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Time for my stupid question: I have a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix base model with ~150,000 miles that is sucking air and not giving me much heat. I noticed that I was getting a bubbling sound behind my dashboard over the summer, so I did some research and bled the system and immediately had better heat. Recently I noticed the bubbling again, and when I brought the car in to get inspected I had the guy take a look. I have a pretty good shop that I trust, but they're not very advanced, and he said that it looked like to him that the head gasket is going bad (not a huge surprise). He initially told me that he would advise just driving it into the ground, but with the winter coming up I NEED heat. I could go out and get a new car, but I would prefer to avoid the monthly payment and I don't mind shelling out some good money to get this car fixed, but there's always a cut off point. So right now I'm looking for some advice. How much should I expect to pay for a head gasket? While I have them in there, should I have them just go ahead and replace the heater core? My worry is that, if that's been damaged by the head gasket I would hate to have all that work done just for the heater core to be bad and need replacing too. Can I get both done at once? Most importantly, is a Pontiac with over 150,000 miles worth the money? This is probably a personal choice, and I don't plan on ever getting much money out of it so I don't consider it lost money necessarily. My unreasonable dream is to get it to a point where I can use it as my winter rat and get a nice car for the other six months of the year. As a more general question, is it possible to have one mechanic/garage do a thorough check of the car's systems? I'd like to get a diagnosis of the major components to get an idea of they're health. I don't mind sinking some money into the car, but I don't want it to snowball- so my thinking is that a thorough check of things like the transmission, coolant system, chassis, etc would give me the complete picture as to whether or not it was worth putting the money into it. But I've never heard of anyone getting this kind of check done, so I'm not sure if it's event a thing that shop for.
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Nov 8, 2016 03:58
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OSU_Matthew posted:Sorry, should have clarified that was with the engine off. The alternator is working alright, it's putting out 14.1v with the engine running. Just seems like the battery should be holding a higher voltage. You need to pull a wiring diagram and go through the circuit in question, inspecting it all the way from the battery and/or alternator to the coil, and from the coil all the way to the ground. If you're only seeing 11V then odds are that there's a loose / dirty connection somewhere on one of those wires. Leperflesh posted:A few of you will remember that I pulled, had rebuilt, and then reinstalled the 700R4 in my 92 chevy S-10 this summer. If it's like the one on my C10, then yes there's some adjustment to the P/N switch, to deal with the generous "tolerances" in the linkage. Probably just need to tweak that, and also make sure it only starts in P and N.
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Nov 8, 2016 04:21
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In no particular order, about $1,600 for the head gasket, maybe $500 for the heater core, and not worth keeping if those are the problems. For $2,100, you could get another Pontiac with similar milage However, bubbling in the heater core doesn't sound like a blown head gasket, it sounds like you have air stuck in your cooling system or a bad seal that's letting air in. If you've seen the coolant, you'd know if the head gasket is starting to go because the coolant would have thick, brown poo poo in it If there are no obvious leaks in the engine bay, personally, I'd try emptying the radiator, engine block, and overflow tank, and flushing a couple times with distilled water. After that, jack up the front of the car so that the top of the radiator is significantly higher than where the core is in the dash, then run the car with the heater on full blast and only distilled water in the system for 20-30 minutes. Empty the entire system again and repeat that jacked up part until the water's pretty much clear and then just refill with antifreeze and replace your radiator cap. It's like $45 dollars for everything you'd need, maybe $60 if Grand Prixs have expensive radiator caps If you still have problems, I'd disconnect the heater core from the system and blow compressed air into the core itself before flushing once more. After that, I'd start saving for a new car and drive that Pontiac into the dirt E: does it have its original water pump?
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Nov 8, 2016 04:40
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The water pump is original. I did have the mechanic bleed it, and it was better for about a day, so however the air is getting into the system it's getting in quickly now. As for the head gasket, I never know how to interpret the coolant. I wouldn't call it "chocolate milk" like I hear it becomes when the head gasket goes, but nor would I call clean either. If it is just a seal, how easy is that to replace- or is it simply not going to be worth the time and effort?
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Nov 8, 2016 07:30
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Leperflesh posted:A few of you will remember that I pulled, had rebuilt, and then reinstalled the 700R4 in my 92 chevy S-10 this summer. IOC covered the linkage possibility (and that's very likely what it is), but if it winds up being the switch, it's listed as a neutral safety switch if you try to pick up a new one.
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Nov 8, 2016 08:31
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SpitztheGreat posted:The water pump is original. Well, "chocolate milk" refers to when the oil and coolant can freely mix, and it looks like it came right out of the dairy aisle. It's an extremely accurate descriptor and would be comical if the repairs weren't so drat expensive. Back to the air though, if you don't bleed it properly, the air can still be stuck in the system, just waiting for the thermostat to open and push it back into circulation; which is why I initially recommended just emptying the whole thing and flushing it until you knew that every passageway had been cleared and getting a new radiator cap so that you know that your system's obivious seals were intact. I also thought it could be the water pump seals failing and forcing air into the system, and replacement would run somewhere around $400. But dirty coolant isn't great news. If there's only a tiny bit of oil and coolant mixing, it should look like little spherical blobs of brown or beige floating in the coolant. Have you checked your oil? If there's bubbles on the dipstick or filler cap, or a weird brown residue on the dipstick, that's also a red flag. If you want a solid, conclusive answer about whether or not the air is coming in from the cylinders due to the head gasket beginning to fail, there's two options: 1 is a compression and leakdown test, which will tell you how well your cylinders are maintaining pressure and where gas from the cylinder is going. I have no idea how expensive that service is, but the tools themselves are only about $400 combined and it's not particularly difficult to do, so it's probably cheap. I've heard people say that it's not always accurate about the health of a head gasket, since there's more places that air can go than the tests can measure, but you already know that there's air going into the coolant and are searching for the origin of it 2 is an analysis of the hot gasses in your radiator. The kits I've seen at Autozone and NAPA were $60-$100 and I think $20 for testing solution refills, so again, probably cheap to get done by a mechanic. Full service mechanics would have the tools, I'd imagine. If not the gas tester, at least the compression and leakdown gauges, since those are pretty important things to know about
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Nov 8, 2016 09:36
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canyoneer posted:When my wife went to pick up the car after it was done, the service adviser was asking her why we brought it in for that oddly specific service, and she mentioned that it was because of the stalling problem. The guy got super huffy and condescending, saying we should have told him about that in the first place so they could diagnose it, and how do you know it's even going to fix the problem and you can't trust things you read on the internet blah blah blah. Satisfying.
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Nov 8, 2016 09:44
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canyoneer posted:When my wife went to pick up the car after it was done, the service adviser was asking her why we brought it in for that oddly specific service, and she mentioned that it was because of the stalling problem. The guy got super huffy and condescending, saying we should have told him about that in the first place so they could diagnose it, and how do you know it's even going to fix the problem and you can't trust things you read on the internet blah blah blah. But that's a service that's supposed to be done every 120k on Fits anyway (and it should be checked every 30k). You'd think the SA would be happy she brought it in for that! It's easy money for them, a good tech can knock it out in an hour and a half, and the gaskets can usually be reused (so no parts outside of a few drops of RTV). Engine has to be stone cold though, so it's either taking up a bay overnight or sits outside and gets pushed in when they can get to it. Older Hondas needed them checked/adjusted far more often. And some Hondas were prone to burning valves if it wasn't done from time to time. Although the older ones didn't need the upper intake manifold removed and could have it knocked out in 20 minutes. I think the first time I ever adjusted them on my old Civic, it took me about 45; after that I could do it in a bit under 30. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:24 on Nov 8, 2016 |
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Nov 8, 2016 10:22
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kastein posted:I'd worry about the valve seats, unless that motor was rebuilt with hardened seats to deal with the non leaded gas. Unless we're talking about a heavy duty work truck, that's almost never actually a problem.
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Nov 8, 2016 21:28
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:Older Hondas needed them checked/adjusted far more often. And some Hondas were prone to burning valves if it wasn't done from time to time. Although the older ones didn't need the upper intake manifold removed and could have it knocked out in 20 minutes. I think the first time I ever adjusted them on my old Civic, it took me about 45; after that I could do it in a bit under 30. Barring the destruction of my left index finger on the heat shielding and subsequent recovery time, adjusting my somehow seized valve adjustment nut/screws for the first time took maybe an hour and a half in total. And if the chart at my local dealership was up to date, Honda definitely still recommends 30k checks and 110k adjustments. I get that "diagnosis" is another little thing to charge you for, but getting flustered over losing the chance to nickel and dime a customer to their face is not exactly how you build trust in a service advisor's credibility... Speaking of Hondas, I'm off work for a while, I feel like wrenching, and my car hasn't sold yet, so I want to chase down some engine vibration on my 05 civic D17A1 On cold starts, it vibrates so much that sometimes the hood rattles and the dash shakes, but at about 20% on the temp gauge it goes away. I replaced the motor mounts recently, and the transmission mount is old and worn, but not too damaged. I had originally thought it was the bad alternator bearing that was vibrating its tensioner mount off of the engine, but I replaced that too and it's still vibrating anyways. Valves were done less than 10k ago, all belts are properly tightened, and I don't know where else to even look. The hood rattle might be the hood stay/prop rod/whatever-it's-actually-called, because of the weird battery I put in blocks it from resting in its clip and has to be tentatively held in place by the wiring harness. I know that that's dumb to do and probably unsafe and a bunch of other things, but it doesn't explain why the rattle stops as the engine warms up or the shaking in the interior. Do new OEM motor mounts transfer that much vibration before they're worn in? Because that's what my friend suggested and it feels like total bullshit to me. The only other suggestion was to do an Italian Tune Up and it feels like they said, "it'll either fix it or make the problem bad enough so that you know for sure what it is," which is undesirable
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Nov 8, 2016 22:20
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Is it doing it in park/neutral? Or only in gear? What RPM is it idling at when cold, and is the check engine light on? My first thought is a bad coolant temp sensor (there's 2.. one for the gauge, one for the engine computer). Second is a vacuum leak. If it were related to the alternator, you'd be able to confirm that visually by just looking at the belt. If it's spinning freely without jumping around, it's not the cause of the vibration. If you see it looking like it's ready to jump off and run away.....
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Nov 9, 2016 08:24
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So this is probably an unusual question but if Trump scraps NAFTA how will that impact the automotive market in the US? I wanted to get a car soon but I'm wondering if I should wait. (The concern being tons of companies depend on Canada and Mexico for cars and car parts.)
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Nov 9, 2016 14:25
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Three-Phase posted:So this is probably an unusual question but if Trump scraps NAFTA how will that impact the automotive market in the US? I wanted to get a car soon but I'm wondering if I should wait. Small cars are probably going to be most affected by this. Their profit margins are smaller, the price of parts affects them more. Many small cars are made in Mexico too. There are also a lot of companies using Canadian production. This will really hurt Honda.
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Nov 9, 2016 15:08
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Three-Phase posted:So this is probably an unusual question but if Trump scraps NAFTA how will that impact the automotive market in the US? I wanted to get a car soon but I'm wondering if I should wait. Not specifically about cars, but CNN article from July. http://money.cnn.com/2016/07/06/news/economy/trump-nafta/ If anything, prices will go up.
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Nov 9, 2016 15:33
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That sucks. Better grab a car now instead of later (service and parts will probably go up too - I may not get a hybrid due to this).
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Nov 9, 2016 16:17
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Let's all calm down a bit.
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Nov 9, 2016 19:39
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0toShifty posted:Small cars are probably going to be most affected by this. Their profit margins are smaller, the price of parts affects them more. Many small cars are made in Mexico too. That didn't take long http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2016/11/09/general-motors-small-car/93540444/
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Nov 9, 2016 20:05
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:Is it doing it in park/neutral? Or only in gear? What RPM is it idling at when cold, and is the check engine light on? It mostly happens in neutral. I don't know the RPM's for sure since I don't have a tach, but it feels like just under 1k. Ugh, vacuum leak sounds like fun to find... how do I test the coolant temperature sensors? And that's how the alternator used to look before I replaced it. It screamed like crazy on that bad bearing, too
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Nov 9, 2016 22:01
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Christobevii3 posted:Do they work with the truck turned off? Do both turn signal bulbs work. You can't put the truck in reverse while the engine is off. I could put the transmission in reverse while running and then shut off the engine, though. Brake lights and turn signals work fine. kastein posted:Could be something as simple as a broken wire near the trans (so when the drivetrain torques side to side due to shifting from D/N to R it flexes and makes contact briefly) or a bad reverse light switch or transmission range switch/neutral safety switch (not sure which one that tranny uses - probably a reverse light switch knowing GM?) that has gunked up contacts, too. I'll try to identify something like that. I know there's a multi-wired plug that plugs in at the rear end of the transmission, but otherwise, the connections are mechanical plus the TV cable, so I think that's the only wires to check. IOwnCalculus posted:If it's like the one on my C10, then yes there's some adjustment to the P/N switch, to deal with the generous "tolerances" in the linkage. Probably just need to tweak that, and also make sure it only starts in P and N. I have determined that this truck has a column-mounted backup lamp/neutral safety switch, most likely a "ratcheting self-adjusting" switch. In theory it might need to be adjusted or replaced, so I'll check it out. Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:IOC covered the linkage possibility (and that's very likely what it is), but if it winds up being the switch, it's listed as a neutral safety switch if you try to pick up a new one. Yeah, this guy. It's a cheap part (all the parts on this truck are cheap).
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Nov 9, 2016 23:06
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Leperflesh posted:You can't put the truck in reverse while the engine is off. I could put the transmission in reverse while running and then shut off the engine, though. Brake lights and turn signals work fine. Engine off, key on, don't start it, shift into reverse?
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Nov 9, 2016 23:49
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:But that's a service that's supposed to be done every 120k on Fits anyway (and it should be checked every 30k). You'd think the SA would be happy she brought it in for that! It's easy money for them, a good tech can knock it out in an hour and a half, and the gaskets can usually be reused (so no parts outside of a few drops of RTV). Engine has to be stone cold though, so it's either taking up a bay overnight or sits outside and gets pushed in when they can get to it. Yeah we dropped it off the night before just before closing time. I agree, it's easy money. Just do it, take my $225+ tax and move on. Since then the dealership has called 3 times. Twice to have me complete a survey about my ~*~*service experience~*~ and once from the used car sales dudes asking me if I still had my '08 Fit. Yes, I still own the car I took in for service 48 hours ago. No, I'm not interested in trading it in to the dealership. Leave me alone! 
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Nov 10, 2016 00:09
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Leperflesh posted:I have determined that this truck has a column-mounted backup lamp/neutral safety switch, most likely a "ratcheting self-adjusting" switch. In theory it might need to be adjusted or replaced, so I'll check it out. Yep, the one on my truck mounts the same way, but it has some slots on the mounting bolts so you can clock it a little bit relative to the column. If this one can't be tweaked, then there might be adjustment elsewhere in the linkage you can make.
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Nov 10, 2016 00:19
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:But that's a service that's supposed to be done every 120k on Fits anyway (and it should be checked every 30k). You'd think the SA would be happy she brought it in for that! It's easy money for them, a good tech can knock it out in an hour and a half, and the gaskets can usually be reused (so no parts outside of a few drops of RTV). Engine has to be stone cold though, so it's either taking up a bay overnight or sits outside and gets pushed in when they can get to it. Craaaaaap what is that service? Checking valves? I have 70k and I don't think it's ever been checked!  It's not stalling or anything, but it never has much horsepower. (It's been that way since I bought the car, though. I mean it does have 1.5L engine and all...)
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Nov 10, 2016 00:43
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Raluek posted:Engine off, key on, don't start it, shift into reverse? Ohhh. The key in the On position, yeah I think that does work. I'll check it after work.
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Nov 10, 2016 01:34
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Three-Phase posted:Craaaaaap what is that service? Checking valves? I have 70k and I don't think it's ever been checked! Usually they start getting pretty noisy when they need service, at least on the older Hondas. I'm not sure about on the Fit. And yeah, they're pretty slow. Less than 110 hp in a 2500 pound car. I have 145 in my 2900 pound car and it's... sluggish. I think the reason a lot of places balk at checking them is because part of the intake manifold has to come off on the Fit. On older Hondas there wasn't anything in the way of removing the valve cover. canyoneer posted:Since then the dealership has called 3 times. And this is why I have a Google Voice number. 
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 11:09 on Nov 10, 2016 |
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Nov 10, 2016 11:07
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Leperflesh posted:Ohhh. The key in the On position, yeah I think that does work. I'll check it after work. I think the purpose of the test is to see if the intermittent functionality is due to the engine vibrating something around. Personally, I think the switch just isn't adjusted right, and it probably thinks reverse is between gears, so you probably close then open the switch on your way to R. Could also be just a flaky switch. But if it works differently with the engine not running, that would lead you to suspect some sort of vibration-related mechanical weirdness with the wiring/switch/connectors/etc.
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Nov 10, 2016 12:14
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:Usually they start getting pretty noisy when they need service, at least on the older Hondas. I'm not sure about on the Fit. I have a google voice number for my PBX. Autoanswer and put them right into on-hold hell. https://soundcloud.com/user-237714155/sales-call-abyss
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Nov 10, 2016 16:14
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:I have a google voice number for my PBX. Autoanswer and put them right into on-hold hell. This is so good. 
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Nov 10, 2016 16:31
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Is it possible to find custom-fit rubber floormats that don't cost an arm and a leg? I've been trying a pair for a 2012 Ram 1500, regular cab, no center console or floor shifter. I would have preferred to find a set (or even single piece unit) that went all the way across and covered the hump as well, but it seems like the lowest price for a full set like that is $150, and I'm having trouble finding a regular driver/passenger pair for less than $90 that isn't 'universal' or cut-to-fit. If that's truly all there is I'll bite the bullet eventually, but how much of that price is just marketing wank?
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Nov 10, 2016 18:57
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My drain pan plug is torqued all to hell because that was my mechanic's solution to Jiffy lube warping my pan. I need to get it off so I can use one of pan saver plugs with the huge gasket, or whatever it's called. The thing is when I tried to get it off, my socket kept sort of leaning over and slipping off. I'm thinking it must have started rounding. I'm probably going to go at it with a socket designed for an impact wrench and a breaker bar this weekend. If that doesn't do it, are there any other tricks I should prepare? I did make sure it was the right size of socket, the one 1mm smaller wouldn't fit.
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Nov 10, 2016 20:13
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I have a 2002 VW Golf TDI 1.9L, and it's suddenly lost power above 2000rpm. I'm thinking it's the turbo, but I'm a newbie, so I could very well be completely wrong. What else could it be? A brief search found that my problem might just be the vaccuum hoses going into or out of the turbo. Does that seem plausible? I might poke around under the hood tomorrow, so is there anything else I could look at while I'm doing that? I heard tell of something called an 'actuator' which should be able to move 3/4", but I have no idea where that is. Is there a good online source for engine diagrams, or just the turbo & vaccuum systems? I haven't been able to find one. Thanks Turbo-Goons!
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Nov 11, 2016 01:24
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DavidAlltheTime posted:I have a 2002 VW Golf TDI 1.9L, and it's suddenly lost power above 2000rpm. I'm thinking it's the turbo, but I'm a newbie, so I could very well be completely wrong. What else could it be? A brief search found that my problem might just be the vaccuum hoses going into or out of the turbo. Does that seem plausible? I might poke around under the hood tomorrow, so is there anything else I could look at while I'm doing that? I heard tell of something called an 'actuator' which should be able to move 3/4", but I have no idea where that is. Is there a good online source for engine diagrams, or just the turbo & vaccuum systems? I haven't been able to find one. You can often fix it by filling the hotside of the turbo with lye-based foaming overn cleaner (really!) and then giving the car a good full-throttle blat about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUAfzi5BdM It could well be something else, but that's a common issue on these engines, and an easy one to have a go at.
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Nov 11, 2016 02:21
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22 Eargesplitten posted:My drain pan plug is torqued all to hell because that was my mechanic's solution to Jiffy lube warping my pan. I need to get it off so I can use one of pan saver plugs with the huge gasket, or whatever it's called. The thing is when I tried to get it off, my socket kept sort of leaning over and slipping off. I'm thinking it must have started rounding. I'm probably going to go at it with a socket designed for an impact wrench and a breaker bar this weekend. If that doesn't do it, are there any other tricks I should prepare? Try a standard socket that might be slightly smaller than the metric equivalent, e.g. 1/2" instead of 13mm. Failing that, maybe try that locking adjustable wrench? Won't mark up your plug like vise grips will, but will get on there tight.
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Nov 11, 2016 03:14
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Also, six point versus twelve point socket. I have all my 12 points locked away.
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Nov 11, 2016 04:03
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DavidAlltheTime posted:I have a 2002 VW Golf TDI 1.9L, and it's suddenly lost power above 2000rpm. I'm thinking it's the turbo, but I'm a newbie, so I could very well be completely wrong. What else could it be? A brief search found that my problem might just be the vaccuum hoses going into or out of the turbo. Does that seem plausible? I might poke around under the hood tomorrow, so is there anything else I could look at while I'm doing that? I heard tell of something called an 'actuator' which should be able to move 3/4", but I have no idea where that is. Is there a good online source for engine diagrams, or just the turbo & vaccuum systems? I haven't been able to find one. Take the hose off the intake and take a look inside the hole. It's probably choked up down to the size of a quarter. You might need a mirror and flashlight. The intake on those get super clogged when the EGR soot and oil build up into a sludge and choke off the intake. It's super common on those.
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Nov 11, 2016 05:30
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InitialDave posted:...an easy one to have a go at. Hey thanks! I'll check it out tomorrow. shy boy from chess club posted:Take the hose off the intake and take a look inside the hole. It's probably choked up down to the size of a quarter. You might need a mirror and flashlight. The intake on those get super clogged when the EGR soot and oil build up into a sludge and choke off the intake. It's super common on those. Do you mean the intake on the turbo, or on the engine itself (if they're different)? Such a newbie. 
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Nov 11, 2016 05:42
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The intake that is on the engine, it's aluminum and on the firewall side, the hole you want to look into is pointing out towards the passenger side.
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Nov 11, 2016 07:59
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DavidAlltheTime posted:Hey thanks! I'll check it out tomorrow. Don't worry, asking questions is how you learn!
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Nov 11, 2016 08:32
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I was just at a gas station filling up when some lady in an SUV reversed right into me. She was at the furthest pump and I pulled into the pump behind her, I had already gotten out and was paying at the pump when she put her SUV in reverse and backed right into me, apparently she never bothered to look. Not a lot of damage that I can see, but one of the front headlights was cracked. She literally looked at me and said, "Well, you're fine." I was like, "What do you mean, I'm fine?" She flipped me off and drove away. I got a cell phone picture of her SUV and the license plate, is this going to be worth the hassle to actually call the police over? I doubt fixing one headlight is even going to meet my deductible.
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Nov 11, 2016 16:56
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Yes, some headlights are $$$$. My 350z lights are horrible expensive. Her insurance should pay and get a hit and run citation. Gas station will have video the officer can get. Once you have that, pass to your car insurance, and ask for depreciated vehicle compensation for the accident if you want to be a dick.
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Nov 11, 2016 17:01
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