Mysterious faults on cars, as well as other car stuff (and other automotive)

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Don't even get me started...

So, what are threads for?

 

[fezder]

So, what are threads for?

^what he said

Besides, reading these problems makes me realize, my car 'aint that bad .....and it's very comfy when outside is freezing, it doesn't have A/C but it'll push lot heat inside

 

[Tony Stewart]

What do you do with the toasts?

Since it was only half power, I used it to warm cinnamon slice for coffee while I waited.

Having been gifted a used '63 MGB in 1974 for $1, as a student of Chilton's Auto Manuals, etc, I had already learned, Lucas switches On-Off-Maybe.

One was either rich or went to the library every month to get the repair manual to fix another problem.

My fiance at the time, didn't mind the rust effects of Ontario salt ( no studs allowed) and water leaking thru the wooden floorboards shorting out the 12" speaker wire added behind the console with bypassed fuse and smoke one day, or using an umbrella inside when the $500 ragtop plastic was torn in a rainstorm.

My Mother often reminded me several decades later the winter, I had the 1600cc engine out with parts in the basement since it was -30'C in the garage.

 

[zahwi]

My Mother often reminded me several decades later the winter, I had the 1600cc engine out with parts in the basement since it was -30'C in the garage.

Obviously your mother didn't know that -30 degrees can't come between a man and his car.

In UK we had those HYNES MANUALS they were popular so I got one. For every job it tells you to disconnect the battery and remove the driver seat. I threw away that useless book.

 

[Tony Stewart]

10 yrs ago, I bought a VW Passat for my partner/2nd wife from a used import car dealer. It ran perfectly for a 15minute test drive, then after paying cash, going home the instrument panel tach died and other false warnings turned on.
No warranty.
Cause: no Canbus communication between instrument panel and Kontroller card. Either unit $1k. Car was in mint condition otherwise, only $7k. 70km.
Symptom: Canbus worked when cold start, then failed after 20 min. Canbus diag. No info.
Never fixed but used for 5yrs, then maintenance costs exceeded value of car.

Interesting Factoid:
For 35yrs ago, Singapore Engineering colleagues their country had stiff fines for every potential risk , spitting $50, plants on balcony $50 and insurance cost on cars >10yrs old , much more than car value, so, planned obsolescence, then some cars get exported to AU etc.

 

[ronv]

Blunders from the drawing board you say...

Had a 1979 Chevy Monza 2+2 hatchback, 305 cu. in. engine. It was a V8.
Anyways it used to cost an extra $85 to change the drivers side firewall spark plug during tune ups.
The reason why was although the car was an engineering masterpiece on the drawing board. In practical terms for the mechanic it was a nightmare.
The last spark plug on the drivers side by the drivers compartment was too tight get your hand in and fit a wrench socket on the spark plug. Never mind taking off and putting on the rubber boot for the spark plug.

The tuneup were $85 higher than other 305 based engines. The $85 fix was to undo the left motor mount. While the car was on a hoist. Then place a large 4" x 4" x 4 foot post under the oil pan and gently let the car down on the hoist till it twisted the motor to allow the mechanic to get his had down from the top while standing on a step ladder. Then bolt it all back up and proceed with the tune-up. About 1 year later MAC tools or Snap-On came out with a flexible goose neck attachment to fit the socket on the ratchet wrench. It was able to fit in the gap the hand could not and remove and replace the spark plug. However the cost of tuning the Monza never came down.

Nice car otherwise.

I had one of those in Colorado where we had snow. That car would not spin around in the snow. It would go 1/2 way and proceed backwards no mater what you did with the gas or steering.

 

[Tony Stewart]

I had one of those in Colorado where we had snow. That car would not spin around in the snow. It would go 1/2 way and proceed backwards no mater what you did with the gas or steering.

Yes horrible balance with massive weight in front, understeer on pavement, oversteer on snow due to rear drive.

Whereas rental car I had in NYC back in '77 when they had 4" snow, cabbies were driving like snails to avoid accidents. While I from Winterpeg, with expertise in 4 wheel drifting on ice, I was screaming past all the cabbies. ( coming from a Rockaway NJ > HP training class on programmable PSU's on HP-IB.

 

[cowboybob]

In UK we had those HYNES MANUALS they were popular so I got one. For every job it tells you to disconnect the battery and remove the driver seat. I threw away that useless book.

To this day I tell people that Haynes' 'Engine Rebuild" instructions were:

1. Remove hood.
2. Remove engine.
3. Installation is reverse of above.

 

[zahwi]

To this day I tell people that Haynes' 'Engine Rebuild" instructions were:

1. Remove hood.
2. Remove engine.
3. Installation is reverse of above.

Almost as good as the advice you get on ETO.

 

[Tony Stewart]

Almost as good as the advice you get on ETO.

Only if comes from a Mgr whose career followed the Peter Principle.

 

[spec]

In case of dead battery, no charger and urgent need.

Required:
- awareness of AC power risks and safe use
- 15A or more power diode, hookup wire
- one toaster (1800W)
- Connect neutral to chassis (-)
& hot thru toaster and diode to (+)
wait 5~10 min. start car.

Techie details.
High Voltage & Nichrome heater wire resistance acts as current source but with 1 diode only half power.
At no time was car at risk of high AC voltage since toaster drops it down to Vbat.

I had to read your post a couple of times Tony. I checked the date- not April the first. Then I thought toaster was perhaps a Canadian term. Then the penny dropped... brilliant. I have heard it all now. Wait till I tell my motoring buddies!

 

[spec]

Don't even get me started...

In the end, all my cars, since 1971, have been used, cheap and at the least run and will move/stop. I rarely wash them (the dirt protects the wax) and many features don't work, in which case I then decide I don't need that/those feature(s) (ABS? Who CARES... - One fan speed?. Beats none!).

Have saved a boat load of money over the years and not one (ever) has one of them been broken into (too scary, I assume).

I have a slightly different policy but the same idea. Buy a half decent car, say 2 to 3 years old, but one that hopefully is reliable and can be fixed without to much difficulty, and then keep it. But unlike you, I keep things working- mostly. As a car gets older the parts get cheaper and the scrap yards get stock. For exmple the rear bumper on a friends BMW cost £280UK, my replacement bumper cost £5 from the local scrap yard. The other advantage with an old car is that you can park it anywhere with little fear of it being broken into. Another friend has an Audi, but most of the time he drives a Renault because he is afraid the Audi will be vandalised/broken into.

 

[spec]

One of the strangest faults was on a friends Triumph 2000 saloon. The noise was like a dry alternator bairing and it came and went. I had a look at the alternator and it was fine, but I changed the belt because it was easy to do and cheap. That seemed to stop the noise, but a couple of days later the noise started again. We decided the noise was worse when the steering wheel was turned right. So that weekend I checked all the front suspension steering etc and made sure nothing was loose. Everything was fine. So the noise contiued comming and going but it didn't seem to cause any problems so the owner decided to live with it.

About three months later four of us (car share) arrived early at the factory car park so there was no traffic jam. We just pulled in off the main road and parked. We got out of the car- and there was the noise. We were completely mistified the car was stationary with the engine off. We popped the bonnet (hood) and there it was; an electric radiator fan was spinning at a fantastic rate- the owner had fitted it as an after-market modification but he had mounted it in front of the radiator, directly in the slipstream, instead of behind the radiator. All four of us burst out laughing.

 

[spec]

To this day I tell people that Haynes' 'Engine Rebuild" instructions were:

1. Remove hood.
2. Remove engine.
3. Installation is reverse of above.

I know what you mean- great shame because the original Haynes manuals were excellent. I especially liked the cut away 3D drawings of the engines. Now all you get is a load of platitudes. I wrote to Haynes about it and they replied that they valued my intrest and were sorry to hear that I was disatissfied with their manual- obviously got BS big time. Similar to what you say, anything slightly complex they say take to dealer- some help. Luckily you can get the manufacturer's workshop manuals from the net for many vehicles.

Haynes have got a fantastic car museum in Sparkford UK. https://www.haynesmotormuseum.com/

 

[spec]

I had a beautiful white 2.8L V6 Ford Granada auto- best car I ever had. A car like that was way beyond what I wanted to spend so I bought a lightly damaged one from a dealer at a knock-down price. Gradually I got it back to pristine condition, but there was a ding in the bonnet (hood) that I could not remove, never mind how I tried. So I decided to take the bonnet of so I could have a good go at it in the garage. My neighbour was a builder and had all sorts of tools and materials in his garage, so he fished out a sheet of 6 by 8 knotty pine wall board. I made two wooden formers to follow the wing line and nailed the knotty pine to the formers- temporary bonnet complete. It was just a matter of screwing on a couple of blocks to take the hinges and job done. You wouldnt belive this, but it fitted perfectly.

As is normal with me, once a job is possible, I tend to put it to the back of my mind and move on to anothewr problem. The net result was that I drove sround with my bespoke knotty pine bonnet for about 9 months. Do you know, I met so many people because of that bonnet. When I drove through town prople would stop me and ask about the bonnet. Quite soon the car became quite famous in the locality. What made me laugh was that a copper (police) booked be for speeding (35 in a 30 area- big deal). He took my details in the very hello hello sort of way that some cops have, and he didn't mention the knotty pine bonnet.

 

[atferrari]

The other advantage with an old car is that you can park it anywhere with little fear of it being broken into. Another friend has an Audi, but most of the time he drives a Renault because he is afraid the Audi will be vandalised/broken into.

And I believed those worries were common just here... You do not see many (if at all) top brand cars parked in the streets.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

it doesn't have A/C but it'll push lot heat inside

Do you ever need A/C in Finland?

 

[fezder]

Do you ever need A/C in Finland?

well, currently not, outside is over -23c' But it helps to take moisture off the car (I keep my own cars doors open to let moisture out after ride, keeps doors un-frozen better)
In summer A/C is also nice, summer can be quite hot in here too ;D

 

[atferrari]

well, currently not, outside is over -23c' But it helps to take moisture off the car (I keep my own cars doors open to let moisture out after ride, keeps doors un-frozen better)
In summer A/C is also nice, summer can be quite hot in here too ;D

Wish I would be there just to do this myself.

And now that I think of it, not sure if the lowest temperature I experienced ever was maybe -5ºC. On the hot end I was luckier , maybe near +43ºC in Brazil.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

well, currently not, outside is over -23c' But it helps to take moisture off the car (I keep my own cars doors open to let moisture out after ride, keeps doors un-frozen better)
In summer A/C is also nice, summer can be quite hot in here too ;D

In some cars, the AC is separate which means you have a choice between defrost or defog.
Defog would operate the heat and AC at the same time and direct it to the windshield.

You also have the ability to operate the heat and AC at the same time with the air flow to the floor. This may be counter-intuitive, but it removes the moisture from the air before heating and your much more comfortable.
The temperature here generally doesn't get below 32 F, however it was 15 F (~ 9.5 C) last night.

At 32 F there is the possibility of "black ice". Ice on asphalt that isn't recognized as ice.