Others
That Awful Scraping Under Your Car Could Be a Loose Plastic Panel

An engine splash shield can make a ridiculous amount of noise for a piece of plastic. One corner slips out of its clips, drops a few inches, and begins scraping the road. You hear it over the radio. Y

AutoExpert
Others
That Tiny Window Dip When You Open the Door Is Protecting the Glass

Open the door of a car with frameless side glass and watch the top edge of the window. It may drop a fraction of an inch before the door swings out, then rise again after the door closes. The movement

AutoExpert
Others
Your New Battery Did Not Break the Window. It May Have Made the Glass Forget Where to Stop

The old battery has been replaced, the engine starts with renewed enthusiasm and the dashboard clock has been corrected. Then the driver’s window develops amnesia. It still moves when the swi

AutoExpert
Others
One Stripe of Fog Refuses to Leave Your Rear Window. The Fix May Be Almost Invisible

The rear defroster has been running for several minutes. Most of the glass is clear, traffic behind the car has returned to recognizable shapes, yet one narrow stripe of fog remains stretched across t

AutoExpert
Tips & Tricks
Your EV Has Finished Charging, but the Plug Won’t Let Go. Look in the Trunk

The charging session is complete. The battery has enough range, the dashboard looks satisfied and everyone is ready to leave. The plug, unfortunately, has made other plans. Pressing its rele

AutoExpert
Others
Sedans Survive Rain Without Rear Wipers. Their Shape Explains Everything

Follow an SUV down a wet highway and its rear end soon develops a familiar gray coating. The bumper gets dirty. The license plate gets dirty. The rear window looks as though someone misted it with mud

AutoExpert
Others
Found Every Window Open? The Culprit May Be Sitting in Your Pocket

Few things make a car owner question reality quite like finding every window open in the morning. The doors are still locked. Nothing appears to be missing. There is no broken glass, no damaged wea

AutoExpert
Others
Cruise Control Is Set to 65, So Why Is the Car Doing 72 Downhill?

Cruise control feels wonderfully precise on a flat highway. Set it to 65 mph and the speedometer settles into place, leaving the car to handle the small adjustments that a human ankle normally makes.

AutoExpert
Others
Your Parking Sensors Are Screaming at Empty Air. Check the Bumper Before Paying for Repairs

There is nothing behind the car. No wall, no shopping cart, no decorative boulder placed by a landscape designer with a grudge. Still, the moment Reverse is selected, the parking sensors erupt. The

AutoExpert
Others
Your Window Reaches the Top, Then Drops Again. It May Be Protecting Fingers That Are Not There

The window glides upward, touches the top of the frame and immediately retreats several inches. Try it again and the same thing happens. Up, nearly closed, then back down. It has the comic timing of a

AutoExpert
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