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some texas redneck posted:How much do you like buying tires 2-4x as often and having it handle funny? I'm going in for an alignment check, but if I can guess what orientation the plate was in when I pulled them, I figure there's a good chance I won't have to pay for adjustments.
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Jun 9, 2016 02:58
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eddiewalker posted:I'm going in for an alignment check, but if I can guess what orientation the plate was in when I pulled them, I figure there's a good chance I won't have to pay for adjustments. Lifetime alignment at a place like Firestone and never think about it again? Try your hand at a string alignment at home first if you want to save $50-100?
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Jun 9, 2016 03:48
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Even if you had noted the right quadrant and gotten the dot in the right general area, there's a chance that it would be just outside whatever angle range is specified by Ford. The chart is more a guide to tell the tech how to adjust it during the alignment than "install this way and it'll be right". Plus I'd wager that the other angles being off would throw off the toe. Just accept that paying for an alignment is just part of the deal when you replace suspension components, specifically ones that alter the geometry.
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Jun 9, 2016 03:50
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I have a 2010 Tacoma, 4-cyl (2tr-fe), 5 spd, 4WD. 34,443 miles. It has been weak for a few months, and noisy in an odd way for a few days. Today I was quoted ~$2500 to replace a "clogged catalytic converter" and 2 sensors. Jfc, that's more than 10% of the purchase price. Can someone explain to me what happened here? How does a catalytic converter get "clogged" ? Is my engine defective? PS Every loudmouth licknob at my job has some story about "hollowing out" a clogged converter; this is bullshit, right?
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Jun 9, 2016 05:31
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If you hollow out the cat, you'll enjoy a permanent check engine light, and it'll never pass emissions again if you're in an area that checks emissions. It's something people have done in the past, but it's very illegal, and offers no performance advantage on modern cars anyway. In most states, your truck has an 8 year/80,000 mile emissions component warranty (higher in some states). The catalytic converter is absolutely part of that warranty, so are the air/fuel sensors that they likely quoted you. You should not be paying a penny to get the cat replaced at this point.
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Jun 9, 2016 06:04
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8 year, 80,000 is a federal mandate, tell them to fix it under warranty, you'll be on the hook for the sensors though.
tater_salad fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Jun 9, 2016 |
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Jun 9, 2016 14:01
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some texas redneck posted:If you hollow out the cat, you'll enjoy a permanent check engine light, and it'll never pass emissions again if you're in an area that checks emissions. It's something people have done in the past, but it's very illegal, and offers no performance advantage on modern cars anyway. It also bumped my HP up a not insignificant amount, but I'm not sure if 2004 fits in your definition of modern. Cage fucked around with this message at 14:31 on Jun 9, 2016 |
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Jun 9, 2016 14:28
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tater_salad posted:8 year, 80,000 is a federal mandate, tell them to fix it under warranty, you'll be on the hook for the sensors though. O2 sensors should also be under the same emissions component warranty.
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Jun 9, 2016 14:47
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Cage posted:It also bumped my HP up a not insignificant amount, but I'm not sure if 2004 fits in your definition of modern. In this case I'm pretty sure "modern" means "three-way cat". So 1990 or thereabouts. I'm sure your midpipe improved flow, but punching out the cats on an otherwise stock exhaust isn't gonna do much, even on a Rustang.  E: "OP", replace your cat. They do clog, it's a thing that happens, but not in isolation. Something else is wrong that caused it, most likely a bad injector or something dumping a shitload of (unburnt) fuel into the cat. Be prepared to diagnose and replace that after that cat gets done. Fender Anarchist fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Jun 9, 2016 |
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Jun 9, 2016 16:07
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Cage posted:I just passed emissions in NY with a "offroad" midpipe that has no cats. Just need a set of MIL eliminators to turn off the rear o2 sensors and you're golden. This typically varies on how seriously the inspection technician takes their job. Here in Ohio its not terribly uncommon to pass our "e-check" emissions test (they check for a catalytic converter and scan for codes on OBD2 cars) if you defeat the downstream O2 sensor and the tech who sticks a mirror under the car doesn't give a drat. Although they've recently introduced self-service kiosks outside the test stations - plug in a scanner and it prints out your passing certificate if you don't have any codes.
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Jun 9, 2016 18:35
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I'm looking at getting my first car from my aunt and it's a 1999 Subaru Legacy Sedan. It's got about 169-170k miles on it and will cost me about $500. I haven't gotten to test drive it or anything as she's about 2 hours away from me so it's not set in stone or anything but I was wondering on the general consensus for this car. It's gotten some things just recently replaced, the radiator and something else, but she's selling it because some rear end in a top hat stole it but got caught going 105 in Texas and they went and picked it up. It's got one of those key fob things which is good because they replaced the passenger side door since it got messed up by the thief and now the car key doesn't work in it. It's an AWD car and from what I've read and heard it's got great handling in snow/rain which is nice because it rains a lot here. I'm in Chattanooga, Tennessee so we don't get much snow but I'll hopefully be going to grad school next year and I may move somewhere that gets snow, I don't know yet. I'm just wondering if this is a good first car along with general first car advice like insurance, taxes and all that stuff. The car's down in Georgia but I'll be taking it back up to Tennessee so I don't know how that will work either. I haven't ridden in it as far as I can recall, I might have once or twice when I was younger and just don't remember, so I don't know how the ride is until I go test drive it. I'll probably test drive it sometime next week and if it's good I'll buy it and drive it back home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated because as I said, this is my first car and I'm not really that car savvy. Edit: They just replaced the radiator and thermostat. I looked up the autotrader post that they have and that's the relevant info. The interior looks like it's in good condition, I don't see any torn seats or holes in the floor in the pictures. I'll keep an eye out for that when I go down to test drive it. I also have big feet (size 15 shoes) so my personal concern is my feet catching or not fitting down by the pedals. We test drove some cars for my mom when she was car shopping and that happened in a few of them which surprised me. Cowman fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Jun 9, 2016 |
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Jun 9, 2016 20:02
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Cowman posted:I'm looking at getting my first car from my aunt and it's a 1999 Subaru Legacy Sedan. It's got about 169-170k miles on it and will cost me about $500. I haven't gotten to test drive it or anything as she's about 2 hours away from me so it's not set in stone or anything but I was wondering on the general consensus for this car. It's gotten some things just recently replaced, the radiator and something else, but she's selling it because some rear end in a top hat stole it but got caught going 105 in Texas and they went and picked it up. It's got one of those key fob things which is good because they replaced the passenger side door since it got messed up by the thief and now the car key doesn't work in it. It's an AWD car and from what I've read and heard it's got great handling in snow/rain which is nice because it rains a lot here. I'm in Chattanooga, Tennessee so we don't get much snow but I'll hopefully be going to grad school next year and I may move somewhere that gets snow, I don't know yet. I'm just wondering if this is a good first car along with general first car advice like insurance, taxes and all that stuff. The car's down in Georgia but I'll be taking it back up to Tennessee so I don't know how that will work either. I haven't ridden in it as far as I can recall, I might have once or twice when I was younger and just don't remember, so I don't know how the ride is until I go test drive it. I'll probably test drive it sometime next week and if it's good I'll buy it and drive it back home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated because as I said, this is my first car and I'm not really that car savvy. It's $500. Unless it's actually on fire when you pick it up, then you've done well.
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Jun 9, 2016 20:23
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Yeah $500 if it last 6 months you'll get most of it back in scrap value
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Jun 10, 2016 02:31
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spog posted:It's $500. Even then it depends how much on fire it is, if you can save the tires and wheels you're probably at 250 right there.
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Jun 10, 2016 02:36
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Generally dumb question: In about 1 year I am going to get a Tesla (I'm saving up) but my lovely old Honda Element is on its last legs. So I need a car for a year, which I intend to get rid of. Would it be smart of me to just get a used car, and sell it later? If so, are places like CarMax a good idea or should I do my own research and search direct sellers? Is there smarter approach to this? I don't know anything.
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Jun 10, 2016 02:51
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Drive your element until it literally falls apart around you. If you dump $1,000 into it at this point, you're down less net money than buying from carmax/selling to carmax in a year.
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Jun 10, 2016 03:56
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What if I really, really hate this car. For reasons.
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Jun 10, 2016 05:15
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smoobles posted:What if I really, really hate this car. For reasons. Sounds like you'd really be out of your Element. Sorry. No but seriously, if you're willing to spend money on getting into and getting out of a CarMax vehicle then no one can tell you not to, but it's not the cheapest option. When you say your Element is on its last legs, that can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. What's wrong with it? I've heard the brakes and autos on those things aren't great, but if it drives and you can get it to grind out for a little while longer without killing/stranding you, then keeping it until you can push it into a ditch when your Tesla dream is realised will be the cheapest option.
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Jun 10, 2016 05:35
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CarMax generally has good cars and they focus on the no-haggle, no-hassle aspect. But you wind up paying quite a bit more than you would had you gone private party. For something you only want to drive for a year or so, I would lean more toward private party.
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Jun 10, 2016 05:51
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I have stupid question. I have a golf and below the stereo there are two buttons "tim" and "rds". Googling them tells me it's some thing to do with traffic radio reports. Between them is a light that keeps flashing when the car is sitting idle. What is this?
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Jun 10, 2016 09:11
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Jippa posted:I have stupid question. I have a golf and below the stereo there are two buttons "tim" and "rds". Googling them tells me it's some thing to do with traffic radio reports. Between them is a light that keeps flashing when the car is sitting idle. What is this? Is it the radio that comes with the car? If so you should just look it up in the manual.
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Jun 10, 2016 09:26
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spankmeister posted:Is it the radio that comes with the car? If so you should just look it up in the manual. Yeah I looked in the manual it doesn't say.
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Jun 10, 2016 09:38
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It's probably a passive theft deterrent light. It's supposed to make a potential thief pass by the car because it looks like it's alarmed.
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Jun 10, 2016 15:29
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smoobles posted:Generally dumb question: Whats wrong with your Element? How many miles?
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Jun 10, 2016 15:36
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I tried looking around a bit. "RDS" seems to be the radio downloading up to 2 hours of news that you can later listen to? And the light would indicate that it's downloaded? That's what I got reading between the lines on one random forum I saw, so take it with a grain of salt. "TIM" would be traffic info.
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Jun 10, 2016 15:40
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RDS? That's just the (Radio Data) system used in FM broadcasts to embed text so you can get the name of the station/song and other related text. It also allows any traffic broadcasts local to interrupt the station you're on so you can get info assuming your stereo has the option.
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Jun 10, 2016 15:44
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88h88 posted:RDS? That's just the (Radio Data) system used in FM broadcasts to embed text so you can get the name of the station/song and other related text. It also allows any traffic broadcasts local to interrupt the station you're on so you can get info assuming your stereo has the option. Oh, maybe I got those two switched.
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Jun 10, 2016 15:47
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RDS places a call to Robert Downey Sr, and TIM calls Tim "The Toolman" Allen, in case you get into a scrape and you need their help. The blinking indicates that they are ready for your call.
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Jun 10, 2016 16:48
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Safety Dance posted:RDS places a call to Robert Downey Sr, and TIM calls Tim "The Toolman" Allen, in case you get into a scrape and you need their help. The blinking indicates that they are ready for your call. hahaha
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Jun 10, 2016 18:50
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PaintVagrant posted:Whats wrong with your Element? How many miles? 180k. It rattles a lot, I've been quoted thousands in repairs, and last week an entire keg spilled in the back and it smells like rancid beer after two cleaning attempts. This car is over, man.
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Jun 10, 2016 22:08
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Literally all of those reasons either don't matter (clean your car) or are reasons to keep it (devil you know). Your logic is faulty, but we can't force you to be economical.
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Jun 10, 2016 22:36
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I have a 2013 Hyundai sonata that I bought in November with 62k miliage on it. I've put 5k on it so far, and recently I started hearing a thumping sound from front right side of the vehicle when I occasionally hit the break. Any idea what the cause could be? Google informs me it could be the brake pads that need to be resurfaced or replaced. Does this sound right? How do I not get hosed by the mechanic I'm gonna take it too?
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Jun 10, 2016 22:49
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^^^^ Yes, the brake pads could cause that sort of problem. To attempt to not get hosed, talk the talk a bit and say that you think the front brakes are dragging. Don't let them talk you into replacing the rotors, as it's highly unlikely that they're damaged if you just started noticing this. You can also call around a few places and ask how much for a brake job since it's a standard procedure. My own question: I'm looking at Ford Rangers (2000 and newer). Can someone run down the engine options? I feel like I've heard that some of them have reliability problems. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Jun 10, 2016 |
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Jun 10, 2016 23:26
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objects in mirror posted:I have a 2013 Hyundai sonata that I bought in November with 62k miliage on it. Pull the wheel off and look at them. It could also be the axle nuts. It should be the same as the veloster and like to loosen up. They should be at 100ftlbs but verify.
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Jun 10, 2016 23:27
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Sagebrush posted:I'm looking at Ford Rangers (2000 and newer). Can someone run down the engine options? I feel like I've heard that some of them have reliability problems. 2.5L Depressingly slow, gets noisier instead of faster the harder you push pedal, last forever 3.0L Not as slow, worse gas mileage, last forever 4.0L Sorta slow, worse gas mileage, last forever
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Jun 10, 2016 23:29
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Christobevii3 posted:4.0L Sorta slow, worse gas mileage, last forever Unless you run into timing chain issues, then crush the thing.
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Jun 11, 2016 01:36
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EVERYWHERE 
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I'm starting to get more and more interested in working on cars. I own a 2014 Suburban, 2015 Mazda 3s, and am a couple of days away from purchasing an 05 Spectra that a friend of mine is fixing up (it's for my daughter). What are some cool and useful things I can do to these cars to give me an excuse to wrench on them? Also anyone have any disclosure YouTube channels for shade tree mechanics?
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Jun 11, 2016 05:51
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Christobevii3 posted:4.0L Sorta slow, worse gas mileage, last forever Depends on the 4.0. The OHV engine is a tank. The SOHC is a ticking timing chain bomb, as meatpimp alluded to - and getting at the rear timing chain (yes, it has chains on both the front and back of the engine) requires yanking the engine out. Rangers switched to the SOHC version sometime between the 98-00 model years. You definitely want to avoid the 4.0 SOHC. The OHV will run forever.
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Jun 11, 2016 06:26
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4.0 sohc explorer checking in. It's at 210k and I'm just waiting for the day
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Jun 11, 2016 06:40
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rdb posted:It's probably a passive theft deterrent light. It's supposed to make a potential thief pass by the car because it looks like it's alarmed. Cheers guys, this possibly makes the most sense I think. I have had the car for a while it was just in the garage for a bit where they must have disconnected the battery which seems to have reset a load of settings and I'm just trying to figure out what they mean.
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Jun 11, 2016 09:03
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