August 2015 – Humble Mechanic

5 Things to Consider BEFORE DIY Car Repairs ~ Podcast Episode 93

It has happened to me so many times. I am in the middle of a repair and realize I don’t have the tools to finish the job. That generally means another trip to the store. Well when it comes to DIY car repairs a trip to the store may not be an option. There has been a lot of buzz around here about DIY car repairs. There are so many car repairs that are very easy DIYs and even someone with little car knowledge can do. But there are things that you need to consider before jumping into a DIY.

Sponsor of the day:
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 me today as we discuss:

DIY Oil Change Video
Do you have the time for a DIY car repair?
Do you have the tools for a DIY car repair?
Do you have the space for a DIY car repair?
Do you have the know how for a DIY car repair?
Do you know where to get the infomation?
What is the potential risk for injury?
And a bonus you will have to watch the video for 😉
Why I have a mech unit on my table
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “5 Things to Consider BEFORE DIY Car Repairs ~ Podcast Episode 93” on YouTube

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. 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:

August 26, 2015/3 Comments/by Charles

Video

How VW Parts Fail ~ 2.0t Fuel Pump Modules

Today I am back to chat about more failed Volkswagen parts. We are looking at how the fuel pump control module fails on 2.0t engines. This module is on 2.0t gas engines from 2006 until now. There may be other engines that have this, or a similar module, installed. They will basically all fail in the same way.

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(hopefully not):

What is the fuel pump control module?
What the fuel pump control module does
How the fuel pump control module fails
Symptoms of a failing fuel pump control module
Diagnosing a failing fuel pump control module
Is this a DIY part?
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “How VW Parts Fail ~ 2.0t Fuel Pump Modules” 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.

Don’t forget to follow me at:

August 25, 2015/15 Comments/by Charles

Podcast

Viewer Automotive Questions Answered ~ Podcast Episode 92

Today on the Humble Mechanic Podcast, I take your automotive questions. If you would like to get a question on a show like this, follow this format. Email me, Charles(AT)Humblemechanic(dot)com and put “question for Charles” in the subject. This is the best way to get your car question answered. If there are topics you want me to talk about on the show, this is a great way to get it done.

Sponsor of the Day
CRP deals in a ton of OE automotive parts. They also make the factory DSG fluid for VW. Having them as a sponsor will give us access to more information about fluids than I would ever get from VW. I am really excited to have them as a resource of information.You will also be seeing avideocoming out soon with some awesome information about coolant. Check out CRPAutomotive.com

Join me today as I take your questions on:

Failing Jetta 2.0 Catalytic Converters
2007 GTI parasitic current draw diagnosis
Future of VW electric cars and the E-Golf
VW Jetta SportWagen sunroof leak
What is the best time of day to fill your tank?
Should you let the fuel tank go below 1/8 of a tank?
When is the best time to fill engine coolant?
Do recalls flag your car as modified?
Current draw chart
CleanMPG.com

Trouble viewing? Watch “Viewer Automotive Questions Answered ~ Podcast Episode 92” 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:

August 24, 2015/5 Comments/by Charles

Podcast

Why I Teach People About Cars ~ Podcast Episode 91

Today’s show comes on the heals of a comment on Instagram. I posted about the DIY Oil Change video I had done. Someone asked me the following question.

“I get that being famous is cool, but why would you teach people to do what makes you money? Are they paying for the knowledge?”

Let me first say, what I do here has nothing to do with fame. I don’t care about that. I care about helping the folks that are looking to gain insight in to the automotive world.

Join me today as we chat:

Teaching something for free, you would normally get paid for
The DIY Oil Change video in question.
It is about reaching people outside of your dealer
Showing how most mechanics and technicians care about your car
Inspiring people to learn
Not everyone will use a DIY to to the repair.
It is about understanding a job
How DIY videos HELP dealerships
Building trust
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “Why I Teach People About Cars ~ Podcast Episode 91” on Y0uTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. 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:

August 21, 2015/3 Comments/by Charles

Podcast

Do Mechanics Hate Vehicle Recalls? ~ Podcast Episode 90

Before we look at vehicle recalls being good or bad, we need to understand what exactly makes a recall. This is information straight from Volkswagen defining what a recall is.

Remedies defects relating to motor vehicle safety or emissions, and non-compliances with motor vehicle safety standards and emissions standards. Also customers are notified of the recall, and they do not expire.

Now that we have a little better understanding of what makes a recall, today I will give you my take. I also go on a little bit of a rant in the car today.

Sponsor of the day:
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 me in the Passat as we discuss:

Cons of vehicle recalls for customers
Pros of vehicle recalls for customers
Why mechanics may hate recalls
Why that can be stupid
How recalls can be great for mechanic
A Charles rant on mechanics
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “Do Mechanics Hate Vehicle Recalls? ~ Podcast Episode 90” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. 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:

August 19, 2015/2 Comments/by Charles

Video

How VW Parts Fail ~ 2.0t Ignition Coil Connectors

Today I am back to talk about more failing VW parts. We are looking at one of the most broken connectors I see, ignition coil connectors. More spesifically 2.0t ignition coil connectors. It may seem like a very simple failure, but connectors have a lot more going on than you may think. This was a really fun “How VW Parts Fail” video for me. I have repinned a ton of connectors in my career, and it is something I enjoy doing.

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(hopefully not):

Commonly broken VW electrical connectors
What a VW ignition coil connector does
What makes up a VW ignition coil connector
What makes up most Audi and VW electrical connectors
How ignition coil connectors fail
Is replacing an ignition coil connector a DIY
Tools required to repin connectors
Tips for releasing VW connectors.
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “How VW Parts Fail ~ 2.0t Ignition Coil Connectors ” 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.

Don’t forget to follow me at:

August 18, 2015/3 Comments/by Charles

Video

How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil ~ Video

It may shock some folks, but I too must change the oil in my car. Yes even auto mechanics have to maintain their car. So today I will be giving you some awesome and very important tips on changing the oil in your car. We will be using my 2005 Volkswagen Passat 1.8t to learn the right way to change oil. I also need to thank Apex Tuning for letting me use their shop to do this video for you. This video has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DIYOilChange

Remember any time you are working on your car, safety is priority number one. Please make sure you are working in a safe manor.

Join me for an oil change DIY:

Oil filter I use on my VW
Engine oil I use on my car Pennzoil Platinum engine oil
What to do with used engine oil
Working safe
Cleaning up after an oil change
Removing the oil filter
What is double gasket
Under car inspecsions
Drain plug
Tips for filling engine oil
and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. 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:

August 17, 2015/7 Comments/by Charles