r/AutomotiveLearning

Just rolled out our new Shop Management Software at my shop (2 locations and growing). We were on Mitchel1 for years and rather than doing a full migration to Tekmetric I decided to build my own. DM me if youre interested in a custom solution - I can build it within a week for your shop (developer background) with zero subscriptions. Customer information is ALWAYS top priority. I enjoy doing this and I love the auto industry so the only fee would be for my time. Feel free to message me for details.

Hi, just bought a 2013 honda pilot. The timing belt, I was told by a mechanic that it looks good and doesn't have any issues. I asked the dealer i bought it from if the belt had been changed since the car has 136K miles on it. The dealer said there was no record of it and couldn't track if it has been done or not. Should I take the mechanics word? Or, should I spend the money and get it done. It could be a new belt and asked about it and they said there is no problem with it and it all looks good. Do you think im good to go? Or should I just get it replaced? Or, maybe an alternative im not aware of? Thanks for the help and suggestions.

I just finished the longest and most annoying oil change of my life because whoever installed the previous oil filter on my truck apparently thought they were sealing a submarine hatch instead of a spin-on filter. Hand tight is plenty. Everybody says this. Yet somehow people still crank these things down as the filter owes them money. I started with my normal removal tricks and got nowhere. Then came the filter pliers, then the strap wrench, then, eventually, a dedicated cap tool from the parts store because I was getting desperate. By the end of it, I was lying under the truck questioning every life decision that led me there. The filter finally came loose with a horrifying snap that made me think I broke something expensive. While cooling off afterwards, I ended up reading discussions about speciality oil filter tools and noticed a bunch of those removal kits are sourced through online industrial suppliers before getting rebranded locally. Seriously, though, why do people overtighten filters this much when the gasket does most of the sealing anyway?

Going back to school to be a mechanic isn’t an option, but that’s the level of knowledge I’m looking to acquire over a few years. I want to be fluent in automotive terms and skills. No one to teach me really, just on my own.