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  • Connect with a real life mechanic and auto body tech - No AI chats or misdirected conversations and NO APPS you need to install.
  • First question is 100% FREE, no monthly fees and RodsShop is cheaper than any other Ask a Mechanic Service around. RodsShop focuses on providing solutions, not sells.
  • Ask about, Check Engine Light - Drivetrain - Fuel  - Steering/Suspension - Electrical - Auto Body and More.

How Ask A Mechanic Works


ask a mechanic

There are many Ask a Mechanic Online Services out there. RodsShop is a 100% real mechanic that is ready to answer your questions. There are NO AI chatbots, NO Apps to install or any type of monthly fees or commitments.

The first ask a mechanic question is free, so what does that mean? The first question is based on the question and topic. For example, your question is: "How to change a tire?" It doesn't matter how many emails or phone calls it takes to help you, that is considered one question

Other services want to get you into a monthly fee or have some gimmick to get you to pay at some point, RodsShop doesn't work that way. This is truly an Ask a Mechanic for FREE, no strings attached. 

If you return later for a second question, the charge is $12 which can be paid via PayPal or other means if need be. And again, all questions are unlimited communications based on the topic of the question.

Why does RodsShop offer this? Firstly, true customer service and helping others seems to be a lost practice. RodsShop lives by this practice. Secondly, your questions provides content material for blog post and questions and answers. So by helping you, we are helping others.

You can contact RodsShop through an Ask a Mechanic form. That message will be received and replied to via email. If your situation is highly detailed, RodsShop will call you and step you through steps to get you fixed.

Ask A Mechanic Resources 


Find your wheel torque specification, engine codes, bolt torques, engine specs and much more

Browse a list of categorized tools and supplies to make your job professional

Browse how to information that might help with your issue. Learn from other repairs that might be exact or similar

Do-It-Yourself Auto Repair

Locate your Paint Code plus get matched paints, clears and supplies

Read through some of the more common questions many visitors ask, you may find your answer

Common Questions & Answers


ask a mechanic

My car cranks but will not start, how can I check to see the cause?

When it comes to an engine running, there are 3 basics it has to have to run. Air, Fuel and Fire. Unless the air filter is completely clogged, it has air. You will have to check for fuel pressure and you will have to ensure the sprak plugs are firing.


Identify these 3 elements to start your trace of the issue. No fuel can be clogged fuel filter. Fuel pump could have gone bad or have a bad fuse or relay. If no fire to the spark plug, this could be a coil pack or a bad crank sensor.

The dash and gauges come on but the car won't crank over, what could this be?

The most common issue when this occurs is the battery in the FOB is either dying out or has died. To test this, you can place the FOB right on the start button and push the button with the FOB. Note, if the FOB dies while driving, the car will remain running. It is not until you stop and turn the engine off that you find out it will not start again. 


Many dashboards will have an indicator letting you know that the FOB isn't detected. If you are having these no start issue, look on the dash to see if this indicator is illuminated.

I'm getting a burning smell from my cars heat when idling after driving. It only occurs when idling and goes away after a few minutes.

This issue is usually cause by an oil leak or coolant leak. Coolant leaks usually smell sweet, where an oil leak can smell like something burning. More than likely, the valve cover gasket is mildly leaking. Small amounts of oil are probably getting burned on the exhaust manifold. 


The reason why you smell it at an idle after driving and then goes away is because while driving, the air from the road removes the smells. Once you stop, the smell trapped under the hood will vapor in the car for a moment. Often when you have a mild leak like this, it will not leave droplets on the ground, as it will burn up on the manifold or engine.


Inspect the valve cover all the way around to see if it is wet, oily or shiny. If there are no apparent leaks there, then look under the car at the oil pan and around the front pulley where the belts are. Or take it to a garage or on the next oil change, ask the mechanic to take a look while the car is on the lift.

Can you recommend a product/process for repairing peeling, cracking silver/chrome color on my Toyota 4-Runner wheels/rims?

You will want to take the wheels off the 4 Runner. It would be OK to do one at a time if you don’t have 4 floor jacks.

With the wheel off, you will want to use a paint stripper. Klean-Strip Aircraft Ultra Remover is the best but expensive and usually you have to order it from Amazon or somewhere online.

The alternative is Rust-oleum Aircraft Automotive Paint Stripper and usually Walmart or local parts stores has it, plus it is cheaper.

Once stripped, you can take brass wire brush wheels for a drill and run over the entire wheel to remove any excess and smooth the wheel out. Since your wheels have that flat surface on the facing, I would at least sand it with 220 and 320 grit sandpaper.

Spray the wheel down with a degreaser like Super Clean. Once dry, wipe it down with a prep solvent. Then it is ready to spray.

Toyota used Classic Silver Metallic paint code (1F7) and Cement Gray Metallic paint code (1H5). After spraying the color of your choice of the two, you will want to clear it with a 2K Urethane clear. Regular air dry clear will not last, it has to be a catalyzed 2K.

You can get all of that I mentioned from here: https://rodsshop.org/get/automotive-touchup/

You may have to go through the paint code search but all the supplies I mentioned are there in aerosol, including the 2k Clear. If you have a spray gun, they carry the paints in cans as well.

I would like to restore an older chevy truck as my everyday driver but only if it would get at least 25 (or more) mpg, is this possible?

It is possible to hit around 25mpg but are you talking highway or in town? I ask because even the newest trucks don’t get but 15 to 16mpg in town and barley 23 to 25mpg on hwy?

Your best bet would go with a 2019 and later 5.3L Vortec. You will need a 6L80E 6-speed automatic transmission to go behind that. Your best bet is to get a Painless or Howell EFI for the wiring harnesses you will need.

The gear ratios on a 6L80E 6-speed automatic transmission are: 1st gear - 4.02, 2nd gear - 2.36, 3rd gear - 1.53, 4th gear - 1.15, 5th gear - 0.85, and 6th gear - 0.67.

With knowing that and the gas mileage you are trying to target, I would go with a 3:23 or a 3:42 rear end. I can tell you, if the higher gear ratio you go on the rear and that 6th gear being really high, you could destroy your gas mileage because it will always be under a load. I would steer more towards the 3:42, especially if your truck is old enough to weigh a lot.

My jeep will not start or crank. There no noises. I bought a new battery that wasn’t the problem. Interior lights ext come on, what do you think it could be?

Look under the hood and find the Power Distribution Center box. It should have a diagram under the cover to tell you what relay and fuse does what. Look for a fuse and for the relay that is for the starter.

It may read “Starter Relay” and the fuse should just be “Starter”.

I have seen the starter fuse be in the interior fuse panel as well, so look in both places and check the fuse. If the fuse is good, then you will need to jumper the relay. This can be done by removing the relay and using a wire across pins 30 and 87. You may have to look at the relay for the pin numbers to match which slots to use your jumper wire. With the jumper wire in place, turn the key on and or try and crank it with the key. See if it will crank over.

If none of this is the issue, more than likely, your starter is bad and will need to be replaced.

I would inspect the cable and wires going to the starter to ensure they are not loose or corroded before buying a starter.

Had some codes pop up po420 and po430

The OBD code P0420 indicates that the catalytic converter in your car is not working efficiently. This code is triggered when the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) detects that the oxygen levels in the catalytic converter are below the desired threshold.

The OBD code P0430 indicates that the catalytic converter on bank 2 of the engine is not functioning efficiently. This code is triggered when the vehicle's onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) detects a problem with the catalytic converter

RodsShop offers a full list of codes, you can view them here: https://rodsshop.org/full-list-of-odb-codes/

If you need help with your issue, tell me year make and model, engine and how many miles. Also tell me if how the car is running. Often these codes could mean various things depending on the car itself.

Hello i have a 2016 chrysler 200 limited and i have a spare tire that’s 235 70r 16 . I’m not sure if it’s okay to put on my car and just wanted an answer.

Any time you change the wheel on a car or truck, you should always upgrade the spare tire as well. Not so much a matching wheel in design, but if you have changed the diameter of the wheel, then it would be a good idea to make the spare the same size. 

I have a 2000 Ford F150 and the speedometer doesn't always read correctly and I noticed the shifting doesn't feel right. What could be the cause?

On this year F150, two common parts can cause this issue. The one more common is the rear ABS sensor that is mounted in the top of the axle/differential housing. This ABS sensor is tied into Ford's ECU and can throw off the speedometer and the shifting. 


The other sensor is the VSS sensor that is mounted on the driver's side at toward the rear of the transmission. The VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) job is to tell the ECU what speed the vehicle is going. The ECU in turns sends the signal to the actual speedometer. When this sensor goes bad, it can also cause the same issues. However, usually when a VSS goes bad, it usually just stops working all together and the speedometer will just stop working period.


There are ways to test these sensors if you have a multimeter.


To test a rear ABS sensor on a Ford F150, use a digital multimeter to measure the resistance between the sensor's signal wire and ground wire; a reading within the manufacturer's specified range (usually between 800-2000 ohms) indicates a functional sensor; if the reading is outside this range or erratic, the sensor likely needs replacing, and always consult your vehicle's service manual for specific testing procedures and resistance values.


To test the Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) on a Ford F150, you can use a multimeter to measure the resistance of the sensor by disconnecting the connector, setting your meter to ohms, and checking the reading between the sensor wires; a reading within the manufacturer's specified range indicates a functioning sensor, while a very high or low reading suggests a faulty sensor; you can also check for any damage to the sensor wiring or connector, and if possible, compare the readings to a known good sensor on the same vehicle. Always ensure that the wires and connectors for all sensors are damage free and not oil soaked.


Tips On How To Ask A Mechanic Questions


  • When you reach out, please provide year, make and model of your vehicle. It can help for research on common issues or recalls. Many vehicles can have typical problems. By knowing this info, can speed up your answer.
  • Provide your mileage. Ignition and emission parts have lifespans to them, knowing this info can be helpful.
  • Provide more information than just saying "It Won't Start". The more detail provided, the better response you will get. describe if the engine is turning over but not running. Or if you turn the key or push the button, nothing happens.
  • If your question is about wheels and tires, include if you are using factory sizes or you are upgrading. Also include the wheel diameter, tire width and the type of driving you plan on doing.
  • For auto body questions. Please include they type of work as in a full restoration, collision repair, how the damage occurred. If it applies, add your paint code and the type of vehicle you are working on. Also include your level of expertise.
  • For all questions, if you could include your level of expertise as a mechanic and or paint and body experience. The more I know about your capabilities, the better I can communicate with you.
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