After seeing the puddles and checking the other possibilities, you determine you’ve got a leaky rear main seal on your car; sorry.

This has the reputation for being a really difficult job, but with the right tools, attitude, and instructions, I think you’ll find it’s not too big to tackle in your own garage. Considering that this work can cost $500.00 or more at a shop, you can save over 80% of that expense by doing it yourself.

There are basically three types of rear main seal: a solid neoprene or rubber compound ring, a two piece ring of the same materials, or a rope impregnated with graphite, all of which go around the rear of the crankshaft, behind the last Journal. All are accessed on the rear of the engine block, behind the flywheel (manual transmission) or the flex plate (automatic transmission). In most cases, you won’t even have to remove the engine, just detach the transmission and shift the components using a jack and jack stands.

The best instructions I have found for tackling this procedure are at: http://www.ehow.com/how_4697251_fix-rear-main-seal.html ; there are also some good videos of this repair on YouTube; type in Rear Main Seal in the search box, and watch a couple in order to find the one best suited to your application.

I cannot emphasize enough that you should watch the videos and review the instructions as many times as necessary to become familiar and comfortable with the replacement process!

Of course, the best situation is that you never have to replace a difficult component like this during your life with this vehicle; this outcome is best achieved by proper maintenance, and that means staying within recommendations on oil and coolant changes most importantly!

Learn something new and enjoy!

If you have noticed the air is getting stale in your Ford Edge it may be time to change your cabin filter.

The filter itself is easy to find, both the part at the dealership or at the auto parts store, and in your vehicle. To reach the housing, you’ll need to remove the glove box door. With the passenger front door open, kneel on the ground and lean in to look up under the dashboard/glove box door. On either side along this hinge you’ll see two white plastic pins (left and right) that pull out towards the center, and release the hinge. Open the glovebox, and on the left side, you’ll see the dampener cable which keeps the door from flopping all the way open; pull this free, then grasp both sides of the glove box itself, up near where the stops are, and squeeze it until the stops are clear, and the door will come completely free; set it aside.

Looking at the area behind the glove box, there is a wide rectangular door, approximately 1 ½ inches high and 10 inches long with two plastic bars upright along it’s length; there is a latch on the left side of this with a small plastic catch that you press sideways to the right – (it may take a bit of force!) then pull out on the left side, and slide the door to the left to remove it. Set it aside.

Behind the door, you will see the filter itself – looking at it from the edge, it is white, with a sawtooth edge along the upper surface, smooth on the bottom, about ½ an inch thick and as wide as the housing; grasp the edge and pull it towards you to remove. If it has been a while since this has been changed, there may be an accumulation of dust and debris on the sawtooth ridges, so pull it out flat and put it in a trash bag promptly. If there is a lot of debris, you may want to use a vacuum with a crevice tool to clear the area where the filter was before replacing with the new filter. Slide the new filter in the same way the old one came out, and reverse the processes to replace the door to the filter housing and the glove box door – you’re done!

 Depending on the amount of dirt on your filter, you’ll know when you next need to change it – the manufacturer has guidelines, of course, but your particular driving habits may change your needs. Enjoy your clean air!

If you’re finding it hard to control your Taurus when going over bumps or through potholes, you most likely need front struts. This is a fairly easy, straightforward, remove and replace type of maintenance.

Tools you will need:

-         Jack and jack stands

-         10 to 18 mm wrenches

-         10 to 21 mm sockets and ratchet, with extensions

-         Large and small hammers

-         Torque wrench

-         Penetrating oil

After removing each wheel, find the 3 mounting nuts under the hood on the top of the strut towers, and the stabilizer bolts and steering knuckle bolt on the strut, and spray with penetrating oil (these have been exposed to the elements for years, and will need the oil); there is also a small 10mm bolt holding a bracket with the brake line onto the steering knuckle at the bottom of the strut, and the socket at the bottom where the strut fits; spray these also. Remove the brake line bracket bolt first, then slide the clip with the ABS sensor up and off the strut – carefully, the spring clip is very strong.

For the upper stabilizer bolt, you will need the 18mm and the 10mm wrenches; one to hold the bolt from turning as you remove the nut. Replace the nut/bolt through the stabilizer bar so it doesn’t get misplaced. Note how the bolt passes through the bracket on the back side of the strut.

Now remove the large bolt holding the bottom of the strut in the steering knuckle, using a 21mm socket and 18mm wrench. Once nut is removed, use a small hammer to tap the bolt through. This bolt holds the strut in the steering knuckle, a socket which usually becomes stuck by corrosion; the penetrating oil may ease this. Take the large hammer and strike on each side of the knuckle back and forth evenly, to slide it off the bottom of the strut. Note how the bracket welded to the back of the strut fits into the slot at the back of the steering knuckle.

Under the hood, remove the three 13mm nuts from the top of the strut, holding it to the strut tower. The strut is now disconnected completely from the car; in the wheel well, pull the strut down and out from the car, being careful not to snag any of the lines hanging there.

Installing the new Strut: at the top of the new strut, the flat side between two studs should face towards the outside of the fender. First feed the bottom of the strut back through the steering knuckle, then lean the strut top into the strut tower. Holding the strut through the wheel well with one hand, lift the strut up and guide the three studs into place on the strut tower by grasping the top nut of the strut with the other hand; tighten the nuts onto the studs, making sure the top of the strut is flat against the underside of the strut tower. Tighten these to 35 pounds of torque each. Double check the alignment of the strut by making sure the mounting brackets are in the same position as the one you took off – they should be pointing towards the inside/back of the wheel well.

At the bottom of the strut, while pushing down on the wheel/steering knuckle, pull the bottom of the strut into the hole in the knuckle, making sure all lines are out of the way and the bracket on the back of the strut is lined up with the slot in the knuckle. While holding the knuckle and strut properly aligned, using the jack underneath the knuckle/wheel/rotor assembly, slowly lift it up and push it in until the holes line up for the large bolt; slide the bolt in and finger tighten, then tighten with the torque wrench to 100 lbs.. Keeping the jack in place, replace the stabilizer arm using the bolt and nut we left on there earlier; tighten (there is no torque requirement for this bolt; tighten well). Clip the ABS Sensor back on the strut, then slide down and reattach the brake line to the steering knuckle. Always double check that all lines are in their proper place, not pinched or kinked in any way. Remove the jack under the hub, replace your tire using the “star” pattern of tightening the lug nuts (always tightening the lug across from one other, rather than next to each other); tighten lug nuts to 75 to 100 pounds of torque each.

Set your Taurus/Sable on the ground, and take a test drive in your now smoothly riding, well handling vehicle !

According to a highly respected automotive magazine, there is approximately 2.3 to 2.7 gallons of gas remaining when this light activates.

Research and driver reports state that depending on your driving habits, this translates to an average of 38 miles of driving left after the light comes on.

It is not recommended to drive your vehicle “dry”, for two reasons: one, there are always some impurities and debris collected in the bottom of the fuel tank after a while, and these can cause blockage or restriction in the fuel delivery system, and two, it can cause strain on the fuel pump by running it dry, and may in fact damage it or cause it to fail.

Best advice?  Fill up at a quarter of a tank, so you won’t have to test these figures for yourself!

Is there a conspiracy in the auto repair industry?

I swear you can’t take a vehicle in for service without the cost going up over $1,000 every time.  I just had another run in with an auto repair shop.

Here’s what happened, our Honda Odyssey mini van wouldn’t start and I thought the kids had left one of the interior reading lights on.  It had been sitting for 3 months before I decided to try and start it again (its is our spare vehicle now so it can sit).

So here is what I did to get the van going again.  Starting with the easiest and cheapest options first…

Step 1)  Inspect and clean the battery terminals and leads.  CHECK (but does not start even though the starter solenoid is pulling in strong and holding).

Step 2)  Try to jumpstart.  CHECK (but does not start)

Step 3)  Load test and replace the battery in case the battery is shorted internally. CHECK (but does not start… same as before).

Step 4)  Change the starter relay.  NOT CHECK.  OK who the hell buried the starter relay back inside the dashboard behind the stereo because I am not pulling the dashboard apart in search of this thing.  I pass on this and will come back to it since swapping the starter looks easier and faster and the electrical checks make it look like the start relay is OK.

Step 5) Change the starter out myself since it has “easy” access it from the top.  UHH OHH!  About an hour into the ordeal I can’t access it from the top because the 4th bolt on the battery tray won’t come out and I don’t have the proper tools and extensions to get at the starter without pulling the battery tray.

Step 6)  Give up and call the shop for a quote on changing out the starter…  The shop says $690!  That is $95 for labor and $595 for the starter.  I feel like they were trying to cheat me at this point (not on the labor which sounded fine).

I told the guy on the phone “I just bought a starter at AutoZone for $120 and your charging me $600 for a starter!” Silence on the other end.

They said they would put the starter I bought in for the labor price but I was so pissed from them trying to cheat me I couldn’t take it there for service.

Anyway, I got the starter in and in doing so discovered the negative cable from the battery to the transmission was corroded through about 95% of the way.  It was rusted out down by the tranny where I couldn’t see with everything in its place.  Sadly, at the end of the day, the answer to the problem was just a $5 cable.  GO figure.

Not worried this winter!  I have a new battery, new starter, and new cables.  She turns over like no ones business now.

Here is a great step by step procedure for changing out the starter on a 2001 Honda Odyssey that helped me out:  http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_replace_a_starter_on_a_2000_Honda_odyssey_automatic

Received this question about Mobil 1 High Mileage Synthetic 10W30 and thought I would share it with you.  Please provide your reply in the comments at the bottom.

Hey jesse, I put mobil 1 high milage synthetic 10w30 cause my truck has 77,500 miles on it. There was 3,300 miles on castrol 10w 30 regular oil before the change. That’s normally the oil I use in my vehicles so I decided to try synthetic oil. I have a friend that’s a mechanic on printing presses and he knows a guy that works at a refinery and was told castrol was the best from refining process from different types of oils.

Well, getting back to the oil change I checked it at 3,000 and it still looked ok and felt like had some viscosity left to it from feeling it on dipstick but when draining it looked not so great coming out of pan. I also had a quart of castrol 10w 30 and the synthetic I had just bought. I took both of them and put each in a cup and the synthetic had a bit more lubrication than the other and when starting truck could notice the difference in the sound and idle of the synthetic, much smoother and quieter and the synthetic looked better.

My father is a retired detroit diesel mechanic of 50 yrs and has seen allot of flaws with technology and he told me to use a good conventional oil like castrol cause hes uses it and don’t worry about it. He also said don’t believe everything you read or hear and half of what you see, lol. He said there were allot of scams out there and they don’t want you to know the truth cause to make money from you with things breaking down. He doesn’t believe in the oil or gas treatments either but I would have to disagree with him cause they helped with older high mileage vehicles I had in past. Could you tell me how many miles could I push the synthetic oil I’m using now?

My comment:

Stop and go traffic in the heat and humidity of New Orleans is considered “Severe Service”.  Stop and go is really the key to defining the tough duty on the engine oil.  As long as you run the engine for 20-30 minutes at a time to get to full temperature it will help keep the oil baked out of any condensates like water and unburned fuel.  If you really are running stop and go all the time then you need to use the shorter change interval recommended by Mobil.

Please add to the conversation in the comments section below if you are using Mobil 1…

I get this question all the time and since I have offered up my opinion at multiple points in the past I thought I would have an engineering collegue reply and here is what he said:

I asked:
What do you think using the wrong weight of oil does to an engine? Using a 5W20 vs a 5W30… etc.

He replied:

Well, from a general standpoint, I do believe that differences in engine oil does make a difference.

I had a vehicle for a number of years where if I used 10w-30 there was increased valve noise in the winter time. When I used 5w-30, the noise went away. This noise was repeatable (two winters in a row) so I am confident that the difference was the oil. I also know that it didn’t matter whether the oil was new or used, the 10w- oil had higher valve noise when it was cold out.

I know that noise is bad when it comes to reciprocating components like the valvetrain in your engine. Over time, flat spots will develop in the cam lobes and the rocker arm gaps won’t tighten up when the engine is hot. This will lead to a change in valve lift/duration affecting fuel economy and performance.

The valve train is only a small part of the overall damage that occurs over time. As an engineer that works with thermal systems & fluids, I know that the viscosity of lubricating oil is very responsive to the temperature. The kinematic viscosity of 10W oil at 0 degrees F is more than twice that of 5W at the same temperature. This affect is worse at lower temperatures. With an increase in viscosity in the winter, more of the oil is bypassing the filter, allowing debris to contaminate the oil system.

The same can be said for using light weight oil in the summer.

I’ve had a HD air cooled v-twin for a couple of years now and though it’s a good design overall, it does have a bit of a tendency to cook the oil. You can tell when you’re changing the oil that it is darker and when you rub it between your fingers, it feels more like water than oil (lack of lubricity).

Though HD recommends a heavier weight oil (20W-50) to compensate for the higher operating temperature, I think that they are less forgiving and should be changed before the mfr’s recommendations.

As a result of these experiences, I’ve been a little more cogniscent of the weight of oil that I put in my vehicles.

On the farm, we had 55 gallon drums of oil so as a kid with no money, what ever was in the barrel, whether it be straight 30 weight or low ash Rotella T for the diesels, it was good enough for me.

Pretty good answer I thought!

If you are searching for the best motor oil and oil filter then check out my free report here.

I am often asked how many miles you can use a particular motor oil.  Folks usually ask if they can change their oil filter at some XXXX miles and leave the oil in longer till the next filter change.

These are tough questions with dire engine consequences if answered wrong. 

Here’s why.  Running oil and filters too long will result in excessive internal engine corrosion, excessive wear damage from dirt and debris bypassing the dirty filter, and higher potential for sludging as the oil oxidizes.

All those bad things result in your engine going bad faster.  Maybe it becomes difficult to start, maybe it loses compression and has a sluggish and weak throttle response or maybe it overheats and or seizes…

The consequences are enough to make you think twice about extending your oil changes willy nilly.

So to answer the question:  Oil does not last forever in an engine.  Engine oil is in a constant battle with heat, fuel, contaminated intake air, and exhaust products that are constantly trying to break it down.  The life of the oil is heavily dependant on the TBN value an oil has.  The higher the TBN typically the longer the oil can be used.

TBN is an oils ability to neutralize acids introduced from the combustion process.  Acid attack is bad for the metal in your engine!  The higher the TBN the more acid it can absorb so the longer the running life of the oil.  If your engine environment goes acid for a long period then kiss it goodbye.

If you want to go longer between oil changes then have a good look at the TBN number of the oil…

The oil filter is another story.  Crappy filters only catch the bigger particles and have a low holding capacity meaning they plug up fast.  There is a bypass valve in oil filters that prevent you from starving you engine to death when the filter media become plugged.

There are cellulose filters and there are synthetic media filters and they all have different abilities of catching particles of different sizes.  We want our filters to have the ability to catch the smallest particles and to have the highest dirt holding capacity to allow them to last longer.

I wouldn’t run a cheap filter longer than 3,000 miles.  Wait let me rethink that… I would never use a cheap filter so scratch that last comment.  Good filters are typically more expensive and there are some out there that provide safe protection out to 25,000 miles.

In my mind a little extra money for a quality filter pays for itself ten fold in the long run.

Look at the dirt holding capacity and look at the particle size efficiency to see if you have a good one.

If you are searching for the best motor oil and oil filter then check out my free report here.

Your 2006 Corvette manual says to use Mobil 1 Synthetic oil and change it on the interval that the computer tells you.  Does this really protect your engine well?  Should you leave the used oil in your engine over the winter and risk internal corrosion?  I received the questions in the email below from a subscriber and wanted to share my response.  If you have any additional feedback that you think will help your fellow Corvette owners please provide your comments at the bottom.  Here is the email with my reply following it:

Hi Jessie,
1) I would like to know that when you change your oil and it has just 1000 miles on it. Is it ok to keep the same oil over a winter or for up to a year?  Or should you change it because it sat over time and moisture got in there?

2) I have a 2006 Corvette which has a computer that tells you the life percentage left on your oil based on revolutions. Currently, I am at 52% left and have gone about 5000 miles. If I go by the computer I could be waiting until about 10K.  I belong to a Corvette Forum and have read many opinions on this subject. An engineer claimed he researched it and 7500 miles is when he changes it. It requires Mobil One Synthetic. Most people change at 5000 miles with the obsessive doing it at 3000 which we know is dumb. What is your opinion?

3) What is your opinion on Antifreeze? My Corvette manual tells me every five years. I only have 28K on the car and my rule of thumb is every 36K. Would you wait or change it based on years?

I really enjoyed reading your facts about motor oil. Keep up the good work.

Bob

Hi Bob,

Question #1 depends on the quality of the oil of course but for PAO based full synthetic oils like Mobil 1 or AMSOIL 1,000 miles is hardly scratching the surface of what they are capable of as long as the 1,000 miles of driving typically involved the engine running for at least 20-30 minutes.

I say that because it is important to get your oil hot enough long enough to boil out the moisture and condensates that come from short trips like to the corner store and back.  If the 1,000 miles consists of 500 trips to the corner store then you need to change the oil because of the damage caused by fuel dilution, acids, and condensates coming from the combustion process.  I’m guessing your recent 1000 miles isn’t just frequent short trips.

At 1000 miles of use your oil should have retained most of the TBN rating to help prevent corrosion in your engine in the off season.  Once you shut your engine off there is no more air circulating through it.  That means there is only a fixed amount of moisture and acid left over from the last run.  As long as your oil is relatively fresh (like only 1000 miles) it will have plenty of additives left to protect it from the small amount of contamination left over.

Question #2  Are you going to drive more than 1,000 miles a season?  Regardless of the oil life computer you will have to change oil and filter by the 1 year mark per GM.  Oil analysis is really the definitive way to determine when the oil needs to be changed and it can be performed for about $20.  The problem with the oil computer is an indirect method of suggesting an oil change as it does not actually sample or test the oil but instead makes some simplifying assumptions and correlates those to how the car is driven.  It doesn’t know if you are driving on a dirt road which greatly increases the dust intake, filter, and oil contamination.  The direct method is to perform a chemical analysis on the oil itself to verify how much of the additives have been used, how much wear metal is present, and how much suspended particulate is present.

I know Mobil has an oil rated for 15,000 miles and AMSOIL has oil rated out to 35,000 miles or 1 year.  To me changing Mobil 1 Synthetic at 7500 miles in a 2006 corvette engine for normal city driving still has a comfortable margin of safety.  Oil filter quality is very important here too so I am assuming you are using a very high quality oil filter.

Question #3  As far as coolant wearing out vs oil wearing out there is a fundamental difference on the timing vs use issue.  See, oil is exposed to the combustion in the engine and is exposed to all the contaminants introduced into the engine from the air intake system and fuel supply system.  The additives in oil are provided to help the oil survive this tortuous environment.  The more you run the engine the more you “use up” the life of the protective oil additives.

Coolant on the other hand is essentially circulating in a closed system.  It is exposed to air in the expansion tank but it doesn’t interact with any fuel or nasty combustion gases.  Coolant does have additives to prevent corrosion in your cooling system so the quality of the coolant has serious implications.  Coolant doesn’t wear out as dramatically as oil based on engine operating time therefore following the recommended change interval based on the calendar is important.  I would say to go ahead and change it at the 5 year mark if you don’t reach your rule of thumb of 36k first.

Thank you for the questions and the feedback.

Jesse

I came across this good post in a forum about this same topic… check it out at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1735142

If you would like to see the comparison data and test data proving which oil is best for your Corvette you can get the best motor oil report at the home page (or click the link).

I received the following question about a 2007 Ford Mustang V6 engine noise discovered after changing having his oil changed.

Hi Jeese
thank for you information, I reed you web site realy help me.

I looking for oil information because recently i bought a 2007 ford mustang V6, I change the oil in pep boys
i request to put 5-30w Mobil 1 Syntetic and engine star to sound like diesel until get warm.
 
what do you think it happen?

ALejandro

Reply,

Alejandro,

Was this your first oil change since you bought the car?  Do you know what grade of oil was in it before?

The mobil synthetic may be a little thinner than the previous oil when it is cold.  I’m guessing you are hearing some valve train noise.

It is hard to say what is happening for sure but changing your oil to mobil 1 shouldn’t hurt your engine.

Jesse

Further comments:

I mention the oil is thinner when it is cold when he starts the engine.  The oil is still much thicker than it will be at running temperature and when it falls within its 30wt viscosity when it is hot.  I have heard and read of this happening with a change to Mobil 1 synthetic oil.  It is generally regarded as not harmful to the engine.

I have noticed that when people change from a conventional oil to synthetic oil they seem to listen to their engine very closely after the oil change.  My recommendation is to have a good listen to your engine when you start it cold before you change your oil… then listen to it after you change your oil.

It is a strange human psychology that causes us to expand on issues after we place our focus on them.  For example if you stop right now and think about your left foot you will notice that it is slightly uncomfortable in your shoe.  After you notice it you have to put some effort in to not think about it anymore.  One way is to try and remember your first phone number then say it backwards.  Now think about your first girlfriend… (shouldn’t be thinking about your foot anymore.

We tend to identify what does not seem right when we focus on our engine sounds so be sure and listen to your engine before and then after.

I have worked with some other engineers that have performed noise testing on their diesel pickups and documented decreased noise when converted from conventional motor oil to synthetic motor oil.  Those tests were conducted with AMSOIL not to be confused with the Mobil 1 comments above.

With all that said DO NOT ignore abnormal noises from under the hood.  You and I are part of special group of people that are aware of our engines and have a good understanding of how they work (or maybe we did before computers!).  Any change in the noise from your engine should be investigated until understood or deemed not harmful.

If you have any insight into Alejandro’s question please comment below.  If you would like to find the best motor oil there is some great free test data in the report found here.