We love our engines
Last Tuesday at 7:15 AM—pouring rain, 42°F—Sarah rolled into my bay in her 2013 Ford Escape, windows fogged, engine cranking like a zombie with bronchitis. “It just died halfway to my kid’s soccer practice,” she said, voice shaking. “I replaced the battery last month!” I popped the hood, smelled that telltale odor of unburned fuel, … Read more
It was 7:30 AM on a frigid Tuesday in February when Mrs. Henderson’s 2012 Honda Civic rolled into my bay on the back of a flatbed. The temperature had barely cracked 15°F, and she was in tears—her daughter needed the car for college finals that afternoon. “It just died on the highway,” she sobbed. “No … Read more
By a Master Tech who’s chased this ghost across 2,000+ bay stalls Quick Answer: If the starter spins the engine but it never “catches,” you’re missing one of three things—fuel, spark, or compression. Check for 35-45 psi fuel pressure at the rail, a snapping blue spark across a 0.035-in plug gap, and minimum 90 psi … Read more
It was a sweltering July afternoon in the shop, the kind of heat that makes the concrete floor radiate up through your boots. A 2014 Honda Accord rolled in, the owner—let’s call him Carlos—frustrated after three different shops couldn’t figure out why his car bucked like a bronco every time he hit the gas. “It’s … Read more