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totalnewbie posted:It's to theoretically control the location of the spark better for ignitability. The spark preferentially goes to edges, so having the V-groove means the spark preferentially sparks towards the center of the plug, rather than all around the edges. It's not an anti-fouling measure. Will it make any difference if I use one or the other on a 1.3L engine with 88 horsepower and 200,000km?
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Feb 17, 2015 03:11
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Memento posted:ATF, just like every other fluid in your car, breaks down over time. 11 years is far longer than you should be leaving anything in your car. ATF contains all sorts of detergents, anti-oxidising agents and lubricants that will lose their ability to do their job over time. I wouldn't put a sealed bottle of ATF that was 11 years old in my car's transmission, and yours is not only that old, it's also been heated up and cooled down several hundred times, which also accelerates chemical change. I've left it at the shop for them to change out the ATF tomorrow. We'll see what they say. The flush service was $200 plus tax but I'm not sure if it's a change-out or an actual machine flush.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:13
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melon cat posted:Just following up on my smashed side-mirror. I'd pull that plastic off. Worst case is you break it and have to find one in a junkyard for $5. Best case is that it's held on by those little trim clips that run 3 for a buck and the crackling you hear is the sound they make as they come free. I would guess the wires indicate a heated mirror...does your car have heated mirrors? Seems like there would be a switch or something for that.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:32
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Godholio posted:I would guess the wires indicate a heated mirror...does your car have heated mirrors? Seems like there would be a switch or something for that. The folks' Subaru's heated side mirrors and wipers activate with the rear defroster. No separate button. I can see how one wouldn't know for sure.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:43
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Slavvy posted:Will it make any difference if I use one or the other on a 1.3L engine with 88 horsepower and 200,000km? Maybe if you have a bunch of fancy machinery and test for COV  (No)
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Feb 17, 2015 04:15
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Slavvy posted:Will it make any difference if I use one or the other on a 1.3L engine with 88 horsepower and 200,000km? Unless you're running literally an F1 engine, it won't make a difference in performance (and even then it's minor). Just use normal copper plugs if you don't give a drat, platinums/iridiums if you don't wanna have to change em for 3-4 years. Multi-electrode whatever is pretty much universally a gimmick. gvibes posted:I saw a car in the parking lot with one of the five wheels lugs missing. Is that as much of a death trap as I think it is? One out of five is fine, it could make the rotors wear unevenly due to uneven stress but other than that the wheel's not gonna fall off. Rule of thumb is half minus one can usually go missing with no real issues, maybe minus 2 if it's a heavy duty truck (so 1 of 4, 2 of 5 or 6, etc). OTOH, lug nuts are cheap, so an owner not replacing them can be a sign of other issues. Fender Anarchist fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 04:25
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melon cat posted:Just following up on my smashed side-mirror. By a Haynes or Chilton manual. They're cheap on Ebay. I have to pull off the door panel on my car to take that trim piece off. And, once you get another mirror just spray paint them both black. That's what I did on my car when I got a non-matching salvage mirror. Nobody is the wiser.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:50
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melon cat posted:Just following up on my smashed side-mirror. Were you trying to get it off with the door open? Can't quite tell from the photo but the plastic may be pressed against the door frame. Heated mirror glass typically has the plugs in the back of the glass like that.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:11
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Uthor posted:The folks' Subaru's heated side mirrors and wipers activate with the rear defroster. No separate button. I can see how one wouldn't know for sure. Fair enough, I've never had heated mirrors. Hell, neither of my vehicles even has power windows.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:16
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two_beer_bishes posted:98 Civic, how important is the exhaust manifold heat shield? It's been rattling and driving my wife crazy, and a new one is $60-80 that I'd much rather spend on anything else. Mostly highway driving, never park in tall grass. It's not that important. It unbolts pretty easily (if the bolts aren't seized). The clearcoat on the hood will probably peel a bit faster directly above it, but being a 98 Civic, I'd be amazed if it has much clearcoat left. I ripped mine off on my 96 Civic when it started rattling, and drove it for a couple more years like that. Recently ripped the one off of my Saturn as well due to rattling, found out it was rattling because it had cracked (the shield, not the manifold). melon cat posted:How difficult is it to replace a side view mirror? And roughly what kind of cost can I expect for an OEM replacement mirror? Check Amazon, you'll be surprised how many car parts are on there. I've found power mirrors on there for $30 before. Heated will run a little more. Obviously not OEM, but they worked just fine. They won't be painted though, so factor in taking them to a paint shop. Senior Funkenstien posted:Would a shorted pair stop all the speakers from working? The balance is fine on the head unit I even reset it. It could, but most head units would show "PROTECT" or some kind of error. Try disconnecting all but 1 speaker at the head unit end. Bovril Delight posted:Get a dynaplug. How have I not heard of these before? Getting one of those next time I get paid, I hate changing flats. spog posted:I want to take this opportunity to curse all POs who seem to have an inability to keep tyres at the right pressure. Stepdad got new tires recently. Sidewalls say 44 max, door jamb says 30 front, 35 back (2001 Ford F-150). He was bitching about how harsh they rode and how lovely the handling was. Checked the pressure - they all ranged from 40 to 65 PSI.  melon cat posted:Does this indicate that the mirror is heated? Yes.
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Feb 17, 2015 08:32
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melon cat posted:Just following up on my smashed side-mirror. Well poo poo melon cat, how did I miss this? You need to do that with the door and window open. See if you can get the screwdriver down to one of the securing lug things. Godholio posted:I'd pull that plastic off. Worst case is you break it and have to find one in a junkyard for $5. Best case is that it's held on by those little trim clips that run 3 for a buck and the crackling you hear is the sound they make as they come free. Probably this. E: in fact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m77MhC4rj5Q Later models identical. Slavvy fucked around with this message at 08:52 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 08:49
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The previous owner of my car used one of those stupid ribbed covers on he leather steering wheel, which left a bunch of nasty ridges on it. Do I have any chance of getting them out? I was thinking about applying heat with a hairdryer and trying to massage it back to its original shape.
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Feb 17, 2015 16:41
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CharlesM posted:Were you trying to get it off with the door open? Can't quite tell from the photo but the plastic may be pressed against the door frame. Heated mirror glass typically has the plugs in the back of the glass like that. Slavvy posted:
Huzzah! You were both right. All I had to do was open the door, then the panel finally came off. I was keeping it closed because of how cold it is outside.   thylacine posted:And, once you get another mirror just spray paint them both black. That's what I did on my car when I got a non-matching salvage mirror. Nobody is the wiser. Thanks to all of you guys for your help, on this. It's good to know that I won't have to get totally robbed by the local garage for this type of repair.
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Feb 17, 2015 22:13
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melon cat posted:Huzzah! You were both right. All I had to do was open the door, then the panel finally came off. I was keeping it closed because of how cold it is outside. I'm laughing with you and maybe just a little at you right now.
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Feb 18, 2015 01:48
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melon cat posted:Huzzah! You were both right. All I had to do was open the door, then the panel finally came off. I was keeping it closed because of how cold it is outside. You're a good sport, you'll get there. I see you're lucky and have the sort where the mirror plug is right there!
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Feb 18, 2015 03:16
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Tire shopping theorycraft rubberchat, please chime in with sales pitches/advice/jeering:quote:I'm trying to shoe some 15x8s I picked up. I'm looking at 205/50/15 and 225/45/15 tires. For as hard as I drive the car, it doesn't seem worth the extra $100/corner to go for the shorter/wider 225/45s, especially since they all look like the same fitment on a 15x8? I intend to perform some suspension and bodywork in the future when power goals are higher, but tires are where car talks to road, and I have 15x8s to do that for now while it's mild.
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Feb 18, 2015 09:36
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Are there any good ways to test the performance of a shock absorber off of a car without taking it to get dyno'd or something?
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Feb 18, 2015 14:58
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RillAkBea posted:Are there any good ways to test the performance of a shock absorber off of a car without taking it to get dyno'd or something? Shove down on one corner of the car with all your weight. The car should come back up, then maybe back down a little, but it should not bounce. If it bounces, that shock is bad. Repeat for the other three corners. Wounded Unicorn posted:Tire shopping theorycraft rubberchat, please chime in with sales pitches/advice/jeering: If it's gonna save you $400 and you're not autocrossing or w/e, go for the 205s.
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Feb 18, 2015 15:14
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Wounded Unicorn posted:Tire shopping theorycraft rubberchat, please chime in with sales pitches/advice/jeering: You're not got going to enjoy the extra grip a competition tire offers without warming them up first, and warming them up is not practical or safe to do on the street. I bought the Direzza ZII when the came out 2 years ago for my Impreza WRX two years ago for Summer / Autocross, and they've been good. You still get more performance when they get some heat in them (but not too much), but they're good on the road, and Tire Rack said they performed better in the wet than the other big gun that came out at the time, the BFG Rivals (I see a mix of both at the Auto-X with some people holding out with the RS3) In terms of longevity, they have over 125 autocross runs and around 7500 miles on them and are down to 4/32s. They're directional tires so I had to have them remounted the middle of last summer because the stock suspension rolled so much that the outside edge was wearing quicker. Non-directional tires won't have this problem, so that's something to think about cost-wise. TLDR; Extreme/Max for sure, think about non-directional for tire rotations to maximize life, ZII is great but pricier now with the ZII star spec.
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Feb 18, 2015 16:18
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2007 Hyundai Accent here, about 95,000 miles. The car drove without issue last night, and then as I'm driving to work this morning I notice an odd scraping sound like the sound of something dragging against pavement, but only when I'm going slow (under 20 mph). It sounds like it's coming from the rear underneath of the car. When I got to work I checked and there isn't anything hanging down that could be making such a noise. Any idea what this could be?
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Feb 18, 2015 17:07
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Rear disc brakes? If so you may have a rock jammed between the rotor and it's shield.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:25
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Geoj posted:Rear disc brakes? If so you may have a rock jammed between the rotor and it's shield. That could be. The noise sounds like a metal shovel scraping against gravel, so a rock would make sense. Is it still safe to drive? Both my wife and I rely on it to get to work and back at the moment and we probably won't be able to take it in to the shop until the weekend.
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Feb 18, 2015 17:32
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It's going to get more expensive the longer it's in there. It may dislodge itself (best case), it may stay there and eat up the rotor and pad. If it hasn't done much damage yet, it could still be "turn the rotor and reinstall". How long has it been since it's had a brake job? If you're due anyway, I'd probably drive it and take it in when you can (still ASAP, of course, but a couple light drives won't cause immediate catastrophic failure).
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Feb 18, 2015 17:46
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Memento posted:I read this to mean "I do live in California, home of the brave and land of the gently caress no we can't tell you what the codes are from your car, you might try to fix it yourself". yes. UPDATE: I've decided to name my car Michigan J. Ford. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkfU1JqmkHM The check engine lights been on for three days, as I'm pulling up into the driveway of the mechanics suddenly it goes off. I already had an appointment set up and everything, so he's taking a look at it anyways even though there's probably nothing wrong.
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Feb 18, 2015 18:08
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Krakkles posted:It's going to get more expensive the longer it's in there. It may dislodge itself (best case), it may stay there and eat up the rotor and pad. If it hasn't done much damage yet, it could still be "turn the rotor and reinstall". I just had our mechanic take a look at it and he said that the brakes are fine. v  v I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do next.
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Feb 18, 2015 19:52
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Did you tell him to look at the brakes, or did you tell him that there's a noise that you want to resolve? Don't create an X-Y problem. Also, it could be a wheel bearing.
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Feb 18, 2015 20:22
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This is more of a theory question but I've read in a few places now that MacPherson struts require an anti roll bar because it triangulates the control arms or some other obscure reason. Would somebody be able to explain in laymen's terms what the function of the rollbar on a MacPherson strut is? I'm curious because I've taken mine out of my Scirocco and actually like the handling better without it.
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Feb 18, 2015 21:55
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Krakkles posted:Did you tell him to look at the brakes, or did you tell him that there's a noise that you want to resolve? Ugh, I literally am in the middle of that exact stupidity, by myself. Asked them to "check the brakes" during an oil change because I'm getting a grinding noise during slow-speed braking. When I picked it up after hours, they wrote down that the brakes were fine at 40% on the rear. So now I have to go in and ask them to figure out the grinding noise.
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Feb 18, 2015 22:05
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The function of an anti roll bar is to counteract body roll; they're on practically every car with every suspension design (yes I know corvettes blah blah shutup) because they're a cheap and extremely effective way to firm up handling whilst having good ride comfort/stability in a straight line. Even the live-axle mustang has one. I don't think the type of suspension has any bearing on it whatsoever because every modern macpherson car I've seen has the swaybar connected with dainty, sometimes plastic links that aren't really any good for transmitting loads outside of vertical. Other suspension designs like double wishbone, simulated pivot, super strut etc all use the same principle with similar designs. Sharknose BMW's are one car I can think of where the sway bar fitted directly into the lower arm but I don't think it did anything beyond making the wheel shake annoyingly on e21's if your wheel alignment and bushes were anything other than perfect.
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Feb 18, 2015 22:11
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1500quidporsche posted:Would somebody be able to explain in laymen's terms what the function of the rollbar on a MacPherson strut is? I'm curious because I've taken mine out of my Scirocco and actually like the handling better without it. Basically, the anti roll bar connects the two wheels together. When you go over a bump, both wheels move up and down together and the bar just moves with them. When you go around a corner, the wheels move in opposite directions as the car turns, causing the bar to twist, which acts like a spring to counteract the rolling of the body. The plus side is it's like having stiffer springs when cornering and softer springs when going over bumps. The downside is if one wheel hits a bump, a too stiff anti roll bar can cause the two wheels move unexpectedly and cause the car to turn instead of going straight. It just aids what the springs are doing, doesn't have to do anything with the suspension geometry.
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Feb 18, 2015 23:24
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Many years ago my Dad bought a 1956 Thunderbird in need of a complete restoration. Now that he's retired, he's got the time to really get cracking. Some stuff has been done already - motor's built, chassis is stripped and painted, and 99% of the parts he needs are ready to go. Right now he's ready to start on getting to the "rolling chassis" point. What he's looking for is a guide on where everything bolts onto the naked frame - basically just a diagram of what holes mount what items, e.g. suspension, engine, exhaust, fuel/brake lines, electrical etc. He's very mechanically savvy (frame-off restored a 1940 Packard when he was younger), and has a lot of individual resources to draw on, so he just needs a basic guide. Any clue where such a PDF or what-have-you might exist?
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Feb 18, 2015 23:32
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Uthor posted:Basically, the anti roll bar connects the two wheels together. When you go over a bump, both wheels move up and down together and the bar just moves with them. When you go around a corner, the wheels move in opposite directions as the car turns, causing the bar to twist, which acts like a spring to counteract the rolling of the body. That's kind of what I figured. Just wanted to confirm that I wasn't missing something by not having it on anymore.
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Feb 19, 2015 00:33
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nwin posted:2006 Honda Accord 4 cylinder EX-L. I've driven 75 miles so far and no CEL yet. I wonder if I'm in the clear. However, it hasn't been negative degrees outside lately, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it.
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Feb 19, 2015 00:44
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So, I've got a bit of an oil leak the 5VZ-FE 4Runner, presumably behind the passenger side valve cover. It's dripping down between the oil pan and the bell-housing. I was initially pretty concerned that it was a rear main seal, but it seems to be coming from further up behind the engine block. There's also a bit forward on the passenger side lower control arm and on the transmission dipstick tube--so I think it's raining from above. It looks like the VC gaskets have been done. It's relatively clean around the valve covers and there are broken tabs on the fuel injector wire harness, suggesting someone's been in there monkeying around. The bolts themselves are notorious for backing out on their own, but the washers are fresh and bolts are all tight. It isn't enough to affect my oil level, at least at the dipstick. I'd prefer not to do a redundant job, but my suspicion is that they did not replace or use any seal packing on the rear camshaft plug. Having said that, it's possible it is still a rear main seal. Is there anything I could look for that would exclude one or the other? I feel like there is fresh oil further up the block than I would expect on a rear main seal leak, but I'm not an expert. Thoughts?
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Feb 19, 2015 01:04
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1500quidporsche posted:This is more of a theory question but I've read in a few places now that MacPherson struts require an anti roll bar because it triangulates the control arms or some other obscure reason. In the original MacPherson strut design, the anti-roll bar did triangulate the lower arm of the suspension. In that case, you wouldn't have a lower control arm that connects to the unit body at two place like you commonly see today (and on your Scirocco), you would have a "track control arm" that connects the knuckle with a ball joint and to the body at one point. Here's a picture of a Saturn SL1 with the classic style Mac Strut suspension:  You can read more about the man and his suspension (and see the picture again) here
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Feb 19, 2015 01:05
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Is that kind of like the super beetle's front sway bar? I've heard people say it has an "impossible" front suspension. Is that because the sway bar is the only thing triangulating the control arm?
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Feb 19, 2015 01:14
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Geirskogul posted:Is that kind of like the super beetle's front sway bar? Yeah that looks like what Neptr described. Thanks Neptr, that makes perfect sense now how you described it.
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Feb 19, 2015 01:36
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I have a Mercedes Benz C230 1997 with an "Engine Check" that has been on but nothing seems to be wrong with the engine. I am looking to buy a OBD 2 reader, one that can reset codes so I can be sure what is why the light is on but I'm not sure which one to buy. Any recommendations?
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Feb 19, 2015 02:50
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AmyL posted:I have a Mercedes Benz C230 1997 with an "Engine Check" that has been on but nothing seems to be wrong with the engine. I am looking to buy a OBD 2 reader, one that can reset codes so I can be sure what is why the light is on but I'm not sure which one to buy. This and Torque on my Android phone works great. BAFX Products - Bluetooth OBD2 scan tool - For check engine light & diagnostics - Android ONLY https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NLQAHS/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_C8u5ub1NBVD51
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Feb 19, 2015 03:49
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amenenema posted:Many years ago my Dad bought a 1956 Thunderbird in need of a complete restoration. Now that he's retired, he's got the time to really get cracking. Some stuff has been done already - motor's built, chassis is stripped and painted, and 99% of the parts he needs are ready to go. Right now he's ready to start on getting to the "rolling chassis" point. What he's looking for is a guide on where everything bolts onto the naked frame - basically just a diagram of what holes mount what items, e.g. suspension, engine, exhaust, fuel/brake lines, electrical etc. He's very mechanically savvy (frame-off restored a 1940 Packard when he was younger), and has a lot of individual resources to draw on, so he just needs a basic guide. I assume Ford has something similar, but GM actually published the factory Assembly Instruction Manual for old Corvettes. It's been a loving AMAZING resource for my '66. Torque specs, wiring diagrams, part numbers of EVERYTHING down to washers and adhesives, chassis leak tests, and so on. Chassis Service Manual, too...this is more of a repair manual with instructions on disassembly and tests. Godholio fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 19, 2015 03:56
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