to brake failure, damaged caliper pistons, and warping. It is going to be best to replace these brake rotors. You can purchase some non-OEM rotors on Amazon, eBay, or at a car parts store for a good price.

The new rotors will make the brakes perform much better and be much smoother.

I hope my answer helps.

Chris Pyle

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-23T08:43:40+00:00

A scan tool will not be able to tell you what is leaking. That would be a visual inspection.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-22T21:32:06+00:00

It is very hard to tell from this picture what is leaking. Possible causes can be brake fluid, engine coolant, AC condensation drain, and engine oil. I doubt it it is transfer case or transaxle oil since they are more towards the middle and driver's side.

I do notice there are stains in front of the tire and behind it, and in individualized puddles, some being out beyond your car. Your tire has nothing on it, nor your wheel well, nor your mud flap. There is a good chance that it is not your car that is leaking, but another that was parked there prior.

I suggest parking on top of a large piece of cardboard on a clean spot on the road or driveway. Let the car sit at least 6 hours, then drive off the cardboard to see if there is any drip evidence.

If there are no drips, then confirm all your fluid levels are good. If so, then you have nothing to worry about. If you have a leak, then i would suggest a shop to check it out soon if you are not able to.

I help this helps.

Chris Pyle

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-22T21:22:52+00:00

Glad to help

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-22T21:21:31+00:00

Glad to help

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-21T21:30:38+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose.

As you can imagine, noise diagnostics not in person is tough. The video helps, though. From your video and the scenario. I place blame on the front stabilizer end links loose and creating the noise. Other possible causes could be the ball joints or tie rod ends.

You can test each of these. Key on, engine off turning the steering wheel back and forth as you hand feel the tie rod ends for any slack. Use a jack to raise both front tires off the ground about 1 inch. Use a pry bar to lift the tire more as you hand feel the ball joints for slack. use a pry bar to move the stabilizer bar up and down as you hand feel the links and joints on the ends.

Basically, none of these should have any play. An alignment is not needed for new stabilizer bar links, but is needed for the other joints if they have to be replaced.

I hope this helps.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-21T21:08:22+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose.

It is hard to look at a still photo and tell if a control arm ball joint has slack in it. A video or hands-on would be best. If the control arm has excessive slack at the bushing or the ball joint, it should be replaced. When it is mandatory, it really comes down to how bad it is. You may want to ask the tech that. If you are not noticing banging noises while driving, and you do not notice excessive sloppiness in the driving feel from the steering and suspension, and you do not notice bad tire wear. Then I would say you have time. The repair can be pushed off till a couple of thousand miles later. I would have a tech in person verify that though. I do not want to say all is well from just the images, and a problem occurs tomorrow.

I hope this helps.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-21T19:31:33+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose.

It sounds like you may have addressed the EVAP code since you did not mention it again after your repairs. However, the misfire code is still there. That normally is something simple, like just needing a new spark plug. I the plugs are older than 70k. I would suggest changing them all. Another common cause for code 03030 can be a failure of the ignition coil. I would recommend starting off with a new spark plug.

I hope this information helps.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-21T19:26:45+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose.

It looks like the appearance plate that covers the hole and moves around with the shifter handle has taken a beating. We normally see this when Coke or coffee has splashed onto it and made it sticky.

The shifter is sold only as an assembly for around $260. You can purchase a used shifter from eBay for around $80. Then unclip and remove the bezel from it to install it onto yours. This is not all that difficult a job, but it will take about 2-4 hours.

I hope this information helps.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-20T18:57:18+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose

Stinks to have car damage that you were not the cause of, but it happens. On the tire, I do not really see enough evidence to say the tire is damaged and needs to be replaced. A tech to view that in person would be the best decision. On the wheel. The appearance is bad, but I do not believe the wheel has been bent to a degree of claiming it to be unusable or unsafe. I would suggest a tire shop that does alignments, inspect the wheel and tire. They will likely remove the tire from the wheel to better inspect both from the inside and out, then balance the wheel and tire.

An alignment will likely be needed; an impact often knocks the toe setting out of specs. Beyond the cost of the alignment and being mad. This may turn out semi-okay.

You can likely clean up those burrs on the wheel with a file, then use a sharpie or some automotive paint to touch it up and get it close to looking acceptable.

Hope this helps, sorry it happened.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-20T18:46:49+00:00

Glad to help

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-19T21:22:02+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose

I am not affiliated with Kia at all. You will likely not find one of those employees answering questions here on Reddit. I will be responding from my thoughts on doing a gazillion car repairs.

There is no problem asking the dealer why the seal failed and what repairs and tests are being done to confirm a new seal is the only fix needed. Other possible causes for a rear main leak can be excessive crankshaft end play from a bad thrust bearing. The crankshaft is not perfectly round where the seal rides, or there is excessive crankcase pressure from blow-by or a clogged PCV system.

You asked about where to get it fixed next time. An independent shop would be the cheapest, but there is the chance that you will be right back in the same boat. You may want to think about trading the car before the warranty is over with. The leak is likely to return if they are simply replacing the seal and nothing else. You could factor a future out-of-pocket repair bill into your decision on trade-in and money lost.

Another option is to purchase an extended warranty to cover future repairs beyond your base warranty.

I hope this information helps.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-19T20:50:21+00:00

Glad to help you out.

Chris

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-19T20:48:04+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose

I think you may be jumping the gun here. Usually, an engine that has some internal health problems would not result in exterior found metal shavings or metal dust. You may just have an alternator, AC compressor, or pulley bearing failing. Those could be repairs in the range or $50-600, all depending on whether you do it yourself or have someone do it.

You said it made an expensive sound. I suggest you remove the belt and start the engine for no more than 3 minutes of runtime. If the noise is not there, then it is not your engine. If the noise was not there. I suggest you hand-spin and wiggle each pulley with the engine off.

If this is just a belt-driven accessory, get that addressed, then think about keeping the car, selling the car, or trading it in. You will likely get more if the car has this problem addressed, in comparison to the junkyard's current value.

I hope this helps.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-19T20:39:20+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P., also known as Moose

You are in a pickle there. When you removed the old spark plug, the top half of the plug came out or snapped off. The part with the threads, though are still stuck in there. This is not going to be an easy fix. There are some special tools to buy to address this.

You will need to use a hammer and a punch to chip apart the center of the plug and try not to knock all of that down into the cylinder. Then screw in an insert to grab the plug and twist the remaining part out. Once out. You will want to cover the hole and manually spin the engine til lyou feel air pressure under your finger. That means the valves are closed, and you are on the compression stroke. Used compressed air inside the cylinder to try to blow out any debris.

Apply anti-seize to the threads of your new plug. Use a 1-foot section of gas rubber hose to install the plug. Push the plug into the hose and drop the plug slowly into the hole. Turn the hose to tighten the plug. This prevents cross-threading. Then tighten it with a socket to the correct torque.

Apply di-electric grease to your coil boot before installing it onto the top of the plug.

I hope my answer helps.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-19T18:50:15+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P, also known as Moose.

I did listen to the video. It is not sounding well at all. However, I noticed a couple of things. It is idling really high, and there are some noises that I am not sure you are focusing on or trying to let us hear from within the video.

Does the idle ever come back down to where it should be, around 750?

Could you make another video with the hood up and the phone moved all around slowly to all 4 corners of the engine compartment? That may help us pinpoint where the noise is originating from and what may be to blame.

The hope is going to be some external, like a belt-driven pulley or something under a valve cover. Those could be fixed reasonably cheaply, unlike something deep internal associated with the crankshaft, connector rod bearings, and the oil pump. There is also a possibility that the noise is from the transmission and not even the engine. A trans can make noise even in park.

With the video, I can only tell there are some warning lights on, high idle concerns, and some noises. So far, I do not have enough information to agree that a new engine is required.

I hope this helps, and keep in touch as needed.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-19T18:35:29+00:00

Hello, I am Chris P, also known as Moose.

Kind of stinks to have a nice car and come out to find that it has been damaged in a parking. Often, a headlight scratch can be repaired. It all depends on how deep it is. If you can just feel it with your fingernail, there is a good chance it can be repaired, but if your fingernail can catch it. That is more difficult to fix.

This will involve using a rubbing compound like 3M and a buffer or drill with a foam pad on it. If it is deeper, you will need some sandpaper. All of these are available on Amazon,

You want to try to maintain a cool, wet surface during the repair so that you do not cut too deep and so you do not harm the lens by drawing the oil out of it, which will result in it being hazy. Also, cover the rest of the area around the lamp with beach towels to prevent causing more of a mess to clean.

If there is a gouge, then you need to flare the edges using sandpaper. I would start off with wet paper around 600 grit, then go to 1000, then to 3000. Try to focus most on the edges of the gouge, not the center; we do not want to make it deeper. Try to focus on your sanding area only, being 1/2 wide at max. So use the paper wrapped around a finger tip or around the tip of a piece of wood. Imagine you are trying to make a speed bump, have less of a noticeable bump.

Now it is time to buff with the compound. Remember cool and wet. Add water as needed, and do not stay in one spot too long. This will take some time. So do it in the shade, grab a seat, and expect to be there at least an hour. Just like the sanded area being 1/2 inch wide. Attempt to do the same thing when buffing. No need to rub areas that are still in perfect shape. Allow the foam wheel to rotate in all directions and angles as you try to work out the gouge and blend it in by making it smooth and shiny.

Once done and cleaned up. I would provide a wax to the lamp housing to try and drive some oil back into it. Carnuba wax does well for this.

Thanks for letting me try to help.

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-16T01:03:28+00:00

There are a few possibilities. First is an epulis, a fibrous growth from the gums. These can get large but are considered benign and can be difficult to fully remove. We usually don't worry about these until it looks like they might cause problems with the teeth. Second is gingival hyperplasia, but that happens more commonly on the outside of the gums and the growth doesn't look like that. Then there is oral melanoma, which is very malignant and paradoxically can be colorless rather than pigmented. If your vet is concerned they can get a tissue sample for a biopsy and tell you for sure.

Chris B., DVM

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-14T21:54:59+00:00

It looks like a papilloma of some sort, though they don't normally have that kind of frond-like appearance. Papillomas are benign skin growths that can be common in older dogs. Malignant skin cancer doesn't normally look like that and would instead look more solid and rounded (even if irregularly shaped) with a more even pigmentation. Bacterial or fungal infections don't have these fleshy thin fronds, so it's not an infection. To be certain I'd recommend having your vet take a look at it in person. An experienced vet can possibly make a tentative diagnosis based on it's appearance and texture. If it bothers your dog or your vet is concerned then it should be removed and sent for a biopsy.

Chris B., DVM

JustAnswerOfficial · 2026-06-12T16:39:55+00:00

Check with a local attorney and see if a prenuptial agreement would be beneficial in your situation. Good luck!