I thought I would start a new thread cuz the "What did I do to my Elantra today" thread is one of the popular threads around was start one for our other cars. Fixing cars are pretty much the same, need the same tools and knowlegde. Also thinking it would add some more discussions and keep some of us here more (I go to a Honda Accord forum for my 93 Accord, but some people here may have answers too).
1993 Honda Accord EX w/ 170200 miles: So on Sunday I replaced all four struts w/ Monroe Quick Struts (got them from RockAuto plus Monroe has a buy 3 get 1 free rebate until 5/31) & replaced the frt & rear sway bar endlinks. Feels like a new car, so quiet.
I keep the car maintained cuz I drive this around town w/ the kids while the wifey drives the Elantra to work 45 mins away.
Got a honduh/Acura? Need/want info? Bring your questions here.
I know alot of our members are multi-car families and getting GOOD information from HMA is extremely difficult. So, for EC members only I'm offering as much info as possible.
Edit: Remember that my main posting hours are 8am-6pm EST mon-fri, so any weekend questions will be handled on Mondays.
It's a database of crash test results from all over the world for all the cars listed, and you can click on a result and see that organization's website results, etc. Excellent!
A recent PM gave me an idea to help others out here.
Many of you know that I currently work at a salvage yard and have access to a few national parts locating services.
If there's a part you're looking for and want help locating it, send me a PM with the year/make/model/part you're looking for as well as your location and I'll do my best to give you listings in your state and suggest reasonable pricing with a few options. Please understand that some things aren't searchable, such as interior trim pieces, clips/fasteners, miscellaneous stuff, but if you're in doubt, ask anyway... if I find it won't let me search for it I'll let you know. Body panels, exterior lights, engines, transmissions, radios, wheels, dashboards, steering columns... there's much more available to search for than not. I'm not limiting it to Hyundai... pretty much any make or model. If it's an overstock item, I may not give listings but will provide a reasonable price to expect.
I remember days of calling every salvage yard in the book looking for the lowest price or fewest miles, best value for the dollar, and it's not the best use of time. It takes me very little time to do a search. For hard-to-find parts (rare/classic/high-end/new model) this can save you LOTS of time.
I'm at work 8-5 eastern time and can usually reply within an hour, probably much faster as long as it doesn't interfere with my job (we all have our busy days).
So the new distributor seemed to fix the codes for the cam and crank sensors on Pearl the Eclipse, but she was definitely down on power when we bedded her down for the winter. I'm thinking it might be something internal and it might require rebuilding.
Rebuild kits aren't horribly expensive on Rock Auto, and come with all new gaskets, seals, freeze plugs, bearings and pistons. I can't necessarily swing one right now, but I've got lots of time.
Tell me I'm crazy to even consider this, and that I shouldn't either pull the engine in there now and rebuild it or buy one from a U-pull yard, rebuild that and then swap it in.
2017 looks to be a banner year for hatchback lovers, and I do love those hatches.
We're looking at 5 interesting, new hatchbacks in the small car segment. Of course, today's small cars are bigger than ever. Anyway, the '17 Cruze hatchback, the '17 Civic hatchback, the '17 Forte5 SX hatch, the '17 Impreza hatch and the Hyundai i30 (our GT hatch) all look promising.
First up, the 2017 Cruze hatch:
Here's the 2017 Civic Sport hatch:
The 2017 Forte5 SX:
The 2017 Impreza Sport hatch:
And finally the latest spy shot of the i30:
All of these cars show promise. The Forte5 SX has the most power but it's on an aging platform. The i30 looks like a big upgrade style-wise but may be held back by it's weak engine... although we may get a sport variant that would change things. The Civic has a more fastback look but is a bit boy-racer looking. The Civic's turbo has won a lot of praise, though. The Impreza rides on a new global platform and should handle great but the engine is fairly weak. Finally, the Cruze is a big upgrade from previous gens and looks sharp.
So, with the advent of the 2008 model year and their 5th generation of Town & Country, someone decided it was a good idea to make the rear wiper arm out of plastic instead of metal. It's undoubtedly cheaper to manufacture and a bit lighter, but there's one small problem.
Fast forward to this past Thursday and I notice that the rear wiper on our T&C is hanging straight down. Normally it sits at about 3 o'clock and in contact with the rear glass. I got a chance to take it apart today and the end that goes around the motor shaft split. Looks like it was enough of a problem that, with the 2010 model year, they went back to a metal arm. Now I have to figure out if I can swap one of those out for the busted one and make it work.
Toyota's youth oriented brand, Scion will be no more as of August. Several of the current models will migrate over to Toyota showrooms. The TC will be discontinued.
Drove the T&C to the grocery store tonight (the Elantra still has 70 lbs. of amplifier in the trunk) and the beast threw 4 different warning lights at me. The brake light, ABS, brake assist system and ESP. The van stopped just fine for the short trip, it's got plenty of brake fluid (which could stand a change, but that's another story) and the fuses/relays all looked okay on a quick inspection. Any ideas as to what the problem might be? Don't want the wife to be nervous about driving home in the middle of the night tomorrow.
Well, it's been a bit guys. It's mainly due to graduating college and trying to catch up with bills and loans and making sure I stay afloat. During all of this time away I did make another purchase. I still have my 2005 GLS and my 2002 GT, but I decided to add this pretty little piece of history:
My 1969 Jeep M715. 14k original miles. As is sits right now, it's about 98% stock. Axles, split rims, divorced diff, 5,87 gear ratio... all the good stuff.
I had actually been eyeing the truck for a little over a year. That's also conveniently how long it took me to convince the guy to sell it to me. I bought it as it sits right now, which not stock is the 350 motor and the fab work to make it fit, as well as an electrical cooling fan and newer style wiper motors, as well as power steering fabricated from a Wagoneer.
It's still 24v, but there's a converter for the distributor. The starter is hooked up to 24v, so it screams when it starts. Other than that it really doesn't need much to me, maybe some TLC. I do have new rocker panels that I have to put on eventually.
I'm also working on getting a wider exhaust put on to help cool the engine. It likes to stay around 210, but the pipes from the manifold are only a 2" I.D so it chokes it up a bit.
I'm taking it to the Somerset, VA Steam and Gas show in September as an Exhibitor with the guy who I bought it from. The tan/camo one in the first few photos is his, which he's owned for the last 21 years.
I've put on about 500 miles in the last month and a half I've owned it and I am madly in love with this thing. It's a beast.
You may remember reading about my horrible day stuck in a winter storm on the highway earlier this year. During the event, a fellow motorist helped get me "unstuck" by slamming into my passenger rear door with all his might. Well, the combination of his strength and the thinness of the Forte's sheet metal created a pretty nasty dent. I finally got it fixed today.
Back when I had my GT, I had PDR (paintless dent removal) done to it by a guy who was featured on Motorweek. He did great work so I tried to get in touch with him again but he has since retired. I called a couple places but they didn't call me back. I guess the third time was the charm. I called a place called Dent Wizard that apparently is a nationwide outfit that mostly does work for local dealers. I met the repair guy at a local Mazda dealership.
He gave me a price of $175 and I agreed. Anyway... after starting to do his thing, he realized the job might be easier than he thought and told me he'd do it for $100. How often does that happen? A repair guy lowering his estimate! Maybe my angel Tammy was at work again and helping me out.
He did the complete job in less than an hour and it looks near perfect.
Well ok, maybe Japanese car quality doesn't suck but according to JD Power their quality is slipping. Kia on the other hand, was ranked as the highest non-luxury brand in quality. Check this article out:
So um... I bought a new GTI. I've had it a week these are impressions. Maybe they'll be useful for someone else car shopping someday. Keep in mind I'm coming from a nicely modified Elantra (wheels, tires, sway bar, camber bolts, Hawk HPS brake pads, short shifter, lightweight flywheel, etc) to a bone-stock GTI.
The styling differences inside and out I don't need to go into. Maybe I'll post a photo for reference later. Subjectively, the GTI has a really nice interior and great seat bolstering. From the outside... I like the Elantra GT just fine.
Engine & Transmission performance Let's skip right to the driving. The main reason why I got this car is the power. It has more than enough power... above 2000rpm. On the highway it's always above 2,000. (I would've made 6th gear longer, personally) It's great when there's a momentary gap in interstate traffic to drop down two gears and burst forward. Merging is easier, changing lanes in a limited time is much easier and quieter (more of a rumble than roar), so the effect is to turn trucks and slower cars into slow moving obstacles to be passed. It's a lovely smooth engine that revs easily. I've found myself cruising at 4,000rpm because it's so smooth. However, below 2000rpm... it feels no sportier than the Elantra. On the contrary, in the Elantra I'm used to reving it and engaging the clutch as nimbly as I want and can. Which brings me to the longest part of this review... the DSG.
In summary, I think the DSG is a neat gadget and I'd opt for it again given its advantages, me being married and all. But if you're used to a stickshift and like it, get the stick, of course. It comes down to the same manual/automatic difference. In a manual car the transmission is just a dumb, simple passive tool. Once you're familiar with it (which does take time) it's completely transparent and predictable. When you're in the wrong gear, or dump the clutch too harshly, you have nobody to blame but yourself. Automatic transmissions aren't passive, so they become an 'entity,' an unwelcome third party if you're used to a stickshift. It's like chopsticks. While you suck at using chopsticks, having someone feed you is relaxing and more efficient. But once you've learned, you just want to be alone with your food. Occasionally dropping your food is still more relaxing than being fed by someone else.
Now, the DSG is one of the nicest automatics I've seen. In "Drive," it will cruise relaxedly and act like an efficient automatic with noticeable engine braking and subtly noticeable downshifts. It also crawls forward like an automatic. How? and.. why? It's also never ready to suddenly accelerate in Drive, so I use that mode when I'm groggy or stuck in traffic. In "Sport" mode... I don't know, I'm not obnoxious enough to leave it in Sport for more than a few seconds. That leaves Manual mode, my favorite. The nice thing is most shifts are super-quick and you don't need to ease off the throttle at all. (In fact if you do it gets confused and takes longer to shift). It'll rev to or past the redline, but it won't stall out - it will downshift for you if you stop.
Every upshift and every downshift is the same arm/hand motion, so I lose count and have to check with the instrument cluster LCD what gear I'm in. The downshift rev-matching is cool but I rev-match and heel-and-toe all the time - sometimes quickly and loudly, sometimes more quietly. With the DSG and the GTI's exhaust, it's never that quiet - which is obnoxious. Lastly, about the DSG... the initial clutch engagement. I've noticed two philosophies: Engage around 1,000rpm and then wait for the turbo to spin up (Drive, Sport, Manual) or rev to 3,000 and dump the clutch, leaving a single dark tire mark on the road (aka "Launch Control"). I'm hoping whatever computer controls the clutch engagement starts to learn how to do a subtle quick getaway without peeling out, or I discover some magic combination of throttle pressure and timing that will do it.
In the next part I'll review the ride & handling (preview: The Elantra is a lot of fun, actually), and then the features and details (preview: dizzying array of buttons and LCD display options to distract you, but no auto-off headlights?!).
Changed the oil in the wife's Town & Country for the first time yesterday. The oil filter on the 3.3 points straight down. I guess that's great in that the filter will (almost) always have oil in it to feed the moving components right after startup, but man does it make it about impossible to get the filter off without making a mess of it, yourself *and* the garage floor.
Never mind that, when I pulled the drain plug, the oil overshot the pan by ~4-5" and the plug - of course - fell straight into the drain pan... that I couldn't reach to fish out the plug before the pan was full of old oil. Or the oil that spilled down the bottle I was pouring it into from the pan. Needless to say, my garage floor is a bit of a mess.
Oh, and I ran out of cat litter so I had to run and buy a bag of Oil-Dri at the hardware store.
edit: Ended up getting a new 2012 instead. (see post 12)
My wife has been bugging me (not too bad, but dropping hints) that she wants a new car. We had looked at the Soul last year and almost got one (long story). We decided to wait a bit and here we are. We have had a few minor issues with her van and I ran into an old friend that works at a Toyota dealer as a finance guy who said he would give me a deal. I was planning on getting something in June, but figured see what kind of deal he can get me.
She said she liked the Soul still, but wanted to look at the xB. They had a used 2011 (2 actually) on the lot so we drove one (a brownish colored one, my wife liked it). It had a few issues (nothing major but they just kept adding up), so I went back and got the other one (a metallic black one). She really likes it over the Soul, much roomier and drives well, also is a little less road noise. I'm not really crazy about it. It is not super comfortable (but neither was the Soul). The back seat is really comfortable though, and does have more space in the back than the Soul. I drive my car a lot more, so not a huge issue, as they say, happy wife happy life .
They are asking $14,998, which is high IMO for the mileage, but KBB and Edmunds are around that (actually a little more for a Certified vehicle, which it is). I have not talked price yet with my friend, but hopefully they can knock a few hundred off that price and give me $4500 for my van (valued between $4400-4900) and he can get me a great finance (I have a loan approved from my bank for 2.5% right now). If so, I could have it paid off in 3 years.
Anybody have a xB or any real world experience with it? This will be a long term purchase, probably becoming my daughters first vehicle in 6 years. I know Scion is basically a Toyota, and their overall long term reliability is good (but has dropped some lately).
After some heated Android/iOS debate in this thread regarding Android's new car integration plans, have no fear as Apple is planning a similar partnership with auto makers. Check out the full article here, but here is a summary of the system:
QUOTE
Apple’s CarPlay looks like a slick, Siri-enabled way to interact with your iPhone in the car. While not a standalone in-car operating system, it is a “second screen” iOS interface optimized for the car — one that allows for deeper integration with iOS devices than any in-car system to date. This should make the creators of full-featured infotainment systems very nervous.
The system will debut at the Geneva International Motor Show this week, and new cars from Mercedes, Volvo, and Ferrari will ship with CarPlay built in. Or make that half of CarPlay built in: In addition to a CarPlay-enabled car, you’ll need an iPhone with an upcoming iOS 7 update to use it. According to Apple, the system only works with Lightning-connector iPhones — you’re limited to using the system with the iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c — that will need to be connected to the car in order for the features to work.
Think of it as a car-infotainment system by proxy, because everything’s still running through the iPhone. For the screen mirroring and car-touchscreen interaction with the phone, CarPlay uses a system based on streaming H.264 video. A Volvo press release mentioned that Wi-Fi connectivity is planned for its own implementation of CarPlay, but the real brains of the system — the iPhone itself — will need to stay physically tethered via a Lightning cable for now
I found the following paragraph of particular interest:
QUOTE
(One interesting side note: If you’re looking for a dual-boot car, you might be best off buying a Honda or a Hyundai in the near future. Both of those carmakers are listed as being part of the 2014 CarPlay lineup and are also members of the Android-focused Open Automotive Alliance.)
Well here it is, have a read. Must be a stupid Audi driver that writes this. I drove a HD, didn't think it was that bad, better than a cobalt or Malibu. Nicer than a focus of that year too. Yea its not fast but its a 4 door econ box sedan.
Looks pretty neat, works with any car past '96 and on iPhone and Android handsets. Just plug the link unit into the OBD port and head out on the highway!
Google today unveiled the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA), a collaboration with Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai, and Nvidia that's intended to accelerate in-car tech innovation.
"Common platforms allow for one connected experience across our phone, tablet and PC, so we get the right information at the right time, no matter what device we're using," Patrick Brady, director of Android Engineering, wrote in a blog post. "But there's still an important device that isn't yet connected as seamlessly to the other screens in our lives – the car."
As a result, the search giant is joining forces with automakers to help make it easier - and safer - to access Android devices from behind the wheel.
"Wouldn't it be great if you could bring your favorite apps and music with you, and use them safely with your car's built-in controls and in-dash display?" Brady wrote.
Using Android, he said, will make it easier for automakers to deliver "cutting-edge technology" to customers. A number of car makers already have in-car infotainment systems, like FordSync, but updates can be a hassle.
Meanwhile, the alliance "will create new opportunities for developers to extend the variety and depth of the Android app ecosystem in new, exciting and safe ways," Brady said.
"We see huge opportunities for the Android platform paired with OnStar 4G LTE connectivity in future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles," said Mary Chan, president of General Motors' Global Connected Consumer unit.
"The worlds of consumer and automotive technologies have never been more closely aligned, and this alliance will only pave the way for faster innovation," said Ricky Hudi, Head of Electrics/Electronics Development at Audi AG. "Working toward a common ecosystems benefits driver safety above all."
From the article: Earlier this month, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein joined forces with Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn to introduce a Senate bill to strip ethanol completely from the Renewable Fuel Standard, also known as RFS. Although Feinstein continues to champion renewable fuel, she has expressed concerns that excess corn-based fuel production—mainly due to the RFS requirements—is "really not wise," and that the standards may hurt the Golden State's livestock producers.
The bipartisan nature of that bill, combined with the EPA's proposal, sent corn futures reeling on the Chicago Board of Trade in early December. ///////////// The above is a negative article on ethanol, as used in low compression ratio gasoline engines. However, not mentioned is the low energy production from ethanol & often unburned in a low compression ratio gasoline engine. In an admitted low percentage of gasoline engines, 10% ethanol blend mpg drops 10% or more compared to 100% gasoline(ethanol-free), meaning that ethanol provides NO additional power output. However, in a majority of gasoline engines, 10% ethanol blend mpg drops 5% to 8+%, meaning that ethanol provides little power.
Ethanol in gasoline is coming to an end. Politics just move inefficiently...... almost as inefficiently as ethanol used in a low compression ratio gasoline engine.
So i've always had a passion for Lamborghini's since I was much younger. I always dream of owning one some day, but with owning an exotic car comes a lot of expenses. I'm so jealous that my ex's uncle has a Gallardo and she had the chance to drive it too. I literally melted when I saw a black Gallardo leave the gas station a while back when I fueled up Serenity. It just so happened while going on a late night youtube video fest that I came across this company that makes high quality replica cars. These replicas are pretty reasonably priced too. For example I could buy a replica Lamborghini Aventador for only a few hundred more than an Elantra with the preferred package. These cars are equipped with the latest safety features and are actually pretty good on gas if you get the "base" version.
Heres the website if anyone is interested in seeing if this company makes your dream car.
Today my girlfriend's car decided that it didn't want to start this afternoon. It didn't feel like doing anything. She put the key in the ignition and got nothing - no lights, no locks, no ignition click, nothing. I was able to start it and it seemed to run just fine after letting the battery charge for a while. I took it to a shot and had the charging system checked and they couldn't get a good test because the battery wasn't fully charged. They offered to charge the battery if I could take it out, but Chrysler decided to be a douchebag and place the battery under the airbox and in front of the fenderwell, so you have to take a wheel off to remove it. It started fine and I drove it home.
We went out to go somewhere and heard a whiny buzz sound coming from the rear passenger side of her car. I popped the trunk and found the source of the noise to be a relay that was bracketed to the fender behind the antenna. The buzz was intermittent with the trunk open, it seemed to come and go when I pulled the wire harness one way or the other. When I closed the trunk, it came back constant. Is this the trunk latch relay? Is the relay itself bad, draining the battery, or is this a symptom of something else? The car was dead again after finding this buzzing relay.
Okay, so I don't know where this writer got her automotive critique experience from but I can assure you her resume has nothing about being an expert / reviewer / designer in the automotive industry.
FAIL. Some vehicles here I'm not fond of but JEESH!
QUOTE
Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder? Or are these cars just hideous, no matter which way you look at them? Our money is on the latter.
From ugly to ugliest, here are Bankrate's picks for the 10 ugliest cars of 2013. Price stats belong to TotalCarScore.com, and mpg estimages from from FuelEconomy.gov. For those makes with more than one model option, we chose the base model to feature.
All text by Crissinda Ponder, Bankrate.com contributing writer
Coming in at # 10
Subaru Impreza Price range: $17,895-$29,295 Mileage: 27 miles per gallon city/36 miles per gallon highway If roads could talk, they would yell to drivers of these cars to never leave the house without a paper bag over their heads.
Coming in at #9
Kia Soul Price range: $14,400-$19,000 Mileage: 27 miles per gallon city/30 miles per gallon highway There's a reason hamsters star in the Soul's TV commercials. No human being should ever be seen operating these eyesores.
Coming in at # 8
Lincoln MKZ Price range: $35,925-$39,045 Mileage: 22 miles per gallon city/31 miles per gallon highway What's up with this car's grille? It looks like Lincoln wanted to appeal more to Harvey Birdman than everyday drivers.
Coming in at # 7
Hyundai Veloster Price range: $17,450-$22,950 Mileage: 28 miles per gallon city/37 miles per gallon highway Sorry, Hyundai, you lost several cool points for this one. Next time, finish designing the back of a vehicle before placing it in a dealer's showroom.
Coming in at # 6
Fiat 500 Price range: $16,000-$22,500 Mileage: 27 miles per gallon city/34 miles per gallon highway "Small" is not synonymous with "cute." The Fiat 500 looks like a bug that someone tried to squish but didn't finish the job.
Coming in at # 5
Ford C-Max Hybrid Price range: $25,200-32,950 Mileage: 45 miles per gallon city/40 miles per gallon highway The only thing sexy about this car is its fuel economy. Otherwise, hang your head in shame if it was ever on your list of possible purchases.
Coming in at # 4
Smart ForTwo Coupe Price range: $12,490-14,890 (FuelEconomy.gov) Mileage: 34 miles per gallon city/38 miles per gallon highway Why would you want to buy a car that looks like it will topple over if you sneeze in its direction?
Coming in at # 3
Toyota Prius Hybrid Price range: $24,200-39,525 Mileage: 51 miles per gallon city/48 miles per gallon highway When you decide to become an eco-friendly driver, keep in mind you give up style in the process.
Coming in at # 2
Nissan Cube Price range: $16,760-18,860 Mileage: 27 miles per gallon city/31 miles per gallon highway If the Kia Soul is the car of the hamsters, guinea pigs can definitely claim this one.
Coming in at # 1
Honda CR-Z Hybrid Price range: $19,975-23,805 (FuelEconomy.gov) Mileage: 36 miles per gallon city/39 miles per gallon highway Honda was clearly going for an aardvark look with this car's design. There's no other explanation for its disfigurement.
The Auto Industry
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What I did to my other car today. 
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