The Car Talk Thread

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  • antriebantrieb Registered Users Posts: 285 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2007
    Post your most ghetto fix!
    Here’s my story, what’s yours?

    So my 530i has been running real rough lately and feels like it was only using 6 of its 8 cylinders. Not only that, but my check engine light is on and my gas mileage and power dropped drastically. I started with checking out all my vacuum lines and hoses. Everything looked okay so I took the ignition coils out. Here is my problem! On all 4 cylinders on the driver’s side, there were holes in each coil. The spark was going right through the sides! Here comes the ghetto fix; I took electrical tape and wrapped it around each coil about 10 times. Each layer of tape can take up to about 600 volts I believe so that should hold for a while :D
    121426791-L.jpg



    Then I took my spark plugs out and it looks like detonation. I bought 4 new ones and now the car runs perfect as it should.
    121426700-L.jpg


    121426616-L.jpg

    Good thing this motor won’t be in there for long!
    Photography runs in my blood :andy

    http://zwilliams.smugmug.com/
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited January 6, 2007
    Today's January 6th, right? I just wanted to check because I saw more motorcycles than cars today, and I myself was riding in just a t-shirt and my riding jacket. My thermometer read a max of 68.7F on my ride today. That just ain't right (but I ain't complainin' :D).
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2007
    antrieb wrote:
    Here’s my story, what’s yours?

    If only this thread were before the summer. About 4 years ago my driver's footrest (aka dead pedal) broke into about 4 pieces. I used some epoxy just to kinda keep it together, then took fiberglass cloth and used epoxy like paint to paint the fiberglass cloth onto the back (they still sell the part, but the plastic portion only comes in black now). Finally I found a palomino one in good shape at a junkyard this summer.
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited January 6, 2007
    BTW, a friend of mine picked up his dad's S500 from a dealership service and swings by my place. We head into town (I'm like 2 miles from town) and we hear a thunk thunk thunk (like a flat tire) and feel a vibration that matches it. We get out and check all the pressures and they're all fine. Whatever, we're where we want to be anyways so we get lunch, then go back to my house and decide to check the lug nuts just for fun since places tend to overtighten them. One will was simply handtightened. The lug wrench's weight alone (since I loosen before tightening with the torque wrench) was enought to turn the bolt. Tightened it up and the noise and vibration went away. I couldn't believe it. It's the best dealer in the area for service too (and there are 4 or 5 MB dealers in this area). They also left a rag on top of the brake fluid resevoir.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    If only this thread were before the summer. About 4 years ago my driver's footrest (aka dead pedal) broke into about 4 pieces. I used some epoxy just to kinda keep it together, then took fiberglass cloth and used epoxy like paint to paint the fiberglass cloth onto the back (they still sell the part, but the plastic portion only comes in black now). Finally I found a palomino one in good shape at a junkyard this summer.
    Im glad you brought that up actually. I just popped downstairs & took a quick pic of my old ute (i think you call them a pick-up)

    I was only yesterday thinking about putting foot rest in somehow...how would you suggest i mount it ? It should help its re-sale in the very the least as i was concidering trading it.


    121566266-L.jpg
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited January 7, 2007
    gus wrote:
    It should help its re-sale in the very the least as i was concidering trading it.

    Oh oh oh!!! Save it for me!!! lol3.gif
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • dragon300zxdragon300zx Registered Users Posts: 2,575 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    gus wrote:
    121566266-L.jpg

    Hey thats a Datsun, I want, I want, I want.
    Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.
    www.zxstudios.com
    http://creativedragonstudios.smugmug.com
  • antriebantrieb Registered Users Posts: 285 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    New "mod"
    Olivers car came with two of these key fob's that unlock, lock, and arm the cars alarm. Mine didn't come with any but it does have the alarm box.

    I called up the dealer and they said it costs $250 to reprogram one of the fob's to work with another car. Forget that! I unscrewed the back of the key fob and took the chip out. I opened the alarm box under the back seat and put the chip into the slot in the alarm box. I turned the ignition key and pressed a button and thats that! Took me 10 minutes and cost nothing.

    121635328-L.jpg
    (my first macro shot)
    Photography runs in my blood :andy

    http://zwilliams.smugmug.com/
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    DoctorIt wrote:
    Oh oh oh!!! Save it for me!!! lol3.gif
    Too much power for you me lad !
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    Hey thats a Datsun, I want, I want, I want.
    There would only be 20 for sale in the local rag on any week-end here.
  • dragon300zxdragon300zx Registered Users Posts: 2,575 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    gus wrote:
    There would only be 20 for sale in the local rag on any week-end here.

    Lucky, you are just plain lucky.
    Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.
    www.zxstudios.com
    http://creativedragonstudios.smugmug.com
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    Lucky, you are just plain lucky.
    LUCKY ??? They are asking between $500 & $1000 for them !
  • dragon300zxdragon300zx Registered Users Posts: 2,575 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    gus wrote:
    LUCKY ??? They are asking between $500 & $1000 for them !

    500-1000 US Dollars?

    Dude thats cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap. Thats what we pay for running cars that need a crap load of work done to them.
    Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.
    www.zxstudios.com
    http://creativedragonstudios.smugmug.com
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited January 7, 2007
    gus wrote:
    Too much power for you me lad !
    :cry
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    500-1000 US Dollars?

    Dude thats cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap. Thats what we pay for running cars that need a crap load of work done to them.
    Narr 0zzie shekles so take about 25% off for USD. Apprentices i work with put mazda 20B turbo rotaries in these little dato utes. They do some crazy shit to them.
  • dragon300zxdragon300zx Registered Users Posts: 2,575 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    gus wrote:
    Narr 0zzie shekles so take about 25% off for USD. Apprentices i work with put mazda 20B turbo rotaries in these little dato utes. They do some crazy shit to them.

    Ya know. Thats depressing. Oh the car stuff I could do if I lived over there. Argh.
    Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.
    www.zxstudios.com
    http://creativedragonstudios.smugmug.com
  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2007
    Just sold my gas guzzling BMW 740IL. Great car that was fun to drive, but 16mpg on a good day???rolleyes1.gif

    Came home with a cool, new...

    121797057-M.jpg

    Tired of waiting for BMW to step up to the plate in this market.
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2007
    Ya know. Thats depressing. Oh the car stuff I could do if I lived over there. Argh.
    Why cant you do it there ?
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,938 moderator
    edited January 8, 2007
    DoctorIt wrote:
    Today's January 6th, right? I just wanted to check because I saw more motorcycles than cars today, and I myself was riding in just a t-shirt and my riding jacket. My thermometer read a max of 68.7F on my ride today. That just ain't right (but I ain't complainin' :D).

    It's been in the 50's here. Maybe High 30's on Thursday (when I went up
    to Hedge's house). On Thursday, I swore I'd never bad mouth someone
    with heated seats on a M/C again...brrrr!
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • antriebantrieb Registered Users Posts: 285 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2007
    Mitchell wrote:
    Just sold my gas guzzling BMW 740IL. Great car that was fun to drive, but 16mpg on a good day???rolleyes1.gif

    Came home with a cool, new...

    121797057-M.jpg

    Tired of waiting for BMW to step up to the plate in this market.
    Cool, what year BMW was it? '95-'01? My favorite!
    Photography runs in my blood :andy

    http://zwilliams.smugmug.com/
  • dragon300zxdragon300zx Registered Users Posts: 2,575 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2007
    gus wrote:
    Why cant you do it there ?

    Due to goverment regulations there are alot of fun things that you can do with cars, that technically we aren't supposed to do here. That and to be honest thanks to govt regulations you guys get alot of really cool things over there that we don't get here. Thats why so many kids spend all of their money importing parts directly from japan, aus, and some european countries.
    Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.
    www.zxstudios.com
    http://creativedragonstudios.smugmug.com
  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2007
    antrieb wrote:
    Cool, what year BMW was it? '95-'01? My favorite!

    2000 740IL. What a great car. I owned it for 7 years without any trouble. As far as I'm concerned, it was the last great 7 series they made.

    Unfortunately, that beast really sucked down the fuel. I couldn't justify the low MPG, and my kids have been hassling me to get a hybrid.
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2007
    Due to goverment regulations there are alot of fun things that you can do with cars

    But who's actually checking that you aren't doing them?
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2007
    Mitchell wrote:
    Unfortunately, that beast really sucked down the fuel. I couldn't justify the low MPG, and my kids have been hassling me to get a hybrid.

    If I have kids, and they were hassling me to buy a hybrid (or anything), I would tell them they can get one once they've saved up the money. I like the Bill Cosby approach to parenting: your mother and I have money, you have nothing.
  • MitchellMitchell Registered Users Posts: 3,503 Major grins
    edited January 8, 2007
    If I have kids, and they were hassling me to buy a hybrid (or anything), I would tell them they can get one once they've saved up the money. I like the Bill Cosby approach to parenting: your mother and I have money, you have nothing.

    But think about the lessons learned here regarding being a more responsible consumer.

    The best tip I can give you about parenting is to let them "think" they've won once in a while.mwink.gif
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited January 11, 2007
    It's January, that means it's NAIAS time... best collection of photos I've found so far, here:
    http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/2007-Detroit-Auto-Show-50/page1/

    things of note:
    1. Lexus IS-F, hmmm
    2. Concept mustang is hideous
    3. Nothing new/exciting from BMW or Mercedes (sorry boys)
    4. the concept Jag coupe, rrrrrrr yum (pg 54ish)
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2007
    Gotta love a website that puts 95 pages of photos in no discernable order. What page is the mustang on?

    Are you talking about the Interceptor? That's not a mustang replacement concept. And I give it an A for innovation, I actually kinda like it (obviously though it needs some refinements and changes to go from concept to creation). For some reason it reminds me of a lead sled. 400hp doesn't hurt.

    Instrument cluster and steering wheel are stupid though.
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited January 11, 2007
    Gotta love a website that puts 95 pages of photos in no discernable order. What page is the mustang on?
    have you ever been to NAIAS? The order is actually pretty good, basically a walk through the exhibition hall in a fairly logical order. Well, except for all the gratuitous shots of the Lexus, they must have come back to that stall before heading downstairs to where all the chinese upstarts are kept (so I guess even that makes sense).
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]


  • dragon300zxdragon300zx Registered Users Posts: 2,575 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2007
    DoctorIt wrote:
    have you ever been to NAIAS? The order is actually pretty good, basically a walk through the exhibition hall in a fairly logical order. Well, except for all the gratuitous shots of the Lexus, they must have come back to that stall before heading downstairs to where all the chinese upstarts are kept (so I guess even that makes sense).

    NAIAS is great, one of the only good things about living near detroit (cause let me tell you the smell driving through detroit, not so good rolleyes1.gif ), but going to the autoshow is one of the only good things of winter.
    Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.
    www.zxstudios.com
    http://creativedragonstudios.smugmug.com
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2007
    DoctorIt wrote:
    have you ever been to NAIAS? The order is actually pretty good, basically a walk through the exhibition hall in a fairly logical order. Well, except for all the gratuitous shots of the Lexus, they must have come back to that stall before heading downstairs to where all the chinese upstarts are kept (so I guess even that makes sense).

    I think auto show photos should be organized alphabetically (by subject of course).
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