Reading Time: 4 minutes Summary Turning on your vehicle’s A/C is simple, but there are a few things you can do to ensure your cabin cools down faster. If you want to cool down your cabin quickly, try ventilating the cabin, avoiding precooling, and setting the temperature to the lowest setting. Having the A/C on doesn’t drastically affect the battery life of electric vehicles (EVs), but it can increase fuel consumption by 8 to 10 percent. If you’re driving under 55 mph and want to save gas, you can open the windows, but avoid doing so when driving over 55 mph. Turning on your vehicle’s air ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Summary Also known as a flat finish, matte car paint is a muted type of finish that isn’t shiny. Instead of the common glossy finish, a matte clear coat is applied after the colored paint dries and cures. To maintain your matte car paint, avoid automatic car washes, hand wash your vehicle with the right products, and use sealants specifically formulated for matte paint. Matte car paint stands out from other cars, looks better in photographs than glossy vehicles, and doesn’t need polishing. There’s just something about matte car paint that looks so cool. Without the ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Summary Zipper merging is a merging technique that emulates how zipper teeth come together as a zipper is being closed. The cars in both lanes would drive at a consistent speed and take turns merging with the other lane of traffic. To zipper merge, drivers in the open lane need to be mindful of the upcoming hazards and be considerate of the drivers in the merging lane. Meanwhile, the drivers on the merging lane also need to be quick on their feet, as they need to safely join the open lane in an alternating fashion. To safely zipper merge, you need to match the speed o ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Summary When a shock absorber absorbs shock, the force compresses it, sending the center shock shaft into the shock body. Shock rebound is the shock returning to its original state. Shocks control the vehicle’s suspension springs by damping their movement as necessary. They do this by utilizing damping force. A shock’s rebound rate is how fast it returns to its original, uncompressed state. Shock compression rates depend on how quickly the shock compresses. Aftermarket dampers, both spring-matched and coilovers, typically adjust rebound more than compression. Suspensi ..read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Summary Preparing everything you need, using a drain pan, and following the manufacturer’s instructions are some tips on how to use a fluid transfer pump. To safely use a fluid transfer pump, be careful of fluid spills, properly dispose of old fluid, and stay away from open flames. A fluid transfer pump is a tool that creates a vacuum that sucks fluid from a tank or reservoir and then deposits it into another container. Let’s face it, topping up your vehicle’s automotive fluids can be a hassle. Changing your oil, transmission fluid, and other fluids is important, bu ..read more

Reading Time: 5 minutes Summary Boost leaks are air leaks that reduce the effectiveness of forced induction devices like turbochargers. Damaged air intake parts, bad seals, and loose connections might lead to boost leaks. Common boost leak symptoms include poor engine performance, loud hissing, and more exhaust smoke. There are many kinds of leaks that can appear in your car, and they bring all sorts of trouble with them. Like a vacuum leak, the boost leak releases air instead of its namesake boost. A boost leak affects the engine’s performance and might lead to more serious issues if left ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Summary Room temperature vulcanizing sealant or RTV is an artificial elastomer that creates seals or gaskets between two components. RTV silicone forms a tough and flexible rubber once it comes out of the container. RTV silicone can be used as a sealant for various components. These include the oil pan, transmission components, valve covers, and water pumps. Upon application, the RTV silicone will start to immediately react with the air and begin to cure. The silicone will harden into a seal within 20 minutes. RTV silicone has a shelf life of two years after the manuf ..read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Summary Oil systems take the oil from the sump, pass it through the oil filter and on through the engine. Wet sump systems are simpler and only use a single oil pump. The oil in a wet sump system accumulates in the oil pan when not in circulation. Wet sump systems are more common and affordable to repair and maintain. Dry sump systems are built for increased performance. They have two oil pumps and an oil reservoir to prevent oil starvation and increase oil capacity, which improves engine cooling. They’re more expensive and difficult to maintain with all of their diff ..read more

Reading Time: 5 minutes Summary Look out for sharp edges and hot surfaces in the engine bay that might damage the oil cooler lines. Get engine cooler lines that are longer than the required length. Use engine oil cooler fittings with pipe threads for tight fits and seals. Mount the engine oil cooler in a place with constant and strong airflow. Check the oil filter clearance to see if the engine oil cooler will fit over the filter. Think of the engine oil cooler as a radiator for your engine oil. It can help your engine last longer by improving temperature control and reducing the risk of o ..read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Summary Are car tires tubeless? Mostly. Nowadays, most passenger vehicle tires use tubeless tires. Tubeless tires have a range of advantages compared to regular tubed tires. Tubeless tires are safer because they don’t cause blowouts. When they’re fitted with sealant, they can self-seal when punctured. Lastly, they can also offer improved ride quality and efficiency because they don’t have an inner tube. Inflating tubeless tires is just like inflating a regular tubed tire. You can use a manual floor pump, but an air compressor would be much more preferable. The tire wi ..read more