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Overhead cam and overhead valve engines have some form of chain, belt, or gear driven cam. That's an OHV engine, so yes, it has lifters (hydraulic, in this case) and a timing chain. Also, it sounds like he knows enough to be dangerous but not enough to know what he's talking about.
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Dec 6, 2010 01:28
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Gothmog1065 posted:Okay, I was asking earlier in the thread about this car. Congrats on the Altima, I have a 99 GXE 5 speed with slightly lower miles and it's been very reliable. Mine also has a squeaky rear suspension that mostly shows up when it's cold outside. I got mine quite a bit cheaper, but it needed some work and the body is pretty beat up (zip ties holding the front bumper on, etc). No easy way to tell if the gasket has been replaced. If you suddenly get a rough idle and no other problems though, check the passenger side motor mount before you think about the intake manifold gasket. Mine was bad when I got the car, it took me about an hour to change it in my driveway. You can also look forward to the low pressure side of the power steering system leaking in multiple places eventually  - there's something like 10 sections of rubber hose that I had to replace. Pretty cheap, relatively easy except for the one on the steering rack.Searching for "1999 Altima Factory Service Manual" without quotes on Google turns up a few useful links, btw. For my own question - had a CEL lit for a few weeks on my Altima. Gave an EVAP code that I suspect was related to the cracked gas cap I just replaced, along with a code for the knock sensor. Anyone know where the knock sensor is on the KA24DE, and is it relatively important? Even the FSM states that a problem with the knock sensor won't trigger the check engine light, so I'm thinking I might be safe in ignoring it. When I smogged it last month they scanned the ECU for stored codes and apparently didn't find anything.
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Dec 24, 2010 06:47
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mr.belowaverage posted:The knock sensor is just that, it detects knock, which will be caused by something other than the knock sensor. If there's no other codes or issues, the sensor itself may be going. I'd ignore it until there's symptoms, or the CEL won't stop coming on. Well, the reason I wanted to know is I'm unsure if the ECU is retarding timing or anything over it.
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Dec 25, 2010 11:26
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That's what I was thinking too, especially since the service manual even says that you will never get a CEL if the only code stored is for the knock sensor. It does give testing procedures but doesn't seem to mention the knock sensor in any of the troubleshooting flowcharts. I've had issues with the car bucking and losing power at upper RPMs, but I'm pretty sure that was resolved when I yanked out the original fuel filter a couple of days ago. The one with almost 140k miles, the one that dumped out gas scented mud and sediment when I turned it upside down. Wikipedia claims the 98-01 USDM Altima KA24DE is built in Mexico, 1st generation in Japan. Maybe that has something to do with the (alleged) gasket issues? Google turned up some hits on 00-01 models, I didn't see anything about the 98-99. If the CDM 98-01 Altima was US built, I would assume it used the Mexico assembled engines. Now for another question for the thread. Thinking about going to Bonnaroo this coming summer and taking my Altima. Wondering if a typical car battery would have any issues powering a small inverter for a few hours a day to charge my camera and phone. Camera takes about an hour per battery and I have 2 batteries (both combined will get me through a full day of constant shooting), phone takes about 3 hours.
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Dec 26, 2010 07:23
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FormulaXFD posted:Basically I'm looking at something like an old Toyota 22R pickup or similar for hauling my karts around & the random rolling shell. Nothing spectacular. So do trucks suffer any sort of wear I wouldn't see on a car that I should look out for? The 22R/22RE's major flaw is the timing chain guide design from 83+. They used plastic guides and a single row timing chain, the guides will eventually break, the chain then stretches and if you're lucky, just rattles really bad. If you ignore it long enough, the chain will stretch and either jump, snap, and/or wear through the timing cover. A new timing chain set including new metal guides will set you back about $50 online, and shouldn't take more than half a day to install if you know what a wrench looks like. Pre-83 models used a different design and shouldn't need any particular attention to the chain. These are interference engines, so a chain breaking or jumping is bad news. A lot of people consider the original timing chain and guides to be a maintenance item that should be swapped out around 100-150k. Nearly every timing chain kit you can find for that engine has metal guides instead of plastic. Tacomas also had major frame rust issues from around 95-00, though Toyota has extended the frame warranty to 15 years on 95-00 trucks. If you get a Toyota, avoid the 3VZ-E 3.0 V6, it was used in the pickup, 4runner, and T100. Crap mileage, crap power, and an appetite for head gaskets, they used that engine from 88-95. My 2 cents though - Nissan pickups are much cheaper around here and I've seen lots of them go for 300k+ on original drivelines, in particular the 90-97's seem to run forever. The interiors are even more bare bones than an old Toyota though. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Dec 26, 2010 |
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Dec 26, 2010 17:30
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WTF is up with my power steering? I do have a small leak, but I keep it topped off. This morning it started whining and the serpentine belt would slip going around turns. The whine is nothing new, the pump has been noisy for awhile, but the belt slippage is new. I pulled into a parking lot and checked the PS fluid - the tank was full to the brim with foam. I poked my finger through the foam and there's plenty of fluid. Is the pump about to poo poo itself? Equally puzzling is the brake light on the dash came on (at about half brightness) when the belt started slipping and hasn't gone back off. Brake fluid is full, brakes feel fine, and I checked the parking brake switch, it's working fine. 99 Altima.
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Dec 28, 2010 11:32
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Belowaverage, it uses a single serpentine belt to drive the alternator, power steering pump, and water pump. Then a V belt for the a/c compressor. I believe 93-01 Altimas all use the same belt routing - at least, they all use the KA24DE engine. Anyway, went out there a little while ago. Started it with the parking brake off and the brake light was still lit. Shut it off, disconnected the battery, reconnected, and the brake light is no longer lit.  If the pump really is about to poo poo the bed, I really don't want to be the one replacing the pump.. it's a bitch to get to. It was bad enough changing the return hose on it.
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Dec 28, 2010 14:10
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Well shortly after that post I went to get breakfast. On my way back the serpentine belt decided to exit the vehicle, I was informed of this by losing the power steering while making a turn, followed by the alternator light coming on and the stereo turning off for a few seconds. Made it home without overheating, at least. Got a ride to Autozone to get a new belt. To put the new one on, I had to remove the a/c belt. Which.. well.. judging from the condition of it, I'd say there's a good chance the serpentine belt was equally as bad.. since the a/c belt has to be removed to change it. No sign of the old serpentine belt anywhere under the hood.  Click here for the full 1024x768 image.  Click here for the full 1024x768 image. May I take this moment to give a hearty gently caress YOU to the previous owner of this car? And the brake light popped back on as well, so at least now I know its previous appearance was related to the slipping belt. New belt doesn't slip at all. And changing belts when it's in the upper 30s and raining sucks. Oh yeah, my question. Will it hurt anything to leave off the plastic cover that separated the wheel well from the crank pulley? I have to get back under there at some point to put on a new a/c belt anyway... randomidiot fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Dec 28, 2010 |
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Dec 28, 2010 17:40
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Myrddin Emrys posted:Can anyone tell me what to expect / help me understand the wiring of my new car stereo? I just don't know what the inside of the dash will look like or how to hook up the new system. I have wire crimpers and connectors that are apparently really good, but how/where do I use them? The hard part will be getting the stock stereo out of the dash. Once you have it loose, just unplug the connectors. They normally have a plastic tab that you either push in or pull up while separating the plugs. When you get the new stereo, it'll come with its own wiring harness with a plug on one end and bare wires on the other. The bare wires should have matching bare wires on the adapter harness, same color and everything. Match them up, crimp them, done - you can do this at your desk, kitchen table, whatever. This way you're not making any modifications to the factory wiring, and the new stereo will just plug in. You may want to disconnect the negative battery cable from your battery to be safe. If you're ordering from Crutchfield, they normally have good installation instructions and good tech support. Depending on how deep your new head unit is and how much room you have in the dash, you may have to get a bit creative to get everything back in there, since the new wiring will take up a bit more room.
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Dec 30, 2010 06:20
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Rontalvos, You can top it off with synthetic with no issue. Blend oils are synthetic and conventional mixed in one bottle anyway. The only issue you should be aware of with switching to synthetic in a higher mileage engine is your engine may develop some oil leaks, and existing ones may get worse. Synthetics have a higher detergent content than synthetic oils and can wash away crud that may be keeping a leak... not leaky. If you can afford to run synthetic and you plan to keep the Tahoe for a long time, go for it. Oldsmobile, some quick googling shows that your transmission is prone to solenoid failures. But in my very limited experience with automatics, when a solenoid goes out, it either slips badly or won't engage a gear. Locking the wheels is kind of an odd one. If it helps, if you got the Pontiac Grand Am over there, the late 90s/early 00s 2.4 models are pretty much the same car. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 01:02 on Dec 31, 2010 |
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Dec 31, 2010 00:56
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Carbon is normal when you've got a quarter million miles on a car. It's not great, but with that many miles, acceptable. By hesitation, is it revving up when it shifts? Or just seems to stutter? Stuttering could be the EGR valve, revving up is the transmission. Does the check engine light come on while driving? If it is, getting the codes out of it should be pretty easy. Behind the kick panel on the passenger side should be a green or blue 2 wire connector. With the key off, short it with a paperclip or other jumper. Turn on the ignition, but don't start the car. The check engine light will now blink the stored codes. Long blink = first digit. Short blink = second digit. It will pause between codes, and once it's given all stored codes, it will give them again. Translate the codes with this guide: http://hybrid.honda-perf.org/tech/codes.html Just a guess, but the MAP sensor or throttle position sensor may be dying/dead. Also, why was it parked for 3 years? It can still be driven without the balance shaft belt, it'll just seem like it's running rougher.
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Jan 3, 2011 01:30
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That might make some sense if you were dealing with gases. However, liquids cannot be compressed. If the fuel level is prevented from rising, then you can't get more fuel in. The volume of liquid it can hold does not change. If the fuel pressure was high enough to force more fuel in, the air would be compressed, until the pressure was equalized, the float shuts off the fuel, or a gasket started to leak. I believe most carb setups run from 2 to 5 PSI - so at most, you might be looking at 5 PSI trapped in the bowl. If the engine is off and you're not touching the throttle, fuel should not be entering the engine. Gravity feed or not, carbs rely on vacuum to pull the air/fuel mixture through. quote:Progressive I haven't had Progressive for several years, but when I had a hail damage claim they had me swing by a claims center. They took pictures and handed me a check. When another car got broken into, they came out to the house the same day (whoever broke into it took the air intake with them, so the car wasn't drivable) - some questions about pre-existing damage, what was taken, police report #, and I had a check in my hand before he left. When I got hit by an uninsured motorist it was a different ballgame. I did have uninsured/underinsured coverage, so I didn't have to make a collision claim. But the adjuster was a total rear end in a top hat - difficult to get ahold of, extremely rude, very pushy about what shop I chose, etc. I also had rental coverage, but they would only pay for a rental for 4 days, my car was in the shop for 3 weeks. It didn't help that I worked at a pizza place at the time, I found out that the adjuster had contacted corporate to get a map of the store's delivery area and had also requested my timeclock report for the day of the accident. I was several miles outside of their delivery area and didn't work that day. I realize they wouldn't have covered me had I been delivering, but goddamn, he could have just spoken to my manager instead of getting me bitched out by the district manager (I was a store manager at the time). In short, they treated me great for comprehensive claims, total bitches with collision. Farmers was much easier to deal with - I rearended someone 4 years ago at a red light (got distracted by an ambulance going by.... ADD much?) doing about 5-10 mph. Day after the accident the claims adjuster called me, told me what she had been told and wanted my side, wanted to know if I was on the phone, what distracted me, and if I was hurt. Said they were accepting 100% liability for the accident and just wanted to know where I'd be sending my car for repairs. A week later I paid the shop my deductible and picked up the car, never met the adjuster - she emailed me some stuff to sign and I dropped it by my agent's office. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Jan 3, 2011 |
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Jan 3, 2011 07:03
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zamin posted:There's few things more startling than driving your car and then all of a sudden hearing the sound of metal on metal grinding together at high speed coming from under your hood. Well, if you still hear noises, the engine hasn't seized yet.  I think the worst noise I've had a car make was while going through a deep puddle at too-fast speeds. It sounded kind of like a lightbulb shattering, then dead silence. Seems water doesn't compress very well, and when I tried to tell the engine otherwise, the #4 connecting rod said "gently caress you" and exited the building... along with a good chunk of the crank and engine block. 
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Jan 8, 2011 13:14
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edit: cooling systems work better when the water pump is spinning in the correct direction.  nothing to see here.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Jan 15, 2011 |
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Jan 14, 2011 02:29
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What could be causing a fuel gauge to always read lower than what should be in the tank? My gauge will never reach the full mark - the highest it'll go is slightly above 3/4. It'll drop to 1/2 quickly, I filled up yesterday and I've driven 60 miles since, and it's sitting on 1/2 now. The remainder of the tank will probably last until the weekend. I don't try to top it off when filling up, once the pump clicks off that's it. If I try and figure my mileage based on miles driven/gallons used to fill, it comes out to high 20s, which is what I expect from the car. The manual states the car holds 15.9 gallons, the most I've ever gotten in it has been a little under 13 gallons, and that was after driving 50+ miles with the low fuel light on. I usually fill up when the gauge is right on E, and it'll take 10-11 gallons at that point. I'm not positive how the sending unit works, since I've never dropped a tank before, but they just use a float assembly, right? Could the float, er, not be floating anymore? (99 Nissan Altima) randomidiot fucked around with this message at 00:31 on Jan 25, 2011 |
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Jan 25, 2011 00:26
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FogHelmut posted:Would I be able to put the back seat from a similar generation Monte Carlo/Intrigue into my 1998 Grand Prix without any modification? The Grand Prix has a solid seat back, which sucks rear end because the trunk is near useless. The other cars came with fold-down rear seats. I don't think the seat back provides any structure in the Grand Prix, when you take it off the trunk is wide open. If the donor car is the same chassis, then the actual seats should swap with little to no modifications (so yeah, the Intrigue seats should swap, don't know about the Monte). However, the latch for the seat back is typically part of the rear deck - your Grand Prix may or may not have provisions for this, depending if that year model Prix had optional fold down seats. If it doesn't, you couldn't safely use your trunk (get in accident, cargo nails the seat and causes it to fold down, suddenly you have a projectile in your car).
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Jan 26, 2011 03:40
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JackRabbitStorm posted:Okay, so ongoing saga with my 2000 Altima. The KA24DE - the engine used in 93-01 Altimas (and later model 240SX's, but the Altima was more prone to this issue) - is known for lousy intake manifold gaskets. When they start to leak you'll get issues like what you're describing. An easy way to check to see if this is the case is to get some starter fluid, and with the engine idling (but not real hot, this poo poo is flammable and you don't want it hitting something super hot), spray it around where the intake manifold meets the head. It seems like the 2nd gen (98-01) were more prone to the I/M gasket leaking. If the idle speeds up when you're doing this, you've found a leak. Otherwise, if the check engine light isn't on, I'd guess maybe you have a leak between the MAF and the throttle body, on your intake hose. Now if your check engine light is on, get the codes pulled first. Oh yeah, if your power steering isn't leaking yet, just wait, every return line will eventually leak and the one from the rack to the metal lines is a bitch to get to. At least most of them can be replaced with bulk power steering hose, except for the one from the reservoir to the pump. Sup 2nd gen Altima buddy, finally I'm not the only one having Altima problems. Reggie, leave the radiator cap loose and take some premixed coolant with you, you should be fine. I drove my Integra around for a couple of weeks like that. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Jan 27, 2011 |
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Jan 27, 2011 04:30
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shovelbum posted:Just wanting to put a cargo net in that spot and use it to carry maybe snow tires or a full-size spare instead of a big useless seat. In addition to what ExecuDork said, it's also extremely dangerous to have heavy unsecured cargo in the passenger compartment. What do you think would happen if you get hit/hit something and had a tire/wheel just sitting next to you? Also, you should be able to fit a full size spare in the spare tire well - at least, I was able to on my 2 door 96 Civic EX (which I also tried pulling the seats out of at one point).
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Jan 31, 2011 09:16
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electricsugar posted:I have an SI, will the rear cover from any 6th gen civic fit my car, or will I need to find another SI/coupe? If I remember right, you'll need one from a 99-00 coupe or sedan (the hatch uses a different cover). There's nothing special about the Si cover aside from the ground effects - pretty sure those just screw into the cover. The 96-98 *might* work, I'm thinking they changed the shape slightly, so it wouldn't quite look right. If your Si is electron blue, you'll have to get one from another Si since that's the only trim that had that color. Red and black were available on other trim levels. Surprisingly, amazon.com has one listed for under $75, plus $35 shipping. Obviously at that price it won't be painted, but if you planned to paint it anyway, you might look into a new cover.
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Feb 4, 2011 04:09
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baw posted:What kind of engine is featured in this music video? I'm gonna guess some kind of Chevy V8, based on the distributor. Looks like an HEI distributor, and it's on the back of the engine. Ford usually puts their distributors toward the front, not sure about Mopar. You have strange taste in music electricsugar posted:I took a look in the trunk to see what I had to unbolt to remove the thing, and aside from 4 large hex bolts, it appears to be attached to end of the trunk with 6 plastic tabs. I couldn't exactly figure out how I am supposed to remove these. Do I just pry them off with a flathead skrewdriver or what? The plastic tabs should have a center section that can be pried out, if you're careful you can reuse them. I think there's also 2 screws in each wheel well, and it slides onto brackets. But I could also be talking out of my rear end, I haven't owned a Civic since 2003. Sorry. I don't think you need to remove any bolts from inside the trunk though, it's just a plastic cover that slides on.
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Feb 6, 2011 09:40
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Shadowstar posted:'95 Honda Civic Who the gently caress did you piss off? I think any car with several years on it would fail for "seatbelts not retracting fully" - at least, both of my Civics (a 95 and a 96) had the same issue, as does my 99 Altima. But Hondas of that era had lifetime seatbelt warranties - call Honda of America at 800-999-1009 and explain your situation. A seatbelt failing to retract fully isn't a safety issue as long as they're still tight when you're wearing them. Why do they want you to replace your headlights? That car should have glass headlight housings, so they never turn yellow or fade. Now for my question. My passenger side window has always been slower than the drivers side window. Now that it's gotten "really cold" (for this area that just means below freezing) here it barely moves under its own power and there's a greasy streak right down the middle of the window (inside). I'm guessing the regulator is binding up, any way to fix it short of replacing the regulator? (Altima)
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Feb 9, 2011 17:54
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Black88GTA posted:I thought the headlights in that gen Civic were plastic? Crap, now I'm doubting myself. I know aftermarket (both ricer crap and body shop stuff) were plastic, but I thought the OE ones were glass on the 92-95. Either way, I've yet to see a 92-95 with yellowed lights, if they did use plastic they used a much better plastic than what they used on the 6th gen (which would yellow and crack if you sneezed while driving). Shadowstar, are they cracked or fogged up? quote:The regulation clearly states that all lenses and reflectors must be intact, clean, unobstructed, and free from cracks. The use of adhesive tape to repair lenses is prohibited. If the lens has been repaired with an epoxy and is sealed from any water intrusion, it should pass. So basically as long as they're not cracked or yellowed they should pass, I believe. A quick glance through the Mass inspection criteria makes it look like the safety inspection up there is similar to what Texas uses, aside from them being dicks and slapping a reject sticker on it. B!G_$W@NG@ posted:I had the first guy tell me I'd have to replace the light harness for my drat rear license plate light, which not only seemed silly at the time but proved to be a bigger hassle than I could ever have imagined (dealer says they have it, then says they don't, and on and on). I've had hit and miss luck with minor stuff in TX. An 88 Accord I had (pop up headlights) would randomly pop the fuse for the passenger side high beam, I assume the harness was pinched. It did that one time when I was getting it inspected, the guy shrugged and just told me not to let a cop see it like that and passed it. Another time, a guy failed me because - get this - my insurance card was dated that day. I had lost the original card, so I picked up a new one from my agent on the way to get my car inspected. The guy actually yelled at me and accused me of bringing fake insurance documents. I even called my agent and tried to hand the guy the phone, the inspector told me to leave before he "had me arrested for fraud". WTF. I went a block down the road and had another shop inspect it and mentioned what the first guy said, they laughed, said the guy was full of poo poo and actually gave me a phone # to call to report him to the state (and passed my car). For my most recent inspection they tried to fail me because my backup lights are temperamental. They usually work, but occasionally they don't light up, or they'll flicker. I reminded him that Texas doesn't require backup lights, he shrugged and passed it. I do plan to fix them, but I'm unemployed right now..
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Feb 9, 2011 20:41
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Gothmog1065 posted:I'm trying to run some wiring for the amp of my fiancées 1999 Nissan Altima. You poor bastard. I had to do that recently on my 99 Altima, and gave up with trying to get it through with the harness. For whatever reason, there was a bracket under the hood with nothing attached to it, it was just held to the firewall with 2 bigass screws. I'm not sure if it was for something for a model with an automatic or what, but it looked like it'd never had anything on it, it was a bit below the fuel filter bracket. I wound up taking it off and enlarging one of the holes. One grommet and a bit of 4 gauge later, and I now have a little extra bump in the trunk. It ain't pretty, but it works, it's fused properly, and the wire is protected from damage.
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Feb 17, 2011 06:25
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I just got an OBDII thingie for my laptop, based on the elm327 chip. It works just fine with my Nissan and mom's Toyota - but when I try to pull codes from my stepdad's 2001 Ford F-150, it just flat out won't do poo poo. No communication at all, and after taking it by AutoZone, their reader wouldn't work either. Any ideas as to why the OBDII port on the F-150 would crap out? It was last scanned about a month ago. I know it gets power from the cigarette lighter fuse, but the lighter has power and the fuse is fine. I'm trying to do some logging on it to figure out why it dies at random. And if anybody happens to know, how much of a bitch is it to replace the knock sensor on a KA24DE? My Altima is throwing a code for it.. edit: both ScanXL and the free stuff included with the OBDII reader fail to read the Ford. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 08:19 on Feb 26, 2011 |
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Feb 26, 2011 08:13
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Leperflesh posted:Amica. JDPower still ranks it as the best with equal rankings as USAA, but it's open to everyone. Goddamnit, I wish I'd seen this before I paid my policy in full for the year with AAA. Amica wants $200 less per year for higher coverages. Wonder if AAA will take 2 months to send a refund, that's about how long they took to pay out when my Accord got totaled... edit: just got off the phone with Amica, they quoted me $645/year when I currently pay $1081/year. Mind blown. And yeah, I can verify USAA's insurance portion is military or ex-military only, but banking is open to anyone (I have my checking/savings with them). randomidiot fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Feb 28, 2011 |
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Feb 27, 2011 23:43
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Can an oxygen sensor be worn out enough to affect mileage and driveability, without triggering a check engine light? My 99 Altima sputters a bit right at 3000 rpm (a wanna-be dyno run with ScanXL confirmed a large dip at 3000 as well), and the best mileage I've gotten so far has been 26.6 MPG on a 95% highway tank. It's rated 31 mpg highway. Fuel filter has been replaced and fuel pressure is right where it should be. I believe it's the original sensor. ScanXL can do some kind of plot of the O2 sensor readings, but they're gibberish to me - I can post them if someone knows how to read them. On the same topic, could a bad knock sensor cause these issues? I keep getting a P0325 code - not triggering the CEL, but every time I clear the ECU that code comes back the next time it's driven. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Feb 28, 2011 |
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Feb 28, 2011 04:40
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Leperflesh posted:Keep in mind that Amica's primary business is life insurance. They will occasionally send you mail suggesting you might benefit from life insurance, and when you call, sometimes they'll politely ask if you might be interested in life insurance. They've never been pushy about it though and a simple "no thanks" has always sufficed.nts. They did try to offer life insurance, and insisted it was no obligation if I agreed to speak with someone. But as you said, they weren't pushy at all, I told them I'll consider it at another time. I actually don't have life insurance now though, so it's something I may consider in the future. Bocklebee posted:Yes, an O2 can cause drivability issues without setting a code. Awesome info, thanks! lazer_chicken posted:I can attest that bad knock sensors can cause all sorts of mischief. My old subaru had a bad knock sensor that took me forever to diagnose. Symptoms included stumbling on hard acceleration, CELs for the catalytic converter, and erratic gas mileage. Eventually the knock sensor itself threw a CEL and boom, everything was magically fixed. For whatever reason, the first and second generation Altimas won't throw a CEL for the knock sensor, they'll just store the code. But it has a persistent hesitation right around 3000 rpm that's driving me nuts. P0325 is the only code it's tossing though, and it's been giving that code since I bought the car. Still passes emissions just fine and it's not giving a CEL, but it definitely feels a lot slower than a 150hp 2900 lb car should be. Not that 150 hp is a lot to begin with..
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Feb 28, 2011 20:09
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Bocklebee posted:On a side note you can compare the graphs to get an idea on how the cat is functioning. The front o2 should be switching and the rear o2 should be a fairly steady line around 0.5v. If the post-cat o2 readings start to switch similar to the pre-cat o2 then you know the cat is not working properly. Goddamnit now that I compared them my wallet suddenly feels a lot lighter. The secondary varies from 0.1V to 0.93V, the primary from 0.1V to 0.97V. Also noticed that the TPS maxes out at 88.6%, might explain why it acts goofy at WOT. This is after a 10 minute drive:  And for shits and giggles, here's the plugs I just pulled out of it. I think I might need a valve cover gasket.  Equally safe to say they're most likely original to the car... which just hit 140k. Anyone have an opinion as to how bad they look? The one that has oil on the threads.. that was from removing the plug, there was no oil inside the combustion chamber. Click here for the full 1438x1449 image.
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Feb 28, 2011 23:05
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Skyssx posted:Those plugs are all super horribly awfulbad worn. None show any other bad symptoms, though. Well they did sorta have 140,000 miles on them, and I believe Nissan recommends they be changed every 60,000 if you use platinum. Those were platinums, but I can never justify the cost of them over regular copper plugs, so good old NGK copper plugs went in. I was really sweating the head gasket, since I managed to overheat the snot out of it in January (long story involving my inability to read a belt routing diagram). Surprisingly it still ran decent, though it was kinda hard to start. I didn't have to crank it for 5+ seconds after changing them, barely had to touch the starter. Here's to hoping my mileage comes up a bit, 26 mpg highway sucks on a 4 cyl... edit: on that note - What exactly are the benefits to platinum and iridium plugs over copper plugs, besides reduced maintenance? On an inline engine I'm not afraid of changing the plugs a bit more often (but gently caress if you think I want to do plugs on a FWD V6/V8). It's kinda hard for me to justify paying nearly $10/plug locally when a copper NGK is $2.29 at AutoZone (and even cheaper online). Humdrum Hoodlum posted:I have a 2002 Nissan Maxima that always seems to fog up. It doesn't seem to really matter what temperature it is outside as it will fog up all the same. When I'm driving it, if I don't have the defrost on, the windshield will slowly fog up until I turn the defrost back on. I've replaced the in-cabin microfilter which was really dirty, but it hasn't made any difference. If the heater core was bad, you would be smelling antifreeze inside the car. There's a good chance the condenser drain is clogged though - it should be a plastic tube that passes through the firewall and connects to the bottom of the housing that the blower motor attaches to. You uh, might want to put a towel under it if you disconnect it inside the car, but a quick blast of compressed air into the tube from outside of the car should unclog it somewhat. Alternatively, check for water in your trunk (specifically the spare tire area), if the gaskets on your taillights go bad, water will collect there and cause high humidity inside the car... and rust in the trunk. Also, clean your drat windows, they fog up a lot easier when they're dirty. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Mar 1, 2011 |
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Mar 1, 2011 02:45
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Capsaicin posted:I bought a 2000 Honda Accord from a used dealership run by a family friend who lives next door about a month and a half ago. Tonight, when I was unlocking my car, the black part of the key broke off, after that, the car wouldn't start. I was able to get it started by putting the black part back on the key, but it is still disconnected. My dealer friend said that there is a chip in the top part that needs to be connected. Correct, there is a chip in the plastic portion. Any Honda dealer can make a new key for anywhere from $70-150 + labor to program it into the car, if you bring your registration with you, or a good locksmith should be able to clone it (make sure you keep that plastic piece!) for a bit less. I'd go the locksmith route personally, since they can clone it they won't need to program it into the car's computer. I had the same thing happen to my 2001 Accord - just hold the black plastic near the ignition switch when you start it and it'll keep running until you shut it off. If it's having trouble recognizing the chip, the green light with a key symbol on the dash will blink while you're trying to start it (it's normal for it to blink 5 times after you shut off the car though). Make sure you keep your registration and ID on you when you drive it like this, cops may give you a hard time if you get pulled over and they see half a key in the ignition.
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Mar 1, 2011 02:54
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Splizwarf posted:Spark's a different intensity and timing, which changes flame pattern and cylinder temperature and so on; I don't remember the particulars but basically use what's manufacturer recommended, if they say use platinums it's probably for a real reason, since they don't make that money no matter what you buy at Autozone. Well, this same engine was used from 93-01 with no changes whatsoever from 93-99, but they switched to calling for the platinum plugs in 98. The part number is the same, with an extra digit added. Just trying to figure out the science behind it. As for the TPS, I was going by what the ECU was reporting while driving, and it does report 0% when my foot is off the pedal. Javid posted:I know that OBD-II didn't start getting put in cars until 94-96ish. My car is an 89 cougar (with a digital dashboard cluster, so speed/tach are clearly being moved around in a digital format) - was there a plug similar to OBD-II at that time that I could look for, or is it likely to require some custom model-specific thing? There may be some sort of diagnostic connector, but it's going to be Ford specific and likely pretty limited. I know Nissan used the CONSULT tool starting in the late 80s up until OBD2 (and in fact my 99), I think Ford used something called FordScan? If you're trying to figure out a check engine light, codes are listed here with diagnostic mode info here.
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Mar 1, 2011 05:06
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Javid posted:I'm trying to get the info it sends to the dashboard like speed and tach - codes aren't the goal but would be a cool bonus. What are you trying to do with the info? Getting the tach signal is dead easy if you don't mind running a wire under the hood, and you may be able to do it behind the dash depending on how Ford chose to run the electronics. Getting a signal from the speed sensor isn't difficult either, though translating the data from it into something useful may take a little work.
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Mar 1, 2011 07:17
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Javid posted:I want to be able to hook up a laptop to the thing and get whatever data the port lets me see to display on there. Won't be the easiest thing in the world, but perhaps this might help. Looks like 89 was the first year for the EEC-IV. Except for that, there's no way to plug your laptop into the ECU.
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Mar 1, 2011 09:03
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einTier posted:I want to also pitch in on the Amica love. And, they cover me at track events, so long as they're not timed. Nice to know about track events, though I'll call and double check on that before I try anything - I've considered doing some autocross just for shits and giggles, it'd be hilarious to see how horrible a 12 year old Altima on original suspension would do. I've heard the same about copper vs platinum, which is why I was trying to get something.. scientific on either side of the debate. It took me less than 10 minutes to replace the plugs, and that's including putting antiseize on the new ones and labeling the old ones as I took them out, in case one of them looked funny. One of the easiest plug jobs I've done, all of them came out easy and they're right up on top, between the cams. About the only other things easy to do on this car is pulling the radiator (m/t, so no transmission cooler lines) and the battery. They used a lot of KY to cram this engine in.. Bocklebee posted:Like Skyssx said, those plugs are very worn and they should be replaced. Also cats usually don't just fail so also look for another problem that might have taken out the cat. If the engine has been misfiring slightly, (and with those plugs it could have) that will damage a cat over time. And that is odd about the TP sensor. It should be going to 100%. I would recommend changing those plugs and seeing how it drives, then maybe start thinking about a cat, especially if you have an emissions test coming up you'll probably need it. Those o2 sensors are reading to the proper ranges. I don't know how fast they're switching or reacting but it can sometimes be difficult to tell, especially without a true oscilloscope. Yeah, I knew cats didn't just "wear out", I had a 95 Civic with over 200k on the original cat and it blew roses and shamrocks out of the exhaust. It's never thrown a CEL at me since I've owned it, but there's been several occasions where it's missed badly after a cold start, and ran rough for up to a minute or so (and blew some smoke at the same time). The only time I've had to replace a cat was after driving for several months with both a bad O2 sensor and a thermostat stuck open, in winter.. never knew a Civic could get 13 mpg. On the other hand, my dad's old F-150 had to have the cat replaced around 225k miles, it clogged and wouldn't let the truck get over about 20 mph - but it never failed emissions before or after. Being OBD-2, in theory it should throw a code when the cat finally croaks, though it does have 2 cats and the secondary sensor is between them. Also, in most emissions counties in TX (the exception being El Paso county), they just scan the ECU to make sure there's no emissions codes and all systems are showing ready. I don't have to smog it until November anyway, but a new cat is nearly $200 from Rockauto. drat you Nissan and your newfangled cat+manifold-in-one contraption!  And to be honest I'm just going to wait until it throws a CEL for it, I don't have $200+ just sitting around.I do know, previously, my best mileage was 26.6 mpg, 90% highway, and my average mileage has been around 20-22 (it's rated 24/31 and my driving is about 40/60 city/highway). My old car was heavier with the same power, and would usually get 31-32 highway (hit 33 once.. with the a/c on and the cruise set at 90 the whole way). It definitely starts a lot easier and throttle response is much better, and it doesn't hesitate anymore. I should re-run the log and see if the cat is working any better now. einTier posted:I didn't get my low rates from the online form. I called them on the phone and let them quote me from there. Online, I was quoted a little under $900 a year (which is still almost $200 lower than what I was paying). After calling them and getting them to re-run the quote with lower liability limits, it dropped to around $790... then they asked me about my claim last year and after hearing the details (vandalism), they were able to exclude it and get it down to $647. This is with horrible credit, 1 at fault accident in the past 5 years, and a total loss comprehensive claim last year for $5800 - new policy has comprehensive ($500 deductible), uninsured motorist, personal injury protection, and liability (no collision, not really worth it on a car this old). What blew me away even more than the low rates is they started the policy without any money up front - I didn't believe it until they emailed me the liability cards. My only gripe is I waited on hold for about 25 minutes on my followup call, but I can't fault the people I spoke with for that. Apparently my followup call was within a few minutes of their main call center closing for the day and their overflow was trying to catch up. Tyro posted:
That's pretty crispy. Can't see why that connector would have burned up if they were running stock wattage, but it's possible that the connectors were a little loose - if they're not making good contact, they arc, heat up, and turn into toast. As long as the connectors you used are insulated properly, they should last for a long time.. just expect a little extra work if you ever have to replace the headlight sockets. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Mar 1, 2011 |
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Mar 1, 2011 22:59
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quadpus posted:Why won't my car start? I'm hoping this is kind of an easy diagnosis for someone more experienced than me, but failing that, maybe someone can tell me where to look first. I see someone really wants to learn how to replace a starter. If that's not your goal, you really shouldn't crank it more than 10, MAYBE 15 seconds at a time, and let it cool down for about twice as long between attempts. Anyway, it sounds like it's flooding. And Honda carbs are a complete whore to work on. If you check your oil, I'm betting it'll reek of gas too. When you're trying to start it, do not pump the gas - if you suspect it's flooded, hold the pedal to the floor while cranking until it catches. If it starts to catch but sounds like it won't keep running, then you can start loving with the pedal. It's also possible the choke is stuck, if it's an automatic choke. If it has a manual choke, fiddle with it. Instead of trying to figure out the great mystery that is a Honda carb, you'd be better off finding a known good carb. Someone in here was talking about a Weber carb on Hondas awhile back I think? Though it looks like you can actually get a (rebuilt) carb from RockAuto.com - ranging from about $250 to nearly $400, plus core - or a rebuild kit for $55 if you're feeling brave. If I had to guess, the float in the carb is stuck and overfilling the bowl. I'm pretty sure even the 1980 had an electric fuel pump - when it dies, try pulling the fuse for the fuel pump (should be under the dash) and trying to start it again, pedal floored (don't pump it!) until it starts. If it starts and runs a bit longer than before, the float isn't working properly or the return line, if it has one, is clogged (it won't run for more than maybe 30 seconds without the fuel pump fuse). randomidiot fucked around with this message at 10:01 on Mar 9, 2011 |
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Mar 9, 2011 09:58
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Star War Sex Parrot posted:It probably hasn't been driven in at least 3 years. I know next to nothing about servicing cars, other than taking mine in for regular service. I really doubt the engine is stuck after only 3 years. What I'd do is check all the fluids to make sure they're at the proper levels, pull the fuse for the fuel pump (I'm assuming it's fuel injected), toss a new battery in and crank it until the oil light goes off. Turn the key off, put the fuse back in and see if it starts. It probably will, though it's going to run like poo poo with the old gas in there. Before you drive it, it would be a very good idea to replace all the belts and hoses, and have a good look at all the brake lines and tires. A new fuel filter wouldn't hurt, there's a chance you may need a fuel pump soon too. When you're almost ready to drive it, change all the fluids.
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Mar 20, 2011 22:49
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cliffy posted:My question is this: Can I just bend this back into shape myself and forget about it, or do I need a professional to check it out? The material seems rather flimsy and I suppose it is designed just to provide separation and not any sort of structural support. However, I am not knowledgeable about cars and would like a more informed opinion. There should be a few plastic clips that attach the liner to the bumper and fender - it looks like the one(s) that attach it at the bumper are broken or missing. You should be able to bend it enough to get it to pop back into place behind the bumper. Just try to get it looking like the one on the other side. All it does is keep water/dirt out of the inside fender, some cars may stuff some a/c components or your windshield washer tank/pump on the other side too. Or, next time you get an oil change, see if they can pop it back into place. If you want to make it look right, go to the dealer and have them order a new wheel well liner for you (also called a inside fender liner, or whatever pixie liner name they use), they're not terribly expensive.
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Mar 28, 2011 02:45
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Meldonox posted:My car is doing something funny. It's idling pretty rough in drive and making an intermittent high pitched noise, almost a sputtering. While this goes on, coolant temp rises, steadily but slowly. Once the car starts moving, the noise and rough handling go away entirely and the temperature drops quickly. If I put it in neutral the temperature doesn't seem to change much, plus it stops idling roughly. The temp is probably a cooling fan not kicking on for some reason. Others have said transmission, but I'm going to suggest a bad motor mount for the rough idle, most likely the rear motor mount (assuming this is a FWD car). dhrusis posted:2005 Toyota Corolla. 175k miles. Either your catalytic converter is shot or the secondary oxygen sensor (the one after the cat) is bad, assuming there's no other codes stored. Probably the cat. If you're not in California it's not horribly expensive to replace. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 06:33 on Apr 4, 2011 |
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Apr 4, 2011 06:23
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Admittedly, I only know basic theory behind air conditioning. What I do know for sure is 57 degrees from the vents (on recirculate) is a bit on the warm side considering the car was in the shade on an 80 degree day - this was after driving for awhile. If it's sitting for awhile, the air will only get down to about 65 (and very muggy). I went by a nearby shop that had decent reviews on yelp - I asked if they could check the charge level on the system. They pulled the car in, stuck a thermometer in the vent, and confirmed the fans were working... then told me there's no way to check the amount of freon in the system and the only thing they could do was "do a complete evacuation of the system, measure the amount of freon, then recharge it". For the low low price of $79.95 of course, plus whatever extra freon it took. They did assure me they made sure "everything is working" (I knew that already, but thanks) and it would probably take "half a pound". First, I wasn't aware every single car took the exact same amount of freon. Second, I was pretty sure you could set up a set of gauges to the high and low side ports and get an idea of the charge level. Am I correct? I was thinking it may actually be overcharged, since the belt will sometimes chirp when the compressor engages - even after replacing the belt this year.
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Apr 8, 2011 20:01
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No warranty unless they replaced parts, just a vacuum/refill. I did notice some dye under the cap of the low pressure port (before I took the car in), so I'm thinking someone before me either got messy when checking for leaks or the low side valve might be leaking slightly. I didn't see any dye elsewhere, though when it gets dark I'll pull out a blacklight and see if I can see anything. I do know whoever had the car before me put a junkyard compressor on, and the low side hose doesn't look original. I wound up getting one of those cheap DIY recharge kits at walmart. Not the best solution since the gauge only hooks up to the low side, but it was showing 15 psi when I started. Showing 35 now, according to the kit that's still a little on the low side (it's about 85 outside, box said I should see about 45-50 psi when it's 85-90). But it's pretty much blowing icicles out of the vents now. It took the entire 18 oz can to bring it up to 35... randomidiot fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Apr 8, 2011 |
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Apr 8, 2011 21:26
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