4x pads and rotors on a Mazda CX5

9/29/2026 6:36:05 PM

Put the plugs in the Mercury and fixed the vacuum leaks. Fuel trims are improved. The misfire followed the coil. Ordered a coil.

Alternator in a Lexus ES 350. Alternator changes should not require draining coolant.

9/30/2026 6:22:21 PM

God thats awful(alternator/coolant thing)

9/30/2026 7:18:57 PM

It's really not that bad if you're in a shop, but I guess I come from the school of thought where an alternator is something you can easily do in the parts store parking lot in about 15 minutes. Hell, I used to do them there just so I didn't have to find a ride or make another trip to return the core. The car was at a Sheetz and when she said alternator, I was like, hell yeah, we'll knock that out right there and then she said ES 350 and I was like you're gonna need to figure out how to get it here if you want me to fix it.

9/30/2026 7:39:37 PM

Charged the AC on a G37.

Buick guy called me worried about a low oil pressure warning. Confirmed oil pressure was good. Oil pressure switch was leaking and connector was full of oil. Replaced the switch.

Somebody brought a 1992 Maxima that is running like shit. Found a dead miss on 3 cylinders. All have spark at the distributor. Compression is good on all cylinders. Spark plugs look decent, but I need to check for spark at the plugs themselves. I suspect fuel injectors. Need to spend some more time diagnosing it. It's cool to have to go old school with no OBDII scanner and data to rely on. Reminds me of working on my first car, a 1991 S-10 Blazer.

Went and diagnosed a 2011 CX9 with that 3.7L abomination from Ford. Coolant pouring from the water pump weep hole and a busted seal around one of the VVT solenoids letting oil spray out of the valve cover. It had some codes for cam timing, but they were gone when I was there. I think the oil got in the solenoid connector and caused the timing issue. Recommended that stupid chain driven water pump if she wants to sell it and the whole timing set with phasers and solenoids if she wants to keep it. Honestly hope she just sells it as-is with the coolant leak. Fuck that timing job on the transverse mounted version. Probably easier to just pull the engine than work in that tiny gap between the front of the engine and the frame.

[Edited on October 1, 2026 at 8:12 PM. Reason : df]

10/1/2026 8:10:32 PM

lol I checked alldata and step 1 of that CX9 water pump job is remove the engine/transaxle unit fml

10/1/2026 9:05:10 PM

Lol damn step 1 is a doozy

10/1/2026 10:40:45 PM

Complete and total garbage design. It's only designed so they can hit you with a quote higher than the car's value so you junk it and get another car payment. I wish people would google this shit before they buy a car.

10/2/2026 9:19:42 AM

Checked injector coil resistances on the Maxima and 1 was slightly over spec and 2 were way over spec, but there was no correlation to which cylinders were missing. Put new plugs in and it seemed to be hitting on all but #2. #2 actually showed only 30 psi compression yesterday, but I thought it was because I could only get my gauge screwed in a thread or two before the hose started spinning in the threaded fitting (that plug was tight the whole way out and I guess the threads are boogered up). I figured the compression was just leaking past the threads, so I screwed it into a good cylinder only a thread or two and it still tested over 130 psi. Customer says it broke a timing belt and someone else put a new one on and then this issue started, so maybe it bent a valve. Didn't see any damage with the borescope. I guess I could do a leakdown test. Dude was seriously considering pulling the head and replacing valves. I tried to talk him into a $2k-3k marketplace car, but we'll see.

10/2/2026 4:16:25 PM

Quote :

"I could only get my gauge screwed in a thread or two before the hose started spinning in the threaded fitting (that plug was tight the whole way out"

Man i had that hose come off once...i thought i was supremely fucked for like an hour cause the fitting was screwed in well

10/2/2026 8:19:46 PM

My kit has a hard tube that I try to use, but the wings on it interfered with the intake on that one cylinder.

It does run a lot better on 5 cylinders now. Not sure what the dude is gonna do. Apparently the lady who drives it loves it and has had it forever. It's not in terrible shape and like 210k miles iirc.

10/2/2026 9:26:11 PM

Replaced the belt tensioner on the TL. Way quieter now. Owner is happy. Also replaced one of the eBay headlight ballasts with one from before the wreck. It was heating up and flaking out. Unfortunately junkyard OEM seems to be the way to go on those, or maybe change to LED, but not sure what's involved there.

Rear pads and rotors on an Altima.

Started disconnecting everything on the Equinox. Planning to pull the engine tomorrow.

10/3/2026 8:04:39 PM

Engine out of the Equinox. What a garbage vehicle. Don't think I'll ever work on one again. They all belong in the crusher, honestly.

Jeep Patriot came in with xmas tree lights on the dash intermittently at highway speeds. Tons of communication loss codes and most significantly a CAN B (-) ground code stored. Found a very shoddy aftermarket stereo installation. The CAN B (-) that goes to the factory radio connector had a wire in the aftermarket harness adapter that was soldered to another wire in the adapter that went to the antenna. I think that at highway speeds, the antenna would get to flapping and ground intermittently. Snipped the solder joint off and taped up the ends and it seems good to go.

Went and picked up an engine stand from marketplace. I have to swap the oil pan from the old AWD Equinox engine to the FWD donor, so that will be a little easier with the stand.

10/4/2026 8:00:28 PM

Let my 13yo son take the lead for the first time on 2 of 3 oil changes this weekend (Cayenne and Cayman).

Dropped some shit in the oil drain pan. Dripped oil onto concrete and cardboard. Over-torqued oil filter housing (spec is 19 ft*lb) when I got distracted. All in all, a pretty good start

After 1st car:
"Having fun?"
"Yeah it's actually kind of fun"

After 3rd car:
"Had fun?"
"Nah, not really. I mean, it was OK but I'd rather be playing Roblox"
"Well obviously"

[Edited on October 5, 2026 at 11:49 AM. Reason : ]

10/5/2026 11:49:07 AM

^^Love this insight.

10/5/2026 1:22:12 PM

Replaced radiator and radiator hoses on a Lexus ES350. It was leaking pretty bad.

Went mobile and replaced an alternator on a Honda Odyssey. Kind of a pain, at least compared to the usual non-van J series alternators.

Didn't have much time to make any headway on the Equinox. I'm waiting on some seals for the oil pan swap anyway. I did pull a few things off the replacement engine and went and got some bolts to put it on the engine stand. Gonna try to have the bellhousing bolts in before I go to bed tomorrow.

[Edited on October 5, 2026 at 8:21 PM. Reason : adf]

10/5/2026 8:19:33 PM

Also put the coil in the Mercury. Misfire is gone. No CEL on the test drive. Fuel trims could be a little lower, but I think it's good.

10/5/2026 9:28:41 PM

Got the remaining wiring harness off the replacement engine. Swapped over the oil pans and some other small stuff. Got it in the hole and bolted up to the transmission and the engine mount. Tore the old engine down to a bare block for scrapping. Maybe I can crank it up tomorrow.

10/6/2026 10:11:37 PM

I changed an oxygen sensor on an equinox once...it was a pleasant experience. I just assumed they were kinda an "easier" vehicle to work on because of that

I just noticed last post of last page you mention "that equinox" but trying to find post you originally mentioned it...curious the year etc

10/7/2026 7:14:35 AM

Is the Equinox yours? Or this for some unfortunate customer?

10/7/2026 1:12:44 PM

^^It's a 2019 AWD. There's just no room to access anything with all the turbo and CAC piping and the AWD PTU behind the engine. Seems like everything just requires dropping the subframe, which I did not do. That 1.5L turbo engine is junk. Anytime I'm working on one, I'm just thinking the whole time about how I'm wasting my time and their money. Seems like they run about 150k miles before head gasket or piston rings take them out. They consume oil, so they end up running low on oil and that kills the timing chains and oil/VCT systems. This one made it to 180k and I'm sure the transmission won't be far behind the engine. I found a used engine with about 120k on it for $500 and told the lady to be saving for something else. I will say, the replacement engine was way cleaner on the inside than hers. Somebody kept up with the oil changes on it. The original had a thick layer of sludge in the lower oil pan and varnish all over the internals. The replacement was nearly perfect. Unfortunately, I had to clean all that out of her original oil pan to make it work with the AWD configuration.

^It's not mine. It's a charity case. Trying to help somebody out. I'm still not sure what the failure mechanism was. Supposedly it started as just a single injector code. She bought 4 Amazon injectors and had some jackleg mobile mechanic install them. Then it sounds to me like it went to a series of hydrolocking events and somewhere in the parts cannon firing it got a new starter and alternator. I figured the cheap injectors were hanging open, causing fuel hydrolocking and the dummy thought it was a weak starter. Not sure why he threw an alternator on it, but I do run across a lot of morons who think an alternator will fix a no crank. Anyway, since she'd already thrown away the 3 good injectors, I had her get 4 OEM injectors and went ahead and threw new plugs in since I needed to pull them to get the gasoline out. Changed the oil as it was way overfilled due to gasoline leaking past the rings. It ran good after that and I thought I was done. Next day she says she's got CEL, reduced power mode, and losing coolant. I pressure tested and found no external leaks. Pulled plugs to borescope and found #1 slap full of coolant. Like pouring in. No sense in a head gasket on one of those with 180k. I'm not sure if hydrolocking caused the head gasket failure or what.

So anyway, I got the engine finished up today. My misses were the bolt under the fuse box that connects the battery positive bus to the underside of the fuse panel (not sure why I even removed that, took a bit to figure it out because it was under there hidden out of sight), the crankshaft position sensor left unplugged (that was a pain to plug in with the engine in, it's tucked behind the PTU, I laid on top of the engine and got it by feel), and an oil leak from the lower oil pan (the RTV doesn't actually need to be where it looks like it should go on the oil pan, you need to use the upper oil pan surface as a guide). It ran good in the shop. I drained the oil and resealed the lower oil pan. Letting it cure overnight before filling the oil and test drive tomorrow.

10/7/2026 8:31:01 PM

Man here is to hoping for less bullshit like that

10/7/2026 8:39:47 PM

Oh, it will never end. I've got a easy RSX radiator and some Chevy Trax brakes up next, but then I've got a half torn apart ES 350 in a parking lot needing a transmission that some mechanic walked away from in the middle of the job.

10/7/2026 8:46:42 PM

Forgot, I also plugged a tiny leak in one of the tires on it. Had to baptize the tire to find it.

10/8/2026 7:32:13 AM

You ever had a situation like karl in Sling Blade("it aint got no gas in it") where it was super stupid fix?

10/8/2026 5:17:47 PM

^Called out for a no crank a few weeks ago and the shifter wasn't in park.

The Equinox holds oil now, but on the test drive I got P0299 for underboost. It's making pretty much no boost at all. I do see small spikes when I rev it up, but not nearly what it should be. I verified the boost sensor is working with a hand pump. Waste gate appears closed, turbo bypass solenoid valve is clicking, no charge air piping leaks. The compressor and turbine fans look fine and spin freely. I'm stumped. This is the turbo that came with the salvage engine, so I guess I could throw the old turbo on it. Ready to move on from this one.

The RSX got a new radiator, transmission fluid drain and fill, and an AC charge. It needs a condenser fan, but the lady couldn't afford one. The AC only blows cold when engine RPMs are up. It needs a compressor.

[Edited on October 8, 2026 at 8:01 PM. Reason : niu]

10/8/2026 8:00:44 PM

Please tell me it was a chick

10/8/2026 8:55:43 PM

It belonged to a woman. Her coworker got up with me and asked me to come. I went underneath to see if we were getting power at the starter solenoid when turning the key. I said, "nope, no power" and he said "oh man, I think the shifter isn't in park".

10/8/2026 9:10:28 PM

I'm not a chick but something similar has happened to me

10/9/2026 1:20:23 AM

The lady came to pick up the RSX and wanted me to listen for a noise while she drove it. I did hear the noise, but she had to really saw on the wheel and weave back and forth to produce it. I jacked it up when we got back and can't really tell what it is. Maybe in the steering rack. Doesn't really matter as she can't afford parts to ever fix anything anyway. But then when she went to leave, it wouldn't crank. Battery was at 11.9V. I beat on the starter some and no joy. I put a jump box on it and it barely turned over fast enough to start. Seems like a combo of weak battery and weak starter. Advised her to park it until she can afford a starter.

I pulled the turbo off the Equinox and found the catalytic converter completely clogged up with soot. Seems common on the 1.5L Ecotec with its oil consumption issues. Thought for sure that was the cause of the low boost. She can't afford a catalytic converter, so I offered the option of just knocking out the catalyst and letting it ride with a CEL until she can. So I did that and put the turbo back on. Still has really low boost. And now has a misfire, presumably due to the lack of catalyst. Told her to come pick it up. I'll put a converter on it when she can afford one, but I'm out of ideas on the boost problem besides a new turbo. The turbo looks perfectly fine inside.

[Edited on October 9, 2026 at 7:35 PM. Reason : asdf]

[Edited on October 9, 2026 at 7:36 PM. Reason : adf]

10/9/2026 7:34:46 PM

Guy dropped off an Infinity QX80 with a rotational noise on the front passenger side. Another mechanic was "sure it's the axle". Not sure what he was on, because it's RWD and there is no axle in the front. Anyway, I took it around the block and heard the noise. Suspected wheel bearing. Jacked it up and wiggled the wheel to confirm. Ordered a wheel bearing/hub assembly.

10/10/2026 8:21:55 PM

The Trax brake job ended up being a Rogue. I pulled the wheels off and the brakes looked nearly new. Customer had no complaints, just "thought it probably needed brakes". I told them I'd do them, but they were wasting their money, especially on a Rogue with 100k on it that's never had any transmission service. Put the wheels on and they left.

Went and picked up a battery and threw it in that RSX. Starter still sounds weak to me, but it starts ok.

Inspected suspension and steering components on my truck. Ordered all the stuff to replace all the wear components. Bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, pitman and idler arms, leaf spring shackles and bushings, torsion bar mounts, shocks, etc.

About to go mop the shop floor.

10/11/2026 1:12:46 PM