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IOwnCalculus posted:Many things can take a 30 year old Volvo off the road 1: Rust 2: Moose 3: ??? E: actual question rather than white noise, if the steering wheel on a car is canted 15-20 degrees to the side while driving straight but tracks straight when you let go without moving at all, is that a sign of an important alignment problem or just something that happens over time? Basically its rest position is off straight. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Oct 28, 2019 |
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Oct 28, 2019 20:51
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It's an alignment or tire issue of some sort. It may not be the actual suspension alignment; maybe they didn't center the wheel last time it got aligned. Are the tires wearing evenly?
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Oct 28, 2019 20:58
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3. Crash damage 4. That loving wiring 5. Emissions Lacking any direct evidence, I'd say it's 50/50 that 3 or 5 did in my '88 240 with one of the subsequent owners. If the steering wheel is that far off of straight, something is massively out of adjustment, but it's going to depend on what car you're talking about. Jeeps, for example, have a drag link that pretty much just adjusts the center position of the steering wheel / steering box. Or someone did some suspension work and/or damage and got the wheels straight but didn't recenter the steering wheel. Or an alignment shop just plain sucked at their job. Or someone pulled the wheel and reinstalled it crooked.
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Oct 28, 2019 21:00
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Rear toe off can do that, but 15-20 degrees is a lot!
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Oct 28, 2019 21:02
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22 Eargesplitten posted:1: Rust The dipshit that did your last alignment hosed up and didn't center your wheel when setting toe.
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Oct 28, 2019 21:03
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STR posted:It's an alignment or tire issue of some sort. It may not be the actual suspension alignment; maybe they didn't center the wheel last time it got aligned. Probably the crash IOC guessed at, the car is my Subaru that I'm getting salvage titled. Front left corner control arm got tacoed by a combination of black ice and curb but by some miracle the tie rod and CV axle are fine, just had to replace the sway bar end link and bracket and did the ball joint while I was at it because why not at 207k miles? I'll get an alignment after I get it registered, any work done by a shop has to be signed off on with paperwork so I'm keeping that to a minimum until all that is done. Starts, stops, turns, and drives fine, just can't take it on the road until the paperwork is handled. No idea on tire wear for obvious reasons. Beach Bum posted:The dipshit that did your last alignment hosed up and didn't center your wheel when setting toe. Don't call me a dipshit 
22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Oct 28, 2019 |
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Oct 28, 2019 21:06
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Beach Bum posted:didn't center your wheel when setting toe. This is my answer when the car drives straight but the wheel is cocked over.
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Oct 28, 2019 21:38
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22 Eargesplitten posted:Don't call me a dipshit If you're anything like the guy that works on my cars, it's an apt description  I'm the guy that works on my cars  Related, I did my first string alignment on the CR-V when I replaced the rear motor mount and steering rack in August and... I fuckin' nailed it on the first try  Steering wheel exactly centered, 1/16" toe out, even had a Tire Kingdom do a free alignment check and they told me to get lost  It's too bad I don't have a level driveway or I'd do the camber on the Fit and move it out of the work parking lot.
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Oct 28, 2019 21:57
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Recommend jumper cables. I had to use mine today and was reminded that the insulation cracked in a bunch of places last winter and they are held together by just copper strands now. I'd like to buy a set that will remain flexible at -10F. e: I just want to buy something known to be decent and avoid whatever the monster cable equivalent is taqueso fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Oct 29, 2019 |
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Oct 28, 2019 23:48
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I just got a diesel truck with two batteries. Do I need to do anything different when I replace both of them? I only know how to replace a battery in a car that has one of them. Can I just do the normal process for both of them? I do not want to get shocked to death
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Oct 29, 2019 00:21
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taqueso posted:Recommend jumper cables. I had to use mine today and was reminded that the insulation cracked in a bunch of places last winter and they are held together by just copper strands now. I'd like to buy a set that will remain flexible at -10F. Are you looking for some "emergency type kit" stuff or firing off a car in your driveway?
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Oct 29, 2019 01:39
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C-Bangin' it 
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Who wants to hear a fun story? (2001 diesel Mitsubishi L300) - Oil level warning light comes on - Dipstick oil level looks ok - and should do, it was changed not long ago But... - Coolant reservoir empty - was topped up not long ago - Black oil-like substance on coolant reservoir tube - Burning smell going uphill (but only uphill) 1) So I'm not very good at this game but... head gasket gone? 2) And dipstick level looks okay because my coolant is in my sump? 3) And coolant reservoir hose is black because oil is mixing the other direction into the coolant? The van failed inspection and was on its way to the scrappers before its deadline anyway (you get 4 weeks' notice here to repair or replace if it fails) so I'm not too cut up about it. I just needed another week or 2 out of it. I'm already shopping for a new car. I think it knew. Given it's the Oil Level not Oil Pressure light... And given that I don't care if it lasts another week... I'm just planning to get a few more hours out of it so I can get to the next bigger town with more than 1 car for sale (seriously this town has 1 car for sale) The next town's about 100 miles away. 4) Should I top up the oil before I go or just not bother? 5) How do I know how much oil to put in if I can't trust the dipstick? I don't know what I should look for level-wise in the oil-filler cap. 6) tap water is fine for the coolant in this situation, right? Thanks for any thoughts, my current plan is to shove a litre of oil in and just chance it driving at under 40mph the whole way - at night so I'm not holding up traffic, of course. simplefish fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Oct 29, 2019 |
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Oct 29, 2019 02:35
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taqueso posted:Recommend jumper cables. I had to use mine today and was reminded that the insulation cracked in a bunch of places last winter and they are held together by just copper strands now. I'd like to buy a set that will remain flexible at -10F. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SINBRQ?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=AwEAAAAAAAAAAI1u RockAuto has a few choices too, if you'd prefer to go that route, I'd look for something with about the same specs (6 GA, 16').
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Oct 29, 2019 02:51
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Big Dick Cheney posted:I just got a diesel truck with two batteries. Do I need to do anything different when I replace both of them? I only know how to replace a battery in a car that has one of them. Can I just do the normal process for both of them? I do not want to get shocked to death You can do the same exact thing you'd normally do. Doesn't matter if they are parallel or in series, just remove the negative terminals first, replace both at the same time, connect them exactly as they were before. This is how I do it on both dual battery 12v and dual battery 24v Land Cruisers.
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Oct 29, 2019 03:06
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simplefish posted:Who wants to hear a fun story? Update: I lifted the radiator cap and it was pure oil I'm gonna throw a litre in and see how many of the 100 miles I make it. I'll let you know how I do, unless there's some other last minute advice, but ffor now I've got to walk to the garage and back! Wish me luck! simplefish fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Oct 29, 2019 |
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Oct 29, 2019 05:55
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If you literally do not care about the vehicle at all there's not a HUGE downside to seeing what happens, I guess. Keep us posted!
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Oct 29, 2019 06:16
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Yep, this is when you channel Larry The Enticer and just send it.
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Oct 29, 2019 07:39
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Dumb question for the thread. Someone messed with the spoiler on my car at some point while it was parked and now it's only really connected via the brake light cable. Wondering if there's something I can use to reattach it while it's sitting where I parked it or should I try and disconnect that cable and then just get it repaired later either reattaching it or tossing the spoiler and filling in the mounting holes. - Car is a 2005 Corolla S and the spoiler is just the one that came with the car. - The screws are still in place in the trunk, it looks like the spoiler itself snapped off around where the screws were in. - The car itself is mostly beat to hell so it looking nice isn't a concern. Drives fine though. - I live near and normally use public transit so it can sit for a while where it is. I don't really need to drive it until next late next month. - Money isn't a huge issue right now but I'd rather not spend a lot getting this thing reattached if the benefit is mostly cosmetic.
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Oct 29, 2019 17:25
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Anyone have experience with services like alldatadiy or identifix (or anything else)?
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Oct 29, 2019 17:34
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Terminus posted:Dumb question for the thread. Someone messed with the spoiler on my car at some point while it was parked and now it's only really connected via the brake light cable. Pics?
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Oct 29, 2019 17:44
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Terminus posted:Dumb question for the thread. Someone messed with the spoiler on my car at some point while it was parked and now it's only really connected via the brake light cable. Wondering if there's something I can use to reattach it while it's sitting where I parked it or should I try and disconnect that cable and then just get it repaired later either reattaching it or tossing the spoiler and filling in the mounting holes. The spoiler is 100% cosmetic and you can remove it without any sort of drivability issues. You will lose your third brake light, though anyone driving around early 90s and older cars already don't have one of those.
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Oct 29, 2019 17:45
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Terminus posted:Dumb question for the thread. Someone messed with the spoiler on my car at some point while it was parked and now it's only really connected via the brake light cable. Wondering if there's something I can use to reattach it while it's sitting where I parked it or should I try and disconnect that cable and then just get it repaired later either reattaching it or tossing the spoiler and filling in the mounting holes. Disconnect the cable, get some 3M double sided tape that is used for spoilers etc and glue it one again.
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Oct 29, 2019 17:46
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Uthor posted:Pics? Forgot to get any before I had to leave for work. I'll take some later today.
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Oct 29, 2019 17:48
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KakerMix posted:The spoiler is 100% cosmetic and you can remove it without any sort of drivability issues. You will lose your third brake light, though anyone driving around early 90s and older cars already don't have one of those. Uh, what? They've been required in the US since 1986. Some states don't care about them, some do. Texas only recently started caring about them during our yearly safety inspection (and depending on county, that may include an emissions check), but bored cops have always been able to stop you for it being out or missing. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-03-fi-24385-story.html
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Oct 29, 2019 17:52
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I think the joke is that they’re often burned out?
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Oct 29, 2019 17:55
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two_beer_bishes posted:Anyone have experience with services like alldatadiy or identifix (or anything else)?
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Oct 29, 2019 17:56
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:I think the joke is that they’re often burned out? .............    I've been pulled over several times for them being out though, bored suburban cops don't pass up any reason to stop a beat up car. Especially in the 'burb I'm in now; I've been pulled over more times in the year and 4 months I've lived here than in the past 15 years combined.
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Oct 29, 2019 17:57
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STR posted:............. If there physically isn't a light I would imagine most cops would just duuurrr right on by. If it is there but not lighting up then it's a problem. To determine if the car in question is supposed to have a third brake light but doesn't would require more thought than I'd suspect a beat cop would give. Context wise Japan didn't require third brake lights till 1993 or so. They also didn't seem to require shoulder belts in the back. Our 91 Prado has no third brake light and just lap belts in the back, where as the 94 we have on the way (same generation) has a third light and shoulder belts.
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Oct 29, 2019 18:21
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Are the screws/bolts snapped off flush at the trunk or did they rip out of the spoiler?
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Oct 29, 2019 18:23
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Krakkles posted:I picked up a subscription to alldatadiy to get some info about TSBs for my car, I'm pretty happy with it. It's great the for the TSBs, severely lacking for general repair info (for which I'll always recommend the factory service manual, usually available in digital form on eBay). Happy to answer specific questions if you want! I'm looking for something that will walk me through diagnosing problems and include images and wiring diagrams. I found a PDF of a guide from motologic that goes though a particular diagnosis and includes how many volts each circuit should have as you go through and test each circuit, but it looks like they cater more to shops than diyers
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Oct 29, 2019 18:38
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Ok folks, 2000 Saturn SL2 About 160,000 miles Wiper blades only work on high This started when I accidentally turned the wiper blades on with ice stuck on the windshield. I believe when that happened it shredded the teeth on the passenger side wiper, causing it to work intermittently. A little bit of disassembly has confirmed that, so at least that needs replacing. I can't figure out why it only works on the high setting though. Should I suspect that the motor is messed up? How do you suppose I should proceed without just replacing the motor and linkage, or is that the best course of action?
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Oct 29, 2019 18:42
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two_beer_bishes posted:I'm looking for something that will walk me through diagnosing problems and include images and wiring diagrams. This sounds more like a factory service manual + forums for that particular car. Once you learn enough about tracking those kinds of problems down the wiring diagram is usually enough, but I always like to check forums in case it's one of those problems that everyone know about and there's a known easy diagnostic and repair path.
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Oct 29, 2019 18:45
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two_beer_bishes posted:I'm looking for something that will walk me through diagnosing problems and include images and wiring diagrams. Motronic posted:This sounds more like a factory service manual + forums for that particular car. It's a good halfway point if you can't get an FSM, but I'd definitely suggest the FSM if you can get it. Reading wiring diagrams can be challenging at first, but it's one of those things that gets a lot easier as you start figuring it out. If you post here, I'm sure that there are people who will help you along the way, and regardless, there are very likely forum posts elsewhere that will help as well. My favorite example of this is when I was trying to track down a ground issue in my Jeep Cherokee - a little bit of google-fu lead me to a post which included detailed locations and pictures of all the grounds.
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Oct 29, 2019 18:57
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Motronic posted:This sounds more like a factory service manual + forums for that particular car. Yeah, that might be the way to go. Wiring diagrams aren't new to me, I'm just having trouble diagnosing multiple computers involved in activating the fuel pump. Just haven't had a lot of time lately to work on it (see previous post about my Tundra not starting). Forums haven't been particularly helpful, unfortunately, my issue seems to be very uncommon so far two_beer_bishes fucked around with this message at 19:03 on Oct 29, 2019 |
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Oct 29, 2019 19:01
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Krakkles posted:My favorite example of this is when I was trying to track down a ground issue in my Jeep Cherokee - a little bit of google-fu lead me to a post which included detailed locations and pictures of all the grounds. I remember the time I found out about that ground down low behind the drive side fender on chevy/gm pickups which ended up fixing my buddy's ABS faults........
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Oct 29, 2019 19:01
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Action Man posted:Ok folks, Looks like the wiper motor is toast (fortunately doesn't look too expensive). But the linkage, man, they are proud of that piece of a few pieces of metal. I say this opinion because the motor was locked with frozen blades and since you are "in there" with the linkage for it to strip the splines the little motor that could just ain't happy anymore.
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Oct 29, 2019 19:05
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Motronic posted:I remember the time I found out about that ground down low behind the drive side fender on chevy/gm pickups which ended up fixing my buddy's ABS faults........ I was pretty proud of replacing all the grounds on my Jeep, thought for a little while I'd fixed the issue I'd been chasing (overcharging; ~18v), annnnnnd ... I just shipped the PCM off to a repair shop to hopefully resolve it that way, because making the grounds very very solid didn't do poo poo. Makes me, kind of, want a carb.
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Oct 29, 2019 19:18
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22 Eargesplitten posted:I'm not finding anything about that for Boulder County, but I'm also not finding anything about it for more rural counties that I would expect to have it, so maybe I'm missing something or maybe Boulder County doesn't do it. I guess I need to look into renting a car hauler and call on Monday to see if there are any provisions there. I doubt anyone cares, but good news on this. Effective today Boulder County is offering 14-day permits rather than 1 day, which should give me plenty of time to get the windshield replaced, inspection done, emissions done, rebuilt title, and registration. And then I can resume menacing the public with my boy racer naturally aspirated Subaru.
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Oct 29, 2019 19:20
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22 Eargesplitten posted:Effective today Boulder County is offering 14-day permits rather than 1 day, which should give me plenty of time to get the windshield replaced, inspection done, emissions done, rebuilt title, and registration. That's pretty sweet. Good timing.
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Oct 29, 2019 19:28
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Colostomy Bag posted:Are you looking for some "emergency type kit" stuff or firing off a car in your driveway? Emergency side of the road mostly, with a rare use in the driveway.
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Oct 29, 2019 19:32
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