Got a Quick, Technical Question?

driftracer

you wouldn't be anymore screwed than you would be after breaking off the electrode and still not being able to get the plug out!

That's an attempt at humor, guys...

3745

It's a Honda Accord so it should have an aluminum head. No chance of welding to that. In any case you weld inside the socket and onto the plug so you're not touching the head.

dhoff

If it were my car, here's what I'd be tempted to do (if it's running OK):

1. Put away the tools.
2. Close the hood.
3. Have an adult beverage and think about something else.

Dave

dhoff

Thanks for the input by the way. I did a little more searching and found (according to a major manufacturer of antifreeze):

B. Can I mix ordinary tap water with antifreeze?
Yes, tap water is commonly used for mixing with antifreeze, however, deionized water or distilled water is preferred. Do not use water softened with salts to mix with antifreeze.

stever

Don't forget the brats, Dave ;-)

Steve, Host

3745

Yeah, I think you're right. I'm glad it's not my car !

imidazol97

"Don't forget the brats, Dave ;-)
Steve, Hos"

I'd leave the kids somewhere else and
just kick back myself...

mdarya

My Landcruiser leans a little to the left on level pavement when parked. Dealer says everything is normal. I have read that the torsion bar on the front suspension can "sag" and periodically needs adjustment. Does this sound reasonable? Shouldn't the dealer be able to do it?

Thanks

Mr_Shiftright

Go to a first class alignment shop if your dealer can't figure it out.

adhmi

My last attempt at the situation is as follows. I got a LED light and lowered it down the bore hole to the plug to take better pictures. I also used a wire to measure the depths. Here are the conclusions

1) Depths are the same between the plugs so nothing is stuck there
2) Hex nut not visible hence rusted Hex nut of Plug
3) Now the bad news, using a small wire I was able to rotate the rusted hex nut !, which only implies that the rust has severed it the from the main body, which means the plug cannot be removed as the metal from the threaded portion is attached to the hex nut portion. The only way is if the torque has reduced I may be able to hold the tip of the plug to remove the plug by rotating the tip oif the plug and hope the ceramic can take tht torque.

It looks like a bad situation, looks like no choice but "heads off"

Photos are located at

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/faziz_2000/album?.dir=/7ba0&- .src=ph&.tok=phq9s9BBzcoQe7Co

adhmi

Update to my Link

Earlier Link was not working

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/faziz_2000/my_photos

driftracer

you're right, though, in that the only way to get it out is by grasping the entire shaft and hoping it turns.

My feeling is that it will not, this the reason that it was rounded off to begin with - looks like a musclebound monkey with an air ratchet fired that sucker up good...

3745

So don't believe them when they say that you can leave double platinum plugs in for a 100,000 miles. It does not mean they won't rust away in the meantime. It pays to check ANY plug on a regular basis. Interesting saga.

stever

I have 105,000 mile plugs in my van and I told the dealer to pull and inspect them at 60,000 miles for that very reason.

I don't think they did though....

Steve, Host

driftracer

ANTI-SIEZE......

davidkeith37

Buy a quart of penetrating oil. Everyday give the plug a squirt or two. In a week or two try turning it again.

davidkeith37

I have a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe, fwd, 2.4L and MT.I use a torque wrench on lug nuts whenever possible so I need to know the lug nut size. None of my metric sockets fit so I used a 13/16 sparkplug socket which seemed to fit tightly. 13/16 inch converts to 20.6 mm so my question is, is the lug nut 13/16 inch or 20 or 21 mm?

driftracer

as most are 17, 19, or 21 - I haven't seen a 20mm OEM lug nut, but I haven't seen them all...

Go to Sears, buy a 21mm for your torque wrench setup, try it on the parking lot - if it doesn't fit, walk back inside and get the correct one - just keep your recp't!

pebblesdelight

Hey, I posted about a week ago on a fuel pump question. Driving along and the engine would die. I couldn't find my topic I started so I am starting a new one.
I think the shade tree mechanic finally got our car fixed (dealership didn't have a clue).
He changed the Fuel Pump Module and put a new fuel filter on the car. Lo and behold, that wasn't the problem....it died again 3 times to the car lot. The mechanic was in the back so we waited for him, well we left the car running in idle until he got with us. Well, the car started sputtering and the RPM gage started jumping erratically and idling very rough. When he finally got to us, the car was still doing it. He automatically went straight to the Mass Air Flow (whatever you call it) and unplugged something on it and the car completely died. He said if it was right the car would stay running with it off. So he ordered the part over the weekend and took it in on Mon.
After tinkering with the car, he let it idle and nothing popped a code. So, he finally got the idea to change the year on the scanner back to a year or 2 older and wa-la, it had popped 2 codes....the mapping sensor, or something to that name and something else...well he fixed them and the car hasn't messed up yet. We really haven't had a chance to drive it all day, due to work, but so far, no dying..yyyeeeaaahhhh.
So, in other words, change the year back on the scanner and it may just pop something up. :-)
Anyway, thanks for all the info guys, if it happens again, I will gladly come back here for your advice.

toomanyfumes

Hello all. I have a '95 Thunderbird that I bought new and has been well maintained. It has the 4.6 V-8 engine. It has recently started consuming oil,about a quart every 800 miles or so. It has only 51,000 miles on it. I read that the PCV valve might cause this? I removed it and it rattles and looks clean so i assume it is OK. The car passed emissions easily. Any other suggestions? THanks.

qbrozen

are you certain its not leaking oil?

Have you checked the fluids to make sure they aren't crossing paths (i.e., a bad head gasket)?

I would say that the sudden and extreme change in oil consumption is either going to be a blown head gasket or a leak.

Mr_Shiftright

Bad valve guides can also burn a lot of oil, and can be hard to spot since the oil is only sucked into the cylinders under high engine vacuum (deceleration under load)--so at idle it may appear virtually smokeless.

But something leaking at the rate of one quart per 800 miles should be showing a gawd-awful mess under the car or on the chassis underneath. That's a pretty good leak.

toomanyfumes

The car's parked in a garage, and there's no leaks. I changed the oil about 500 miles ago, and it looked OK. I'll check the coolant, make sure there's no oil in it.

Mr_Shiftright

Does your oil seem to get dirty pretty quickly?

toomanyfumes

No, I just checked and it looked fine. Like I said I channged it about 500 miles ago, made sure it was topped off, now it's about 2/3 dow to the add mark.

imidazol97

Is there someone who can drive the car while you drive along behind to see if it's producing smoke at different times?

That's a quick way to tell if it's going out the tailpipe visibily.

inkie

Can you check If you own a shop manual or do you know the location of the coolant drain bolt on the 2000 Accord V6. I want the drain bolt on the engine body not the radiator. Thanx.

toomanyfumes

I had a chance to follow the car (while it was being driven normally) and didn't see any smoke. If it was a blown head gasket, wouldn't the car run rough. It runs great.

qbrozen

you know, i just went back over the posts to see if I missed anything. You said you changed it about 500 miles ago, topped it off, and then drove it about 500 miles and now its a bit low, right?

Have you tried topping it off again and see if it goes down again?

Are you experienced at changing the oil on a regular basis? The only reason I say this is because, and I do apologize if you already knew this, but its not an uncommon mistake for beginners: a new oil filter does need to fill up with oil from the pan. So if you drain the oil and remove the old filter. When you put on the new filter and fill the oil, it will show full at first. But after a bit of running time, the level will go down because now the filter is "wet" and that's where the oil is "hiding."

toomanyfumes

I check the oil enough to know it's actually using it. It might be closer to a quart every thousand. There's no way i'm digging into the motor; I guess I can live with dumping a quart in it every month or so untill I'm ready to buy a new ride.

klaus

I purchased this van Sep.23 with 28500 miles on it. It now has 30500 on it and three times this week it has had a problem with shifting from
Park to Reverse. The van moves really slow and increasing the engine rpm has no effect. Then it might not do it again for days. The dealer says they want it to do it for them if I bring it in. I turned down purchasing a 2000 Venture for this same problem (we noticed it on test drive). My sister-in-law also has an 02 Silhouette and says that her van does this once in a while also. Any ideas on the cause?

strangr0

Hi. I Need Parking Brake Cables for 1986 Toyota Cressida Wagon. I can't find them anywhere. Any ideas. Is there a workaround?
I appreciate any ideas you have. Thanks,
Lou
ps: I have not been able to find the cables for a sedan either. If I found them, can they be adapted to work for the wagon?

crankshaft

at $1.59 a quart,i would keep the oil level up and not worry about it.one quart every 1000 miles isn't real bad as long as the plugs don't foul or leaves a mess in the driveway.

1racefan

Hi,
My wife has a 2002 Elantra GLS, auto that she drives to work. It is time to get the timing belt replaced, so I called the dealer for a quote. I asked about replacing the timing belt and waterpump (I assumed that the waterpump was belt driven by the timing belt). He tells me that the waterpump is not driven by the timing belt, so it would not need to be replaced as part of the timing belt service. My wife and I work opposite schedules, so I haven't been able to actually look under the hood to verify this. The only other vehicles that I have owned long enough to need to change the timing belt were Hondas - and I know that the timing belt did drive the waterpump on those. Does anyone know if the Hyundai service advisor is correct in saying that the timing belt does not drive the waterpump on a 2002 Elantra?

Mr_Shiftright

The question might be irrelevant in that if the water pump is exposed and in the open when you are doing the belt---that is, if it takes only four more bolts to remove it--then it might pay to replace it anyway, regardless of how it is driven. Rather depends on current mileage and how expensive the pump is. If replacing the pump only adds $150 to the bill, I'd do it, but if it's like $300 more on a car with only 60K on the clock, I might hesitate to do that.

CRESSIDA BRAKE CABLES -- I'm quite surprised that the dealer can't get these parts for you. Have you tried more than one dealer?

You could also probably have the cables made up, depending on whether or not only the inner core was broken or rusted. If you need the whole "sheath" as well, then you have to keep trying through dealers, or, worst possible case, get one from a wrecker and have the inner cable replaced.

hard to say more about it without seeing how it is constructed on that car.

cabo_man

The message "Service 4WD" appears intermittently
in the message box. Attempting to select different range using pushbuttons has no effect. The 4WD will work in any select range if the message box is not lit, which is whenever it feels like it. Unpredictable at best. How do I troubleshoot? Local parts store (we read codes) said they would not be able to pull code for this.

driftracer

I do 20 GM lemon law cases per week. There are several issues to look at - one is the transfer case encoder motor, another is the select switch itself. Many problems go away after just reprogramming the Transfer Case Control Module (TCCM).

mark15

The heater fan stopped working on 1 & 2 speed settings. It works fine on 3, 4 & 5.

I have a 2000 Honda Accord Coupe V6.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

alcan

Probably needs a new blower motor resistor.

jayarbee

My '99 Voyager's air bag warning light and audible tone have come on, and the owner's manual says to "see dealer" (who would expect it to say anything else--or anything useful). Is it possible to query the codes for anything more definitive? Does anyone have experience with this problem? I really hate to pay the $79 "diagnosis" fee that the dealer charges to even look at a customer's car.

0patience

the owner's manual says to "see dealer" (who would expect it to say anything else--or anything useful).
In this case, it does say something useful.
It says what every mechanic will probably tell you, take it to a dealer or qualified repair shop.
 
Is it possible to query the codes for anything more definitive?
No.
 
Does anyone have experience with this problem?
Yes, alot of experience.
 
I really hate to pay the $79 "diagnosis" fee that the dealer charges to even look at a customer's car.
Then find a reputable qualified independant shop that is experienced in airbag repair.

Bottom line, there is nothing that you can check or do to repair the airbag system. Any attempt at trying to mess with the system will probably either get you hurt or do more damage to the system.

vcheng

If both of these do *not* work, *and* the airbag light is on, you *may* need a new clockspring assembly. This part is covered by a recent recall and you may not have any out of pocket expenses.

danzigdan

I test drove a 1997 Buick Riviera (3.8L Series II Supercharged) with 75k miles this morning, and I have a couple of questions about things I noticed.

1). When I accellerated moderately to heavy---about three seconds into that a light that said "!brake" came on and chimed three times. What does that mean? The salesman thought it might be related to the traction control.

2). After driving (especially highway speeds) when I began to brake to slow to a stop, a medium-pitched whine developed (it almost sounded like an air raid siren or an old time fire engine!) It was fairly loud and noticeable in the cabin. That noise continued until I came to a complete stop. I did not notice it standing still, under accelleration, or at at speed.

Any ideas? None of these things were present in othe other 97 Riv. I drove.

Thanks,
Dan

mich1925

I have a 1996 Accord that has a lot of road noise starting around 50. I have replaced the axles but it seems the bearings at each axle are not too strong. How much side movement can there be at these bearings? It doesn't leak any gear oil. And does the tranny have to be removed to replace the passenger side bearing? What else might be causing the noise?

pjs3

My 2000 Grand Am with 45000 miles on it is leaking antifreeze slightly and this morning it is steering VERY hard. No fluid on belt. It's at the mechanic's. Steering fluid is fine. Somesone said maybe it's the Magnadrive? Something that releases the battery at high speed? The leak is from the head slightly and they will put a new sealant in but the steering is a mystery.

jake13

I have a '97 Audi A4 1.8L Quattro turbo that was overfilled by three to four litres extra oil at a quick change oil place. I drove about 15km's before the engine started to run rough. The dealership drained the excess oil and advised that the camshaft tensioner bearing had to be replaced as a result of the overfill. The quick change place says this is not likely, and that this bearing could not have been damaged by too much oil. Who to believe?

qbrozen

3 to 4 liters?? That can't be right. I'm not even sure it could hold that much. Even if you meant 3 to 4 quarts, that seems unlikely. It should have been blowing out the filler tube all over the engine bay and road.

Anyway, as far as what damage might have occured, I'm not sure, personally. Maybe someone else does. I have heard its bad to have too much oil. The rough running obviously means it was doing something to adversely affect the vehicle.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, seems to me it would have been puking oil and smoking like Holy Hell if it had that much excess oil in it.

Mechanical damage from overfilling on a high mileage engine is going to be extremely difficult to prove. I've seen gasket failure and catalytic damage but never an actual mechanical breakdown. But I suppose anything is possible. It's just not one of those 2+2=4 kind of things.

gvyt

Mr_S

Thanks and sorry for the long reply. I found a local BMW service specialist that did it for $800 out the door. $600 for the unit the rest mainly in labor.

With a 60k maintanence that takes this years repair and maint total to $2k. Sure hope the the end for a while...

jake13

Well, (and sorry for my metric measurements) I drove 6km home from the oil change place uneventfully and then 13km's the next morning to the highway. As soon as I started to accelerate to highway speed the engine started to make noise and would not accelerate to highway speed. I got off and limped back to the dealership (about 20km) with the engine sounding like it was on it's last legs. They called the next morning and asked if I had just changed the oil because they'd found it overfilled by three to four litres. After they drained the excess oil I was able to drive the car home but they told me that the bearing would have to be replaced as soon as they got it in. I drove the car for a bout a week uneventfully until the bearing arrived and was replaced. 10,000 km's later-no problems.