Oil Approvals & Certifications Can Be Really Confusing - Here's What You Need to Know

What’s in your oil really matters. Different engines require different protection, so you really should use oil that meets the right specification. Extracting the exact information you need from all the other numbers and symbols on the bottle can be difficult, as there are a couple of phrases to look out for, a few to avoid, and the manufacturer-specific code that corresponds to your engine. Fear not, though, as a quick read through this article should give you all you need to choose a quality oil for your application.

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Don't Neglect Your Transfer Case or It'll Leave You With a Big Repair Bill

All-wheel and four-wheel drive have become increasingly popular in the last few decades, and while they’ve provided better traction in inclement weather, they’ve also added complexity. At the center of all that complexity in many European cars and SUVs is a transfer case, which sends power to both axles when needed. Despite its widespread use, transfer case issues are common, with major failures affecting BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche. Before pulling the trigger on your favorite European SUV, learn how transfer case issues can hamper your ownership.

Hidden Legends: Unveiling The World Of Unofficial Porsche Models

It’s hard to grasp just how small a company Porsche used to be. Today Porsche advertises itself best through owners, who share images of their cars painted in bespoke and specially chosen colors with personally selected interior trims and bits, but it wasn’t always like that. In its first few decades, the company did everything it could to produce the perfect sports car and beat the best in motorsport, and that often meant margins were razor thin. But keeping the company solvent meant more than just working around monetary constraints, as internal company politics, high model demand, and trim level changes forced quick decisions. Executives and engineers pulled out all the stops to ensure Porsche survived, leading to these curious and well-hidden oddities sneaking under the public’s radar.

How To Perform a Compression and Leak-Down Test

Compression testing is one of the most common procedures for checking the relative health of an engine. After all, engines are air pumps, and without compression, they tend not to work well. If you ever want to know where you stand in terms of the overall health of your engine, a compression check is the first place to start. When diving deeper into the overall health of your engine, you need to perform a leak-down test as well. A compression test determines the relative compression between individual cylinders, while a leak-down test determines the sealing ability of the valves, head gasket, and piston rings.