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Toshimo posted:Hey, autogoons. I had a pretty gnarly oil leak and took it to a shop recommended by a dude I work with. Long story short, I just got the car back after a week of failed promises as to when it was actually going to be done, and I'm wondering how much I got ripped for in the end? I guess if it fixed the leak, it's not too bad. Looks like the mechanic saw the leak coming from the area below the crank pulley, so he took apart the timing gear, saw the leak coming from the front of the oil pan, replaced the oil pan gasket, and then replaced the timing belt, water pump and the front & cam oil seals and valve cover gasket, which all needed to be done on a 10 year old car anyways. I don't know if two hours of labor for an oil pan gasket is reasonable but I'm not familiar with the PT Cruiser.
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May 27, 2015 20:38
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Safety Dance posted:As long as you're not actively writing to disk, you should be able to just cut power no problem.
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May 27, 2015 21:20
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Would this be the appropriate place to ask about stereo installation? I have a 1999 Ford Taurus, and the CD player's borked so I'd like to get it replaced. I called all the shops around town and I'm getting quoted anywhere from $210 to $450. All the shops have at least decent yelp reviews, so is this a matter of getting overcharged by some of them, or are the cheaper options likely to be sketchy in any way? I get that there's going to be some variation in prices and such, but where the heck is that $240 price difference coming from?
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May 27, 2015 21:29
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Swapping a stereo is pretty dang easy. If you google your make/model/year you should find instructions on places like ehow and instructables. Also try youtube, though the videos will likely be of lovely quality. The only thing that jumps out at me is I think part of the original dash will have to be replaced with something with a single or dual DIN slot since from my mom's Taurus of that time period I think they were making the everything custom set up for the ford factory stuff instead of a DIN slot setup. That shouldn't be too bad, for instance a replacement dash bit for my 06 Civic was something like $60 from amazon and it was a pretty dang big piece. For what it's worth on my 04 Wrangler the sales guy at Best Buy quoted me something like $60 parts/labor on top of whatever stereo I would buy from them before I looked it up and decided to get something off amazon and do the job myself. If you literally just want a new not crazy fancy one swapped in and don't want anything else those sound absurd to me. At least assuming the $210 one is just labor that is, if it's the whole thing it might be ok once you factor in the dash stuff and a basic ~$100 stereo.
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May 27, 2015 22:49
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literally this big posted:Would this be the appropriate place to ask about stereo installation? If you are even barely mechanically inclined, go to the crutchfield and order a stereo that fits. Their prices are incredible, they include everything you need to install it along with the wiring harness and instructions. Youtube is your friend if you get stuck. You may need some wire connectors and a wire stripper/crimp tool, but you should have one of those anyways. I just did this very same thing on my 00 4Runner, and it took me an hour from beginning to end. EFB.
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May 27, 2015 22:50
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Quick question about my rear view mirror. The mirror has popped off a couple of times, and car vibrations tend to start the dislodge process. The button that's attached to the window is stuck on tight, it's the spring (?) part that slides over it that doesn't hold it completely fast anymore. Is there some kind of glue that will work for this? Searching for mirror replacement glue only brings up the glue for the button itself. Or am I stuck buying a new mirror assembly and sliding it onto the button...
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May 27, 2015 23:00
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Parts Kit posted:Swapping a stereo is pretty dang easy. If you google your make/model/year you should find instructions on places like ehow and instructables. Also try youtube, though the videos will likely be of lovely quality. The only thing that jumps out at me is I think part of the original dash will have to be replaced with something with a single or dual DIN slot since from my mom's Taurus of that time period I think they were making the everything custom set up for the ford factory stuff instead of a DIN slot setup. That shouldn't be too bad, for instance a replacement dash bit for my 06 Civic was something like $60 from amazon and it was a pretty dang big piece. Those prices should include everything from parts to labor. Normally I'd look into DIYing it, but I've got a big drive ahead of me on Monday and I need to get this done ASAP. So long at $210 seems reasonable I'll be going ahead with it. Thanks!
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May 27, 2015 23:27
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literally this big posted:Those prices should include everything from parts to labor. Normally I'd look into DIYing it, but I've got a big drive ahead of me on Monday and I need to get this done ASAP. So long at $210 seems reasonable I'll be going ahead with it. Thanks! Well, a $200 difference (especially on the low end) can buy a lot of features in a car stereo. Are they offering the same parts? And, OEM units tend to cost more. If the $400+ place is offering to put in an OEM deck, you can probably find something less expensive from the aftermarket.
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May 27, 2015 23:32
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:Quick question about my rear view mirror. The mirror has popped off a couple of times, and car vibrations tend to start the dislodge process. The button that's attached to the window is stuck on tight, it's the spring (?) part that slides over it that doesn't hold it completely fast anymore. Is there some kind of glue that will work for this? Searching for mirror replacement glue only brings up the glue for the button itself. Or am I stuck buying a new mirror assembly and sliding it onto the button... Usually there's a little set screw on those (usually as in every one I've ever cared to look at). The screw will bite into the mount a little bit and hold it tight enough until your constant repeats of Under the Influence by The Chemical Brothers on the sub in the trunk shake it free again in 6-9 months. Unless you have a blue car, they have special mirrors.
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May 27, 2015 23:58
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literally this big posted:Those prices should include everything from parts to labor. Normally I'd look into DIYing it, but I've got a big drive ahead of me on Monday and I need to get this done ASAP. So long at $210 seems reasonable I'll be going ahead with it. Thanks! The trickiest thing with these places is whether or not they stand by their work, and whether the work is any good to begin with. The parts they're going to use are almost certainly the same - Metra, Scosche, or one of the many Chinese knockoffs of the above - so it really comes down to if they're competent enough with a crimper to not pinch their dick in the drat thing. It really is very, very easy to swap a head unit.
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May 28, 2015 00:15
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Just an idle question: are Aleros so numerous on the roads just because they sold a fuckload of them, or are they far more durable than I'd expect of a GM from that era? I'm sure it's confirmation bias but some days it seems like one in ten cars is an alero.
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May 28, 2015 00:16
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StormDrain posted:Usually there's a little set screw on those (usually as in every one I've ever cared to look at). The screw will bite into the mount a little bit and hold it tight enough until your constant repeats of Under the Influence by The Chemical Brothers on the sub in the trunk shake it free again in 6-9 months. There doesn't appear to be any screws.    Any other ideas? And it's a silver car. :P
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May 28, 2015 01:32
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I have no idea if there is a mirror button standard but if so there's always the nearest auto parts store.
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May 28, 2015 01:46
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cephalopods posted:Just an idle question: are Aleros so numerous on the roads just because they sold a fuckload of them, or are they far more durable than I'd expect of a GM from that era? Apparently they're all being drawn to you...I haven't seen one in years. They also didn't sell well, they were literally Oldsmobile's last gasp.
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May 28, 2015 01:48
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:Quick question about my rear view mirror. The mirror has popped off a couple of times, and car vibrations tend to start the dislodge process. The button that's attached to the window is stuck on tight, it's the spring (?) part that slides over it that doesn't hold it completely fast anymore. Is there some kind of glue that will work for this? Searching for mirror replacement glue only brings up the glue for the button itself. Or am I stuck buying a new mirror assembly and sliding it onto the button... If you have the spring type and not a set screw all you can do is try to bend the spring out more (obviously while it's off the windshield). A small pry bar works.
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May 28, 2015 02:17
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Why just use a bit of crazy glue or put in your own screw?
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May 28, 2015 02:28
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Godholio posted:Apparently they're all being drawn to you...I haven't seen one in years. They also didn't sell well, they were literally Oldsmobile's last gasp. The old Alero, I see them often but it's the lingering GTA effect since my wife had one from 2002 to 2013. I also see a lot of the Grand Ams from that period, which are the same except for sheet metal and plastic. They're not special in any way that I can tell. Ours had electrical problems with the turn signals that we had fixed and a fuel pump died at 150k, but nothing major, it didn't burn oil and shifted fine. Fuel economy wasn't great at 22 in the city for a 4cyl. It was formerly a rental and it still ran fine to 160k mi before it slid into another car on ice. They sold nearly 700,000 Aleros.
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May 28, 2015 03:12
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My friend's car is a 1999 Honda CR-V, automatic, 2L i4. 201k miles. It had been pinging and bucking for at least a year when I said, "Hey let's just get some new spark plugs". We replaced the four spark plugs and it ran like a dream. A week(ish) later, friend drives halfway back to school, stops for gas, starts the car, pulls back onto the road and the car sputters and dies. We replaced the fuel filter because it was cheap and easy. Didn't fix it. End up having to get it towed. Shop says the distributor is toast. We get it towed back home and slap in a junkyard distributor from a CR-V that was a few years newer, maybe a 2000 or something. (fit perfectly, just thought I would mention because it had slightly different design details). Jump the car, it runs, idles great, a little bit of white smoke comes up, we turn it off. We look around, everything seems fine, I figure it's just some oil that dripped onto a heat shield, nothing to worry about. We take it for a drive about a mile or two down the road and everything seems fine, then the car just sputters and dies again. More white smoke. Friend tells me he changed the oil the other day and overfilled it. I don't remember at what point he changed the oil, but I've come to understand that this was the first time it was run and driven with the overfilled crankcase. Today we went back for an attempt at automotive necromancy. Drained the oil till it was halfway between the fill marks and checked to see if the plugs were fouled. Everything checks out. I think that the overfilled oil, as it warmed up to running temperature, expanded and burst through the oil pan gasket and burned up. The whole engine is more or less filthy but the the stuff on the bottom of the oil pan seemed to be the freshest, like a pretty even layer of oil with less embedded dirt. I don't believe there was any serious internal damage, as the car turns over (when jumped). This leads me to believe it is an ignition issue. The spark plug wires are at least 70k miles old, maybe original. When we replaced the spark plugs, we had to pinch one of the mounts down a little bit so it would actually stay on the plug, and they all jiggle around a bit. That being said, they worked great for a while. What we need to determine is whether or not it blew another distributor (and if so, why?) or if the wires are shot, or if an issue exists elsewhere in the ignition system. Everything I've read on overfilled crankcases implies that engine damage is almost always catastrophic, and it turns over fine. What do we try next?
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May 28, 2015 04:24
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literally this big posted:Would this be the appropriate place to ask about stereo installation? Just a note, yours is the model where the stereo looks like this, right?  That's a good chunk of the issue. That factory setup only has controls on the bezel, with the actual head unit located in the trunk (if google is to be believed, anyway), so aftermarket head units require either a special kit or custom fabrication in order to install in the console.  Bit more involved than cars that already have a single/double DIN setup on the dashboard, so that probably factors into it a good bit.
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May 28, 2015 05:11
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Enourmo posted:That's a good chunk of the issue. That factory setup only has controls on the bezel, with the actual head unit located in the trunk (if google is to be believed, anyway), so aftermarket head units require either a special kit or custom fabrication in order to install in the console. Bingo. And ALL of the wiring from the new stereo has to be run to the existing wiring in the trunk. I normally do my own stereo installs, but that one would have me gladly handing money over to a shop to do it. You're also completely hosed if it has the digital climate control - to the best of my knowledge, nobody ever made an adapter kit for those models.
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May 28, 2015 05:46
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TheFrailNinja posted:My friend's car is a 1999 Honda CR-V, automatic, 2L i4. 201k miles. It had been pinging and bucking for at least a year when I said, "Hey let's just get some new spark plugs". We replaced the four spark plugs and it ran like a dream. A week(ish) later, friend drives halfway back to school, stops for gas, starts the car, pulls back onto the road and the car sputters and dies. We replaced the fuel filter because it was cheap and easy. Didn't fix it. End up having to get it towed. Shop says the distributor is toast. Take apart the dizzy and look for oil inside.
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May 28, 2015 07:57
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On top of that, make sure the screw that attaches the rotor (under the distributor cap) hasn't backed out. If it has, hopefully you'll find the screw intact when you remove the cap, and you'll just have to reattach the rotor. Worst case, the screw and rotor got chewed up, but a new rotor isn't much (and they usually include a new screw). 99 and 00 should use the same distributor, so the mismatch on year shouldn't make a difference. Of greater concern is if the timing belt has been changed. If it broke or stripped, it'll die and refuse to start, though the starter will sound very different when trying to crank (it'll be a much higher pitch and sound like it's spinning a lot faster). It's supposed to be done roughly every 100k miles/7 years on US market Hondas of that vintage, and if it breaks, it's time to decide how much they love the vehicle, as it'll be a huge chunk of change to get it running again (since it'll bend valves when the timing belt breaks). randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:23 on May 28, 2015 |
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May 28, 2015 08:20
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Enourmo posted:Just a note, yours is the model where the stereo looks like this, right?  You poor bastards. That looks like an unconscionable nightmare.
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May 28, 2015 13:40
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cephalopods posted:Just an idle question: are Aleros so numerous on the roads just because they sold a fuckload of them, or are they far more durable than I'd expect of a GM from that era? Where do you live? In the midwest, half the vehicles I see are F150s.
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May 28, 2015 14:42
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Speaking of shittt audio set ups. The VW's stereo is hard soldered in. Is there a cheap generic adapter I can buy so if I ever want to take the radio out I'm not soldering a new one directly into the car again?
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May 28, 2015 15:45
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Manslaughter posted:Where do you live? In the midwest, half the vehicles I see are F150s. I kinda meant "of the cars", but sometimes I don't word good. I live about an hour from Lansing, MI (pity me). Turns out the sole Alero factory was in Lansing.
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May 28, 2015 16:06
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I have a 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS. 2.4L 4-cyl, automatic transmission, about 183k miles, and it's white. I noticed yesterday that when accelerating and it gets close to shifting gears there would be a rattle type noise. It would only happen if the engine was up around 2500 rpm and it seemed like it was whenever the load was removed. I noticed it as I was driving to work. While at a stoplight, I went into neutral, revved the engine, and it still happened. I was close to work so I finished going to the parking garage. Once I got there, I again tried in neutral, but this time it didn't happen. Tried it in park, and also nothing. I checked the oil and it was a little low so I topped it off and it seemed to go away, but when driving back home last night it started showing up again. Much quieter, but still noticeable. I'm going to take it in for an oil change this weekend and hope they can figure it out or something, but wanted to see if there were any general ideas or thoughts about what it could be. I know it's really vague. The noise really seems to be coming from the engine bay, maybe closer to the passenger side of things. I just paid the car off and don't have a lot of money for expensive repairs
DiverTwig fucked around with this message at 16:30 on May 28, 2015 |
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May 28, 2015 16:24
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1500quidporsche posted:Speaking of shittt audio set ups. The VW's stereo is hard soldered in. Is there a cheap generic adapter I can buy so if I ever want to take the radio out I'm not soldering a new one directly into the car again? What car?
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May 28, 2015 16:56
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Uthor posted:What car? 84 VW scirocco. To my knowledge no adapter exists, I haven't looked at it per say but my assumption would be that its hardwired in with no wiring harness adapter.
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May 28, 2015 17:04
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Oh, I see what you're saying. I don't know. I did some quick searching and didn't see anything. Maybe you can find a generic harness out of another car, get the adapter for that car, and splice it into your car. I don't see why that wouldn't work, you'd just have to remember where the donor harness is from so you get the correct adapter.
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May 28, 2015 17:17
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1500quidporsche posted:84 VW scirocco. The current "standard" would be and ISO plug. You should be able to find the male side easily, and with a bit of looking find the female side.
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May 28, 2015 17:28
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Toshimo posted:Hey, autogoons. I had a pretty gnarly oil leak and took it to a shop recommended by a dude I work with. Long story short, I just got the car back after a week of failed promises as to when it was actually going to be done, and I'm wondering how much I got ripped for in the end? That's about the amount I'd expect to pay for that work. e: Do you realize that they also did the timing belt/water pump which is a big service item usually due every 100k kms/60k miles? That's more than just fixing a leak, and definitely worth doing if your car had 67k miles on it without having had it done already.
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May 28, 2015 19:41
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I have a 2001 honda civic with 1.7 non vtec. Im throwing a p147 which is an evap system leak code.. it only is happening once in awhile (2 times in about 4 weeks+) usually when driving after the car sits. The first time the car sat over a weekend then a day or 2 I was sick/working drom home. I threw a code this morning again the car had sat 3 days I drove yesterday and this am I threw the code. I am wondering if my super short commute 1.1 miles is causing this or the fact that the car is sitting while we have dramatic temp swings (45-85). Another thing of note my commute is.. turn out of driveway, get up to 55 stop at light, get up to 55, turn left.. drive 500ft at 30 and find parkibg.
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May 28, 2015 20:01
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DiverTwig posted:I have a 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS. 2.4L 4-cyl, automatic transmission, about 183k miles, and it's white. I noticed yesterday that when accelerating and it gets close to shifting gears there would be a rattle type noise. It would only happen if the engine was up around 2500 rpm and it seemed like it was whenever the load was removed. I noticed it as I was driving to work. While at a stoplight, I went into neutral, revved the engine, and it still happened. I was close to work so I finished going to the parking garage. Once I got there, I again tried in neutral, but this time it didn't happen. Tried it in park, and also nothing. I checked the oil and it was a little low so I topped it off and it seemed to go away, but when driving back home last night it started showing up again. Much quieter, but still noticeable. I'm going to take it in for an oil change this weekend and hope they can figure it out or something, but wanted to see if there were any general ideas or thoughts about what it could be. I know it's really vague. The noise really seems to be coming from the engine bay, maybe closer to the passenger side of things. Could be a couple of things, I'd need a video to tell you more. Those engines tend to be quite soft in the sonata (don't know why, in every other car the theta II is a tank) so it could be something really grim inside the engine going wrong. But it could also be a bad timing chain tensioner, or a loose exhaust shield, or even just pinging from low octane fuel.
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May 28, 2015 20:05
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I'm having a weird issue with my 2003 Lexus GS430, it's been going on for a while now but now that it's getting worse it may be easier to diagnose. It usually happens when the car has been driven for a while and warmed up (and the weather is warm), what happens is when you're stopped at a light and the car is idling, there is a definite roughness with the engine. It feels like a misfire, but it seems to me that you feel it more than a misfire (more power behind whatever is happening, if that makes sense). It's also not consistent, it usually seems to happen every 8 or 10 seconds, but sometimes it will do it every second or so. I brought it to the mechanic, but it was cold outside and despite them leaving the car idling in park for an hour or so, they couldn't recreate the situation. The car isn't throwing any codes, which makes me think it's not a misfire. It's been doing that for a while now, but now that it's warming up it's been getting worse. To make things more interesting, I drove the car to the gym yesterday, and it sat in the parking lot for 1.5 hrs. When I got in, the car started doing it right away (in park, which doesn't usually happen), but once I drove home it seemed to make it better (which is the opposite of how it had been manifesting itself before). It also feels like the car "clunks" too much when you change from drive to reverse, or reverse to drive, but that may be a separate issue related to the transmission mounts. I also noticed the RPMs fluctuate when it happens, but I'd expect a typical misfire to throw a code. Ideas? I'm worried it may be something to do with the transmission, but I don't know enough about auto transmissions to make an intelligent guess. Torque converter failing?
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May 28, 2015 20:21
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tater_salad posted:I have a 2001 honda civic with 1.7 non vtec. Evap leak won't be caused by short trips, that usually leads more to carbon buildup in the intake and fuel/moisture buildup in the oil, which can cause other issues but isn't going to throw a code. You've probably got a leak somewhere. Pop the hood and start checking vacuum lines, they should be soft and stretchy rather than hard and plastic-y. Or take it to a shop and have it smoke tested.
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May 28, 2015 21:47
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I'm looking to charge my Kart battery at the track but don't want to start dropping money on a generator. Would I be able to get away with using one of those portable jumper packs or do I need to look into something more specialized?
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May 28, 2015 22:12
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Those jumper packs are just another (larger?) battery. If they don't have outlets to plug a charger in then a generator's your only real option unless you wanna lug around 3 or 4 jumpers.
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May 28, 2015 22:16
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Why not use an inverter and charge it with your vehicle and a battery charger... this will be better than jumping since usually jump boxes arent meant for a long term charge. What about a solar charger.. those aren't going to work quickly though unless you have a bit of time between races.
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May 29, 2015 00:46
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How long will it run on a battery? May as well just pick up two Ballistic batteries with quick disconnects and swap them. Charge them at home.
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May 29, 2015 00:52
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