The Car Maintenance Thread

[mr m]

I bought the mid-line Craftsman tool boxes. All the drawers were ball-bearing slides which is nice when they're loaded with tools. The top lid is flimsy but like you guys as an amateur wrench twister I don't need top of the line.

One of my clients spent over 20K on two SnapOn toolboxes! Heirloom quality but you can buy a brand new economy car with AC and tunes for that amount of loot.

I also shop at HF. As some of you mentioned you have to watch what you buy but there are worthwhile bargains. I'm looking to replace an old floor jack and they have a couple of 3 ton, quick-lift models. They have a really nice aluminum floor jack but too pricey for me so heavy steel it is.

 

[coffee]

Well, I figure its time to update the car maintenance thread

Its been a long busy winter and I have done some major repairs to the car.

First off, I got so upset with my ABS issue in the backend of the car that I bought a new harness for the back ABS tires. This ran me about 22 bucks. I was surprised that it didnt run more. The cable connects both back tires to a main cable run. I had to solder it in to a "quad" connector and then used some electrical tape and shrink tubing. Took me about 3 hours to do this as I had to get underneath and yank out all the old and damaged cabling. Then get the new one in. Now the ABS works as it should

I finally decided to replace the rims and tires on the car today. I was always getting these alerts on my car "XXXX tire pressure low" and I would have to keep filling them about every 2 weeks or so. Well, Found out the reason on that. The chrome rims are pitting and peeling. So, Since the tires were worn out I decided to replace the bad rims too. I have to say, The difference in the ride after the new tires and rims is unbelievable! Its like a new car. I didnt think that my old tires were that bad. I have also read a lot about the poor rims that GM had on some of their cars. My car is a 2008 lucerne and the chrome was just peeling right off them! So, I always get the best tires I can afford and I went with the Michelin top end model with the 90,000 warranty.

A close up look at em:

Nothing really flashy. I dont want the police pulling me over all the time (lol).

My last project was replacing the windshield wiper solvent low sensor. That was pretty darn easy.

So, Now a good cleaning is in order and probably a coolant change soon and everything is ready to go!!

coffee

 

[Moltuae]

Very shiny Coffee! Looks nice. I don't think we have those cars in the UK.

I've spent a small fortune on my IT emergency response vehicle over the last 6 months. Had new Brembo discs and pads all round, complete suspension rebuild (replaced every single link and arm and fitted new Bilstein shocks) and also numerous other bodywork and maintenance work.

It's booked in for detailing next week, to remove paint swirls and make it look brand new again.

People probably think I'm insane spending so much to maintain and run such and old car (it's a 13 year old 'Final Edition' Audi S8), but they're a pretty rare beast and soooo nice to drive (not to mention very fast!)

Here's how it looked a few months ago after a quick spit and polish ...

 

[coffee]

Now that looks sharp! I like the looks of your car a lot.

I have noticed that when you pull up to a customers location in a car like yours or mine they are impressed.

I have some things still to do on my car:

1. Clean it out, Wax job.
2. Fix the front strut bearings. I get the "clunk, clunk" when turning the steering wheel.
3. Getting time for its first coolant flush. I havent done it since I have had it.

I have been slowly bringing this car back to life. I actually bought this from a dealer it was their advertised special. I figured there would be alot wrong with it but if I can get them down on price I can do the repairs myself. That is what I have been doing.

I was a bit shocked at the price of the tires. This Buick has 17 inch tires.

Michelin Defenders.

Thanks for the reply,

 

[Moltuae]

I have noticed that when you pull up to a customers location in a car like yours or mine they are impressed.

True. Certainly I think a well-presented and cared-for vehicle helps to give them confidence, such that someone who takes pride in their car and appearance, probably takes pride in their work too.

I get remarks about my car from customers all the time. I think for some, they're just surprised that, being a techie, I'm not driving around in some ultra-modern, brand-new, hi-tech, eco-friendly, micro vehicle. Cars generally don't get much bigger than this over here, so it stands out from the crowd a little.

 

[FremontPC]

Coffee, check out your CV joints too. I would expect strut bearings to clunk whether or not you turn the steering wheel (like if you're going straight over a rough road). CV joints will make a rhythmic click/clunk when you're making a tight(er) turn until you ease up on the wheel. Usually it's the outboard joints that get the beating. If you can get a clunk just rocking the wheel from side to side when in park, have a look at the tie rod ends and steering rack mounts.

Consider distilled water for the antifreeze/water mix. Cheap and it keeps the tubes in the radiator from loading up with minerals.

 

[coffee]

Coffee, check out your CV joints too. I would expect strut bearings to clunk whether or not you turn the steering wheel (like if you're going straight over a rough road). CV joints will make a rhythmic click/clunk when you're making a tight(er) turn until you ease up on the wheel. Usually it's the outboard joints that get the beating. If you can get a clunk just rocking the wheel from side to side when in park, have a look at the tie rod ends and steering rack mounts.

Consider distilled water for the antifreeze/water mix. Cheap and it keeps the tubes in the radiator from loading up with minerals.

Well, Good points to be sure....

I checked the bearing packs for the struts and they are causing the problem. I do not even have to be moving and if I turn the steering wheel just a little I can hear the dull sounding "clunk".

What bums me out is that they do not make pre-loaded struts for my car. I mean, If I am going to replace the bearings then might just look into new struts too. I have over 100k miles on the car and I do not think it would be a bad investment.

I will say, Replacing the tires for some reason has really made a big difference in the handling of the car.

Thank you,

 

[Geek007]

Wow! You've done a bloody good job on that car. Looks brand new.

 

[coffee]

Wow! You've done a bloody good job on that car. Looks brand new.

Thank you

I did screw up according to my neighbor. I should have kept the hubs and taken them to the junk yard. He said I could get about 15 bucks or so per hub. DARN.

 

[FremontPC]

I will say, Replacing the tires for some reason has really made a big difference in the handling of the car.

New tires can do that, for sure. They're often quieter too, a real bonus. When you get your strut bearings replaced, it will only add to the effect. After the old ones get beaten by the road for so many miles, they just don't perform as well.

Perhaps you could get a couple of used strut assy's from the wrecking yard, then take them to a shop along with your new bearings, maybe new strut cartridges of your choice (Bilstein, etc) and get them rebuilt . Then, when time allows, you slip in the freshly rebuilt units? Maybe a good time to swap out the lower control arms with new as well, then take it in for an alignment and let them dial it in right.

 

[Geek007]

Thank you

I did screw up according to my neighbor. I should have kept the hubs and taken them to the junk yard. He said I could get about 15 bucks or so per hub. DARN.

Sorry coffee, think I've made a mistake. Just realised I was looking at Moltuaes' pictures, in particular the interior one. Looks like it's just come out of a showroom! However, from your pics, looks like you've done a really good job too (I like the rims in particular, nice!).
Sometimes I just don't get the amount people spend on their vehicles, especially when they're not exactly brand new, like ten years old plus eg. (don't get me wrong though, I like looking after mine).

I know this is going off-topic a bit, but I'm interested in this "IT emergency response vehicle" thing of yours Moltuae. Are you saying that you've got two vehicles then? And how does this emergency thing work? Why do you feel you need two vehicles? If there's a link to another thread about this, then fire away.

 

[Moltuae]

I know this is going off-topic a bit, but I'm interested in this "IT emergency response vehicle" thing of yours Moltuae. Are you saying that you've got two vehicles then? And how does this emergency thing work? Why do you feel you need two vehicles? If there's a link to another thread about this, then fire away.

Nah, just the one vehicle. But most of my journeys in it involve responding to some sort of IT emergency.

I used to hate the hassle of having to drop everything to go out and respond to a call. Now that I can roar off in a big powerful V8, I look forward to emergency calls

I think you have to be a petrol-head to understand petrol-heads and their obsessive car maintenance. I think sometimes people are born petrol-heads and sometimes it's just owning the right car that makes people become petrol-heads. I've always liked cars, particularly powerful ones, but some cars, like these early S8s, are something special.

 

[brandonkick]

My old 99 2 door monte carlo is in for some TLC here soon. I have had it since 2006 and she just crested 177,000 miles,
I do believe it had just under 100,000 when I bought it for $4000. For being over 16 years old the car has just now
finally started to show signs of rusting under neath. I've had to put very very little into the car since I've had it.


Right now it needs:

Drivers seat replaced
Rotors
Break pads
New suspension parts all around


Honorable mention goes to the paint damage:

A few years ago some friends and I were on our way to Philadelphia PA for a cheese steak run (we live about 3 hours away) and
when traveling down the PA turn pike the rear windshield in my car shattered. It has those built in defroster grid lines, and one of
the wires came off of the metal plate and touched the glass...... sent glass everywhere. That tore up the paint on the trunk pretty good
and we tried to tape on a piece of plastic to cover it incase it rained.... well the plastic wouldn't stay put worth crap and the tape ripped off more paint just behind the rear windows on each side. To ice the cake, two spots on the roof about the size of a soft ball (maybe slightly bigger) have peeled off and now have a nice layer of surface rust.

I don't know if I'm going to fix the paint damage or not. The car doesn't book for anything anymore and I'll probably never sell it, just run it straight into the ground. I'm hoping to get at least 3 more years out of it, and I'll run it as long as it wants to run. The only real gripe I have is that the gas mileage could be better, but for a car that old with a 3.1 V6 it's understandable. She gets around 15-16 city and probably 19-20 highway. Working from home as a software developer I usually don't drive over 5,000 miles in a year anyways.

A/C doesn't work either, but I don't care

 

[coffee]

Sorry coffee, think I've made a mistake. Just realised I was looking at Moltuaes' pictures, in particular the interior one. Looks like it's just come out of a showroom! However, from your pics, looks like you've done a really good job too (I like the rims in particular, nice!).
Sometimes I just don't get the amount people spend on their vehicles, especially when they're not exactly brand new, like ten years old plus eg. (don't get me wrong though, I like looking after mine).

I know this is going off-topic a bit, but I'm interested in this "IT emergency response vehicle" thing of yours Moltuae. Are you saying that you've got two vehicles then? And how does this emergency thing work? Why do you feel you need two vehicles? If there's a link to another thread about this, then fire away.

Not the best interior shot of my car. I have tan bucket leather seats. Radio I put in about two years ago now I think. Has blue tooth so I make calls and answer them from the radio. Works pretty good.

I am not a "Petrol head" I dont think But keeping the car in good shape means it lasts longer. I have no payments on it and paid cash for it when I bought it. So, Big incentive to keep it in good shape. Where I live there is a lot of open miles between stops. You have to have a decent car or its almost impossible to get around - Unless you live in a big city and do not need a car.

 

[coffee]

They do now make a quick strut for my Buick Lucerne! This is the way I will probably go when I get a chance (money) to get them. Not a bad price for the complete assembly and includes both right and left side struts.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-NEW-Buick...s-/161082649837?fits=Make:Buick|Model:Lucerne

 

[Moltuae]

I'd get that steering wheel fixed first, Coffee, it's on the wrong side!

Looks nice though. I like the contrast of dark coloured cars with clean pale-coloured interiors.

I've contemplated changing my OEM head unit for something like that on numerous occasions, but mine has an awkward shaped surround that would make it difficult to do neatly. Also, the OEM sat nav communicates with the instrument cluster to provide driver prompts and information, which I find useful. Instead, I just bought the latest navigation disc and installed an XCarLink unit to provide the bluetooth connectivity.

Out of interest, I just looked up the Buick Lucerne, since I don't recall ever seeing one over here. Searching AutoTrader (one of the UK's most popular ways of buying and selling cars), there are but 2 Buicks for sale, neither of which are Lucernes! .... And not a single Lucerne on Ebay (UK) either! This Buick (link to ad) might make for a cool IT response vehicle though

 

[Geek007]

@coffee - well, from the limited photo.... like the dashboard colour scheme, I could live with that myself. Very clean and smart looking, well done.

Don't think I'm a true 'petrol-head', but I do enjoy maintaining my own car - the sense of satisfaction you get from doing jobs yourself - knowing that the job has been done properly as well. And knowing that I've saved myself the garage fees also. Pride of ownership etc
Liked the steering wheel on the wrong side joke

 

[coffee]

I'd get that steering wheel fixed first, Coffee, it's on the wrong side!

Looks nice though. I like the contrast of dark coloured cars with clean pale-coloured interiors.

I've contemplated changing my OEM head unit for something like that on numerous occasions, but mine has an awkward shaped surround that would make it difficult to do neatly. Also, the OEM sat nav communicates with the instrument cluster to provide driver prompts and information, which I find useful. Instead, I just bought the latest navigation disc and installed an XCarLink unit to provide the bluetooth connectivity.

Out of interest, I just looked up the Buick Lucerne, since I don't recall ever seeing one over here. Searching AutoTrader (one of the UK's most popular ways of buying and selling cars), there are but 2 Buicks for sale, neither of which are Lucernes! .... And not a single Lucerne on Ebay (UK) either! This Buick (link to ad) might make for a cool IT response vehicle though

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



The reason you do not see them in Europe or Great Britain is that they are too big:

See? It doesnt fit.

 

[coffee]

Found a "Foreign Car" for sale on a used car lot close to where I live. So, Thought I would pull in for a comparison

 

[Moltuae]

lol

Yeah, such 'toy' cars do seem to be quite popular on this side of the pond. Mine 'fits' (just about), so size can't be the only reason. It can be difficult finding large enough parking spaces in a big car over here though.

Those Lucernes are deceptively large. At first glance I assumed it was a mid-sized saloon/sedan but looking at the specs, it's actually a very similar size to my car, which falls in the large/executive class.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Lucerne
Wheelbase: 115.6 in (2,936 mm)
Length 203.2 in (5,161 mm)
Width 73.8 in (1,875 mm)
Height 58.0 in (1,473 mm)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A8
Wheelbase: 2,882 mm (113.5 in)
Length: 5,034 mm (198.2 in)
Width 1,880 mm (74.0 in)
Height 1,438 mm (56.6 in)

Almost identical sizes, give or take an inch or five.


Here's a similar size comparison photo of an A8/S8, with some smaller cars in the background:
http://i.imgur.com/DeSIE11.jpg
(you may need to look beyond the legs to see the cars)