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88h88 posted:Stupid question time! Old for new? Perfectly straightforward. I've added options to cars that had all the bits but missing switches before, cheap upgrades!
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Nov 28, 2013 20:11
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Some cursory googling tells me that 83 and later Rangers have IFS instead of the solid axle setup, so on an 84 it means it's been swapped to a solid axle. Should handle just fine on the road as long as you drive it accordingly (it's all about the driver until you're actually competing - my solid axled crapcan cherokee can outrun 95% of average drivers even on twisty roads) but what you need to look out for here is how well the swap has been done. If it's quality work, jump on it... if it was monkeyfucked together by some moron with a stick welder in his back yard, run the gently caress away.
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Nov 29, 2013 00:40
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I'm looking for some help I'm trying to find a picture of a 235/60r17 tire on a 17x7 rim I wanna see how much inward angle there is on the sidewall.
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Nov 29, 2013 02:31
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Torn Quad Jones posted:I'm looking for some help I'm trying to find a picture of a 235/60r17 tire on a 17x7 rim I wanna see how much inward angle there is on the sidewall. Not exactly what you're looking for but might be able to give you a rough idea. http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp You'll also notice variation between different brands/types of tires, since the width of a tire is measured from the widest point of its outer sidewall to the widest point of its inner sidewall when mounted on a specified width wheel and not the width of the tread pattern as most assume.
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Nov 29, 2013 07:11
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Bajaha posted:Not exactly what you're looking for but might be able to give you a rough idea. http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp Not only that, but directional/asymetric tyres tend to have a different shape to normal tyres, and even ordinary tyres have different looking shapes depending on construction, make and model.
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Nov 29, 2013 07:14
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Cakefool posted:Old for new? Perfectly straightforward. I've added options to cars that had all the bits but missing switches before, cheap upgrades! I've always wanted to gave a custom dash with big clicky switches. I never knew you could add features though!
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Nov 29, 2013 07:27
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88h88 posted:I've always wanted to gave a custom dash with big clicky switches. I never knew you could add features though! Depends on the car. It's often cheaper to wire a car as if it'll have every option possible, and just not install the switches and various items (i.e. power seats, fog lights, map lights, etc). For example, I added fog lights to my 96 Civic by picking up the factory switch and lights from eBay - all the wiring was already there, I just had to plug everything in. I've added an aux input to a friend's 06 Civic by splicing a 1/8" jack into factory wiring as well. Then I've had other cars that didn't have any extra wiring whatsoever, so adding options from a higher trim model wasn't so easy.
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Nov 29, 2013 08:35
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I traded my Caliber for an Impala, now I am wondering if I should consider consider an OnStar subcription. Turn-by-turn sounds fun, but not for $30/month, I have a garmin to help me get lost. I do like the idea of having my car e-mail me monthly maintenance reports, are the reports actually useful and worth the cost? I dont lock me keys in my car or get in wrecks a lot so that part of the service is not enough to make me sign up.
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Nov 29, 2013 20:01
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Colonel Sanders posted:I traded my Caliber for an Impala, now I am wondering if I should consider consider an OnStar subcription. Turn-by-turn sounds fun, but not for $30/month, I have a garmin to help me get lost. I do like the idea of having my car e-mail me monthly maintenance reports, are the reports actually useful and worth the cost? I dont lock me keys in my car or get in wrecks a lot so that part of the service is not enough to make me sign up. You're going to get a lot of irrational hate on OnStar in AI, but I find it convenient and useful. I don't recommend the full concierge package (of which turn-by-turn is included) for most people, namely because most people won't use it as a concierge service and get their money's worth. Also - negotiate the price of service. You should be able to get 35% off without much effort, 50% off with the right agent. There's absolutely no reason to pay full price.
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Nov 29, 2013 20:29
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Colonel Sanders posted:I traded my Caliber for an Impala, now I am wondering if I should consider consider an OnStar subcription. Turn-by-turn sounds fun, but not for $30/month, I have a garmin to help me get lost. I do like the idea of having my car e-mail me monthly maintenance reports, are the reports actually useful and worth the cost? I dont lock me keys in my car or get in wrecks a lot so that part of the service is not enough to make me sign up. (Assuming you have a 2010 or newer Impala) the sub is worth it for the Remote Link app alone.
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Nov 30, 2013 01:20
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So I have a Toyota Matrix that used to beep nonstop as soon as I turned it on and until I put on my seatbelt (and any time I took it off for a second to get something out of my coat pocket). This had been annoying me for quite a while, until today when I was super stressed and happened to have some scissors in the car and just cut the 3-4 wires coming from the seatbelt-buckle out of frustration. Now the car doesn't beep about the seatbelt anymore but this light is on. What's going on? How badly did I gently caress up? Will the airbag deploy if I wreck?
Pertplus fucked around with this message at 01:32 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 01:28
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Pertplus posted:So I have a Toyota Matrix that used to beep nonstop as soon as I turned it on and until I put on my seatbelt (and any time I took it off for a second to get something out of my coat pocket). This had been annoying me for quite a while, until today when I was super stressed and happened to have some scissors in the car and just cut the 3-4 wires coming from the seatbelt-buckle out of frustration. Now the car doesn't beep about the seatbelt anymore but this light is on. What's going on? How badly did I gently caress up? Will the airbag deploy if I wreck? Well best case that just disabled the input telling the ECU that the belt is buckled (and possibly a pressure switch detecting if someone is in the seat), which I don't know Toyotas in depth, but it could very well disable airbag deployment. Also, I don't know if the Matrix has seat belt pretensioners like some cars do, but if so you probably disabled those as well. Generally speaking it's not a good idea to go cutting random wires unless you know what you're doing.
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Nov 30, 2013 01:40
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Pertplus posted:So I have a Toyota Matrix that used to beep nonstop as soon as I turned it on and until I put on my seatbelt (and any time I took it off for a second to get something out of my coat pocket). This had been annoying me for quite a while, until today when I was super stressed and happened to have some scissors in the car and just cut the 3-4 wires coming from the seatbelt-buckle out of frustration. Now the car doesn't beep about the seatbelt anymore but this light is on. What's going on? Did I gently caress something up? Will the airbag deploy if I wreck? That was probably a terrible idea, luckily it's fixable. It's weird and probably malfunctioning if yours chimes literally nonstop, mine only does so while in D and going >10mph and stops after 30 seconds. Depending on what year your Matrix is, you can search the genvibe.com forums. Apparently someone there found what wire to snip where to safely deactivate the seatbelt chime for the '08 and older models, but apparently no one has done so yet for the '09 and up. Some manufacturers tie the chime in with the airbag so if you gently caress with the wire you deactivate your airbag, I'm told. All that aside, don't randomly cut wires in your car. edit: I was off the mark slightly but go here and browse: http://forums.genvibe.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=14893&hilit=seatbelt '05-'08 only and no snipping required, apparently. You should be a member of those forums if you own one of these stupid wagons (I would know). Invaluable nerdiness within. Omglosser fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 01:41
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How do you tell the difference between normal engine noise and valve chatter? Engines are kind of loud to begin with...so I'm not sure what constitutes valve chatter? My car is a 1997 Honda Civic (d16y8 motor).
Nohearum fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 01:59
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Omglosser posted:That was probably a terrible idea, luckily it's fixable. It's weird and probably malfunctioning if yours chimes literally nonstop, mine only does so while in D and going >10mph and stops after 30 seconds. Depending on what year your Matrix is, you can search the genvibe.com forums. Apparently someone there found what wire to snip where to safely deactivate the seatbelt chime for the '08 and older models, but apparently no one has done so yet for the '09 and up. Some manufacturers tie the chime in with the airbag so if you gently caress with the wire you deactivate your airbag, I'm told. All that aside, don't randomly cut wires in your car. Yeah it would go off as soon as I put it in D even at 0mph and would go on for >3 minutes (longest I ever put up with it). After the first 10-15 seconds the beeps would speed up to some ridiculously annoying bpm and never go back. Most annoying thing ever. But thanks to you and Fucknag for the info Pertplus fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 02:15
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Nohearum posted:How do you tell the difference between normal engine noise and valve chatter? Engines are kind of loud to begin with...so I'm not sure what constitutes valve chatter? My car is a 1997 Honda Civic (d16y8 motor). Your valves aren't noisy unless someone's been loving with them for whatever reasons. D16's have like, the quietest rocker actuated SOHC valves I've ever seen. Generally you listen to see if it increases with engine RPM and it's a ticking sort of sound. Hard to explain.
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Nov 30, 2013 03:50
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Colonel Sanders posted:I traded my Caliber for an Impala, now I am wondering if I should consider consider an OnStar subcription. Turn-by-turn sounds fun, but not for $30/month, I have a garmin to help me get lost. I do like the idea of having my car e-mail me monthly maintenance reports, are the reports actually useful and worth the cost? I dont lock me keys in my car or get in wrecks a lot so that part of the service is not enough to make me sign up. You should be able to get a 3 month free trial by going to OnStar.com. I'm also assuming it's a newer Impala - 2005 or newer. Anything older than about that year model won't work - it relied on the old analog cellular network, which is by and large gone. The maintenance reports mostly tell you your oil life percentage (which you can view from inside the car anyway) and remind you of upcoming maintenance. It can also have your preferred dealer contact you when maintenance is due. You may be able to get a discount on your insurance by keeping the Safe and Sound plan active, and you can easily negotiate them down to $12.99/mo or $129/yr for that (just try and cancel at the end of the trial, say it's too expensive and that you don't use the turn by turn, and they'll probably toss that offer out). If the check engine light pops on, you can usually have them pull codes remotely. Usually. This is the report that I get every month (further down in the email has contact info for a local dealer, along with links for the mileage history, oil life history, average miles driven per day, etc). 
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Nov 30, 2013 06:29
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It is a 2012 so no ancient analog network. That vehicle report looks a little underwhelming, but I will try the trial and consider your tip to try to get a lower rate. The remote link sounds pretty fun, I think that alone might just be worth it.
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Nov 30, 2013 07:52
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For someone who has a decent knowledge of cars, yeah, it's very underwhelming - I use the reports just for oil change percentage, since my car is one of only a handful from GM that doesn't display the oil life on the DIC. It knocks a decent chunk off of my insurance (same discount you'd get for LoJack); the accident response is also nice to have. I've had to call them once to activate the horn when I forgot where the gently caress I parked my car - parked on a side street near downtown, took a train, took the train back, forgot what street I was on, walked around for an hour before calling them. That was one of the biggest  moments I've had with a car.I jumped on the 300 minutes for  deal when I signed up - the renewal minutes are incredibly expensive (think 90s cellphone prices), and they're good for a year. I use the minutes only on road trips or if my mobile is dead - OnStar (in the US) runs on Verizon Wireless, which has pretty good coverage in most of the US. Better than my mobile, anyway.Nohearum posted:How do you tell the difference between normal engine noise and valve chatter? Engines are kind of loud to begin with...so I'm not sure what constitutes valve chatter? My car is a 1997 Honda Civic (d16y8 motor). Ideally, your car needs valve adjustments every ~30k miles - they're not self-adjusting. In reality, the D16 can go 50k+ between adjustments before getting remotely noisy, but power and economy is still suffering a little by then. On your engine (and most B/D/F/H series Honda engines), when the valves are really out of adjustment, it's very noisy at idle. It should sound like a quiet sewing machine at idle if everything's right - a very quiet mechanical noise; if you hear tapping or clattering at idle, the valves are long overdue for an adjustment. A good shop should only charge 1 - 1.5 hours of labor, and the only parts should be a valve cover gasket/spark plug grommets, at most. They're very easy to do yourself if you're comfortable with feeler gauges. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:21 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 08:18
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I have a completely dead battery and a Schauer A6612 battery charger. I don't know how old the charger is (it was given to be) and the voltage display is missing. EBay listings list it as "vintage." I've never used it myself. Should I use it? Or get a new one?
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Nov 30, 2013 16:54
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Finally getting those tires installed on my '97 4Runner. Guy claimed the rear shocks were showing residue and they'd replace them for $250. Google says 50k miles is the "recommended" replacement interval and it's been 55k miles, but most of that has been on highways, and there are rarely potholes here in Atlanta. Should I just assume he's trying to upsell me, or is there some way I can determine whether they actually need replacing? I found this:quote:Motor Trend magazine also suggests taking your vehicle out to a secluded parking lot, accelerating to 10 miles per hour (16 kilometers per hour) and hitting the brakes. If the front of the vehicle keeps bobbling after you come to a stop, then your shocks are likely shot Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Nov 30, 2013 |
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Nov 30, 2013 17:46
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Josh Lyman posted:Guy claimed the rear shocks were showing residue .......is there some way I can determine whether they actually need replacing? Start by looking at them. Are they leaking? That's what he said they were doing.
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Nov 30, 2013 18:02
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I've never had to replace an alternator, but it seems like remanufactured alternators from autozone/o'reilly are known in AI as being crap. My buddy needs to replace his alternator on an early 80s mercedes, I think it's a 1981 380SL. Would I have better luck with one from pelican parts, or does it not matter and I should just buy one from the local auto store?
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Nov 30, 2013 18:55
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MomJeans420 posted:I've never had to replace an alternator, but it seems like remanufactured alternators from autozone/o'reilly are known in AI as being crap. My buddy needs to replace his alternator on an early 80s mercedes, I think it's a 1981 380SL. Would I have better luck with one from pelican parts, or does it not matter and I should just buy one from the local auto store? If you can get a new one from the local store that should be good.
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Nov 30, 2013 19:59
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I hope this isn't a short sighted question, this is my first time in this forum. I just bought a used 2005 dodge ram 1500 truck with only 40k miles on it for $8000. I had to get the cheapest find I could and had very little time. The truck runs great and has a good manual transmission. The problem is the gas mileage feels like it is utter poo poo. I have been keeping track and only get a little above 10 miles to the gallon on streets, maybe 15 on highways. My question is, what are some inexpensive things I can check/do/add to the gas tank that could improve my gas mileage? I have no money and the truck is great save for eating a hole in my wallet.
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Nov 30, 2013 20:40
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Blind Rasputin posted:I hope this isn't a short sighted question, this is my first time in this forum. I just bought a used 2005 dodge ram 1500 truck with only 40k miles on it for $8000. I had to get the cheapest find I could and had very little time. The truck runs great and has a good manual transmission. The problem is the gas mileage feels like it is utter poo poo. I have been keeping track and only get a little above 10 miles to the gallon on streets, maybe 15 on highways. If it's a V8 there's not much you can do, and honestly even the V6s in trucks that size aren't gonna break 20 unless you really baby them. Those numbers certainly seem about right for a V8. Don't add anything to the gas tank, that's all snake oil. Best advice I can give is just be real gentle with the throttle and shift at low rpm, since you've got plenty of torque to cruise along like that.
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Nov 30, 2013 20:51
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Also the usual stuff: make sure the tyre pressures are correct, that there isn't anything mechanically wrong with the motor, don't run the aircon unless you really need to.
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Nov 30, 2013 20:54
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Slavvy posted:Also the usual stuff: make sure the tyre pressures are correct, that there isn't anything mechanically wrong with the motor, don't run the aircon unless you really need to. A/C on with windows up is more efficient than windows down.
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Nov 30, 2013 21:11
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Noticed something odd with today while fussing with the old truck. When I put the stick in neutral, let off the brake, and pull out the clutch the truck will try to move slightly forward and the engine noise will change (sounds like the rpm drops?). It won't stall or anything if the brake is on, just change noise like before. I can't say I remember any of the other stick shifts I've driven doing that and am a little confused, is that normal or a sign of a problem?
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Nov 30, 2013 21:43
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Thanks for the advice. How much would a bed cover help? I have been starting to shift just under 2000rpm and use the higher gears on surface streets to keep it around 1500rpm above 40mph. It's been helping a lot. Maybe for those who have more experience with manual transmissions, but I've been trying to figure out how to change gears from 1st thru 3rd without the drive train rebounding. I am not sure how to describe it, but when switching the lower gears the truck likes to buck forward and back quite a bit. I'm not giving it that much gas at all and letting the clutch out fairly slow. Any finer points to driving a big truck to help it shift smoother?
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Nov 30, 2013 21:52
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EightBit posted:A/C on with windows up is more efficient than windows down. Only above a certain speed, depends on the vehicle but good rule of thumb is city = Windows down, highway = Windows up As for truck millage, to expand on the motor health thing, check the usual, air filter, spark plugs, oil, plug wires, etc. Might net you some more mpg if any of those need replacing.
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Nov 30, 2013 21:55
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Blind Rasputin posted:Thanks for the advice. How much would a bed cover help? I have been starting to shift just under 2000rpm and use the higher gears on surface streets to keep it around 1500rpm above 40mph. It's been helping a lot. Sounds like you aren't matching your on-off-on the throttle in time to putting the clutch in and out. On a lot of vehicles, when you first go to dump the clutch in, you have to be really smooth lifting OFF the throttle, and then start to give it gas before you let the clutch back out because the throttle response is so poor.
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Nov 30, 2013 21:56
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I just found out my 2000 4WD Tacoma needs a new rear left leaf spring. The OEM one has cracked. Should I grab one one off Rockauto for ~$200 or go to the junk yard and look there?
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Nov 30, 2013 22:36
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Mercury Ballistic posted:I just found out my 2000 4WD Tacoma needs a new rear left leaf spring. The OEM one has cracked. Should I grab one one off Rockauto for ~$200 or go to the junk yard and look there? Just replace them in pairs. I would jump on new.
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Nov 30, 2013 23:29
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2001 Subaru Legacy L sedan, although I suppose every EJ25 from that year would be the same. What is this sensor? I've looked through my Haynes book and can't figure out what it is, and without knowing what to call it I can't find anything on Google. It's behind, below, and to the left of the alternator as you can clearly see in my blurry picture. 
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Nov 30, 2013 23:33
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thebigcow posted:2001 Subaru Legacy L sedan, although I suppose every EJ25 from that year would be the same. What is this sensor? I've looked through my Haynes book and can't figure out what it is, and without knowing what to call it I can't find anything on Google. It's behind, below, and to the left of the alternator as you can clearly see in my blurry picture. I think that's the sender for the "low oil" light.
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Dec 1, 2013 00:03
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I think you're right, now to figure out why its leaking. Thanks 
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Dec 1, 2013 00:46
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This is oil and coolant mixing, isn't it?  2007 VW GTI. 2.0T FSI engine. ~75,000 miles. Went to top up my oil and see this. It was fine a couple month ago when I last topped up. These engines burn a little bit of oil (1 qt/1000 miles is considered "normal", mine does 1/2 qt/3000 miles or so). Also, last time I changed the oil, I accidentally doubled up on the drain plug washer and it's been dripping really, really slowly. I haven't gone low or anything, but I was getting close to the MIN and was going to add 1/2 qt today. Drives fine. Coolant level is below the 1/2 way mark, but still plenty there. I haven't noticed any smoking, but haven't been looking for it. If I'm right, then what (besides "well, poo poo")? I'm about 150 miles from home visiting the parents. Should I top up and drive back home? Drain and refill (I have enough oil and I think an extra filter laying around)? I'll probably take it in somewhere once I'm there.
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Dec 1, 2013 01:12
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thebigcow posted:I think you're right, now to figure out why its leaking. No problem - FYI that's an easy spot where a lot of people go to install an actual oil pressure sender if that's something you were interested in doing. I have my oil temp sender on my EJ20 block in the same spot.
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Dec 1, 2013 01:19
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Uthor posted:This is oil and coolant mixing, isn't it? That's milkshake alright. Yeah, you've got mixed oil & coolant/water. It's usually the result of a cracked head gasket however it could possibly be something else. How mechanically inclined are you?
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Dec 1, 2013 03:19
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