r/Cartalk 2m ago

Tire question Would you keep driving on this?

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Upvotes

If I have to replace it, I will need to replace all 4 tires.


r/Cartalk 7m ago

How do I do it? how to get rid of a car that doesnt run (i have the title)

Upvotes

i have an old car with exterior & interior damage, and has been sitting with a window down for a year (broken window) so it looks really messed up on the inside. i really dont want to deal with fixing it up to sell it and i know for a fact no one will buy it. it also doesnt run so i dont know how i’d get it anywhere. i do have the title. does anyone have some advice for this? thank you 🩷


r/Cartalk 18m ago

Engine Oil leak & disappearing coolant

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2008 Subaru Legacy, 109,000 miles, non turbo 2.5L. Oil appearing in engine bay (zoomed in photo is in that crevice northeast of the alternator). Also can see oil underneath car catching on plastic skid plate thing. Also, just topped up coolant reservoir 24 hours ago and it’s back to being empty. I can’t detect any leaks for that though. Any explanation for these two incidents?


r/Cartalk 22m ago

Tire question Tire question

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Upvotes

Does anyone know what could’ve caused this? Could it be due to the tire just being worn down or does it look like someone messed with it?


r/Cartalk 31m ago

Transmission Car turns off sometimes when I put it into Drive or Reverse

Upvotes

I have been having this issue for a short while. Whenever I'm driving and if I have to shift gears from Park to Drive or Park to Reverse, the car will completely turn off. Does anyone know what could be causing this? I've done maintenance in the past, got the alternator power reading check (normal power reading), battery is fairly new. I haven't changed the transmission fluid yet.


r/Cartalk 47m ago

Electrical A quick battery question

Upvotes

I got a new car from Kia 2 months ago in Canada. In the car, I found a battery testing slip. It says CCA Tested-770A Rated 640 and SOC 72% And 12.60V What does this mean? Reason I am asking this question is that my car started showing this error when l ignite my car, something like "Battery Discharging, disconnect external devices". I dont have anything external connected except the dashcam which is internally connected by kia agency itself! What to do? Kia is asking for 150$ inspection fee and then they will let me know what has happened!


r/Cartalk 1h ago

Exhaust Slow acceleration. Exhaust leak?

Upvotes

My 2004 Volvo xc90 has a know exhaust leak, and sometimes, after coming to a full stop the car does not want to accelerate (or at least not very quickly). Sometimes while accelerating, the car also kicks or jerks. Was wondering if these problem could be caused simply by the exhaust leak or if there might be another issue. Any advice helps!


r/Cartalk 1h ago

Brakes Should I change this rotor when I replace my brake pads, or leave it?

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The groove is very shallow, I would say less than a millimeter deep. I can feel it with my fingernail. I’m changing my brake pads soon. This is the front passenger side rotor, all 3 other rotors look great. Wondering if it would be worth it to change the front rotors. 2013 Subaru Forester 2.5. Thank you for your advice!


r/Cartalk 1h ago

Engine Starting problemsi

Upvotes

Hi everyone hope someone will have an idea about this but I have a 1.8 tdci 08 for mo deodorant lynx engine and just this morning it was hard to start it's 14°c but frost waring came on and glow plugs went off immediately, same after trying 3 more times only get 1 second of active time from plugs and frost warning. I can hear an audible click from the relay turning on and off the plugs so I checked that seems fine check plugs seems fine, bit stumped any ideas welcome and thanks in advance.


r/Cartalk 2h ago

Driveline Gear wear

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3 Upvotes

Rebuilding my differential. Can anyone give me some insight on what this dark wear on the edge of the gears indicates?


r/Cartalk 3h ago

How do I do it? Headlight restoration

0 Upvotes

My headlights are getting hazy again. I bought some restoration stuff a while ago and it worked…good. It’s that time again but I misplaced it and don’t feel like going out to get more. Anywho, what are some actual DIY headlight restoration solutions yall have tried and actually work for a while? I tried baking soda and vinegar paste, smeared it on there and really tried to scrub it in. The rag was yellow when I lifted so I guess it’s doing something. There’s still some spots left and I was thinking of doing sandpaper. I don’t want to mess it up so what sandpaper should I start with and move up to? Also, should it wet or dry? I know this is a lot; but I really appreciate any suggestions!


r/Cartalk 3h ago

I need help fixing something 95 Honda civic

0 Upvotes

Can I pick someone’s brain? (Posting to help my bf, I don’t actually know squat about cars) We have a 95 civic that’s been turned into a rail buggy of sorts. Was running fine this morning but all of a sudden won’t start. Will crank, no start. Battery is fine Has gas Spark plugs are new (as are the wires) in the correct order. He’s tried everything he knows to do. We are stumped.


r/Cartalk 4h ago

How do I do it? Anyone have experience getting a car inspected after salvage title?

1 Upvotes

Hello all,

My daily driver, a 2010 Toyota Avalon, was involved in a minor accident on January 3rd, 2025. The car was deemed totaled from a missing passenger side mirror and dented/scratched passenger side doors.

I recently just got the car back from repairs, and I got its title switched over to salvage status. But now, Ohio State Patrol needs to do an inspection of the vehicle to make sure I didnt steal any car parts or anything. Literally the only part that was missing was the mirror, everything else was just repaired and repainted.

We got the mirror off of eBay, and do not have a donor vehicle VIN number. There is no provided phone number to contact the seller. The eBay mirror was sanded, repainted to the right color, and installed.

So, will I be okay by just showing them the eBay invoice and moving on? Im not sure how deeply theyre going to inspect the car or the parts that came from another Avalon.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!


r/Cartalk 4h ago

Engine Increased battery discharge after new alternator

1 Upvotes

Oil housing gasket leaked and killed my alternator so went to a shop got charged 2400 total for new alternator, new oil housing gasket, new vanos solenoids, oil and coolant, new battery on a 2009 bmw 535i. After coming back from shop I had a new 2e7c bsd code and increased battery discharge has been popping up since (about 2weeks). My question is are they supposed to address this code since its related its the bsd, a data bus that links the water pump, ibs cable, oil level sensor, alternator, and DME, thinking when I got different brand alternator may be causing issue, have also noticed water pump running when vechile is off sometimes. Brought it back in and they reset some stuff but it still pops up.


r/Cartalk 4h ago

Engine Cooling How likely is it a somewhat loose coolant reservoir cap can cause the reservoir to boil?

3 Upvotes

Driving 2016 Jeep Cherokee Sport. Yesterday my wife and I were driving to the coast when we stopped at a rest stop/gas station to change and feed baby and take a break. When we parked, I heard a bubbling sound from the engine compartment and turned offf the car. I could still hear the bubbling. Opened the hood, coolant is bubbling and boiling in the reservoir, with a slight leak later on under the car

After letting the car cool for a few minutes, I checked the oil, no water mixed in, and no smoke from exhaust. Temperatures from drive were normal, ranging from 195 to 205 F.

I did notice that the reservoir cap was slightly loose and I tightened it down further until it stopped. I had before we left added a small amount of additional coolant to get the reservoir to just under max line. Ive heard no grinding or anything like the water pump is going out.

So what could be causing that issue?


r/Cartalk 5h ago

General Tech Saw a couple mice run away from under my car today. Worth worrying about? And what else can I do to mitigate this?

0 Upvotes

The other day I saw 2 mice run out from under my car. This is the first time I've seen mice in the 2 years of living in this location. My unit is flanked by 2 other units (so 3 in total) with a 5 car, covered carport behind the units, off the road. In my mind, between the 3 units that share the carport, there should be enough human activity that I don't think mice should like it too much? But who knows.

My question is what can I do to help prevent rodent related issues? Or is a one off instance not worth worrying about? I know that mice inherently will be outside, but an ounce of prevention is worth an pound of cure you know? I've looked into the repellent-scented bags but my understanding is those have to be removed from the engine bay each time you drive and that seems like a hassle since my car is a daily. Right now my best guess are the flashing/ultrasonic emitters and peppermint oil. I know they aren't perfect but research indicates they seem to be more reliable than the scented options.

Some further details that may be relevant:

  • The car is parked behind the unit in a 5 car, covered car port. I would say that 4 of 5 cars move quite frequently and one car right next to mine doesn't seem to have moved at all in the past 2 or more weeks.
  • There is a compost and rubbish bin nearish to my car (about 20-30ft) away but the lids are always closed and shut and there isn't food or trash leaking out from them. Can't really park my car further away from the trash though.
  • I've sprinkled cayenne pepper around the tyres of my car in the meantime. Also considering sprinkling some cat litter near where I park.
  • I drive the car at least 1x a week, usually more than that though.
  • I keep my car fairly clean. No trash and very minimal food (a couple snack bars stashed for emergencies).
  • I have left my car unused and parked there multiple times ranging from 1 week up to 1 month before. Knock on wood but those times didn't seem to show any issues.

r/Cartalk 6h ago

I need help fixing something Why does my engine sound loud after a full exhaust replacement

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3 Upvotes

I replaced my exhaust and the car is quieter but the engine still sounds loud in a way, it has like a ticking sound when I accelerate but nothing when coasting or light throttle


r/Cartalk 6h ago

Body Rust remediation prep question. What kind of primer should I use?

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1 Upvotes

I had a water leak from the hatch seal I peeled away in the picture. I want to paint to in order to stop the rust from spreading. Sand it down to get rid of the loose rust. Then I'm not really sure what to do. I have no experience. Hit it with naval jelly to strip it down or is that going over board? Could that damage the good paint? Just hit it with rust oleum rust converting primer? I love my vehicle. I know this isn't northeast rust, but it is mostly pristine and I want to try to keep it that way. Any help is appreciated.


r/Cartalk 7h ago

General Tech How bad is this?

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15 Upvotes

Please see video. Comment from technician: Finding: RR under control arm bushing has excessive play and LR starting to develop play as well

Recommendation: Recommend replacement with alignment

Quote: $915+tax Canadian dollars.

I wasn’t expecting this. Car has been driving smoothly all this time. I went in for a swap (winter to all season summer) and they identified this issue.


r/Cartalk 7h ago

Transmission 25 year old Camry won't start

0 Upvotes

My 25 year old Toyota Camry (low mileage) won't start. The alternator was replaced in Jan. '25. The battery was recharged at that time. Question: do I take it back to the garage that installed the alternator or to a Toyota dealer?


r/Cartalk 8h ago

My Classic Car How can i make my VW Golf 7 GTD sound better ?

0 Upvotes

I know it 4 cyl diesel but can i do something on exhaust that it can produce more sporty sound, i dont care for louder, just tone


r/Cartalk 8h ago

My Classic Car B series help

0 Upvotes

Civic heads need your help where do I start have a b16a LSD trans going into a 89 EF civic hatch


r/Cartalk 8h ago

Body Advice on how to fix this scratch from branches/bush in a narrow lane

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1 Upvotes

Just after some tips or advice from you guys on how to fix the scratches on the car from a bush/branches after driving through a narrow lane and needing to tuck myself in so the car passing wouldn't scratch me... damn lesser or two evils which had me screwed anyway. Would a simple scratch pen be enough, or would it need sanding etc? Typically the orange car makes everything look worse. Thanks in advance.


r/Cartalk 9h ago

Suspension Cracked rim after hitting curb, does this look like tie rod or suspension damage?

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Hit a curb with the driver side front wheel going about 20-30 km/h downhill on snow. Rim is cracked but tire still holds air. Car drives okay but I’m worried about hidden damage, maybe tie rod, control arm, or something else. First pic is the passenger side (didn’t hit), second is the driver side (hit the curb). Do you notice anything bent or off between them?


r/Cartalk 9h ago

Brakes Is it ok to use this brake fluid

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0 Upvotes

I have a bottle of unopened dot4 brake fluid from 2020 its production date is 2019 it is stored in a cool place.Is it ok to use it in my car ?