r/CarHelp

Ive been wanting to get a sturdy 4 bike rack for my rav4 but it doesnt have a hitch on it, and im not a fan of the strap on bike racks because I get so concerned they will come loose while driving. How hard is it to install a hitch on a rav4? Like I said it would just be for a bike rack so I dont think i would need to do any electrical stuff. I see online people are quoted like 1200$ to get it done which seems absurd to me.

turning the key turns all the lights/ac ect on, however there is no other noise. turning the key doesn't seem to try and crank it at all. any ideas before I change the ignition switch?

the radio in my fiesta doesnt work until i hit it on its head above the screen. does anyone know how to fix and what i need to do

So I bought a 2010 Acura tsx back in July coming up on a year now and the car has been sitting in my driveway because I haven’t had the opportunity to get my license( long story) I replaced the battery not too long ago and now it’s not ready for emissions I know I have to drive the car around but I’m in a very unique situation the car doesn’t have any plates or insurance so I can’t drive it how I want to the best I can do as of right now is drive around my neighborhood for like 30 minutes a day do you think this will be enough to get it up to speed or no?

Hello, I need some help with my car as I have been having constant battery issues for the last few years, multiple replacements and the car still dying. I'll try to give a quick history of the car.

I bought the car used in 2019. Drove it for about 4+ years with no mechanical issues at all. My car died randomly in 2023, figured the battery might be bad so I got a new battery and the car worked just fine. 2-3 months later, car died again. I took it to the dealership I bought it at and had them take a look at it, they found no issues with the current battery but since I had recently got it, maybe it was a bad battery. I got it swapped and put it in the car. Few months goes by, car dies again. I ask the dealership to check my car for a parasitic draw and they can't find anything to indicate that this is an issue. I start dealing with constant car dying issues every few months from 2024 until now. I have always been able to jump the car and drive it, but then it just dies a few days later. I even made it a point lately to use my car to drive around town when my wife and I go out to make sure it can recharge the battery enough.

I had to get an emissions test in January and had no choice but to get the battery replaced again so I did, and my car is dead again this morning. Anytime I've brought it somewhere to have it looked at for a parasitic draw, they find nothing. I jump the car and drive it around but then within a month the car is dead again. Any advice on what might be causing my car to die so often?

Recently both my brake lights stopped working on my 2005 Chevy trailblazer for an unknown reason, but the top middle brake light works and so do my tail lights. I replaced both bulbs and i replaced the brake light circuit board with no success. And since changing out the circuit board now my right turn signal flashes rapidly (this was also after changing out the bulbs with LED 3157R bulbs. And idea how to get my brake lights back on and how to fix my right rear turn signal?

I got a 2008 mercury mountaineer with like 168,000 miles I was in need of a car becuase I had a new baby and needed to get around and last night the car broke down on the side of the road but turned back on right after believe it’s a transmission problem because i feel it shake between certain gears… anyway I’m really young and I pay almost 650$ a month in total on this car what should my next steps be and what should I expect from the dealership ? Should I go get a second opinion from a mechanic before I go there or call? I don’t know what to do and I don’t want to screw myself over so if anyone has advice for a single young mom who works for everything I have let me know…. Like honestly I didn’t know any better when I went by myself to the dealership because I got a gas guzzler and wouldn’t mind something better financially, gas wise. Any ways Thankyou

Hey guys, I’m having a strange issue with my 2014 Volkswagen Passat 2.5L and wanted to see if anyone has experienced something similar.

Recently after heavy rain where I live, I went to refuel my car. While the car was ON during refueling, it started jerking and idling rough, and I noticed the lights dimming.

After the tank was full, I turned the car OFF and tried to start it again, but it wouldn’t start. I had to put it in neutral and get a push from a friend, and during the push, the car suddenly came back to normal and started working fine.

I went to a nearby service station, and they said it was a battery issue, so I replaced the battery.

A few days later, I went to refuel again:

Same issue happened (jerking + dim lights) while refueling

This time I kept the car ON, and after fueling was done, it went back to normal

Then again after a few days:

I turned the car OFF before refueling

After filling up, the car again had trouble starting

Needed a push again, and it came back to normal

Hey everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice before I make a big decision on this. My 2014 Honda Accord recently started losing power, especially when accelerating or going uphill. It idles mostly fine. But once I give it more throttle, it feels sluggish and kind of inconsistent. I already checked some basic stuff like spark plugs, air filter and even ran a fuel system cleaner, but nothing really changed. A mechanic I spoke to mentioned it could be low compression, which has me worried about internal engine wear like piston & parts starting to go. The car has about 120k miles, so it’s not super high mileage which is why this caught me off guard. I’m now stuck trying to figure out if it’s worth putting money into diagnosing and repairing it or if this is the kind of issue that usually turns into a money pit. I still need the car daily, so I’m also unsure how risky it is to keep driving it like this while I decide. Has anyone run into something similar with this generation of Accord, and what did it end up being in your case? Would you fix it or start looking for something else?