|
spog posted:Don't they earn money from the used oil? i.e. the recycling company gives them cash for it. Advance stores make $0.50 per gallon profit on that. There are EPA or whatever restrictions on a 5 gallon limit. In practice, some stores will limit you, and some won't. SafteyKlean takes that oil and refines it and sells it to fleets. There are shops that burn their used oil in a heater, and they're only too happy to have extra fuel for it.
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2015 18:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 23:17 |
|
|
Here, the council
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2015 20:02
|
|
|
Wiper blades last a hell of a lot longer if you actually clean them. They accumulate road grit that sticks to the rubber blades, and that not only helps them dry out and crack, it also adds to the friction of dragging them up and down your window (especially when it's not fully lubricated with water) and furthermore scrapes that poo poo across your glass, abrading it too. Use a wet soapy paper towel or shop towel to wipe the rubber blades clean every time you clean your window/wash your car and you'll extend the life of your blades by a lot. When I figured out to start doing that, my blades started lasting more like three years instead of one (in California, your results may vary).
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2015 20:10
|
|
|
Leperflesh posted:Wiper blades last a hell of a lot longer if you actually clean them. They accumulate road grit that sticks to the rubber blades, and that not only helps them dry out and crack, it also adds to the friction of dragging them up and down your window (especially when it's not fully lubricated with water) and furthermore scrapes that poo poo across your glass, abrading it too. That is the best way, but my lazy shortcut starts when at the gas pump, washing and squeegeeing the window as normal. Then I lift up the wiper arm and squeegee the glass while running the moist foam washer side directly to the wiper blade to clean two things at once Tune in next week for more OCD cleaning things I do with my car, like folding and using each paper towel twice when leather conditioning my seats
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2015 21:16
|
|
|
IOwnCalculus posted:I think some of them get pissy about how much you bring to avoid shops dumping it on them. At any rate, last time I went I brought in about 6 gallons of oil and didn't even get a second glance. I used one of these and one of these so you don't look quite as much like you're bringing in so much. Was hoping at least one of those links was going to be one of these.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2015 22:17
|
|
|
Grumbletron 4000 posted:Weirdest drat thing happened tonight. Went to turn on the blower for the heat cause its getting a little chilly. I noticed when I turned the knob it went straight to full blast. That's odd so I spun the knob up and down and off. Constant full blast. I get home and shut the car off and the drat thing is still blowing with the ignition off and key removed. I tried pulling every fan related relay and fuse with no result. Finally had to go under the dash and pull the plug right from the blower itself. Just in case anybody cares I got this taken care of. It was, in fact the blower motor resistor. I found one at the boneyard for $17. Not bad considering new at NAPA is $65. The drat thing was no fun to put in though. It's held onto the airbox with melted plastic pegs which I had to chisel off. I had to dig through my bucket of derelict screws to find ones just the right size to work into the melted stubs. It's smack dab against the firewall too so I spent an hour using a stubby little screwdriver turning those screws in a millionth of a turn at a time. Problem solved though! She blows fast and she blows slow just like she should. I'm so glad it wasn't some sort of untraceable electrical gremlin situation.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2015 00:13
|
|
|
Got a quick question (full disclaimer, not a car person and I don't know much about them yet). Yesterday I was driving a 2012 Renault Clio and I noticed that the brake pedal felt unusual. The brakes seem to be working correctly but the resistance of the pedal is lighter - it takes much less force to brake than before. Is this adjustable, and can I adjust it back to what I am used to? The brake pedal appears to be an electrical sensor and not a mechanical linkage.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2015 18:38
|
|
|
the wizards beard posted:Got a quick question (full disclaimer, not a car person and I don't know much about them yet). Yesterday I was driving a 2012 Renault Clio and I noticed that the brake pedal felt unusual. The brakes seem to be working correctly but the resistance of the pedal is lighter - it takes much less force to brake than before. Is this adjustable, and can I adjust it back to what I am used to? The brake pedal appears to be an electrical sensor and not a mechanical linkage.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2015 18:43
|
|
|
InitialDave posted:Do you mean it's a car you've not driven before, and it feels strange, or it's a car you have driven several times, and this time it felt different? I've been driving it a lot. Jumped in recently and all of a sudden I am braking hard with a much lighter touch. The only thing I can think of that could be related was that I pulled out the floormats to clean them just before I noticed this. e: I should add that other people familiar with the car have tried it and confirmed that the action of the brake pedal seems different. the wizards beard fucked around with this message at 18:51 on Nov 14, 2015 |
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2015 18:47
|
|
|
the wizards beard posted:I've been driving it a lot. Jumped in recently and all of a sudden I am braking hard with a much lighter touch. The only thing I can think of that could be related was that I pulled out the floormats to clean them just before I noticed this. See how you feel after a week or so. I swap between my cars a fair bit, and if I go from 1970s unassisted drums to modern brakes I occasionally faceplant the steering wheel, but it's not related to a fault of any kind.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2015 19:42
|
|
|
Plugs are out of a 93 Miata experiencing pinging and smoke when hot and under load. 3 and 4 look like they are running rich to me. Just wanting a second opinion on the set. They are about 4000 miles old.  1-2-3-4  1-2  3-4
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2015 23:52
|
|
|
Take another pic with all of the plugs in the same orientation so we can see the electrodes of all of them at the same time.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2015 03:54
|
|
|
3-4 are carbon fouled, which means they're not getting up to temperature. The electrodes of 3-4 are likely fine; any difference from 1-2 would be obvious and 1-2 look good for the intended gap size (1.1mm). It actually looks like plug temperatures are going high -> low from 1 -> 4 based on the amount of fouling (mostly that #1 is much cleaner than #2). Something is definitely wrong and I'm not enough of a mechanic to tell you what, but replacing plugs won't solve your problem, though you may want to in the end after all is said and done (at least for 3-4). Looks like it's BKR6E11? Should be cheap.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2015 04:05
|
|
|
Is the thermostat near #1 on that engine? Could be not opening properly or there might be a blocked radiator or some such so the water temp is a lot higher toward the front. Or the back two leads are cracked and leaking a bit of current or something? Definitely seems like a mixture or temperature discrepancy between the front and rear two cylinders.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2015 04:08
|
|
|
Senior Funkenstien posted:Take another pic with all of the plugs in the same orientation so we can see the electrodes of all of them at the same time. Thought I had these uploaded. Guess not.  1-2-3-4  1-2-3-4  1-2-3-4 Timg'd this time for better resolution when clicked. Edit: Cylinder 4 is actually the worst cooled on the Miata 1.6. Coolant goes in the front, then basically makes a right turn and comes out. So in theory, it should be the hottest. I'm in the process of knocking out a fuel filter and checking pressures.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2015 04:09
|
|
|
Oh boy No. 2 is burning oil by the look.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2015 04:11
|
|
|
Maybe a little in #4 as well (on the GE).
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2015 04:14
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:Oh boy No. 2 is burning oil by the look. Two burning a bit of oil would make sense. Compression was 160/145/160/160. Didn't have spare oil around to run a wet test. I'm running Seafoam in through the spark plug holes to see if any of the rings are stuck with gunk. I doubt it, but its easier than pulling the engine and hoping its worth re-ringing.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2015 04:25
|
|
|
Hey guys. 2006 Mazda 3. I had to slam on the brakes for a cat that ran in front of me. ABS went off really hard and now my pedal is going almost to the floor to get any braking. Did the ABS have a big air bubble in it? Or maybe I burst a line? The fluid level is normal I think but I'll have to check in the morning too. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 07:25
|
|
|
If you blew a line you'd have zero braking.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 08:33
|
|
|
Godholio posted:If you blew a line you'd have zero braking. Well, I know that isn't quite true. I would have 2 out of 4 wheels braking, until the fluid got low enough. But, I don't think that's what happened. I was wondering if it's possible for the ABS controller to have an air bubble in it or let air into the system somehow.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 09:09
|
|
|
Could be a master/slave cylinder fail. As you slammed on the brakes, they've been pushed much harder than they have been during the previous years of driving.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 10:20
|
|
|
CharlesM posted:Well, I know that isn't quite true. I would have 2 out of 4 wheels braking, until the fluid got low enough. But, I don't think that's what happened. I was wondering if it's possible for the ABS controller to have an air bubble in it or let air into the system somehow. It's certainly possible, especially since ABS typically doesn't get bled when the rest of the system does (since it often requires a scan tool to cycle the module). If you had 2 out of 4 wheels you'd feel a significant pull under braking. Even with opposite corners paired, the fronts apply more braking force, so your car will pull to the side with the working front caliper. Now, you might have hoses blown out and ballooning, which could hypothetically happen symmetrically. But your car's new enough I wouldn't go to that as a first suspect; get them bled first.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 14:07
|
|
|
Just turn your wheels and take a peek - my Camry did something similar - but the bubbles! One of them had a pinhole and was spraying slowly.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 14:56
|
|
|
spog posted:Could be a master/slave cylinder fail. This is what happened to me. I don't remember any particular hard braking event, but my master cylinder went out and I had barely any braking (but enough to eventually come to a stop). Happened to me on the beltway outside of D.C., which was scary. Fortunately, I was in the far left lane and was able to pull over to the shoulder.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 15:36
|
|
|
CharlesM posted:Well, I know that isn't quite true. I would have 2 out of 4 wheels braking, until the fluid got low enough. But, I don't think that's what happened. I was wondering if it's possible for the ABS controller to have an air bubble in it or let air into the system somehow. Ah, mine didn't have ABS, so I lost everything. I was figuring you'd lose more of what little braking ability you had every time you hit the pedal.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 16:35
|
|
|
1997 Ford Ranger XLT, 4x4 and the 4.0L V6, manual transmission. About 205 000 km, Canada. I took my Ranger in for out-of-province inspection because I've just moved to Ontario from Alberta. I stopped in Saskatchewan for a visit with my GF and had the power steering pump replaced at a local mechanic because it was leaking fluid; the mechanic who did the work also replaced the water control valve (a part I didn't know I had, but that's not particularly surprising) because while he was working on the PS pump it fell off; he also did an oil change and told me my brakes were fine. After that, my truck had an oil leak, I was putting in about 1 quart of 5W30 every 800km as I drove to southern Ontario. The OoP inspection turned up bad wiring for the license plate lights (  ) and a need for new tires, duly fixed & purchased. Also, one of the front brake pads was bent, so those got replaced, too. I told the mechanic here about the oil leak, and he said they'd have to shampoo the engine to find it, something they're not allowed to do because of municipal water rules. So he dumped in some kind of stop-leak solution that actually seems to have (probably temporarily) solved that problem.Overall, I'm not impressed by that mechanic in Regina, and I'm still undecided on this local guy here in Waterloo. Now, it chugs under moderate-to-hard acceleration. In any gear, even just maintaining speed up a gentle incline comes with some hestitation and jolting. The oil level seems fine, and the spark plugs and wires were replaced by the PO shortly before I bought the truck, so they're around 1 year old or about 25 000 km. This seems to me like a fuel/air/spark kind of problem, but it feels different from the misfire it had when I bought it (that was due to plug #4 being broken). How would you go about diagnosing this? Cylinder pressure test and visual inspection of the plugs? How would you test the fuel pump? Is there an easy way to figure out if an O2 sensor is going bad? Could whatever oil-stop-leak solution he put in cause a problem with a sensor or some other part of the oil system? I have a basic OBDII scanner, somewhere, that I suppose I should dig out and use as step one, even though I don't have a CEL on. Any other suggestions? EDIT: Could a going-bad battery cause something like this, maybe weak spark? I don't know how old the battery is, and lately on start-up the battery indicator on the dash shows it a little low, like the needle is around 1/4, for the first 10 minutes or so. Then it climbs up to where it indicated before, around 1/2. ExecuDork fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Nov 17, 2015 |
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 18:07
|
|
|
ExecuDork posted:the spark plugs and wires were replaced by the PO shortly before I bought the truck, so they're around 1 year old or about 25 000 km....it feels different from the misfire it had when I bought it (that was due to plug #4 being broken). Are you sure they replaced them?
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 18:45
|
|
|
Godholio posted:Ah, mine didn't have ABS, so I lost everything. I was figuring you'd lose more of what little braking ability you had every time you hit the pedal. Most cars since the 70s have a dual master cylinder so even if you lose pressure on one circuit you can keep braking on two wheels. It's a pretty great thing for cars to have, really. But you're right, as if you keep going and it is spraying fluid the level will drop and then you'll lose pressure in the other circuit too. Thanks for all the help.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 18:45
|
|
|
Enourmo posted:Are you sure they replaced them? I've driven it for 6 months and 25 000 km without this issue, including towing a trailer 3000km, so I suppose a plug or wire (or something else) could fail in that time, just coincidentally right after I pick it up from a shop that did an inspection on the vehicle. I guess I could take a close look at the wires. Anything in particular I should look for?
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 19:19
|
|
|
Longshot, but does anyone know how to get mazdaconnect (in my 2016 mazda3) to stop trying to autoresume the music from my phone every time I get in the car? Autoresume on bluetooth is definitely disabled in my media player on the phone, so I have to assume that the infotainment system is actually sending a "play" signal to the device, but I can't find anything related to it in the car's device options. Also, any way to get it to support browsing the music on my android phone? It will happily let me browse the music on friends' iphones from the infotainment console, but I seem to only be able to use basic media controls for my android. Neither of these are a huge deal, but they're literally the only 2 things I actually dislike about this car.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 19:59
|
|
|
My wife is working in another state, and her 2008 Pontiac Torrent is having some issues. She got a scan and this is what she sent me: I did some searching. Apparently the transmission code is related to the torque converter. Some random forum post mentioned that it could be an air leak. If it's easy enough to get to, swapping a hose shouldn't be too hard. But is it ok to drive on? She's about 300 miles away, so for me to fix it would mean a six hour drive for her to get to me. I haven't looked up the engine code yet, so any info on it would be appreciated. Thanks, AI.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 22:35
|
|
|
LeftistMuslimObama posted:Longshot, but does anyone know how to get mazdaconnect (in my 2016 mazda3) to stop trying to autoresume the music from my phone every time I get in the car? Autoresume on bluetooth is definitely disabled in my media player on the phone, so I have to assume that the infotainment system is actually sending a "play" signal to the device, but I can't find anything related to it in the car's device options. Try asking in the Mazda thread too: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3039682
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2015 23:21
|
|
|
Have a 2007 Subaru Legacy, base model with an automatic. It doesn't like to start if it's been sitting out in the rain all day. It's fine with cold temperatures, ran great for the past 6 months, but after sitting outside in the rain all day, it won't start. Looking around the Internet leads me to believe it's something in the ignition system getting damp. Does this sound reasonable? How would I narrow down what needs fixed?
|
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2015 05:38
|
|
|
Will a 5mm offset difference on wheels cause any fitment issues on a NB Miata with big brakes? These (except not polished) are fitted right now, offset 45:  And I want to get these for winter, offset 40: 
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2015 15:17
|
|
|
mobby_6kl posted:Will a 5mm offset difference on wheels cause any fitment issues on a NB Miata with big brakes? No. If I recall correctly, your offsets are -45 and -40, so your winter wheels will actually stick out a skoch more. e. I mean, assuming your winter wheels fit over your brake calipers, which offset only partially determines.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2015 16:05
|
|
|
Armyman25 posted:Have a 2007 Subaru Legacy, base model with an automatic. It doesn't like to start if it's been sitting out in the rain all day. It's fine with cold temperatures, ran great for the past 6 months, but after sitting outside in the rain all day, it won't start.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2015 16:49
|
|
|
I would also clean the coil pack contacts and make sure that it has a good ground. (Brass brush the mounts clean)
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2015 17:29
|
|
|
spankmeister posted:I would also clean the coil pack contacts and make sure that it has a good ground. (Brass brush the mounts clean)
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2015 17:33
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 23:17 |
|
|
Anyone have any experience with tire rack and buying a snow tire/steel rim and having them mount it and send it to me? Really need some snow tires this year, just don't know if their rims are total garbage, because it looks to be by far the cheapest way of going about this. I can't seem to find any used ones on CL that will fit the my Mazda 3's seemingly large 67.1 bore size.
|
|
#
?
Nov 18, 2015 20:46
|
|
