A co-worker/friend is selling me his old car as he's upgraded to a newer model. What are things I should be aware of and get checked out early so I don't accidentally buy a lemon and ruin the friendship?
[more inside]
posted by Silentgoldfish
on Jun 18, 2013 -
12 answers
My poor, bedraggled 1996 Saturn is losing coolant. I can see where it's losing it from! I have no idea what it is or how to fix it.
[more inside]
posted by curious nu
on Jun 11, 2013 -
13 answers
Have you had an immobilizer-equipped car stolen? By immobilizer, I mean the cars (typically post-2006) that have a ROM chip in the key which is required for authentication to start the engine. If so, how was it stolen? If you have such a car, has someone attempted to steal it and failed due to the factory-equipped immobilizer?
posted by thewalrus
on Jun 11, 2013 -
5 answers
I drive a 2004 Hyundai Elantra GLS. I don't know what happened but the muffler stopped working. Basically, my car started making more and more noise over a several weeks and I procrastinated taking it in, and then one day a couple of weeks ago it's like the muffler stopped working entirely. My car is now quite loud. My question is any idea what happened and how much it will cost to get it fixed?
posted by nooneyouknow
on Jun 11, 2013 -
13 answers
I have a 2000 Jeep grand cherokee laredo. It has 115,600 miles or so.... and bad bearings. Sell, ride it into the ground, or repair?
[more inside]
posted by Jacen
on Jun 8, 2013 -
11 answers
I'm considering selling my car and transitioning from using my car for most tasks (groceries, commuting to work, seeing friends, etc) to using mostly my bicycle for these same things. I plan to also get an "occasional" Zip car membership as well. Has anyone out there gone through this process? How was that transition for you and do you have any concrete advice for someone like me who is thinking about this pretty big shift in changing modes of transportation?
[more inside]
posted by ethel
on Jun 7, 2013 -
28 answers
I've been thinking of buying noise dampening products to make my car interior quieter. It seems that the common approaches are to get spray-on dampener for the wheel wells and peel/stick sheets for areas like the trunk. Some people go nuts and tear the entire car apart to line the entire cabin with sheets.
I don't have time or money to go nuts, but I would be willing to be a little crazy to target the top 3 or 4 sources of cabin noise, if I could figure out what they are.
[more inside]
posted by brenton
on Jun 6, 2013 -
5 answers
YANAL/YANML and you are not a clerk working at my DMV. What reason should I put on a bill of sale for buying a car for less than market value?
[more inside]
posted by OrangeDisk
on May 28, 2013 -
11 answers
We live in Mass and my wife got into a car accident the other day while I was out of town. How can I convince the insurance company it was not her fault?
[more inside]
posted by IzzeYum
on May 28, 2013 -
25 answers
Recently my car (2008 Vauxhall Zafira) has started making a metallic rattling sound when (a) the engine is turning over at very low revs (i.e. when starting the engine) and (b) when going over bumps. When the engine is idling, or when driving along on a smooth road, the noise disappears. I can recreate the noise by grabbing hold of the exhaust pipe at the back of the car and wiggling it from side to side, so I assume that the noise is due to some bit of metal coming loose and banging around.
I'm quite keen to fix this myself; can anybody suggest a more specific first troubleshooting step than "crawl underneath the car when it's cool and try to find the loose part"? I have no way of raising the car up, but I reckon if I park it with one side on the curb I can get underneath and take a look.
If successful, I will update this thread with my findings :-)
posted by primer_dimer
on May 28, 2013 -
14 answers
I have a 2013 Honda Accord and I'd like to get my windows tinted. How do I go about finding a good shop? Has anyone had a good experience with a particular shop in the Houston area? Nothing looks uglier than a bad tint job in a year, so I want to do this right.
posted by nickhb
on May 27, 2013 -
2 answers
Looking for videos, commercials, scenes from a movie you can recall, of high definition car crashes or scenes of metal rippling and distorting. Slow motion, hi def, very vivid is the best.
Here is a video with something similar: http://vimeo.com/9078364
Its for an art project. Thank you so much for any thoughts or ideas.
posted by cascando
on May 27, 2013 -
7 answers
Does anyone here currently live in a rail car? If so, we'd love to hear about it and maybe pick your brain.
[more inside]
posted by KathMuse
on May 24, 2013 -
4 answers
We had our car stolen a couple of weeks ago. The insurance company actually worked pretty quickly and we agreed a settlement amount with them and they have paid out. Now been informed by the Police that the car has been found. It looks like it's in pretty good nick apart from a couple of broken windows.
Would we be able to buy the car back from the insurance company? How much if any discount should I expect? Problems in the future?
Anyone got any experience of buying their car back from their insurance company?
posted by lloyder
on May 24, 2013 -
8 answers
My neighbor is out of town, and her car alarm has gone off for two separate and random nights-- all night.
I have no way of contacting her, I only know she is out of town b/c the police contacted her work and found out that she is not here.
Is there anything I can do to turn it off from under the car?
I don't want to damage the car, just disconnect the alarm or something.
Help???
posted by muchalucha
on May 23, 2013 -
28 answers
I haven't owned a car since 2010, but now it seems like going back to a two-car household might be a good idea. My wife drives a 2004 Volvo S40 daily to work. She often gets home very late on weekdays, and usually takes it to meet her cycling group for the better part of a day on Saturday or Sunday, and I have started to feel like I'm too reliant on her schedule or my friends to get to weekend activities, or to duck out to get another few bags of mulch or can of paint, etc.
[more inside]
posted by Kwine
on May 22, 2013 -
21 answers
A couple of weeks ago, I bought a new Subaru Impreza, which I drive for 45 minutes twice a day. Now I'm developing pain in my right hip, and I suspect there's a connection, or something I'm doing wrong, posture-wise.
[more inside]
posted by dywypi
on May 22, 2013 -
13 answers
I live in northern Virginia, and due to some weird circumstances, I am going to purchase (100% financed) a new car from a dealership in Missouri and drive it back home. What do I need to know?
[more inside]
posted by nitsuj
on May 19, 2013 -
4 answers
I paid off my car in December, and haven't been around. I'm now back home with the car in California, and I have the car title from the bank/company. The title says I have to notify the DMV within 10 days or something like that, but I'm obviously wayyy past that time frame now. What do I do? Google searches equally tell me to (a) transfer to my name and my name only, asap, removing the bank/company as lienholder, and (b) don't bother until I sell the car. Argh!! Which one is it? Help me, so I don't have to wait at the DMV ... and be told that I don't need to be there after all!
posted by Xere
on May 17, 2013 -
12 answers
We're going to be driving from Seattle, Washington to Ashland, Oregon in July, doing it in one long day's drive each way. We'll be driving a rental. What model of car is the most comfortable? What model has the best gas mileage? What model has the optimum balance between the two?
[more inside]
posted by kestralwing
on May 14, 2013 -
26 answers
I purchased a 2012 Ford Focus and it has been having performance issues that the dealer doesn't want try and fix. Should I risk aggravating the dealer and try to activate Ohio's lemon law or seek some other form of recourse?
[more inside]
posted by charred husk
on May 14, 2013 -
13 answers
Its a 2005 vw jetta TDI. That's a diesel. My radiator light was on. The fluid kept getting low. But the temperature never registered high. Still, I should have known better. The car stalled after a 6 hour trip and won't start. It stalled after coming to a stop while trying to accelerate away from the stop. There was no smoke or flames, but when I checked the coolant reservoir it was dry, and when I added water it boiled. The mechanic said the starter burnt up, and that the starter and the broken coolant pipe must be replaced just to test the engine. That will run me $900. He gave me a 50/50 that the engine is screwed, which means he just doesn't know.
Is it worth it? Is my car dead, and I need to accept it and move on?
posted by earley.rose
on May 13, 2013 -
27 answers
Steering wheels are an odd invention: a round object that you rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise based on whether you want to move a car left or right. The rotating of a wheel doesn't really match up with what you are trying to accomplish (unless you're used to it).
[more inside]
posted by devnull
on May 9, 2013 -
39 answers
I have a 1993 Ford Explorer with very few bells and whistles. All of a sudden, after I turn off the motor, pop out of my seat belt and open the door to get out, it's making a ringing sound.
[more inside]
posted by foxy_hedgehog
on May 7, 2013 -
12 answers
_Other_ than Best Buy, how/where would one obtain a replacement car audio system near Durham, NC? I have no idea where to shop. I'm OK with installing it myself if it's not too involved, but installed is good too.
[more inside]
posted by amtho
on May 1, 2013 -
7 answers
My fiance and I are buying our first used car together and we're looking for advice on negotiating a price. We've found a car we like that's being sold directly through the owner. Most posts we've found discuss negotiating with a dealer though.
[more inside]
posted by Proginoskes
on Apr 29, 2013 -
9 answers
In the 90's I borrowed a demo-CD from a friend, who had a car combat-like game, where you drove around in a futuristic environment. The game was a demo, so it only had one level and only one car. The only mission that was available was where one had to collect two pieces of a device located in two different parts of the map. Most of the stuff was blue.
[more inside]
posted by madcow20
on Apr 28, 2013 -
18 answers
There is a mechanic in a city nearby who restores and sells (and maintains) first-generation Honda Insights. Most of the cars his shop produces have a salvage title. He offers exclusive repair and maintenance service to purchasers. I've done a lot of reading and talking to people about this car—a trusted coworker owns one of his restorations—and I'm pretty much convinced that I want what seems to be one of the most over-engineered, fuel-efficient, cool little cars ever made. So what am I missing?
[more inside]
posted by carsonb
on Apr 28, 2013 -
17 answers
I have a 1997 Honda Civic that is running like a top. But the last couple of times I drove, there is a smell like burning wax. The car is not overheating or anything like that.
Does anyone have any ideas?
posted by millerizer
on Apr 27, 2013 -
9 answers
Help me learn to drive! What's a good driving school or private instructor in NYC for a mid-twenties guy who's never been comfortable driving? I have the next 10-15 days and $500 to get as many hours behind the wheel as possible.
[more inside]
posted by yaymukund
on Apr 26, 2013 -
9 answers
If I pick up a rental car at the airport, can another family member then drop it off for me even though they weren't with me at the time of pickup?
Second, can that other family member also be allowed to drive the car even though they weren't with me at the time of pickup?
posted by Wanderer7
on Apr 23, 2013 -
15 answers
The rear backup light panel around my license plate fell off on my 10 year old Cadillac. I have been checking junk yards and looking online and am unable to locate one affordably. Apparently, it's a common problem on this older model of car as the adhesive wears, and they tend to fall off. It was my grandmothers car before she passed away, and I love taking care of her baby. It's $600 at the dealership for the entire assembly and has to be painted. My vehicle is silver/gray but I might take any color. Any suggestions would be helpful. I believe it looks something like this (though the following one is in black) http://tinyurl.com/c28n4cz
posted by LLF246
on Apr 23, 2013 -
2 answers
At the car dealership today, they ran my Equifax credit rating and I have an 815, they then offered me a Zero-to-Sixty simple-interest loan for USD$9000 with a rate of 5.04%. Should I refinance with another company?
[more inside]
posted by shipbreaker
on Apr 20, 2013 -
22 answers
I suspect that my driver-side upper ball joint is the culprit. There have been groaning noises when going over bumps, and a sort of clattering noise when hitting potholes. This has been going on for several years, and has gotten worse in the past month. I took it to four different mechanics, two for this specifically, and two for general inspection purposes (the most recent, non-specific inspection took place about 5 months ago.) None of the mechanics found anything they considered to be a real problem (i.e. hazardous to my/others' safety/the car's safe operation.) The noise has intensified in volume and frequency in the past week or so, along with (new) weird vibration when traveling at certain speeds (usually over 40 mph), but only sometimes, and it continues as I slow to a stop, slowing along with the car (but doesn't start showing up until I reach a higher speed.) Today I noticed that the boot on the upper ball joint is cracked and the grease is leaking out. The passenger side ball joint is similarly worn, but no grease is in evidence yet.
[more inside]
posted by i. shishkin
on Apr 17, 2013 -
5 answers
My husband and I plan to replace our car in the next year, probably sooner rather than later. We currently drive a 2006 VW Beetle, which is a giant dome and is great for my husband, who is 6'4" with a lot of height in the torso. The new Beetles are less dome-like and still under consideration, but are there other current-model small cars that would be good for my husband's height? Bonus complication: we occasionally take my mother (77, lives in a retirement home) out; I will have to get in and out of the back.
posted by immlass
on Apr 17, 2013 -
46 answers
The circuit that runs my aftermarket Pioneer stereo is draining the car's battery at a rate of 30-50 mA when the car is off. Faceplate on/off doesn't make a difference. Is this within normal range?
[more inside]
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl
on Apr 16, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm looking for hip-hop that's engineered for car systems. Heavy bass, melodic bass, brutal bass--what artists, albums or tracks sound amazing in a car with an amplified subwoofer setup?
[more inside]
posted by flod
on Apr 16, 2013 -
14 answers
My sixteen-year-old son got his license recently, and after a month (during which time he did not drive) we insured him for a month as we were going to be out of town and he needed the car. When we called our insurance company to remove him from our policy, we were told that the only way the company would uninsure him is if he turned in his license to the DMV.
We only have one vehicle, and he won't drive. He's not the kid who is going to sneak off in the car, either. So can the insurance company just drop us or otherwise hose us over?
[more inside]
posted by mecran01
on Apr 15, 2013 -
17 answers
So I've finally bought a car of my own (Alfa Guilietta) and in the boot (trunk) is a 12v outlet marked "180W maximum".
Can anyone come up with ideas about what to use this for? It seems relatively pointless to me.
[more inside]
posted by hardcode
on Apr 14, 2013 -
16 answers
There is a good chance that I will be the owner of a new car sometime soon (like the next few months or so). Looking for a good balance between fuel efficiency and inexpensive to repair (something I have not really thought about until recently, regrettably). You are not a car expert, likely, but what would you advise from what you know? Details, including what this car replaces, inside.
[more inside]
posted by JoeXIII007
on Apr 11, 2013 -
24 answers
Every now and then, there will be a few weeks when I get electric shocks as I'm getting out of my cars. Normally they're just a little surprising, but the last few weeks I've been getting steadily stronger shocks that actually hurt / tingle for a while afterwards. What's going on?
[more inside]
posted by sodium lights the horizon
on Apr 11, 2013 -
12 answers
I have a 2005 Mazda 6 with about 170,000 miles. Over the past few days it first developed a weird, low-toned clicking sound whenever I made a turn (left or right), which seemed to come from the steering column area... maybe around my feet under the car. I drove it yesterday and today, and that sound has seemed to turn in to a grinding. It's also making a similar sound whenever I press the brakes. From what I could see the power steering fluid is above-level, but the reservoir is also really dirty which makes it hard to check accurately. To complicate matters, I was at a tire shop over the weekend (thought it had a leak - someone had just let the air out) and they had taken the tire off and put it back on - not sure if they're at all related.
[more inside]
posted by codacorolla
on Apr 9, 2013 -
19 answers
My partner and I will be in Turkey later this month and will have three days in and around Izmir. We plan to visit Ephesus, the Dilek park, as well as maybe Samos and/or Chios. We need some help making decisions about how to get around and where in the area to stay for a few nights.
[more inside]
posted by yellowcandy
on Apr 7, 2013 -
7 answers
