The State Of The Shop ~ audio Podcast Episode 67

The State Of The Shop ~ Podcast Episode 67

Happy Wednesday everyone. This episode of the Humble Mechanic Podcast, we are chatting about the state of the shop. This is where we dive into what is happening right now in the VW world. This comes from an on the ground level. Not the stuff that is pumped out from the media. Think of this as the unfiltered version of what dealerships are seeing, and fixing.

Sponsor of the day:rain eater logo
Rain Eater wiper blades. Wipers are one of the most important safety items on our cars. Think not, you must have never driven in bad weather. When you are ready to replace your wiper blades, a very easy DIY, check out RainEater wipers atRainEater.com. Plus I LOVE that their CEO is the one monitoring social media.

Join me today as we chat about:

  • Shop Shots
  • More about my new roll in the shop
  • Moving bays and tool boxes
  • Lowering a Golf SportWagen
  • Jetta Power steering issues
  • 2015 GTI Fuel Pump Recall
  • 2015 GTI, DSG transmission failure
  • Several TDI updats
  • 1.8t Cam failure
  • Ignition switch failures
  • and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “State Of The Shop ~ Podcast Episode 67” on YouTube.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please post them in the comments below. Do you like the show? If so, please help me out by sharing it. As the community grows, it allows me to do more cool things for you guys. Those things will help me keep making the show better.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. Again, if you have a question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)humblemechanic(dot)com with Question for Charles in the subject. Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form! Don’t forget to follow me at:

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VW and Audi 2.0t TSI High Pressure Fuel Pumps Fail (HPFP)

How VW and Audi 2.0t TSI High Pressure Fuel Pumps Fail (HPFP) ~ Video

Next up in our series on failing Volkswagen parts, we are looking at the 2.0t TSI High Pressure Fuel Pump failure. I will be using HPFP for short. This is a failure that I was replacing regularly a few years ago. Today we don’t see the failure rate that we did, but they come in from time to time. We have had cars driven in with a bad HPFP, as well as towed in. This is a part failure that may leave you stranded. The good thing is that no top end damage is done to the engine. The BPY 2.0t is a much more catastrophic failure. I did a video on  BPY Cam follower and HPFP failure if you want to learn more.

Sponsor Of The Day
Today’s show is sponsored by Deutsche Auto Parts. They are the VW and Audi parts experts. They have great prices and awesome service. Plus they work really hard on a ton of VW DIY videos. Paul and the fellas at DAP are awesome. Also check out their new site at SHOPDAP.com

Join me as we break down:VW and Audi 2.0t TSI High Pressure Fuel Pumps Fail (HPFP)

Trouble Viewing? Watch “How VW and Audi 2.0t TSI High Pressure Fuel Pumps Fail (HPFP) ~ Video” on YouTube.

Don’t forget to follow me at:VW and Audi 2.0t TSI High Pressure Fuel Pumps Fail (HPFP)

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Southern Wörthersee SOWO 2015

Southern Wörthersee SOWO 2015 Recap

Hey everyone! Today’s show is not really a podcast show, but a recap of Sowo 2015. For those of you that may not know, Sowo or Southern Worthersee is a big time European car show in Helen, Ga.  If you are looking to see Sowo burnouts or any of that type of thing, click the back button. You will see NONE of that here.

Our inspiration for Southern Wörthersee is to bring together cars and fans of these beloved marques in a truly authentic European atmosphere.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Chattahoochee River, is the quaint Bavarian-themed town of Helen, Georgia. With its striking similarities to the Wörthersee region, we think you will agree, it’s a natural location for our stateside tribute to Wörthersee.

This year I made the almost 6 hour trek with my buddy Tony to check out the show. Overall we had a really nice time. The amount of cars and people this year was almost overwhelming. So today’s show you will see some pictures and video of just a part of what Sowo has to offer.

Join me as we relive Sowo:

  • Air Cooled cars
  • Sir Shift making custom shift knobs
  • All the awesome vendors
  • What to do if you were at Sowo, and we didn’t meet up
  • Wraps and Plasti Dip
  • The negatives of this show
  • and more

Trouble Viewing? Watch “Southern Wörthersee SOWO 2015 Recap” on YouTube.

Don’t forget to follow me at:

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Viewer Car Questions ANSWERED ~ Audio Podcast Episode 66

Viewer Questions With Special Guest ~ Episode 66

HEADS UP! There was something that went sideways with my main camera. The video is a little fuzzy. But because I think the content is great, and has a lot of value, I am publishing it anyway. Today I am joined by a good buddy of mine, Rusty. We have done a few videos before, but it has been a while. Today we are taking your automotive questions.

Sponsor of the day:rain eater logo
Rain Eater wiper blades. Wipers are one of the most important safety items on our cars. Think not, you must have never driven in bad weather. When you are ready to replace your wiper blades, a very easy DIY, check out RainEater wipers at RainEater.com. Plus I LOVE that their CEO is the one monitoring social media.

Join Rusty and I for a few beers and a chat about:

  • Sloppy mechanics
  • Proper tire balance
  • Important trait for successful technicians
  • Favorite car features
  • Working on an enthusiast’s car
  • A few good laughs
  • and more

Trouble Viewing. Watch “Viewer Questions With Special Guest  ~ Episode 66 With Special Guest ” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. Again, if you have a question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)humblemechanic(dot)com with Question for Charles in the subject. Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form! Don’t forget to follow me at:

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failed VW belts

How VW Serpentine Belt Tensioners Fail ~ Video

Next up in our Failed VW Parts series we are looking at the serpentine belt tensioner. We are not looking at the failure of one specific serpentine belt tensioner. This applies to all belt tensioners, even on non-VW cars. This type of failure can be anything from somewhat annoying to leaving you stranded, and even cause catastrophic engine damage.

Sponsor Of The Day
Today’s show is sponsored by Deutsche Auto Parts. They are the VW and Audi parts experts. They have great prices and awesome service. Plus they work really hard on a ton of VW DIY videos. Paul and the fellas at DAP are awesome. Also check out their new site at SHOPDAP.com Also be sure to stop by their booth at SOWO!Failed VW serpentine belt tensioner

Join me as we dive into and chat about:

  • Do these videos mean VW is not a good car?
  • What is a VW Serpentine Belt Tensioner?
  • What is a Serpentine Belt?
  • How do VW Serpentine Belt Tensioner work
  • How do VW Serpentine Belt Tensioner fail?
  • Symptoms of VW Serpentine Belt Tensioner failure
  • Diagnosing a failed VW Serpentine Belt Tensioner
  • Is the VW Serpentine Belt Tensioner a DIY?
  • and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “How VW Serpentine Belt Tensioners Fail ~ Video” on YouTube.

As always, your questions and comments are welcome.
Please post them below. If you would like to suggest a part of a show like this, email me Charles(at)HumbleMechanic(dot)com. Thanks again to Deutsche Auto Parts for being such a great sponsor.Failed VW serpentine belt tensioner

Don’t forget to follow me at:

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auto repair guy

How To Find The BEST Auto Mechanic ~ Episode 65

Before we get rolling I have to say I use the word “guy” to mean both men and women. I often say things like “How are you guys doing” regardless of the gender of people that I am talking to. Okay, now let’s talk about finding your “guy”.

Everyone likes to have “their guy”. It does’t matter if it’s cars, tattoos, electrical and so on. When you have an issue, we like to have our person on the inside to help us out. Today we are going to talk about some ways that we might find “our guy” in the automotive world.

Join me today as we chat about:

  • The person working on your car may be more important than the place
  • Not all techs are “A” techs
  • Not all “A” techs are nice people
  • Find someone you gel with
  • Starting with a good shop is a good idea
  • Interview a tech
  • Asking co-workers
  • Facebook Groups
  • Other drivers
  • What to do when you find “your guy”
  • and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “How To Find Your Auto Repair Guy ~ Episode 65” on YouTube.

As always, your questions and comments are welcome. Please post them below. If you would like to suggest a topic for a show like this, email me Charles(at)HumbleMechanic(dot)com, or use the contact me form.

Don’t forget to follow me at:

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5 Odd Things Mechanics Use To Fix Cars ~ Video

mechanics paint

Thursday is normally the day that I review tools and products. Well today I wanted to step out of that a little. I wanted to chat a little about the weird things that mechanics use when working on cars. This is kind of a play on my “Top 5 Favorite Auto Mechanic’s Tools” video. Something a little more lighthearted after yesterday’s video on flat rate. Mechanics also spend a small fortune on tools. It is nice to have a few things we don’t need to turn to the Snap On truck for.

Join me today as we look at odd uses for

Trouble viewing? Watch “5 Odd Things Mechanics Use To Fix Cars ~ Video” on YouTube.

As always, post your comments below. If you have a tool or product you would like for me to review, use the contact me form. Or email me Charles(at)HumbleMechanic(dot)com, and put TOOL REVIEW in the subject.mechanics paint

Don’t forget to follow me at:

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