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Can GM's On Star work like Lo Jack? Doesn't it have built in GPS and all that?
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Jul 11, 2009 03:29
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If I were interested in a set of 3.73 gears for a Mustang ford 8.8 28 spline, what would be the cheapest course of action. Ebay looks to be the cheapest from what I've looked into, but someone here might know of an easy junkyard target.
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Jul 11, 2009 04:09
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Ok, It's new car time for me. My current car is in fine working order but I'd have to drop a fair hunk of cash into it to get some decent play out of it... and at the end of the day it would still be fwd Magna. My options are slightly limited by a few factors:
I'm looking at a 2001 R34 GT-T here. Is there anything I need to look out for? Opinions, suggestions and warnings?
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Jul 11, 2009 04:35
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Exi7wound posted:Anyone have a link to a good wash/wax/detailing page? I really don't care to rub Turtle Wax on my new Chrysler 300. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3085563
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Jul 11, 2009 06:57
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tobu posted:Ok, It's new car time for me. I have no clue how the AT in an R34 deals with heat, but generally, that is the main enemy of AT track cars.
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Jul 11, 2009 07:08
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bosko posted:I'm most likely going to be in the market for a new (used) car in the next couple of weeks and I've been eyeing the Volkswagen brand. OEM VW parts availability in Canada is top-notch. As an example we were able to get a V10 TDI engine shipped from Vancouver to Ontario by air freight in 3 days. Here in Ontario our main parts depot is in Ajax just outside of Toronto and it is truly massive - imagine a Home Depot stacked on top of another Home Depot filled with only VW/Audi/Porsche parts. There's only a few parts that we have to get direct from Germany - custom cut keys, certain control modules, things like that - but we can usually rush them to the dealership if it's absolutely necessary. Depending on how your local dealership is run, they'll usually have most of the more important and common repair parts in stock or available next day. Parts cost for OEM can be high but in many cases we're actually beating several of the aftermarket suppliers. If you're interested in sourcing other parts for European cars you can try AutoCamping - we occasionally use them for older cars. Overall, you'll probably find that the VW parts prices are higher than your Toyota's but that's not always the case.
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Jul 11, 2009 16:13
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A question regarding snow tires: how thin should you go? I'm currently living in Buttfucke, NY where I've been told that the snow during winter stacks up like crazy, almost to Buffalo, NY levels. Being that I haven't lived in an area with regular snow in a few years, I was looking at getting a set of those Blizzaks for my Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup, since Tirerack.com is having a closeout sale on them. The stock tire size is 245/75/R16, so for winter tires should I look into 235's? Or should I even try to find some thinner steelies (say 5") and go thinner? Is there a reasonable limit?
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Jul 11, 2009 20:17
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Is there any real difference between cheap spark plugs and expensive ones? I see that you can apparently spend anywhere from $1.99/plug to $49.99/plug. It does not seem quite right that there would actually be an order of magnitude and a half of difference between what amounts to a pair of electrodes.
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Jul 11, 2009 22:48
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Sponge! posted:You need to call the dealer and get the anti-theft code entry procedure. Your friend unhooked the battery (or it went totally flat) and the radio needs initialized... Thanks, I'll try this on Monday.
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Jul 11, 2009 22:51
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My girlfriend is claiming that 3 out of 5 oil changes on her year old Chevy need to be done at the dealership or it will void the warranty. Her reason for this is that some guy told her. I have never heard of anything like that, and even looked through her warranty info to find nothing mentioning anything related to that. She still insists that it is what she has to do. If she wants to pay $80 for a day long oil change, then good for her, but it really makes no sense. Has anyone heard of anything like this?
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Jul 12, 2009 00:32
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You just need to do scheduled maintenance. It does not need to be done by a dealership. Going to a dealer is good proof that you did the necessary work in case an issue crops up, but not going every time kinda defeats that purpose. Granted my Chevy was an '03, but I only had the dealer do one or two oil changes (when I was there anyway for something else) and they had no problems honoring the warranty.
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Jul 12, 2009 00:58
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FogHelmut posted:My girlfriend is claiming that 3 out of 5 oil changes on her year old Chevy need to be done at the dealership or it will void the warranty. Her reason for this is that some guy told her. I have never heard of anything like that, and even looked through her warranty info to find nothing mentioning anything related to that. She still insists that it is what she has to do. If she wants to pay $80 for a day long oil change, then good for her, but it really makes no sense. Has anyone heard of anything like this? M-M is designed to prevent this exact thing.
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Jul 12, 2009 01:11
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My car has started making an odd noise over the past day or so, and I am puzzled. The noise sounds like a leaf stuck in a bike tire, hitting across the spokes. It only seems to happen while pressing the accelerator and moving forward. If I am in Park or Neutral with the brake on and I give it gas, it does NOT make the noise. The noise seems to have gotten worse over the past day or so. I have not noticed any negative performance out of the vehicle. Checked my fluids and everything seems fine with that. I am going to take it to a shop first thing tomorrow morning, however, I would like to know that I am not going to explode on the way there. Thanks!
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Jul 12, 2009 02:06
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hobbesmaster posted:Is there any real difference between cheap spark plugs and expensive ones? I see that you can apparently spend anywhere from $1.99/plug to $49.99/plug. It does not seem quite right that there would actually be an order of magnitude and a half of difference between what amounts to a pair of electrodes. Just use what came with the car (part numbers are usually in the manual). The ones with extra electrodes are a gimmick.
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Jul 12, 2009 02:17
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CharlesM posted:Just use what came with the car (part numbers are usually in the manual). The ones with extra electrodes are a gimmick. To add to this, more expensive plugs can actually be *bad*. For example, the Ford 3.0L V6 "Vulcan" will often burn up those gimmicky 4-electrode platinum super duper sparkplugs in less than 500 to 1000 miles, and even cause them to sometimes fail catastrophically where bits or pieces of the sparkplug will crack off and fall into the cylinder. The #1 recommended plug for the Vulcan? 1.99$ Motorcraft / Autolite plugs. Anything else is a waste of money.
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Jul 12, 2009 02:41
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Hi AI, I have a '97 Sentra, and I inspected my brakes today. While trying to take off the brakes, I accidentally started unscrewing the wrong screw. It was the screw that attaches the braking fluid 'tube' to the brake. I turned the screw maybe half a turn and saw that braking fluid was leaking. I realized my mistake and immediately screwed the screw back into its original position. A total 1 to 4 teaspoons of fluid leaked, so I added some to the reservoir. Will I die tomorrow?
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Jul 12, 2009 03:09
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I saw a Smart roadster today for the first time and found it oddly appealing. I know it was a limited time only thing, but is it really hard to find now? Are they really expensive nowadays?
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Jul 12, 2009 03:26
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theHUNGERian posted:Hi AI, Maybe, but nothing related to your brakes. You basically "bled" them, you probably didn't even have to add fluid to the master cylinder, but it didn't hurt...
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Jul 12, 2009 03:27
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theHUNGERian posted:Hi AI, If any of that fluid got on your brake pad surface, congratulations! Now you have to change them!
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Jul 12, 2009 03:49
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Doctor Zero posted:If any of that fluid got on your brake pad surface, congratulations! Now you have to change them! Thanks guys, I'll be more careful next time.
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Jul 12, 2009 03:57
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KelvereseAysen posted:To add to this, more expensive plugs can actually be *bad*. I was curious, I just put $1.99 autolite plugs in my 2000 Accord (I4) today. I wanted to know if I was missing something, seems like spark plugs would be spark plugs; just like ignition wires are ignition wires. Assuming they're all in spec anyways. I guess the $50 spark plugs and $100 ignition wires are for the mad tyte JDM crowd?
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Jul 12, 2009 04:08
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hobbesmaster posted:I was curious, I just put $1.99 autolite plugs in my 2000 Accord (I4) today. I wanted to know if I was missing something, seems like spark plugs would be spark plugs; just like ignition wires are ignition wires. Assuming they're all in spec anyways. I guess the $50 spark plugs and $100 ignition wires are for the mad tyte JDM crowd? It's a cost-vs-benefit decision. Sure, the fancy sparkplugs and wires DO perform better, but the difference is so marginal that it's not worth the difference in cost. If it's a race car and you need every possible edge it might be worth it, but for a daily driver there's no reason to spend the money.
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Jul 12, 2009 04:14
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This isn't worth a whole thread, but isn't a question. Maybe this is common knowledge, but my local library (LA County) gives you access to a bunch of online databases with your library card. LA County subscribes to the Chilton online database, and it seemed to be pretty decent. Had TSBs and repair / maintenance info for all three cars I checked (two 2003 cars and a 1987). I had no idea you could get this free, so just a heads up.
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Jul 12, 2009 06:41
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Yeah, my public library has that AND Alldata. It's come in handy more than a few times. Plus you can still go in and look at an actual Haynes/ChiltonsCharlesM posted:Just use what came with the car (part numbers are usually in the manual). The ones with extra electrodes are a gimmick. Even on my Mustang's tired old 302, copper plugs performed way better than fancy gimmick plugs. DELETED fucked around with this message at 17:10 on Jul 12, 2009 |
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Jul 12, 2009 17:06
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hobbesmaster posted:I was curious, I just put $1.99 autolite plugs in my 2000 Accord (I4) today. I wanted to know if I was missing something, seems like spark plugs would be spark plugs; just like ignition wires are ignition wires. Assuming they're all in spec anyways. I guess the $50 spark plugs and $100 ignition wires are for the mad tyte JDM crowd?
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Jul 12, 2009 17:22
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 I just put in new pads on my Exploder, and they look a bit off. They perform as normal, They aren't dragging, and the pads I took off were worn in a pattern like that (The top had more brake pad stuff on it then the bottom) Did I gently caress my pads up or should it be fine?
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Jul 12, 2009 19:35
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mCpwnage posted:It's a Porsche Boxster so I'm going to assume you guys would say go for it. The second owner's thing Molten Llama mentioned definitely makes it worth it, if it's only $100 bucks. I would say absolutely not. They are common as dirt, and YOU DON'T WANT IT BACK after its been stolen, as there are plenty more to have.
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Jul 12, 2009 20:36
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Perfect. Thank you thank you.
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Jul 12, 2009 23:08
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chef posted:Spark plugs may be spark plugs, but ignition wires are not ignition wires, especially in a Honda. I have had the plastic boot on the wires melt down and seize in the spark plug tube. It's not fun breaking apart the plastic and pulling out all the chips. At the very least, don't get the cheapest ones you can find. Buh... I guess buying these was a mistake then? 
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Jul 12, 2009 23:56
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hobbesmaster posted:Buh... I guess buying these was a mistake then? My thermostat died so the engine overheated which I think was the likely cause of the melting. They worked fine after that until maybe 6 months later one cylinder wasn't firing and then I discovered the melted boots on the cheap wires. It was just a lot of time wasted cracking apart the plastic pieces and picking them them out. Not an impossible task or anything just time consuming and frustrating (and I had to run around trying to find a long needle nose). When I went to buy the OEM wires the parts guy said to always go OEM for Honda ignition stuff. Who knows, but ever since that experience I'll spend the extra money. New wires and plugs fixed everything right up. Maybe the OEM wires would have melted too... chef fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Jul 13, 2009 |
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Jul 13, 2009 00:21
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chef posted:You know, you will probably be just fine- I'm sure thousands of people have used those for years with no problem. The parts guy at a Honda dealership to always go with Honda Genuine Parts?! Shocking.  The OEM wires appear to be $103 for the set, and the spark plugs $30/ea. Ugh. I spent less on the plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor than the OEM wires...
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Jul 13, 2009 00:41
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I'm reattaching the battery kill switch on the Mini but I want the stereo deck to be powered so I don't have to constantly reprogram it. So I'm thinking of running the 12v live from the deck directly to the battery terminal, would this work? The deck has a 15A fuse but should I have like an inline 5A fuse on this power wire? I was too poor for car audio stuff so this is all new to me.
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Jul 13, 2009 01:22
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This is actually a question about the really early internal combustion engines. Ie the old hit and miss and friends. More specifically the style with the passive spring loaded intake valve. Can they backfire? It was just something that popped into my head, as I imagine a sudden pressure increase in the combustion chamber from an unexpected ignition / detonation would cause the valve to snap shut. But then I get to thinking that if it is a fairly standard poppet valve, the taper on the stem side of the valve has a larger surface area than underneath so if the gasses rushed in fast enough would the force on the tapered side overcome the force on the flat side? This has absolutely no practical application to me. It's just something that has been bugging me.
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Jul 13, 2009 01:48
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My Mazda3's suspension is beginning to creak. It has just under 30,000 miles and is still under warranty. It only seems noticeable around the parking lot. Is this something that's just going to get lubed or totally replaced?
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Jul 13, 2009 04:10
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hobbesmaster posted:Buh... I guess buying these was a mistake then? Nah, I use the same ones and just do Plugs / Wires / Cap / Rotor every 2 years or so. A bit of dielectric grease on the boots goes a long way, just remember to burp them with a toothpick when you're trying to ram them on the distributor and they're popping back off from the perfect water-tight seal backpressure.
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Jul 13, 2009 04:28
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:I'm reattaching the battery kill switch on the Mini but I want the stereo deck to be powered so I don't have to constantly reprogram it. Just put a 3 amp fuse across the battery disconnect. Its how everyone else does it.
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Jul 13, 2009 04:29
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I recently started doing some light wiring and body work, nothing ricerish, but I have question that hopefully someone can help me with. I took the spoiler off my car recently, the spoiler had my 3rd brake light on it. I took the light off along with the harness and re-attached it inside the car. Anyway, the brake light works except when I turn on my rear wiper, the brake light and the wiper do not work. I use the wiper with the windshield sprayer, the brake light will pulse on and off, working intermittently but the wiper still doesn't work. Do I just need to ground the ends I cut, which are closer to the rear? Any help or speculation is appreciated.
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Jul 13, 2009 10:57
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fatman1683 posted:It's a cost-vs-benefit decision. Sure, the fancy sparkplugs and wires DO perform better, but the difference is so marginal that it's not worth the difference in cost. If it's a race car and you need every possible edge it might be worth it, but for a daily driver there's no reason to spend the money. They don't perform better. Only use the original type of plugs recommended. Any claimed performance benefits with fancy spark plugs are published by the part manufacturer and fall within the margin of error for the technique used to measure. If your car is modified then there may be call to use the same model plug but in a colder range, or with a different gap. That's all I got, I'll let you go so you can get back to buying an electric supercharger or something.
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Jul 13, 2009 16:42
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My '02 Toyota Avalon has started doing this thing where if it has been a short time since the car was last started (anywhere from 1 to 30 minutes), the car will start at a very low idle and sometimes stall out. The are no problems at all when starting while the engine is cold and the car generally runs great. So obviously there is some kind of sensor/temp problem when starting a warm/cool engine. This is a new car to me, so I am a little concerned about the cost of this repair. Anyone care to have a guess at what I could be looking at?
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Jul 13, 2009 17:47
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hobbesmaster posted:Is there any real difference between cheap spark plugs and expensive ones? I see that you can apparently spend anywhere from $1.99/plug to $49.99/plug. It does not seem quite right that there would actually be an order of magnitude and a half of difference between what amounts to a pair of electrodes. FogHelmut posted:My girlfriend is claiming that 3 out of 5 oil changes on her year old Chevy need to be done at the dealership or it will void the warranty. hobbesmaster posted:The parts guy at a Honda dealership to always go with Honda Genuine Parts?! Shocking.
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Jul 13, 2009 18:15
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