I’ve been halfheartedly looking at getting an older Ridgeline to do a mild off-road/overland build. Only problem is, the supply of “bargain” Ridgelines means that I’d have to buy something with serious problems or a lot of rust, or spend a lot more than I budgeted for. The prices on a few others I’ve been watching… Continue reading It’s a terrible time to shop for cars.
An overlooked cheap off-roader
My dream offroad vehicle is probably the Toyota FJ Cruiser, although because I can’t have a different vehicle for each activity, I’ve considered the Toyota 4Runner Limited. Given our current escalated prices on used cars, though, finding nice examples of either one that are within my budget is almost impossible. I don’t mind having a… Continue reading An overlooked cheap off-roader
2022 Civic unveiled.
The new 2022 Civic was just unveiled this past week, with the sedan going on sale within the next couple of months. The hatchback version, the Si and Type R models will come next year, presumably. I think the interior is the most striking change in the new model. Honda’s latest design trend is towards… Continue reading 2022 Civic unveiled.
Is your AC blowing warm? Your CR-V may have this issue.
As I found out the hard way on a road trip, where temperatures were in the mid 90s, the AC compressors in the third-generation CR-Vs have a very common failure. The compressor itself doesn’t fail, but there is an electric clutch actuator coil that burns out, which prevents the clutch from engaging. One other symptom… Continue reading Is your AC blowing warm? Your CR-V may have this issue.
“Check Fuel Cap” — It may not be your fuel cap!
A common issue in the third generation CR-V is the “Check Fuel Cap” error message in the gauge cluster. The common reaction is to assume it’s a defective fuel cap, then rush out to buy a new one and replace it. Only to find that the error message still won’t go away. In many cases,… Continue reading “Check Fuel Cap” — It may not be your fuel cap!
Buying old alloy wheels can be an issue
As alloy wheels age, particularly in climates where a lot of road salt it used, rim leaks can develop as the lip of the wheel corrodes beneath the sealing bead of the tire. We’ve had that happen on two different older cars, to the point where on the TSX, I got disgusted with fixing four… Continue reading Buying old alloy wheels can be an issue
Don’t fire the parts cannon. Diagnose first!
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen someone try to fix their car by reading an OBD-II error code, hopping online, and throwing all sorts of new parts at the problem hoping to solve it. Sadly, that is how some repair garages do their work! Reading and immediately reacting by guessing at bad parts… Continue reading Don’t fire the parts cannon. Diagnose first!
What will you feature on The Hooptie Garage?
We’ll cover a few things in this blog: Car repair tips, tricks and knowledge How-to guides Photos News Reviews Opinions At first we’ll write and provide photographs. We may explore YouTube videos if there is sufficient interest. Rest assured these won’t be low-quality videos shot on a smartphone with no editing–only professionally-edited content will be… Continue reading What will you feature on The Hooptie Garage?
Site Launch
We’re still configuring the site behind the scenes, so check back when we will announce the official site launch.