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Saxon posted:Is there any reasoning behind changing your own oil as opposed to paying someone else to do it or is there something that I am missing? It doesn't seem like it saves money... You can use oil that doesn't suck. Which is irrelevant now if you get your oil changed at an actual manufacturer's dealer and not a Jiffy Lube.
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Apr 25, 2010 03:19
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What's the best way to handle foggy headlight lenses? A quick google search gives me either buying possible scams or wetsanding my headlights, I'd rather hear it from here before I take sandpaper to it.
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Apr 25, 2010 03:32
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Sepist posted:What's the best way to handle foggy headlight lenses? A quick google search gives me either buying possible scams or wetsanding my headlights, I'd rather hear it from here before I take sandpaper to it. Depends on how foggy. Some Meguiar's Plastix works fine for light fog. http://meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G12310 I've used the 3M kit for 12 year old GM headlights and they came out really clean. The more time you spend sanding and polishing the better. http://www.amazon.com/3M-Headlight-Lens-Restoration-System/dp/B001AIZ5HY
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Apr 25, 2010 03:54
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Sepist posted:What's the best way to handle foggy headlight lenses? A quick google search gives me either buying possible scams or wetsanding my headlights, I'd rather hear it from here before I take sandpaper to it. I've seen pretty good results online from people that buy the headlight restoration kits that can be found at pretty much any parts store. Foggy headlights are usually a result of time, and all you're really doing is sanding off the oxidized surface, since just underneath the glass/plastic/whatever is usually fine.
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Apr 25, 2010 03:55
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If I change my own oil, it costs me around $20 or $25, ignoring the costs of a pan, jackstands, funnel, etc. If I get a shop to do it, they'll charge me $39.95, and do a xx-point inspection. This will result in at least $250 in recommended services, so getting a shop to change my oil invariably costs at least $300.
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Apr 25, 2010 04:28
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ExecuDork posted:If I change my own oil, it costs me around $20 or $25, ignoring the costs of a pan, jackstands, funnel, etc. If I get a shop to do it, they'll charge me $39.95, and do a xx-point inspection. This will result in at least $250 in recommended services, so getting a shop to change my oil invariably costs at least $300. Hey, I have some pics relevant to your interest on your Honda brake bleeding. Video too. Regarding gravity bleed and not needing a pedal pusher. (Plays with VLC, too lazy to re-encode it, its only 32 megs.)   http://www.kittenshateyou.com/SA/AI/Zi6_0746.MOV
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Apr 25, 2010 05:47
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ExecuDork posted:If I change my own oil, it costs me around $20 or $25, ignoring the costs of a pan, jackstands, funnel, etc. If I get a shop to do it, they'll charge me $39.95, and do a xx-point inspection. This will result in at least $250 in recommended services, so getting a shop to change my oil invariably costs at least $300. Its especially cheap if you watch for oil+filter sales and stock up. All four local chains seem to jump on and do them at the same time, so I can just pick whichever place is featuring my favorite brands.
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Apr 25, 2010 05:50
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Robawesome posted:It recently cost me about ten dollars more to buy oil and an oil filter at Canadian Tire than it does for an oil change performed by Wal-Mart, so in my example it actually cost more to do it myself :/ 03 Lincoln LS V8 3.9 if it matters Walmart is going to use the lowest amount of $0.89/qt oil your engine needs, with most likely a Fram oil filter. It is going to be about the same price for you to put name-brand oil in with a good Motorcraft filter.
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Apr 25, 2010 05:52
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insta posted:Walmart is going to use the lowest amount of $0.89/qt oil your engine needs, with most likely a Fram oil filter. It is going to be about the same price for you to put name-brand oil in with a good Motorcraft filter.
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Apr 25, 2010 15:48
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insta posted:Walmart is going to use the lowest amount of $0.89/qt oil your engine needs, with most likely a Fram oil filter. It is going to be about the same price for you to put name-brand oil in with a good Motorcraft filter. Fram = piece of poo poo, i'm guessing?
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Apr 25, 2010 19:19
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Fram is notoriously horrible. Honestly, Walmart sells their own Super Tech filters that I think run cheaper than Fram but are much better.
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Apr 25, 2010 20:06
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Car got hit by a 'dollar tree' shopping cart. Probably intentionally, from the look of it. Whats the best way to get this fixed? I have insurance, but if filing a claim will make my rates go up, I'd rather not. I've also been told that if you get the damaged section replaced it'll never look like it should from the factory. Dent is on the front driver's side of an '08 Mazda 3 Click here for the full 1504x1000 image.  Click here for the full 1504x1000 image.
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Apr 25, 2010 20:11
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Get Dollar Tree to fix it
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Apr 25, 2010 20:15
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Speaking of Canadian Tire they have Motomaster Formula 1 semi-synthetic (5w30, 10w30, and 20w50) on sale for $10 a jug today. Its pretty good oil as far as I know. The 20w50 is good for bikes as it specifically has no friction modifiers. I bought five for future cheap oil changes.
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Apr 25, 2010 20:37
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Sidmae posted:Car got hit by a 'dollar tree' shopping cart. Probably intentionally, from the look of it. Whats the best way to get this fixed? I have insurance, but if filing a claim will make my rates go up, I'd rather not. I've also been told that if you get the damaged section replaced it'll never look like it should from the factory. Dent is on the front driver's side of an '08 Mazda 3 Doesn't look too bad, call up the local Paintless Dent Removal places and see how much to get that pulled. The transferred paint should come off with a little rubbing compound.
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Apr 25, 2010 21:34
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Okay, still on the topic of oil changes, and a very stupid question indeed, what type of oil should I be using anyway? It's a 3.9L V8 with around 150 on the clock, Wal-Mart used Pennz 5w20 High Mileage last time I had it changed there. I was going to buy the same but accidentally bought 5w30 at Canadian Tire when I bought my oil and air filter (Fram lol). What's the difference between 5w20 and 5w30? Should i be using synthetic? ninja edit: please don't berate me, i realize this is a tenth grade automotive class question, i just can't remember
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Apr 25, 2010 23:00
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When your car starts getting up there mileage-wise, that's when you usually go towards synthetics and blends. Appropriately, synthetics are more expensive. You could go for a synthetic blend which is middle tier. Regarding your oil numbers, here's a helpful and brief explanation: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/question164.htm I'd go with what your manual recommends for the appropriate season.
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Apr 25, 2010 23:07
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My car has an AC hose with a hole in it that the previous owner didn't get fixed but I would like to look into at some point. If I replace the hose, will I be able to do the rest of it myself or would having a shop take care of it be best? Its an r134 conversion if that makes a difference.
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Apr 25, 2010 23:19
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 My 03 Sable is falling apart, what is the cheapest way to fix this sumbitch?
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Apr 26, 2010 00:23
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the_reading_rainbow posted:
Is that just trim on the edge of the doors? Pull it off and don't slam your door into other parked cars.
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Apr 26, 2010 01:11
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Raymn posted:My car has an AC hose with a hole in it that the previous owner didn't get fixed but I would like to look into at some point. If I replace the hose, will I be able to do the rest of it myself or would having a shop take care of it be best? Its an r134 conversion if that makes a difference. If it hass had a hole in it this long you're hosed. One you're gonna have to take the compressor off and switch the oil to PAG/PEG, then you're going to have to make sure the whole system is airtight, pull it down to vacuum and wait for the water to boil out of it, then charge it. Do the compressor/oil bit yourself and just have the shop do the vacuum/charge.
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Apr 26, 2010 01:56
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eddiewalker posted:Is that just trim on the edge of the doors? Pull it off and don't slam your door into other parked cars. Won't it look weird? Lower the re-sale value or somethin?
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Apr 26, 2010 02:23
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the_reading_rainbow posted:Won't it look weird? Lower the re-sale value or somethin? Carefully take it off, a warm/hot day is your friend. Don't rip off the paint, do it on both sides (so it looks correct). If it really bothers you, you can get replacement stuff from your favorite/local auto shop (autozone, advance-auto, pep-boys, etc) and replace it. Its a trivial task to stick it back on.
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Apr 26, 2010 02:31
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I'm potentially inheriting a 95 honda accord that has been sitting for quite some time, probably over a year. What steps should I take to get it road worthy? The tires, oil will both be replaced.
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Apr 26, 2010 04:38
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Jebediah posted:I'm potentially inheriting a 95 honda accord that has been sitting for quite some time, probably over a year. What steps should I take to get it road worthy? The tires, oil will both be replaced. Battery, plus all the normal tuneup stuff, plugs/wires/air-filter etc. Do the fuel filter if you're feeling inclined to, its on the firewall, so its easier to get to. Wouldn't hurt to change the tranny fluid too, if you don't inherit the service history of it. Is this a rust belt Honda?
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Apr 26, 2010 04:50
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Jebediah posted:I'm potentially inheriting a 95 honda accord that has been sitting for quite some time, probably over a year. What steps should I take to get it road worthy? The tires, oil will both be replaced. In addition to the stuff Sponge mentioned, make sure you inspect your brakes. You also might consider running some Seafoam through the intake, since 90's Honda throttle bodies and intake manifolds like to get gunked up really bad from recirculated exhaust gases. Finally, find out when the timing belt was last done. If nobody can tell you, get it changed ASAP. You really, really don't want it to snap on you.
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Apr 26, 2010 05:19
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My engine bay is filthy. Dust, oil, grime, etc. cover everything. If I spray Superclean all over my engine and assorted peripherals and then wipe / hose it off, will I gently caress something up? Is this a total waste of time?
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Apr 26, 2010 05:52
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ExecuDork posted:My engine bay is filthy. Dust, oil, grime, etc. cover everything. If I spray Superclean all over my engine and assorted peripherals and then wipe / hose it off, will I gently caress something up? Is this a total waste of time? It can be quite helpful, but you need to cover up the electrical connections, fuse box, distributor, and alternator at least. Most people like aluminum foil, since it makes a nice, solid fit but is easy to remove when you're done. I also pulled my plug wires and covered the plug holes on my valve cover. After you hose it down, what I've found works wonders is a can of WD-40 and plenty of towels to scrub off all the caked up poo poo and give everything a nice shine. It's much more pleasant to work under my hood now that everything I touch doesn't leave my hands black.
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Apr 26, 2010 07:43
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ExecuDork posted:My engine bay is filthy. Dust, oil, grime, etc. cover everything. If I spray Superclean all over my engine and assorted peripherals and then wipe / hose it off, will I gently caress something up? Is this a total waste of time? Purple Power and Simple Green.
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Apr 26, 2010 10:45
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Sponge! posted:Battery, plus all the normal tuneup stuff, plugs/wires/air-filter etc. Do the fuel filter if you're feeling inclined to, its on the firewall, so its easier to get to. Wouldn't hurt to change the tranny fluid too, if you don't inherit the service history of it. Nope, southern all it's life. There's not a spot of rust on the body that I have noticed yet. It does have a new radiator that I noticed. How difficult is a timing belt replacement on these 4cyl's? I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so would following a Haynes be good enough or are there shortcuts? 
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Apr 26, 2010 12:11
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Coasterphreak posted:Finally, find out when the timing belt was last done. If nobody can tell you, get it changed ASAP. You really, really don't want it to snap on you. I got my timing belt changed but they did a lovely job on it, ended up snapping a week later... Result? a ton of bent valves. They stripped the engine down and redid it all... guess what, SAME drat THING happened again within a week. This time they weren't owning up to it so we threatened them with a lawsuit and they got another garage to properly fix their mess (brand new engine), as well as getting me a rather nice hire car for a month or two.
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Apr 26, 2010 12:39
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Robawesome posted:Okay, still on the topic of oil changes, and a very stupid question indeed, what type of oil should I be using anyway? It's a 3.9L V8 with around 150 on the clock, Wal-Mart used Pennz 5w20 High Mileage last time I had it changed there. I was going to buy the same but accidentally bought 5w30 at Canadian Tire when I bought my oil and air filter (Fram lol). What's the difference between 5w20 and 5w30? Should i be using synthetic? Use whatever kind of oil is recommended in your manual. What kind of car is it?
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Apr 26, 2010 15:53
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My Hombre still isn't stopping right. I fixed the bad wheel cylinder, replaced the dodgy master cylinder, and have plenty of vacuum in my vacuum booster. I've bled the brakes twice since I did the master cylinder, and it's still acting the same - the brakes pump up when the engine is off, but with the engine on they like to go all the way to the floor. The weird thing is that when I'm done bleeding they work fine for test drives all throughout the neighborhood, but then when they're needed after 20 minutes on the highway they sink all the way to the floor and don't really work. Why. Why is this still going on and what am I not thinking of?
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Apr 26, 2010 16:16
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Doctor Zero posted:Use whatever kind of oil is recommended in your manual. What kind of car is it? 03 Linc LS V8 edit: \/ thanks!, now that other thread has got me thinking of selling the fucker Robawesome fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Apr 26, 2010 |
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Apr 26, 2010 16:42
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Robawesome posted:03 Linc LS V8 Use 5W20 according to the Owner's Manual then. Can be found here: https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/results.asp
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Apr 26, 2010 17:26
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I'm getting ready to move from AZ to IL next month and I was wondering about using a car to pull a trailer. I have a 1998 Ford Taurus, 6 cyl FWD. According to the U-Haul website, if we get a 2000lb rated hitch we can tow a 5'x8' covered trailer (big enough for a queen bed and some stuff) with 1100lbs. Does that sound reasonable? We don't need to haul very much in the way of heavy stuff. Maybe 150lbs of books, 150lbs of kitchen stuff, 30lbs of clothes, 20lbs of furniture, 50lbs of electronics and 80lbs of mattress. We're on the fence about whether we need to get a trailer at all, the only thing we'd lose is the ability to bring our really nice bed, though our TV would be precariously wedged between our cats and the seat. If we didn't go with a trailer we'd also have to ship our books and dvds via media mail. I ask because my friend's dad, who is a service writer for Ford, said it was a bad idea to try to tow anything over 1000lbs with the car. But he does writing for commercial trucks, not cars, so maybe he doesn't know... Also- what kind of service should we do on our car before going on a road trip? I know it needs a battery, I'm going to get the tires checked, maybe change the oil- anything else? The car has 100k miles. dopaMEAN fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Apr 26, 2010 |
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Apr 26, 2010 19:17
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Install a transmission cooler. Get the biggest one you can afford. This is not a 'maybe' or 'should', but a 'definitely do if you want to make it to IL and have your car continue to function'. If you're going through hilly areas (not mountains, just hilly areas) then downshift out of overdrive. If you're going through mountainous areas, which you should try to avoid but might not be able to depending on the route, downshift further and drive piss slow. Give yourself pleeenty of room for braking. There are no emergency maneuvers with trailers on cars. You pretty much just ram the trailer through your rear end and flip over and hit what was in front of you anyway. Learn what all the gears on your shifter column are and how to use them. Downshifting, even with an autotragic, will keep things under control. I towed a 2200lb car, with about 600lbs of car parts in its trunk, on an 800lb tow dolly, behind a 3200lb car (5spd Jetta TDI towing an Escort ZX2). Acceleration suffered a bit, braking suffered a bit, but I did make it just fine.
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Apr 26, 2010 19:39
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I've got an 03 Mazdaspeed Protege. I'm thinking about installing these cams in my car, would it cause any issues other than possibly increased fuel consumption? Car is stock aside from stiffer motor mounts.
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Apr 26, 2010 20:36
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Fucknag posted:I've got an 03 Mazdaspeed Protege. I'm thinking about installing these cams in my car, would it cause any issues other than possibly increased fuel consumption? Car is stock aside from stiffer motor mounts. Anytime you change the way air and/or fuel moves in and/or out of your engine, you need to recalibrate/adjust/"tune" your ECU to work properly with those modifications. If you don't, at best you won't get the benefits of the modifications, at worst you may damage your engine.
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Apr 26, 2010 20:48
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Hmm... well, do any performance shops have the software to flash something like that to the stock ECU, or would I have to get some sort of engine management system too?
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Apr 26, 2010 20:49
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