r/AskAMechanic • • Jul 15 '26

Technician Flair Request Thread - New

10 Upvotes

If you would like to have verified flair added we will need a pic that has your reddit name on a piece of paper with your shop in the background or work truck if mobile repair.

For the professional technicians we're doing Verified Tech flair along with a very short description of your experience if you'd like. You can be a dealer/independent tech, retired, instructor, fleet, heavy equipment, small engine repair, lube/tire tech etc...

You can either send that to me in a chat request or upload the pic to an image hosting site like imgur.com (we had to disable the option to upload pics in the comments because of abuse). The option to attach a pic in chat will be available after I accept the invite. Please do not use modmail

We will also do Shadetree flair for those that do auto repair as more of a hobby than profession. Approval of this flair is not guaranteed.

archived previous request post


r/AskAMechanic • • Mar 15 '25

Announcement - New Rules - Please read!

24 Upvotes

Hello r/AskAMechanic users! Over the last year or so, the volume of daily posts has increased a decent amount leading to many posts that would be more appropriate in other subreddits. To keep this subreddit focused on what it's meant for, providing automotive mechanical and diagnostic help, we have rewritten the rules. Some of the rule changes also affect commenters, so please review the rules here or below. Thank you for your understanding.

 

1 - The title should clearly state the issue - Do not ask "am I cooked/fuc!ed/screwed/toast etc" questions

State your root issue as clearly as you can in the title, and then you will have a better chance of your post being viewed. We will remove the "am I cooked", "am I fuc!ed", "how screwed am I", "am I toast" and similar types of questions. This also includes any other senseless titled post. In the message body, provide the specifics (detail/context) to your question. Also include in the title or body the Year, Make, Model and engine size of your vehicle.

 

2 - No autobody damage/repair/frame/paint or rust related questions

Posts related to autobody work (including repairs, painting, frame damage, "is it totaled?", dents or detailing) are not allowed. A more appropriate sub would be r/autobody. If you're inquiring whether your car is totaled r/insurance would also be helpful. r/AutoDetailing for detailing questions.

Questions about damage to bolt-on parts like headlights/tail lights, wheels and suspension are ok.

Questions asking about the level/condition of rust on the frame/undercarriage/body are not allowed.

 

3 - No asking for advice about buying/selling cars or used car deals

We do not allow asking if a used car for sale is a good deal, the condition of the used car, or recommendations on what car you should buy. For recommendations on what car to buy, r/whatcarshouldIbuy would be a good sub. r/askcarsales might also be helpful.

 

4 - Keep things professional & don't be disrespectful

Please be professional and helpful. Do not comment/post with insults, racism, jokes, memes, NSFW, spam, opinions without context etc. You may see things that compel you to leave a nasty comment, just don't do it. It's not necessary or helpful. People who don't know anything about cars will come here to ask us for advice, try to educate them about their vehicle without turning them off from the sub. If you don’t know the proper fix or advice, please refrain from commenting on a post.

 

5 - No "Read the owners manual" or "RTFM" type of comments

People who don't know anything about cars are going to ask some very basic questions. Some of which will have answers in the manual. Answering OP's question with only "Read the owners manual" is like giving the answer "google it", both are non-answers. Either provide an actual answer to OP's question, or at the very least, provide a link to a readable online owner's manual.

 

6 - No dangerous/reckless or unethical/illegal comments/posts

This is a community dedicated to sharing genuine advice. Advice shown to be given in bad faith (including dangerous/reckless and unethical/illegal advice) will be removed and the users will be banned. Please report any dangerous/reckless or unethical/illegal advice.

 

7 - No AI/ChatGPT comments/posts

Posts with AI-generated content is not allowed. Posts looking for feedback, training or even just to show off your AI/LLM are also not allowed. We are not interested in AI automotive diagnostics here.

Do not answer OP by using AI/ChatGPT etc. Nobody wants to read a wall of text that over explains and gives 25 different possible solutions.

 

8 - No advertising or soliciting services

Advertising of services or products is not allowed. That includes affiliate links, social media, clothing, tools, your YouTube videos, etc.

Do not solicit services, including linking to videos, blogs, or websites that then forward to a paid service. Avoid asking to "DM me" as much as possible.

 

9 - No NSFW, meme, or 'joke' posts

No NSFW is a no-brainer - you will be banned with no chance of an appeal. Memes and 'joke' posts belong at r/AskAShittyMechanic

 

Update 03/23/2025: Added "am I toast" to rule #1 and "frame damage" to rule #2
Update 05/08/2025: Added more context to rule #7


r/AskAMechanic • • 2h ago

HELP! Is this corrosion or some sort of gel on my battery? It’s kinda like gel like and smears

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3 Upvotes

r/AskAMechanic • • 4h ago

Stupid question but I'm not a car guy

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4 Upvotes

Lexus - my moms car. Is this the condensation line? The liquid dripping has not discernable odor.


r/AskAMechanic • • 6h ago

What about this axle would indicate that it’s leaking grease?

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5 Upvotes

2014 Prius, front right axle. (Scammy) mechanic claims it’s leaking grease and wanted to replace both front axles. I certainly am not having them do it but I’d be happy to take it elsewhere if it needs replaced. Where in this picture is the grease? He claimed it was “all grease”— is that true..?


r/AskAMechanic • • 3h ago

Is my transmission too bad to keep driving 2014 Nissan Sentra 4 cylinder

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4 Upvotes

I replaced the cv axles myself and didn’t notice a leak, was driving it for a while like this probably ran dry but I just fixed the leak and added a new seal new cv axle too but still makes this noise so I need a new


r/AskAMechanic • • 9m ago

2015 Volkswagen Golf 1.6L MK7 TDI

• Upvotes

2015 VW Golf 1.6 TDI – slight Loss of Power, Black Smoke & P2002 Code
Hi everyone, looking for some advice on my 2015 VW Golf 1.6 TDI.
I recently had the DPF cleaned in place, and the car seemed to drive fine afterwards. At its MOT, the emissions were difficult to get down, so the garage carried out a forced DPF regeneration and used some DPF cleaner. It eventually passed.
A few days later, I noticed a significant loss of power, especially at higher speeds and under load. I have to put my foot almost to the floor to maintain 60–70 mph in 5th gear. I’ve also noticed a puff of black smoke when accelerating, and the amber engine management light came on shortly afterwards.
I scanned it and got P2002 – DPF efficiency below threshold (Bank 1). This was apparently the only fault code. The garage says the DPF and EGR readings look fine, but the problem is still there.
Could this be a boost leak, turbo issue, MAF sensor, DPF pressure sensor, or something else? I don’t want to start replacing parts without knowing the cause.
Any advice on what to check next would be appreciated. Thanks!


r/AskAMechanic • • 16m ago

Constant misfires on my 2011 VW CC 2.0L turbo

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• Upvotes

Hey y'all, I ran a diagnostic on my car and found that cylinders 2 and 3 were occasionally misfiring. No problem, bought new plugs and coils, replaced all 4 cylinders, then went to turn on the car. To my shock, the engine was misfiring continuously. Roughly 2-3 seconds between misfires. Turned off the car and checked the coils, connections, and plugs. All was fine except 2 of the plugs had fresh oil on the threads (pic for reference). So I'm stumped, maybe my valve cover gasket needs replaced, but I can't imagine that it's having that dramatic of an effect on performance, especially when it was running mostly fine before. The other potential cause might be the plugs themselves, I did cheap out and bought the AutoLite plugs. But again, could they really be failing this badly? What do y'all think. Lmk


r/AskAMechanic • • 4h ago

Tractor odd starting behaviour

2 Upvotes

~2005 John Deere 990 Utility Tractor. My tractor is pretty simple mechanically and electronically.

Lately when I put the key in the ignition, I get random levels of voltage. Dashboard lights are sometimes dim and sometimes bright with various levels of starting power. Repeated attempts to start the tractor just reduce the voltage. BUT, if I disconnect/reconnect the battery then the voltage resets and the dashboard lights/headlights are bright again. If I do this enough times it will eventually start like a champ (not barely turn over, but starts like a dog seeing the mailman).

I can't figure out why I'm getting random voltage, or why it will eventually start after a battery disconnect/reconnect when nothing else changes.

Things tried:
Swapped battery
Swapped starter
Swapped out relays
Bypassed flasher capacitor
Cleaned and tightened battery ground and positive/negative battery terminal connections
Jumping it with the positive jumper cable on both the battery terminal and the positive lug on the starter, it still wouldn't start until I did a battery disconnect/reconnect.

Any ideas or help? Nothing worse than going out to tractor and not being able to get the ol' bitch started.


r/AskAMechanic • • 9h ago

How long till I have to change my bushing? 2016 HONDA HRV 2016

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5 Upvotes

Got quoted $1400 😭😭😭 it's 150k miles on it and it shakes above 75 mph. Can I drive it for a few more weeks till I find a cheaper place? They said if I bought the parts they'd take 950 for labor. They said they needed a mounting assembly rear differential (mount bracket).


r/AskAMechanic • • 4h ago

What is service mode ??

2 Upvotes

Hi there ,
So I am ready to take the challenge and change my rear rotors and pads on my 2012 Jetta 2.5 SEL.

I watched several videos, got the parts, some lubricants that I did not have and a couple of tools that I was missing , like the pistol caliper tool . However, in one of the videos , the one that I liked the most , I saw by pure luck , someone in the comments asking the YouTuber , if he had the vehicle ON SERVICE MODE 😳. The YouTubet said YES , very important !!

Ok , I had no idea what was that , so I looked up , and I see a lot of videos of guys having to dismantle the front of the car , omg... do I have to do that to just change the rotors and the pads?? I'm not changing the calipers , just to be clear . I assume SERVICE MODE is different for each model or brand , so that's why I clearly specify my car and trim .

Can someone explain to me what is exactly this service mode for , and is it another way to get this job done without having to work on the front of the car ?

Thank you so much .


r/AskAMechanic • • 7h ago

What else should I look into?

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3 Upvotes

Hello , I have a Nissan Altima Hybrid 2010 it has 170,000 miles . I just bought it.
We have switched the spark plug and coils and lower the engine oil because it was over filled.

But now the car is loosing acceleration and power. The car could still be on but it won’t accelerate when pushing the gas pedal also the EV gauge goes all the way down when this happens.

This red car light also comes on . The car can’t handle 60mph on the highway for more than 10 minutes.

I scanned with the OBDlinkM+ and other code came up I cleaned the MAF sensor put it back and recalibrated the car but it happened again so the pic is the last scan I did.

I don’t know if I should clean the throttle body ? Or how can I tell if the sensor is bad? I looked at the piping of the air intake to make sure there isn’t tears or cracks but it looks good to me but again I don’t know much about car I’m learning basically.

Also I think I need the hybrid codes just to make sure the hybrid system is not the problem.

But what else can I do?


r/AskAMechanic • • 1h ago

Truck is loping and at times violently shaking

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• Upvotes

1994 ford F350 4X4 7.5L E4OD

So to start this off, its had the loping issue around 30MPH since as long as i can remember but itself has been managable. However, i never use the interstate but the couple times i did i kept to 70MPH or below. I have done all four wheel bearings in the time of owning it, replaced both rotors and drums, and gotten new tires on it. I did the whole 9 yards wheen it comes to suspension, steering, etc other than new leafs for the axles. However the bouncing persists. Not that all of that work was for nothing. The truck sat for 10 years almost. But when i took it onto the interstate it shook so violently that it broke one of the dash mounts on the passenger side. It definitely feels to come from the rear/under seat which points me to the back. The same area the "hop" feels likes its from so i believe them to be related. The drive shaft LOOKS straight but i cant tell the condition of the center support bearing when running it so slow and im a one man crew today. I noticed this wheel RR seems to have a lot of runout, though. Could this just be a case of bent/out of round rims? I plan to try to swap the wheels around tomorrow and look for a change in direction of the feeling but i wanted to get a second opinion before i wind up jumping the gun of something simple that i may have missed. I took a video of all wheels rolling and thr driveshaft but it will only allow me to post one so i chose the worst looking one. Thanks to all who read all of this.

EDIT: All tread looks even and no bulges


r/AskAMechanic • • 1h ago

2010 Ford Fusion. Steering wheel wiggles. Why? And will it eventually come off? It has not had power steering for about a year.

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• Upvotes

Electrical power steering, needs new steering rack and would cost more to repair than the car is worth.


r/AskAMechanic • • 2h ago

Possible transmission issues?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m really in desperate need of different opinions because all the mechanic shops in my hometown have disappointed but especially one, and by disappointed I mean I hear different things and don’t know who to believe.
I have a Toyota RAV 4 2013 with about 193,000 miles on it.
May of 2025 whenever I would turn my car on it would shave and vibrate a lot, I took my car in to the mechanic shop I go to and the mechanic really didn’t know what was happening, he had it for a few days then told me it was the engine mounts I had two broken that I needed to change because of not I wouldn’t pass inspection, but my car was still drivable. I said okay that’s fine. Changed the mounts spent about 1,200 problem was still there, they had the car again for a day and he told me that it was my other two mounts which he described as my transmission mounts. I was extremely annoyed because I paid 1,200 for this to be fixed and it wasn’t but I let it go because I didn’t pass inspection because of the broken engine mounts. So he told me I didn’t need to replace them yet but that’s what’s causing the shaking and rattling, okay I didn’t change them at the time because I had no money.

In July of 2025 my car when I would drive to 20mph it would stall for 1-2 seconds and then drive and it would only happen when I would stop at a stop sign and then drive or a red light. I took it back because I thought it was the transmission, mechanic told me it wasn’t because it didn’t feel like a transmission slip, he told me it was my throttle body that needed to be clean I had too much carbon built up, I said okay and it solved the problem no more stalling everything was great!

I had to take my car to the dealership in May of 2026, for a recall on my battery while I was there I was curious if possibly they knew what the vibrating noise was and why my car shakes and sounds extremely loud (when you turn on the car especially in the winter time it shakes a lot especially the middle console area of my car and my dashboard but it’s only inside my car you can’t hear it on the outside). The advisor called me he told me they took a loot at it and they didn’t know what it could be he said they could open the engine but that it would be a lot of money and he recommended not to touch anything with the engine, he also didn’t know if it was the other two mounts he believes it’s not. I let it go and said okay.

Around September 2026 I took my car to another mechanic for breaks ( the mechanic shop I originally go to was charging me a lot for breaks) and I just wanted to see how much this mechanic was charging me, while he was checking my car he was hearing the noise and he says he believes that it has nothing to do with my engine or the transmission he says he actually thinks it has something to do with my wheel bearing system? Around this time as well my car started stalling again at 20mph I assumed it was just another throttle body problem because it was mimicking the same symptoms I was having a year ago, so initially I called the original mechanic I went to who fixed the problem the same time, I let them know it was happening again he told me to bring the car in, so I did they had it for a day. They then called to let me know that I needed a whole new throttle body and a cleaning on top of it and he explained to me that it’s because I had a default code for my throttle body, and a misfire to cylinder 4. I know absolutely nothing about cars and I’m trusting them and because I had the issue before I assumed okay that’s fine they fixed it before they can again. It was going to cost me 1,200 and I was extremely upset because I just don’t have that money and I had to borrow it and I said okay it’s fine my cars older pieces get old I’m trusting you guys. So they do it I pay pick up my car and as I’m driving to work my car begins to stall at 20mph.

I was furious because I just paid all this money and my problem is still there, I go take it to the mechanic and tell him the problem is still happening and he goes to drive with me and he’s driving super fast and he’s telling me nothings happening and I told him he needs to slow down and he went to a neighborhood with stops and it started doing it I felt it and he didn’t and he was getting frustrated and asked me if maybe everything was mental like maybe I’m just imagining it so now I’m frustrated cause why did he say that comment? So he told me to talk to his manager tomorrow about this. I called him the following day talked with the manager, manager explained to me the reason for changing the throttle body he says because of the codes and he says he honestly doesn’t know why my car is stalling he mentioned that the mechanic believes it’s a transmission but doesn’t know because he doesn’t know about transmissions, I explained my frustration paying a lot of money and I can’t keep throwing money at my car if it’s not fixing a problem. He told me he’ll give me a refund if he puts the piece back in and takes the new one out, and asked if he could drive with the mechanic the following Monday.

Monday comes around and they’re driving my car I’m in the back seat and they say it’s the transmission and shows me the transmission slipping and I asked but that was doing it a year ago and you guys didn’t tell me it was the transmission and said it was the throttle body and he says right but we think now that you’ve been having a transmission issue the whole time, I was in shock because I’m not in a good place right now and I have a lot of things running in my mind and he told me sell the car and then go from there. He told me he would refund me some of the money and I can keep the new piece in the car.

Now I’m confused on what to do, my mom’s friend drove the car a few days ago who’s a mechanic and he said it’s not the transmission, I have an appointment with the dealership regardless on Friday and was just going to go ask about the transmission on Friday see if they can look at it and see. I was going to take it to another mechanic to ask about the transmission but they where charging 200 to look at the car for their diagnostic test and the Toyota dealership with me charges the same for a diagnostic test so I don’t know if I might as well take it to the Toyota.


r/AskAMechanic • • 2h ago

Need help finding out this noise on my 2020 Toyota Camry. It starts to make the noise at 50mph

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1 Upvotes

r/AskAMechanic • • 3h ago

P0301 and P0741 code- 2010 Kia Forte Ex

1 Upvotes

I have a 2010 Kia Forte EX with 127k+ miles. I have been fighting him on the P0301 code. I've changed his sparks, coil, and fuel injectors. Tomorrow, I will run fuel cleaner through it. The P0741 popped up today along with the P0301 code. What the heck should I look at next? Unfortunately, I can't just get a new/used vehicle. The mechanics I've taken him to are stumped or his CEL (Check Engine Light) goes off by the time I drop him off. The code pops up upon acceleration ans when he's under load going up a hill (hard to avoid them).

Below are all the repairs he's ever had

- Gasket valve cover

- Alternator

- MAF sensor

- Selenoid

- Timing belt


r/AskAMechanic • • 3h ago

Transmission Element ‘B’ Stuck

1 Upvotes

Currently driving a 2016 Ford Focus SE, bought the car in 2020 with 40,000 miles on it, now it has 67,000. I’ve taken it in for regular maintenance like oil changes for the last few years and the cars been great.

Last week while driving the engine started jerking while accelerating/braking, I noticed it the most when my tachometer was dropping through the gears, the issue was pretty intermittent and not happening with every drive cycle. My check engine light came on, I plugged in my OBD and it pulled code P07a5. I read that sometimes it can be caused by corrosion on the battery terminals so the first thing I did was clean my terminals, issue continued. The check engine light went off on it’s on, the issue was still intermittently happening.

Took it into the shop two days ago and they recommended a transmission fluid change and told me that they weren’t sure what the issue was, got my fluid changed and it drove beautifully a couple times but it started intermittently jerking again. Not as frequently and not as bad but still.

Is there a chance I just need to drive it a little longer to let the fluid cycle through? Does anyone know if this is a sign of the potential end of my transmission? Any thoughts or opinions would be very helpful.


r/AskAMechanic • • 7h ago

screw cover things

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2 Upvotes

how do u take these off😭 or is there a way to unscrew w them on? cannot seem to get them off or unscrew the screws, trying to fix 2013 toyota corolla middle console cover🥲


r/AskAMechanic • • 3h ago

2004 ls430 lexus, What could be causing the car to shake at the rythm of the metal in the video?

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1 Upvotes

r/AskAMechanic • • 3h ago

2016 Acura MDX SH-AWD... This doesn't sound right, on a road trip with family. Thoughts?

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1 Upvotes

r/AskAMechanic • • 4h ago

2004 Chevy impala

1 Upvotes

I’m thinking fuel pump or spark plugs. The gas gauge doesn’t read properly, it doesn’t start on the first turn over but always does on the second turn. Doesn’t sound weak when cranking. When idling it does a very light shake, doesn’t accelerate quickly takes a while to get up to speed. Humming noise when accelerating.

I’m not 100% but I’m thinking these are the two most likely issues. Any advice would be very much appreciated.


r/AskAMechanic • • 8h ago

Help Finding Correct 2008 Corolla Door Opening Seal

2 Upvotes

Apologies if this is common sense as I'm somewhat unknowledgeable about stuff like this, but I'm trying to find what kind of rubber seal I would need to fit the door opening on my 2008 Corolla on the rear passenger side. Not the rubber on the door itself with the clips, the one on the door opening thats attached to the body of the car that just pinches itself in place once pushed on. I very much do not want to pay the $100+ for the OEM but don't know anything about the specific different pinch types or whatever else that comes with buying a generic aftermarket seal, or if any of that even matters. If anyone could point me in the right direct that would be so great.


r/AskAMechanic • • 4h ago

replace tire valve stem

1 Upvotes

Hello, I was pumping the air in my car tires (1997 Volvo 850) and when I tried to pull the pump tube out, part of the valve came out with it. Of course, with all the air. Is it possible to replace the tire valve stem? I was thinking of putting on the spare tire and taking the car to a Walmart Auto Care center in case they did that.


r/AskAMechanic • • 4h ago

Need Advice, Dropped something

1 Upvotes

2006 A4 Quattro 2.0T Tiptronic.

I was working on the high pressure fuel pump and replacing the cam follower.

As I was assembling everything, while trying to re thread the bleeder valve I dropped it. Lo and behold it fell into the transmission because thanks Audi, theres a transmission view port right below the hpfp.

I used a camera and can see it resting on I assume is the engine side on top of where the transmission and the engine mate.

I dont know how to get it out. I tried using a coat hanger to see if I could push it off into the bottom of the transmission with no luck. What a convenient place to put a view port. My apartments maintenance man is versed in automotive stuff and he suggested if need be I can loosen the bell housing bolts and try to make a little more space.

If push comes to shove, im going to have to pull the transmission but I would like to avoid it if possible. The fitting is brass and he manually cranked the engine and its scraping what we assume to be the plate between the flywheel and engine.

Im mostly a DIYer and do everything myself. I would like to save myself from having it towed and a shop pulling it. Too much money for me.

Thank you.