Rowan Adams 🥉

Park on flat ground chock a wheel loosen the lugs lift and support on stands never rely on the jack remove the wheel turn the steering unbolt and hang the caliper by wire slide the pads out note their layout retract the piston while watching fluid level clean the bracket lands install new hardware and lightly grease pad ears and slide pins keeping grease off friction surfaces then fit pads and torque the caliper bolts. Refit the wheel snug the lugs lower the car tighten lugs in a crisscross pattern pump the pedal until firm then do a few gentle stops to bed the brakes and listen for anything unusual.

Hey there, I totally get the frustration with cold morning starts on an older SUV. I'd recommend the NOCO Boost GB70: 2000A since it's got plenty of power with 2000 amps to handle engines up to 8 liters gas or 6 liters diesel, which should work great for your big battery without any issues.

Shop tech here. For your sedan, the gauge you bought should be fine as long as it gives repeatable readings. The most common issues are checking when the tires are warm and not sealing the tip squarely on the valve. Do it cold. Morning is easiest. Go by the driver door sticker. Press the gauge straight on, firm and steady, wait a beat, then read. No constant hissing. Take two or three readings to make sure they match. Consistency is the tell. Have any that model counter check one that model and compare your reading, if you are unsure. Being within about one psi is perfectly acceptable for daily use. Add air in small steps and recheck so you do not overshoot. Underinflation runs hot and wears the shoulders, overinflation wears the center. Seasonal swings matter too since cooler weather drops pressure. I tried that routine with my own car and the numbers settled in nicely, then the TPMS light stayed off for months.

Got a cheap adapter under 50 that pairs with both major phone platforms and reads and clears codes, and shows I M readiness with no subscription. Turn the key on before connecting and if the first try fails just disconnect and reconnect then it is set and forget.

For an Explorer you mainly need consistent readings around the mid 30s so yeah.. :) both digital and analog can be accurate enough if they are built well. With digital you get easier readability and no parallax. With analog you avoid batteries but you must look dead on at the needle and use a decent chuck and hose to seal firmly. Whatever you choose test it on a cold tire three times in a row. It should repeat within about half a pound. Then cross check against your vehicle TPMS and if possible a shop master gauge to see if there is any offset. If you find a small consistent offset just remember it and use the same tool every time. Avoid the super cheap pencil style since they tend to wander & store the gauge where it will not get banged around and and do not measure right after a drive because heat can bump the number several pounds.

I drive the same generation Camry and ran into the same worries and good news is most cams are universal since your car provides 12V and the camera steps down to 5V through the included adapter. If you just want it to record while driving, using the center console power socket is fine and it turns off with the ignition in the 2018 so there is no battery drain overnight. No issues. If you want parking mode, plan on a hardwire kit with an add a fuse to one switched fuse and one constant fuse, plus a solid ground. I used the passenger side fuse box and tucked the wire along the headliner, then down the A pillar behind the weather stripping so I did not block the curtain airbag. Mount the camera just to the right of the mirror shroud so it does not interfere with the safety sensors. Heat can be rough in summer, so choose a model rated for high temps and use a high endurance microSD card and you will be set.

I would not assume anything until you verify the feature list so yeah... lots of budget readers advertise all systems but only do powertrain once you plug in. Two quick checks that save returns. Look for explicit mention of ABS and SRS for Toyota with Camry listed by year, and make sure live data for those systems is shown in the manual or screenshots. If you can, stop by a parts store and have them scan your car first, that tells you whether your issue is in ABS or SRS and lets you hold off on a purchase until you know what you need.

Bedtime alarm + morning sunlight; tiny shifts totally reset me!

that model is worth it if you plan to leave the reel outside all season. The frame and fasteners hold up and you don't get the flaky paint and orange bleed you saw before which and yeah worth it. Install is not bad on brick and level the base, drill four holes with a masonry bit, drive in concrete screws, and hook up the leader hose. Biggest tip is to place it so the hose pulls straight for the first few feet so you are not torquing the mount every time you walk away. Call it thirty to sixty minutes for a first timer.

Under your budget you can still buy enough capability you have to ignore the biggest number on the box. Look for an honest continuous or starting amps spec and a decent energy rating in watt hours. That tells you how long the pack can both pre charge the battery and crank for several attempts. Peak by itself means little in the cold. For winter use get in the habit of keeping the pack at room temp and topping it monthly. On the day you need it clamp on and wait a minute before the first try. If it starts to crank but slows, stop and wait a full minute to let the pack recover, then try again. If it only ever clicks and your dome light dies, the vehicle battery is probably toast and the jump pack is doing all it can.

For older cars that need reliable ABS and SRS access, I would pick Foxwell NT630 Plus. It is a true handheld that consistently talks to brake and airbag modules on late 2000s and early 2010s vehicles, gives live data so you can watch wheel speed sensors in real time, and shows freeze frame for OBD2 engine faults which makes it easier to understand what was happening when the code set. Quick tip for your 2008 sedan and 2012 SUV. Update the tool before first use, select the vehicle by year make model rather than the generic OBD2 menu, and use the live data stream while rolling slowly in a safe spot to compare each wheel sensor. Clear codes only after you confirm the fix so they do not come right back.