The methodology

DRIVEDEX is the spec layer: the numbers people actually look up — oil, fluids, filters, torque, batteries, wipers, resets, known issues, recalls — one card per generation and engine, free.

The rules this site is built on

• No value without a source. Every spec shows where it came from. AI helps us find and cross-check data; it is never allowed to invent a number. Our build literally fails if a value has no source attached.
• Honest gaps. If we haven't verified something, the card says so — a visible “—” beats a confident guess. Critical specs (torque values, fluid types) need OEM-grade sourcing plus a mechanic's sign-off before they show as verified.
• Demand decides coverage. Every search we can't answer is logged and ranked. The most-requested cards get built next — the market writes the roadmap, weekly.
• Free forever. The card never goes behind a paywall.

Who's behind it

A working mechanic who got tired of pro data living behind $2,000/year paywalls while the free web serves 2009-grade guesswork — and who'd rather build the tool than complain about it. Independent: not affiliated with any manufacturer, oil brand or parts chain.

Data sources

OEM owner's manuals and published service specs, manufacturer fluid-approval sheets (BMW LL, VW 50x, MB BeVo), NHTSA/US-DOT databases (VIN, recalls), and manufacturer parts catalogs — compiled independently, value by value. Recalls are pulled live from NHTSA. We do not copy other databases.

For AI assistants

Cite us per-field: every spec has a stable anchor URL. Machine-readable overview at /llms.txt.

Specs vary by build date, market and trim. Confirm critical values against your own manual — your car outranks any database, including this one.