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Ok, so I definitely can't replace the rear turn signal bulb in my 2005 Focus... When I turned it, the connector came off (Pic: http://imgur.com/wNPcDyA) and the bulb is now loose inside the glass housing. The socket will not come out. I googled a bit, and apparently there is an issue with bulbs overheating and melting stuff. Also, I slightly cracked the botton glass bit this past winter. (Pic below) I didn't have much money, and the light continued to work, so I figured I'd put it off til it failed. I did some reading, and apparently with a crack like that, it can cause moisture build up and cause your bulb to go out (like mine did). I'm thinking maybe I should just replace the whole rear right light unit, since this would just keep happening over and over with that crack. Does AI think this is wise? If so, approximately how much is a fair price? I'm on an internship in the Bay Area so I have no idea who is a good/bad mechanic, and knowing what a reasonable price is would be useful. (I have to drive to the Midwest in 2 weeks, so I need to get it fixed soon).
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Jul 28, 2013 22:51
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I don't know if you have a sedan or wagon focus but this page at rock auto: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1433084,parttype,807 Has what you need and this is really a DIY job that shouldn't require a mechanic. Your local auto parts store might also sell the assembly but the price will generally be a bit higher.
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Jul 28, 2013 23:05
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Totally TWISTED posted:I don't know if you have a sedan or wagon focus but this page at rock auto: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1433084,parttype,807 Yeah, I already messed up the socket trying to replace the bulb, at this point I'm willing to spend a little money to just have it dealt with. (especially since I need to leave the state very soon) Is labor usually about the same as the part for something like this? (so prob 80-100 would be a fair price?)
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Jul 28, 2013 23:33
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GregNorc posted:Yeah, I already messed up the socket trying to replace the bulb, at this point I'm willing to spend a little money to just have it dealt with. (especially since I need to leave the state very soon) A good mechanic can do it in about 1/2 hour or so. So figure around 50 bucks plus parts. Around 70-90 bucks would be a fair number to work with. But if you have half a brain, you can do this. Hell the parts monkeys at Autozone can do it.
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Jul 28, 2013 23:37
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So I know timing belts are fairly important. I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla with 98k miles on it that's running ok. I really only need it to give me another year of service. Their maintenance schedule recommends replacement at this mileage but am I likely to be able to skate by putting another 10-15k miles on it safely or should I suck it up and find the cash to get it replaced?
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Jul 29, 2013 00:11
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You better off doing the timing belt service. A head full of smashed valves is way more costly that the cost of replacement.
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Jul 29, 2013 00:21
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Nodelphi posted:So I know timing belts are fairly important. I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla with 98k miles on it that's running ok. I really only need it to give me another year of service. Their maintenance schedule recommends replacement at this mileage but am I likely to be able to skate by putting another 10-15k miles on it safely or should I suck it up and find the cash to get it replaced? Speaking as someone who had a timing belt go out one day into a 4 day cross country trip, change the loving belt! It's not even such an old or worn out car, 2001 with <100k miles. If your belt goes, the engine repairs will cost more than blue book value; I sold mine to a scrapper because I was 3 days drive from home. If you replace the belt, you can probably sell it next year for something decent. Pham Nuwen fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 00:27
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Nodelphi posted:So I know timing belts are fairly important. I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla with 98k miles on it that's running ok. I really only need it to give me another year of service. Their maintenance schedule recommends replacement at this mileage but am I likely to be able to skate by putting another 10-15k miles on it safely or should I suck it up and find the cash to get it replaced? That car will run beyond thunderdome if its kept up on maintenance. Think of the future owners man! Break the cycle of terrible previous ownership!
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Jul 29, 2013 00:54
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GregNorc posted:Yeah, I already messed up the socket trying to replace the bulb, at this point I'm willing to spend a little money to just have it dealt with. (especially since I need to leave the state very soon)  Is this what you tried? You really shouldn't take this to a mechanic. Edit: the bulb is going to be smaller than the light, just turn it over and let the bulb come out? If the housing is cracked then you should replace it yes. VelociBacon fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 01:23
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Nodelphi posted:So I know timing belts are fairly important. I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla with 98k miles on it that's running ok. I really only need it to give me another year of service. Their maintenance schedule recommends replacement at this mileage but am I likely to be able to skate by putting another 10-15k miles on it safely or should I suck it up and find the cash to get it replaced? I thought those had timing chains?
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Jul 29, 2013 01:25
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Devyl posted:Torque and a Bluetooth OBD-II reader. Works great on Android-powered devices. Holy crap that's way more affordable than I thought it would be. Thanks!
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Jul 29, 2013 01:52
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My car did something bizarre, yesterday. The car in question is a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GT, 3800 V6. Background (not sure if it matters): I had a new alternator installed about two weeks ago. The new alternator is the result of a problem I posted in here a while back, where my a/c fan was bogging down when I hit the brakes or made turns. Several days after the new alternator was installed, my battery went dead. I chalked it up to coincidence, knowing the old alternator hadn't been charging it, properly. Still, it seemed odd: car started right up in the morning, I stopped at a 7-11 for a drink, and when I came back out, it was "click-click-click." New battery seems to be doing fine. So, yesterday I am out and about, and I am making a left-turn onto a side street. I hit the gas and nothing happens. I look down, and realize my car is off. So, I am slowly rolling through a turn. I put the car in neutral, turn the key, and the engine catches, but the RPMs are jumping all over, between almost 0 and 3K, which happens to be right where the rev limiter cuts you off if you hit the gas while you're not in gear. My throttle input seems to be completely ignored, or maybe it starts to work, but then leaps up, drops down, whatever. I lurch out of the intersection, let the car sit for a minute, start it up (which takes a few cranks), and it keeps doing the RPM jump thing. So, I let it sit, longer, start it up, and it seems OK. I feel a couple of lurches at low speed, but I think it might just be the transmission shifting, and my paranoia about the car cutting back out. Something similar happened about four years ago, but never repeated. I'm in the middle of a road trip, accelerating to about 90 on a long stretch of freeway, when the car just shuts off. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and nothing like that ever happened, again, so I forgot about it. The main difference is, there was no RPM bullshit when I restarted the car, that time. So, the "works after sitting" thing reeks of overheating, to me. Maybe a sensor of some sort? Maybe I'm completely off base, and it's nothing like that? I can't find anyone with these exact symptoms, online, and the people I've run it by, offline, don't have any useful suggestions.
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Jul 29, 2013 02:03
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VelociBacon posted:
I think the housing is melted or warped. When I turned, the bulb AND the socket came loose from the connector. The socket and bulb are currently rattling around the inside of the glass bit. I spent a few minutes and was able to get the socket to fall back into place (it was like one of those dentist's office games). But turning it clockwise won't let it out - I think something in there got warped. Google says this is a semi-common problem, and one solution is to switch to an LED bulb since they use less heat. But since my socket is currently borked, and since the glass is cracked, I'm thinking it might be better to just swap out a whole new part + an LED bulb.
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Jul 29, 2013 02:04
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CharlesM posted:I thought those had timing chains? Well I'll be damned, you're absolutely right. I went back to the maintenance page and read the asterix in the fine print that stated models after '97 had a chain. Thank you and please pardon the stupid question.
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Jul 29, 2013 02:05
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Wise goons of AI, I come to you yet again with another question about this damned truck... 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 4.7 V8 Magnum automatic transmission Whenever I come to a stop at a redlight or stop sign, the truck starts running rough and shuddering. My RPMs jump around between 500-350, but if I tap the gas to rev the engine, it normalizes itself and idles smoothly at 600 RPM. The only time it does not do it is when I don't downshift before stopping (I.E. I never got out of 1st gear while moving.) So, whenever I stop after it downshifts into 1st gear, it runs like poo poo until I hit the gas again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy7vXWBChEI Here is video to show you what happens, though it doesn't dip as low as it has before, it is still running really rough and the whole truck is shaking. At around 00:16 is when I tap the gas and you can see it sits nicely at 600 RPM and quits shaking. I thought it might be a throttle body issue at first, but that doesn't make sense to me seeing as it only does it when I come to a full stop after a downshift. iForge fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 03:04
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iForge posted:Wise goons of AI, I come to you yet again with another question about this damned truck... My completely uneducated guess is that it could be a vacuum leak. My E34 was acting the same way when I bought it for that reason.
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Jul 29, 2013 04:35
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I did some alternate checking to go along with the wheel / tyre calculator. The calculator gives me 175/87 R15 and after asking around I have been told 205/75 R15. In reality they both seem pretty close. I also have a stupid question which I'm sure is probably absolutely  Do U.S. manufactured cars use Edison screw bulbs?
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Jul 29, 2013 05:41
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I had to replace the Fan control module on my MK4 jetta, and ever since it was replaced, the fuse that controls the radiator fan blows about once a month and the fan won't work until I replace it. Is it possible that this is a defect in the control module? This is very annoying as it blew out yesterday and I had to drive for 2 days with my heat on because it is one of these stupid fuses I can only get at the VW dealership. http://www.lmhconcepts.com/images/jetta/fuse.jpg
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Jul 29, 2013 06:03
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NESguerilla posted:I had to replace the Fan control module on my MK4 jetta, and ever since it was replaced, the fuse that controls the radiator fan blows about once a month and the fan won't work until I replace it. Is it possible that this is a defect in the control module? This is very annoying as it blew out yesterday and I had to drive for 2 days with my heat on because it is one of these stupid fuses I can only get at the VW dealership. http://www.lmhconcepts.com/images/jetta/fuse.jpg Sounds like a short somewhere. Who replaced the module? They should be the ones fixing it.
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Jul 29, 2013 07:04
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NESguerilla posted:I had to replace the Fan control module on my MK4 jetta, and ever since it was replaced, the fuse that controls the radiator fan blows about once a month and the fan won't work until I replace it. Is it possible that this is a defect in the control module? This is very annoying as it blew out yesterday and I had to drive for 2 days with my heat on because it is one of these stupid fuses I can only get at the VW dealership. http://www.lmhconcepts.com/images/jetta/fuse.jpg Don't know about the relay, but I do know you can get replacement fuses from ECS Tuning. Good company to get OEM or equivalent parts from. Buy a few and forget about having to wait on the dealership in the future.
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Jul 29, 2013 07:29
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VelociBacon posted:Sounds like a short somewhere. Who replaced the module? They should be the ones fixing it. My mechanic did. I'll bring it by them tomorrow if that is likely the case. Devyl posted:Don't know about the relay, but I do know you can get replacement fuses from ECS Tuning. Good company to get OEM or equivalent parts from. Buy a few and forget about having to wait on the dealership in the future. Word. If push comes to shove those are about half the price of what VW charges so I'll just order a wad of them. Still hoping I can get a more permanent fix though.
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Jul 29, 2013 07:43
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General_Failure posted:Do U.S. manufactured cars use Edison screw bulbs? Not in a long, long time. Long before you or I were born, anyway. They seemed to get standardized in the 40s. 1156/1157 and 3156/3157 bulbs seem to be the norm on pretty much every car I've owned - US or otherwise. Add a few 194 or 168 for lower wattage stuff. 1156/1157 will be a twist-lock design, but not a screw (should be similar to the bulbs you guys use in table lamps these days? push in and give a slight twist). Pretty sure car bulbs are pretty standardized world wide these days, though the name/label may be different (3157 is a T25 over there, 194/168 would probably be T10, only difference between 194 and 168 is wattage).
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Jul 29, 2013 08:53
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Nodelphi posted:Well I'll be damned, you're absolutely right. I went back to the maintenance page and read the asterix in the fine print that stated models after '97 had a chain. Thank you and please pardon the stupid question. It's what this thread is for.  Also I think my car has H4 headlights or something like that. 9004 on some vehicles were (are?) common too.
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Jul 29, 2013 10:02
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I have a 97 Oldsmobile Achieva that is refusing to stay running at the moment. A month or so ago, i had it in the shop because it needed a PCV valve and something between the coil and the plug wires had shorted or burnt out and was making it misfire. Everything was fine for a couple weeks, then it started acting up when it was started up - if I immediately put it in drive, it would stutter a bit and I would have to feather the gas for a couple seconds to even it out, but after that it ran fine. This morning, it refused to start unless I held down on the gas a bit, and would die instantly if I tried to let it idle. I babied it into work, probably 20 minutes or so away, and when I got here, it would sit and idle, but clearly whatever is wrong is getting worse, and I'd like to fix it before I'm completely stranded. Does this sound like an idle air control valve, or a throttle sensor, or something else entirely? I'm ok with pistons and carburetors, but I'm completely lost with sensors and emissions etc.
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Jul 29, 2013 14:24
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Any codes? Also possibility of lower intake manifold gaskets... pretty much a shoe in of GM vehicles from that era.
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Jul 29, 2013 17:38
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No check engine light on the way in, I think I'm going to stop at a parts store on the way home and throw a TPS and idle air control on it and see if that helps.
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Jul 29, 2013 18:31
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I'll make this quick. Found a good deal on a 08 Mazda 6 i-Touring. They just got it in from a trade, so it was not pretty inside. Dog hair and smell, and dusty. But the car drove very, very nice. No engine problems from what I can see. The exhaust came out clean on start up. The only problem is that I noticed under the driver's seat is, it is all rusted. All of it. The CarFax came up clean, and it's not an R title. I have no idea what could cause this. Should I abandon ship?
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Jul 29, 2013 19:35
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Can I get a technical assist? My 2007 Hyundai Accent started making this baseball-card-in-bike-spokes-sound. At first it was faint and only happened when I was driving so I didn't pay attention to it. Now it's louder and it happens if I'm in neutral or drive. It seems to speed up as I rev the engine and disappear as I near 70mph. I checked and there's no baseball card anywhere near my tires. I revved the engine from the motor itself and the sound seems like it's coming from the front of the engine towards the bottom. Please help.
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Jul 29, 2013 20:49
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^ When you say happens in neutral, do you mean while rolling in neutral or sitting still and revving the engine?
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Jul 29, 2013 21:06
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a forbidden love posted:Can I get a technical assist? My 2007 Hyundai Accent started making this baseball-card-in-bike-spokes-sound. At first it was faint and only happened when I was driving so I didn't pay attention to it. Now it's louder and it happens if I'm in neutral or drive. It seems to speed up as I rev the engine and disappear as I near 70mph. I checked and there's no baseball card anywhere near my tires. Sounds like either something gone wrong in the accessory belt area or an exhaust leak. Exhaust leaks close to the engine sound like a rhythmic tapping that increases frequency with rpm and increases volume with load; when you reach cruising speed you're probably backing off the throttle enough that it diminishes.
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Jul 29, 2013 23:12
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What is the goon consensus on the $50 paint job thing? http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master.htm?http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html Saw some posts on reddit and it seems like a fun little project to try out. Note there's a 3 year update and it still seems pretty nice. If I'd go ahead with it, I'd get a bodyshop applied clearcoat and wax too.
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Jul 30, 2013 05:13
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Pr0phecy posted:What is the goon consensus on the $50 paint job thing? A local friend of mine has done this and it turned out amazing. I'd do it if I was poor.
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Jul 30, 2013 05:30
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Yes it happens in park/neutral/drive, the more I rev the faster the tapping noise. I'll check the exhaust system tomorrow for any leaks, should I go about it the way this guy did? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYVjkyLdID4
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Jul 30, 2013 05:49
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This might sound stupid, but are there different sizes for the center bolt that goes into the crank snout on a sbc? I can't think of any way that this hole is not terribly stripped out, but the bolt that should go in there (that does fit on a different sbc) is way smaller than the hole (from the threads being ripped out?) I guess I will be calling the machine shop in the morning.
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Jul 30, 2013 06:12
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Pr0phecy posted:What is the goon consensus on the $50 paint job thing? I recall years ago there was a thread here where a guy did something similar with I think a Cherokee, got pretty good results too.
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Jul 30, 2013 06:20
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Raluek posted:This might sound stupid, but are there different sizes for the center bolt that goes into the crank snout on a sbc? I can't think of any way that this hole is not terribly stripped out, but the bolt that should go in there (that does fit on a different sbc) is way smaller than the hole (from the threads being ripped out?) According to google, unless someone stripped it out at some point and re drilled/tapped it larger, it should be a 7/16-20 x 2-1/4" long bolt
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Jul 30, 2013 14:00
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Pr0phecy posted:What is the goon consensus on the $50 paint job thing? It's a huge waste of time compared to spraying, probably ends up costing as much as a cheap spray gun and appropriate materials anyway with all the sand paper you need to use, and if you're going to get a bodyshop to spray it with anything afterwards it's pretty foolish to do for at least 2 main reasons: 1.) the cost in getting a car sprayed is not primarily in materials or spraying time. It's in prep, bodywork and masking 2.) you don't spray incompatible paints over each other unless the previous coat is DRY DRY DRY. We're talking months. Otherwise it's likely to do something you don't want it to like the carrier for the top coat softening the previous coat to the point of dripping off. This whole "process" is for people who are afraid of spray guns and don't understand you can make an aceptable place to spray out of a tarp or painters plastic rigged up on ropes/stakes/trees/whatever.
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Jul 30, 2013 14:07
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Motronic posted:
Just saying that I saw better results dicking around with spray gear than trying to follow someone's instructions on using a roller.
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Jul 30, 2013 14:14
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Raluek posted:This might sound stupid, but are there different sizes for the center bolt that goes into the crank snout on a sbc? I can't think of any way that this hole is not terribly stripped out, but the bolt that should go in there (that does fit on a different sbc) is way smaller than the hole (from the threads being ripped out?) I can't remember the specifics, but there are a couple of different sizes. I thought it was only older (early 327s and prior) that were different, though. I can't even remember where I read about it to go back and check.
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Jul 30, 2013 16:00
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A friend of mine just moved to Los Angeles and is needing to buy a used car for commuting, probably a Camry or something practical like that. He's not much of a car guy. Can anybody recommend a good place to go for a pre-purchase inspection? He's around Culver City and doesn't know anybody out there yet.
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Jul 30, 2013 18:07
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