CSI Filter: How do I find the person who hit my car given that it was a woman driving a blue SUV that hit my car in State College, PA at approximately 12:11 AM May 26th, 2005?
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posted by Fat Guy
on May 26, 2005 -
14 answers
Car Insurance question - I was in an accident over New Years, where a friend of mine and I were hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street. The driver fled, and was never caught by the cops. 5 months later, I've found out he filed a claim with his car insurance company for a significant amount of money, and been approved.
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posted by SweetJesus
on May 18, 2005 -
17 answers
Sitting in a car today as my friend was filling her tank, and my colleagues and I wondered aloud why there doesn't seem to be a standard for which side of the car has the gas cap on it. The car we were in had it on the right, as do both my cars, but the others in the car had cars with the caps on the left. What logic do car manufacturers use to determine from which side fuel is delivered? Some vehicles have the delivery point at the rear, and I believe I once saw a car with the gas cap near the front somewhere. Anyone know a rough ratio of left / right on North American cars? If there is a majority, is it an ergonomics thing? Just curious.
posted by galto
on May 18, 2005 -
45 answers
Either I'm way too sensitive to the phenomenon of having an oncoming car's brights flashed at me, or it actually is happening too often to me. So, my question is: who out there is flashing their brights at other cars and why?
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posted by achmorrison
on May 11, 2005 -
23 answers
This question spurred another: When jumping a dead battery, do you attach the cables to the positive node of the dead battery or the live battery first?
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posted by rhapsodie
on May 5, 2005 -
8 answers
The backs of my thighs ache on long car trips. Can anyone recommend a good seat cushion that might alleviate this problem? Thanks.
posted by vronsky
on May 5, 2005 -
2 answers
[AutoRepairFilter] - While jump-starting my car a while back, I placed the jumper cables backwards on the battery, and since then some of the electrical things in the interior of the car don't work.
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posted by stovenator
on May 5, 2005 -
12 answers
Can anyone give me some advice before I file a small claims court lawsuit against an Auto Service Center.
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posted by gummo
on May 2, 2005 -
9 answers
My friend owns and 93 M. Benz 300E and it wont start. When he attempts to jump the car his alarm goes off... What can he do to fix this?
posted by crewshell
on Apr 3, 2005 -
5 answers
How can I figure out what's leaking from my car? (And other maladies...) Does anyone know of a site -- like WebMD, but for cars -- where I can type in symptoms and narrow down what might be wrong with a car? I know that I can go to a mechanic, but sometimes the first question is whether it's even safe to drive the car to the mechanic.
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posted by xo
on Mar 31, 2005 -
10 answers
I'm going to Phoenix for a couple of days in June and will need to rent a car. My only problem is I'm 22 and most rental car companies have strict policies about renting to those under 25. Those that will rent to those under 25 (Thrifty and Dollar), charge excessive surcharges ($20 a day when the rental is $25 a day). Is there any way of getting around this?
posted by mhaw
on Mar 24, 2005 -
18 answers
Where can I find an online forum for owners & managers of auto repair/service shops?
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posted by LordSludge
on Mar 7, 2005 -
1 answer
A fender-bender has, uh, bent my bumper. Torn the rear one off half the frame, specifically. The car is old enough that no one makes the right size bumper/brackets anymore. Plus the frame need a bunch of work before it can accept a bracket again. Insurance declared a total, but has left open the option to repair. Several folks have suggested unbolting the other end and running w/o a bumper. Is this safe?? Not to mention legal? What would you do?
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posted by nakedcodemonkey
on Mar 2, 2005 -
20 answers
I'm looking to sell my car in the next few weeks (never done so in my life). It runs perfectly, has low milage (35,000 mi. at 4 years old) and has a well-kept interior. However, the exterior has some minor to moderate cosmetic damage. Is it worth the cash to take it to a body shop and make it pretty? [MI]
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posted by Boydrop
on Feb 11, 2005 -
7 answers
Why do new cars supposedly depreciate in value (up to 20%) as soon as someone buys it and drives it off the lot? I just do understand why this happens and who determines the rate it happens.
posted by jasonspaceman
on Feb 11, 2005 -
13 answers
MemoryJogFilter: While reading
this story, I was reminded of a film from the late eighties/early nineties about a couple of young boys that stole a car (I think it was red and I think it was a Pontiac). That is unfortunately, about all I remember. Anybody have any ideas what the film was called/about?
posted by billysumday
on Feb 7, 2005 -
2 answers
How dangerous is it to drive with earphones? I drive a noisy, noisy little car with a crappy stereo, and the tempation to just listen to my flash mp3 player with some Koss isolating earbuds is pretty strong, yet I don't want to endanger others or die in a fiery wreck. But at some point, with the car as noisy as it is, what's the difference?
posted by anonymous
on Jan 31, 2005 -
26 answers
SUVFilter: My wife and I want a vehicle that will handle the rugged (and worsening, now they are no longer maintained) logging roads in this province, as we head out for dayhikes and backpacking trips. We're looking at the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota 4Runner. Zoom, zoom inside...
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posted by five fresh fish
on Jan 28, 2005 -
25 answers
I want to fix a couple of things on my car. However, looking under the hood causes to me to collapse with the vapors, forcing me to go purse shopping for an hour to mitigate the effects. Does anyone have an online walkthrough-to-fixin-up-your-car for guys like me? (Details inside.)
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posted by billybunny
on Jan 6, 2005 -
28 answers
I'm looking for schools that offer courses in Automotive Repair in the New York City area (or even better, Brooklyn), does anyone know of a comprehensive list?
posted by milovoo
on Jan 2, 2005 -
0 answers
CarFilter: My wife's old Toyota (1996 Tercell) is having an odd problem. I know very little about engines, and Google has turned up a variety of possible answers [mi]
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posted by sixdifferentways
on Dec 16, 2004 -
15 answers
AutoFilter: In a moment of terrible mental absence this morning, I drove about half a block in second gear with the hand brake engaged. While the right rear wheel smoked and the brake glowed visibly red, there seem to be no other consequences an hour after the fact. Does this merit a call to the mechanic to check it out if other malfunctions haven't arisen?
posted by Verdant
on Dec 16, 2004 -
19 answers
Driving to Mexico. I read that when driving into Mexico as a tourist one must post a cash bond, or provide a credit card to ensure that the vehicle is not sold inside Mexico. Does anyone have experience doing this, and is there a way around it? How much will the deposit/credit charge be?
posted by NorthCoastCafe
on Nov 23, 2004 -
10 answers
My sister-in-law is looking for a low-priced new or used car, probably a Toyota, but she's also looking at a Kia or a Hyundai. We're in the metro Atlanta area [MI]...
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posted by jpburns
on Nov 19, 2004 -
26 answers
My 1994 Honda Accord's cooling fan won't turn off after I turn the car off. However, if I remove the cooling fan fuse, the fan will shut off. The fuse does not appear to be blown. When I put the fuse back in, it sparks like a mad mo'fo' and the cooling fan turns back on. Any ideas what the problem is and how much it'de run me for a repair or is there a quick fix for it?
posted by jmd82
on Jul 10, 2004 -
9 answers
Is anyone aware of a method (online or otherwise) for determining to whom a vehicle is registered if you know the license plate number - without actually being a law enforcement officer yourself? Google's only turned up for-pay services (that start at US$30 or so). The vehicle is registered in Illinois, if that impacts the answer...
posted by JollyWanker
on Jul 10, 2004 -
4 answers
I was stop and go driving for about an hour today (hanging flyers for my job; the car's a manual transmission '95 Saturn) and after I finished I was heading back to the store when I hear a pop and my stick shift is just wobbling around. I still have to hold the clutch to start the car but it is stuck in second gear so I can get it going but only drive 10-15mph. What in the hell just happened?
posted by untuckedshirts
on Jul 9, 2004 -
11 answers
I'm going to be taking a trip from Chicago to Massachusetts next week - I get antsy in the car. There are lots of games and coloring pages and whatnot on the internet for children - but what about adults? Can anyone give some suggestions of things to occupy me and the driver?
posted by agregoli
on Jun 15, 2004 -
36 answers
I've recently purchased a car (my first), and have, on occasion, used a laptop as an mp3 player, which is a serious insult to my real mp3 player. While I just purchased a new battery, I'd love to go on A/C alone: My question is whether there's any way to plug my laptop (or similar device) into a car cigarette lighter?
posted by Sinner
on May 12, 2004 -
9 answers
How do I protect my car from thieves? I headed out to work this morning and
was confronted by this. (that would be all four tires and wheels - $750 worth) I have a Clifford alarm system, I always park in highly visible areas, I stay out of "bad areas", there is a police academy 100 yards from where this picture was taken. What do I do to make this never happen again? [more inside]
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posted by y6y6y6
on Feb 19, 2004 -
29 answers
My hardworking but strapped bro. needs to buy a family vehicle for about $4k. Reliability is really important, and it has to carry him, spouse, and four kids (ages 3-13). I know about the online
reliabilty ratings but wanted to get your insight about how to find the best vehicle, and what your experiences have been. It'll mostly be used about town, with occasional 60+ mile trips to relatives. Thanks.
posted by mecran01
on Jan 13, 2004 -
15 answers
Has anyone ever shipped a car, enclosed, cross country? I am researching quotes for my boss and I wondered if anyone had any personal experience or problems that I should watch out for.
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posted by sugarfish
on Jan 12, 2004 -
9 answers
I've just moved out to san fran and feel like i need a convertible. found a sweet little
Karman Ghia for 5 grand. Has anybody had any experience with these good/bad/ugly?
oh, and how long has ask metafilter been here? (pretty damn cool)
posted by NGnerd
on Dec 10, 2003 -
14 answers
