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Godholio posted:It's a Cobalt...how much stoppin' powa do you need? Are you routinely overheating your brakes? Apparently. It's the girlfriend's car, she drives it 5 miles a day, so not much. But it gets considerably better gas mileage than my car, so we take it on trips. Coming down a mountain on Sunday, I thought the brakes were going to come off. I was just wondering what data/knowledge there might be regarding brake rotors that wont warp in 30k miles.
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Jul 10, 2012 02:09
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Are the rotors actually warped or do they just have uneven brake pad material deposits? Maybe the issue isn't the rotors but crappy brake pads.
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Jul 10, 2012 02:34
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`Nemesis posted:Maybe the issue isn't the rotors but lack of Y chromosome... That'd be my guess... (Hey, its Misogyny Monday damnit!)
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Jul 10, 2012 02:36
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GentlemanofLeisure posted:I posted this yesterday night in the BMW thread and haven't really gotten any responses so I thought I'd put it here for now.] You aren't getting any responses because this is such a general symptom. Let's start with this: what kind of maintenance has been done lately? Is it anywhere close to up to date? Hint: up to date does not mean oil changes only, nor does it mean "I've done what the service schedule says since I got it at 105,000 miles". Things like that aren't worth tracking down until you know the basics are done. And after that (if you have no DTCs/check engine light) you're looking at short term fuel trims for a hint.
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Jul 10, 2012 03:34
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Tab8715 posted:Electric Cars and cold weather. Is this possible? I'm in Fargo, North Dakota and it gets to -25f occasionally. Our town here in Illinois has a fleet of the Mitsubishi I. They run all winter without any problems. Not -25, but 0 if not colder.
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Jul 10, 2012 04:05
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Electric cars should have active heating and cooling on the batteries. I know the Nissan Leaf does.
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Jul 10, 2012 04:13
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Recently, my car started to experience abnormal behavior when starting - for the first 5-10 seconds, it seems like one cylinder is not firing. This only happens with a cold engine. After discovering this, I did a check of the basics and found that over the last 30 days or so (since last check) the car had lost about 1L of oil and 2L of coolant. I changed the spark plugs, which were in fairly bad shape. They were uniformly but not excessively covered in some white stuff. Cylinder 4 also seemed a bit moist/oily (I scraped the piston with a small wooden stick and the tip was sort of moist with oil, whereas the other cylinders just left a dry smudge on the tip). The spark plug change did not change any of the symptoms. The car has always burned oil, though perhaps not as fast as now. There are no bubbles in the coolant. There are no signs of oil and coolant mixing in either of them. There are no signs of overheating or coolant system malfunction. After idling for 10-15 seconds, a sharp press on the accelerator results in a small cloud of blue-ish smoke coming out the tailpipe for a second or two. The car has not thrown any error codes or lighted any warning lights. In the last 12 months, the valve guide seals and oil pump have been changed on the engine. No other significant engine work has been done. A moderate amount of sludge was reported by the mechanic when changing the oil pump. The car is an Opel Omega, '95 2.0L 100kW at around 250 000 km. My suspicions are leaning towards the head gasket but I am not sure how to proceed with the diagnosis and confirm it. The fact that the coolant and oil do not show any signs of mixing or bubbles makes me unsure of whether the head gasket might be the issue. What would you recommend I do next? EssOEss fucked around with this message at 08:40 on Jul 10, 2012 |
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Jul 10, 2012 08:36
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EssOEss posted:Recently, my car started to experience abnormal behavior when starting - for the first 5-10 seconds, it seems like one cylinder is not firing. This only happens with a cold engine. Your head gasket is almost certainly shot and is allowing oil and coolant to slowly leak into one or more cylinders. Possibly a warped head to boot. You usually only get the nice oil/coolant milkshake and/or bubbling coolant on severe head gasket failures; yours will probably get there eventually if you don't get it serviced. You can run a compression test to see how hosed cylinder 4 is but at this point it's wasted time.
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Jul 10, 2012 15:01
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Question! The pipe connecting the catalytic converter broke right near the converter on my 1998 Mercury Tracer Trio; a friend and I managed to fabricate a join for it and got the pipe sealed again but in the process managed to rip out the O2 sensor. Now my CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is on and I want to pass the next inspection, so I need to change that sensor. The bad news is there seems to be a bewildering number of options. Are all of these effectively the same? and some are giving me what look like identical sensors with FRONT OF CONVERTER and BACK OF CONVERTER.
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Jul 10, 2012 19:14
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Winson_Paine posted:The bad news is there seems to be a bewildering number of options. Are all of these effectively the same? and some are giving me what look like identical sensors with FRONT OF CONVERTER and BACK OF CONVERTER. I'd just buy any part that is a direct fit or "OE Replacement" - I've never bought any of the ones listed as needing modification because I really don't want to find out what modification it is that it needs. It sounds like from your description you're looking for the "front of converter" or pre-cat oxygen sensor, but in your case the part numbers are identical for front and rear so buy whatever. I like Bosch.
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Jul 10, 2012 19:25
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Lots of cars have different kinds of sensor pre- and post-cat, so I suspect their parts system is designed to assume all cars are like that. That is the thing, the cat bolts right into the manifold, so I guess this is post cat. I looked for one in front but could not find it. Thanks, I will just get one I think and see if the drat thing fits.
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Jul 10, 2012 19:30
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"Front of" and "back of" may come with different-length wiring.
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Jul 10, 2012 19:52
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Winson_Paine posted:That is the thing, the cat bolts right into the manifold, so I guess this is post cat. I looked for one in front but could not find it. Thanks, I will just get one I think and see if the drat thing fits. If you go to/call the dealer they can pull up the schematic and give you a ford part number. From there you can get the appropriate one, even if it's not motorcraft. I'd at least check it out, when it came to maintenance on my Focus almost every part I priced at the dealer vs stores in town, the prices were pretty close. If you find a deal (ie, Tousley Ford's discounts) it can definitely be worth it.
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Jul 10, 2012 21:12
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So the front seat of my 03 Mazdaspeed Protege is getting a bit worn out, and I'd like a lower, farther back driving position anyway; since I am 6'5", legroom and headroom are both at a premium if I don't hunch over. I want something that sits lower and about 6 inches farther back than I can go now; I never have passengers so rear legroom isn't an issue. Stock seat top is 12 and 7 inches above the floor front and rear, respectively. I'd be comfortable with a sport seat, like a Recaro, or just something out of another car, as long as it slides and has an adjustable seat back (seat cushion adjustment is nice but not mandatory). I don't even know how I'd check to make sure the bolt patterns would be compatible with my car, so that's a concern as well. Budget is... well, I have no budget at the moment, but I just found out I'm getting promoted at the end of the month so I'll be able to save up for something in a more reasonable amount of time. I'm looking at the options, but hopefully someone here will have some input on the situation. E: Good bolstering is also high on the list. Fender Anarchist fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Jul 10, 2012 |
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Jul 10, 2012 23:50
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I'm going to stick this since "I didn't see the stupid question thread" seems to be a very common point of discussion.
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Jul 10, 2012 23:53
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`Nemesis posted:Are the rotors actually warped or do they just have uneven brake pad material deposits? Maybe the issue isn't the rotors but crappy brake pads. Good question. I took the wheels off. I put a straight edge to the rotors - they looked flat. I took off the calipers, both of the inner pads looked like this:  Not sure if this is an issue. I put the brakes back on, and torqued the wheel lugs to spec because I read somewhere that over-torqued wheels could cause brake issues. I drove the car about 3 miles and got it up over 60 and felt no pulsating with the brakes. I'm not sure if they need to get hotter before they have issues, but I will keep an eye on things.
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Jul 11, 2012 01:27
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If you leave a car sitting will the crankshaft warp and seize or is that something else that does that. If you left a car sitting in like a non corrosive environment for many years would the hard parts be ok?
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Jul 11, 2012 02:03
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Splizwarf posted:"Front of" and "back of" may come with different-length wiring. Yep. I got under there today and there is an amazingly long wire clipped to it. NEXT QUESTION. That fucker is IN THERE. I am afraid of forcing it too hard lest I break the exhaust pipe, but the thing is old and rusty and it has been in there a long rear end time. My current plan is to give it some WD40, then run it a little to heat it up, then try vicegrips plus tapping with a hammer. Do I have a better option for getting the fucker loose?
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Jul 11, 2012 02:11
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IOwnCalculus posted:I'm going to stick this since "I didn't see the stupid question thread" seems to be a very common point of discussion. Genius. Should have been done a long time ago. Hindsight and all that.
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Jul 11, 2012 02:28
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shovelbum posted:If you leave a car sitting will the crankshaft warp and seize or is that something else that does that. If you left a car sitting in like a non corrosive environment for many years would the hard parts be ok? The biggest issues with long term storage are fuel left in the tank, gaskets that are typically bathed in oil during operation drying out, battery sulfation and rodent intrusion. If it's going to be sitting for >6 months you should run the gas tank down to a quarter tank and throw some sta-bil in it, put it on jackstands (to prevent flat spotting the tires), put the battery on a trickle charger and close off any opening that a rodent could fit into, mainly intake and exhaust. Starting it and letting it run for 15-20m periodically wouldn't hurt either.
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Jul 11, 2012 02:47
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Winson_Paine posted:NEXT QUESTION. That fucker is IN THERE. I am afraid of forcing it too hard lest I break the exhaust pipe, but the thing is old and rusty and it has been in there a long rear end time. My current plan is to give it some WD40, then run it a little to heat it up, then try vicegrips plus tapping with a hammer. Do I have a better option for getting the fucker loose? WD-40 is not a good penetrating lubricant. Get some purpose-made stuff like PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench or (my favorite based on results) Kryoil. A 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF seems to work really well also. I've just started messing with that brew but it seems promising. Spray it a couple times a day for a couple days and give it a try. If that doesn't work or you're too OCD to wait, running the car to temp and then trying to remove it (without getting a 3rd degree burn) often works. After that, it's torch time. I also have to tell you that I've had exhaust pipe completely out of the car (so no access issues) with every possible tool I could ever need, every lubricant, every manner of torch.......and I've still failed to get O2 sensors out. Sometimes things are just that stuck. It's not a huge deal, and any exhaust shop will be happy to oxy that little poo poo right on out of there and weld a patch and a new O2 sensor bung on for you for very little money.
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Jul 11, 2012 03:08
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As the title suggests, my car actually IS low on blinker fluid. What's the prescribed amount for an 89 subaru?
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Jul 11, 2012 03:22
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Winson_Paine posted:Yep. I got under there today and there is an amazingly long wire clipped to it. Borrow an oxygen sensor socket from an auto parts store or buy your own for $10. It's a socket with a slit on the side for the wire to go through and lets you use a cheater bar if necessary.
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Jul 11, 2012 04:10
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My turn for a question! 1990 Chevy C3500 454/TH400, was idling fine, threw it in R and it died. Will "start" then die, and I can keep it running feathering the throttle but have poo poo for power and it dies as soon as I put in it gear. Added fuel just to make sure the tank sender hasn't poo poo the bed, still nothing. Any ideas?
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Jul 11, 2012 04:14
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iv46vi posted:Borrow an oxygen sensor socket from an auto parts store or buy your own for $10. It's a socket with a slit on the side for the wire to go through and lets you use a cheater bar if necessary. I never use those. If the sensor is coming out it's because it's bad. So I'm replacing it. I'll just cut it in half with a sawzall and put a normal socket over it. I've ruined more than one o2 socket by abusing them.
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Jul 11, 2012 04:22
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chrisgt posted:I never use those. If the sensor is coming out it's because it's bad. So I'm replacing it. I'll just cut it in half with a sawzall and put a normal socket over it. I've ruined more than one o2 socket by abusing them. This is the correct answer. The split in the O2-specific sockets only lead to them opening up and ruining the wrench flats. If you can't get it out with a proper open ended wrench or a flare nut style crowfoot wrench the O2 socket is sure to spread and leave you with few options (pipe wrench followed by a torch). O2 sockets are basically some of the most useless unitasking tools imaginable to me.
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Jul 11, 2012 04:32
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IOwnCalculus posted:I'm going to stick this since "I didn't see the stupid question thread" seems to be a very common point of discussion. If we're gonna keep this one around for a while, should we touch up the OP? I'd suggest linking the BFC car buying advice thread from there: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3213538
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Jul 11, 2012 05:38
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kimbo305 posted:If we're gonna keep this one around for a while, should we touch up the OP? I like it, and I'm going to add that to the rules thread too. InterceptorV8 posted:My turn for a question! Vacuum leak? I seem to recall my GMC doing this when we swapped carbs and didn't realize there was a hole for a plug in the back of the baseplate that we had left open.
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Jul 11, 2012 06:06
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Motronic posted:This is the correct answer. The split in the O2-specific sockets only lead to them opening up and ruining the wrench flats. If you can't get it out with a proper open ended wrench or a flare nut style crowfoot wrench the O2 socket is sure to spread and leave you with few options (pipe wrench followed by a torch). OK followup, the top part broke off so I could use a socket wrench anyway. However since I could, I just jammed the thing back together. The odds of this working are about zero, right?
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Jul 11, 2012 06:32
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EightBit posted:Your head gasket is almost certainly shot and is allowing oil and coolant to slowly leak into one or more cylinders. Possibly a warped head to boot. OK, thanks for the confirmation. I will have it replaced. Is there anything else I should have done together with this, as long as the head is coming off anyway? I am not really sure what might be the most useful items to renew in the top end.
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Jul 11, 2012 11:32
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Motronic posted:This is the correct answer. The split in the O2-specific sockets only lead to them opening up and ruining the wrench flats. If you can't get it out with a proper open ended wrench or a flare nut style crowfoot wrench the O2 socket is sure to spread and leave you with few options (pipe wrench followed by a torch). I've had a lot of luck just putting big vice grips on from the get-go and beating them with a 3lb minisledge. Doesn't even damage the wiring.
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Jul 11, 2012 13:26
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Splizwarf posted:I've had a lot of luck just putting big vice grips on from the get-go and beating them with a 3lb minisledge. Doesn't even damage the wiring. Too tricky to get in there with anything that large, and between driving around with a broken sensor and having to replace the cat because I broke the pipe trying to get it out, I will learn to tolerate that little light.
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Jul 11, 2012 14:07
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Winson_Paine posted:Too tricky to get in there with anything that large, and between driving around with a broken sensor and having to replace the cat because I broke the pipe trying to get it out, I will learn to tolerate that little light. Is it a front or a rear sensor? Most cars, the first sensor in the system is what controls the a/f ratio. So if it's not working, you'll get craptastic gas mileage, and probably dump a lot fuel in the cats ruining them. If it's a downstream sensor, ya, ignore it. They do nothing except make you fail inspection.
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Jul 11, 2012 14:17
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Winson_Paine posted:OK followup, the top part broke off so I could use a socket wrench anyway. However since I could, I just jammed the thing back together. The odds of this working are about zero, right? You mean jammed 2 pieces of the O2 sensor back together? Yeah, I'd say it's about zero. chrisgt posted:Most cars, the first sensor in the system is what controls the a/f ratio. So if it's not working, you'll get craptastic gas mileage, and probably dump a lot fuel in the cats ruining them. And run your cat(s) from running around pig rich in open loop all the time.
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Jul 11, 2012 15:19
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chrisgt posted:Is it a front or a rear sensor? On actually noodling around in there, it is the downstream. Failing the emissions test will suck, but I have about a year to take care of it.
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Jul 11, 2012 15:20
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Remember to keep checking your codes regularly; weekly's good but do it at least monthly, because now you'll never know when you throw a code for a possibly more-serious issue.
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Jul 11, 2012 15:28
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I need to get some new tires for my wife's CR-V. Is tire rack still the best place to go through?
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Jul 11, 2012 16:20
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nwin posted:I need to get some new tires for my wife's CR-V. Is tire rack still the best place to go through? This is how I buy tires. Call around to all the tire dealers, and whatever price they give you, take $10-$20 off that and write it down. Make sure to include mounting & balancing fees if you don't have access to a rim clamp/balancer. Walk in to the place that gives you the lowest price, but modify your price notes so that they are 2nd or 3rd lowest. Tell the register jockey that bumblefuck tire across town has quoted you a better price, but you think the service here is better, so if they can beat that price you'll buy two tires, and if they can really beat that price you'll buy four. If you have organized notes written down they will never question you, and they will always come down on price if you play hardball. What the gently caress is tire rack? Edit- I googled it. Just for shiggles I looked up my wife's Malibu. Not counting shipping charges, the hankooks I picked up via this method were about $30 less than what tire rack quoted me. This might be a good option if you aren't comfortable negotiating and want the convenience of tires delivered from the internet, but you can do better if you're willing to put in some leg work. DrPain fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Jul 11, 2012 |
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Jul 11, 2012 17:16
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DrPain posted:This is how I buy tires. https://www.tirerack.com
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Jul 11, 2012 17:30
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nwin posted:I need to get some new tires for my wife's CR-V. Is tire rack still the best place to go through? I used Discount Tires last time and am impressed. They were priced comparable to Tire Rack, but you just drive up and get new tires instead of dealing with getting tires shipped and finding a place to install them. They also seemed professional and competent as a tire shop. Add in online shopping, good selection, and a fast/efficient appointment system.
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Jul 11, 2012 17:36
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