Vehicle Maintenace General

[Mojo Thief]

Unironically I would recommend anything with Toyota's hybrid system. The transmission is an electric motor planetary gearbox, and one thing I know for sure about electric motors is that they can run for ages with basically no maintenance besides cleaning out fans to make sure they don't overheat.

Priuses can run for 500k+ miles as taxis in NYC with almost no maintenance besides oil changes, which means they will survive your usage as well. Additionally, the hybrid system means you will be consuming a lot less gas, which keeps your running costs even lower.

There's the whole meme about batteries wearing out around the 10 year mark, but let's be real, 10 years is a long time, and if you're handy you can replace individual modules as they go bad, which you can buy reconditioned from various vendors.

If you don't want batteries because you think Priuses are for tree-hugging fags, then the last-gen Toyota Tundra is what you want. That V8 was made for over a decade and is about as stout as it gets; I remember reading about a guy who worked as medical courier put about 1 million miles on his, and it was still on the original engine and transmission. That said, that V8 has a drinking problem, and it will hurt your wallet to keep it fed.

If you want the upmost reliability, the last-gen (i.e. up to 2019 in the U.S.) Toyota Land Cruiser is your only option. It's the only vehicle made recently that is still designed to last 20 years with minimal maintenance. You will pay for the privilege, though, both upfront and in fuel.

 

[Jump]

They’re all traditional lights, but knowing that about LEDs is something to consider if I need to replace them.

Did someone nigger rig in a trailer light harness?

Did you try swaping the blinker flasher with the one for the hazard lights?
Did you actually walk around the truck and make sure every bulb is lit?
Do the green arrows light up a little bit when you step on the brakes?

 

[orang]

The trouble is having a gm transmission though... start saving for a rebuild or replacement.

I cant imagine it will cost that much for a fresh rebuild as its only a 4 speed. But luckily with 20 year old domestic vehichles is parts are dirt cheap. Junk yard and rock auto are king

 

[Abella]

Did someone nigger rig in a trailer light harness?

No, that was something I was afraid of when I first saw the truck. I remember someone did that with a ‘00 and messed up the electrical somehow.

Did you try swaping the blinker flasher with the one for the hazard lights?
Did you actually walk around the truck and make sure every bulb is lit?
Do the green arrows light up a little bit when you step on the brakes?

I checked all of the lights, they just stay on with the green arrows when I use the turn signals until I switch them off but will blink along with the green arrows when the hazards are on. I’ll try swapping them when I get a chance.

The blinkers luckily don’t come on when I brake. I wasn’t aware that the ‘94 had two systems for the turn signal and hazards, but it’s gotta be fixable. Those little trucks were made to last.

 

[DavidS877]

No, that was something I was afraid of when I first saw the truck. I remember someone did that with a ‘00 and messed up the electrical somehow.

I checked all of the lights, they just stay on with the green arrows when I use the turn signals until I switch them off but will blink along with the green arrows when the hazards are on. I’ll try swapping them when I get a chance.

The blinkers luckily don’t come on when I brake. I wasn’t aware that the ‘94 had two systems for the turn signal and hazards, but it’s gotta be fixable. Those little trucks were made to last.

Ok, when you turn on a turn signal does one green light(and corresponding outside lights) come on or is it both?

If it's both it would seem to be the switch. If you can get to the wiring harness and have the wiring diagram you could disconnect and then jumper the appropriate pins and pretend to be the switch yourself.

 

[Abella]

Ok, when you turn on a turn signal does one green light(and corresponding outside lights) come on or is it both?

If it's both it would seem to be the switch. If you can get to the wiring harness and have the wiring diagram you could disconnect and then jumper the appropriate pins and pretend to be the switch yourself.

It’s whatever one I’m turning on. I’m going to try to swap the flashers if I can, and if not then that’s the next step. There’s also apparently this little bastard in the steering column and I dread having to take it apart to replace it. I hope that it won’t come to that but it’s not something that’s impossible to fix.

 

[Pee Cola]

If you drive a Ford made from about 1996 onwards, FORScan is your friend. A decent FORScan OBDII to USB cable or Bluetooth module isn't expensive, and you'll get way better diagnostics than you would from an entry level universal OBDII scanner (though one of these is still well worth the money irrespective of what you drive).

As for which Fords... avoid the ones with the PowerShift tranny, as those are even worse than VW's DSG. Actually avoid dual clutch transmissions entirely.

It also depends on where you live:
- USA: Panther platform (Crown Vic etc) or F-Series truck
- Australia: AU or B-Series Falcon
- Europe: not sure... but probably a pre-2010 Focus or Mondeo (I had a MkI Mondeo BITD and I didn't have any major problems with it)

 

[Abella]

Managed to fix my flasher by replacing it with one I found in the salvage yard this morning. I don’t understand how the one I found in the salvage yard that’s god knows how old works great but the one I got at o’reilly’s didn’t.

 

[ObeseScreamingBlackMan]

Any time I'd replace a small, inexpensive electrical/electronic part with O'NapaZone's shit aftermarket replacement parts I'd always get a couple in case one didn't work or quit working in the near future. And keep the receipt in the car for returns.

 

[Abella]

I already don’t like those places as it is, but that kind of experience just adds to it.

 

[God's drunkest driver]

Disclaimer: I am a retard, not an ASS certified union local 333 mastur mekanic, however I am a retard who can machine, fabricate, weld, wire and upholster. Car thread participants will know from my stable that I am definitely retarded and own demanding cars.

DONT DO

• AC Service - Unless your car takes R12 you need to put the correct amount in the AC system. The R134a recharge kits they sell at the parts house do not work. Pay for it, you'll be money ahead.

Alternatively
>scavenge AC compressors from trashpile windowshakers
>use them as vacuum pumps until they die by finding an NPT to R134 can fitting adapter and brazing an NPT fitting onto the suction side of the compressor, you can just use hose and a barb to attach your NPT fitting instead of brazing
>craigslist find set of 20 year old manifold gauges
>basic hand tools and repair book common sense
>fixed AC in several of my cars and several friend's cars over the years
>recover refrigerant and re-use it over the years by submerging empty refrigerant cans in icy salt water, which enabled me to recover over 85% of the charge by weight

Substitute amazon/harbor freight vacuum pumps and manifold gauges as you can afford, always use oil that has UV dye in it, budget AC repair is definitely not out of reach for the home mechanic. I don't even consider it difficult unless you are working on a car that presents access issues or for instance pulling an entire dashboard assembly out to replace an evaporator. Even fixing a black death compressor death afflicted ford isn't that hard, you can just replace the evaporator, orifice tube, drier and condenser, pour alcohol into the lines and blast it out with compressed air. Once you understand the principles of operation, learn to work in a clean and patient manner and read some AC service books you are good. A simple "o rings are failing" leak repair and recharge job will cost more than a budget set of manifold gauges and a vacuum pump. You don't need a 3 stage vacuum pump and certified micron gauge or a recovery machine to fix your DD's AC system. It is "illegal" though.

 

[ATI Escapee]

I started working on my own cars and I love it. Enough that I considered looking into becoming a mechanic, but decided I didnt want to monetize my hobby and the field seems soul crushing and cancer causing. Anyway, I am going to throw out that I absolutely love my Dodge truck.

Spoiler: I do really, really like my truck

2000 SLT 3.9l 2wd. I was able to rebuild most of the suspension myself. Ive learned a ton from this truck and even when something that should be catastrophic happens, it just keeps on kicking. Example. Thermostat got stuck closed. I drove it like that for a few weeks before figuring that out...yeah. Granted I do wfh and hadnt driven long distances so Im sure that helped. Temp gauge seemed fine...but something was wrong. I took out the coolant temp sensor and it had essentially disentigrated which is prob why it didnt ever show hot....replaced that and the thermostat good as new. Didnt bleed the air out proper. Drove it like that for longer than id like to admit. Once I finally figured out I goofed, I was shocked there was no damage done or only maybe minor damage. Never overheated despite driving longer distances. I could hear the air in it and kept trying to bleed it but I couldnt ever get all of it out. Finally I got a guy to run a vacuum on it and the gurgling went away, he said there was so much air in it he couldnt believe the engine seems completely fine lol. That was like 2 years ago. Wheel bearing broke on me driving through another state. Didnt realize it, I thought I was having transmission issues. Drove carefully probably 200 miles until something shifted and the classic fucked wheel bearing symptoms started. It took the guys 6 or 7 hours to get it off for replacing....I felt so bad. It got hot and welded itself together basically. I wish I could have seen it before it was off but the gave me the old bearing after and it was so fucked lol. All the rust and heat probably saved my life via melding the wheel onto the vehicle basically haha. Ac works great now after I did a bit of work on it and got it professionally evac and recharged after. I can fit underneath it without jacking it up. My arms and hands fit in most crevices so repairs arent as awful as they were on my Jetta... replacing tensioner pulley was piece of cake and the serpentine belt super easy. I can do an alignment myself with all three specs intead of just the toe. Winow regulator broke and that was also an easy repair. Seats are so easy to remove for that good deep clean vaccuming and for extra room in the cab. Its got almost 220k miles and I plan to drive this as long as I possibly can. Its one of those oldschool ugly colors that I absolutely love and I have been restoring the body (slowly). I dont have a ton of money but I have a bit more time than the average person so I am slow to fund the complete restoration but this truck is possibly my most prized posession aside from 1 or 2 tools I own which Id probably still choose the truck over if I had to (because replacement of those tools would be less expensive lol) anyway, thanks for reading my sperg. I gotta change the brake fluid, it looks awful, but its so hot out and I havent had any issues so gonna procrastinate further on that...

 

[Jump]

Managed to fix my flasher by replacing it with one I found in the salvage yard this morning. I don’t understand how the one I found in the salvage yard that’s god knows how old works great but the one I got at o’reilly’s didn’t.

Glad you got it working.
The 4 ways and the blinkers are 2 different systems because 1 works with the ignition off, the other doesn't. The 4 ways flasher is also normally the type that will flash no matter how many bulbs are out. Think like you just got in an accident and the front bulbs are fucked, you still want your 4 ways to work.
The regular flasher is a bi-metal that will only flash when the correct amount of current flows though it. So if you have burned out bulbs the non-flashing or quick flashing is a signal to the driver something is wrong. That's also why LED bulbs need a different flasher. They don't pull enough current to heat the bi-metal.

 

[Sperg_rancher]

AC Service - Unless your car takes R12 you need to put the correct amount in the AC system. The R134a recharge kits they sell at the parts house do not work. Pay for it, you'll be money ahead.

incorrect, r1234yf systems will accept r134a (but NOT vice versa). you'll lose a bit of cooling power due to partial pressures.

 

[NotADrunkLawyer]

are even worse than VW's DSG.

Are VW's DSG supposed to be bad? My Jetta has ~151k on it, and the transmission still shifts great. Honestly, the most satisfying automatic I've ever driven, except for the rare occasion it preselects the wrong gear, like when it's expecting to upshift and you slam on the gas and it suddenly needs to downshift... that can be kinda clunky sometimes.

(I do know that 151k isn't that many miles in the grand scheme of things, but compared to things like Nissan's with CVTs, they'd probably be on their third transmission)

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

AC compressors will not achieve a low enough vacuum to properly dehydrate your system. Get a cheap vacuum pump from harbor freight or a pawn shop. Get a cheap micron gauge. Check the gaskets in your manifold hoses and replace them if damaged. The only proper way to charge a car AC is by weight.

 

[God's drunkest driver]

AC compressors will not achieve a low enough vacuum to properly dehydrate your system.

"Properly dehydrated as part of a $2,000 repair job at a shop that charges $150/hr for labor" and "Perfectly adequate to be daily driven in the american south for several years" appear to be two different things. Do I do it this way now? No. I am no longer a broke college student with a $500 car. Does the windowshaker AC compressor pull less vacuum than the single stage harbor freight vacuum pump?

Spoiler: Answer

Also no. When I graduated from idiot with no money to idiot with enough money to have a decent garage and cars I dreamt of I also became an idiot who could afford proper tools and had industry friends. Neither of them pulled any better than what the textbooks say you need for HVAC work. FWIW the "rules" about pulling X microns of vacuum are gross oversimplifications and you can easily get all moisture in the system well above boiling at 29" let alone under 1,000 microns because it isn't 0°F when you're working on your $3,000 car's AC. As a thought experiment if the volume of your system is 0.7ft^3 (the volume of 500' of 1/2" ID line), your system contains 0.9oz (25.6g) of air in standard conditions. At 29" of vacuum and 80°F there's 0.02oz (0.704g) of air in that system. Assuming the remaining air in this hypothetical system is at 90% RH after pulling 29", there's 0.67g of air and 0.02g of water in the system. 29" of vacuum is ~22,800 microns. A single desiccant bead holds more water than that, your receiver drier can handle it and it will not turn your oil charge into acidic corrosion juice.

 

[Abella]

Fixed a leak in the water line on this S10, which was just a simple replacing of the hose.

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

"Properly dehydrated as part of a $2,000 repair job at a shop that charges $150/hr for labor" and "Perfectly adequate to be daily driven in the american south for several years" appear to be two different things. Do I do it this way now? No. I am no longer a broke college student with a $500 car. Does the windowshaker AC compressor pull less vacuum than the single stage harbor freight vacuum pump?

Spoiler: Answer

Also no. When I graduated from idiot with no money to idiot with enough money to have a decent garage and cars I dreamt of I also became an idiot who could afford proper tools and had industry friends. Neither of them pulled any better than what the textbooks say you need for HVAC work. FWIW the "rules" about pulling X microns of vacuum are gross oversimplifications and you can easily get all moisture in the system well above boiling at 29" let alone under 1,000 microns because it isn't 0°F when you're working on your $3,000 car's AC. As a thought experiment if the volume of your system is 0.7ft^3 (the volume of 500' of 1/2" ID line), your system contains 0.9oz (25.6g) of air in standard conditions. At 29" of vacuum and 80°F there's 0.02oz (0.704g) of air in that system. Assuming the remaining air in this hypothetical system is at 90% RH after pulling 29", there's 0.67g of air and 0.02g of water in the system. 29" of vacuum is ~22,800 microns. A single desiccant bead holds more water than that, your receiver drier can handle it and it will not turn your oil charge into acidic corrosion juice.

Compressors aren’t gonna get you down to 29”. You’d be lucky to get 10-15”

 

[Seymour Duncan]

Are VW's DSG supposed to be bad? My Jetta has ~151k on it, and the transmission still shifts great. Honestly, the most satisfying automatic I've ever driven, except for the rare occasion it preselects the wrong gear, like when it's expecting to upshift and you slam on the gas and it suddenly needs to downshift... that can be kinda clunky sometimes.

(I do know that 151k isn't that many miles in the grand scheme of things, but compared to things like Nissan's with CVTs, they'd probably be on their third transmission)

DSGs are kind of varied and depend on the year and application. The worst is the early 7 speed unit with dry clutch packs seen in late 2000's Golfs, A3's and other compacts with weaker engine options, those things were notorious for eating their mechatronics units for lunch and would routinely run up thousands of dollars of repair bills before 100k was up. To make things worse, in European markets it was usually paired with the 1.4 TSI engine which quickly became similarly infamous for a very weak timing system that would eventually skip time and nuke the whole engine for further huge expense, often right around the same time when the gearbox gave up the ghost. The initially super popular TSI/DSG combo became a massive headache for their owners as Total Drivetrain Death was almost inevitable and trying to offer those as trade-ins for something else was a difficult proposition as the dealers didn't want that nuclear waste rotting on their lots either.