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I'm replacing my tires on my Scion tC. It's a boring commuter car for me. The guy at Costco tires is telling me that the tires I'm looking at are :alarm: NOT Z RATED :alarm: and thus will totally kill me because the grip will decrease and ruin my stopping distance. So, uh, are V rated tires going to kill me on my commute or is the guy maybe exaggerating a little?
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May 28, 2016 19:35
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Godholio posted:How often do you intend to drive over 149 mph? 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. 
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May 28, 2016 22:31
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Uthor posted:Did the car come with Z rated tires from the factory? If so, I can see it being a liability concern putting on tires that "don't meet the spec", even if the spec is overkill. Costco Tire Center manager spotted yeah, they came with W rated tires
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May 28, 2016 23:15
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2008 Honda Fit Sport, Automatic. 120k miles or so. Two problems: 1. My engine runs sorta rough when I start the car completely cold, and switching from park to drive will usually kill the engine unless it's had time to warm up. This also happens when decelerating to a stop. Once the car has been running for a while, the problem goes away completely. I thought it could be an AT fluid issue, so I did a drain and fill because I was due for that anyway. Shifting has improved, but the problem continues. I'm thinking now that it might be a spark plug issue? 2. The splash shield underneath the car is entirely gone now. 2 months into owning this car my wife clipped a curb and bent the front bumper panel. This slight bend gradually started popping off the plastic clips holding the splash guard on, which I zip-tied back up after they'd lose 2 or 3. The whole thing ended up coming off on the freeway, and now it's gone. I'm thinking that living without a splash shield is a Very Bad Idea, and wondering what the cheapest way to replace it properly would be?
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Sep 30, 2016 18:26
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OK, so I'm changing out the spark plugs and coil packs on my 2008 Honda Fit Sport. I'm replacing them with NGK Laser Iridium plugs that are the same as the OEM plugs. Coil packs will be the Hitachi ones that are also the same as OEM boots. According to an argument thread on fitfreak.net about changing the plugs, there's some conflicting advice about torque, anti-seize compound, and dielectric grease. Someone quotes a Honda repair manual saying the plugs need 13 ftlbs of torque, and to use anti-seize compound on the threads. Some other dude says to follow the spark plug manufacturer's recommendation, which is hand tight plus 1/2 to 2/3rd turn with a wrench. Some other jerk says that adding anti-seize compound on the threads will make you overtighten your plugs at the same torque level and ruin your nice, soft aluminum head in the engine. I don't know who to believe. Do I use anti-seize compound? I'm sorta leaning toward "use the compound, then do hand tight and a half turn like the plug manufacturer says" Next question is dielectric grease. Grease manufacturer says coat the interior of the coil pack with that grease, and use a small amount on the outside of the ceramic part of the spark plug as well. Some other jerk online says that putting dielectric grease in the coil pack will increase resistance and screw with your plugs firing correctly. What do?
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Oct 13, 2016 18:43
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Thanks for the replies. I replaced the plugs and coil packs completely without issue, and fully in spec with torque wrench values. Quoting myself from earlier. canyoneer posted:2008 Honda Fit Sport, Automatic. 120k miles or so. After a quick test drive, I'm afraid my problem persists. I drove a bit and had the same problem. So then I did the idle learn procedure, from here. http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-diy-repair-maintenance/7729-ecm-pcm-idle-learn-procedure.html Car's warm enough now that I definitely wouldn't be able to replicate my issue anyway. We'll see tomorrow morning if the problem comes up again from a cold start. Man I hope not, I just want my car to work again like normal 
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Oct 14, 2016 06:19
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:If you have access to a code reader that can also show live data, you may want to check to see how hot/cold the ECU thinks the engine is. That's a good idea. Would one of those $20 amazon bluetooth readers do that? Poking around some other forums, it sounds like Fit owners are saying that their valve clearances were way out of wack (even at 30k miles!). To my knowledge, they have never been adjusted in my car and I suspect that could be my problem. I've looked up some guides online on how to do it, and it seems doable for me. The thing that worries me is that I would have to remove most of the intake in order to get to it (and all my newly installed spark plugs and coil packs!  )totalnewbie posted:Do you have the same problem as this guy? It doesn't get to -44 C in Phoenix, but it often gets to +44 C!
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Oct 14, 2016 17:51
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And my FYI follow-up on valve clearance adjustment. Called a few more places, and found a Honda dealer willing to do it for $229 plus tax. Deal! $400 was an awkward amount of money. At $600 I'd feel real good about doing it myself instead. At $250 I'd feel good about paying to have it done and save myself a few hours of trouble. At $400 I'm pretty sure I wouldn't feel good about it either way.
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Nov 5, 2016 18:57
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So a followup on my Honda Fit rough start/die on cold idle. I replaced the plugs and coil packs (because I'm over 100k miles on the originals, and it's probably time anyway). Problem didn't go away, so the next possible culprit is valve clearances inside the engine. I called a dealership and a trusted independent shop about pricing out the service, and the quotes came back at $450-ish to get it done there. It's either that or learn it myself from Youtube University. After thinking it over for a couple weeks, I thought I'd try calling a few more places for a quote. One quoted me $650, and two other dealerships quoted $225 and $250. That made the decision real easy. 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. Problem is now completely fixed. Suck it, dealership service adviser.
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Nov 7, 2016 23:48
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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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I need to sell my 2005 Scion tC (with about 145k miles). Because I live in the desert (and because I'm a dirtbag), the clear coat is peeling over about 10% of the car. The car has been really good to me otherwise. First question: I'm wondering whether it's worth getting it repainted, and what I should expect that to cost? If I can spend $700 to get another $1000 out of it when I sell it, I'd be OK with that. Second question: What's a decent reference for how I should actually price my car when I open it up to the craigslist wierdos? I recall hearing that KBB is dealer-owned and gives hilariously low private party values (in order to encourage you to trade them in at a dealership), and their suggested prices are pretty far off from what stuff actually sells for. When I bought my motorcycles, I kept a spreadsheet of what was going up on craigslist and what was actually getting sold so that I could get a good feel for when something came up at a great price. (it's also how I got a Honda Odyssey with a clean title and 95k miles for $7500 yesterday  )And following the rules, my car is blue and doesn't make any weird sounds.
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Apr 20, 2017 00:42
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everdave posted:I heard some chatter that your car (the tc) is a bit of a hot commodity on the resale market I'd do some research and see this particular model may be a worth a little more than book Good advice. I would consider this car super rad if I were a high school kid looking to spend under $5k.
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Apr 20, 2017 02:27
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gingerberger posted:Thanks for the input. I'll add to the excellent replies that the way I've gotten into it was just by doing it. Look up your car's maintenance intervals online (for example, Honda says change the transmission fluid every 40k miles or something on my Fit), and just start doing that when the time comes up. This is the best time in human history to be a DIY car owner. The hardest part is knowing what to do and making a diagnosis, the actual execution of it isn't too bad. For every car made in the last 30 years there's some weirdo enthusiast community that have forums with 10,000+ users that have discussed every single topic that has ever come up on your car. (Oh, the many threads I've read on fitfreak.net and scionlife.com....). Corroborate the suggestions/evidence/advice from somewhere else reliable, and you're good. Through google searches and asking here, I diagnosed a problem on my Honda Fit that would probably have cost me $600-1000 to fix if I had just rolled into a shop looking for a diagnosis. I ended up getting a good diagnosis with some online help, then had the option of doing it myself (would have had to buy tools, and would have taken most of the day) or having a shop do it. I called around to dealerships and got quotes between $225 and $600 to do the service. As mentioned, it doesn't make sense economically to do your own oil when there are a zillion places that will do it in 20 minutes for $25. I started doing it myself because a few times when I took my cars in, parts of the splash guard under the car would go missing because the lazy-rear end tech just tore it off rather than unscrew it to access the bits they needed. I started doing my own oil because there's some value to me in spending the same amount of money for higher quality materials, and also knowing that the job is getting done correctly. You don't want to gamble that the tech that day is under pressure to move 4 cars per hour through this bay and is going to half-rear end everything along the way. Brakes is another good place to start, if you have disc brakes they're super easy and can be learned fast. I consider any task that you don't have to remove parts to get to as "easy".
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Apr 20, 2017 22:17
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One of my rear shocks is leaking on my 06 Honda Odyssey. OEM replacement shocks are $100 each, which sounds expensive. I also see some on Amazon for $40 each which sound suspiciously cheap. What's a brand that sits at a good spot on the price/performance curve? Also, what's a good place to buy it from?
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Apr 24, 2018 00:15
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Javid posted:There are older light pickups that get north of 30 mpg that you could cram your poo poo into and still have one side of the bed to sleep in. I have some experience, living that life 15 years ago. The solution that 90% of the guys did was a truck with a camper shell. Inside the back, put a bed frame (or similar) on cinder blocks (or similar) to elevate it, and store all your crap in the space between the truck bed and your mattress. No need to get all exotic with the van life conversion things.
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Apr 26, 2018 18:53
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Visiting my folks for Christmas. My dad has a 04 Ford Ranger that's had a problem with the passenger door for a while. The door latch doesn't "pop" the car door open when you work it, it requires you to grab the door frame and pull that instead of pulling the door handle. You can't just pull on the handle. It's been an annoyance, but someone opened it without knowing the trick and broke the handle off. So, I figure it's time to replace the handle and fix the other problem too. Any ideas on what could be causing this or what parts to get? Also, the truck is white and makes a vroom sound when it drives.
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Dec 27, 2018 03:01
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Wife just took in the van to the dealership for an oil change, because I didn't have the time to do it myself and we had a coupon. While there, the techs said we needed new front brake pads and rotors on my 06 Honda Odyssey. I feel like I just replaced the pads, but from what I've heard the brakes are undersized on this vehicle and they wear much faster than one would expect. Oh well. Rather than spend $300 to have a shop use the cheapest possible parts, I'd rather do it myself and use something higher quality. I've done brake pads several times so I'm not worried about doing the rotors too. It's our most driven vehicle, and a child-hauler. I'd like something good. What's the right brand/line I should be looking at? Rock Auto has this kit which seems nice for $190 https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=3802602&cc=1432209&jsn=454 I live in the desert, no snow or rust, and hot environments. Should I also replace the rear brake pads/rotors at the same time?
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Mar 1, 2019 19:04
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Thanks gang. Front rotors and pads it is. I had heard about the drilled rotors being suboptimal, but didn't know whether that was internet hyperbole. Good to have that confirmed. Not taking the van to the racetrack and not planning on getting into a police chase
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Mar 1, 2019 20:25
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Colostomy Bag posted:And just to add, you have to be a little careful when ordering brakes from Rock Auto. They list specifications and you really have to pay attention with the sizes they present you with. Amazing what a 320mm rotor for an ammo plated limo versus a 310mm rotor will do when mounting brakes. That order hosed me for few days. Well thanks for that thought now I want an armor plated minivan.
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Mar 1, 2019 20:33
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I would like to install a trailer hitch on my Honda Odyssey to I saw this video on install and it doesn't appear difficult, definitely within my mechanical skill level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCze7z-feuo I have no idea where to even buy a trailer hitch. Where should I buy it, and what should I get?
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Nov 21, 2019 23:16
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My dad has an 04 Ford Ranger (one of the last precious and good ones) Ever since he bought it a couple years ago, the passenger door has a weird tick. The door doesn't "pop" open when you use the handle. Instead, you have to gently unlatch the handle and open the door by grabbing the top of the door frame and pulling that to pull the door's weight. Any idea what part that would be to replace? I'm thinking maybe the whole door latch assembly. 2 door, 3 liter V6 if that matters.
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Jun 9, 2020 07:46
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wesleywillis posted:The hinges might be worn a bit too much. STR posted:wesleywillis nailed it. Probably needs new hinges, or at least needs the hinges adjusted. OK, that makes sense. I'll get some hinge pins and also a replacement plastic outside handle (because someone didn't get the memo on how to open the door and tore it off) Thanks folks
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Jun 9, 2020 17:41
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I think I've got a slow leak in my van's AC refrigerant. It's an 06 Honda Odyssey, and I injected dye with it when I refilled it last. Thing is, I can't find the dye traces with a black light on the Odyssey. I did the same at the same time to my 08 Fit and it lit up around the compressor. Any other ideas? AC sniffer? Maybe just give up and take it in to a shop?
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Aug 23, 2020 20:53
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I want to buy some ramps to make life a little easier in oil changes. I have a Honda Odyssey and a Honda Fit, both fairly low clearance but not to the level of a race car. Any recommendations? Internet hyperbole tells me that the plastic Rhyno Ramps will shatter and kill me, and the Harbor Freight steel ones will also shatter and kill me. Perhaps it's my time?
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Sep 8, 2020 18:21
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A couple weeks ago I discovered my public library card gets me free access to the online Chilton manuals. It rules.
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Oct 13, 2020 00:48
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Now instead of watching dark, out of focus youtube videos narrated by a breathy man I get to print out a few pages to look at in the garage and oops I really should have numbered these pages and why won't this bolt move was it tightened by a silverback gorilla with an 8 foot bar ugh this is taking so much longer than I expected
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Oct 13, 2020 03:33
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Leal posted:It should run ya about 15 or 20 for a shell at autozone. Replacing is really easy, just stick a penny in an indent on the top and twist to pull apart the shell and same with your current fob. Take out the board and the battery, put the battery in the new shell and the board on top of the battery. Then pop the cover back on, making sure the buttons match. You can do like I did with my Scion key and use a heat gun to melt the glue around the glued-in immobilizer chip and hey why doesn't this work anymore? 
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Oct 16, 2020 19:31
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Folks, I have a 06 Honda Odyssey that's throwing all the engine codes for misfires. P0300, which is "misfire somewhere", and P0301 through P0306, for each cylinder misfiring, as well as P0344, the camshaft position sensor. I know the typical thing to do for morons like me is to start pulling and replacing all the parts. I'm also seeing online via searching that some people say that a single bad ignition coil will trip all those same codes for them on that engine. Where do I start?
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Mar 13, 2021 20:53
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STR posted:That almost sounds like the timing belt jumped a tooth. How long has it been since it was changed? 50k miles or so. Good news: I realize that I never reset the engine codes from when I changed the camshaft position sensor a few weeks ago  I cleared them and then drove around all day and haven't heard a peep from it, so I'll take the W for now.
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Mar 14, 2021 05:00
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The rubber on the outside of one of my car windows has turned to goo. What is this piece called? How do I order it and replace it? 
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May 23, 2023 23:34
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KakerMix posted:What car is this piece actually on? Your image of the goop and the image you circled are different vehicles, or at least different years which changes what that part is actually called. What year is your presumed Odyssey? The actual vehicle is an 06 Odyssey
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May 24, 2023 03:09
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Work recently acquired a cargo van, a 2011 Chevy Express. Back has a bulkhead built in and tool racks, and thus no rear visibility. I hate backing this thing up. The only visibility is the side view wide angle mirrors, and straight behind is a mystery. You just gotta go slow and hope every other car gets out of the way, I guess. Any recommendations on an aftermarket backup camera? Could even be one that replaces the windshield mount rear view mirror, as that mirror isn't installed.
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Feb 14, 2024 21:31
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SEATCHAT! Another question about our recently added work van, a 2011 Chevrolet Express 2500 cargo van. It came equipped with a bulkhead and shelves built out in the back, and no other seats besides the driver and passenger seat. We're finding that it's very handy to be able to transport a third person besides the driver and passenger. I called a commercial van place in town and asked about finding and reinstalling one of the three bench seats. They politely declined, because their shop was booked out so far and they wouldn't be able to squeeze in such a small project (good problem for them though). The other thing I considered is putting in a jumpseat in the center up front. I'm seeing $500+ aftermarket seats that are supposed to fit. This rattletrap cost just $7k all-in so I want to do it cheaper than the #vanlife or polygamist pricing. It sounds like there's a lot of parts commonality between that era of GMC vans and trucks (Silverado, Tahoe, Sierra, Yukon). Some on the internet suggest that these will fit in existing bolt holes. Others suggest that you can bolt in literally whatever fits, no problem, just drill a hole in the floor! There's no airbag for the center console so I feel like that's a little too janky for me. This guy locally is selling a center console/jumpseat for $50 he says was pulled from an '01 Silverado. Could this work? Or should I look at reinstalling a first row seat (though I'd have to move/remove the bulkhead and would lose quite a bit of hauling space)?   And a fun bonus that I found while searching for it, a guy on the r/locksmith reddit who replaced his aging work van seats with electric adjusting seats he pulled from a '93 Cadillac DeVille.   https://www.reddit.com/r/Locksmith/comments/13m21m4/i_upgraded_my_higher_mileage_chevy_express_by/ Can't believe he went through all the high effort of actually wiring the seat but left that awful bolt so long and uncapped.
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Mar 19, 2024 23:37
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