r/StupidCarQuestions

I just put windshield fluid in the def tank of my dad's car so I'm kind of just wondering what kind of hell on earth I'm in for when he gets back. It is a 2018 Mercedes sprinter van, Yes I turned off the car.

Edit: I have a little under 4k in savings, is this something I could conceivably cover if it comes to that?

Edit 2: I put ball park estimate between 1/6 and 1/5 of a milk jug worth in before realizing and the car was on while I was putting it in

I got some 17 inch wheels to put on and some 225/45 tyres on my mx5 NC. I need to roll the arches so they fit.

I’m terrified of ruining the wrap. Please advise 😭

i may not be the biggest car guy but why do people to that? lowering them 2-3cm to the ground, or that camber? no way people think that looks good

So I’ve had my car since February and it had a check engine light and hybrid system warning light and I took it to the dealership for service and they quoted me a hybrid battery cooling fan I ended up taking it back a few weeks later after ordering the part myself to get the part installed but when they called me they told me they installed the fan but that it needs an ecu and a 12v battery and that the car hasn’t been starting unless jumped they said it was 1,400 dollars for the parts and that they would have to order them but would install them without extra labor but I can’t afford those I don’t know what to do and my car has had no problems starting until they got it and said it had problems

I don’t post often and I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this so I’m sorry in advance if this is the wrong sub or something. I have a 2013 Mini Cooper 2 door convertible 1.6-liter inline-4 engine. I think. I’m about as non-car savvy as you can get. 8th digit of my VIN is 5. I desperately needed a car and my only option was a stick shift so I mostly taught myself to drive it and of course destroyed the clutch in the process.

Part of why I didn’t have any other options for car is due to finances. It was take this or have no car at all and I picked up a second job to afford to repair it and get it road ready. I was terrified of needing to replace the clutch because I honestly can’t afford it but there’s a local out of his garage mechanic in my neighborhood that offered to fix it for $600-700. Which is a steal in my area and also basically the maximum I can afford.

There’s at least two mechanics working there. They don’t provide any parts or fluids and don’t really do appointments. You have to get your own stuff and drop by on your own time. I’ve always just been encouraged to pull up and check if the garage is open and then just talk to whoever’s there. My car presently cannot drive at all. I had to tow it to my house because it wouldn’t accelerate past about 12 mph and that’s while flooring the gas. By the time a new clutch arrived in the mail and I and went to tow it to the mechanics shop the clutch petal was completely loose with no pressure behind it. I asked if that was still a clutch problem and if I needed to order something else and was told they’d just have to look at the car and see. If I do need another part I have to order it online and wait a few business days for it to ship or get in in person and pay more money I don’t have. Every day I don’t have my car I bleed money both from having to find alternate transport and doordash anything I need (we are very rural and it’s a 25 min drive to get anywhere. We don’t even have sidewalks) and from limiting the work I can take in my career bc I don’t have reliable transport atm.

I dropped my car off early Thursday morning and left them the keys. They were closed at the time but I texted my mechanic and got confirmation that he knew the car was there. Parts in the passenger seat and keys in the visor. I’ve been bumming rides to work in the meantime and pass the garage on the way to work and home every time. After two days they finally moved my car a little bit forward on the lot. Later that evening I called to check in, expecting a diagnosis and a time estimate, maybe the revelation that I needed more parts and more money, and was told that they had no idea and hadn’t had time to look at the car yet.

Two more days, now sunday evening, I called again. Phone was answered by my now slightly annoyed sounding mechanic who said he hadn’t looked at the car yet, didn’t know anything about it, and would call me when he knew something. It’s been an additional two days later and 6 days total since I dropped my car off and they still haven’t so much as opened the hood. When I drive by I can see that it’s now boxed in by other cars so you’d have to move several to even get at it, nevermind that it doesn’t move on its own presently.

This morning I stopped by to get papers out of the dash for an unrelated reason and was ignored by all the staff. My mom suggested I contact him and say I need my car back by a specific day, and she said he will probably drag his feet unless I do that. I don’t feel like that will solve the issue or help beyond annoying him since I feel it’s fundamentally kind of unreasonable to assume if someone drops an undrivable car off that it’s not their main mode of transport that they want back ASAP unless they specify that. I think it’s implied by virtue of dropping the car off that I want it back ASAP. Especially since I’ve already called twice to check up on it.

To explain some of my behavior I’m a very anxious and shy person by nature and hate talking on the phone with strangers. I usually cry or take several hours to work myself up to call both times. I don’t know if this is normal and I’m being impatient or if something is wrong. And I have no idea what do to about it. This is my first time dropping a car off with a mechanic for anything more serious than an oil change. I’ve had work done before but always by someone in my friends or family that knows how to do a repair. I don’t like rushing or being rude to service workers and am the type to tip regardless and just never come back if I’m unhappy with service.

I don’t know if it’s possible for me to afford to get this repair done anywhere else. I don’t think I can afford any more than I was quoted. I’m terrified of pissing this mechanic off enough that I’m forced to use someone else and pay double or more. He’s made it clear it annoys him to have me call and check in but I feel like nearly a week for a clutch replacement with no explanation and no progress is unreasonable. I rely on having a vehicle very heavily. So much so that I took on this finicky manual car because I was desperate. Can somebody help me? What’s the etiquette for this kind of situation? What would you do? If I’m in the wrong and just need to be more patient I’ll listen and own it. I don’t know what I’m doing or how long any of this is supposed to take or what to do about it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I own a 2006 GX470, I need help with a leak that appears to be coming in from the left corner, drivers side. I’ve done the following:

1. Windshield is new and has been sealed twice.
2. Sunroof drains are clear and draining properly.

I removed the cowling cover in front of the windshield and ran a water test. Water only seeps in when the water is flowing on the farthest left corner past the windshield.

If you’ve experienced this, what did you do to fix the issue?

Thanks to all and looking forward to a solution!

Vexed in Virginia

hello all!
i recently got 2 new front tires for my 2004 toyota corolla matrix. yesterday, i went to check the psi, and i realized that my 2 back tires have a different psi than my new ones..my back ones are 34psi, and my front ones are 32psi.
i checked my tire info in my driver door, and it says 32psi for the tires…what should i do?
am i okay to just make the front 2 tires 32 and keep the back 2 at 34, OR should i make all if them 34?
sorry if i seem dumb, this is my first car so im still learning the little things lol.

Long story short, a well known high street chain did my MOT in May. Utter disaster.

Car failed which i knew it would, and left them the car to get it sorted. After lots of wrangling they had to move it to another branch for the work, before I was eventually able to take it back for a retest.

The worst part is I don't even think they've changed some of the parts they say they did, yet I've paid about 400 quid for them.

Can I ask for photo/invoice/scrap part/whatever proof of the work?

Any advice greatly appreciated! ✨✨

i've started noticing a faint gas smell near my car when i start it up. it seems to disappear after the car has been running for a few minutes.

is this something that's fairly normal, or should i get it checked out?

Just...a bit flabbergasted at the amount of sprays each spot received, especially when loading up the accessory outlet and OBD port. But the rest...I mean every button was flooded with cleaner, as well. I know it's a nasty car to start with, but like....damn. Water is getting into places you cannot get it back out of. For SURE.