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2011 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI This morning we noticed that someone tapped our bumper during the hour or so the car was sitting in a mall parking lot. We literally got the drat thing on Monday!  What would it entail to fix this? The paint is cracked and where the red rectangle is, the plastic is buckling up slightly. My husband is in the camp of "whatever, it's just minor bumper damage, it's not like it can rust or anything so it makes no sense to pay a few hundred bucks when some rear end in a top hat is just going to tap it or scuff it again in a couple months" Honestly, I don't really care about the dimple and the buckle. They're so minor anyway. It's just that the paint cracked and now it looks like poo poo and there's got to be a way to just make the paint not look like poo poo anymore. gently caress, just paint over it and call it a day. I don't particularly expect it to look as good as new. The dealership's like  "We might have to replace the whole bumper cover!!!"   
Pixelated Dragon fucked around with this message at 01:00 on Mar 29, 2015 |
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Mar 28, 2015 20:24
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some texas redneck posted:Does this jerking seem to happen around 3000 RPM, and only around that RPM? Is the check engine light lit up? So I just wanted to follow up on the post I made a few weeks ago. My original problem was that water damage had hosed up my Honda a fair bit, and while it seemed mechanically fine, the check engine light was left on and it was stuck in limp mode. STR and other posters speculated about the problem and guessed that the ECM was damaged (since it got soaked). By sheer coincidence STR suggested a mechanic that has a shop ~10 minutes from where I live, and he cheaply and quickly diagnosed it. 40 bucks for a new ECM off ebay and the car is running perfectly, and I'm pretty drat sure there's nothing else wrong with it at this point. Thanks to all the posters who offered advice, with special props to STR for happening to know a guy in my immediate area! Now I just need to get my money back from the idiots who replaced my windshield, since it was a leaky windshield that started all this...
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Mar 28, 2015 20:40
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in tools and 30 minutes of work (if you stop to chug a beer between each plug) is all it takes.
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I've got a misfire code on my '04 dakota again. Last time I changed out all the spark plugs (they were pretty old) and the ignition coil for the cylinder(coil-on-plug design) and it didn't come back. Also the truck hasn't been driven in almost two months, but I don't know if that would contribute to it at all. The check engine light came on within a minute of me starting the engine. I don't know why theres a pending temperature related code, torque was showing a normal temperature when I plugged the reader in. What should I check next for that misfire?
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Mar 28, 2015 22:44
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SperginMcBadposter posted:I've got a misfire code on my '04 dakota again. Last time I changed out all the spark plugs (they were pretty old) and the ignition coil for the cylinder(coil-on-plug design) and it didn't come back. Also the truck hasn't been driven in almost two months, but I don't know if that would contribute to it at all. Is it the same cylinder as before? Did you replace all the coil packs, or just the one that was misfiring at the time?
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Mar 28, 2015 23:11
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Fucknag posted:Is it the same cylinder as before? Did you replace all the coil packs, or just the one that was misfiring at the time? Same cylinder. I only replaced the one that was misfiring.
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Mar 28, 2015 23:12
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I'm replacing the hatch struts on my Subaru. I got them both out, but now I can't get the ball joints out. They are little tiny ball joints with a bolt coming off the ball. The how-to guide I looked at had a guy just twist them over to full rotation and pull them out with a pair of pliers. I tried that, couldn't get it to work. I put the strut in a vice, tried again, and the shaft directly below the socket twisted almost 45 degrees. I'm going to autozone to see if they have a separator for one this small. If they don't, are there any other ideas? My replacement struts from RockAuto didn't come with new balls, otherwise I would just pop those in the new struts and throw the old ones out.
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Mar 29, 2015 01:12
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I drive a 2003 Toyota Avalon, I need to take off the rear bumper panel, I was hoping someone had a guide that would show me exactly what the hell I am looking for. When looking around I see a lot of different Camry models around 2007, but just want to make sure before I go taking nuts and bolts out of my car. I don't want to take it to someone to get it fixed for close to $1k when I can just heat up the dent and buff that joker out.
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Mar 29, 2015 01:17
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Couldn't find an easily accessibly FSM or pictures, but this description of the process on a 2000 (which I think uses the same rear bumper cover -- REPT760121P -- up to 2004) could be a good start:kingoftheding posted:rear bumpers are pretty easy to remove. e: adding link to a parts diagram Arriviste fucked around with this message at 02:16 on Mar 29, 2015 |
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Mar 29, 2015 02:00
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Pixelated Dragon posted:2011 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI With damage like that, its either a respray or a new bumper. Probably the latter is easiest. If you were brave you might find a part out or junkyard a used one. Comedy option: plastidip it.
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Mar 29, 2015 02:24
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ssjonizuka posted:With damage like that, its either a respray or a new bumper. Probably the latter is easiest. If you were brave you might find a part out or junkyard a used one. I just want to have it buffed and the paint touched up. I don't know why the paint cracked like that. The dimple is so minor and I would hardly notice it if it weren't for those crappy cracks in the paint. I don't expect it to look as good as new afterwards, but I just want the paint cracks gone. They can leave the stupid dimple for all I care. It's really small.
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Mar 29, 2015 02:32
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Pixelated Dragon posted:I just want to have it buffed and the paint touched up. I don't know why the paint cracked like that. The dimple is so minor and I would hardly notice it if it weren't for those crappy cracks in the paint. As far as i recall, once it cracks, youre pretty boned as a strip/respray are the only way to fix it. 
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Mar 29, 2015 02:38
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JosefStalinator posted:STR and other posters speculated about the problem and guessed that the ECM was damaged (since it got soaked). By sheer coincidence STR suggested a mechanic that has a shop ~10 minutes from where I live, and he cheaply and quickly diagnosed it. 40 bucks for a new ECM off ebay and the car is running perfectly, and I'm pretty drat sure there's nothing else wrong with it at this point. Kickass, I'm glad he was able to help you out. He's good people. It's pretty much never the ECU/ECM - unless it's taken a bath. SperginMcBadposter posted:Same cylinder. I only replaced the one that was misfiring. Try swapping coils with another cylinder and see if the misfire code follows the coil. And the pending code is because the engine isn't heating up as fast as the ECU wants it to (or it's running on the hot side - what did Torque say the coolant temp was?). You can probably plan on doing a thermostat at some point.
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Mar 29, 2015 02:45
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ssjonizuka posted:As far as i recall, once it cracks, youre pretty boned as a strip/respray are the only way to fix it. The paint shouldn't have cracked like that from such a minor ding.It pisses me off every time I see it because of this.
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Mar 29, 2015 02:57
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Pixelated Dragon posted:
IIRC, there is some history of this century's VWs having paint issues on bumpers (due to parts rubbing together at seams?) but it makes me wonder if this bumper cover is already a repaint and the issues of paint on a somewhat flexible surface are compounded by it being dark paint -- especially if something didn't get to cure/dry properly.
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Mar 29, 2015 03:15
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some texas redneck posted:Kickass, I'm glad he was able to help you out. He's good people. I didn't have the reader on me while it was running so I had to run in and grab it. When I checked it the temp was 100C. It should be at 95C, but I've noticed that temps can rise a little right after the engine gets shut off so it was probably close.
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Mar 29, 2015 03:32
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Most OBD2 ECUs have what's called "two trip logic" - meaning it takes two trips with the same issue before the code is set. See if it's still in a pending state next time you drive it, or if it's been set. If it's listed as a current fault, then it'll show up in red in torque (and turn on the check engine light on its own, if it wasn't already on for your misfire).
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Mar 29, 2015 03:48
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Is there a cheap way to hot tank a plastic intake manifold at home? I need to clean oil + carbon deposits out of a 2011 BMW 335 diesel intake manifold that is far too complex to do by hand.
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Mar 29, 2015 06:05
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Slavvy posted:It's most probably the dome light switch on the door frame, it's a little black oval thing with one bolt/screw holding it to the car, and a little accordion boot over the button that the door presses when it's shut. These gently caress out all the time so I'd find one from a wrecker or something. It could also be the door sagging on the hinges but if you can't see anything out of alignment or otherwise untoward, it's the switch. Thanks for your help, although it turns out that I was actually wrong on both accounts. It wasn't the door light switch causing the light to flicker on, it was a few loose screws in the door that were preventing it from shutting completely. Fortunately, I found those before taking it in somewhere and looking like an idiot. So, I get a jump from a friend and then bring it over to the auto parts store to get the battery tested. They say it's fine, has another year or two of life left in it, no problems. After heading back home and spending a few hours there, I go out to grab dinner and the car's dead again. After asking around, the common opinion is that there's a short somewhere causing the battery drain. I got the battery tested and I don't see how it could be the starter or the alternator, so that has to be it, right? Is that a long repair, or can I bring it in tomorrow morning and only miss an hour or two of work?
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Mar 29, 2015 15:28
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If you don't have a good multimeter, how about disconnecting the battery and just bringing it in to be tested as-is to see if it's a battery issue rather than just a wiring one?
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Mar 29, 2015 15:53
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Sentient Data posted:If you don't have a good multimeter, how about disconnecting the battery and just bringing it in to be tested as-is to see if it's a battery issue rather than just a wiring one? I got the battery tested yesterday, they didn't find anything wrong with it.
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Mar 29, 2015 17:27
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I had something like that happen with my mustang. I took it in and the guy had it fixed in an afternoon. I'd say I would plan on an alternate ride to work while it gets fixed, basically.
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Mar 29, 2015 18:39
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surf rock posted:Thanks for your help, although it turns out that I was actually wrong on both accounts. It wasn't the door light switch causing the light to flicker on, it was a few loose screws in the door that were preventing it from shutting completely. Fortunately, I found those before taking it in somewhere and looking like an idiot. It sounds like you were expecting the car to charge the battery up by itself just by driving to the store and back. This is not the case. You need to put it on an actual charger for a few hours/overnight.
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Mar 29, 2015 19:00
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Slavvy posted:It sounds like you were expecting the car to charge the battery up by itself just by driving to the store and back. This is not the case. You need to put it on an actual charger for a few hours/overnight. I mean, I had it charging in the driveway for 30 minutes with my buddy's car and the cables, then I spent more than an hour driving around before going to the store, and their test indicated that the battery was about as fully-charged as a 3 year old battery was going to get. I don't know much about cars or car batteries, but was there something about the battery that they were supposed to be testing other than its charge?
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Mar 29, 2015 19:10
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I'm planning on doing an intake manifold gaskets / oil separator / full PCV system replacement on my 840 this spring, and was thinking I'd like to have my injectors checked and cleaned while I was in there. It looks like there are a number of companies offering injector services. Has anyone had this done? Who did you use? How was your experience? I've found prices so far ranging from $12 - $22 per injector, but aside from the price they seem to be offering the same services for the most part.
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Mar 29, 2015 20:37
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surf rock posted:I mean, I had it charging in the driveway for 30 minutes with my buddy's car and the cables, then I spent more than an hour driving around before going to the store, and their test indicated that the battery was about as fully-charged as a 3 year old battery was going to get. I don't know much about cars or car batteries, but was there something about the battery that they were supposed to be testing other than its charge? Testing it's performance under load, basically, but the parts stores do that. If they said it's good, it's probably good.
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Mar 29, 2015 21:03
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Godholio posted:Testing it's performance under load, basically, but the parts stores do that. If they said it's good, it's probably good. Note that testing under load is running a small-ohm load to measure current flow. If the battery is fully charged, it absolutely will not be when they're done with the load test. If the battery were a bit dodgy, that load test can fry it. He should still get a multimeter, because it's probably NOT the battery being crappy that's causing the car to die every night.
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Mar 29, 2015 21:17
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Godholio posted:Testing it's performance under load, basically, but the parts stores do that. If they said it's good, it's probably good. Unless they used one of the quick testers that often get faked out by marginal batteries with surface charges on them. If the test didn't take at least 20 minutes it wasn't tested on the real rig (the carbon pile load tester). And if it WAS tested on that rig the end of the test is to recharge the battery. So yeah....it doesn't sound like it was tested properly.
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Mar 29, 2015 21:22
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I've got an '01 Suburban 2500 4x4, bone stock, with push-button electronic 4 wheel drive using an AutoTrac transfer case. At no point in the owner's manual does it say that, depending on what drive mode I'm in, I'm not supposed to drive on pavement, even in 4Lo. I'm used to the older type where you have to disengage 4 wheel drive on surfaces with good traction, so since I don't know how this system works I try to go really easy on it - 2 wheel drive until I actually notice wheelspin, then I put it in automatic mode, and that works fine until I actually need low gear. I pretty much never hit the 4Hi button, figuring Auto has the advantage of putting it in 2 wheel drive when 4x4 isn't needed, and I try to keep it in 2Hi as often as possible. I do some mild off-roading so I do need 4x4 for that, but snow isn't really a thing here so I haven't needed to deal with variable conditions on a paved road. Is that basically how it's supposed to work, or am I just being paranoid and babying it when I could just leave it in Auto all the time? It's kind of overpowered for the tires I've got, so I guess if I left it in Auto on pavement I could get better traction pulling off from a stoplight in the rain when I'm in a rush; I just don't know if paved roads are OK in something other than 2Hi. edit: Also I bought the car pretty recently so I don't know for sure if the transfer case is in good condition. It "works" but I don't know what maintenance is involved that hasn't been done yet at 153k miles, so sometime in the next few weeks I'll take it to a mechanic for a quick checkup. Friar Zucchini fucked around with this message at 22:32 on Mar 29, 2015 |
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Mar 29, 2015 22:26
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Here's a non-automotive question, but still probably in the wheelhouse of some of the dudes here. We have a petrographic microscope that was at one of our sites that had been "broken" for quite some time, and I've taken a look at it this morning, and the top eyepiece no longer sits on the swivel mount properly, due to a screw being messed up from whichever ham-handed moron screwed it the locking pin way too hard. You can no longer back the screw out to remove the eyepiece section, but that's ok because the same idiot (probably) just lifted it off with all of his retard-strength and there's a nice chunk taken out of the locking ring of that now. So it falls to me to fix it, because I'm the most handy person in the office and it needs to go out at the end of the week to a new site; getting it professionally fixed would be far preferable, but would take a couple of weeks or more. It doesn't seem too hard. Click all images for enormous.  First image is where the eyepiece mounts on; the screw on the right is the stuffed one, that is normally (GENTLY) screwed in to lock the eyepiece in place.  Close up of the locking screw, where it's a combination of bent over and hosed up that means it can't be backed out to put the eyepiece back on.  2nd shot of the screw. I figure I can just dremel the end of the screw, make sure that the tip on it is smaller in every way than the smallest dimension of the thread it needs to be backed out through, back it out, and then tap and die it to make sure they're both ok. Anyone see any major issues I'm missing that might gently caress me? Memento fucked around with this message at 23:05 on Mar 29, 2015 |
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Mar 29, 2015 23:02
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Memento posted:
This was my first thought too. I'd twist it in so you have lots of clearance, then carefully cut with a cutoff disc just behind the hosed thread, then back it out and clean it up. I might try putting a pick or something in the bottom thread just behind that big chunk of metal and tapping it with a hammer first - maybe you can dislodge that chunk of mess on the end and see what the thread looks like underneath. Maybe it can be cleaned up as it sits, without shortening it. e: I originally assumed that is metal that was ripped off of the eyepiece when they yanked it out (as opposed to the actual screw itself mangled beyond recognition) but now I'm not sure...it's kind of hard to tell. If that's all screw, (  ) then yeah, cutting as described above is probably your only realistic option.
Black88GTA fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Mar 29, 2015 |
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Mar 29, 2015 23:12
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Friar Zucchini posted:I've got an '01 Suburban 2500 4x4, bone stock, with push-button electronic 4 wheel drive using an AutoTrac transfer case. At no point in the owner's manual does it say that, depending on what drive mode I'm in, I'm not supposed to drive on pavement, even in 4Lo. I'm used to the older type where you have to disengage 4 wheel drive on surfaces with good traction, so since I don't know how this system works I try to go really easy on it - 2 wheel drive until I actually notice wheelspin, then I put it in automatic mode, and that works fine until I actually need low gear. I pretty much never hit the 4Hi button, figuring Auto has the advantage of putting it in 2 wheel drive when 4x4 isn't needed, and I try to keep it in 2Hi as often as possible. When your in Auto mode, it engages the front axle and leaves the transfer case unlocked until slip is detected, which at that point slips it into 4HI. When your in Auto, shits always turning which will cause your fuel economy to suffer a little bit, but not much. Auto is not a true AWD system and should be treated as such. Even GM cheaped out on the Denali's and Escalades after 03, and did away with the viscous differential, and uses the brakes to transfer power between the front and rear axles (basically acting like another axle between the front and rear - guess where the power goes when poo poo starts to slip?) Long story short, don't leave auto on, just use 2HI until your slipping. Believe it or not, these trucks are pretty decently balanced, so you wont use the 4x4 as often as you think you would.
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Mar 29, 2015 23:56
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Memento posted:I figure I can just dremel the end of the screw, make sure that the tip on it is smaller in every way than the smallest dimension of the thread it needs to be backed out through, back it out, and then tap and die it to make sure they're both ok. Anyone see any major issues I'm missing that might gently caress me? That's how I'd do it. Run it in all the way, cut it off, then use a grinder bit to bevel the edges before you unscrew it. Bonus point for chasing the threads, but if you bevel and clean up before removing it shouldn't be necessary.
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Mar 29, 2015 23:56
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Yeah, it's all screw. They stuffed it pretty good. I've just been on the phone with a supplier and he's going to courier me a new screw, so I'm no longer concerned about that, but preserving the thread in the mounting piece is pretty important. I'm glad about that because I don't have a lot of spare thread to work with.
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Mar 30, 2015 00:04
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Long story short, don't leave auto on, just use 2HI until your slipping. Believe it or not, these trucks are pretty decently balanced, so you wont use the 4x4 as often as you think you would.
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Mar 30, 2015 00:23
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Friar Zucchini posted:So basically what I was already doing. As far as how often I "think I should" use 4 wheel drive, I just leave it in 2wd until I actually notice slippage, or if I'm diving through mud or a creek and there's basically no traction to be had. Pretty much. Unless you know its going to be slick, then pop it into 4HI before hand. Just make sure every thing is stopped before popping things in, because mashing turning poo poo into non turning poo poo isn't the best idea. The auto system is complete garbage.
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Mar 30, 2015 17:04
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Pretty much. Unless you know its going to be slick, then pop it into 4HI before hand. To add to this - it's a lot easier to get into 4HI/4LO when you aren't already up poo poo creek and scrambling for traction. No idea how the transfercase in that Suburban works but on the NV247 in my Grand Cherokee (and I think the NV242 works the same way) you need to be rolling slowly to shift from "4 All Time" to 4LO. Of course, because I prefer to go very slowly when dragging my WJ over rocks, I pop it into 4LO for drat near anything.
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Mar 30, 2015 19:05
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JIZZ DENOUEMENT posted:Oh right, I posted in this thread and didn't realize it was 80+ new posts since my old one. My bad! Thanks for the responses everyone. The codes were: Electronic Load Detector Circuit High Input. - Pending. Variable valve timing electronic control system malfunction. - Current. Variable valve timing electronic control system malfunction. - Confirmed. Why did the vvt show up twice? Can I delay getting this stuff fixed for a couple weeks or should I get it fixed asap?
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Mar 30, 2015 21:44
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Does fuel injector cleaner that gets mixed in the gas tank actually work?
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Mar 30, 2015 22:25
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SperginMcBadposter posted:Does fuel injector cleaner that gets mixed in the gas tank actually work? BG44K gets some good reviews as is a lot more concentrated than the other stuff on the market. Anecdotally, it idles smoother and improves economy slightly.
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Mar 30, 2015 23:29
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Alright, so I called a mechanic and he came by this morning. Jumped the car, tested the battery, said the alternator was fine but battery needed replacing. He replaces the battery, car starts up fine, great. I go grab lunch a few hours later, no problems. I go to my car to get groceries about five hours later, and the car's completely loving dead again. What in the gently caress is wrong with my goddamn car?
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Mar 31, 2015 00:17
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