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LeeMajors posted:Is there a reliable way to tell if coils needs replacing as well? This gen 4Runner is pretty famous for rear sag--but mine is 100% level. I'd prefer not to do it obviously, but if I need to the time is now. Just curious if there were any other obvious signs that would point to tired coils than sagging. Pretend you're going on a camping trip and load up ~50 pounds of poo poo in the back. Does it feel like your rear end is dragging on the pavement? If so, consider replacing the coils. Or maybe not, if you never ever carry a load.
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Aug 4, 2015 02:05
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Molten Llama posted:Pretend you're going on a camping trip and load up ~50 pounds of poo poo in the back. Does it feel like your rear end is dragging on the pavement? If so, consider replacing the coils. Slavvy posted:Any sagging of the springs will have an absolutely miniscule effect on your car compared to four blown shocks and every bush and balljoint being disintegrated. Thanks. I just didn't know if there was some visual or tactile assessment I could make that would isolate them--considering that most of the parts are in need of replacement at this point. I've been doing it piecemeal, and didn't want to dilly-dally while I had it apart. They look fine and the truck is level, I guess I'll leave them alone.
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Aug 4, 2015 03:23
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Stupid question: how do you check brake pad thickness? Do you have to actually take the caliper off and remove the pads or is there a way to do it without disassembling the system?
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Aug 4, 2015 03:50
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Most calipers have a slot over the pads where you can eyeball pad thickness if you take the wheel off and crank the steering wheel hard over in the direction of the side you want to inspect.
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Aug 4, 2015 03:53
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Another easy way is to look at your brake master cylinder fluid level; if you don't have leaks and haven't topped it off, it will move down as the pads wear.
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Aug 4, 2015 04:08
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Quick question: has VW's reliability gotten any better in recent years? My wife and I are trying to decide between a lightly used 2014 Corolla or a lightly used 2015 Jetta 1.8T as a cheap, dependable economy car for city driving, and the Jetta is a lot nicer to drive, but I've heard that VW has had a number of issues in the past that have left us wary. I've had friends whose Audi's have become basket cases after 60k miles or so (as they say, the T is silent), and I know VW went through a long string of problems with coil packs and breaking electrical accessories. Has the brand recovered somewhat, or should I stick with the Toyota?
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Aug 4, 2015 04:38
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k-uno posted:I've had friends whose Audi's have become basket cases after 60k miles or so They've gotten better. My 07 GTI didn't become a basket case until 75k miles!
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Aug 4, 2015 04:45
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IOwnCalculus posted:I haven't tried it in my CR-V or WJ yet. I will say that the CR-V is the first vehicle I've ever owned that will downshift on its own to use engine braking with cruise enabled on a long downhill. Even my 91 Integra would do that; Honda calls it "grade logic" I think. No idea what voodoo they did to make that happen. It wouldn't downshift past 3rd on its own (4 speed auto), but it would definitely go from 4th to 3rd. It was also neat watching the tach when coming to a stop, it would downshift through each gear until it hit 1st.
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Aug 4, 2015 04:48
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IOwnCalculus posted:I haven't tried it in my CR-V or WJ yet. I will say that the CR-V is the first vehicle I've ever owned that will downshift on its own to use engine braking with cruise enabled on a long downhill. The automatics in new-ish Focuses will aggressively downshift anytime you tap the brakes in sport mode. I had two of them as rentals when my car was totaled earlier this year and it was... kind of disconcerting, actually.
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Aug 4, 2015 06:10
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I have a 2004 Lincoln LS V8 that is throwing a code P1700 (read by the Rev app on iPhone with wifi OBDII adapter). From what I've read this is a generic code for the transmission, and I need a proper scanner to read the actual transmission code. Would anyone be able to point me to something that can scan for this?
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Aug 4, 2015 06:24
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k-uno posted:Quick question: has VW's reliability gotten any better in recent years? My wife and I are trying to decide between a lightly used 2014 Corolla or a lightly used 2015 Jetta 1.8T as a cheap, dependable economy car for city driving, and the Jetta is a lot nicer to drive, but I've heard that VW has had a number of issues in the past that have left us wary. I've had friends whose Audi's have become basket cases after 60k miles or so (as they say, the T is silent), and I know VW went through a long string of problems with coil packs and breaking electrical accessories. Has the brand recovered somewhat, or should I stick with the Toyota? No. Stick with Toyota.
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Aug 4, 2015 07:11
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Okay, now I've got something to ask about. I think I've already talked about this at some point or another, but at the time I thought I had it fixed. Not so. 1960 F100. Notable that this is the one generation with a hydraulic clutch; before and after used a cable. The clutch bite point is at a different position in pedal travel each time I go to clutch in. Also, it starts out fine sometimes and will slowly get worse (to the point where it will grind going into gear; I assume the clutch isn't releasing all the way), and sometimes it will randomly go back to being fine for awhile. I initially suspected clutch hydraulics. I put a rebuild kit in both the master and slave cylinder (slave first, then when that didn't solve the problem, master). I bled the circuit after each rebuild. Someone suggested to me that the clutch fork pivot ball could be hosed up, and thus the amount of leverage would be moving around. This sounded good to me, so I pulled the inspection cover on the bell housing. However, it feels good in there. I can if it off the ball a little bit, and slide it vertically up and down a little bit, but not in and out. So I don't think it's that. My current hypotheses are that either there's still a hydraulic failure (i.e. a worn out bore that would not have been corrected by the rebuilds), or a mechanical problem between the slave cylinder and clutch fork. It sits on a conical nut, so I can imagine maybe it gets stuck off-center or something? I might also try a stronger return spring; maybe it's not returning all the way. Anyone have thoughts on these symptoms?
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Aug 4, 2015 08:16
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I've got a 2004 rav 4 that is ready for its 150k maintenance. I checked with my normal dude to see how much that would run me and he said $400. That seems a bit steep. Is that normal? Do I need to look for a new guy?
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Aug 4, 2015 17:22
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Reason posted:I've got a 2004 rav 4 that is ready for its 150k maintenance. I checked with my normal dude to see how much that would run me and he said $400. That seems a bit steep. Is that normal? Do I need to look for a new guy? It depends on what our 150k service is.
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Aug 4, 2015 17:23
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some texas redneck posted:Even my 91 Integra would do that; Honda calls it "grade logic" I think. No idea what voodoo they did to make that happen. Yeah, the CR-V is also the only automatic I've ever driven where you can catch it downshifting pretty much every time when slowing down. Everything else seems to wait until the revs are low enough that you're below the torque converter stall speed in any gear, or at least does it so smoothly you can't tell. Also, trip report: the WJ will hold first gear all the way to banging off the limiter.  Ozmiander posted:It depends on what our 150k service is. Very much so. If that's nothing but fluid changes, that's reasonable-to-high depending on how many fluids actually need to be changed. If it includes something more like a timing belt, then I'd say that's a great deal.
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Aug 4, 2015 18:53
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The ABS unit on my 06 Saab 93 is starting to fail. What is the likelihood that the unit is failing verses the connector and other cables/wires to it? What happens is the car wont start, and the starter does not get any power. I disconnect the main cord of the ABS unit then plug it back in and my car starts fine. Do I just need to suck up and take it to a shop?
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Aug 4, 2015 19:28
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I'm up in Buffalo and I'm considering a Porsche Cayman as a daily driver. I've read some about how well they handle in the snow, but I'm wondering if anyone here has personal experience with winter driving they'd care to share.
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Aug 4, 2015 19:50
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The Wonder Weapon posted:I'm up in Buffalo and I'm considering a Porsche Cayman as a daily driver. I've read some about how well they handle in the snow, but I'm wondering if anyone here has personal experience with winter driving they'd care to share. It was fun driving it but I put it away for the season now. I would recommend finding a cheap crown vic or civic to get you through winter. Cage fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Aug 4, 2015 |
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Aug 4, 2015 19:55
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k-uno posted:Quick question: has VW's reliability gotten any better in recent years? My wife and I are trying to decide between a lightly used 2014 Corolla or a lightly used 2015 Jetta 1.8T as a cheap, dependable economy car for city driving, and the Jetta is a lot nicer to drive, but I've heard that VW has had a number of issues in the past that have left us wary. I've had friends whose Audi's have become basket cases after 60k miles or so (as they say, the T is silent), and I know VW went through a long string of problems with coil packs and breaking electrical accessories. Has the brand recovered somewhat, or should I stick with the Toyota? Slavvy posted:No. Stick with Toyota. VW's reliability has gotten better. It hit a low point in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and has gotten better in the 2010s. There's a lot of VW hate on this forum, and like most places, reputations tend to severely lag the reality. Toyota and Honda have also slipped somewhat from the time in the 1990s when they had a simply enormous advantage over other makes. These are both generalities, though. There are always specific models from a carmaker with specific problems, and others that are particularly good. A Prius is just about the most reliable production vehicle ever made, for example. And more broadly, Toyota still has a substantial advantage in reliability over VW. But there's been a rising tide, and it's important to point it out. Basically all cars are way more reliable today than cars made 20 years ago. The sorts of things that go wrong on "unreliable" cars are usually niggling electronic issues, like door lock actuators or radio knobs. Any modern car, including a Jetta, can be expected to not just totally break down and leave you stranded somewhere. VW's want their special oils and can't be neglected as much as Toyotas and Hondas, but if you do what the user manual says to do, you should have a car that will make 250k to 350k miles. Like I said though, there's always specific issues for specific cars. The 2015 Jetta's reliability ratings are not great. Initial quality is all about the first 90 days, and the ratings suggest a lot of Jettas wind up back at the dealer to have stuff fixed. That sucks, but you're looking at a lightly-used one where that sort of thing has probably been dealt with. The 2014 Corolla does better. But it's not five stars across the board, which is what the general reputation for Toyotas might have you believe. In fact it does not get a single five-star quality rating in any category from JD Powers. In fact it gets the same 3-star rating for Body and Interior Quality as the Jetta. Where it really stands out is overall initial quality, four stars vs. the Jetta's 2, and that basically translates to "a lot fewer wind up back at the dealership in the first 90 days, for any reason." I think your wife should buy whichever car she prefers to drive. If you get the VW, budget slightly more for maintenance. If you get the Corolla, compare the cost of a 2014 used Corolla to a brand new Corolla with the same features, and decide if the tiny savings is really worth it vs. a brand new car.
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Aug 4, 2015 20:50
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After five years of being a fatass driving my car down the tight spiral of a downtown parking deck, the seat in my '02 Ford Focus has broken quite severely, with metal now poking through at one point. How much does it generally cost to replace a car seat? The car is otherwise pretty poo poo, but I was willing to live with it, but with this happening I really don't like the idea of a spear of metal ready to impale me at the slightest impact. (see Final Destination 2)
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Aug 5, 2015 00:12
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Golbez posted:After five years of being a fatass driving my car down the tight spiral of a downtown parking deck, the seat in my '02 Ford Focus has broken quite severely, with metal now poking through at one point. How much does it generally cost to replace a car seat? The car is otherwise pretty poo poo, but I was willing to live with it, but with this happening I really don't like the idea of a spear of metal ready to impale me at the slightest impact. (see Final Destination 2) You should be able to pick up a used seat for under $100, and most seats install fairly easily with just hand tools and maybe a special bit or two.
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Aug 5, 2015 00:14
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Golbez posted:After five years of being a fatass driving my car down the tight spiral of a downtown parking deck, the seat in my '02 Ford Focus has broken quite severely, with metal now poking through at one point. How much does it generally cost to replace a car seat? The car is otherwise pretty poo poo, but I was willing to live with it, but with this happening I really don't like the idea of a spear of metal ready to impale me at the slightest impact. (see Final Destination 2) Junkyard one. I can't imagine an 02 Focus will be tremendously hard to swap.
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Aug 5, 2015 00:15
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Astonishing Wang posted:You should be able to pick up a used seat for under $100, and most seats install fairly easily with just hand tools and maybe a special bit or two. Where does one find used seats? Junkyard? Internet?
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Aug 5, 2015 00:28
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puberty worked me over fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Jan 4, 2020 |
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Aug 5, 2015 00:32
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Leperflesh posted:VW's reliability has gotten better. It hit a low point in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and has gotten better in the 2010s. There's a lot of VW hate on this forum, and like most places, reputations tend to severely lag the reality. I really appreciate the advice, and we actually ended up going with the Jetta-- the Corolla just felt like such a blandgasm that I knew we'd get sick of it after a while, whereas the Jetta in my opinion is the right way to make a slow car feel fast, with light, precise steering and a stout little motor with a sharp throttle response. That, and the VW had a 4 year warranty (for free) whereas the Corollas in the price range were all nearing the end of their warranties, so we figure we've got 4 years of only routine maintenance costs, and if it starts to seem like the car is going to give us a bunch of problems we'll sell it before the warranty runs out. I'd still be wary of a VW nearing 100k, but for a barely used car like this one I'm not too worried about it for the time being.
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Aug 5, 2015 01:41
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Used car warranties are often pretty crap. Is that a factory/dealership warranty, or something else? Anyway, congratulations on your nearly-new new car! I agree that VWs tend to be more about an interesting driving experience and less about car-as-appliance, like a Toyota. Definitely do read the owner's manual and keep up on the scheduled maintenance.
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Aug 5, 2015 01:51
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Extra posted:I picked up a replacement seat for my focus at the u-pull-it junkyard for $40. I found about 6-7 focii there. Especially the split-port focuses are everywhere. Seats between all models of the same generation appear to be interchangeable but I would bring a measuring tape to be safe. Removal just requires a torx socket to remove a few bolts. First-gen front Focus seats are interchangeable. I drove a sedan and put a full set of SVT (hatchback) seats in mine. The rear wasn't quite perfect (they don't latch in the same way) but physically they fit.
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Aug 5, 2015 02:30
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I have an incredibly trivial question that nobody on the internet seems to be able to answer properly: How do I mount a front license plate to a first-gen (2007) Scion tC? I just registered a previously out-of-state car in California and need to get this done. Searching for this online just leads to dumbasses suggesting tie wraps or linking to those ricey kits that mount through the tow hole. As far as I can tell, there is no OEM contoured fit bracket for this car (although there is one for 2nd-gen tC's), otherwise I would have just bought one of those and called it a day. The only thing this car has to assist me is two small dimples in the front bumper trim that indicate where you are supposed to drill holes. I have drilled the holes already, but I'm just trying to figure out where to go from here. I purchased this universal fit bracket locally to reduce the chances of the plate getting bent in a mishap, but it's unclear what the included four screws are for because the instructions are complete garbage. I can't use them to secure the bracket to the bumper because they're not self-tapping and their diameter is too big. I can't use them to secure the license plate to the bracket because they're nearly twice as long as the bracket is thick. Doing so would cause the protruding ends to dig into my bumper and damage the paint. Additional concerns:
Zorilla fucked around with this message at 05:03 on Aug 5, 2015 |
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Aug 5, 2015 05:01
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Zorilla posted:I have an incredibly trivial question that nobody on the internet seems to be able to answer properly: Get a captive nut. You may find them at electrical supply houses. I've seen them for sale at aeronautical parts places for $10-15 each, but you don't need anything that crazy. If that's not working for you, you can get a clip-on nut and make a square hole next to your main hole and everything's captive and kosher. Of course, if you can get behind the bumper panel, just use a real nut.
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Aug 5, 2015 05:56
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Get a captive nut. You may find them at electrical supply houses. I've seen them for sale at aeronautical parts places for $10-15 each, but you don't need anything that crazy. I was thinking the same thing, but aren't these all square? Drills have a habit of making holes that are circular. I don't even know what common tool one would use to make a square hole in this situation. Do round ones exist? I can't find any. I could get access to the inside of the bumper panel, but I would have to take the whole thing off because the styrofoam block is in the way. While that's not the hardest thing to do on a cheap Toyota, it's a bit overkill for a license plate. I'm setting it aside as my "Plan Z", though. Zorilla fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Aug 5, 2015 |
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Aug 5, 2015 07:15
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALiqAXiTQBg Naw but for real, you could just drill out the appropriate diameter round hole, then take a file/boxcutter/whatever and cut it out square. Are you in metal at that point or is it the plastic part of the bumper cover?
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Aug 5, 2015 07:23
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Enourmo posted:Naw but for real, you could just drill out the appropriate diameter round hole, then take a file/boxcutter/whatever and cut it out square. Are you in metal at that point or is it the plastic part of the bumper cover? It looks like I might have some luck with these (GM 14013246). They're the only ones with round clips I can find. Edit: on second though, they may be a bit too small. Zorilla fucked around with this message at 08:04 on Aug 5, 2015 |
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Aug 5, 2015 07:57
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Does California not allow license plates on your dash? I mean, either way, car manufacturers are stupid if they don't have a place to put your license plate given that most if not all states require license plates on the front and back. Seconding the captive nut.
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Aug 5, 2015 14:00
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Leperflesh posted:Used car warranties are often pretty crap. Is that a factory/dealership warranty, or something else? Bumper to bumper factory warranty; it's a 2015 with 15k on it, so it has 2 years of the regular warranty left and an extra 2 years from being CPO. Hopefully I won't need to test it too much!
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Aug 5, 2015 14:29
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2002 Ford Focus. About to have my car towed now. I am concerned whatI may be up against here. My battery light came on while I was driving, and then my car proceeded to start smelling horribly and began to overheat soon after. I got kind of ill when I was around the smell for too long. What could be the issue here?
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Aug 5, 2015 14:46
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Fluorescent posted:2002 Ford Focus. Sounds like you might have thrown the belt that runs your alternator, which also drives your water pump (the overheating).
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Aug 5, 2015 15:15
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PaintVagrant posted:Sounds like you might have thrown the belt that runs your alternator, which also drives your water pump (the overheating). The smell would likely be a combination of burning rubber and coolant. Sickly sweet and putrid, yeah that'd make you ill for sure. It's a fifteen dollar part at most and five minutes to put it on (most cars anyway), assuming the overheating didn't cause any damage.
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Aug 5, 2015 16:44
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Zorilla posted:So what is the right way to do this? I'm sure I'm overthinking this, but I don't want to jury-rig it and I definitely don't want my license plate falling off if I get it wrong. Your way overthinking this. Use two coarse thread appropriately sizes screws and screw in your license plate into the two dimples (now holes you made) on the bumper. And you're done. It's that simple. Picture for reference:  It's been like that since I got the car, and I've bombed through heavy snow and just had to bend the plate back straight. Don't have to worry about it falling off.
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Aug 5, 2015 18:30
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Yeah I'm betting the "dimples" are actually a slightly thicker spot of plastic on the bumper, and you can just go right into them with decently big-threaded screws and no worries. If you're really concerned, though, I'd find your closest California scion dealership and give them a call. Probably you can just bring your car there and get them to install it for free. Especially if you let them put one of their dealership surrounds behind the plate.
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Aug 5, 2015 18:47
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I was told on more than one occasion by the state highway patrol (in a state that requires a front license plate) that a dealership would furnish me a front license plate bracket to fit my car, which came from out of state and didn't have the proper mounting bracket. If a dealership charges you more than a nominal fee for the kit to mount a state-required front plate on a late model vehicle, I'd be somewhat surprised. Apparently, and for good reason, a plate wedged between the dash and the windshield doesn't qualify as 'at the front of the vehicle' as required by state law.
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Aug 6, 2015 03:38
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