Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with automotive

Freezing my ass off!

Eicats — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:58:26 -0800

Have you had any experience with in-car extra heaters like the ones on the linked page? example types I live in the frigid north and although I have a garage (unheated), I still suffer through starting a freezing car. Especially when it's parked outside my office all day. So I wondered about getting an extra dashboard or under-the-seat heater. From the linked page, it looks like there are a wide variety.

My first question: since most seem to run off the car's 12v plug, won't that drain the battery? Especially in below zero temps when the car is vulnerable to dying anyway? If it's not a problem, how long can you keep them running: all night so it's warm in the morning? all day while I'm working?

If you have one, let me know how it has worked for you and which one you would recommend.

Thank you much!

Junk in my Trunk

Pennyblack — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:17:53 -0800

I want to make my car into a truck. Do I just buy a blow torch, superglue and bubble wrap? I will soon be inheriting a PT Cruiser and I've become fixated on a strange idea. An open bed sedan/truck (El Cruisero) would be perfect for my mini farming/gardening pseudo-country lifestyle. How does one go about doing that type of auto conversion? If it is cut down from the back of the front seats and a rubber lined bed created would that be more subtraction than addition? I know it is more than a hack saw job, but how difficult could it be? The PT has very low mileage and the body is in newish. I can't help but think the end result (painted Ford '49) would be adorable. I am in MA which isn't exactly the best place for auto exotic fixations. Any ideas on where to start? Other than picking out the paint, there is no way I could do this myself.

Why does my diesel run fine but start so poorly?

esereth — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:02:27 -0800

My diesel-powered car doesn't want to start but once it does, it runs fine. What's up with that? I've got a 1984 Mercedes Benz 300D that for the last two days doesn't want to start but, after a few touchy seconds, runs fine. Right after starting, it seems like it isn't getting fuel or air or something. It just runs very wispy, in fact "gasping" is the word I want to use. I can have the pedal to the floor and it barely stays running.

Then, all of the sudden, it starts revving and running better.

Possibly useful info: we are in a sudden coldish snap (dipping below 30 F), the fuel is a few months old (more than 3 but less than 6), and I just had an oil change a week ago, before this started, and nothing was noted.

Catalytic converter unnecessary?

rahnefan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:43:54 -0800

Do I need to replace the catalytic converter and oxygen sensor in a 2000 Honda Civic (125k miles)? Engine suddenly idling low. My Check Engine light came on night before last. The technician says the codes it gave are for the oxygen sensor and the catalytic converter (which upon inspection, is physically cracked). They said the purpose of the one is only to detect problems with the other.

But in my experience, a faulty catalytic converter makes zero difference in emissions tests (one went bad in a Toyota I had but for years after, the techs said it was as low on emissions as a new car). We just had this one tested.

My bigger concern is the engine is now starting to idle low, as if it wants to stop, but is that coincidental? I asked the tech but their explanation did not sound confident about a relationship between these parts and low idling. It sounded like, "sure, why not."

Are the parts unrelated to low idling, and do I really need them if the car has low emissions?

Why would you mount a big, thin disc on the roof of your limo?

Naberius — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:07:45 -0800

Did I see the ground-based version of a "black helicopter?" Okay, driving in to work this morning I saw something on a vehicle that I've never seen before and I'm wondering what it was. This is the DC area, btw, so God only knows what kind of weird government stuff is roaming the streets.

Perfectly ordinary looking black stretch limo, opaque windows. What was odd was a disc-shaped structure mounted on the roof. I only got a quick look at, but it was flat, very thin, and the diameter was about the width of the car. It was mounted on the roof by four brackets that held it just off the roof itself. The disc looked like it had a kind of projecting flange around the circumference, as if it were two pieces. And the whole thing looked like it was maybe three or four inches thick, tops.

So it wasn't some kind of roof mounted storage, unless you maybe needed to take your gong with you. The thing I can come up with that's closest to making sense is some kind of antenna, but then why would it need to be so big? Wish I'd had been on the ball enough to check the plates. So any ideas? What the hell did I see?

R Kelly is trapped in my trunk!

zerobyproxy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:23:27 -0800

I cannot unlock the trunk on my car! I have a 2004 Honda Accord. This morning, I put some stuff in the trunk and, in closing it, must have forced the locking mechanism to mis-align. I have used the latch (inside the car), the key fob, and the key in the lock itself. None work. I tried lifting the trunk while pressing the fob. I tried sitting on the trunk while pressing the fob. Nothing.

My backseat lowers, so I got my stuff out of the trunk and was able to watch the locking mechanism move when I pressed the fob. I just don't know what I should be looking for or trying when I crawl into the trunk to try to fix it.

Any ideas of where to start?

What would you do if you had an engineering degree?

MechEng — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:55:15 -0800

What would you do if you were a recent engineering graduate? (What companies would you be looking into across Canada?) Suggestions for all branches of engineering are welcome.

A bit of background about myself:
Recent Mechanical Engineering graduate. ( with ~ 2 years of co-op experience). I am interested in almost anything Mechanical Engineering related, from vehicle engineering (aircraft, trains, automotive, etc) , HVAC, to power generation. What would you suggest as companies to apply for within Canada?

Willing to move anywhere for the right Job / experience. (Although Major cities of interest are Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto)

It has also been suggested to go back to school for something business related (seen a bunch of links about mba on ask metafilter)

I understand that mechanical engineering is a wide branch of engineering on it's own, and would like some suggestions as to which direction I should take.

What went wrong when I tried to replace my car battery?

jacobm — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:28:41 -0800

I just changed my car's old dead battery with a new, just purchased one following the directions here. Even though I clamped the connectors down hard enough that I can't move either of them, the car seems to be completely dead --- it doesn't appear to be getting any power whatsoever. Any ideas what could be wrong? Long extended explanation, just in case people are interested / think there's a larger problem:

We have two cars, and one of them hardly ever gets used. Last time I used it was in May, after it had been sitting unused for probably several months. When I left home, it had trouble starting up (but ran fine once it started); and I needed a jump to get it started coming back. I tried to start it again the next day, and it wouldn't start.

So I ignored the problem until today. Tried to start it up again, and got some lights to turn on, but the engine wouldn't go. I jumped it with the good car, and it ran fine; I let it run for about 40 minutes (with the engine running above idle for at least 15 minutes that time). Then I turned the car off and immediately on again, but it still didn't start --- if anything, it seemed more dead than before.

I concluded the battery couldn't hold a charge, so I went and bought a new one. I followed the directions, but the car is now completely unresponsive; I see no evidence that it's drawing any power whatsoever.

I'm assuming I installed the battery incorrectly. Does that sound plausible, and if so what should I do about it? If not, what should I try instead?

Buying Used Without No Clues

Shepherd — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:44:42 -0800

I'm generally freaking out about buying a car (used, my first) and have a short laundry list of very general questions. My wife and I need a car. Before winter definitely, but within 2-3 weeks for some convenience reasons would be good. She's coming back visiting her folks this weekend, and the hunt begins in earnest, after a few forays to a few places, next week.

Here's what we've settled on so far:

99% sure we're getting a used Toyota, Hyunda or Honda. Reliable, get good reviews in the slightly-old copy of Phil Edmonstun's Lemon-Aid guide my dad lent me, more expensive than American brands but we're not so keen on buying American these days.

My wife wants a 2005 or newer. I'm not sure why but I think she's afraid that I, being a skinflint, will insist on a rustbucket if she doesn't set out some parameters. From what I can see, the biggest price drop is from zero to two years old, so that actually plays well into my penny-pinching ways... if a 2-year-old car costs 75% of original retail and a 5-year-old costs 60%, the most "value" is in the 2-year-old.

Here's the thing: I know bupkis about cars; under pressure I think I'm pretty sure the red ones go faster. I'm exaggerating -- I spent one summer in high school working at a gas station, so I've checked oil before and stuff -- but I'm in no way qualified to gauge the worth of a used car. I've never owned one, and I'm downhill of mid-30s; hers have always been hand-me-downs so she's never been car shopping.

We'll also be doing all of this in my second language, French, which my wife doesn't speak at all. While I speak pretty good business French and decent conversational French, "car French" is not in my comfort zone.

We have a fair-sized down payment, as we've agreed that it makes more sense to dump our savings on the car than to pay interest on the thing, as interest earned on this money would not outpace interest charged on a car loan. Our budget is $8-10K. We can stretch that up a bit if necessary. Assume we can pay 50% or so of a car in the $8-10K price range.

We intend to drive around town for the most part, maybe the 30 km trip to visit friends in neighouring places once every couple of weeks, and a 400 km round trip to Montreal once a month.

So here, at last, are the questions:

Is "dealer used" a better idea than "used-car-dealer used" or "classifieds in the paper" used? I have the vague idea that the Toyota used lot, affiliated with the Toyota new lot, will offer better vehicles that are more expensive than "regular" used-car dealers, which will be slightly cheaper, and the classified-ad cars will be cheapest of all but highly risky. Is that a fair assumption?

Can I trust a used car salesman? I'm aware of the stereotype, but I'm also of the belief that most people are generally good, and it's a reputation-driven industry. Assuming the guy isn't wearing a porkpie hat, chomping a stogie and telling me this was only driven by an old lady on Sundays as he fiddles the odometer with a grimy screwdriver, is flat-out asking a used dealer for advice a good idea, or begging to be taken to the cleaners?

If a car is nearing the end of its warranty (say 90,000 out of 100,000 km), what does that... er... mean? Are warranties super good? Kinda good? Is there a way to gauge how much a remaining warranty adds to the value of the car?

Is it better to buy an old car with low mileage or a new car with high mileage? This thread dances around that same question, but winds up being a series of recommendations to check prior maintenance. Which is excellent, but I still need to know -- maintenance done, is a 2007 car with 120,000 km on it better or worse than a 2005 car with 80,000 km on it, assuming price is similar*?

If buying used, is there a huge advantage in buying local? It would be much, much cheaper to shop around in Montreal than here, but that's a two-hour drive away. How important is it to be able to revisit the dealer you bought the car from, barring some sort of catastrophic failure in the first couple of weeks?

Given that we'll be able to supply a sizable down payment, will that put us in a better position to negotiate the financing rate? Most places around here seem to ballpark at 2.9%, which ain't terrible, but I wouldn't mind knocking that down a bit if I could.

Last and most important: I'm feeling overwhelmed, like I don't have enough knowledge to evaluate or to negotiate. Part of me says "dude, people buy cars all the time but the much larger part of me says "dude, don't be stupid with $10,000." How in God's name do I calm myself down over this?

This, by the way, is the local Toyota dealer.

This is Honda.

And this is Hyundai.

For comparison, this is the used-car section of the most popular (by a wide margin) classifieds site in the province, sorted for my area.

*I pulled those years and mileages out of my butt. I'm looking for more of a general answer.

Rattle underneath my car?

semp — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:26:46 -0800

Is my car safe to drive? I have a '02 Kia Rio (2WD automatic if it matters) which has been faithful to me the past two years. Nearly all of the maintence required items (brakes, tires, etc) were either replaced when I bought it two years ago or after. Besides the fact that my car hums a bit louder than others when the AC is on, I'd say it has always felt/sounded like a normal car... until about two weeks ago.

I went on a small road trip two weeks ago, and there I had a problem where my car would not accelerate as quickly as usual. The last day of the trip I put in in reverse, and when I stepped on the gas it outright stalled. I drove home, talked to a mechanic about it, and he suggested it might've been something that just happened because I was on a slope or a myraid of other reasons, but if I had the problem again to give him a call. I haven't had the problem again, but within the past week I have developed a rattle which may or may not be related. It sounds like it's coming from underneath my car, possibly in the back passenger side area. It reminds me mostly of a wobbly metal fan slowing down after you turn it off, and it happens when breaking and when the car is in reverse (I'm beginning to attribute it to the car going at a very slow speed).

Now, I know that no one can see my car, but I'm hoping that I can get some generalized advice. I'm getting ready to take a road trip this weekend with some friends. I have noticed no difference in the driving (it now accelerates just fine, and otherwise sounds and vibrates as normal) of my car besides that. The previously mentioned mechanic took a 4-day weekend and is unreachable for advice. Since I will have my friends with me, however, I don't want to strand them in the middle of Chicago. Has anyone had any similar experiences with their car that they can hint at what I might get looked at? Also, if there are any car aficionados or mechanics out there, do you know if it would be safe to drive several hours?

Rear view camera

glider — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:49:32 -0800

Does anyone know if it's legal to use a rear view camera system instead of rear view mirrors? That is, to completely remove the mirrors from the car because cameras are doing the job... Question is for Ontario, Canada. And if you're a car legal expert, I have another question. Can I build my own booster seat in a custom car in which no off-the-shelf children's car seat is available?

These questions are about a Sterling kit car by the way. Here's a bad picture of me and the car to put it into context:

What do I do with my old car?

pwnguin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:03:16 -0800

What do I do with my old car? I finally replaced my 1991 Honda Civic (132,800 miles) with a new car, and now I'm not quite sure what to do with it.

I recieved this car ten years ago from my parents when the insurance company totalled it. At that time, the body had suffered hail damage, the windshield had cracked and there's a dent in the frame on the driver side. Since then, I've been taking it to shops / repairing various non-cosmetic things like the distributor cap, exhaust and whatnot. It's been a good ten years, but I need reliable transportation and repairs are starting to get out of hand.

Recently the engine started acting crappy: hesitation, rough idling, and now it seems that one of the cylinders isn't firing. I can't get the spark plug out of the non-firing cylinder. The engine runs, but without all 4 cylinders firing it's a very bad ride. Pictures under the hood here, here and here.

Because of this, I didn't bother trading it in at the dealership, and it sounded like they wouldn't take it anyways. So now it sits on the street, racking up minor insurance expenses. I'd like to get rid of it.

a) My title doesn't indicate it's a salvage. Is this a red flag, given that the insurance company totaled it?
b) Should I bother taking it to a mechanic for an inspection and get an estimate at repairs?
c) If I junk it, what kind of prices can I expect them to pay?
d) If I junk it and want to transfer the license plate to the new car, do I need to say something, and to who?
e) Is there anything I need to know about merchantability when selling to a friend to repair? A coworker occasionally buys cars to fix and resell, just like he buys broken iPods to fix and resell on a much more expensive scale.

Help me bounce in style!

Glitter Ninja — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:39:36 -0800

Where can I find tasteful, simplistic chic seat covers that aren't too plain? The engine in my mustang died- it's a sad day. I just received a '94 camry LE, but no one gave me the chance to totally clean out my car, so a lot of things, including my (cheap but) very effective seat covers and a ceramic flower-embossed disk on a ribbon that you would load up with essential oils is now long gone. It's tied with a red ribbon and came in a gift set- if you remember those, by the way, can you tell me where you got it?

I've been searching the web all night, but the majority of seat covers I see are one-colour, unappealing fabrics, animal print, or camo. I'm still searching amazon without much luck. Is there somewhere I can find chic, elegant, not loud-ugly and not terribly expensive seat covers for my car? Velour-style fabric is fine, but I don't want any fabric that's actually textured, or pink zebra print, or decorated with Tinkerbell. Some things I like are organic and circular patterns with soft coordinated colours- the inside of my car is mostly dark grey and I'd like something to compliment, but not match. Does anyone have a good source for tasteful auto interior decoration? Your help is much appreciated!

It took me three years to decorate the mustang the way I wanted it- I'm hoping it won't take so long this time :)

Best way to repair broken car seat frame?

dolemite01 — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:48:02 -0800

Currently in my 2005 Chevy Malibu the driver seat frame is cracked. Underneath the seat I can see a metal bar going across (not IN the seat but under) and it has a huge crack/hole and the other piece is hanging off. This causes my seat to tilt back some and rock. I know eventually when that breaks completely my seat will forever tilt back. Is there a way I can fix this by DIY? What about a metal bonding? Or some type of v-band clamp perhaps?
Any suggestions are welcomed!

Lemon law or lemonade recipe?

cedar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:27:02 -0800

I need a source for NY state law (not NYC) pertaining to the sale of used cars. We recently purchased a used SUV (1998 Ford Explorer) from a licensed dealer. Upon subsequent inspection it was discovered that the front drive shaft had been removed -- yes, removed -- disabling the front wheel portion of the on-demand all wheel drive.

It is my thinking that this is a major oversight on the dealers part (and ours, hell, we bought it with half the drive train missing and didn't even notice) and clearly his responsibility. Is this accurate?

The warranty was 30 days or 1000 miles, we're at day 26 and 700 miles.

Extra bonus question: the ball joints also need replacement. It is my understanding that while no longer a part of NYS inspection it is part of the dealer "inspection" and while not explicitly covered by the drive train warranty should not have been overlooked by the dealer before putting the car on the lot.

How does starting a car engine cause wear?

wildatheart — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:01:15 -0800

If one car engine makes 3 revolutions on the starter engine before it runs, and (the same spec) other car engine takes 10, does the starting time cause one engine to sustain more wear than the other? Please ignore any issues that might cause the engine to be slow to start (ie bad tuning etc). This question is only regarding the starter turning the engine.

What kind of high pressure metric fuel fitting is this?

KevCed — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:23:14 -0800

What kind of high pressure metric plumbing fitting is this? [pdf link (85kb) | jpeg link (60kb)] I am working on a prototype gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine. This fitting connects a high pressure fuel supply line from the fuel pump to the fuel rail that supplies the injectors.

The thread is metric (M14x1.5) and the tube is 8mm OD. It is pretty thick wall stainless steel. I expected it to be metric since the engine is of European origin. I'm pretty sure the other components in this system are Bosch, but I have not had much luck getting technical information from them for other stuff so I am trying AskMe first.

This fitting sort of looks like DIN 3852, maybe some kind of JIS 30° flare fitting variant that I haven't seen before.

I am hoping some tech-savvy mefite can save me some time and tell me the name of this kind of fitting, what SAE or DIN standard to which it conforms that would be great. Since I want to build a fuel system, what I'm really after is a supplier of other fittings. I don't want to build my own or just throw something together because the fuel pressure in the fuel rail is around 120 bar (1740 psi).

The pdf has a bit more technical information, the jpg is one of the pictures in the pdf for mefites who don't like pdfs.

Wet Audis and the Bills they Cause

rileyray3000 — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:13:10 -0800

My 2006 Audi A4 is having ignition coil problems. And the dealer is saying because it's water damage related, it's not covered under warranty. I have NOT had the engine cleaned. I have NOT driven into a lake and I live in California where rain is minimal. Help me to not be screwed. So here's the short story for car people. For non-car people it tends to read a little longer:

I drive a 2006 Audi A4 2.0 quattro

1) had an accident where I rear ended someone. VERY minor. Cosmetic damage and the compressor for the AC. Took the car in two days later to an insurance company approved body shop.

2) Got the car back. Drove fine for one day. Then next day I start the car and it cranks but won't turn over. Have it towed to the body shop. They discover it's an ignition coil and possibly the left passenger side housing of said coil. According to Audi, cannot possibly be related to crash. Get it towed to the dealer. Says it's under warranty, should be fine

3) Got call the next day from the dealer saying it's water damage related. That rust has gotten on the interior of one of the ignition coils and that water damage is NOT covered by warranty.

4) Now I'm being told to pay 675 bucks.

The service tech says that they see a lot of that from pressure washing engines. I called the body shop. They say there's dust on the engine and that they clearly didn't pressure wash it. And they also say the hood was never off the car.

I have NEVER cleaned under this hood. I park the car in covered parking. So i guess my main question is how did this happen and what do I do about it?

But then there are the minor questions related to it:

-Can anything else LOOK like rust and maybe my dealer is mistaking it?
-Are there any known issues with ignition coils and rust?
-I park next to a constantly leaking pipe in my covered parking. Could the excess moisture just get in the car over time?
-Who do I go after here? Is the body shop guy full of crap or is the dealer? Or do I go after my landlord?

My 1994 Toyota Camry died while driving, any ideas why?

jackofsaxons — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:43:50 -0800

My 1994 Toyota Camry died while driving, any ideas why? On my way home from work my car died while idling at a light, and wouldn't stay running unless I kept the goosing the gas pedal. It also sounded like it was having trouble turning over when I as trying to start it again. To get it going again, I had to gun the gas and pop it into drive, and give it more gas than usual.

I'm going to have someone look at it but I was wondering if anyone could posit a theory on what the heck happened.

Acura ABS Problem

mikedelic — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:06:25 -0800

Acura ABS Filter, 1998 Acura 3.2 TL, ABS light and TCS light are on, Repair shop says there are 2 ABS sensors out (right side). They want $540 to repair them and reset the light. Anyone have any ideas or is this a possible fix at home situation? Any help would be appreciat

When gas goes above 4 bucks a gallon, it's the premium cars who hurt the most...

rileyray3000 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:39:11 -0800

I want to use cheap gas in my 2006 Audi A4. Will this void my warranty? Basically with gas so high, filling up on premium is more of a pain than it used to be. I'm looking for any savings I can 30 cents a gallon difference in California wouldn't be bad. That said, I OWN the car and don't lease it so I don't want to ruin it. I plan on giving the car to my nephew when the warranty runs out in 2010 to be a cool uncle.

That said I would need to know

1) if it really hurts the car in any real way

2) If I DO use cheap gas, is there a computer or sensor doohickey that will tell the Audi people when I bring it in for scheduled maintenance

3) If they CAN tell somehow, will this void my warranty?

Any automotive or Audi experience will be appreciated.

Ice Ice Camry!

mattholomew — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:42:39 -0800

I have a 98 Camry with leather seats and I live in Arizona. As you may have surmised, I am an idiot. The car has been great though, and I'm not getting rid of it anytime soon. My problem is that I have a long commute and by the time I get to work or home my pants & the back of my shirt are plastered to me, no matter how much I blast the AC. I'm thinking I need some sort of seat pad that provides ventilation and maybe active cooling. Any recommendations?

The Compleat Idiot's Guide to Machine Shop

kableh — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:26:18 -0800

Machine shop for dummies? I've always wanted to learn my way around a machine shop. My uncle (NASA engineer) learned in college, and is an excellent machinist. Unfortunately my local community college doesn't offer machine shop. The big university nearby does, but that's out of the question for now.

I'm mechanically inclined, and I've done some very basic work on a lathe, but I'd like to learn more. I'm considering getting a low-end mill from Harbor Freight, or perhaps a used one. I'll still be farming out big stuff to a pro, but I'd like to learn the basics and be able to make some small, one off parts, while learning the tricks of the trade for when I do have to farm out work. I am mostly interested in this for automotive purposes.

So, there are a few books on Amazon, and a few online resources. But what's the Bible of Machine Shop? Is there a "Machine Shop for Dummies" that can get me started? And once I have the basics down, where do I go from there?

Also, am I wasting my money on getting a cheap Harbor Freight mill? I was leaning this direction because I'd eventually like to add CNC capability and I'm not afraid to DIY. I'd like to spend under $1000USD.

TIA!

"Ma'am, if you didn't have a vagina, these repairs would cost you considerably less."

numinous — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:55:45 -0800

[Automotive-Repair-Filter]: I dropped off my car at the dealership for it's scheduled maintenance and to have some loudness checked out. Now I'm being told that despite wheel-bearings being the noise-culprit, my car needs $1000+ worth of repairs. Am I getting shafted? After weeks (I know, I know) of my car growing louder and louder while driving at speeds greater than 40 mph, I finally dropped it off at the dealer to have the problem diagnosed (I know that going to a dealer is probably more expensive than a good mechanic will be. I only chose the dealer as my parents had given me the remaining balance on their Dealer Gift Card to use for payment). I dropped off my car - a 2001 Ford Focus Wagon - noting that my car grew increasingly louder at highway speeds, and that I needed the scheduled 75,000 maintenance.

Upon inspection, the service department representative called me and ran down a list of things that the mechanic felt needed repairing. They are (and seriously, I have no idea what half of this means):

^nd

^th

As an added bonus (read:WIN!), my car could stand for:

At the time of this posting, the rep. has given me a preliminary estimate of $890, which includes:

• the cost of the diagnosis ($100)
• transmission work ($605)
• my initial 75,000 mi. scheduled maintenance ($185)

but which does not include the cost of:

• wheel-bearings
• new tires
• new wiper-blades
• a brake-flush
• a power-steering flush
• replacement of bulbs
• all labor required therein

I am bottoming out on my loans as it is (thanks, university administration!), so paying this amount (a) seems like a joke, and (b) leaves me feeling apprehensive about putting food in my mouth for the next 3 months. For the diagnosis, transmission work, and 75k scheduled maintenance, does the amount of $890 seem reasonable? Am I being ripped-off? What is a reasonable price for this type of work? I live in Southern California, and the dealership is located in Costa Mesa, if this matters at all.

I would appreciate all input, as I will be speaking with the rep. sometime in the following day, and would like to go into the discussion equipped with the knowledge of whether I’m being taken for a ride, or if the amount appears reasonable. I will update this post with the additional estimates for the remaining work for which I have yet to receive the estimated amounts.

Please forgive the sarcastic tone of my post. I am feeling a little burnt by the feeling that I am being given a run for my money, and am not wholly trusting of dealerships that tend to exploit my automotive ignorance.

Pre-gapped sparkplugs

Aanidaani — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:54:46 -0800

Is there any difference in performance between pre-gapped sparkplugs (such as these) and ones that you have to gap yourself? I'm going to be replacing my sparkplugs soon and I wanted to make sure that these pre-gapped plugs aren't a problem. Assuming the gap is correct I can't see any reason why not to use them, but I wanted to see if anyone else had any experience with these types of plugs. Thanks!