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DreamOn13 posted:Question: Is there any way to get out of an extended warranty? I bought it with my car when I purchased it new last year, and feel like it's going to be a waste of money. I figure since I signed the paper work and have been paying on it still that there's nothing I can do. As the other poster said, check your contract. The only ones I have dealt with have been issued by GM but they do contain very specific and easy-to-use buyout clauses where you can cancel the warranty and get a prorated refund, though I think it's only if you haven't made any claims on it yet.
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Mar 24, 2009 17:43
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maxallen posted:I've checked every fuse, the Megafuse on the alternator power line, the alternator to battery link, nothing. Turns out the megafuse was intermittently bad, due to the design having a bead of solder sandwiched in two copper curves. It tested good the other day, tested bad today. Replaced the megafuse and it ran like a charm.
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Mar 24, 2009 18:10
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Is $80 for a 4-tire dismount/remount/rebalancing about right, for putting these 225/45/18 Potenza RE-01Rs on my RX-8's stock wheels? Firestone wants to charge $10/tire for the mounting, $4/tire for the mounting hardware (do I really need new stems?) and $6/tire for the rebalancing service. I called a couple other auto shops in the area (Sears, Discount Tire, Speedy, and a few local places) and they all want closer to $120-140 for the job. Firestone also wants me to get a $140 "Lifetime Alignment" service. I'm at 36K miles, and I haven't noticed any kind of abnormal wear on the tires, or any weird steering issues. They tried to tell me cars need an alignment every 6 months  Sure, a tire rotation every fall & spring sounds normal, but it doesn't seem like alignments should need to be done that often, right?Edit: Surprisingly enough my dealership says they'll do the mounting & balancing for $60 total, and a one-time-only alignment would be $80. Endor fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Mar 24, 2009 |
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Mar 24, 2009 19:05
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That $80 for mounting and balancing sounds like a deal for this area. I'd be happy to pay that.Endor posted:Firestone also wants me to get a $140 "Lifetime Alignment" service. Eintier recommended this and I was psyched about getting it. But when I searched the greater internet on how happy people were with it, there were a large number of complaints that the shop didn't do it right, or worse, that they eyeballed it, said good enough, and didn't even bother doing it. As I'd want a non-factory alignment for autocrossing, I dunno, I guess I don't have enough faith in the Firestone near me.
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Mar 24, 2009 19:52
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dMastri posted:I've got a 1993 VW Passat GLX. Sorry I'm late to this, but the chain isn't the problem, it's the tensioners. I've seen these recommended to be replaced at 100k intervals as they can tend to crack and come apart. It's not cheap, but failure to do so may result in damaged valves. Does the sprocket end of your motor sound like a rock tumbler? If so you may be getting near the service life of these guys. The best time to replace all of them is when you're having the clutch done, as I believe the trans needs to be dropped to get to the lower ones. Good DIY: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1264409
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Mar 24, 2009 22:45
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In terms of mileage and wear on a used trucks how would/does 40k stand up to say 25k miles. This is of course assuming the truck hasn't been through any serious off-roading.
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Mar 24, 2009 23:12
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Comrade T-bone posted:In terms of mileage and wear on a used trucks how would/does 40k stand up to say 25k miles. Uh, this is like asking SHSC "in terms of raw computing power, how much does overclocking .5% stand up to say overclocking .75%?" In other words - we need more information. Make/model, engine size, transmission options, year, etc. However, 25,000-40,000 miles on most trucks these days is a drop in the water - most V8s are getting 150-250k miles and still going strong.
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Mar 24, 2009 23:39
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Backstory: I've been planning to go up to Maine for weeks now, around a 400 mile drive both ways, and I finally decided to do it this weekend. I was going to take my mom's car (an Audi A6), until it magically broke down and now needs 2 catalytic converters replaced and an oil leak and a transmission fluid leak fixed, totalling $5000, a repair I assume will take more than 3 days. So now I'm hosed. My only option is to take my daily car, a 2001 Ford Taurus with around 92,000 miles on it. It's never really been used to drive such a long distance, just locally. Is it a bad idea to suddenly drive it 400 miles over a span of 3 days? Will it incur the wrath of the car gods? Disclaimer: I know literally nothing about cars. Bitcoin Billionaire fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Mar 25, 2009 |
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Mar 25, 2009 00:03
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Redline posted:I can't find what this part is called or the part number for the life of me. It's the small vanity light on the side of the main lightbulb in a 2005 Grand Prix GT. That's the side marker light, and RockAuto says it's a 194.
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Mar 25, 2009 00:30
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MALCOLM XTREME posted:Is it a bad idea to suddenly drive it 400 miles over a span of 3 days? Long drives are usually easier on cars than short drives. As long as the car is in OK shape now, it should be fine for the trip. But it wouldn't hurt to check your oil level, tire pressure, coolant level, etc. before you leave. It should all be checked regularly anyway, but many times it is not.
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Mar 25, 2009 00:47
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MALCOLM XTREME posted:Backstory: I've been planning to go up to Maine for weeks now, around a 400 mile drive both ways, and I finally decided to do it this weekend. I was going to take my mom's car (an Audi A6), until it magically broke down and now needs 2 catalytic converters replaced and an oil leak and a transmission fluid leak fixed, totalling $5000, a repair I assume will take more than 3 days. Wait, you say it is under 8yr/80k? Then audi should be paying, not her, as cats are covered by a federally mandated fully transferable warranty.
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Mar 25, 2009 01:00
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nm posted:No worse than taking an 8 year old or 80k+ mi audi.
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Mar 25, 2009 01:08
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Otacon posted:Uh, this is like asking SHSC "in terms of raw computing power, how much does overclocking .5% stand up to say overclocking .75%?" 2007 Silverado, 5.3 V8, automatic transmission. I didn't think the difference would be much in terms of reliability but, I'm finding it to be a huge difference in price.
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Mar 25, 2009 02:36
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My transmission has been acting weird lately. The car is an 05 Elantra with a 5 spd, 38k miles. When putting the car in reverse once and a while it will grind the gear with the clutch floored. The clutch doesn't slip, so its not worn. Also recently downshifting has become harder, it won't just slip into gear. No grinding here. My first thought was the syncros, but could my clutch cable just not be tight enough? After looking in the manual it looks like there is too much play in the system. If it is just the cable, will the shop adjust it under warranty. If not, would it be hard to do with instructions? If its the syncros I'm hosed, but that should be a warranty item.
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Mar 25, 2009 02:51
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Yeah, that's a loose clutch cable (if it's a cable clutch, assuming it is). Should be very easily adjusted at the pedal.
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Mar 25, 2009 03:16
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Ok my car has been acting 'funny' recently. It's a 99 Ford Escort LX with the 2.0ltr SPI engine and a 5spd transmission. Sometimes when driving, typically after shifting(when I am reapplying the gas), the car will chug. It will be down on power and there is a ticking/tapping noise from the engine. If I clutch in and rev it a few times the ticking/chugging will go away and it will act like nothing happened. My first thought is that could it possible be an injector screwing up?
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Mar 25, 2009 05:19
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So my dad took my truck out for a ride to hear the rattle it's had. He thinks it's the speedometer cable. How likely is this? I checked the exhaust heat shield, and sure enough it was missing a bolt, but we shoved a piece of bamboo inbetween, and assumed that it would stop any rattling down there. I couldn't find anything on google about rattling speedo cables in nissan hardbodies...
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Mar 25, 2009 05:38
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What doesn't rattle in a Nissan hardbody?
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Mar 25, 2009 13:27
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I don't think it's a good idea to shove something flammable between the heat shield and the hot thing it was shielding... just me, though.
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Mar 25, 2009 19:34
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Moncrith posted:Ok my car has been acting 'funny' recently. I'd check for a pully that is binding up, perhaps the belt tensioner?
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Mar 26, 2009 02:53
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Dark Solux posted:I'd check for a pully that is binding up, perhaps the belt tensioner? but could that cause a noticable drop in power?
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Mar 26, 2009 04:23
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I recently bought an F250 with the 7.3L Powerstroke diesel to use as a beater truck. I've been looking into basic mods for it to improve responsiveness and mileage, and one of the more popular ones seems to be swapping out the diaphragm wastegate actuator for a mechanical actuator. While researching the mod, I've come across several disputes on the viability/reliability of wastegate control via drive pressure, which is what the mechanical actuator uses, versus boost pressure, which is what the diaphragm uses. Anyone have an opinion on this subject? I'm not familiar enough with the empirical operation of turbocharged engines to make a judgment call here, and both sides have compelling arguments.
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Mar 26, 2009 05:07
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Every production turbo car ever (minus a few examples like the Porsche 944 turbo, Audo 20V turbo, etc) uses an internal wastegate actuator. There are some benefits to external wastegates, but I don't think I've ever seen one on a diesel. Even rigs with real engines double your displacement still use internal wastegates. What do you mean mechanical? They are either internal, external, or use a VATN system for boost control. Internals use a diaphram pushing a rod and flapper, externals pull up on the diaphram and removes a valve from a seat, and VATN changes the way the gases hit the turbine wheel.
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Mar 26, 2009 08:19
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Moncrith posted:but could that cause a noticable drop in power? It could cause it to chug and almost die when there is little to no load on an engine (when you depress the clutch or shift to neutral, for example.)
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Mar 26, 2009 12:04
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Baby Hitler posted:Every production turbo car ever (minus a few examples like the Porsche 944 turbo, Audo 20V turbo, etc) uses an internal wastegate actuator. There are some benefits to external wastegates, but I don't think I've ever seen one on a diesel. Even rigs with real engines double your displacement still use internal wastegates. The wastegate on this turbo is internal, and I'm not talking about changing the wastegate itself, just the actuator. The diaphragm type uses a canister with a diaphragm and spring, with a small line feeding intake air to one side of the diaphragm. The intake pressure on the diaphragm compresses the spring, which moves the arm that's attached to the wastegate on the turbo. The mechanical type doesn't have a diaphragm or an intake pressure line. It just uses a spring, tensioned against exhaust pressure (drive pressure) to hold the wastegate closed, and is tuned to allow the wastegate to open once drive pressure reaches a target level. The supposed disadvantage to the diaphragm actuator is that, because there's always intake pressure, the wastegate never closes completely, allowing a constant leakage of drive pressure that causes the turbo to spool more slowly. The maker of the mechanical actuator claims that, because it uses a cammed lever and spring, the wastegate will remain completely closed until it reaches the drive pressure to which the actuator is tuned, thus eliminating drive pressure leakage and improving turbo response. Detractors of the mechanical system claim that it's not as precise, since depending on conditions, intake pressure can vary despite a constant drive pressure, and that it creates a risk of overspooling the turbo that doesn't exist in an intake pressure-controlled system. Users of the mechanical actuator claim that it's plenty accurate in real-world application, and make the point that the diaphragm actuator uses drive pressure as a failsafe, in that should the diaphragm or intake pressure line fail, the wastegate will still open under drive pressure eventually. In fact, some people with this engine have taken to disconnecting the intake pressure line from the diaphragm and allowing drive pressure to do the job, with the caveat that it's very difficult to tune the diaphragm actuator to obtain precise pressure control.
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Mar 26, 2009 12:17
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I need new bulbs for my Volvo. Sylvania wants to know if I have xenon or HID's, and my stupid question is, how do I tell? I definitely have white-ish headlights, but that's all I can tell. I bought it used and the paperwork doesn't say.
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Mar 26, 2009 12:38
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This is a "tell me what kind of car to get" post. I didn't see a "recommend a car for me" thread, and figured it fit the definition of a stupid question, so here goes. I currently have a 1998 Acura Integra RS. It's served me pretty well, but I'd like something a little newer and nicer, and I'd like to sell the Acura while it's still got some value. My budget is somewhere around $20k, and I'd like something that isn't more than 4 or 5 years old... preferably something I could get as a "Certified Pre-Owned" or something like that with a warranty. I really like the Audi A4, the new Volkswagen CC, and the Acura TL. Basically I'm looking for something in a 4-door, with some nice "luxury" type features, that's reliable and moderately peppy. It doesn't have to blow the doors off anything, I'm just using it to commute. So what are my best options? And what else do I need to consider when researching/buying one of these? I know this is a very broad, open ended question, but any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
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Mar 26, 2009 20:01
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Dradien posted:2005 Ford Explorer V6 Edit: Reposting because I realize this sounded a little convoluted. Now with more understandability Also, while I'm here... Can cops accurately get your speed while coming in the opposite lane? Also, Lets go with my engine, the 4.0L Cologne SOHC V6. Any clue about how much mileage the AC kills? Last summer, I had people left and right saying the windows down up to 60 MPH were better, but I disagreed. I know nothing to technical about it, but I'm thinking anything about 30 or so would create more drag on the body and work more then if the AC was on. Any thoughts about this? Dradien fucked around with this message at 03:35 on Mar 27, 2009 |
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Mar 27, 2009 03:24
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Dradien posted:Edit: Reposting because I realize this sounded a little convoluted. Now with more understandability Yeah don't bother trying to switch to auto HVAC. Probably be pretty drat expensive and who knows what body control modules you'll need as well. And I would just stick with using the AC. Yea it'll kill mileage but is sweating your nuts off worth saving a dollar or two every fillup?
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Mar 27, 2009 03:43
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Dradien posted:Edit: Reposting because I realize this sounded a little convoluted. Now with more understandability They can, they can also tell how much space you are leaving between you and the car in front of you, and ticket you for not leaving enough space. They can however also make a mistake, or even straight up lie.
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Mar 27, 2009 03:52
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Anyone have experience with blue tooth decks? Since the new Iphone update enables bluetooth on my Ipod touch I'd like to get this setup instead having some lame cord but how well does it work to begin with?
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Mar 27, 2009 05:34
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hippynerd posted:They can, they can also tell how much space you are leaving between you and the car in front of you, and ticket you for not leaving enough space. Error is far more likely. And i'm not argueing this from a "cops are honest" platform, just why go to the work and take the risk (getting caught perjuring yourself means a cop is fired and will never be hired again, he's useless.) when there's some other guys speeding. And yes, reading your speed going the other way is very easy. Note that these are generally always on units so you can get them coming from some distance on a detector.
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Mar 27, 2009 06:03
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Maybe this is a stupid question, but how come no car makers that I know of design the dashboard surface to actually be useful? For example, the 2010 Mazda6 has a giant sloped surface which is good for absolutely nothing. what the gently caress are you supposed to use that for?  Compared to this fine dashboard right here. the entire thing can hold just about anything, from a baseball bat to a 1500 page novel. 
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Mar 27, 2009 07:04
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Ratzinc posted:Maybe this is a stupid question, but how come no car makers that I know of design the dashboard surface to actually be useful? That looks like a business opportunity. If you can make a lightweight shelf to keep things sliding off the dash, but which is also compatible with the airbag, I think you could make a killing, on a bunch of different cars.
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Mar 27, 2009 09:07
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Speaking of dashboards, do those vinyl repair kits work? I just found a small crack that I don't want to become a big hole.
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Mar 27, 2009 12:02
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Ratzinc posted:Maybe this is a stupid question, but how come no car makers that I know of design the dashboard surface to actually be useful? I'm guessing for safety reasons. If you encourage people to put a bunch of stuff on top of the dashboard, it can start flying around the cabin if you get in an accident, or even if you need to do some quick steering. And anything flying around (especially right at the driver & passenger head/neck level) can be dangerous. Plus if you've got all those fancy cupholders & accessory trays, who needs to put stuff on the dashboard?
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Mar 27, 2009 14:06
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fatman1683 posted:The supposed disadvantage to the diaphragm actuator is that, because there's always intake pressure, the wastegate never closes completely, allowing a constant leakage of drive pressure that causes the turbo to spool more slowly. I guess a flapper-based pressure relief would work, but why make lovely engineering worse but adding stupid redneck on top of stupid ford engineer? Get a electronic boost controller, put it in on, and then you have the actuator closed until it reaches its target pressure, and you can turn a knob on the controller to adjust the maximum pressure it will hold.
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Mar 27, 2009 16:05
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Endor posted:I'm guessing for safety reasons. If you encourage people to put a bunch of stuff on top of the dashboard, it can start flying around the cabin if you get in an accident, or even if you need to do some quick steering. And anything flying around (especially right at the driver & passenger head/neck level) can be dangerous. Plus if you've got all those fancy cupholders & accessory trays, who needs to put stuff on the dashboard? I see what you mean but there are only two spots for anything that isn't a drink. Sometimes you need a flat surface if you are on a road trip with friends and you need space to put maps, books, ipods, food, etc while you are on the freeway. Ratzinc fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Mar 27, 2009 |
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Mar 27, 2009 16:47
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Ratzinc posted:Maybe this is a stupid question, but how come no car makers that I know of design the dashboard surface to actually be useful? The only one I could think of is the 2004 Nissan Quest my dad drives. Here's a quick picture of the dash:  Click here for the full 640x480 image. Right in front of the driver is a small compartment you can put stuff in. It seems like it was specially made for maps and other things you might want to keep on the dash, and it's a pretty cool idea in my opinion since it both gives you space and keeps stuff from flying at you in a crash. It's sort of like a more convenient glove box, but they move the speedometer and everything to the center console which takes some getting used to. I suppose it was phased out, though, looking at the '09 Quest:  Click here for the full 1280x960 image.
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Mar 27, 2009 16:56
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I find this under the OEM section, but I'm not sure if this is a European only feature or if it's a factory option. On the GTI, you can replace the air vent on the top of the dash with a tray. Personally, I don't need things flying around so I'm never going to install one, but it's a fairly popular mod. If I ever needed more space (besides my glove box, arm rest, cup holders, "ash try", door slots, or pockets behind the seats), I could always get drawers underneath my seats or another cubby hole to the left of the steering wheel. Uthor fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Mar 27, 2009 |
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Mar 27, 2009 17:07
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