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Deeters posted:How the hell do you get RainX off a windshield? So far I've tried soap, isopropyl, Brakleen, the official RainX cleaner that's kinda gritty, and just the passage of time (it's been like 4 months). I still have water beading up and making an annoying fog/streaks when I use the wipers in light rain. It didn't go away with new wipers either. All I can think is that my 20 year old windshield is pitted enough that it's stuck in there. Have you tried claybar or ammonia-based glass cleaner? Geoj fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Oct 29, 2015 |
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Oct 29, 2015 22:37
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Or drive-behind-a-dump-truck and then no-deductible-auto-glass-claim?
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Oct 29, 2015 22:47
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I need to go to a scrappie and pull an E36 rear trailing arm for my mate's car and send it down to him. It's a little way away from me, so I'd rather make it a one-hit trip - any "gotchas" with removing them, or less common parts of my (rather large) tool collection I shouldn't leave home without? As far as I can tell it's a simple upper, lower and damper bolt at the wheel end, driveshaft nut, and the main pivot carrier unbolts from the car at the other end.
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Oct 29, 2015 23:10
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Geoj posted:Have you tried claybar or ammonia-based glass cleaner? Clay bar, yes. Ammonia no. Safety Dance posted:Or drive-behind-a-dump-truck and then no-deductible-auto-glass-claim? This is what I'd like to do, don't think my insurance covers it though.
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Oct 29, 2015 23:38
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Im replacing the timing belt on a 95 Nissan Pickup with a V6 (VG30). Ive got it all apart and putting the new belt on and trying to get the crank and camshafts in the correct position given their timing marks. Im having trouble with the camshafts though: when I try to turn them with a wrench they meet a lot of resistance and Im afraid to go any further. (Im going clockwise, the correct engine rotation direction). Im obviously not familiar with this type of work and could use some guidance. Is it ok to turn the camshafts with a socket?
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Oct 30, 2015 00:25
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Yeeeees... But you really shouldn't need to move them very far at all. If the engine was running previously, they should be somewhere near correct. I don't know if that's an interference engine, but if it is and you've moved either a cam or the crank a significant amount independent of each other, the resistance could be valve meeting piston.
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Oct 30, 2015 00:33
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Deeters posted:This is what I'd like to do, don't think my insurance covers it though. Unless you live in an area with higher than average windshield replacement rates you should be able to get a $0 glass comprehensive policy - all glass repairs are at no additional cost, anything else covered under comprehensive is covered at whatever deductible you choose.
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Oct 30, 2015 00:35
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InitialDave posted:Yeeeees... But you really shouldn't need to move them very far at all. If the engine was running previously, they should be somewhere near correct. I don't know if that's an interference engine, but if it is and you've moved either a cam or the crank a significant amount independent of each other, the resistance could be valve meeting piston. One is where it needs to be, the other is off somehow by 15 degrees or so. VG30 is an interference engine. Strangely whatever position the crankshaft is in, the off camshaft does not turn. Last thing I want to do is bend a valve so Im going to call someone to come help
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Oct 30, 2015 01:20
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EightBit posted:On another topic, to send an oil sample to Blackstone labs, I just slap $3.14 postage on the labelled container they give you and drop it in the mail slot, right (after putting a bit of tape on the lid to keep it tight)? Old lady at the post office gave me some bs runaround when I asked her how to deal with it. You don't even need tape, you just need to screw the lid on firm enough that it won't come loose on its own. Just use the self-service kiosk to buy the postage, slap it on, drop it in the box after hours. For whatever reason a lot of postal employees try to refuse to accept it when you tell them it's oil. From Blackstone's FAQ: Blackstone Labs posted:Is there any way to avoid the post office hassle? fletcher posted:He also tried to explain to me that every single car that goes on the lift sustains some amount of damage, due to the lift. I mean some rubbed paint or something I can understand but the lift is not bending metal on every car that goes on it, right?? Then he needs to figure out how the hell to use a lift. There should be absolutely no damage when using a lift properly. Hell I've used a lift without anyone showing me how (2 post with metal arms), and did absolutely zero damage to my car, I just made sure to do more than just kick the arms under the car and go "meh good enough". If I can do it, anybody can do it. Deeters posted:How the hell do you get RainX off a windshield? So far I've tried soap, isopropyl, Brakleen, the official RainX cleaner that's kinda gritty, and just the passage of time (it's been like 4 months). I still have water beading up and making an annoying fog/streaks when I use the wipers in light rain. It didn't go away with new wipers either. All I can think is that my 20 year old windshield is pitted enough that it's stuck in there. I learned the hard way to never use RainX on a pitted windshield. Except in my case, it makes the windshield turn into a planetarium anytime HIDZ or a light bar hit it (the pits were noticeable before, but not nearly as bad). I think it took about 6 months for it to finally wear off on its own.
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Oct 30, 2015 04:19
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Geoj posted:Unless you live in an area with higher than average windshield replacement rates you should be able to get a $0 glass comprehensive policy - all glass repairs are at no additional cost, anything else covered under comprehensive is covered at whatever deductible you choose. It's a fairly minimal expense here in AZ, and as a bonus it's state law that they aren't allowed to use glass claims to raise your rates. I can't wait for the day I finally catch a decent rock with the WJ's windshield, it has a bunch of stars and sandblasting already.
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Oct 30, 2015 05:50
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dwoloz posted:One is where it needs to be, the other is off somehow by 15 degrees or so. VG30 is an interference engine. Strangely whatever position the crankshaft is in, the off camshaft does not turn. Last thing I want to do is bend a valve so Im going to call someone to come help It's most likely just the valve spring resistance, but someone who's done it before should be able to tell by feel. You're right to approach this problem carefully.
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Oct 30, 2015 13:46
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There's a Ford Transit parked outside of my work. It has these chunky white covers over the brake discs and calipers, just behind the wheels (I'm assuming attached to the car itself and not rotating with the wheels as there's a molded section for the caliper). I've never seen something like that before. Is that a thing now? At least on work vans. I'm assuming it's just a dust cover to keep the wheels clean and/or protect the brakes.
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Oct 30, 2015 15:27
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Has anyone tried Rain-X style products with side windows and mirrors? The wipers take care of the wind screen, but the side windows covered in droplets is annoying when I leave for work and I can't be bothered to wipe them.
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Oct 30, 2015 22:59
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Saukkis posted:Has anyone tried Rain-X style products with side windows and mirrors? The wipers take care of the wind screen, but the side windows covered in droplets is annoying when I leave for work and I can't be bothered to wipe them. I've tried an Autoglym product and I can't say it works particularly well on side mirrors. OTOH, it's trivial to apply, won't fcuk-up your washbottle (hello VW) so why not use it anyway?
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Oct 31, 2015 00:23
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I rain-x my side windows and mirrors whenever I do the front/back windows. Not sure it does anything for the mirrors, though.
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Oct 31, 2015 01:46
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I am fully aware that this is a silly question, but I can't seem to figure it out and the owner's manual is laughably vague. I just got a 2014 Kia Soul +, and I can't figure out if the rear seats have a 2 stage recline or not. My 08 Honda Fit had a 2 stage recline, meaning that the rear seats had an upright & 'leaned 2 inches back' from upright that was slightly more comfortable. The Soul locks into the upright position, and there's a 2 inch gap between the seat back and the rear tray thing that suggests it could lean back further. No matter what I do to the seat latch, it doesn't go further, and it has a similar attachment style as the Fit, like a D shaped wire coming out of the lower part of the C pillar area. So either the latch is broken, or I would have had to spend $5k more to upgrade to the highest level in order to get LED mood lights and a rear seat that leans back 2 inches. Also, in case you guys didn't know, this car does not have a spare tire, just a can of tire sealant and an electric air pump. KIDS TODAY   E: nevermind, actually looked at the latch and there's a hard rubber stop right behind the catch. should have shelled out for the higher model. red19fire fucked around with this message at 02:22 on Oct 31, 2015 |
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Oct 31, 2015 02:03
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cephalopods posted:I rain-x my side windows and mirrors whenever I do the front/back windows. Not sure it does anything for the mirrors, though. If you're not getting airflow to push the water away, I doubt it'll accomplish much.
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Oct 31, 2015 05:50
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Conceivably the bouncing of the car on our horribly unmaintained roads would shake all the pretty droplets off the mirrors. I never really pay attention.
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Oct 31, 2015 05:59
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Saukkis posted:Has anyone tried Rain-X style products with side windows and mirrors? The wipers take care of the wind screen, but the side windows covered in droplets is annoying when I leave for work and I can't be bothered to wipe them. Godholio posted:If you're not getting airflow to push the water away, I doubt it'll accomplish much. What Godholio said. Though I did find that having it applied to the side windows helped it roll off a lot easier when I first got moving after being parked. I found it was more helpful having it applied to my back window than the side windows.
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Oct 31, 2015 08:52
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Speaking of Rain-X, can I use it on my Jeep's plastic windows? Will a different product work better at keeping slush from accumulating on the rear window while I drive this winter?
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Oct 31, 2015 16:24
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Uthor posted:There's a Ford Transit parked outside of my work. It has these chunky white covers over the brake discs and calipers, just behind the wheels (I'm assuming attached to the car itself and not rotating with the wheels as there's a molded section for the caliper). I've never seen something like that before. Is that a thing now? At least on work vans. I'm assuming it's just a dust cover to keep the wheels clean and/or protect the brakes. Otherwise, I have seen covers to stop brake dust etc getting onto wheels, but I can't say that I see the point myself. They're normally black plastic, though, and sandwiched between the wheel and hub, so would rotate with the wheel.
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Oct 31, 2015 20:47
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So the rear right wheel on my car was positioned approx 3cm further forward in the wheel well than the rear left, and the camber/toe adjustments for that wheel were maxed out to compensate for what was probably some incredible toe-in. I replaced the whole loving rear subframe and now the rear right wheel is only 1cm further forward in the wheel well (at factory alignment, i.e. with the camber bolts centred and the rear tie rods at equal length) than the rear left wheel. The new subframe bolted in with no alignment issues. Previously, the suspension strut for that corner was angled forwards by a noticeable amount, now it looks straight and actually fits onto the lower control arm without being forced. There's no obvious wrinkles, bends or dents in the bodywork, neither outside, inside the trunk/under the seats, or under the car. I measured the car using the factory service manual and the reference points mentioned on the bodywork. While some were a little off (due to me using a metal tape measure, I believe), all were the same left and right. Is this car junk, or can I align my way out of this? Pomp and Circumcized fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Nov 1, 2015 |
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Nov 1, 2015 00:24
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Power steering pump died on my E46. Driving home and suddenly had to fight the steering wheel to get around the corner. Drove it home okay, no issues. It's been sounding like it was on the way out for weeks, lots of grinding once it warmed up, I just haven't had the time/funds to find out what it was and fix it. Now I know  I know it's not safe but how much damage am I going to do to the rack/pinion/everything else on the belt by driving it to the nearest garage/parts place?
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Nov 1, 2015 05:47
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Cthulhuite posted:Power steering pump died on my E46. I drove for three years after my power steering system failed in my e30. Never had a problem with it aside from trying to parallel park.
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Nov 1, 2015 07:18
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I've been tasked with getting some new winter tires for a 1999 Toyota Corolla, and it just so happens that a friend of friend has a set of winter tires lying around that they don't need. The problem is, they're size 185/70 R14, and as far as I know, Corolla tire sizes are 165/70 R14, 175/65 R14, and 185/65 R14. He claims they will fit without problems, but I'm not entirely convinced. What potential problems could they cause, beyond throwing the speedometer off?
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Nov 1, 2015 14:58
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Tell be about 1cm bigger in diameter, doubt that will cause issues with rubbing anywhere.
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Nov 1, 2015 15:16
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1cm bigger diameter is the difference between full tread and low tread (8mm and 3mm), so I can't see any issues.
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Nov 1, 2015 17:54
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My car ran like poo poo a couple of weeks ago and I replaced the spark plugs and that fixed it. Until today, it ran really bad again (rough idle, cylinders misfiring). I was on my way to somewhere so I parked it and took a look under the hood. I could hear the sparks jumping whenever it skipped (like a clicking sound). I took off a spark plug cable from the distributor and it was all corroded, slightly greenish with some white powdery stuff inside. I blew out the powdery stuff and put the cable back and twisted it a few times to clean the corrosion a bit and that seemed to work. My question is is what is the best way to clean these contacts and what is the best way to preserve them? I was thinking steel wool and then some vaseline? I might replace the cables but the distributor is a combined unit with the coil so i'd rather not replace that if I can avoid it. (cost reasons mainly) Car is a 2002 Golf Mk. 4 with a 1.4 4cyl engine if that matters. spankmeister fucked around with this message at 19:44 on Nov 1, 2015 |
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Nov 1, 2015 19:41
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If it's the hollow side of the plug (ie the wire side), that's corroded copper. You may have loosened the corrosion, but there's probably more inside the wire that's increasing the resistance. Plus if you're hearing sparks jump, the insulation's hosed. Replace the wires. Don't put vaseline or any other type of grease on the terminals, it'll create resistance, which is the last thing you want. Clean the terminals with a wire brush (brass brush if you have one, i don't know how hard the terminal metal is), put the new wires on, and then maybe use dielectric grease to seal where the two meet to prevent moisture getting in; that's all it's good for. Also, is it an actual distributor or a rectangular coilpack?
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Nov 1, 2015 19:55
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This is the coil pack: So cleaning the connectors on the coil pack and replacing all the cables is the best way to go?
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Nov 1, 2015 20:01
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Stupid questions from a guy who doesn't know about cars. My 2000 Honda Prelude with manual transmission has two issues: I took it to get the emissions test done on Thursday and the emissions place said they couldn't get a reading. They can't do the usual test because the previous owner did a motor swap to some sort of Japanese engine and it won't read right- learned that two years ago when I had the emissions done the first time. The sensor they stick in the tailpipe apparently wasn't getting a reading either- they say there's nothing but cold air blowing out of there. In my state, if you fail emissions you can take it somewhere and if you spend at least $150 on it and it still doesn't pass, you can get a "you tried" waiver and they'll still give you your tabs. However, since they couldn't get any reading at all- they wouldn't fail me. The emissions people guessed that there's a hole in the system somewhere. Second issue- on Friday when I drove it I noticed very little resistance coming from the clutch pedal. This has not improved since then. I can still shift gears but it is very difficult to get it into first gear from a stop and the pedal has to be almost to the floor to do it. Questions: What could be causing these issues? How hosed am I? (How much am I likely to spend to repair it?) Anybody have a good recommendation for a shop in the south Seattle area? Thanks!
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Nov 1, 2015 20:23
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spankmeister posted:This is the coil pack: That's what I'd do, yeah.
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Nov 1, 2015 20:26
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Cool, thanks!
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Nov 1, 2015 20:37
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IllegallySober posted:Stupid questions from a guy who doesn't know about cars. My 2000 Honda Prelude with manual transmission has two issues: They couldn't figure out if there was a leak in the exhaust? It's usually pretty noticeable, since it gets loud as gently caress.
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Nov 1, 2015 22:45
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What should I used to keep a couple of bolts from backing out of O2 sensor bungs? I have a pair of longtube headers which have sensor bungs but I'm running a carb and don't own a wide band so they're of little use to me. I got a couple of M18x1.5 oil drain plugs and they fit perfectly but after driving a few miles they loosen up and start leaking. I'd like a non-permanent solution to keep them from backing out, would loctite make a difference? Being on the collectors of a set of headers for a small block ford that will be driven hard, I suspect they get pretty hot and they get blasted by pressure trying to force them out. Lock washers, maybe?
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Nov 1, 2015 22:51
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Godholio posted:They couldn't figure out if there was a leak in the exhaust? It's usually pretty noticeable, since it gets loud as gently caress. Well, the previous owner had put an after-market exhaust system on there so to be fair it's loud all the time. Not quite one of those coffee-can exhaust systems, it's quieter than that, but still. They just didn't seem like they really knew what to do with it at all. I might take it to a different emissions location and see if they can get a reading.
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Nov 1, 2015 23:00
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IllegallySober posted:Well, the previous owner had put an after-market exhaust system on there so to be fair it's loud all the time. Not quite one of those coffee-can exhaust systems, it's quieter than that, but still. They just didn't seem like they really knew what to do with it at all. I might take it to a different emissions location and see if they can get a reading. Take it to any vaguely competent mechanic in your local area and he'll be able to tell you what the problem is (e.g. a hole in the exhaust) and probably show you. You can take a photo, post it here and get a second opinion.
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Nov 1, 2015 23:09
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IllegallySober posted:Stupid questions from a guy who doesn't know about cars. My 2000 Honda Prelude with manual transmission has two issues: If the previous owner didn't swap to the Japanese ECU, they should still be able to plug into it (the stock ECU can handle the Japanese engine swap just fine, as long as it's still a H series engine - which it should be, unless the previous owner wanted a downgrade). Were they able to get anything from the OBD2 port, or was it just not giving power at all? If no power, then there's a blown fuse somewhere (probably for the lighter). No idea why the exhaust would have anything coming out of it except, well, exhaust. "Cold air" certainly shouldn't be coming out. As for your clutch, either your master or slave clutch cylinder has probably crapped out. If you're losing clutch fluid, it's the slave. If you're not, it's probably the master. The slave is a walk in the park to change on your car, the master isn't terribly difficult. Bleeding the hydraulics is the difficult part, you'll need a friend to help.
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Nov 1, 2015 23:38
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I have a 2001 Ranger. It was raining today and water was coming in the back of the cab near the roof above the rear windows. I looked at the outside of the roof and did not see any rust or holes. My only guess is the water is coming in through the brake light. What kind of shop can I take it to? Could it be something else? I don't see any rust or cracks/holes in the metal. Maybe the windows? It is on both sides of the brake light. It wasn't raining that hard but the water looked like it really coming in.
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Nov 2, 2015 01:48
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Ribsauce posted:I have a 2001 Ranger. It was raining today and water was coming in the back of the cab near the roof above the rear windows. I looked at the outside of the roof and did not see any rust or holes. My only guess is the water is coming in through the brake light. What kind of shop can I take it to? Could it be something else? I don't see any rust or cracks/holes in the metal. Maybe the windows? It is on both sides of the brake light. It wasn't raining that hard but the water looked like it really coming in. Unscrew the brake light cover and check the gasket. If it's hard/torn/etc, replace it.
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Nov 2, 2015 02:30
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