DUCATI XDIAVEL, SENSUAL DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE

Combining sensual design with performance, the XDiavel is Ducati’s first cruiser offering. Despite bearing the same name as an existing bike preceded by a letter “X”, this is no mere variant but a model in its own right: a true fusion between the relaxed riding style of machines with forward mounted footpegs and the adrenalin-fuelled world of Ducati. We spoke with Andrea Ferraresi, design director of the Borgo Panigale based brand.

“The initial ideas date back to late 2012, and development started the next spring. This model brings the extreme proportions typical of a show bike to production reality, a... Read more

What to Do If Your Lexus Infotainment System Crashed

If you have a 2014-2016 Lexus, your car's infotainment system may have mysteriously crashed, as our test vehicles did. Turns out Lexus sent an over-the-air software update that was glitchy, and rendered many of its cars' stereo, navigation, and information systems useless.

Unfortunately, you can't fix it yourself. You have to take it to a Lexus dealership. The cars are safe to drive.

Here's what happened: Lexus said in an email that an “errant data broadcast by our traffic and weather data service provider was not handled as expected by the microcomputer in the vehicle navigation head unit (... Read more

Evenflo SensorSafe Car Seat Alerts Parents to Presence of Child Still in the Car

The reports roll in with unsettling regularity: A young child is killed by exposure to extreme temperatures when left behind in a parked car.

For several years, child passenger safety advocates have appealed to automotive and child-restraint manufacturers for ways to prevent these avoidable leave-behind deaths. While many solutions have been developed, few have proven to be reliable, as proven by researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

However, an innovation developed last year by Evenflo, called SensorSafe, could make a difference. The Ev... Read more

5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You (5)

We want to protect you from overpaying for parts and repairs you don't even need. Here are 5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You. 

5. IT'S ALWAYS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM POSSIBLE

NOTE: When you role into the shop hearing a small rattle under the car, the mechanic might come back telling you that your catalytic converter is shot, that your muffler is rusted, and that the exhaust pipes have holes in them. When you hear words like "all," "entire," "full," or "whole," you should head to another shop stat to double-check. 

5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You (4)

We want to protect you from overpaying for parts and repairs you don't even need. Here are 5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You. 

4. THINGS GET PERSONAL

NOTE: Don't ever let a mechanic bully you into using that particular service garage. If you're truly worried about hurting the car, you can have it towed for a second opinion or call up other places for an off-site evaluation. Mechanics might try to even suggest that you're putting your family or other loved ones in danger by not having something fixed immediately. Yo, back off, homie! You don't know my life, so don't try to make d... Read more

5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You (3)

We want to protect you from overpaying for parts and repairs you don't even need. Here are 5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You. 

3. NAME BRAND EVERYTHING

NOTE:

There are a couple reasons this could turn out terribly. The mechanic might convince the average person that he or she needs XYZ brake pads by explaining that you can stop on a dime to avoid the idiot ahead in the minivan who stopped for no reason or to check out that super babe just passed running in her sports bra.

If you're somebody that's worried about getting ripped, we'll assume you won't know names of... Read more

5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You (2)

We want to protect you from overpaying for parts and repairs you don't even need. Here are 5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You. 

2. FIXING SOMETHING UNRELATED TO THE INITIAL ISSUE

NOTE: The classic line, "yeah, we saw that you need to replace the belt, that's what was squeaking, but while we were under the car, we noticed the tie rod over here is about to break, so you need to replace that immediately." Dude, just fix what we came here to get fixed and then we'll talk further investments. 

5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You (1)

Anybody that owns a car knows that a trip to the service shop is inevitable. It's pretty simple to do the basics, but the average car owner doesn't know anything about the size of their car's gas tank, let alone about what's under that hood. Although some good guys exist, many of the car dealerships and other mechanics see this as a chance to prey on the vulnerable and uneducated. We want to protect you from overpaying for parts and repairs you don't even need. Here are 5 Signs Your Mechanic Is Cheating You. 

1. HE OR SHE WON'T SHOW YOU OLD PARTS

NOTE: Oh, you had a crack in your he... Read more

How Your Car's A/C Works, and How to Recharge it when its Dead

Air conditioning is a modern automotive miracle when it's working. And when it's not working, you'll feel like a punk for having paid for a luxury item you can no longer use. Luckily, recharging your car's A/C system is easy enough—and it's even easier once you understand the basics of how your car's air conditioning system works.

This air conditioning explanation gets a little technical at times—Fenske uses symbols for pressure and temperature that you probably haven't seen since high school chemistry. All that you really need to remember is this: Any time a compressed liquid is released and turns into a gas, the... Read more

How to Use an Auto Scan Tool

Your Check Engine light is shining like a beacon of bad news. What's going on? We'll tell you how to figure it out on your own, on the cheap.

You're tooling down the road; it's a beautiful, sunny summer day, and to top it off, your car is running absolutely perfectly.

Perfectly, except for that Check Engine light shining like a beacon of bad news. What's going on? The car still runs well and idles fine. Maybe it's an electrical snafu. It's sure to turn itself off at some point, right? Which it does. And then it comes back, sort of at random. Now it's time to pass the state emissions inspection to renew your plates, an... Read more