Search results

  1. 9

    How "used" is a HDD with 25,000 hours but 25 power-on cycles?

    Bought a couple of "refurbished" (aka used) Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB enterprise drives from Newegg recently when they had a nice sale going on. When I got the drives, I ran them through HGST's extended drive test and all of the drives passed. None of the drives have any SMART errors. The drives...
  2. 9

    Wireless backup camera kit?

    I've been wanting to install a backup camera for a while now, but the challenge has always been figuring out a clean way to run the wiring from the back of the car to the dash area, without breaking off trim pieces in the process. Lately, I noticed that there are wireless dash cam kits which use...
  3. 9

    Smelly screwdrivers

    Yes, this is a serious thread. I have one of these USA-made Craftsman screwdriver sets with the clear handles: They've developed a strong smell in the screwdriver drawer of my toolbox. After some searching online, it seems like it's not uncommon for these clear-handled screwdrivers to...
  4. 9

    Any issues with doing a brake flush using the 1-person bottle method?

    Most brake flush tutorials demonstrate either the 2-person method or the 1-person method using a pressure bleeder or vacuum system, but I came across an alternative which only requires a bottle filled with some brake fluid with a length of tubing submerged in it. As demonstrated in this video...
  5. 9

    Looking for a small hatchback...is Mazda3 the best option?

    Currently looking for a small hatchback with decent handling and good mpg for highway trips. Considered the Civic, but unfortunately it doesn't come in a hatch. Considered the Fit, but it seems like the new ones produced at their Mexico plant have had a lot of QC issues. Tried the Ford Focus...
  6. 9

    And the most popular sports car in Germany is...

    The Ford Mustang GT, apparently. http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/08/autos/ford-mustang-sales-germany/index.html
  7. 9

    How do warranties on winter tires work?

    I noticed some winter tires carry warranties measured in miles. For example, 40k miles on the Michelin X-Ice 2. How is that mileage verified? Winter tires are taken off and put back on each year, so how would you be able to prove the mileage on the tires if you were to swap them yourself in...
  8. 9

    2016 Civic EX-T faster than 2015 Civic Si

    http://artofgears.com/2015/11/26/unofficial-2016-honda-civic-1-5l-turbo-faster-than-9th-gen-civic-si/ A bone stock 2016 Civic EX-T with the 1.5l turbo motor pulled off 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and 1/4 mile in 14.9 @ 97 mph. From a pull, the new Civic 1.5 turbo with CVT seems to be faster than the...
  9. 9

    New Arcan 3-Ton aluminum/steel hybrid floor jack at Costco

    Just a heads-up for AT members who might be looking for a jack. I picked one up a few weeks ago and it's a very solid unit. Goes from minimum to maximum height (3.75 inches to 18.5 inches) in 7 pumps. Minimum height is stated as 4 inches on the box, but in reality it's more like 3.75 inches. For...
  10. 9

    Guy buys a Jeep that ends up being a lemon, makes music video on Youtube to get even

    https://youtu.be/5sVmoOZRypk
  11. 9

    High CPU usage on Windows 10 by "Service Host: Local System"

    This highly annoying issue has been going on for the last few weeks. Makes my laptop heat up and ramp up the fans. All Windows updates have been installed. Complete scans with Norton 2015 and MBAM show up clean. Windows trouble shooter → system maintenance tool also comes up with...
  12. 9

    Mustang GT350 Reviewed on Motor Trend's Youtube

    https://youtu.be/GbbNlkP-ZSM
  13. 9

    2015 Ford Focus ST Diesel Wagon

    http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2015-ford-focus-diesel-wagon-first-drive-review?mag=cad&click=yr The Focus wagon is definitely a good looking car, and I could see it being popular with a gasoline-based hybrid drivetrain. With the diesel, however, I don't really see the point of it, given...
  14. 9

    Not changing oil filter at every oil change?

    I noticed that some manufacturers specify to change the oil filter only at every other OCI. Honda, for example, has a "A" service on the maintenance minder system which is replacing engine oil only. They also have a "B" service which is a oil + filter change. That means that the oil filter...
  15. 9

    Anyone tried Macrium Reflect V6 Free? (Supports differential backups now)

    Just noticed that Macrium Reflect V6 free edition now supports differential backups. This is a pretty significant upgrade since V5 free did not and could only do full backups each time. How were your experiences? Anyone tried it on Win 10? FYI, for those not familiar with differential vs...
  16. 9

    Motor Trend compares the ATS-V to the C63 AMG S

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEJYD6PS9q0 Conclusion: 0-60 and 1/4 mile times from MT: ATS-V: 3.7, 12.1 @ 116.2 mph F80 M3: 3.9, 12.2 @ 117.3 mph C63 AMG S: 4.0, 12.2 @ 119.5 mph Interesting that the ATS-V is the fastest in the 1/4 mile but has the slowest trap speed of the 3. 60-0...
  17. 9

    Motor Trend reviews the Cayman GT4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BFKU1Fj0j4
  18. 9

    Door won't unlock

    03 Accord. I noticed this morning that my driver's door power lock will only lock, but not unlock. If I manually unlock the door, I am able to lock it with the button in the key fob. But it won't unlock with the key fob alone. The other door locks all work fine. Does anyone know how to reset...
  19. 9

    Using iPhones as brake pads on a Porsche 911

    https://youtu.be/U9vO30n_Hq0 How do people even come up with these crazy ideas?
  20. 9

    What exactly is the difference between a 0W-20 and a 5W-20?

    Based on viscosity measures alone, it seems like a 5W-20 dino oil comes pretty close to the full synthetic 0W-20 oils. Is the difference in cold viscosity really that little between a 0W-20 and a 5W-20? Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0W-20 (Full Synethetic): Viscosity, @ 100ºC, cSt (ASTM D445)...
  21. 9

    What makes the Alfa 4C better than an Elise/Exige?

    It seems like there's a lot of hype around the Alfa Romeo 4C, mainly due to the fact that it is a "pure" sports car without some of the bloat that sports cars recently have had in the way of infotainment systems and luxury features. But given the price, what exactly makes the 4C any better than...
  22. 9

    How does a Core i5-2520M compare to modern mobile CPUs?

    My laptop is a few years old and has a i5-2520M (2C/4T, 2.5 GHz → 3.2 GHz turbo). I've been looking at some of the newer laptops with Core M CPUs, but benchmarks tend to compare these to other current CPUs. How would a Core M or a modern mobile i5/i7 compare to my old 2520M in terms of...
  23. 9

    The 2015 Le Mans Thread

    Anyone watching 24H of Le Mans this year? Starting grid: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/119441?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=brand+awareness So far, the talk of this year's race seems to be the front-wheel drive, front-engined Nissan GT-R Nismo LMP1 car...
  24. 9

    Some truly epic cars going up for Auction at Monterey

    http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/?category=all&collection=The%20Pinnacle%20Portfolio&salecode=MO15,,SJ15&sort=make&view=list&currency=&toYear=&fromYear=&make=&lot=&year= Every car in this collection is epic. That F1 LM road car will easily fetch over $10 million.
  25. 9

    2016 Civic Type R review from Evo

    http://www.evo.co.uk/honda/civic-type-r/16067/honda-civic-type-r-2015-review-the-hottest-hatch-ever Gives us some clues as to what the next Si might be like if it uses a similar turbo motor.
  26. 9

    DIY wood car ramps

    Most of the work I do on my car (plugs, belts, ATF, etc) doesn't require jacking the car up, but oil changes do require jacking the car due to the rearward location of the oil filter. I've looked into jacks/stands, but I personally felt like ramps would be a safer option. However, I wasn't...
  27. 9

    Talk about a low mileage used car!

    http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/5040047738.html 5758 miles in 11 years, or roughly 500 miles driven per year. That would be low even for an exotic, but this is a Honda for god's sake! I hope they changed the fluids a few times during those 11 years of mostly sitting around.
  28. 9

    Carbon issues with direct injection engines

    It seems like DI is the way of the future for internal combustion engines, and soon there may not be any engines with port fuel injection left on the market. With that said, it also seems like many manufacturers have not been able to fix the carbon deposit issues in DI engines, which is caused...
  29. 9

    Motor Trend reviews the $78,995 ATS-V

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZAZOiUZWOU The thing that stood out to me was just how expensive the ATS-V is. Starting price is $63,660, and the "as-tested" price was $78,995! For that money, I'm not sure who the target market for this car is. That kind of money buys a loaded M3/M4...
  30. 9

    Chrome sockets vs. impact sockets

    I'm looking to get a few 1/2" drive sockets to round out my collection, mainly the larger sizes such as 19mm. I already have full metric and SAE sets in 1/4" and 3/8" drive, and they're all of the standard chromed variety. For the larger socket sizes in 1/2" drive, would it be better to just...
  31. 9

    Harbor Freight Parody

    Pretty funny ad: https://www.kmstools.com/pages/competitor-79
  32. 9

    Ferrari refuses to let Top Gear track-test the LaFerrari against the Porsche 918

    http://jalopnik.com/heres-how-top-gear-can-test-the-laferrari-against-the-p-1687365910 Here's the short version: Porsche has already agreed to let Top Gear test the 918 on their test track at any time. No fine print. This is important because both McLaren and (especially) Ferrari have refused...
  33. 9

    Internet Explorer 11 crashes on launch

    IE11 was working perfectly fine up until today. Here's the error that I get when I try to open IE11. I'm running Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit. I've done all of the standard troubleshooting steps that I can think of, including: 1) Uninstalling and re-installing IE11 via "add and remove features from...
  34. 9

    What's with the Nissan Versa's pricing?

    I read the other day that the Nissan Versa is the cheapest new car in the US right now, with a MSRP of 11,990. However, if you move up to the loaded SL model, the price jumps up to almost $17k! I use the term "loaded" loosely, because the SL model is still pretty basic in terms of equipment. No...
  35. 9

    2015 GT-R Nismo vs. 2015 Corvette Z06 at Willow Springs!

    MT just released this. The lap times at the end may surprise you. Spoiler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5F18o8xayA
  36. 9

    Gas prices vs. diesel prices

    I noticed over the last couple of fill-ups that gas prices have fallen steadily in the Midwest, but diesel prices have stayed pretty much the same. For example, the lowest price for regular unleaded is 2.42 in my area, but the lowest price for diesel is a whopping 3.59! I looked up a couple of...
  37. 9

    Best backup software for Windows 8.1?

    As many of you probably know, Windows 8.1's built in file history is not a substitute for a standalone backup program which can back up everything. When I was on Windows 7, Norton Ghost was my favorite program for doing incremental backups every week. However, Norton Ghost does not run on...
  38. 9

    Harbor Freight 1/2" Drive Extendable Ratchet Disassembled (w/Pics)

    I use a 3/8" drive ratchet for most things, so I didn't want to spend a good chunk of change on a high end 1/2" drive ratchet. I was pretty excited when I came across this extendable 1/2" ratchet at Harbor Freight and decided to give it a try. I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised at...
  39. 9

    Kawasaki releasing supercharged H2R

    http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/the-supercharged-kawasaki-ninja-h2r-is-batshit-insane-1640558028 Looks like Kawasaki finally responded to all the "turbo 'busa" comments on here with something of their own. Supposedly the "street" version is to have 222HP and the race version is to have 307HP...
  40. 9

    Disable indexing but retain Windows search?

    I disabled indexing on my laptop's SSD yesterday by un-checking the "Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties" box in drive properties. However, I noticed afterwards that Windows search became wonky and was sometimes not able to find frequently used...