Got a Quick, Technical Question?

kyfdx · March 2018

biancar said:
Why, especially? I'm inclined to agree with you on that, but would like to hear your thoughts.

The other one in the mix is the Volvo XC40. I like our current Volvo a lot, and that's why I'm interested. But it has a significantly smaller cargo area, and it's more expensive, although for as long as we own our cars, I'm ok with paying a little more to get the best longevity, so long as utility is sufficient.

I'm not fond of Subarus or Nissans. CVTs for one reason, and their four cylinder engines for another (weak or buzzy). I've owned both.
Also, Nissan switch gear seems cheap to me.. And, the driving experience is better with Mazda. Handling is sharper and they seem more solid.

The XC40 seems nice, but since 2019 model, it might be awhile before there are deals to be had.

biancar · March 2018

True, but we could wait and do a European delivery either later in the year or maybe for next spring. I can be patient. OSD always looks like a fun thing to do.

Either way, the deal is less important than getting the right car.

We had a Mazda 626 decades ago, and liked it.

murdok13 · March 2018

Hi I have a Plymouth valiant(1974) 318 v8 i was driving down the road and it just died I checked the spark plugs and wire and they seem fine the wires are kinda bad quality and i know i should get knew ones not to mention they are just loosely sitting on the spark plugs so maybe it's not all the way on and not getting enough spark it still turns over but won't start any help would be much appreciated I'm new to this stuff but would like to save some money if I can thanks and have a good day

Mr_Shiftright · March 2018

OK. What you have to do here, first, is test for spark. You can buy a spark tester for very little money at Autozone or OReilly or one of those places.

If you have no spark then I would suggest popping off the distributor cap and checking if the ignition points are opening and closing as someone cranks the engine over for you.

I don't know how much you know about cars but a '74 Valiant is pretty simple and it's my opinion that a simple tune-up will take care of this.

The only other thing it might be is a bad fuel pump. You could buy some "starting fluid" or "starting ether" and spray that into the air cleaner. If the engine starts up for a few seconds, then you have a fuel delivery problem, not a spark problem.

Good luck and let us know how it's going. Just get under there and make sure everything is tight and clean, especially the spark plug cables.

toomanyfumes · March 2018

How about the infamous Chrysler ballast resister? Were they still using them i in 1974? Does that cause it to crank and not start or will it not crank at all?

Mr_Shiftright · March 2018

Oh yeah, up on the firewall.

0patience · April 2018

toomanyfumes said:
How about the infamous Chrysler ballast resister? Were they still using them i in 1974? Does that cause it to crank and not start or will it not crank at all?

They were using them into the 80's on Dodge pickups and Chrysler powered motor homes.
It would allow the engine to crank and fire, but when you let off the key, it would die.

A buddy had a Dodge Dart that we would carry spares and a jumper wire in the glove box.
Hit a good mud puddle and it would kill it. If it was in the middle of a big rain, we would just clip the jumper wire on it and run with that until we got home.

annmarie56 · May 2018

I want to buy a Camping Trailer to haul our Goldwing around the US. I believe I want a 30' to 33' camper but I do not know what size truck I would need; can you tell me?

thecardoc3 · May 2018

While the towing capacity of a half ton truck like an F-150 or Silverado is in that range going to a 3/4 ton would give you some much desired wiggle room. Are you considering a fifth wheel style trailer?

toomanyfumes · May 2018

That is a big camper to pull with a half ton. Sounds fun though, I ride a Goldwing myself.

jipster · September 2018

2011 Hyundai Veracruz. Dealership says one front tire out of alignment, as if it hit a pothole. Service advisor.comes back, while doing alignment, and says front driver side axle seal needs.replaced. Would a failed axle (leaking grease out of boot) cause a tire to go out of alignment?

Thx

Mr_Shiftright · September 2018

I don't see how. There are any number of reasons that one tire isn't running true--bent rim, tie rod wear, wheel bearing, ball joint, weak strut (that would be more like tire cupping).

It might help to describe the wear pattern on that one tire.

capriracer · September 2018

jipster said:
2011 Hyundai Veracruz. Dealership says one front tire out of alignment, as if it hit a pothole. Service advisor.comes back, while doing alignment, and says front driver side axle seal needs.replaced. Would a failed axle (leaking grease out of boot) cause a tire to go out of alignment?

Thx

I think it more likely that the leaky axle seal and the misalignment came from the same event.

jipster · September 2018

No noticeable wear pattern on tires I see. Oil changes with multipoint inspection every 5-6k miles. Have to wonder how closely things are being inspected. My teenage son's been driving the car though. No telling what happened.

One last question: OEM on that axle seal is $629 installed at dealership. Goodyear Auto Center aftermarket is $350 installed. Is this the type of part you want to stay OEM with? Pretty big spread on those numbers.

Thx.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2018

What are they installing? An "axle kit" (rebuilt axle with new boots)? If so, hell yeah, you want OEM. You "might" get lucky with a rebuilt from Cardone, etc, but the failure rate is generally higher than OEM. The price difference is tempting, though.

jipster · September 2018

We'll, that's a good question. The part is a complete axel with boots on both ends. The service tech at dealership said the aftermarket axle was about $100 less than OEM. The Goodyear service tech was almost $300 less than OEM.

I assumed it was just a NEW aftermarket axle....they didn't say anything about a rebuilt axle. I'll have to ask. Plan on keeping the car. The dealership is doing a repeat on a recall on the valve cover gasket dripping into the alternator. Hyundai is doing that again at no cost.

The service tech is suppose to call back, hes checking if he can get a better price on the OEM axle, as I expressed concern on the price.

In reading on buying aftermarket parts, the opinion seemed divided. You guys are the tiebreaker. ;-)

Mr_Shiftright · September 2018

You will find exception to every rule. If it were my own car, I'd go OEM because I don't want to do the job twice.

It's possible that the automaker would reman its own parts, so "rebuilt" isn't necessarily a bad thing. On foreign cars, I always recommend OEM.

jipster · September 2018

o.k. Thx. O.E.M it is.

jipster · September 2018

Dealership said they'd put in that axle for $500, minus 10% coupon....$450. Nice.

miami_bmw · September 2018

I'm looking to lease 1 of the 3 cars below. I like them all, and am willing to go with the one that I can get the best deal on, or that has the best lease program. Is there one below that I will (generally) be able to get a better deal on? I'm in Miami, zip 33014. I'm aiming for the usual 7% off MSRP, before incentives. Inception only, $0 cap cost reduction.

Jaguar F-Pace 25t AWD (2019)
BMW X3 sDrive
Volvo Xc60 T6

Below is the info that I have pulled from the various forums/threads. If you see anything incorrect, I would appreciate if you would point out and provide the correct figures. 36/12k for all numbers below. Can you list the increase in residual for dropping down to 10k per year? Thank you very much.

BMW X3 sDrive
MF: .00166
Residual: 59% @10k and 58% @12k

Volvo Xc60 R Design/Inscription T6
MF: .00153
Residual: 58% @ 12k

Jaguar F-Pace Prestige/R Sport 25t (2019)AWD
MF: .00001
Residual: 51% @ 12k

kyfdx · September 2018

miami_bmw said:
I'm looking to lease 1 of the 3 cars below. I like them all, and am willing to go with the one that I can get the best deal on, or that has the best lease program. Is there one below that I will (generally) be able to get a better deal on? I'm in Miami, zip 33014. I'm aiming for the usual 7% off MSRP, before incentives. Inception only, $0 cap cost reduction.

Jaguar F-Pace 25t AWD (2019)
BMW X3 sDrive
Volvo Xc60 T6

Below is the info that I have pulled from the various forums/threads. If you see anything incorrect, I would appreciate if you would point out and provide the correct figures. 36/12k for all numbers below. Can you list the increase in residual for dropping down to 10k per year? Thank you very much.

BMW X3 sDrive
MF: .00166
Residual: 59% @10k and 58% @12k

Volvo Xc60 R Design/Inscription T6
MF: .00153
Residual: 58% @ 12k

Jaguar F-Pace Prestige/R Sport 25t (2019)AWD
MF: .00001
Residual: 51% @ 12k

You aren't likely to get a good deal on any 2019, this early in the season.
Out of those three, the BMW and Volvo will likely have the lowest payment. We've seen bigger discounts on the X3 than usual, but no incentives.

I'd be on the lookout for leftover 2018 models, if you want a low lease price.

Sadies · September 2018

Can someone please help me. I went to get a smog. My 2002 mpv did not pass because my check ingine light did not come on while they tested lights. So I went home and changed the bulb myself. It does not come on When I check my lights. is that normal or do you think its another problem???

Mr_Shiftright · September 2018

You might check your owner's manual or a wiring diagram to see if the check engine light is fused or not. If not, then you might have bad wiring (ground) to the PCM, or the PCM itself could be bad. Quite possibly you could disconnect the PCM, then ground the check engine light wire to see if the light goes on. If it does, then you have either bad ground wiring to the bulb from the PCM, or a bad PCM itself.

guitarzan · February 2019

Considering a used car to replace my 2000 Celica. I was thinking about a certified BMW, a 328i or 528i x-drive, 50k miles, $20-22k. My former boss had a turbo 2008 that requires a total rebuild to find the vacuum leaks, the car was worthless. UGh. Does this BMW path lead to constant quarterly maintenance? How are these cars today? I would keep this next car for 20 years like the last one (Don't really know for sure, but maybe.) The one thing that attracts me over the Japanese cars: All of the stainless steel underneath. Our road salt has utterly destroyed my Celica. Nothing really "broke" on the Celica but it does not matter because technically it all corroded away. Alternate choices may be the Accord and Acura ILX. I don't know perhaps an Outback?

kyfdx · February 2019

guitarzan said:
Considering a used car to replace my 2000 Celica. I was thinking about a certified BMW, a 328i or 528i x-drive, 50k miles, $20-22k. My former boss had a turbo 2008 that requires a total rebuild to find the vacuum leaks, the car was worthless. UGh. Does this BMW path lead to constant quarterly maintenance? How are these cars today? I would keep this next car for 20 years like the last one (Don't really know for sure, but maybe.) The one thing that attracts me over the Japanese cars: All of the stainless steel underneath. Our road salt has utterly destroyed my Celica. Nothing really "broke" on the Celica but it does not matter because technically it all corroded away. Alternate choices may be the Accord and Acura ILX. I don't know perhaps an Outback?

Most newer BMWs have 10K-15K service intervals.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2019

20 Years? I don't think so. As they age, German cars become more maintenance intensive, so IMO the service intervals of nearly new cars don't apply.

kyfdx · February 2019

I missed the part where you said you'd keep it for 20 years.

You have to love a car to keep it that long.

guitarzan · February 2019

kyfdx said:
I missed the part where you said you'd keep it for 20 years.

You have to love a car to keep it that long.

Definitely not. I have little emotional attachment to cars. Money that would go to payments goes instead to savings. No debt means real choices in life aside from being a working zombie slave.

kyfdx said:
Most newer BMWs have 10K-15K service intervals.

Oil, fluids, inspection? No problem. I'm obsessive about these things. But what about $1000 parts that break? The Toyota's and Honda's I have had go 8-10 years doing nothing but regular maintenance. A 3-5 year old BMW, will it start socking me with significant repairs? That is the impression, correct or not, that I have about these cars.

guitarzan · February 2019

https://www.yourmechanic.com/estimates/bmw/528i

This is interesting - Average costs by year...if it has any validity.

https://www.edmunds.com/bmw/5-series/2014/cost-to-own/

These are some hefty maintenance costs in year 4-5. I presume costs continue at similar rates in year 6?

kyfdx · February 2019

I don’t have a lot of experience with newer BMWs out of warranty. We had a 2011 that we put 94K on, and it was pretty reliable. But, nowhere near your Toyota, as far as costs.

If it’s just an appliance, and you don’t love cars, why even consider paying up for a Euro luxury model?

Pretty judgmental about other people’s choices. My wife is on her 5th BMW, and we aren’t zombie slaves.

No debt and both retired.

guitarzan · February 2019

kyfdx said:
Pretty judgmental about other people’s choices. My wife is on her 5th BMW, and we aren’t zombie slaves. No debt and both retired.

You do not represent the far majority of people who are purchasing new cars. Watch the news? There was a federal worker on furlough who said they could not make their car payment this month. They missed ONE paycheck. There is still a huge percentage of this society that is in deep trouble if they miss one or two paychecks. Listen to guys like Dave Ramsey? A large portion of this population is living far above their means, even after 2000 and 2008. That is what my comment referred to, and why I have had the same car for twenty years.

kyfdx said:
If it’s just an appliance, and you don’t love cars, why even consider paying up for a Euro luxury model?

As I mentioned the stainless underbody of a BMW would be a good choice for the very long term that I may hold this car here in the Northeast. No doubt some of the Japanese cars are rust buckets. Toyota pressed the quarter panels together with that adhesive that holds water, so both sides rusted from the inside out, and totally ruined the rear of the car. According to my paint guy: Something I could do nothing about. That has me considering a protest vote against a Toyota this time around.

Is there anyone else who handles the build/metal as well as the Germans? How is the Subaru?

Mr_Shiftright · February 2019

This sounds like a case of pick your poison. With modern cars, the rust protection is getting better and better, but the electronics are getting more and more complex. So based on that, you may end up with a perfectly preserved but troublesome and pricey-to-fix German car 5 years after purchase.

My point is that I think every country of origin has their strong and weak points, when it comes to automobile assembly.

EScott · February 2019

alcan said:
Read post #24 in this topic.

How do you find that? I didn't see anyone's posts being numbered. I am new here, so....

Mr_Shiftright · February 2019

Are you referring to a Saturn post from long ago? If so, here it is:

"Saturn engines don't have a camshaft position sensor. Camshaft position is picked up from #4 cylinder via the ignition module. A misfire on #4 cylinder will set the cam sensor code. Usually indicates it's due for new plugs and wires. Use OEM Delco if you want it to run right.

Oil around the plugs, the owner didn't say whether it's an SL1 single cam or SL2 double cam engine. If SL2, it needs a valve cover gasket.

If still extended crank or no start after plugs and wires, check fuel pressure. Should be 38-44 psi and hold there after key off.

Another possibility re a no-start is a jumped timing chain caused by the nylon shoe falling apart on the chain guide. If so, the exhaust valves are dinked and the head has to come off. There's usually lots of warning in the form of a rattle out of the front of the engine for a while before the chain jumps."

sda · March 2019

I have used Chevron Techron fuel injection cleaner since the late 80s as this was recommended by the VW service advisor for my ‘89 Jetta. With the direct injection on my Accord, is it beneficial to use fuel injection cleaner? I periodically use it for the Pilot and used some on our recently acquired ‘06 TL.

Mr_Shiftright · March 2019

I don't think the gas actually hits your intake valves on that engine--but I'm not sure. Some of the newest direct injection designs use both port and DI.

stickguy · March 2019

my Elantra sport was required to use top tier gas, and if you didn't, every other oil change they called for a fuel system treatment (their own product of course).

Mr_Shiftright · March 2019

"who" called for it? The car itself, or the dealer, or the owner's manual?

stickguy · March 2019

the owner's manual.

Tabatha1333 · April 2019

I hope someone can help... 2007 cadillac SRX with 75,000 miles has the check engine light on ( and tire light on). The check engine code is bringing up a bad 02 sensor. Replaced all of them and it still tells me bad 02 sensor. So we replaced the cat. converter. STILL throwing up the 02 sensor code! Any insight? Is in a bad computer... which is why I bring up the tire light being on as well. We tried a million times to clear that and it won't clear either, tires are fine. Thank you for your time.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2019

Well, Try-nostics are expensive. The code doesn't actually tell you which component is bad, only the circuit that is in distress. So every part of that circuit/system has to be checked individually. The trash cans of the world are filled with perfectly good 02 sensors.

So what code are you getting? Was this code extracted with a professional scan tool or one of those little code readers? The reason I ask is that the code readers can't read all the codes that might be stored.

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