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HID lamps: One of my headlights got a fault where it would light, but extinguish after a few minutes. Cycling the switch temporarily re‐lights it. My understanding is that that’s a typical failure mode for bulbs, so I bought a two‐pack and replaced both sides. Now the other side has the same intermittent fault, with a brand new bulb. Did I get a defective bulb, or could this indicate a problem with the ballast?
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Oct 22, 2016 08:45
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 07:32 |
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:Try swapping the bulbs between left and right. If the issue follows the bulb, it's the bulb. It turned out to be the bulb. That’s what I get for trying to save 70%, even if they had good reviews.
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Oct 23, 2016 03:12
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I can’t tell you who you should have install your hitch, just don’t let U‐Haul do it.
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Oct 26, 2016 14:30
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Enourmo posted:There's always the nuclear option: Now that’s rolling coal.
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Nov 15, 2016 13:11
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I sidestep the whole issue by not vaping. 
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Nov 19, 2016 03:12
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Three-Phase posted:The big push of the argument was about how complicated the cars are, how many parts there are, how some basic work like a heater fix took like 20 hours (NOT KIDDING - I hope that I misheard that) to replace. What that makes me think: 20 hours is an absolute worst‐case scenario, if that. A good independent shop could probably do it in much less time, so would the dealer, in most cases. As an example, Toyota’s service manual says the gen II Prius bumper needs to be removed to replace the headlights. With small hands and a little practice, it can be done in three minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er0oEHNUfQs Besides, in general, I don’t recommend betting against yourself. Insurance is important for things that are unlikely but catastrophic. Is your house going to burn down in the next year? Probably not, but if it does you likely can’t replace it out of pocket. So get insurance. You probably can afford to repair your car, in the unlikely event something major breaks and in the extended warranty coverage window, especially with the $1500 you save (+interest) as a downpayment.
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Nov 22, 2016 08:25
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:Those DC inflators are usually trash. They'll work in a pinch but inflating all 4 will heat that thing up something fierce, seeing as it will take ages to do anything over 20psi. You’re not wrong, but it’s still way better than relying on a service station’s compressor, or using a manual pump. 12 V pumps work fine for topping up tyres a few times per year and it’s nice to have in the car just in case. I’ve used mine to compensate when I travelled somewhere with ambient temperatures 40°C lower, and for the time I put on a spare and found it underinflated (those doughnuts lose air fast), for example. Standalone units are generally better than battery/light/accessory horrors. By all mean, get something more substantial if you’re using it daily or weekly, though.
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Nov 28, 2016 03:53
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Banks have been known to say “Yeah, sure, the check’s good” only to pull a “lol, psych!” later.
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Nov 30, 2016 23:23
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The scam is that the check is bad, and they will drive off with the goods before that fact is revealed to you.
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Nov 30, 2016 23:29
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tactlessbastard posted:Can you not wait out the period between 'clear' and 'money for sure'? Expect them to intimidate you. You may not the van if you stonewall them, but you’ll never see the money. Don’t even entertain the offer.
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Nov 30, 2016 23:36
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FrankeeFrankFrank posted:I know Ive asked this question here before but I cant remember the answer... I think it was "maybe"... This is a niche case, but if you’re buying a car that has a tax rebate associated with it, the rebate only applies to one year. So if you’re an independent contract or switching jobs or otherwise have fluctuating income, be aware of that. You’d want to buy the car in a year where your taxes are high enough that you get full value out of the rebate.
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Dec 3, 2016 22:44
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Three-Phase posted:"Shoot, a fella could have a good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff." Fun fact: the original line referred to Dallas. Then 11/22/63 happened. “Vegas” was overdubbed, but you can still read “Dallas” in the lips.
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Dec 5, 2016 13:02
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GOD IS BED posted:Stupid question: I'm browsing craigslist, looking for something to buy next year, when I see an ad for a 2001 Mustang GT. It advertises a new motor, with a bunch of new parts put on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_belt
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Dec 10, 2016 08:01
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Cop Porn Popper posted:Why the gently caress does florida even have a law on wheel studs? I've never even seen an option to buy studded tires down here. Snowbirds.
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Dec 16, 2016 07:04
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Do you have a higher‐res version where you can see what’s written on the pillar with the seat belt anchor?
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Dec 16, 2016 11:52
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The dome light and the seat belt anchor are the most distinctive things in there. They both look vaguely Ford‐ish to me, but I didn’t find any exact matches so maybe I’m wrong.
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Dec 16, 2016 15:56
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That’s what I would suspect. Alternators have had the regulators built‐in since the ’70s. The alternator will have to be pulled and either fixed and put back or swapped for a new one (in which case the old one would likely be refurbished and sold to someone else). Platystemon fucked around with this message at 14:22 on Dec 20, 2016 |
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Dec 20, 2016 14:19
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Kibbles n Shits posted:I'm not overly worried about it since as you said, the car is starting just fine and the battery seems to be charging. The flicker is just irritating as all hell. Also I wanted to make sure my alternator wasn't about to die because I've been stranded by dying alternators before and it sucks. Probe the battery with a voltmeter (HF always has coupons for free multimeters with any purchase if you need one) and see what numbers you get idling with the lights off and what number you get with everything on. This will quantify how bad the issue is. I’d worry about the battery not getting a good charge in these winter months, with the stress of the cold and headlights on frequently due to limited daylight hours.
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Dec 21, 2016 04:03
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If it were my car, the fact that someone hit & ran would bother me more than the damage.
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Jan 22, 2017 04:04
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Michael Scott posted:I've never worn about a pair of wiper blades and I drive a fair bit. Do they legitimately start cracking or something? They get stiff and make a terrible BRRRRRRRRRRRRB sound before they stop moving water effectively.
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Feb 2, 2017 04:42
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Literally Esoteric posted:Anyone else have issues with the fuel gauge on the 2004 Prius? Have you driven it to empty and verified those two gallons actually exist, or are you going by the amount it takes when you fill it up? The bladder becomes less flexible when it’s cold, probably also with age, so that it cannot be filled to full rated capacity.
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Feb 7, 2017 23:45
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:There were several lawsuits over it; specifically, the lawsuits were about the bladder failing to allow you to fill them to capacity in cold weather. This lawsuit is almost as dumb as the ones over the definition of “gigabyte”. “I spent an additional five minutes filling up over several months. Give me money.”
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Feb 8, 2017 01:49
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:Eh, the bladders won't take their full capacity once they age a bit, and the computer will be telling you that you can go <x> number of miles when that number is really a much lower number. Gen 2 Prius doesn’t have a distance to empty readout, and the fuel gauge accurately reflects the tank’s diminished capacity, or at least the point where fuel exhaustion is imminent. If the plaintiffs blindly trust miles driven over the flashing fuel gauge, ADD FUEL text, and warning beep, that’s on them. That article is from 2013, so maybe they were suing over the gen 3 Prius at that point, though. Platystemon fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Feb 8, 2017 |
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Feb 8, 2017 02:30
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:I wasn't aware they didn't have a distance to empty function on the gen 2. 2004–2009 is gen 2, but that part is behind a paywall for me.
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Feb 8, 2017 02:44
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Did you reach it through a search engine? That’s probably it.
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Feb 8, 2017 03:22
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What might cause a tyre to lose around 7 kPa (1 psi) per week? A really considerate nail? It’s not just losing pressure due to temperature. It’s definitely actually losing air because it’s only happening to one out of four tyres.
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Feb 17, 2017 19:13
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I once changed my car’s headlamps and blew an ABS fuse in the process. It’s kind of worrying that it was a brake fuse, but the car hasn’t had any other electrical problems before or since. 
Platystemon fucked around with this message at 06:22 on Feb 27, 2017 |
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Feb 27, 2017 06:20
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Let outside air in if it’s closer to your desired temperature than the air that is currently in your car (mostly in the summer due to the greenhouse effect). Rolling the windows down helps, too, for obvious reasons. Otherwise, yeah, only turn off recirculation if you feel stuffy.
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Mar 1, 2017 09:46
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TheReverend posted:Can anyone tell me when to change the ATF on a 2010 Prius? The maintenance schedule says nothing..... It’s theoretically rated for the life of the car, so if you want to change it, there are no official guidelines.
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Mar 2, 2017 02:27
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ToastyNark posted:There is no gas cap; it's just a ball bearing/cover style fill neck... I don't even know what you'd call it “Capless fuel filler”
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Mar 2, 2017 02:55
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The Prius transmission is weird and rapid acceleration isn’t necessarily the thing that is hardest on it.
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Mar 2, 2017 07:20
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I would replace all four tyres. If you only replace two now, what happens when the old tyres reach the end of their lives? Either you junk all four and waste two tyres half‐lives (on the newer two) or you have permanently mis-matched tyres.
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Mar 2, 2017 11:33
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That slow leak I had was, as I speculated earlier, “a very considerate nail”.
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Mar 8, 2017 00:53
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Metal Geir Skogul posted:But the average dude doesn't have pin gauges, right? So I used what I had. Hell, a ton of shadetree "mechanics" might not even have feeler gauges on hand. What do you do in that scenario? As stated by the other post, the stores might not even have the right tools. A sheet of ordinary printer paper is about a tenth of a millimetre thick. Possibly good enough for shadetree work.
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Mar 15, 2017 23:17
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totalnewbie posted:But seriously, feel free to ask any questions. I've got way more knowledge than I ever thought I'd have about these very specific subjects. Tell me something about the chemistry/physics of O₂ sensors that Wikipedia gets wrong or leaves out.
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Mar 16, 2017 01:23
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Breakfast Feud posted:Chemtrails are real after all! Yeah but they’re left by piston‐engined planes (except for a handful of diesel‐cycle planes that use jet fuel), not the jets that every conspiracy theorist suspects.
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Mar 31, 2017 21:34
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I’m a degenerate gambler and would bet on the flipped‐and‐strapped configuration being more efficient, up to at least 70¢ to a dollar of payout. But your boss hates pulling the trailer, and even if the impact is negative, it’s going to be small. If it’s feasible to lift the thing onto the bed, go for it.
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Apr 2, 2017 21:22
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No.
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Apr 10, 2017 00:25
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“If deaf people are allowed to drive, so should functionally deaf people!  ”
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Apr 13, 2017 23:58
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 07:32 |
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Should I get a set of ½″ drive sockets from Harbor Freight or get something nicer? I don’t expect to be using them on anything tougher than lug nuts, but then again, what’s the point of ½″ drive if I’m not going to put more torque through it than ⅜″ drive could handle?
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Apr 19, 2017 05:47
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