AI Stupid Question Thread II -- READ THE FIRST POST BEFORE ASKING YOUR QUESTION

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > AI Stupid Question Thread II -- READ THE FIRST POST BEFORE ASKING YOUR QUESTION

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EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Sponge! posted:

Actually the A/C trick is flawed. When you poke the A/C button it adjusts the IACV or a dedicated bypass valve and adds x fuel to whatever is already in the map (where x is how much it takes to run the A/C based on engineering testing, so as to eliminate the need to press harder/lighten up on the pedal every time the compressor cycles on/off.) even if current fuel map is zero, its zero plus x with the A/C on. Then there's the fact that the manifold vacuum goes down too due to IACV/bypass being nudged open. I put the A/C on during downhills simply because I must turn it off to climb the damned hill in the first place and its usually pretty warm by the time I'm at the top...

Maybe for nice cars, but I doubt that all manufacturers do this for every car they make. My Integra certainly doesn't behave this intelligently; idle RPM drops with AC on, you can feel the extra drag on the engine that the ECU doesn't accomodate when you are crusing at low speeds, etc.

# ¿ Aug 29, 2010 18:06

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 23:15

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Prelude Gundam posted:

Hmm.. that idling with your AC actually sounds like an issue. My idle will usually slightly rise if I turn it on. Is yours a �93 or older?

Its a '91, with the 1.8L engine and is just over 179,000 miles. I don't doubt that the IACV is supposed to adjust for increased load with AC on, but having different fuel maps for running with the AC sounds like overkill.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2010 03:42

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Mr. Wiggles posted:

WHY CAN I NOT GET MY CRANKSHAFT PULLEY OFF???

2002 Hyundai Accent 1.6, and I'm trying to do the timing belt. However, 10 solid minutes of the impact wrench and the nut on the crankshaft pulley still won't budge. I'm not sure I want to heat it up for fear of ruining the oil seal in there - any other ideas at all please pretty please?

You have the crankshaft secured so that it won't turn, right?

# ¿ Sep 2, 2010 04:59

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Wagonburner posted:

What does the # of cylinders in an engine do for you?

What I mean is like, if you have a truck that really needs the power of 6 liters of displacement it's going to be a V8 (we're talking gasoline here) what if that truck came with a 6 liter 4 cylinder instead? what would the difference be in how it drives? more/less torque/hp? throttle response? torque come in at a different rpm? can it rev higher or not as high as the V8? mpg? engine lifetime? noise? old-people comfort factor?

And vice-versa on a tiny car that does fine with a 2 liter four cyl, what if you gave it a 2 liter v8?

edit: with everything else about the engine remaining the same basic tech, just adapted for the # of cylinders. if the v8 is pushrod, indirect-mpfi, wedge chambers, relieved pistons etc. the 4 cyl will be pushrod indirect-mpfi wedge chambers, relieved pistons etc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_balance

# ¿ Sep 3, 2010 02:08

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

whatupdet posted:

Why is lugging bad? I think I have a tendency to lug my engine on occasion, particularly up in my subdivision at a rolling stop, going up a small incline/hill or while slowing down to make a 90� turn.

Lower rpm's are where the magnitude of crank-flex and resonance are the greatest; in addition, low rpm operation decreases the swirl of the incoming fuel/air charge and you get preignition, which makes the aforementioned flexing and resonating of the crank even worse for the engine.

# ¿ Sep 7, 2010 02:31

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Mr. Wiggles posted:

Crankshaft Pulley Update!!!

Still nothing. Heated the nut up a few hundred degrees, had the trans in 5th with the brakes on, and still couldn't get it to budge. I've got the socket on the nut, then a series of extensions reaching to outside the car (through the wheel well) and then onto a ratchet with a pipe. I'm thinking maybe get a long rear end breaker bar that will attach directly to the socket and hope there's enough room to let it come up between the motor and the fender?

Never before have I been so stymied by one nut.

Could you stick some pictures of your nut-busting setup? Just from the sound of it it seems like you're not providing a good pivot for your wrench.

Try to use only one or two extensions and make sure they are a tight fit (no swivel heads!); you want to be able to reach the crankshaft nut from outside the wheel well so you'll need long extensions. I can't stress the importance of keeping the extensions to a minimum, buy longer ones if you must.

So, you've got the socket on the nut and the extensions leading to your big loving breaker bar, good. Now get a floor jack or a jackstand and position it so that it supports the extension(s) as close to the breaker bar as possible. You'll get best results if you position the breaker to be parallel with the ground when you put enough torque on the bar to take all the flex out of the entire setup.

This way, you aren't wasting any effort trying to keep the socket from being twisted off of the nut.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2010 04:21

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Piano posted:

Why are conventional car trunks vastly more popular than lift-backs(/hatchbacks)?
Is it just design choices? Maybe I'm weird but liftbacks seem to look and function better to me in almost all ways...

They're heavier and insulate poorly. I know I hate how much heat the hatch on my hatchback lets in.

# ¿ Sep 9, 2010 06:19

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

If you have a bent pushrod/gummy or collapsed lifter/hosed rocker, how obvious is it going to be? Will I pull the valve cover off of my 2000 Wrangler 4.0 and know right away if its one or more of the valves, or will I have to gently caress around with a feeler gauge?

# ¿ Oct 22, 2010 03:45

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

MrZig posted:

What causes a car to dip below idle and sometimes stall after revving it?

It idles good, but if I rev it, itll drop down and the engine will struggle to get back to idle, sometimes dying. No CEL. 93 Mazda MX3 1.8

Bad EGR? Airflow sensor? I get a constant 17 inHG of vacuum so theres no huge leaks..

throttle position sensor?

e;fb

# ¿ Oct 29, 2010 04:34

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

nitrogen posted:

How bad is it to stop a stick-shift car by making it stall in gear?

A coworker always stops his car this way, and I told him it was bad. He asked why, and i'll be hosed if I could explain it...

http://www.google.com/search?client...G=Google+Search

Basically, lugging your engine raises the likelihood of predetonation, puts a significantly higher load on the bearings than normal operation, the amplitude of torque flex and resonance is at its highest at low rpms which adds to crank and bearing wear.

I'd imagine that stalling the engine and letting it sit will allow unburnt fuel to sit in the intake and combustion chambers then seep into the oil.

# ¿ Nov 2, 2010 23:27

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

JackRabbitStorm posted:

So I am back with yet another question about my 2000 Altima.

About 2 weeks back I replaced my altenator, the belt that goes from alternator to power steering/water pump and then the secondary belt for the airconditioning.

When I turn on my car there is a slight squeal, and for the first 30 seconds or so the car is on any time I turn the wheel left or right it lets out the same loud squeal and my lights go dim for a bit.

This only happens when the car is turned on, and not everytime. More often when the car has been sitting for a few hours, but it will also happen if the car has only been of for 5 minutes when I was in the gas station, and does it more so when its cold out, which has been.... all the time, since I live in central wisconsin.

I know that the belt is either too tight or too loose, but I would rather get some educated guesses from you guys as to what way it is, because I don't want to guess its too loose, and tighten it when in fact it was to tight or vice versa.

It's too loose. You can test by checking the deflection at the longest part of the belt between pulleys. Push it in toward the center of the pseudopolygon that it makes going around the pulleys and it shouldn't deflect more than a quarter of an inch, usually.

EightBit fucked around with this message at 16:08 on Nov 7, 2010

# ¿ Nov 7, 2010 16:05

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

scapulataf posted:

Big fuckoff bar over the end of the breaker bar.

I've done this with a '91 Integra. My 220 pound rear end on 2+ feet of breaker bar broke it by jumping up and down. I had the fucker supported on a jackstand so I'm sure >90% of my effort went straight into the nut. When it popped loose I wasn't sure if I had gotten it or broken the socket.

# ¿ Nov 22, 2010 01:45

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

MooMoo posted:

I can shift out of park but it wont do anything once I'm there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q23lv4imxHQ

proof of concept video

Did the typical resistance on the shifter go away? My buddy had a car that had the end of the shift linkage rip off of where it connected to the transmission. Cheap fix that only takes a few minutes to check.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2010 04:39

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

I wouldn't risk it. If that hose blocks oil from moving to bearings/gears you'll be posting pictures in this thread.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 06:35

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Xy Hapu posted:

I just bought a new front hub bearing and noticed the inner race can slide in and out of the hub a full centimeter. Is this normal?

I always assumed the bearing itself prevents lateral movement of the wheel, meaning if I installed this my wheel will be free to pop out sideways a centimeter whenever it feels like it?

That's definitely not right. That's front wheel drive? If so, you probably shouldn't be able to get the bearings in or out without a press.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2010 01:17

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Eponine posted:

I see claims on about 8 4L60E transmissions in Silverados a day. Your dealership will tell you yes, it increases rolling resistance and probably puts additional torque on the transmission. From what I see, it might be the reverse input housing or the low and reverse roller clutches. But I literally do not know how an automatic transmission works, I just see a LOT of 4L60s.

33" tires can't add that much resistance. Perhaps its just a lovely transmission design.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2010 02:35

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

RapeWhistle posted:

What's the safest way to get a few more inches out of my floor jack so I can have the car just a bit higher on the jack stands? I have a 4x4 that I use and was thinking of going to a 6x6 or even 8x8 if I can find them. Is there a better/safer method?

Bigger jack

# ¿ Dec 7, 2010 05:16

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Mooecow posted:

If an engine doesn't have a carburetor, than I know nothing about them. My brother has a '05 Ford Taurus with the 3.0L "vulcan" engine with 90k miles. For the past few months it has had an annoying problem.

When you first start the car it idles normally in park, but if you put it in gear it will have a random miss and the idle bounces around. When the AC is turned on it gets noticeably worse. This happens for about a minute and then goes away. After that the car drives normally, except for the occasional miss during acceleration. The CEL is not on, and there are no codes.

Heres what I have attempted:
new plug wires (were original)
spark plugs are 2k miles old, pulled and looked fine
new coil pack (was cracked badly)
new fuel filter 1k miles ago
cleaned IAC
checked for vacuum leaks, found none.
seafoam'ed (tank and brake booster line)

Any suggestions?

crankshaft position sensor going bad?

# ¿ Dec 9, 2010 07:27

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Yeah, best to assume that people on the road are idiots, yourself included.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2010 04:37

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Blacknose posted:

I've noticed something slightly odd with my car in the last day or so. When I turn the ignition on I get a 'check oil level' warning (not the OH loving GOD STOP light) however the oil level is fine, it isn't losing any and if the engine has been run the oil isn't all sitting in the sump. The only thing I can think of is that the temperature has been around -10 celsius the last few days. I don't want to cease my engine but there doesn't seem to be anything actually wrong with it - what is my best course of action?

fake edit: it's a Citroen C4 1.6 petrol, if that matters.

Change the oil to something that's got less viscosity when cold?

# ¿ Dec 20, 2010 03:26

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

zamin posted:

I'm doing my timing belt change on my 88 Accord (CCW engine). I noticed someone saying that to break free the crankshaft pulley bolt, on the man trans version you can put it in gear and wedge a Huge loving Screwdriver� into the brake rotor vents, resting on the caliper. Will this work? Is this a terrible idea?

I'm assuming manual transmission; you'll want to put it in 5th gear (or whatever is the highest).

# ¿ Dec 22, 2010 00:58

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

What's the point of bleeding brakes if they don't have air bubbles in the lines?

Specifically: How does keeping the fluid clear help you stop? We're not talking a track situation where brakes get really hot, just normal driving with the rare rear end in a top hat puckering heavy braking.

# ¿ Dec 22, 2010 05:37

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Splizwarf posted:

Speaking of batteries: if I have a stone dead one that was killed slowly by interior lights (as opposed to slammed dead by repeated starter hits), what's the smart way to charge it with no fancy equipment? (like a plug-into-the-wall trickle-charger on wheels for example)

Discharging a lead-acid battery damages the lead plates(they dissolve). Chances are good that your battery is hosed.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2011 21:43

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Christobevii3 posted:

Is a honda civic 2003 1.7L interface or non-interface engine?

I think you mean interference/non-interference. Googling shows that it probably is an interference engine; make sure you change the timing belt when recommended.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2011 00:59

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

NaturallyAspergated posted:

It sounds like you are going to replace the entire hub with the bearing included, yes? It really isn't a complicated job; the biggest problem will probably be dealing with stuff that is frozen up by rust. Buy some PB Blaster and soak stuff in that as you go. You will definitely need a breaker bar/cheater bar and a large socket for the axle nut. You will also need a puller (or at least a sledgehammer with a soft piece of metal to put on the axle) to remove the axle from the hub. Also you might want something called a pickle fork for the tie rod ends.

Is the car idling higher than normal or surging at idle? Hard to say what it might be. Could definitely be related to your misfire, or it could be a problem with something else like the idle air control or coolant temperature sensor.

gently caress pickle forks, get a proper tie rod end puller. They're cheap as a pickle fork, are easier to use (no hammering and swearing), and you won't gently caress up the ball joints at the end of the tie rod.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2011 00:07

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

razz posted:

Sometimes it is hard to get my truck into second gear. I really have to put a lot of force on the gear shifter to get it to go down. But it does not happen all the time and it is just going from 1st to 2nd that is the problem.

Is this a problem with the truck, a problem with my driving technique, or just something that happens occasionally?

Thanks!

Hard to know without knowing what you drive.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2011 08:27

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Don't tell her that speedometers are usually 5% slow from the factory either...

# ¿ Feb 6, 2011 17:30

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Oz Fox posted:

Who would I talk to at the DMV about that? Their call-center is pretty confusing.

Dude, call a lawyer.

# ¿ Feb 9, 2011 00:38

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

scapulataf posted:

Tomorrow, or soon, I'm planning on changing the coolant on a small diesel engine. Should I be running this engine first? Obviously I shouldn't get it scalding hot unless I want to take time off work, but is it worth the time to do it? I'd like to get any poo poo into suspension so it will drain out with the coolant if possible.

Just drain it cold and use a garden hose to flush any crap out. You probably won't get significant circulation until the thermostat opens up anyway, making the coolant scalding hot.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2011 04:08

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Slamburger posted:

Can anyone identify this car?

Its always a Fiero...

# ¿ Mar 9, 2011 01:06

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Sounds like you got off lucky with just a head replacement.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2011 05:50

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

SynMoo posted:

You've got a good idea, just isn't practical.

Maybe you could convince your employer to install outside outlets? They could make a huge PR deal out of it about how green they are.

That's only "green" if your electric supply isn't running on fossil fuels.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2011 23:17

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

I'm pretty sure that your 2005 Wrangler has a single serpentine belt that you loosen by sticking a 1/2 inch drive ratchet into a hole in the tensioner arm and pushing the arm down.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2011 00:54

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

CornHolio posted:

Firstly, you're wrong. In most cases the A/C button is little more than an on/off switch for the compressor. It's bad to short-cycle the compressor, but if it's on and constantly on it has a perfectly normal lifespan.

My condenser fan is wired into the A/C circuit and is supposed to come on low speed whenever the A/C is on. It can turn on high speed if the radiator temp switch closes. I get voltage at the connector, and it works when I plug it in, but apparently after going over a few bumps the connection is gone. The only relays in the system are a high speed relay and a low speed relay and they both click.

This could have been bad had I not noticed it because without airflow over the condenser, the head pressure rises, and can quickly toast the compressor.

No, TheScientist is mostly right (at least for most cars made in the past 20 years), there is at least a sensor in the system that turns off the compressor to prevent over-pressure on the high-side. There are definitely exceptions, but not many.

You may not notice that it cycles the compressor when you are rolling down the road, depending on the a/c clutch or power of your engine, but it does cycle. Some cars it won't cycle at idle (when it is most noticeable), some it will; this just depends on the capacity of the a/c system at idle/low engine speed.

# ¿ May 13, 2011 03:10

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Find the transmission oil check hole and pull that bolt out and stick your finger in. The oil should be right at the level of the hole, and if it is black you should change it.

# ¿ May 13, 2011 19:00

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

How long until Jr. posts in the Horrible Mechanical Failures thread?

Edit: I've never disconnected the battery for an oil change, can't imagine why you would. You would notice someone climbing into your vehicle and get out from underneath, right?

# ¿ May 15, 2011 19:24

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Skyssx posted:

Some people are afraid of sucking down a few hundred amps of current.

How? You stand no more chance of being shocked by changing the oil than by touching the door handle. Read: nearly none at all.

# ¿ May 15, 2011 22:05

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

NancyPants posted:

Thanks Sponge!

~~Is WD-40 safe for rubber?~~

If the hoses are that stuck on I'd be strongly tempted to replace them anyway.

# ¿ May 15, 2011 23:57

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

asmallrabbit posted:

Have a question about shifting with a manual transmisson, namely, is it bad to skip gears when you are shifting? Normally I always went sequentially because I was driving a 5spd truck and the way the gearing was setup, it just made sense even around the city. However, now I'm driving a car with a 6spd, and I can easily get to crusing speed in the city in 2nd or 3rd gear. At this point is it hard on the synchros or anything if I shift right into 5th/6th insted of going through 3 or 4?

Sure, its fine for your transmission, as long as you don't just jam it into gear. A gear jump like that will mean a longer time to get the clutch disk to spin down to match the higher gear than a normal sequential shift, but its not much longer.

# ¿ May 17, 2011 17:38

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 23:15

EightBit: Jan 7, 2006; I spent money on this line of text just to make the "Stupid Newbie" go away.

Shaocaholica posted:

How does one remove the main pulley bolt without just spinning the crank? I believe the service manual has a pretty high torque spec for it as well. Do I need to lock up the engine somehow? Will putting it in park do that(car is automatic)?

There may be a hole in the pulley that will match an indentation in the block, allowing you to put a screwdriver through and keep the crank from spinning. Since your transmission is automatic, your only other option is an impact wrench.

# ¿ May 20, 2011 18:50

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > AI Stupid Question Thread II -- READ THE FIRST POST BEFORE ASKING YOUR QUESTION

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