I would say everything looks pretty good from a firing standpoint. The tips aren't too ashy, color is good and I don't see any oil on them that would give you reason to believe that you have bad combustion. For the threaded sections, they don't see much action except incredibly high heat and expansi...

vooman- with the price of a dual-band O2 sensor, I would hold off on replacing that since there are lots of factors that can make an O2 sensor throw a code, namely the emissions system. I am not sure of all the specifics of what to check, but I would trace the issue back to the engine and start chec...

It might be a combination of the tune with the OBX exhaust. I think that the EST would be a better choice, but since that isn't an option, have you considered installing the factory catback and then adding a glass pack inline or something? The factory resonator sounds pretty smooth on my 5 cyl. with...

Strange that it would go blank, but are you sure there just aren't any messages to display? Can you cycle through your fuel information while driving? It means that the alarm siren relay is failing/failed probably due to moisture. The message will appear for about 5 seconds or so upon start-up and t...

Great tip. And if you didn't have enough to do, I would replace the inner tie-rod as well. Mine went bad before the outer. And since you are under the car, you might as well change the sway bar endlinks just as preventative maint....

I just replaced with the cheaper option and I can tell you that the replacement will always be better than what you have on it now (used and worn). I did hear one complaint in another forum that the rubber boot on the cheap one tore, but I would imagine that it could happen to any of them since they...

I too won't suggest an oil but here is a great article from BodIsTheOil.com: Motor Oil 101 It's long but well worth the read. I too live in LA and spend most miles commuting in traffic going 0->40->5->20->0->55->10. After reading the article you can draw you own conclusion. I walked away switching ...

I use Valvoline Synpower, 5/30 in the winter and 10/30 in the summer (I'm in KY). I do about the same thing for the seasons, but if I lived in an area that didn't really see freezing temps, I would run my Royal Purple 10w-30 12 months a year. Right now I change the oil twice a year (every 5,000 mil...

Congrats. From driving a BMW to this, it will feel like a tank! They are easy to fall in love with but it can become a love/hate relationship quickly if you don't give her what she wants! You still have a few years yet.

I will always own a Volvo, even if she needs to be a garage queen some day.

If you want to take the rear wheels off again, replacing the rear sway bar endlinks might help a little more with the stability. T5's came standard rear sways if I remember correctly and it is a wear item.