Understanding Your Vehicle's VIN

Normally, if you suspect your engine is having some serious issues, the easiest way to figure out what is wrong is to take your car in to the local indie mechanic, exchange some cash, and walk out with either a fixed car, or at least knowledge of what’s wrong with your car. Most of the time, this...

Does everyone know what a Nivomat Shock Absorber is and what the difference is compared to a regular shock absorber? Nivomat’s are self leveling monotube shock absorbers which utilize movement of the vehicle between the chassis and the body to create mechanical energy. They are typically mounted...

If you own an AWD S70/V70, chances are it doesn't have a TRACS/STC switch. This switch is located to the left of the sunroof control switch. The STC system is an upgrade on the TRACS system of 98 and prior cars. In addition to braking individual wheels during a wheelspin event, the newer system...

The varying power levels of Volvo's P80 chassis dictated a wide range of engines in its run from 1993-2004. To discover different levels of economy and performance, Volvo utilized a smattering of different turbocharger and fuel injector combinations. The non-turbo vehicles were equipped with...

Similar to a transmission fluid change, regularly changing the fluid in the rear differential will help prolong its life. This is not an expensive or time consuming task, so frequent changes can't hurt. If you are driving in a manner that is hard on the drivetrain, more frequent is...

So you want to be the next Irv Gordon, do you? For some people, this might just be out of necessity, but for you FCP readers, its certainly out of passion. With a bit of preventative maintenance, foresight, and some elbow grease, its not impossible to keep your brick on the road for a million...

To me, few car problems are more annoying than wheel vibration. There are many factors that can contribute to vibration, and while some are no big deal, others shouldn’t be ignored. Speed dependent vibration The most common cause of a speed-dependent vibration is wheel balance. Wheels are...

Cloudy headlights originate from plastic getting overexposed to UV light over time. The cloudiness starts at the surface and spreads deeper into the plastic. If you catch it earlier versus later you can fix the problem by polishing the exterior lens surface before too much damage spreads. The...

Over a period of time during the 60s and 70s, the electrical generator in most cars was replaced with what is called an alternator. So called because of the alternating current which it generates, the alternator was a great advancement in charging system technology because it's design makes it...