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 IF YOU ARE ASKING A QUESTION, YOU NEED TO GIVE DETAILS Be specific. "MY BLUE CAR IS MAKING A SQUEAK WHAT COULD IT BE?" ain't good enough. Tell us the make / model / year / engine type when asking questions about your car. Beyond that, the experts will ask for further details. The old thread got too big, but is still available here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2012475 Mod edit: If you are asking about what car to buy, that's this thread. In this thread you can ask any question that doesn't deserve its own thread. I'll get it started by asking: Is there a way to fill deep scratches in plastic bumpers that looks ok after touch-up? I've got one deep scratch that I'd like to fill, but I don't know what to do it with. Somebody fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Dec 16, 2013 |
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Feb 21, 2007 14:25
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EVERYWHERE 
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BMW question - my '95 525i door seals have shrunken to the point that they fall off the door holes. I mean the big seals that go completely around the door, not just the kick things on the bottom. I just snagged a few hundred bucks worth of bits from bavauto but I cannot for the life of me find those seals on their site (https://www.bavauto.com). Please help me locate these goddamn seals. Also how much will I hate replacing the cabin microfilter? I've seen the steps on a couple sites and it looks hellish but has anyone ever actualy DONE it? Mine has 140k miles on it so I KNOW it's the reason my heater airflow is that of a flies wings....
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Feb 21, 2007 18:22
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How much of a pain in the rear end is it to switch insurance companies? I'm paying $1500/year with Progressive, and I just ran a quote with Geico and it's $750! Jesus.. I'd be a retard not to. Is the proper order: 1) get new coverages 2) cancel old coverage or the other way around?
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Feb 21, 2007 19:07
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Fantastipotamus posted:How much of a pain in the rear end is it to switch insurance companies? I'm paying $1500/year with Progressive, and I just ran a quote with Geico and it's $750! When you apply for new insurance, they typically have a field where it asks if you're currently insured, and if you'll cancel that insurance upon approval with the new company. So, yes, do it in that order. Tell Geico that you're insured with Progressive, and if you are approved with them, you'll cancel the policy with Progressive. You can tell Geico when you want the coverage to start, and on that day cancel with Progressive and you're good to go!
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Feb 21, 2007 19:21
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dealmaster posted:When you apply for new insurance, they typically have a field where it asks if you're currently insured, and if you'll cancel that insurance upon approval with the new company. So, yes, do it in that order. Tell Geico that you're insured with Progressive, and if you are approved with them, you'll cancel the policy with Progressive. You can tell Geico when you want the coverage to start, and on that day cancel with Progressive and you're good to go!  ), but I get a refund of nearly $180 back from Progressive for premiums paid.So, I guess it bears repeating: IF YOU GET A NEW CAR, SHOP AROUND FOR RATES, YOU'RE A FOOL NOT TO
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Feb 21, 2007 19:45
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Fantastipotamus posted:Excellent, thanks.. Just did it, not only did I save an honest-to-goodness $750 by switching to Geico (yes I am a corporate spokes-robot So easy even a caveman can do it quote:Also how much will I hate replacing the cabin microfilter? I've seen the steps on a couple sites and it looks hellish but has anyone ever actualy DONE it? Mine has 140k miles on it so I KNOW it's the reason my heater airflow is that of a flies wings.... If its anything like changing the filter on an E36, you will hate life as you'll have to remove the entire glovebox assembly, which is a royal pain in the rear end due to screw placement.
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Feb 21, 2007 20:00
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Crunk Golem posted:
Mine's an E34 right? I'd hate to just jump in there and start removing screws untill the guts fell out and then find that my model has an escape hatch with a little lever somewhere straightforward.. (thanks though, I've heard that my curses will resonate across the globe not unlike the explosion of Mt Krakatoa)
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Feb 21, 2007 21:18
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1990 Corolla, 160K miles/60K on the engine, blue. My "check oil" light has started coming on at stoplights, or any time I'm idling (ie. coasting down hills). It's never done this before, and I've had the car 8 years. I changed the oil less than 1K ago and the level is still fine, though I have a slight valve cover gasket/distributer o-ring leak (which is getting fixed tomorrow, with oem stuff this time). What is most likely to be causing the light to come on: tiny oil leak, oil pressure sensor going bad or something clogging the oil pickup? I'm open to other ideas, that's just what I've come up with so far.
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Feb 22, 2007 02:43
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Half of my dashboard light is out. Is it likely a fuse or a bulb? I guess that's a stupid + lazy question.
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Feb 22, 2007 02:59
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ChlamydiaJones posted:BMW question - my '95 525i door seals have shrunken to the point that they fall off the door holes. I mean the big seals that go completely around the door, not just the kick things on the bottom. I just snagged a few hundred bucks worth of bits from bavauto but I cannot for the life of me find those seals on their site (https://www.bavauto.com). 01 EDGE PROTECTION FRONT ULTRAMARIN 2 09/90 51 72 8 137 771 01 EDGE PROTECTION FRONT PERGAMENT 2 09/90 51 72 8 137 772 01 EDGE PROTECTION FRONT BRASIL 2 09/90 51 72 8 137 773 02 EDGE PROTECTION REAR SCHIEFER 2 51 72 1 946 397 02 EDGE PROTECTION REAR ULTRAMARIN 2 09/90 51 72 8 137 774 02 EDGE PROTECTION REAR PERGAMENT 2 09/90 51 72 8 137 775 02 EDGE PROTECTION REAR BRASIL 2 09/90 51 72 8 137 776 Crunk Golem posted:If its anything like changing the filter on an E36...  
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Feb 22, 2007 03:10
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xjerryx posted:Half of my dashboard light is out. Is it likely a fuse or a bulb?
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Feb 22, 2007 03:26
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Is there a way to remove spraypaint from a car without loving up the original paint job? Some jackwad decided to run down my street last night and give every car a racing stripe. It's a 2002 Civic, if that matters for paint composition.
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Feb 22, 2007 04:05
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My '00 Nissan Sentra got dinged in a parking lot, the dent is about three inches in diameter, not too deep, located just in front of the left tail-light. Is it adviseable to try to hammer it out from the inside, or use one of those suction-dent cups? Or will that exacerbate the problem?
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Feb 22, 2007 05:39
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Abugadu posted:My '00 Nissan Sentra got dinged in a parking lot, the dent is about three inches in diameter, not too deep, located just in front of the left tail-light. Is it adviseable to try to hammer it out from the inside, or use one of those suction-dent cups? Or will that exacerbate the problem? Just go to a paintless dent removal specialist. Bodywork doesn't come out the way you intend it until you've got a whole lot of experience; hammering on a car that you care about in any way, shape or form is a pretty bad idea.
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Feb 22, 2007 05:48
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Hotdog In A Hallway posted:Is there a way to remove spraypaint from a car without loving up the original paint job? You might try to clay your car, it may work. There are some clays that are used for removing overspray, but they are generally coarser. I would try a milder one first.
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Feb 22, 2007 05:49
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bizwank posted:1990 Corolla, 160K miles/60K on the engine, blue. Is it the "check oil" light? or just the "oil" light. Like the light with a little oil can on it? That doesn't mean check oil, it means the oil pressure is low. The best case scenario is that it means the oil pressure sensor is bad, and allowing the oil light to come on at normal oil pressure, so get that checked out first. It's like a ten dollar part. If that's not the problem, it means your oil pressure is actually too low during low RPM's... which means you've either got a clog like you said, a worn out oil pump, or a lot of engine wear. Either way, with low oil pressure it's just a matter of time before you knock a rod out. I'd get it checked out by a shop immediately.
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Feb 22, 2007 05:49
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Hotdog In A Hallway posted:Is there a way to remove spraypaint from a car without loving up the original paint job? Yes, the new paint will be much softer than the original paint, and if the car was even a little dirty, it won't have adhered well at all. So you can get some spraypaint remover (a mild solvent, sold at auto parts stores) and if that doesn't work, you can just buff it off, or try a claybar like Bad Meat suggested.
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Feb 22, 2007 05:52
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My transmission fluid is a little bit low; it was changed last time at the dealer, so I don't know offhand what's in there at the moment. I've heard of people creating some weird tranny fluid cocktails - is it a bad idea to top it off with Syncromesh and call it a day? Should I just drop by the dealership and have them top it off?
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Feb 22, 2007 06:18
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Okay, '95 Grand AM GT Coupe. The power steering went out on my car one night, so I stopped at a gas station and refilled the fluid tank. It again lost the power steering in less than half an hour. I've been muscling it out since do to being on a college budget and the fact that one thing on my car has shat out after another. Anyway, 1) What's an average replacement fee for power steering? 2) Is driving without power steering going to ruin my rack and pinion system? Thanks in advance. EDIT: make and model
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Feb 22, 2007 06:42
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BetterWeirdthanDead posted:Okay, '95 Grand AM GT Coupe. If it's just gushing fluid out, then it's just a matter of fixing the leak. It could be anything from a fully broken part to something as simple as a loose hose. On my Saab, I just needed a hose re-crimped and they charged me $10. But yes, you can ruin your power steering pump and other parts if you don't keep fluid in it. If you absolutely can't get it fixed now, and the power steering is on its own belt, you can drive it for a little while with the belt removed and not permanently ruin it. If the power steering is driven by a shared accessory belt then I think you're pretty much stuck fixing it now or spending 3x as much in about a week. If it's spewing the fluid in 30 minutes then just refilling it all the time is not an option.
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Feb 22, 2007 07:53
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thorne posted:My transmission fluid is a little bit low; it was changed last time at the dealer, so I don't know offhand what's in there at the moment. I've heard of people creating some weird tranny fluid cocktails - is it a bad idea to top it off with Syncromesh and call it a day? Should I just drop by the dealership and have them top it off? I'm assuming you're talking about a mantran. Tranny fluid is designed for the life of the vehicle. The only time you should change it is if it gets contaminated, potentially from a leak. Don't mix tranny fluids.
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Feb 22, 2007 08:20
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Is the '99/'00 Miata #4 thrust bearing issue as serious as it is overblown? I've been looking into Miatas, and I've been reading basically all of Miata.net (again), and they do give a VIN range for cars that are/were possibly affected by the issue, but even then it seems to be all luck of the draw. Basically my question is if I were to buy an '99/'00 Miata with more than let's say 35k miles on it, would it pretty much be in the clear? Miata.net kind of says that an affected engine will detonate early in its life, but what are your experiences/opinions on the matter?
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Feb 22, 2007 08:23
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I just bought a rather spiffy 2002 Black Mustang. The previous owner kept it in relatively good condition. "Good" as in "not driving it into the ground" (it has fairly low mileage for its year) I've never had a car this new or nice before, So I'm determined to keep it looking in pristine condition. (And plus I still got my old beater to abuse and whatnot) Sadly, it appears the Mustangs' previous owner didn't make many attempts to protect the paint; The front end of the car had its share of old bug guts. Additionally, there are many small paint chips, particularly on the front bumper. My question is, is there any type of product that can make the paint chips and scratches less noticeable? I'm aware of those "paint pen" things that you can use to fill in chips, but there are areas filled with numerous tiny paint chips that would be hard to fill in.
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Feb 22, 2007 08:35
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I have quite possibly one of the dumbest questions ever. It involves fuel efficiency. Does an engine running at x rpm always burn the same amount of fuel, regardless of speed or gear? For example, if I'm driving along at 3000 rpm in fifth gear and 3000 rpm in first, do I burn the same amount of fuel? I'm aware more fuel is used to get me to that speed in fifth gear, but once I'm there.... it should be the same. Right? 
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Feb 22, 2007 11:14
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Interrupting Moss posted:I have quite possibly one of the dumbest questions ever. It involves fuel efficiency. Depends on the load on the engine. I would assume being in fifth, the car has to overcome more wind resistance to stay at 3000 rpm, thus is burning more fuel than in first. In a perfect frictionless world, you would be correct. Then again, in a frictionless world, you wouldn't burn any fuel.
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Feb 22, 2007 11:27
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Interrupting Moss posted:I have quite possibly one of the dumbest questions ever. It involves fuel efficiency. It would depend on the load, 3000RPM on a flat surface is going to use less gas than 3000RPM going up a hill and more than 3000RPM going downhill. The question I've had along those lines is -- where is the data that driving at Speed X (say 55mph) is more fuel efficient than driving at Speed X+Y (say 65). I know that the aerodynamic drag is going to go up substantially and F=mv^2 is going to say that there will be more force needed, and in turn more gas used... but has it been quantified for individual cars? The reason for the question -- I have had cars that get better gas mileage as the average speed goes up (to a point)... I believe there are gearing / engine efficiency "sweet spots." Am I on drugs? e:f,b
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Feb 22, 2007 11:32
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meatpimp posted:F=mv^2 PE=mv^2 Morwan posted:p = mv (momentum) Another reason I don't wanna go back to grad school... I can't believe I forgot that poo poo. meatpimp posted:The reason for the question -- I have had cars that get better gas mileage as the average speed goes up (to a point)... I believe there are gearing / engine efficiency "sweet spots." Am I on drugs? I think most cars are designed for the sweet spot to be in the 55 mph range because that's where most of the speed limits are set at. I could be wrong. Uthor fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Feb 22, 2007 |
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Feb 22, 2007 11:46
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whiskas posted:I'm assuming you're talking about a mantran. Tranny fluid is designed for the life of the vehicle. The only time you should change it is if it gets contaminated, potentially from a leak. Don't mix tranny fluids. What? In a mantran, the tranny fluid gets contaminated with bits of the wear parts as the transmission experiences regular use and wear; it's been my understanding that you should change transmission fluid every 30k miles. I just don't know if it's cool to "top it off" with another brand of fluid.
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Feb 22, 2007 11:55
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thorne posted:What? In a mantran, the tranny fluid gets contaminated with bits of the wear parts as the transmission experiences regular use and wear; it's been my understanding that you should change transmission fluid every 30k miles. I just don't know if it's cool to "top it off" with another brand of fluid. My drivers' manual never actually tells me to change my transmission fluid...ever. I'm assuming it should just be changed as the clutch wears out. The table for the an automatic lists it at 30k miles.
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Feb 22, 2007 12:15
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Uthor posted:F=ma I used F=mv^2 to talk about momentum, and the energy required to keep that speed/momentum is going to fit this equation, certainly enough for AI purposes! Edit:vvvvv apparently not, looks like this is turning into Math Insanity. 
meatpimp fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Feb 22, 2007 |
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Feb 22, 2007 15:34
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Uthor posted:PE=mv^2 KE = 1/2 mv^2 (kinetic energy) PE.. Depends on the system. (potential energy) quote:Edit:vvvvv apparently not, looks like this is turning into Math Insanity. 
AfricanBootyShine fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Mar 1, 2007 |
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Feb 22, 2007 16:33
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Uthor posted:My drivers' manual never actually tells me to change my transmission fluid...ever. I'm assuming it should just be changed as the clutch wears out. The table for the an automatic lists it at 30k miles. Gear oil is generally used in manual transmissions, and transmission fluid is generally used in automatics. Some manuals spec ATF although they're very, very different fluids.
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Feb 22, 2007 16:36
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I have a '93 Eclipse and I can barely see out of the back window because of the tinting being all blurred and bubbled. How do I get this stuff off and in doing so will it remove the defrost stripping?
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Feb 22, 2007 18:02
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I've got CEL today while I was cruising down the road. The guy at Advanced Auto Parts said that it has something to do with the emissions controls and I should take it to a mechanic. Otherwise he wasn't too helpful. Is there anything easy/cheap I can do before dropping money on a mechanic? Seafoam? It's a 2003 Cavalier base model (no power anything, 2-door, 5-speed manual) in silver. EDIT: Oh, yeah, and 54,000 miles. EDIT II: I believe it was this one that is coming up: DTC P0440 Evaporative Emission (EVAP) System Uthor fucked around with this message at 20:08 on Feb 22, 2007 |
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Feb 22, 2007 19:35
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BetterWeirdthanDead posted:Okay, '95 Grand AM GT Coupe. I'd look for the leak first off. It should be very noticeable as everything around it is gonna be coated in fluid. You CAN use bar and chain oil (meant for chainsaws, thicker, will work fine and not damage anything) in place of PS fluid for awhile. It'll still leak, but a lot slower (unless you have a gushing leak.) Ghetto as hell fix, but it works and I've had more than one mechanic reccomend it.
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Feb 22, 2007 19:47
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What are the drawbacks of 'stretching' a tire over a wheel? In case that's unclear, I want to replace a tire with one that's narrower than the one I'm removing. It would be nice if the the sidewalls leaned 15 degrees or more towards the center of the wheel. This is not for appearance, it's to correct a rubbing problem on a poorly installed widebody kit. For the time being, I don't want to buy new wheels to correct the problem, but the tires are in a bad way.
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Feb 22, 2007 20:36
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james posted:What are the drawbacks of 'stretching' a tire over a wheel?
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Feb 22, 2007 20:46
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Recently my power steering pump has been making an awful "nasely" whine that increases in pitch with RPMs. I checked the fluid, it was at the fill line so I filled up to max. Didn't help. Today I bled the system of air (thought I doubt there was any air, just wanted to make sure) and it is still making a horrible noise. How long do I have before it stops working? It seems to work just fine except for the noise. 94 Saturn SL2, 132k miles
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Feb 22, 2007 21:09
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Pitch posted:Obviously you'll have less grip than the correct size tire. You'll also have to find a place both willing and able to mount it, because it's more difficult to do right than a normal tire. Depending on how much it's stretched, there's also a chance that the tire will de-bead under stressful conditions like hard turns or bumps. Is there a good rule of thumb for what a safe reduction is? The tire is a 315/35/17 and that seems to be a very good match for the wheel. I need to look at the sidewall height, but I think 285 would do what I want. If I recall correctly, the wheel is 13" wide. Do you have any suggestions? Or does that seem reasonable?
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Feb 22, 2007 21:23
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Uthor posted:I've got CEL today while I was cruising down the road. The guy at Advanced Auto Parts said that it has something to do with the emissions controls and I should take it to a mechanic. Otherwise he wasn't too helpful. Is there anything easy/cheap I can do before dropping money on a mechanic? Seafoam? My guess is tightening your gas cap will make it go away. If not, let me know.
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Feb 22, 2007 21:29
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