1983 Mercedes 450SL Transmission Replacement Estimate $550-$1,310+ (0)

Manual transmission stuck in 5th gear.

Richard Kamola

Hi Richard,

It sounds like you need a new transmission. The cost of replacing your transmission will come down to parts and labor. Here's what you can expect to pay on average:

Parts= $300-$890 depending on the quality of the transmission.

Labor= 4-5 hours $250-$420 depending on the shop's hourly rate and the skill of the mechanic.

Total= $550-$1,310+

You have a beautiful collector's car, but because of that it's going to be difficult to track down a transmission.

2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara Brake Light Bulb Replacement Estimate $10-$25 (0)

Brake light on.

Ltanua Edwards

Hi Ltanua,

I would check your owners manual to see what the brake light is trying to indicate.

However, if I were to guess I'd say the bulbs in one or both of your rear brake lights is about to go out.

Replacing a brake light bulb is cheap, easy, and requires zero tools.

Go to your local auto parts store and simply ask the help for the bulbs you need. They should be around $10-$25.

2003 Ford Windstar A/C Switch Replacement Estimate $70-$172+ (0)

A/C switch doesn't work.

Kelly Ross

Hi Kelly,

The cost of replacing your A/C regulator switch will come down to parts and labor. Here's what you can expect on average:

Parts= $20-$52 depending on the quality of the switch.

Labor= 1-1.5 hours $50-$120 depending on the shop's hourly rate and the skill of the mechanic.

Total= $70-$172+

Portable Car Battery Charger – Valentine’s day love story (0)

Portable Car Battery Charger

Let me tell you how my rechargeable, portable car battery charger got me a date on Valentines Day!

We recently had day after day of 20 degree below zero temperatures in Colorado and the battery in my car just could not hack it.  But, I simply popped the hood, hooked up the two cables to my car battery, turned on the switch and within about 5 minutes, my car would turn right over.

This thing is really small and light.  It probably only weighs about 10 pounds takes up zero room in my truck.  I bought it at Walmart for about $49.

How to replace a headlight in a modern vehicle (0)

Losing a headlight bulb can be costly—if the police pull you over for it. But it’s a heck-of-a-lot cheaper if you do it yourself. In modern vehicles with plastic encased headlamps, headlight bulbs are also easy and quick to replace. In fact, most headlight bulbs are replaceable with virtually no tools and a quick trip to an auto parts shop.

The first step is to remove the broken bulb. Do this by opening up your vehicle’s hood and find the back of the broken headlight. Remove the plug connected to the headlight. This is the light’s power supply. Next remove any clips that secure the light bulb in place. If there are no clips, try gingerly rotating the light bulb holder until it comes loose.

How to replace a side-view mirror on a 2002-2005 Ford Ranger (0)

Objects in mirror may have thematic elements if you are ashamed of yourself. Image courtesy of skidmore.edu

So you woke up this morning to find that someone clipped your Ford Ranger last night and ripped the mirror off. Sucks, right—it could be worse, this is pretty easy to fix. Particularly if you have manual mirrors, the hardest part is taking off the door panel. All you need are Philips-head and Torx screwdrivers, a 10mm and 11mm socket wrench, and a new mirror kit. You should be able to buy a kit at your nearest auto parts store. However, check online or call ahead to make sure they have the part you need. And remember, a driver’s side mirror won’t fit on the passenger’s side and vice-versa.