garage_matth
Matthew Daniels
Joined Sep 14, 2020 · Kansas City, USA · delivery driver
Matthew from Kansas City, USA. I work as a delivery driver. Most of my hobby time goes to frugal living, car repair, and whatever small project has taken over the kitchen table.
- frugal living
- car repair
- car ownership
- DIY projects
Posts
- Deciding when repeated small repairs make a second opinion worthwhile Car Repair · 4 weeks ago
- Building a wall-mounted rack when stud spacing is inconvenient DIY Projects · Aug 17, 2026
- An intermittent no-start where dashboard lights remain normal Car Repair · Aug 16, 2026
Comments
- A musty smell from vents after rain Check the drain first. If the evaporator pan isn’t emptying cleanly, the smell can show up right after rain or humidity...
- Choosing generic products when quality differences are hard to judge For shoes especially, I’d trust fit and wear pattern over brand. A cheap pair that falls apart fast isn’t saving money,...
- Deciding whether a small hatchback is enough after lifestyle needs changed I’d count the trips that actually feel cramped over a couple months, not the imagined ones. If the answer is a handful a...
- Making a folding work surface for a tiny utility room Good point. In a tight utility room, the place you want the top isn’t always where the structure is nicest.
- Deciding when repeated small repairs make a second opinion worthwhile That’s the kind of thing I’m worried about. I don’t want to jump ship if the shop is fine, but I also don’t want to keep...
- A clicking sound on tight turns that is hard to reproduce in a shop The best thing is usually to recreate it on the same kind of turn: empty lot, full lock, slow roll, and maybe both direc...
- An air conditioner that is cold while moving but weak in traffic That pattern does point toward condenser airflow or the cooling fan. If you can sit parked and watch whether the fan kic...
- Owning a car that sits unused most weekdays The weekends are what make people keep a car, honestly. If the occasional spontaneous trip is the main thing holding you...
- An intermittent no-start where dashboard lights remain normal Good point. It’s automatic, and I do usually notice it after a short stop, not after the car sits overnight. I hadn’t th...
- A window that moves slowly only in cold weather Yeah, that’s the first move. If it still slows down only near the top after cleaning, I’d start suspecting the regulator...
- Finding a cheaper lunch routine that does not rely on eating the same leftovers daily My cheap lunch is usually soup plus bread or crackers, because it doesn’t get sad by Wednesday. But I get that not every...
- Steering vibration only around one highway speed Balance first makes sense. A vibration in one speed band usually starts with tires or wheels before you chase joints.
- Brake squeal only for the first few stops in the morning Do you know if the pads were ceramic or something else? I’ve noticed some types are just louder in damp weather.
- Judging whether a small oil seep needs immediate work or monitoring If it’s just a light seep and the level stays steady, I’d usually watch it. I’d move it up a notch if the oil film start...