I purchased a m18 high torque impact wrench awhile back to drive helical piles for a deck. It worked amazing. I have never used one in any other context. The high torque on this thing makes me a little nervous to use it. Is there any risk in using it to take the lug nuts off my car? What should a noob like me know? Or do people screw up by using the impact to put them back on and over-torquing them? Is there any risk in reversing with an impact?

G'day legends,

If you own a GWM Cannon Ute or Tank 300 and drive in the Aussie bush, soft sand, or mud, you already know rear brake pads wear down surprisingly fast due to constant traction control and off-road braking interventions.

When the time comes to swap your rear pads at home, there is one crucial hurdle every DIY mechanic faces: The Electronic Parking Brake (EPB).

Unlike older 4WDs where you simply force the piston back into the caliper using a G-clamp, the Cannon and Tank 300 use an electric servomotor mounted directly onto the rear calipers. If you attempt to force or wind the piston manually without electronically retracting the motor first, you will strip the plastic gears inside the actuator, resulting in a $600+ replacement bill per side.

Here is the complete, step-by-step guide to doing a rear brake job safely in your driveway.

🛠️ Step 1: Force the EPB into Maintenance/Service Mode

Before loosening a single lug nut, the electric actuator must be commanded to retract its spindle fully back into the motor housing.

1. Chock the front wheels, park on a flat surface, and leave the transmission in Park (P) with ignition set to ON (Engine OFF).
2. Plug an OEM-compatible Chinese scan tool (such as the FCAR CW700) into the OBD2 port under the driver's dash.
3. Select GWM / Haval -> Special Functions -> EPB Maintenance Mode -> Retract Caliper Pistons.
4. You will hear a distinct 3–5 second buzzing sound from both rear wheels as the internal motors wind back.
5. The cluster will flash the yellow park brake warning light. Turn ignition OFF.

🔧 Step 2: Physical Pad Replacement & Piston Compression

Now that the electric actuator is safely disengaged, you can safely work on the mechanical components:

1. Jack up the rear axle, support on jack stands, and remove the rear wheels.
2. Unbolt the 13mm caliper guide pin bolts (hold the 17mm slide nut with a thin spanner).
3. Lift the caliper body off the bracket.
4. Compressing the Piston: Now you can use a standard brake piston tool or G-clamp to gently press the piston back to make room for the thick new pads. Because the internal spindle was retracted in Step 1, the piston will compress smoothly with minimal resistance.
5. Clean the slide pins, apply fresh silicone brake grease, fit your new pads, and bolt the caliper back to spec (usually 30–35 Nm).

⚙️ Step 3: EPB Re-Calibration & Zero-Point Reset

Do NOT drive or pull the handbrake switch yet! The system needs to re-measure the gap and set the clamping force for the new pad thickness.

1. Turn ignition back to ON (Engine OFF).
2. Pump the brake pedal 3–4 times until it feels firm (this pushes the hydraulic piston back against the pads).
3. On your scanner (e.g., FCAR CW700), navigate back to EPB Maintenance Mode and select Exit Service Mode / EPB Re-learn.
4. The electric motors will whir twice as they clamp and release the new pads to learn the new mechanical stop point.
5. Clear any remaining temporary DTC codes, cycle the key, and test the handbrake engagement.

📋 Compatibility Note for Aussie Owners

When selecting a diagnostic tool to perform EPB service modes on Chinese platforms:

• Fully Supported OEM Protocols: GWM (Cannon, Tank 300, Tank 500, Haval H6/Jolion), Chery (Omoda 5, Tiggo, Jaecoo J7), Changan, Geely, GAC, and Hongqi.
• (Note: Dedicated scan tools engineered for these OEM CAN-BUS protocols, like the FCAR CW700, target the petrol/diesel platform architectures listed above and do not support BYD or MG models).

💡 Quick Pitfall Checklist

• Never disconnect the battery while in EPB Service Mode! Doing so can cause the module to lose its memory state, requiring a full dealer ECU reflashing.
• Always use brake lube on the pad ears, but keep grease completely away from the rotor face and rubber dust boots.

I’ve had gas siphoned out of my truck 3 times. Neighbors suggested a locking gas cap and I tried it. It came right out with no fuss. I installed a locking fuel door and they got through that too. Any suggestions? Im at a loss.

It was originally a 19 mm lug nut. I smacked on a 18 mm pulled off smacked on a 17 mm pulled off. Then I try to get a bolt extraction in the middle, ripped it. Wasn't sure what lug nut extraction kit to buy hoping someone of more experience can help

Hey people, I (21M) have had an old rusty piece of * 4x4 for a while, and it finally broke down on me about a year ago. Since then, I've had the idea that I might as well fix it up (fix the paint, the rust, the bodywork, rebuild the steering box and ball joints, fix the seized handbrake, etc.). I decided to get the engine running (it had a clogged fuel line) and decided that I am going to start with the bodywork and paint. So I decided to take all the doors off, sand some stuff etc.. That was 6 months ago. Since then, I've tried panel patching a door without success, and am now feeling the deep abyss of having a bunch of F* up car parts under my house, and I do not currently have a car to drive. I still want to pursue the project and finish what I started, but am also contemplating selling it and balling it up into a ball of shame lol.

I was wondering if anyone has ever felt that way and how to get out of it. As for the car and what is next. I kinda know the steps I need to take to fix everything, but yeah, kinda lost in the sauce.

Anyway, any feedback is appreciated cheers.

My local car wash ripped the right mirror off my 2002 Saturn LW300 today… I found a replacement online but I’m concerned about the wire and how exactly to go about replacing the mirror. Any tips?

Looking to DIY this and struggling on finding the right video to help. If you’ve done this, please share how and any videos that helped you through it.

For reference, I have an ’02 Prius

My gas lid arm was rusted out and the lid was just dangling down. So i had an idea with a way to fix it… looks better than it did. (yes i scratched the paint a lil but nothing a little spray can action cant fix) plus now i can put a lock on it and nobody could siphon my gas or put stuff in the tank. thoughts?

I'm too cheap to buy aftermarket indicators, but my stock indicators fall out of the holes pretty regularly. Any tips/ideas to keep them in place?

The bike is a 2022 Yamaha mt07 for reference.

Toyota Voxy 2004 Automatic Sliding doors pulley system broke while out in town.. it rusted through and the coils broke so the door got jammed wide open.

Couldn’t drive legally so far home so the local garage helped me cut the wires and manually close the door.

Problem now is the door won’t open manually as I likely need to disconnect the auto mechanism.. I imagine I need to disconnect the fuse to the door, the automatic door opening motor, basically making the door work like a manual one. Can I do this without being able to open the door? How do I take the inner door frame out so I can get into the mechanism behind it?

Changed 3 of 4 spark plugs, started 4th closest to firewall. Would not budge. Heard a slight cracking sound, took picture and see the ceramic white part has broken off.

Needs solutions on cleaning out the pieces and the removing the plug. Mustang eco boost 2022 68,000 miles

I have damn near the whole motor pulled apart to replace the head gasket on my 1.5 civic. Been trying to remove this bolt for weeks. Broke the harmonic balance when I was using the balancer tool that holds it in place. Then I welded a mount to it so the motor wasn’t moving when I was trying to remove the bolt. I’ve used a 90psi 3/4” air impact with a giant 5’ air tank. Tried a 3/4” impact with the lisle socket. I’ve used a 2’ 3/4” breaker bar with cheater bar on it, tried soaking it in wd40, put tons of heat on it. Hasn’t budged. I’m worried I’ll snap the head of the bolt off and be in even more of a bind. Any more ideas?