Got a Quick, Technical Question?

Mr_Shiftright

I've never seen any study or read any engineering paper that suggests that very early changing of engine or transmission fluids is going to significantly contribute to prolonged component life. Until I do, then I tend to think the Toyota engineers know what they are talking about when they suggest the frequency of oil changes for the engine and transmission.

But hey, if it gives you peace of mind, by all means, do it.

swschrad

1) learn to hum in the same key as the truck, and you'll be happy together

2) yes, there is an air leak, almost certainly around the door seal to the car, potentially the leading edge of the door either near the top or straight in front. a little air leak, one that generally doesn't let rain in.

if ever I get my shirts together, I will take a little ultrasonic receiver I built over 30 years ago and use it to find the location (s) of my own one in the exploder. my receiver is similar to the occasionally-found ultrasonic stethoscope that some shops have. you might also use a piece of garden hose or fuel hose held up to your ear to scan the edge of the door frame and find this leak.

if you can drive with your phone !! screech!! //swerve\\ on, you can do this. best to do it on a back road with decent paving and little traffic.

camryman

There is a study done for "early changing of engine oil" in the Book "Drive it forever: Your Key to Long Automobile Life (by Robert B. Sikorsky)". Also, you can read this "early changing of engine oil" debate at this Edmunds Website under "Forums:Toyota:Camry:First Oil Change" (Posted 05/10/04). The issues discussed in that "First Oil Change" Post is similar to the issues discussed in the "Drive it Forever" Book. After reading those arguments, would you still go by the Owner's Manual? Or would you do the fluid changes earlier? If you were going to do the Transmission Fluid change earlier for prolonged transmission life, what mileage would you it?

stever

He was the guy selling The Force (link) which casts a bit of doubt in my mind about his credibility.

Steve, Host

driftracer

at a whole new level.

stever

As you may recall, I don't even believe in K&N air filters :-)

The accessories to improve mileage and extend engine life board is full of gizmos to marvel over.

Steve, Host

driftracer

hey, any ideas on my question about turbocharging for my son's physics project?

vcheng

Try a textbook of Automotive Engineering. There are several excellent texts. If you can't find any, please let me know.

driftracer

stores around, and he has to complete the project this weekend.

I've searched all over and I'm overwhelmed with "how it works" information. We know HOW it works - we just have to show the class WHY it works.

vcheng

....you can lay your hands on one of these:

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems by Corky Bell

Forced Induction Performance Tuning A Practical Guide to Supercharging and Turbocharging by A. Graham Bell

Supercharged! Design, Testing and Installation of Supercharger Systems by Corky Bell

Auto Math Handbook: Calculations, Formulas, Equations and Theory for Automotive Enthusiasts by John Lawlor

Supercharging, Turbocharging, & Nitrous Oxide Performance Handbook (Powerpro) by Earl Davis, Diane Davis

The Step-By-Step Guide to Engine Blueprinting: Practical Methods for Racing and Rebuilding by Rick Voegelin

vcheng

...polytechnic or community college will have one of these in its library. Nearby second hand book stores may alo have a copy, but it may cost you about 10-35 dollars.

Mr_Shiftright

You want a book called "Maximum Boost" which I think you can buy on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0837601606/qid=1084- 556003/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-7274801-8235347?v=glance&s=book- s&n=507846

jlflemmons

would be aviation.

Mr_Shiftright

I'm going to just take the position to follow the owner's manual regarding transmission oil changes unless the factory itself issues bulletins to the contrary.

driftracer

for the head start - maybe if he would have chosen the physics of a seesaw (teeter totter), this would have been easier, especially when the project was assigned Wednesday and it's due Monday - doesn't give me any time to order books - I'll check with Barnes and Noble ands Waldenbook tonight.

Thanks again.

vcheng

...at www.physicsforums.com. There are a couple of threads on super- and turbocharging that have a few nuggets, but won't replace a textbook for information of course.

Good Luck.

vcheng

http://www.turbocalculator.com/index.html

driftracer

hopefully, he'll get an A.

vcheng

lemon

Anyone know how much danger im in if the differential malfunctions or goes out while im driving? Each time the differential is replaced ths noise goes away. I have had 4 differentials in the last 3 years, still under warranty and they cant fix it? There is scoring & black in the differential now.. Mechanics out there talk to me..

Mr_Shiftright

Well I can't tell you why the dealer can't get it right, that's kind of HIS problem (and yours to deal with). After 4 differentials, it's rather difficult to blame the car.

As for safety issues, I don't think there's anything to worry about unless you start hearing very loud whining noises and you totally ignore that for a considerable amount of time until you hear horrendous, ear-shattering noises and for some reason decide you still want to keep driving until the whole gearset explodes through the casing.

But given that you sound like a reasonable person, the worst thing that I could think of is a rather annoying noise and perhaps some gear-play clunking. There should be plenty of warning before anything so drastic as a lock-up.

But ultimately you either have to get rid of the dealer or the car before your warranty runs out, or start consulting a local attorney about your state's Lemon Laws.

sampath7

I have an 1995 Honda Accord with a V6 engine. For the past one week I find that for no reason the RPM needle starts flickering for sometime and suddenly it stops and is normal. After sometime this starts happening again. Could it be a problem with the RPM Meter or something wrong with the engine?

swschrad

need more information generically before anybody can pin this one down. such as does the engine seem to be a little rough when the meter flickers, which could indicate a spark-related issue. is this in idle, on the road, cold or warm engine. mileage on the car.

could be spark, could be a vacuum leak or a gooped EGR valve or a PVC valve issue, could be a loose or mildly oxidized/corroded electrical connection, could be lots of things.

any additional information would help. thousands of sensor readings, computer diddles, and environmental variables are calculated each second on a modern engine system, and it's not as simple as good window/broken window to determine what could be a budding problem.

burdawg

Whenever I have heard of a problem like this in the past, it's usually been due to a related problem, like a bent axle housing. One case comes to mind with a Suburban, which had been in a moderate side impact accident. The rear differential would fail at regular intervals. It was finally discovered that the axle housing had been slightly tweeked during the accident, causing a mis-alignment between the ring and pinion gears, which was causing premature wear.

swschrad

there's something just a whipstitch off kilter here. have you, by any chance, had a "four-wheel alignment" done to this truck? it's possible that if so, they could have one side of the axle shaft twisted slightly, deforming the housing. wouldn't the basic misalignment show up as one gear close to maximum runout and the other wheel gear running either close to normal or approaching max in the other direction (negative instead of positive)?

I bet they are using a spraycan of paint to mark the existing locations of the axle to the springs, and thus repeating the hose-up with a new diff and housing every time.

not really sure how you'd insure you positively align the drivetrain with the frame if you start from scratch, I suspect it's by measurement from a feature of the frame. they ought to do the fourth warranty replacement by that method, and maybe even replace the complete rear axle assembly instead of just the diff.

Mr_Shiftright

I wonder what they really "replaced"? Could be they just did some bearings and didn't set up the differential properly afterwards. It's somewhat of an art to rebuild a differential, you really have to know what you are doing to match and align the gearsets. It is quite precise, not something you "eyeball".

ocean_shipper

I have two 2004 Camry's and am considering using synth oil. Anyone have any experience with synth oils in Toyota's and would you recommend it?

If so, is there any particular brand that I should consider?

I live in the Washington, DC area.

Thanks!

esg

I just bought a 1995 Nissan Quest GXE with only 37,000 miles--runs sweet except for the rear brakes. For about the first minute, every time the brakes are applied, the rear brakes hiss, squeel, and scrape super loud (like finger nails on a chalkboard loud). This only happens for about maybe the first 5-6 times I apply the brakes. After that they make no noise at all. Any ideas?

driftracer

Maui has some humidity and this is very common, with the noise level depending on the type of rotors and pads you're running.

turboshadow

How can I tell if this has gone bad? I am looking to buy an Alero, but I am not sure if the intake gasket is gone on it. I looked at the underside of the oil cap and it is orange, but it looks like that's the color f the plastic used.

Help!

Turboshadow

peter1

I'm replacing the alternator. Where do I find the belt tension release? It's a 2.2 litre automatic. Thanks in advance. Please e-mail response to pmorris@mun.ca as well as post.

alcan

The idler between the power steering pump and alternator. 15 mm wrench, clockwise to unload.

peter1

Thanks, alcan, I'll give it a try.

swschrad

if the intake manifold is leaking air into the engine, there should be a code set and the $$$ light should be lit on the dash. this would be because the computer can't figure how the exhaust would have such lean conditions for the air passing the MAF sensor. if the manifold is leaking coolant, you would have things like white smoke on startup or acceleration in a light case, light brown foam in the oil in worse ones. it would shake like a concrete breaker from engine damage or not run at all if it's a major issue.

cracked, loose, or broken exhaust manifolds will have a high-pitched whistle or cracking sound like no muffler and the treble turned way up.

your old friend the oil leak would indicate if you had a leak involving oil galleries.

you might be able to sniff exhaust in the radiator, also, on a cracked manifold or head using an exhaust gas analyzer probe held near the radiator neck.

if none of these appear present, you are probably OK, but as we all know, life is hard and then you die. buying a used car always carries a bit of risk. nobody ever sells a perfect car unless they're desperate for money.

driftracer

I thought you were getting a Corolla??

turboshadow

I concerned because it is a known problem that allows coolant to mix with oil. That is very, very bad for bearings.....

Turboshadow

turboshadow

Because of many factors, the Corolla is out of my price range. If I were in the financial position I was a few years ago, I'd hop on an Accord.

Sure, I am being over cautious; I could probably afford the Corolla, and probably the job situation will become much better, but I am an engineer and by nature don't rely on probablies.

The Alero would fill a need, fill it cheaply, and while no paragon of reliabilty, fill it for as long as is needed.

Turboshadow

driftracer

my son is going to be an engineer and his thinking in high school is turning "engineerish" - I don't know how you guys deal with non-statistical things like guesses and "hope so" concepts...must be tough.

Good luck on the car thing.

turboshadow

Its not too bad, making guesses. You just assign a probability to it. "Hope so" stuff, that's where you get into anticipated returns on investment.

Us propellorheads in the world do think a lot differently from most. I used to work at a place that was 95% salespeople and it was tough! I ended up telling the sales manager of one group, "If I had that sort of power over time and space, I wouldn't be working here," when he had promised something that was impossible to a custumer. He didn't get it.

Good luck to your son! Engineering is a noble profession and we need all we can get. Very few young people are interested in the feild anymore, which is a real pity.

Turboshadow

raywhers

Looking for wiring diagrams for a CENTAURUS converson van, light in high rise section flashes on and off when the van moves. Well buy a set of wireing planes.

driftracer

I want him to get into automotive engineering, but most schools in our area (Philly) don't offer much in that arena.

Architecural/mechanical engineering is a close second, so we'll see what happens.

Mr_Shiftright

optimist: the glass is half full

pessimist: the glass is half empty

engineer: you need a smaller glass

driftracer

turboshadow

Mechanical engineers build weapons.

Civil engineers build targets.

That was always my favorite since I worked on missile launchers and explosive missile components.

Turboshadow

vcheng

...did your son do on his turbocharging paper?

driftracer

his teacher asked him to be "less technical and more concise"! That's a good thing, right?

He understands the whole thing well, as do I, and his info level, from a confident speaking voice, went over the teacher's head - mission accomplished!

Thanks again, vcheng.

Mr_Shiftright

"less technical and more concise"

I'm not so sure I agree with that comment. If the point is to really understand something, why should it ever be "less technical"? I mean, you don't shorten equations because people don't understand the long version!

driftracer

but the jist is that he overwhelmed them with auto technical jargon - I say "great!"

I think the teacher intended a less technical breakdown and got many examples from students where a teeter totter or a scale was used - that's a little to simple! This was a danged senior physics (honors) class! I'd hoped that the class (teacher included) had set their sights to a higher standard.

vcheng

Kirstie_H

Don't forget tonight's member-to-member chat - it's open mic night, so come and discuss whatever's on your mind.



http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html

6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Drop by for live chat with other members. Hope you can join us!

kirstie_h
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