Texas Tofu Delivery - My Nuts Are Cleaner Than Yours

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Texas Tofu Delivery - My Nuts Are Cleaner Than Yours

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randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

I learned that you can disable the trunk release by the driver's seat by turning the key in the trunk lock counter-clockwise, for example.

For the To Do list, I discovered from the manual that the clock should not be displaying with the key off. This may be related to why the door open buzzer sounds even with the key off and out. There's power on the 12V accessory circuit when it shouldn't be, it seems. Will have to investigate that.

Interesting on the trunk lock. I know Honda used to put a key lock next to the interior trunk release handle, but all you have to do to get around that is get to the cable (just yank up the doorsill trim and it's right there). On my Saturn, there's a switch in the trunk lid that disables the (electric) release. I'd prefer it if it just disabled the interior button and not the keyfob trunk release, but I disable it when I park at home at night (not the best neighborhood, the interior release button is always-on, and I have an amp + sub + a lot of stuff for work back there).

Might want to check the radio wiring, you might find the source of your always-on accessory backfeed there.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Nov 10, 2017

# ¿ Nov 10, 2017 04:26

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 01:56

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

The gauges and indicators wouldn't come on until the ignition switch was in the run position; radio would be powered by the accessory circuit. So if the radio is backfeeding the accessory circuit, only other accessories would have power (.. such as the clock, I don't think there's much else on that car that would have power in accessory). But it sounds like you already have an issue with the ignition switch anyway, right? May as well check the radio, and if that's okay, throw a new ignition switch at it to get the key-in reminder to work properly.

I'd guess sunroof drains as well. Just had to deal with that on my car; I got a shower last time I took it through a car wash (GM decided to put one way drains on the ends... and they clog up with road debris, easiest fix is to just cut the valve off). But I've also had water show up inside of cars from leaking taillight gaskets. That's usually shown up in the spare tire well, but I've had it make it all the way up to the back seats and floors before.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Nov 10, 2017

# ¿ Nov 10, 2017 18:39

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Derp! Yeah, having to press a button to get the key out on a manual equipped car was pretty common in the 80s. I don't think Honda did it (neither of my 88 Accords did that), but Toyota definitely did, and a lot of domestic stuff did. I don't really get why - at first it'll remind you to double check that the parking brake is on/car is in gear, but it becomes muscle memory pretty quickly.

Probably wouldn't hurt to get a new ignition cylinder and keys; a good locksmith should be able to figure out what the key should have looked like based on the least-worn key you have, cut a matching key, and setup the lock cylinder for you. I'd assume the only other lock cylinder worn nearly as bad would be the driver's door lock.

# ¿ Nov 13, 2017 22:17

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

You uh, might wanna edit those CAD files there. Unless you want random goons showing up at your house. :v:

# ¿ Dec 5, 2017 15:29

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

My favorite Quaalude.

I got the gaskets from Rock yesterday, so I'll put it all back together this weekend, weather permitting (which it may not. It's currently in the 60s, but predicted 40s and rainy for the entire weekend.)

Also my favorite Prelude.

Also, it's supposed to be 78 today, and it's already 72. Get your rear end out there and try to finish before tomorrow. But yeah, the weather this weekend is gonna be crappy.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2018 19:51

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Applebees Appetizer posted:

Heh, I just installed my subwoofer into my xB that I've been putting off for months because running the wires is a pain in the rear end.

Get a car with a trunk-mounted battery. Like a Miata.. or HHR. :haw:

That seriously did make my #1 gripe about wiring up an amp dead simple though... didn't have to find/make a hole in the firewall, didn't have to run wire from the front all the way to the trunk. Just had to run RCAs and remote. And I cheated on the remote... I tapped into the rear power socket, which is ignition switched (sub+amp originally got hooked up to the factory stereo with a line level converter.. ran RCAs when the Pioneer h/u went in).

# ¿ Mar 29, 2018 07:25

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Did somebody say flame thrower?

# ¿ May 17, 2018 03:15

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

Helped a friend install speakers in his Sunfire (it was free, and in surprisingly good shape. Did you know that GM was using a cam-in-block OHV 4-cylinder as late as 2002? I didn't,) so this is as far as I got on Sunday.

Yeah, in the base model with the LN2 (2.2). 2002 was the year they started transitioning to the L61 (Ecotec DOHC 2.2). You could also get a LD9 (2.4 DOHC) up until they fully transitioned to the Ecotec lineup; it was basically a somewhat more refined Quad 4, but well known for timing chain failures.

I'd argue the LN2 was probably the most reliable of the 3 engines offered for that year. The L61 had timing chain tensioner issues (hell all L61s did eventually, but the tensioner just screws into the timing cover, so it's an easy fix if you catch it early), the LD9 had timing chain issues too.

Both the L61 and LD9 have a timing chain driven water pump. Water pump poo poo itself? Have fun yanking the engine. :fuckoff:

# ¿ Jun 6, 2018 10:14

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

I'm reading your thread. Maybe not every day, but I'm keeping tabs on you. :v:

That's... impressive blowby.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2018 04:59

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

That would only work if someone had previously injected dye into the system.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2018 03:04

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

And if my stepdad's experience is any indicator, your transmission will fail 3 times in the 15k after AAMCO touched it.

... his truck is getting the transmission rebuilt again right now.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2018 20:05

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

AC is so close I can taste the cold air.

How d'ya like these record breaking temps? :v:

Most of the restaurants I picked up from today were struggling to keep it below 85 inside; the only one that was downright cool was a KFC. One place was easily 120 inside (much cooler outside than in); I asked them if the ac was broken. "No, it's working, it just shits itself above 100" (this is a carry out only wing place with something like 10 double fryers, so lots of heat inside to begin with). I felt downright terrible for the employees (who I also deal with at a pizza place owned by the same people.. the pizza place is usually 85-90 inside - their one dine-in restaurant is generally comfortable).

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:50 on Jul 21, 2018

# ¿ Jul 21, 2018 07:46

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

Needs more. In the pic it's still damp (right side), but definitely cleaner. Even more noticeable now that it's dry.
Back seat is going to be a job. Previous owners chucked some parts back there and got it filthy.

Bonus vacuum effluent:

You should have seen the transformation my Altima had when I cleaned the seats.

They were this weird light brown when I got the car, didn't match the rest of the car at all. Figured they'd been replaced. Then I started seeing ants. Everywhere.

A bit over 2 loving hours with a Rug Doctor and they were light gray - the original color. Also figured out why the car was loaded with loving ants - all of the brown was from, what I can only assume, someone setting off a paint shaker with a flat of 2 liters of soda in the car. I could smell Dr Pepper and Coke and Pepsi and all of the generics once I got the seats soaked. They were just soaked through the padding and into the carpet a bit with ~~sugary~~ HFCS laden syrup.

It's a good thing it was an old enough car that there were no electronics in the seats (drivers seat belt buckle had a switch, that's it - no dual stage air bags or anything) - the Rug Doctor made a huge improvement, but I wound up eventually taking the front seats out and just hosing them down in the driveway until the water coming out of the seats ran clear, vacuuming out what I could with a good wet vac, and letting them sit in the sun.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:02 on Nov 2, 2018

# ¿ Nov 2, 2018 06:59

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Tell me about this foam rebuild thing. The upholstery on my drivers seat is fine, but the foam on the side bolsters is just gone (the fabric is just..... hanging there flapping in the breeze like an 80 year old's scrotum). Seat has ~240k on it (and somehow was in better shape than what this car came with @ 140k - pulled it out of my old car)

# ¿ Dec 25, 2018 09:22

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

If you�re lucky, the passenger side foam isn�t wildly different from the drivers side, and you can pirate that from your own or another passenger seat.

The side bolsters are identical, from what I can tell.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2018 08:34

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Instead of destroying the passenger seat, I'll probably try to find a passenger seat from another car. I have passengers with me a lot more than I used to, and I'd prefer to keep the passenger seat functional.

Now the fun part - trying to figure out if each trim level had different foam, or if it was just cheaper upholstery stitched over the same frame for the cheaper models (I know the base model didn't have as many adjustments on the driver's seat, but none of those adjustments affect the side bolsters - only lumbar and butt stiffness). My front seats are out of my old top trim car, while the car itself is a base model (which is much more common; the coupes are pretty rare to begin with). They have different upholstery, but I didn't drive it enough with the original seats to notice if there was a big difference.

# ¿ Dec 31, 2018 09:58

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

I'd wager same foam, and further, probably the same foam in a sedan, too, though not the frame, of course. Actually, even that may be the same aside from the hinge - that's the way the Cherokee was.

Goddamnit, now I'm gonna have to head off to some Saturn forums to see what I can dig up. I'm not sure if the sedan and coupe seats are much different, aside from the seat belt holder on the side of the coupe seats, and the front passenger seat on the coupe folds flat and tucks up under the dash (loving awesome for cargo, especially with the lack of B pillar - you'd be shocked what I've been able to fit in this car).

Sedan parts are much cheaper overall, so I'll probably try and find a sedan FR seat and see if it's close 'nuff.

The coupe seats don't tilt forward to let the rear passengers out, BTW - it has half doors for the back instead. That said, the passenger seat folds flat and tucks up under the dash for cargo - something I know the sedan seats can't do.

# ¿ Jan 1, 2019 12:29

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Craigslist now charges for car posts too.

# ¿ Apr 18, 2019 07:26

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

Lost the two turbine vents, gained a ridge vent. Still have just a little bit of a swayback on the ridge there, but that's thanks to my ever-shifting foundation. The structure is solid, just... bent a little.
Guys did a good cleanup, too. I'm impressed by how little debris I found when I mowed later.

I'm loving amazed how quick roofers can work these days. My parents did the same last year - ditched the turbines, added a ridge. Their electric bill has dropped considerably, and the AC isn't struggling to keep it bearable inside all day. And I remember a few years ago watching roofers work on a neighbor's house. They started around 7:30am, had the entire roof down to the decking by noon, and mostly finished by 5pm.

I remember when a new roof meant they'd bring out actual hot tar, and it would take a few days. Thank gently caress those days are mostly gone (at least for pitched roofs). I'll never forget the unholy smell when I was a kid and my parents had a new roof put on the house. Maybe that was more of a regional thing? I know tar paper has been around longer than any of us, but I remember in my home town, every house got hot tar regardless of roof type.

fake edit: just to make sure my memory isn't deceiving me, I looked up the house on street view. Definitely has shingles. And looks pretty much the same, except the slab on the side of the house (which had a basketball hoop when I was a kid) had a single car garage built (... with an air conditioner on top, a tree in front of it, a narrow path to the main driveway, and with what looks like a narrow hall between that and the existing 2 car garage - that house is right by a country club and across the street from an entrance to their golf course, guessing someone bought themselves a golf cart and a man cave).

# ¿ Apr 26, 2019 06:31

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

That part was amusing, since the frame of the sliding door seems to have racked a bit over the years. There was a 1/2" gap at the top of the latching side when the bottom was against the stop. I ended up measuring and cutting a 1x2 to wedge the door against the frame evenly all the way up. Also serves as the closure/lock.

Genius, I should have done that at my old apartment. I had the exact same issue with my sliding door.

# ¿ Jul 2, 2019 16:08

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

WHY DID YOU WARN HIM ABOUT THE SWITCH?! Every Subaru owner has to learn that one the hard way. :v:

That looks like a hell of a nice car, especially for the price. I might have to consider an Outback for my next car; I had no idea they could be optioned so heavily. Does the H6 have a head gasket appetite like some other engines?

And Darchangel, no, the OnStar system will not work. That era OnStar ran on AMPS; the first digital ones started around 05 and relied on Verizon CDMA. The current OnStar lineup relies on AT&T LTE. Owners of the CDMA versions are going to be poo poo out of luck at the end of this year; Verizon is shutting down CDMA, and they're no longer activating any CDMA devices. I think the CDMA OnStar systems can still be activated (GM certainly keeps spamming me to turn mine back on), but even if GM can turn it back on, there won't be a network for it to connect to in less than 6 months.

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 06:04

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Nice work!

How do those Cerwin Vegas sound? Judging by the packaging + price + wattage claims, I'm gonna guess they're one of the many brands that got sold off and moved to China. Both my car and GF's car need upgrades; I was going to upgrade to components and toss my Polk coaxials into her car, since both of our cars take 6.5". :flaccid:

That's good info on the mirrors too. Mine is delaminating, and I don't give a poo poo about OnStar (especially since my version of OnStar will be totally dead on Jan 1st). But I'd really like to have (a) Homelink (b) retain the compass + outside temp (c) retain auto dimming. I assume all of the buttons + OnStar microphone run over GM LAN, dunno how that'll affect using a different mirror (it'd be nice to use the built-in mic for my current stereo, but I don't think any others will have the mic).

Elmnt80 posted:

Superstart is oreillys brand, manufactured by either deka/east penn or johnson controls depending on if it has a j at the end of the part number. Also, we don't punch the tabs since it should be saved under the purchaser's phone number for warranty purposes.

So only a little related, but I tried to warranty at part at Advance a few weeks ago, but it was a different one than the one I usually go to.

They had absolutely no record of my phone number or any purchases, and said I would need the paper receipt (I even had the box, but since BWD is carried by everyone, they refused). I asked how they didn't have any record of my purchases. The manager on duty told me that the stores don't share customer information.... it has to be exchanged at the store I bought it from if I don't have the receipt. That store is over 200 miles away in Garland TX (Zombieland depicts it quite accurately, btw), you reaaaaaaally think I'm doing a 7 hour round trip to exchange a :10bux:

part?

I have no idea how much of that was bullshit, but to not share that kind of info across stores in this day and age sounds like a big ol' truckload of bullshit. Especially when they were able to pull up the inventory of the location I normally get parts from and tell me "yeah, they don't have it on hand" (no poo poo, that's why I drove 10 miles to your location instead of 3 to the one by my home).

I refuse to shop at the O'Reilly's closest to me because they always either stiff me or tip $1 when they order food delivery.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:19 on Jul 22, 2019

# ¿ Jul 22, 2019 07:39

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

The mirror is pretty fricking cool. I�ve never had one of them before. Totally going to grab them when I see another in the wrecking yard. I�d love a compass/temp/Homelink one for my Cutlass. Bonus if I can find one with the map lights, too.

So it looks like Gentex's 341 has compass, temp, homelink, and a map light. There's apparently 2 versions of it - one has compass/temp, one doesn't.

It's a little spendy, it'd be better to find an OEM one. I know 4th gen Camaros had map lights built into the mirror, and I'm fairly sure you could get them with autodim/compass/temp. No idea if you could get them with homelink though.

The temp sensor is probably pretty universal, I would think - find any GM equipped with it and yank the sensor, it's usually behind the driver's side headlight or mounted to the hood latch.

GOD IS BED posted:

Call the Garland store and have them email or fax the receipt to you or the store, that's what we do at Batteries Plus.

I wound up grabbing a couple of switches at LKQ last time I was there. Also, off topic, but since you're at Batteries Plus... best legal way to dispose of an old SLA battery? It's an old UPS battery, it's bulging and cracked. Kinda wanna get it the gently caress out of my garage, but I don't want to pay someone to take it unless I absolutely have to.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Jul 24, 2019

# ¿ Jul 24, 2019 19:09

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Awesome, thanks God!

Darchangel posted:

Here, let me help: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=homelink+mirror+compass+temp&_sop=15
Just be sure to note whether or not it has a pigtail with it, and of course make sure it has the wedge mount (most do.)
Adding the temp feature bumps up the cost a bit. The one's with just compass and homelink start about $20 cheaper.

You can also find the temp sensors on eBay pretty easily, with pigtails, infact, there are kits in that search with the sensor, and wiring for it and the mirror.

My car had the temp sensor wiring and plug already there, it just needed the sensor when I swapped over the mirror from my old car (so I thought). The original mirror it came with was, well, a basic mirror, except with OnStar buttons/status lights. I swapped over mine with autodimming / compass / outside temp. Guessing you could get that as a dealer option. Outside of wiring in the temp sensor, it was plug and play. Mine is delaminating though. That, and the remote for my garage door opener doesn't work when it gets hot - I have to hold it in front of the AC vent for a good 5+ minutes with the battery cover removed (my apt complex issues lovely :10bux:

"Stinger" remotes). So the homelink version would be a very nice upgrade.

Unfortunately some numbnut along the line had removed the cover from the plug at some point; it was corroded to the point that the terminals were barely there. I wound up cutting a pigtail for it out of my old car and splicing it in.

I was hoping to find a GM version with everything, more so I can just plug it in (I think the door light trigger is even in the harness; if not, there's a pin for it, and the original map lights are right there), but it doesn't look like that'll happen.

e: okay, they've changed the plug along different model lines and use multiple mirror manufacturers, so that won't work anyway. Turns out a 4th gen Camaro mirror fits a '13 Malibu for some reason, though. Looks like the only plug n play ones would be from a Vue, Canyon, Colorado, and Ion, none of which offered Homelink. You'd think the Cobalt or G5 would be donors, since they're essentially the same car, but they use a different plug.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:57 on Jul 25, 2019

# ¿ Jul 25, 2019 08:32

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

If you want, I have a Pioneer HU here with (I think - I'll have to look it up) 4V preouts. It's single DIN and the CD player is a little bitchy, but it has the mounting cage and harness, also does HD Radio. Front aux input, Bluetooth (only SBC), and a USB connector on the back. You'd need a mic if you want to use it for phone calls ($5 for a mic on eBay), but it's yours if you want it. It's just gathering dust right now.

Darchangel posted:

Yeah, the only common plug across auto manufacturers I've found is Gentex/Donnelly. Once outside of that, it gets fuzzy, and you'll need to cut the pigtail out, too. And know what make/model so you can look the wiring diagram up online. I had to do that fro the Infiniti one I got because of extra wires and not-quite-standard to Gentex wiring, though I suspect the standard Gentex wiring would have worked. I couldn't figure out how to remove the pins in the connector, though. Definitely didn't want to spend $25 on another plug.

The two common ones for GM are Gentex and Donnelly. Still a different plug for the same model car depending which brand/mirror option it had. Though the Donnelly one looks like it has a cutout for the much larger Gentex plug and the same housing. :iiam:

Typical GM parts binning means some 90s mirrors fit much later models, but they may have different plugs depending on how the car was equipped. The basic mirror in the Cobalt looks identical to the basic mirror that came with my car (basic mirror w/OnStar buttons + mic), but has a different plug in the Cobalt. The base model mirror in my car has the same plug as the top of the line car, even if it's an older model without OnStar - at one point for my old car, I got a a mirror with the compass and outside temp out of an 04 (which didn't have OnStar), and it had the same plug. Worked fine, but started delaminating, so I went back to the original mirror. I just got sick of the OnStar error LED always being on (the module had a flaky antenna connection).

For example, some Volt owners have retrofitted Homelink mirrors into their cars, but apparently that only works if the car was originally equipped with an auto-dimming mirror. Otherwise the power wires aren't there (maybe a different plug as well). At least on the Ion, it has all of the wiring there for every mirror option, on all years.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2019 16:24

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

I've had my current Kenwood reboot a few times too. All except 1 time, it went silent and showed "Please wait" on the display, like it was doing a firmware update or something, then powered off and back on. The last time it just acted like it lost power for a moment, but it lost about half the settings at the same time. It kept all the station presets and bluetooth pairings, but lost the EQ, color settings, and input setting (I have all of the iheartradio / pandora / spotify etc crap turned off, just give me the regular BT input damnit). Really odd, but it's rare.

I need to dig through the harness and see if I did a bad crimp, or maybe there's a loose pin. Or maybe a firmware update is available.. which would be a pain since the USB ports are on the back. They're on short cables, I want to say I may have taped them to the top of the stereo tho; if I did, I can just pull the bezel to get to them.

e: now that I think about it, I have a BT LE dongle plugged into one that triggers my mileage tracking app to start recording. I wonder if that's causing it? It doesn't draw much power at all and doesn't actually have data pins, just power...

# ¿ Jul 30, 2019 06:18

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

The FOV on the camera is pretty dang good. I can see the sides of the license plate cove in the image. I believe this one is 170 degrees. I've angled it so you can see the bumper and still see people full height only a few feet from the car. The markings generated by the head unit are adjustable, but at that angle, they're almost perfect. I can't actually adjust them right now anyway. I set it up so that the camera is powered by the reverse lights, so it's only on then, and you can't adjust when in reverse, because that triggers the head unit to go into reversing mode as a priority. I think I may tap into the rear 12V power point back there to just power the camera whenever the ignition is on.

One thing about backup cameras is many of them aren't designed to be powered more than a few minutes - might want to check the manual before you power it whenever the car is on.

It's a good idea for a temporary power feed to adjust it, though.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2019 15:53

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

Looks absolutely bog-standard for here. The outside units do run 240V. Keep in mind, though, this is a cheap, fairly small whole-house unit (1 ton, as I recall), and something like 6 years old at this point. It really should be a little bit bigger for my house. I actually run a window unit in the master bedroom, because that room is literally on the other side of the house, and the ducting wasn't planned quite right. 1964 house, though, with a '90s AC refit.
That one is also still running R-22. The newer units seem to be bigger overall, likely due to R-whateverthefuckitisnow not being as efficient, just like R-12 vs. R-134a.

That looks a lot bigger than 1 ton. A decent window AC is 3/4 to 1 ton.

For reference, my early 00s 800 sq ft apartment runs a 2 ton, and it's physically smaller than that (also R-22, though it's a mid 00s Goodman). And it takes a good long while to cool off the apartment when I get home.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2019 02:54

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

Popped the map lights out to access the wiring for the OEM mirror:

I decided that since I had plenty of wire with the plug I collected with the new mirror, I'd just splice it in and leave both plugs attached, and just tuck the unused one up in the headliner. A minor wrinkle is that the original plug did not have +12V battery, just switched, ground, and a reverse wire (the factory turns the darkening feature off for reversing. The new mirror can probably do that, too, but it doesn't have that wire in the plug, and I don't care.) After debating whether to make the HomeLink switched or constant, I went ahead and tapped it into the feed for the map lights, so it was constant-on. That's how it's usually done by the OEMs.

Now with two dangly wires:

Now it was just put everything back, and slip the mirror onto the mount.

Worked perfectly. The electrochromic darkening is neat. It'll darken even with just the dome light, but it's proportional. Shine a brighter light on the sensor, and it'll darken more. Compass will need to be calibrated, of course, and the HomeLink worked fine.
I am happy with this.

Side note: while I was in there, I took a look at how the factory microphone for the OnStar was mounted, with an eye to gut it and put whatever mic a new stereo comes with in there. It's in a great location just to the left of the map lights in the headliner.

Going to be a bit of a bear to remove. Well, maybe I can just wire up that mic. Will have to research that.

Came back to look at this post - for both the mic and the mirror. I want to add either the factory autodimming mirror or one with Homelink, and wasn't sure if the wiring was tucked up in there or not (I'd heard it is). Guess it is. What's it take to pop the map lights out? And have you done anything with the pop-out sunglass holder thing? The "felt" in mine is more like sandpaper now, so I don't want to put glasses in it. I have prescription sunglasses that I'd prefer not to gently caress up (not because they're expensive - they're Zenni after all - but because it takes weeks to replace them, and I hate not having them when the daystar is out).

Any suggestions on a microphone mounting point for a non-OnStar equipped model? I'm hoping to get it close to the same spot, instead of the typical A pillar mount. Typical generic mic, but I don't have the headliner cutout. For now I was probably just going to clip it to the map light housing..

That reverse wire in the mirror wiring sounds like it'll be handy to tie into the stereo if I ever add a backup camera. Also if you've added an amp yet, share your secrets on running the power cable. :v:

I've had cars with trunk-mounted batteries for almost 8 years...

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 17:13 on Oct 19, 2019

# ¿ Oct 19, 2019 16:53

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

Probably that, or clip it to the leading edge of the headliner, like I did on my other two cars.

Test to make sure that's a reverse wire. I presume that it's available down in the kick panel somewhere, but since the cable to my camera included a power wire for the camera, I just used that, and tied into power at the reverse lights in the tailgate. It does mean I have to change the arrangement to use the camera without reverse, or to use the reverse lights to power the camera without triggering reverse mode in the head unit (like when setting up the guidance markers, picture brightness/contrast, etc.,) but I've got that figured, at least for the latter. Would require a switched or constant hot up into the tailgate for the former case, which I would run from the 12V power outlet in the left rear quarter cubby.

I wound up clipping it to the edge of the sunglass holder/map light housing. And unfortunately, no wiring present for the autodimming mirror, which makes me sad. There's a switched +12V in the headliner for the vanity mirrors, but that'll take a little work to get to. It's not a big deal to pull a switched wire up (the A pillar trim is literally a light tug to remove), but the VIN checker I ran it through made me think it had the plug up there already. Oh well.

Random, do any lights on your tailgate (aside from license plate) come on with parking lights? There's not enough of these on the road for me to notice anymore, but I've seen photos of them with the red section above the backup lights lit up. I hope that's not the case for USDM. It got through inspection fine after removing front window tint (they measured it at 19%... needs to be 25%), and apparently has enough lights to pass...

As for a reverse wire, I can always hit the PRNDL switch. That socket in the LR quarter is handy already - I have a USB "beacon" in there that trips my mileage logging app, for when I'm doing gig economy work.

# ¿ Oct 22, 2019 09:45

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

The backup lights work fine, the others don't - though I'm not sure if they're meant to be rear fogs. Or if they're even used in the USDM model.

e: one bulb was cracked and full of smoke, the other was shattered. And the sockets show evidence of getting wet. :v:

They're 2 filament bulbs, so I guess one is for parking lights, one is maybe for brakes or rear fogs?

E2: confirmed it's both parking and brake. Surprised that didn't get caught during inspection.

randomidiot fucked around with this message at 01:48 on Oct 23, 2019

# ¿ Oct 22, 2019 23:57

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Just blink and it'll be 70 again. If not 80.

# ¿ Nov 13, 2019 00:59

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

One of my GF's many hats at Lowe's is trying to figure out where the hell poo poo went. Technically she's cash office, but over half of her work is LP-related.

I'm sure their LP greatly appreciated the honesty (if they still have LP... a lot of stores got rid of dedicated LP staff, including hers).

# ¿ Nov 18, 2019 18:57

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Raised Southern Baptist, went to Baptist school for a few years, consider myself agnostic today (occasionally I'll go to a unitarian universalist church), and I consider myself gay, so I'm about halfway there on the guilt.

I got over the guilt sometime in 3rd grade when I got paddled to hell for forgetting my Bible at school (came back to get it after school, got pulled into the principal's office to get paddled for forgetting it).

# ¿ Nov 18, 2019 20:03

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

Always seemed to me Baptists were too much about the details, and not enough about the actual message/end result (in general. There are always exceptions.)

Why the hell do you think I went atheist for 20+ years? :laffo:

I'm only agnostic today because I agree with the message that Unitarian Universalism sends. They basically say "we don't give a gently caress who or what you are, just drop by and say hi, maybe have a cup of coffee or beer with us!". The congregation I attended in Denton was host to Denton CUUPS (Pagan covenant), and hosted many other Pagan and Wiccan events (I follow a few beliefs from both). I'm down for anything that accepts anyone and everyone. The one here isn't quite the same (being a suburban congregation instead of a college town), but it's still very welcoming. The whole reason I attended a service to begin with at Denton UUF is (a) I'd heard they were super chill and (b) I was in a very dark place mentally, I'd just found out a close friend had died (and that her funeral was the day before I found out).

# ¿ Nov 18, 2019 20:47

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Darchangel posted:

I wonder if Genie radios have this issue?

FWIW, my parents old Genie door opener had stupid amounts of range. Enough that it could be opened from the end of the street (6 houses away).

That was a '94 model though, and it constantly needed work from day one (they got the house in 2000, it was a screw drive that was loud as poo poo). They now have a Liftmaster (basically the pro version of a Chamberlain), and the range on it isn't great. Better than what you're dealing with, but the Homelink addon keeps needing to be reprogrammed every couple of months (mom's car has old school Homelink). They gave up on the addon and just use the remote it came with now, but they pretty much have to be at the end of the driveway for it to work.

Barely related, but I have an Overhead Door opener in my garage. The remote that the apartment complex gave us (Stinger branded) doesn't work if it's been sitting in the car - you have to crank the car AC (or heat) up and hold it in front of the vents for several minutes before it'll open the door, even if you're standing under the opener (the light on the remote will flash when you hit the button, but the door doesn't do anything, and the receiving LED on the opener doesn't flicker). I got a 4 button Chinesium remote off of Amazon for :20bux:

that not only has better range, but also opens the gates (totally different frequency, receiver, etc), and doesn't give two shits about it being between 65-75 degrees. Also uses a regular coin cell instead of the weird battery the Stinger uses. I suspect it may even be able to clone the Subaru's keyfob (it supports the frequencies, anyway), but the keyring part of it broke off awhile back.. so I don't want to have to rely on it for more than the gates (for which I have a code anyway) and garage (have the lovely Stinger remote inside).

# ¿ Nov 22, 2019 20:10

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Most of those third party replacement receivers won't be code hopping or anything fancy, IIRC, just a learned random code. My Overhead Door Classic may or may not be code hopping; if it is, it recovers easily from an accidental button press out of range.

If you go Genie, don't do a screw drive. They need to be greased more often than a chain or belt drive, and they're loud as hell unless they've just been lubed. I've never cared for Genie mounting the limit switches on the rails either, though I suppose it does make for easier adjustment (but an additional point of failure if a wire gets pinched or broken - NBD if the upper limit breaks, it'll just hit the stop bolt, but if the lower limit one isn't working, it'll bounce off the ground and go back up).

# ¿ Nov 22, 2019 22:57

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Huh, I always figured those were just vibration-resistant bulbs, like their incandescent counterparts.

I have a plain Phillips LED bulb in mine with no issue, tons of range (especially with the cheap multi-frequency cloning remote I got to open the gate and the door). Kinda surprised it's held up to the vibration to be honest, it's outlasted a couple of incandescents so far. The early 80s Overhead Door units in my dad/stepmom's house didn't react well to getting CFLs now that I think about it though, they really didn't want to open/close with the remote while the light was on.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2019 18:02

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

So uh, is there a problem with o-rings on the rails on Crown Vics? A coworker just had his try to catch on fire, though he caught it early enough that it may be repairable. He said he started seeing puffs of smoke, then lost power (idled fine) and the CEL came on. Pulled over, popped the hood, and there was gas dripping right on an exhaust manifold, and flaring up with each drop. :stare:

Melted a bit of the harness, but at least it was one drip at a time, so the car didn't go up in flames.

His is a 2009 P71. Still starts, but there's no throttle response.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2020 12:13

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 01:56

randomidiot: May 12, 2006; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 11 years!)

Yeah I figured the throttle body wiring got torched. And it did throw a CEL around the time it lost power, but he has no idea what the codes are.

It's currently at a shop, but he did say the harness was pretty burnt. I haven't seen it in person.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2020 17:56

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