Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with fix

New bike, old bike?

suedehead — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:21:22 -0800

Should I get a new bike? Or should I fix my broken one? I was in a bicycle accident last September, in which I was side-winded by a livery cab. Miraculously, I'm fine, but the bike isn't: the wheels are bent, one bicycle pedal is warped towards the frame and so won't turn, and the force of the impact was strong enough to twist the handlebars and seat. I'm not sure how the frame is doing -- it's a double-butted steel frame (a Miyata 210 from 1984), but I don't know how to check for stress, cracks, or any problems. Due to neglect during the winter (since I couldn't ride it), the chain, gears, and steel wheels have now become rusted.

I now have a chance to buy a nice road bike for $200, that is fully tuned-up, with new tires, tubes, brakes, etc, and with the guarantee of future service.

When I got my old bike, I bought it for $80, and spent an equal amount (or more) on it tuning it, cleaning it up, replacing parts, etc. I'd like to imagine that the hassle and money involved will be similar in this case as well. Is it worth it to get a new bike, or should I spend $100+ on new wheels/tubes, new tires, a tune-up, a new chain, etc. and just fix my old bike with the hope that the frame will be okay?

(additional question: If the cost is the same, should I get brakes with suicide levers, or install interrupter brakes?)

Thank you, AskMe!

Electric car window won't stay up, how to fix?

jmitchell — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:27:09 -0800

Permanent, elegant solution for keeping an electric car window up? The cost to fix this at the dealer is prohibitive.

The car is a 2003 Buick Century. One of the back windows has stopped working, meaning we can no longer raise or lower the window via the switch. Worse yet, the glass pane of the window isn't stuck in up position, so it just keeps coming down.

I pulled the door cover off, to see if there was some was of propping the glass pane up, but it appears to be encase in the door frame itself, requiring heavy duty and expensive tools to get at.

We could stick plastic over it or do something similar but that is ugly and unsafe. Is there some way or method to simply pull the glass pane up manually and glue/seal it shut?

Help me Geek Squad these laptops!

whiskey point — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:00:37 -0800

2 used laptops: what to do with them? One will be new to me (from my wonderful girlfriend), one will be new to my grandma (from me) Part 1:
I'll be getting a ~2 year old Toshiba Satellite laptop, a pretty basic model with probably 512 mb of RAM and a smallish hard drive (no big deal, I have a My Book and am willing to upgrade RAM). What would you do with this machine, that has been taken care of very well - no downloads, etc., and only used for typing papers and surfing the web? I'm down for anything-I just want to make sure I optimize this computer as soon as possible. I'm into web surfing (generally 10-15 Firefox tabs open at a time), watching DVDs, and typing papers on the go (I have MS office). I'm also into photography, burning DVDs, and listening to a ton of music on itunes-but I deal with all of that on my high(er) performance desktop. Would Photoshop kill this machine? What are some of the applications you can't live with out? This will basically be a backup, take to school, and travel computer for me.
Part 2:
I'm going to give my grandma my 4.5 year old Compaq 2100. It's not in the best shape (I can no longer watch movies on it, probably a software problem I haven't taken the time to fix) and it runs slow. I'm thinking I'll re-install XP and start over from scratch-but what should I do after that? Does your grandma have a computer? She's kind of wary, but she's willing to give it a try. I'd like to make this as simple for her as possible: a gmail account, something to play DVDs, maybe something to help her with recipes-either looking them up or storing them, and any other suggestions you guys can throw out for me.

I'm sure some creeping on the MeFi archives would have helped a little, but I wanted to kill two birds with one stone and get both of these computers working to the best of their abilities.

Save my earphones!

PhatLobley — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:00:55 -0800

Can I fix my expensive earphones? Please note: I am clumsy and not inclined to fixing anything, let alone small, expensive things. I have a pair of Etymotic i6 Isolators that will be two years old shortly after Christmas. Recently (in the past couple of weeks) the left side has stopped working periodically. No sound will come out, but I can normally fix it by wiggling/ twisting/ bending the wire right where it enters the plug. I fear this means they'll be toast soon. Is there anything I can do to avoid having to replace the earphones I love so much? If you have step by step instructions that do not involve any surgical precision, I might be able to do what you suggest. Thanks!

Heater woes.

Darth Fedor — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:26:51 -0800

Can I fix my gas heater without hurting myself? My apartment's gas heater stopped working today. I took a look at it--the LED indicator flashes steadily, and the chart for LED indicator interpretation says that that means "Line voltage (115V) polarity reversed."

I don't know anything about heaters, but I am fairly proficient at splicing, crimping wires etc.

The heater has an automatic electric ignition system--no pilot light.

To my untrained eye, a reversed polarity sounds like a fairly isolated problem, and if I can fix it myself immediately without having to call for help, I'd prefer it.

Is this something I can safely fix myself? If so, how?

It's cold in here.

When my taillights are on, my brake lights don't work. How to fix?

k7lim — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:06:50 -0800

While my taillights are off, my brake lights work just fine. When they are on, my left one goes out. How can I fix this? I'm driving a mid 80's Volvo. My car uses the same bulb for taillight and brake-light. Basically, while my taillights are supposed to be on, and I step on the brakes, that entire bulb turns off (on the left side). Head/Tail lights switched OFF, foot ON the brake, brake light is illuminated. (as it should be)

Head/Tail lights switched ON, foot off the brake, tail light is illuminated. (as it should be)

Head/Tail lights switched ON, foot ON the brake, tail/brake light bulb is out. (broken!)

Jacquelyn of Many Trades

PinkButterfly — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:48:34 -0800

What things should I learn how to fix? I'd like to be a handy person.

Recently, I've had car troubles and I've been trying to learn more about cars so that I can make simple repairs myself in the future instead of paying for them.

What other things should I learn how to fix? I'd like suggestions of things that are simple to learn and useful to know. These could be things around the house, in the car, at the office, etc.

I have a bit of time and I'm really interested in learning how to do a variety of things so even random, weird suggestions are welcome.

Links to instructions would be helpful as well.

Thanks everyone!

Also, if you have stories of how you found knowing how to repair certain things to be useful in your life, I'd appreciate those too.

Help me find a tool to enlarge this image.

jammnrose — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:00:03 -0800

What would be the best tool/program to enhance/enlarge/de-noise this image. I am looking for a way to resize this so I can have it made into a poster while still having decent quality. Any ideas?

Can I Fix My Indexed Shifter?

Alterscape — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:37:23 -0800

My new-to-me Schwinn Frontier mountain bike's indexed shifter for the rear gears is unwell. Help me nurse it back to health. I got a great price on a used Schwinn Frontier mtb, in part because the shifter doesn't want to downshift below 5th gear on the rear. It's a Shimano indexed "pull with index finger to shift up, press with thumb to shift down" sort of shifter, integrated with the brake lever. When you press the "shift down" lever in 5th gear, there's no tension/resistance on the lever (as in the higher gears) and nothing happens on the rear end. I suspect something inside is mucked up.

I'm not horribly concerned because I plan to use the bike mainly for short-range commuting and my commute is 100% flat (so high-gear appropriate) but I'd really like to fix it so I can take the bike off-road with friends. Google shows a lot of depressing Shimano repair attempt stories. Should I take it to a bike shop, try and fix it myself, or just give up and live with a 12-speed instead of a 21-speed?

Learning stick is the easy part.

thetenthstory — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:34:18 -0800

I have a 1964 (and a half) Mustang. The only problem is that it has not run since 1981. It has been on blocks in the garage. How much would it cost me to get it on the road again? I have an interest to restore the car but every person with car knowledge has given me a different opinion on what I could do myself, have others do, if I should keep it historic, what parts I should sell off it, etc. I know the basics of how to replace simple things but not major ones.

The car was gifted to me for a dollar 5 years ago. From my understanding, these were the major problems:
1. The wiring was starting to go.
2. One of the brake lines may have popped.
3. Engine was running but probably needs someone to work on a valve.
It was generating smoke and probably would not pass the state
inspection. Not to mention it has not run in 26 years.

I do not have any interest in selling the car.

I have not had someone come give me an estimate on what it would cost me to fix it up, but I figured the MeFi's are smart enough or could speak from experience. I would also appreciate advice on whether to keep it historic or not.

Bonus questions: Can anyone recommend someone near NYC that
specializes in fixing historic cars? Also, what the insurance would be for a clean record driver?

Need REALLY STRONG glue to fix a chair

beammeup4 — Thu, 24 May 2007 10:40:59 -0800

Need something stronger than epoxy to fix a plastic office chair arm I've got an office chair consisting of rigid plastic armrests that are sort of rounded rectangle shape (the bottom and one side are bolted to the seat and back of the chair itself.

The armrest broke, so I put epoxy on it and wrapped a bungee cord around it so it would hold its shape. Unfortunately, the epoxy wasn't strong enough to withstand the pressure of its own shape and of me leaning back in the chair and promptly broke.

What do you recommend I use to fix this armrest that will be able to withstand the force of me leaning back on it. I'm surprised because the epoxy says it can withstand 1000+ lbs. of force

How to remove broken power adapter stem from inside laptop?

GPF — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:53:43 -0800

The tip (inside stem) of my power adapter broke off in my wife's computer (White iBook G4). Thus, its unable to recharge. How do I get it out? What are these parts called so I can look it up at an appropriate place? I'm headed out of town in the next couple of days and I'd like to not leave one of us without a computer. The Apple store is too far away. Local techs would charge this stingy guy too much.

All the data is backed up sufficiently.

I'm not afraid to open the computer up, but would rather not go rooting around without at least a guide. Too, if there's a clever or magical fix I'd love to hear about it. Searches haven't been fruitful. Am I using the right terminology?

The male part of the power adapter -- the thin stem -- broke off near the tip and is now lodged in the female power reciever in the side of the portable computer.

My scroll wheel hardly works anymore!

DMan — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 07:49:25 -0800

My mouse scroll wheel is acting really strange. Can it be fixed? I have a nice Logitech mouse that I've had for about two years, and up until now it's worked great. Recently, however, the scroll wheel has been acting up. It feels very sluggish when I use it, and sometimes it's extremely hard to turn. Another annoying aspect of it is that I tend to accidentally click the wheel button while I'm trying to scroll it, which immediately stops the scrolling function. So basically, this is a problem that's pretty hard for me to live with.

I'd really like to not replace the mouse if I can help it--it cost $100 new, and I don't really want to spend the money on a new one if I can save this. Mouse is a Logitech MX1000.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

PC Repairs Through Remote Capabilities

Mckoan1 — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 09:00:49 -0800

Is there a Remote Help Service that assists customers with PC problems. XP allows users to use their remote capabilities. Is there a company that is able to fix register problems, ect by using this remote capability?

loose chain + washing machine pump = help!

WidgetAlley — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:09:45 -0800

Laundryfilter: Emergency washing machine help, please! I've got something stuck in my washing machine pump-- is there any way to get it out? I was doing laundry this morning and forgot to take my favorite necklace out of the pocket of my jeans before washing them. The pendant was in the bottom of the washer, but not the chain. I started the next load of laundry, thinking maybe the chain had fallen out of my pocket somewhere, and lo and behold! A hideous whirring noise and a water leak from the bottom of my washer indicated that my chain had gotten sucked into the pump or somewhere very similar somehow.

Is there any way I can get in there to remove this, barring the use of a large sledgehammer and several dozen burly men? Can my washing machine be saved? What kind of damage would do this do? Is it dead forever, or doomed to a life of sounding funny and leaking out the bottom? I've got zero experience deconstructing washing machines, but I do at least know how to use a screwdriver.

It's a Maytag Performa, several years old, if that helps at all. Thanking you in advance, MeFites!

Fixing a water-logged cassette tape

0bvious — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 09:45:59 -0800

I have an audio cassette tape which has been waterlogged and soaked in dirt for over 10 years. What are my options for respooling/fixing the tape with its contents intact? The cassette was buried in a badly contained time-capsule in my garden. We jut dug it up and found the whole thing soaked in filth. You can see pictures of the unveiling here.

Any tips on tape restoration very welcome...

Ack! A Crack In The Wall!

inigo2 — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 13:37:25 -0800

There's a small crack/dent in the wall by my door where it got kicked by accident. What's my best bet on fixing it? I don't need it to be perfect, but good enough to not be obvious. I've uploaded a few pics. My initial thoughts were to throw some spackle over the crack/hole, smooth it over, and then paint. Or should I just be trying to find someone to pay to do this? Thanks!

How can I separate the two halves of my cocktail shaker?

tweebiscuit — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 10:52:55 -0800

A few months ago I received a metal cocktail shaker as a gift. The first time I used it with ice, the top and bottom became welded together, presumably because the cold caused the metal to expand. Fast forward to the present -- they're still stuck fast, and I'm sick of gin and tonics. How can I get them apart and get back to mixologizing? When I made the first drink, it got cold enough that the outside frosted. I assumed it would loosen up if I gave it some time, but boy, was I wrong. I've tried everything -- heating it, freezing it, applying lots of force, and prying it. (The latter failed because the rim of the top and the "shaker" portions are so close together that I can't even fit anything into the gap, and the metal is strong enough that I can't bend it.) At this point they almost seem bonded together -- I haven't been able to get them to budge a millimeter since April.

What can I do to get them apart? I don't have a lot of mechanical skill / equipment, so I'm looking for a solution that I can perform with normal household items.

Sound editing: Getting rid of regular clicks?

anonymoose — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 23:47:28 -0800

How do I get rid of these tiny clicks in the left channel of this audio file, every 10 seconds? I have a live recording, made straight to CD. It's a little scratched up, and I imported it into iTunes with error correction. The mp3 has little clicks in the left channel, every 10 seconds. Questions:

1) Is this likely due to CD scratches, or something in the recording process? (Will a scratch on a CD produce this sort of 1-channel, 10-second interval, regular clicking?)
2) If so, can I get rid of it with better cleaning of the CD? (I've tried wiping it radially outward with a soft lens-cleaning cloth, with no luck)
3) If not, is there anything I can do to get rid of it without impacting the sound quality?

Gatorade on a digicam... too corrosive to salvage?

trinarian — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 06:40:44 -0800

Gatorade on a digicam... too corrosive to salvage? A coworker spilled Gatorade on his $300 digital camera and has given it to me since I claim I can maybe fix it. I tried soaking it in bottled water, as has worked on cell phones before, but it didn't work. Another AskMe thread mentioned a Gatorade spill corroding electronics....

is this camera salvageable? Is there something that might remove the corrosion inside?

Apparently, it's best not to drop television sets.

Afroblanco — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 19:10:19 -0800

I dropped my TV a few times, and now the color is messed up in a few spots. Is there anything to be done? The TV is an old-school 32" Sony Trinitron. We dropped it a couple of times whilst moving it. D'oh! Now there are 3 spots where the color is a little weird - along the top near the left and right corners, and along the bottom near the right corner. When I have it on the plain DVD bluescreen, the two spots along the top are greenish, and the spot along the bottom is reddish.

I looked for a "degauss" button, or something similar, and couldn't find it. Is there some sort of DIY way to fix this?

(I should mention that except for the aforementioned color spots, the TV appears to be working fine.)

How can I become AppleCare?

weaponsgradecarp — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:19:27 -0800

AppleTechFilter: What would it take to become an Apple Authorized Service Tech? Over the past year, I've done a couple of repairs on out of warrantee Apple laptops (i.e. hard drive replacements, hinge mount/cluth cover swaps on old TiBooks), and I found that despite my totally anxiety, they went without incident. this, combined with an existing skill at wintel desktop internal work and whatnot, have driven me to this question.

What would it take to become Apple certified?

From what I understand, this offers a few benefits:
1) Any repair I do is covered for 90 days, plus warantees that exist on the computer (if applicable)
2) I can order my replacement parts from Apple (less reliance on ebay)
3) I could probably get an apple tshirt
4) Discounts on apple products (i think, I can't be sure)...

My google-fu brought up Apple's 300 dollar training course, which prepares me for their exams, but apparently that still does not give me the right to make repairs in Apple's name, so to speak.

How does one go about this?

(this would not be a regular storefront/online business, just me doing repairs in my house, essentially)

Bypass administrator priveleges!?!?

nserrano — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 13:09:03 -0800

What did I do to gain Administrator privileges to install software and how can I do it again? Background info: I work for a company that restricts users to install software in the C:\Program files folder. People can't install Yahoo or MSN messenger nor programs that install themselves (meaning you can't change the installation location). I did however found out you can install a program directly to the c: drive or to the users folder, that is if you can change the location when installing the program. I also have access to manipulate the registry. This still does not let me install yahoo or msn messenger or a few other programs. I can't even pull up the date/time window.
What I did: I downloaded the trial version of ABBYY Finereader Pro and installed it successfully. When I tried to uninstall it through add/remove option in windows, it didn't let me (told me it was busy even after closing it in task manager) so I went to the registry and deleted all traces of the program (I went to find and searched everything with ABBYY and Finereader and just deleted everything that came up. I know that was stupid.) When I tried to install it again, it gave me a registry error so I couldn't install it again. I searched the internet with the error ("the configuration data for this product is corrupt") and was told to add an "installation key" and some other keys (one of the websites is http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=knowledgebase.techarticles.articleShow&d=24710). Also I downloaded PCmechanic and tried to fix the registry. The last thing was to download a program from microsoft )Windows Installer CleanUp Utility from http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301) to recover the registry (funny thing is that I could install everything else but not ABBYY again). after all those steps I was able to install ABBYY again. Something that I did or one of the programs I did gave me access to install any program I desired without the "Administrator access required" box. Can anyone tell me what I did and how can I do it again without doing all those steps again? I'm running Windows XP Pro. Let me know if you need any further information.

Help me be a nice guy

lpctstr; — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:09:14 -0800

How can I fix my friend's car scratch? Somebody keyed my friend's car in a parking lot when we were out a few days ago. There is a scratch (white scratch on midnight blue) that runs across 2 doors. It's just barely deep enough that I can feel it with my eyes closed. I want to fix it up for her as a surprise. Is this an easy thing to do? Do I just need to get touchup paint? Multiple layers? I don't want to mess it up more.

Help me remove my window sash lock screws please

thewiseacre — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:20:35 -0800

How do I remove my window sash lock? My sash lock is broken on my double-hung window. It has two screws (per piece) that fasten it to the window sash.

All the new sash locks seem to use phillips head screws, but the kind of screws I have are funky and cannot be used with a regular screwdriver...the screw heads are designed to only tighten and not unscrew unless you have a special tool. It looks like a funky looking phillips insert-hole in the screw head...almost like the indentation is inversed. No, it's not a torx or hex or something that I've ever seen before.