Whether you’re hauling a boat out to the lake, hooking up a camper for a wilderness adventure, or transporting landscaping equipment, being able to tow a trailer can go a long way in upping a vehicle’s utility. A good trailer is a worthwhile investment for any truck or SUV owner, transforming a daily driver into […]
Category: Electrical
The Shocking Truth Behind High-Voltage Electric Systems
As Heraclitus once said, the only constant in automotive technology is change. From the earliest Model T Ford to today’s selection of full-electric options, vehicles have come a long way over the last hundred-plus years. In that time, we’ve swapped out hand-operated crank starters for fully automated ignition systems, perfected the art of forced induction, […]
Bright Ideas: Exploring New Headlights Technologies
Of all the safety equipment packed into modern vehicles, headlights might be the most important. It’s hard to underestimate the impact that a good set of headlights can have on the overall driving experience. Headlights have come a long way from the kerosene oil lamps that graced some of the earliest cars and have made […]
Staying Grounded – The Importance of Ground Wires
When you look inside the engine bay of a car, it’s easy to spot the red positive cable connecting the battery to the electrical system. However, it is easy to overlook the black negative cable trailing off to the side. This is an essential ground wire, but it isn’t the only one; many of the […]
Measuring Electricity: Why You Need a Multimeter
Modern cars are filled with electrical components, and like any automotive component, they can go bad or fail. Unfortunately, unlike mechanical components, diagnosing an electrical problem can rarely be accomplished by sight alone. Unless you are fortunate enough to have an obvious broken wire or a blown fuse, you are going to need a testing […]
Electrical Diagnostic Rituals for Mild Electrophobes
Let’s get one thing out of the way: I am terrified of electricity. I can’t say I hate it because that would be untrue––I owe almost every experience of my life to electricity. Technically speaking, human life isn’t possible without it, but let’s limit the scope of “terrifying electricity” to that which flows in wires, […]
How to Start Your 2022 Chevy Trailblazer When the Fob Battery Dies
You hit the keyless entry button on the door to unlock your 2022 Chevy Trailblazer… and nothing happens. No welcoming bleep to let you know the door unlocks, no flashes of lights. Because you’re human, you hit the button again, but still no bleep. Your Trailblazer is now as good to you as all the […]
Alternators 101: How They Work And When To Replace Them
From components as vital as headlights and power steering to less-than-essential features like your sound system and heated seats, there are few parts of your vehicle that aren’t somehow reliant on an electrical current. While we might understandably assume that it’s the 40-pound battery under the hood that’s keeping our phones charged and favorite tunes […]
Car Care 101: Demystifying Your Car’s Fuses
When working on your own vehicle, it’s important to recognize that there are some projects that require a great deal of expertise and should be handled either by a professional or only once you have a lot of experience with auto repairs and maintenance. Just as important, however, is realizing that other projects are remarkably […]
Understanding Car Diagnostic Systems
Cars are incredible and intricate pieces of machinery that are composed of several different moving parts and components. These parts must all be working correctly and in unison for the car to achieve safe motion. Due to the sheer amount of components and systems that go into a vehicle, vehicle maintenance is an unfortunately common […]