|
Need some help with a radial pull/tire conicity diagnosis Car tracks perfectly straight on slightly banked road @ 80mph on old tires Take car in for new tires, goes from 195/65R14 federal super steels to 195/60R14 ohtsu (discount tire rebranded falkens, only h rated tire i could find near my size.) Car starts pulling HARD to passenger side at any speed. Fix air pressure, car tracks decently to passenger side but not as much. Very noticeable at 40mph or above. Suspect front tire due to severity. Simple enough. Rotate tires to rear, pull lessens in severity and changes direction to driver side. Very obvious at 60mph. Take car again, and they replace the rear passenger tire without further diagnosis, because they say they had a bunch of problems balancing that wheel. Seems reasonable. Here's the part that's making my brain malfunction: Fix air pressure, car starts pulling to passenger side just as bad as it was in the first place. What? How could this possibly happen? If they switched the wrong tire, wouldn't the radial pull remain in the same direction? Is it even slightly possible there are 2 bad tires on my car? A quick answer would be nice, they're sending back the maybe-not-bad tire tomorrow and I have to wait for them to get ordered if it turns up that wasn't the bad one. Is it possible I got another bad tire? Car's only been driven to and from the tire place and a few miles down the freeway to test tires, and I haven't hit any potholes. Tracked perfectly straight even at high speeds before I got new tires. Should I get suspension alignment done anyway or am I wasting my money? My alignment shop can't get me in for over a week (the downside to good, busy independent shops..) It's obvious the guys at the shop don't really know what they're doing with this diagnosis. They tried to tell me it was a wheel balance issue, and I know better than that. Wheel balance should only affect vibrations. Also tried to tell me that if my radial pull goes away after the first rotation, that my tires are good, when it actually indicates a bad tire rather than suspension to my understanding and according to every tire shop's website including their own. Hence why I'm asking the internet. Tashan Dorrsett fucked around with this message at 00:19 on May 29, 2016 |
#
?
May 29, 2016 00:10
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 10, 2024 07:34 |
|
|
PaintVagrant posted:More truck engine questions, the 3.7 5-cylinder that is in the Colorado/Canyon. Turd or Mega-Turd? It is ok, my neighbors made 220k miles. They aren't really powerful and fuel economy isn't any better than the 4.3L. They did have issues with valves leaking compression as they got older so a lot got replaced under warranty.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 00:11
|
|
|
eddiewalker posted:NTB wouldn't put slightly wider tires on my MG even though the size it was wearing wasn't made anymore. One time I wanted to use walmarts cheap rear end mou ting to mount some tires that were slightly larger to my car, I didn't even buy them there and was advised they couldn't do it unless they were the size on the door.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 00:12
|
|
|
PaintVagrant posted:More truck engine questions, the 3.7 5-cylinder that is in the Colorado/Canyon. Turd or Mega-Turd? If its the same one that was in the hummer then yes. Even more so in a truck cause of people not maintaining them. But if it's got good service records I wouldn't worry. There coils are known to poo poo the bed sporadically.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 00:21
|
|
|
Tashan Dorrsett posted:Need some help with a radial pull/tire conicity diagnosis Get an alignment at a not-halfwit shop, stop guessing.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 00:25
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:Get an alignment at a not-halfwit shop, stop guessing. I get my alignment done at a very good specialty place that only does suspension, it's been 8 months though. But it was tracking perfectly before tires. I have an appointment, but it's over a week off.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 00:38
|
|
|
canyoneer posted:I'm replacing my tires on my Scion tC. It's a boring commuter car for me. That rating is for the top speed of the tire not it's grip.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 01:17
|
|
|
honda whisperer posted:That rating is for the top speed of the tire not it's grip. And V rating is faster than any scion can go AFAIK.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 01:19
|
|
|
spankmeister posted:it's when your wheels want go faster than your engine and because your engine has compression it slows your car down. Your wheels drive the pistons instead of the other way around. I am a little late to the party, but I am catching up on the thread and had a legit question about engine braking in the mountains. When I was in the Appalachians, I hit an area on the interstate with a steep gradient down the mountain, so I downshifted from fifth, but I kept accelerating up to ~70mph from my previous 60. I went down to third, where was redlining and still accelerating, up to almost 90mph, before just going to neutral and regular braking the rest of the ~2 mile stretch down the mountain. Besides just burning my brakes, are there any safe ways to handle that? I was considering leaving it in 3/4 and pulling the hand brake, so that only my drums would heat up, and I'd have the ~70% efficiency of the front disks free in an emergency, but I was afraid to simultaneously put too much stress on both my brakes and transmission, especially that far from home
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 01:49
|
|
|
In that situation just put it in the lowest gear that won't exceed redline at your speed, and just stab the brakes periodically to keep from overspeeding. That way they at least have time to cool off.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 01:56
|
|
|
Cross posting here to hopefully get an idea of what I need to do to resolve: I recently bought a 2001 VW Polo 1.4 75k miles as a cheap run around whilst I pump money into savings. I thought I'd found a hidden gem but it's currently sitting outside with a dead battery and won't start. It's so dead that even the unlocking fob doesn't work and I have to use the key, with a turn in the ignition doing nothing at all. The car has had a new battery and a new alternator in the last few months which makes me think that the old owner had the same problem but misdiagnosed it. I'm pretty sure the issue is a parasitic drain on the battery. I noticed within a couple days of purchase that sometimes the dashboard lights (the back lights behind the speedometer and such, not the warning lights) stay on if the headlight dial is not in juuuuuuust the right position. There has been a couple of occasions that I've made sure it's off and returned to the vehicle with them back on and I'm 99% sure this is what killed the battery. I'll be able to do some more testing when my buddy gives me a jump tomorrow but I guess I just want to know if anyone has come across a similar problem. I'm hoping I can just replace or reconnect the headlight switch dial to fix it but I'm worried it's going to be a complex electrical issue that requires a lot of cash. Miles O'Brian fucked around with this message at 02:00 on May 29, 2016 |
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 01:57
|
|
|
The Door Frame posted:I am a little late to the party, but I am catching up on the thread and had a legit question about engine braking in the mountains. When I was in the Appalachians, I hit an area on the interstate with a steep gradient down the mountain, so I downshifted from fifth, but I kept accelerating up to ~70mph from my previous 60. I went down to third, where was redlining and still accelerating, up to almost 90mph, before just going to neutral and regular braking the rest of the ~2 mile stretch down the mountain. Some hills flat out require brakes. The method taught in CDL school is to, in a gear that's giving you some engine braking, coast up to a reasonable top speed - say, 70, then brake down to 60, repeat.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 03:10
|
|
|
Diesels use heated air to ignite the fuel, right? What's the point of a cold air intake on them?
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 04:38
|
|
|
QuarkMartial posted:Diesels use heated air to ignite the fuel, right? They still theoretically* benefit from colder air = more air per volume because, like petrol engines, what they burn is mostly air just mixed with a little bit of fuel. They don't use 'heated air' but rather the compression ratio is so high that when the air is compressed it heats up enough to ignite. Having cold air going in is still good for efficiency. *:I say theoretically because I can't imagine that a CAI on a naturally aspirated diesel in a road vehicle would make any kind of measurable difference.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 04:44
|
|
|
Miles O'Brian posted:Cross posting here to hopefully get an idea of what I need to do to resolve: I'd start by buying a new headlight switch, sounds like it's messed up and that is at least one of your problems, and you should address it first before looking at anything else, in one of my cars I had an Fm transmitter/charger aux power plug and if I left my car sit for the weekend, I'd have a dead battery if I didn't unplug it. Small draws eventually can kill a battery. How long do you need to leave your vehicle before it dies out?
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 05:55
|
|
|
This is the first time it's died on me but I basically left it overnight. When I came back in the morning it took an extra laboured second to start but I didn't think too much of it. I drove for about 10 minutes, parked up and came back approx 8 or 9 hours later. When I turned the ignition first time the engine cranked a little but didn't start. The few times after that there was a loud single click but no crank. Now there is nothing at all and none of the electrics work even a little.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 07:59
|
|
|
The Door Frame posted:I am a little late to the party, but I am catching up on the thread and had a legit question about engine braking in the mountains. When I was in the Appalachians, I hit an area on the interstate with a steep gradient down the mountain, so I downshifted from fifth, but I kept accelerating up to ~70mph from my previous 60. I went down to third, where was redlining and still accelerating, up to almost 90mph, before just going to neutral and regular braking the rest of the ~2 mile stretch down the mountain. Yeah sometimes the hill is just too steep and/or your car is too heavy. You should still use engine braking but like others said keep it in a gear that keeps it from redlining and periodically apply the brakes to slow down again. I would not recommend using just the hand brake because of the risk of the back kicking out in a turn or something. A rule I once learned from a French mechanic when I was driving in the Alps was that you use the same gear going down a mountain that you needed to get up it. So if it was steep enough to need second gear going up you go down it in second also.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2016 09:23
|
|
|
What's a good resource to figure out how much annual maintenance costs are for a specific car/model? I'm interested in figuring out how much it would cost to maintain a Honda Accord versus a Benz E350 Sport, for example.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 00:12
|
|
|
canyoneer posted:Never! Costco won't put V tires on them anyway, and they don't have any Z rated tires anywhere nearby. I left without tires despite my protests and the fact that my belt is showing on one tire. I would actually make a complaint with the store/regional manager or something. tater_salad posted:One time I wanted to use walmarts cheap rear end mou ting to mount some tires that were slightly larger to my car, I didn't even buy them there and was advised they couldn't do it unless they were the size on the door. I've done that at walmart before with no problem. Godholio fucked around with this message at 00:28 on May 30, 2016 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 00:26
|
|
|
Hello, Long time lurker needing some advice. So I've been inspired by reading threads here to learn how to work on cars. I purchased a dirt cheap running piece of poo poo that I absolutely love. It's a 1992 Toyota Celica GT hatch. This car has been sitting neglected in the sun for years. It starts up every time on first try and the engine feels good and has compression. So anyway I've never worked on a car in my life but so far I have accomplished : plug replacement,oil change,air filter. Today I removed the distributor and replaced the O-ring,rotor and cap. So now I want to replace some leaking power steering hoses and the radiator + hoses. My questions are ,how difficult is it to replace the high pressure hose to the power steering pump+reservoir? Do I need anything other than a standard 301 toolset from harbor freight? Is this possible for a novice? I didn't know to mark the distributor for timing purposes when I removed it. If I pop it back on is it safe to start without readjusting the timing? The rear brakes make a whooshing sound when used. I haven't replaced the brakes+rotors yet but is this a brake booster issue or do they need bleeding? Thanks for any help!
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 01:40
|
|
|
Muttonchips posted:What's a good resource to figure out how much annual maintenance costs are for a specific car/model? TrueDelta. Godholio posted:I would actually make a complaint with the store/regional manager or something. They'll just reiterate that it's their policy. They did the same to me on my Volvo 240, the only tires in the correct size had "too low" of a weight rating.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 02:39
|
|
|
Wazabi posted:Hello, 1. Yes the high pressure hose has fairly standard bolts etc, just don't lose any of the metal washers that go on either side of the banjo fittings (if you end up with an odd number, you hosed up). It is very easy and consists of undoing two big nuts/bolts and whatever brackets hold the hose still (if any). Afterward be sure to bleed the power steering by running the engine and turning the steering wheel left to right with the front wheels in the air until the whining stops (if the whining doesn't stop, you hosed up). 2. It will most probably start and run just fine if you just stick it back in but the ignition timing will be wildly out which is bad for *reasons*. You need a $20 timing light and a paperclip. Basic rundown: hook up your timing light to cylinder 1 and fit the distributor in place but with the eccentric bolt loose enough so you can turn the distributor by hand. Start the car and use the paperclip to bridge terminals E1 and TE1 on the diagnostic connector found under the bonnet somewhere. The engine will now enter timing set mode (the idle will change slightly). Point your timing light at the crank pulley and turn the distributor until the mark on the pulley lines up with the 10deg mark on the engine cover, tighten the distributor bolt and take your paperclip out. 3. Whooshing sound could be goddamn anything including what you ate for breakfast and is totally useless from a diagnostic standpoint. Are they drums or discs? Have you physically looked at the brakes at all? First step is to take the rear wheels off and determine if there's any kind of problem at all or if it's just an old hunk of poo poo doing old hunk of poo poo things.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 03:15
|
|
|
Wazabi posted:I didn't know to mark the distributor for timing purposes when I removed it. If I pop it back on is it safe to start without readjusting the timing? The distributor should be keyed, so it can only go back in really close to where it was before, or possibly 180 degrees reversed. Pop it back in. Try to start it. If it starts, congrats, just time it properly ASAP. If it backfires when you try to crank it, it's 180 degrees reversed. Slavvy posted excellent words about timing it properly. The diagnostic connector he mentioned should be on the drivers side strut tower by the wiper motor, assuming it's a left hand drive model (US/Canada/some other countries). Where is the sound coming from? If it's coming from the dash/under the hood, it's your brake booster (you'll probably notice the engine RPMs do something odd at the same time). If it's more of a rubbing sound and coming from the back of the car, it's probably rust on the rotors. If it's just surface rust on them, it should be worn off over a couple of miles of driving and braking. Rotors can rust overnight in a humid climate, so a little bit of rust appearing overnight is no cause for concern. If they needed bleeding, you'd have a soft/spongy brake pedal. Though it wouldn't be a bad idea to flush the brake system to get fresh brake fluid in there. Slavvy, US/Canada market GTs should have 4 wheel disc brakes standard starting with the 92 model year. I believe they were an option prior to 92. Pretty sure anyway.. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 03:28 on May 30, 2016 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 03:22
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:
There's a big difference between that and refusing to sell z-rated tires for a vehicle that can't physically reach those speeds and didn't come with tires rated for those speeds originally anyway. Especially when he's going to lie about it being for traction purposes.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 04:05
|
|
|
Really appreciate the answers guys! Forgot to ask one more thing...PO hardwired rad fan to turn on when I turn the car on..Is this dangerous? Could I use this setup for long distance trips or should I try wiring it back to stock? Thank you. Oh as for the brakes it is definitely coming from the rear of the car. And it's the sound of air escaping like when You let air out of a tire. Haven't driven it to much to know if the brakes get mushy. weird crooked penis fucked around with this message at 05:07 on May 30, 2016 |
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 04:38
|
|
|
Fan on always isn't too big of a deal unless your car runs too cool and fouls the plugs. If you live south of the mason dixon line gently caress it?
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 06:30
|
|
|
Wazabi posted:Really appreciate the answers guys! Forgot to ask one more thing...PO hardwired rad fan to turn on when I turn the car on..Is this dangerous? Could I use this setup for long distance trips or should I try wiring it back to stock? The PO must have wired it always on for a reason, so be prepared to figure out what that is.
|
|
#
?
May 30, 2016 18:07
|
|
|
Looking for some advice on which tyres to replace, and what to replace them with. Car is a 2003 Vauxhal/Opel Corsa 1.2sxi. Tyre size is 185/55H15, driving all year in the UK on the same tyres. The 2 rear tyres are from 2004 and are starting to crack. The spare is a full sized tyre from 2003, but shows no sign of cracking or perishing (it's stowed below the carpet in the boot so hasn't been exposed to UV, salt etc). I'm thinking to replace the 2 rear tyres, but keep the spare, so: 1. Should I also replace the spare for age alone, even though there's no sign of problems? 2. What tyres should I buy? I'm looking at https://www.blackcircles.com and thinking either Uniroyal Rainsport 3, Continental Premium Contact 5 or Dunlop Sport BluResponse. Most important thing is grip in both wet and dry, we don't do a lot of miles, so I'm not too worried about wear or fuel economy. Appreciate any comments on those tyres or suggestions for alternatives.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 13:42
|
|
|
How far do you want to go on a spare? About two years ago I used the original spare on my 1998 Ranger (stored under the bed so limited UV exposure, unless a PO left it in the bed for a long time) and it held together for about 15 miles of <45mph surface streets. Then it shredded.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 14:14
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:How far do you want to go on a spare? About two years ago I used the original spare on my 1998 Ranger (stored under the bed so limited UV exposure, unless a PO left it in the bed for a long time) and it held together for about 15 miles of <45mph surface streets. Then it shredded. Probably not far, but I'd rather have the option to if need be, and I'd want to be able to trust it at speed. TBH if it's not suitable for full time use, I'm inclined to think it's no good as a spare either. I'm seeing mixed opinions on replacing tyres solely for age though, so I thought I'd ask you guys. If it's a safety issue I'm cool with replacing all 4 tyres and throwing one of the current front tyres (2013, 5mm tread easy) in the boot as a spare.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 14:39
|
|
|
This is a really dumb question, but how the hell does one stop smoothly in an automatic? I never drive autos, and when I drive normally in my manual car I always let up the brake just before the car fully stops to eliminate that jolt that otherwise arises when holding the brake in while fully stopping. I've never been able to do it in an automatic, and it's even worse when the car has a stop/start function. Is it just something that will come with time, or is it pretty much impossible to do in an automatic? It might seem petty, but I don't think I could live with having that drat jolt every time I fully stop now that I've spent almost 10 years not doing it. Another thing I can't stand is the "lag" between pressing the gas and the gearbox deciding what gear to be in / downshifting where nothing seems to happen. Obviously this is something that varies from car to car, but I had a rental Volvo V40 that was utterly useless. The Hyundai I40 I test drove yesterday was much better, but still felt very uncivilized compared to driving with a manual. I don't know what to try that isn't a super expensive car, that still has a good enough automatic. Also I never get the feeling of driving / having proper control of the car in an auto, but that's probably just a habit thing. The reason I'm whining is that the girlfriend likes automatics, and more and more new cars are automatics so I kinda want to know how much it's me and how much it's the technology. I don't really want to spend a ton of money on something that I won't enjoy in the end.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 14:52
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:How far do you want to go on a spare? About two years ago I used the original spare on my 1998 Ranger (stored under the bed so limited UV exposure, unless a PO left it in the bed for a long time) and it held together for about 15 miles of <45mph surface streets. Then it shredded. Was it filled properly? They lose air just sitting there, and UV isn't the only thing that breaks down rubber.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 15:32
|
|
|
MrOnBicycle posted:This is a really dumb question, but how the hell does one stop smoothly in an automatic? I never drive autos, and when I drive normally in my manual car I always let up the brake just before the car fully stops to eliminate that jolt that otherwise arises when holding the brake in while fully stopping. I've never been able to do it in an automatic, and it's even worse when the car has a stop/start function. Modulate your braking pressure. Learn to anticipate that jolt, and ease up on the brakes just before it happens to mitigate the jolty feeling.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 16:31
|
|
|
Godholio posted:Was it filled properly? They lose air just sitting there, and UV isn't the only thing that breaks down rubber. It was, aired it up right after it went on. I agree that UV isn't the only thing that ages rubber, my point is that it probably didn't see much different of a life than the in-trunk spare. If your spare wheel is the same as your regular one, either buy five new tires and do a five tire rotation, or buy four and use a 2013 tire as a spare.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 16:42
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:Modulate your braking pressure. Learn to anticipate that jolt, and ease up on the brakes just before it happens to mitigate the jolty feeling. So in other words, it's not possible avoid completely. I did get close to avoiding it, but then the brake pressure wasn't enough to keep the car from wanting to drive again. Aside for my petty stopping complaints, which cars have the best automatic gearboxes? I'd like to try one and get a good idea of what a good one is like.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 17:05
|
|
|
It's absolutely possible to avoid it completely. I learned on, and drove automatics for the first 15 years of my driving experience, and I had a similar problem to yours when switching to a manual. For me, I had the muscle memory of anticipating the car to continue to roll forward when brake pressure was relaxed, so I had developed a technique of varying pressure on the brake pedal to give me a smooth stop. When I switched to a manual, I had to adjust the amount of variation I was putting on the brake pedal because the wheels weren't getting power as I was rolling to a stop. It took me a while to get the hang of it.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 17:08
|
|
|
MrOnBicycle posted:So in other words, it's not possible avoid completely. I did get close to avoiding it, but then the brake pressure wasn't enough to keep the car from wanting to drive again. It's tricky to describe in words, but I used to ease up on the brakes so that the car slipped through the jolt, then press down on the brakes again to come to a stop. It probably took me a year of driving to develop. You'll get it.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 17:18
|
|
|
Ah I see. I think I get it. Good to hear. It sounds silly, but doing the joltless stops are one of the few things I enjoy about driving in the city.
|
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 17:25
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:It was, aired it up right after it went on. I agree that UV isn't the only thing that ages rubber, my point is that it probably didn't see much different of a life than the in-trunk spare. Hmmm. If I'm changing all 4 it's tempting to switch to 195/50R15 for better choice and prices on summer tyres, or 195/55R15 and get Michelin Crossclimates. Rim is 6.5Jx15 ET40, am I right that either of those sizes should be fine? Is this a good idea? Anyone tried the Michelin Crossclimates? Edit - now not so sure that rim size is correct, they're the original alloy wheels that came fitted with 185/55r15 tyres. Pierre Chaton fucked around with this message at 23:03 on May 31, 2016 |
|
#
?
May 31, 2016 18:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 10, 2024 07:34 |
|
|
Is there a method to testing if a differential is a torsen/helical diff when the diff is out of the car? Im sort of thinking lightly loading/chocking one output shaft and turning the input shaft should result in both output shafts turning at different ratios (whereas an open diff or viscous diff would just turn the non-loaded shaft) The problem is that the diff housing was used for all models of the car (Nissan S15) and there is no external identifiers that it is a Torsen. I mean I suppose I could take the hat off and check but for a $150 diff I feel like a bit of a dick asking the guy to drain it so I can take off 10 studs and make a mess.
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2016 00:48
|
|
