We love our engines
Quick Answer Proper carburetor adjustment involves setting the idle speed, adjusting the air-fuel mixture screws, and tuning the accelerator pump. For most vehicles, start with a 1.5-2 turn out on the mixture screws, then fine-tune while listening to engine response and checking spark plug color. Always perform adjustments with the engine at operating temperature. A … Read more
Quick Answer: DIY fuel injector cleaning can restore performance and fuel economy if the injectors are mildly clogged. The three methods that actually work are: using a quality fuel injector cleaner additive, performing on-car pressurized fuel rail cleaning, and off-car manual injector cleaning. The right method depends on mileage, symptoms, and how dirty … Read more
![K&N Air Filter Review: Worth the Investment? [2025]](https://vehiclebar.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PWCAI02_1024x1024.webp)
It was a sweltering July afternoon in Phoenix, about 112 degrees on the asphalt, and a guy named Mike pulled his 2019 Ford F-150 into my bay. He was complaining about a sluggish throttle and a slight dip in MPG while hauling his boat. I popped the hood and found a paper OEM filter so … Read more
It was a cold December morning back in 2018, pouring rain on the interstate outside Portland. This young guy pulls into the shop on a flatbed, his 2005 Honda Accord soaked and looking defeated. He tells me he was doing about 65 mph in the fast lane when the engine just quit—no warning, no weird … Read more
It was 7:30 AM on a Tuesday in February, coldest day we’d seen in Atlanta that winter. My coffee was still steaming when Mrs. Johnson rolled her ’08 Honda Pilot into the bay, engine clattering like a toolbox down a flight of stairs. “It just started making this noise yesterday,” she said, but I knew … Read more
Quick Answer: In 2025, the average timing belt replacement cost ranges from $500 to $1,200 for most vehicles. DIY costs typically land between $180 and $450, depending on engine design and parts quality. Interference engines, luxury brands, and bundled water pump replacements push costs higher. That One Tuesday Morning I’ll Never Forget It was … Read more
It was a Tuesday morning in March, still cold enough that you could see your breath in the shop. A regular customer—let’s call him Mike—rolled in with his 2008 Honda Accord. He’d been ignoring the check engine light for three weeks, and now the car was burning through a quart of oil every 800 miles. … Read more
It was a Tuesday morning in February, about 15 degrees outside, when a panicked customer rolled into the bay with his 2011 Chevy Silverado 5.3L. The oil pressure gauge was sitting dead at zero, and he’d driven three miles that way before noticing. I pulled the dipstick—bone dry. The engine was ticking like a time … Read more
Quick Answer: A squealing noise from your engine bay is most often caused by a worn serpentine belt, failing belt tensioner, or a seized pulley (like the alternator or power steering pump). Ignoring it can lead to overheating, battery failure, or even engine damage. Fixing it yourself is usually a moderate-difficulty job, costing $20-$100 … Read more
Last Tuesday afternoon, a panicked customer pulled into our bay with steam billowing from under her hood. She’d been sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-95 when her temperature gauge suddenly pinned itself in the red zone. “I just had the oil changed last week,” she said, as if that should’ve prevented this. I popped the … Read more