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March, 2024

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Ask a mechanic.

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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
It seems every so often there is a "car help" related question posted on NS and I thought I could maybe help out people who dont want to make a thread but want to ask a quick question about an issue they are having with their car. I am a mechanic at a higher end german car company so I thought i could maybe give my 2 cents or point you in the right direction to resolving your issue on your own or give you an idea what to tell your mechanic the issue is.

No question is stupid and I will try to help out.
Jan 24 2011 9:57PM
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.jersey
Posts: 1925 - Karma: 9
I'll do that if i dont bring it to my mechanics shop tomorrow. I refuse to pay $125 to hook it up to a computer. It's absolutely ridiculous. The Car drives fine still and no problems at all running wise so i'm not crazy worried. I hit somewhat of a bump before the slip light started flashing so i think i might have knocked a wire out possibly keeping a circuit open?
May 16 2011 9:01PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
its really hard for me to say what is wrong with your car without seeing the codes and the car infront of me but it is very common for modern cars and trucks to use electronic sensors on the wheels called ABS sensors or wheel speed sensors that are used to determine different wheel speeds and when one of these sensors is sending a false signal, it freaks the car out in the same matter you are describing. These sensors work but using a small magnet and a reluctor ring to determine speed of the wheels. If you have been offroad or in scummy areas, just spray down your wheels as best you can and see if this changes anything. Never pay 150 bucks for a scan at a mechanics shop considering you can buy an OBD2 scanner for 50 bucks then google the DTC codes you pull. You cant really do much more without some DTC codes.
May 17 2011 12:07AM
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Flozz
Posts: 144 - Karma: 13
Im told the first gear synchro is getting worn in my 6speed corolla (170,000kms). I do notice takes a bit more of a push to get it to engage when downshifting into first than the other gears do (though its not super difficult either). I don't think the parts to fix it are that expensive just the labour that it'll take. Do you think it will still last a while? (it doesnt feel too bad really but what do I know). Is it true that using a thinner gearbox oil will help with the 'symptons' at all?

Cheers
May 17 2011 12:32AM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
first of all, downshifting to slow down beats the shit out of the internals of your transmission so i suggest you stop. 1st gear should never be downshifted into unless at a dead stop. Ive heard of success using a thiner gear oil and having success reducing the syncro grinds but you have to very careful in which oil you choose because some oils have zinc and other metals in them to help the softer metal gears, so i would honestly not use a gear oil that isnt recc'd for your car. You could try to drain out your gear oil and refill with fresh fluid to see if you can get some better results, but honestly downshifting is a bad idea. If you pull your fluid out of your tranny, catch some in a clear clean container and you should be able to see some metal flakes in the fluid if you have some heavy internal syncro/gear damage.
May 17 2011 12:46AM
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Avifarer
Posts: 5926 - Karma: 598
I get a whistle in my car from my windshield when i am driving on the high way. The seal is raised up a bit on the right side. How hard is it to fix this? Can i fix it myself or do i have to take it in?
May 17 2011 12:48AM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
my shop doesnt replace windshields but i know from my old car that most of the time the reason a seal lifts like that is the seal is starting to break down and it has a rigid metal mounting that fits into the slot around the windshield, this metal is bonded into the plastic seal around the windshield. Most of the time this means you need a new seal around the windshield. You could try to just use some automotive silicone and glue that bitch back down considering this is how like 90 percent of windshields are held on a car aswell. I would price out a new seal, check the area where the seal is supposed to be mounted for rust ( this is the primary cause of a seal lifting), and if possible just silicone it back.
May 17 2011 12:53AM
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Flozz
Posts: 144 - Karma: 13
Had no idea it was that bad for the car! Kinda thought thats how everybody slows down in a manual tbh. To be fair they are pretty mild downshifts and im generally on the brakes at the same time but  i'll definitely [try] kick the habit anyway. Its due for a gearbox oil change anyway so i'll have a look a see if it helps.

Cheers for your help.
May 17 2011 1:04AM
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.jersey
Posts: 1925 - Karma: 9
I just looked on an xterra forum and its been a huge problem for nissan in general. One of the members stated that all of the lights went on right after they got gas and reset the odemeter, which is exactly what i did before the lights went on. However, this isn't the case for everybody. Some people ordered new wiring harnesses but for the most part you cant do anything about it. thanks for the advice.
May 17 2011 1:11AM
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BEARS.
Posts: 5380 - Karma: 696
im thinking about going to MMI next year to pursue a career as a motorcycle mechanic.
whats the lifestyle like?
do you make enough money?
do you think you could ever lose interest in your job?
May 17 2011 1:19AM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
buy a code reader for 50 bucks from a part source or something and pull some codes, then use those codes online and you can find out exactly why your lights are on. A dtc reader is a one time investment and can be used on any car post 1996.
May 17 2011 1:27AM
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.jersey
Posts: 1925 - Karma: 9
yeah the thing is everybody with this problem hasn't gotten any answers from a code reader. It always says theres nothing wrong. Im guessing its just a glitch
May 17 2011 1:29AM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
The lifestyle is long hours and sometimes a steep learning curve. I make good money because I work extended hours and work for a higher end car dealership which is one of the highest grossing in all of canada, so i do ok. For the first couple years of my career i spent about 15 percent of my income on tools ranging from 4000 for a basic tool box from snap on to 2 seperate 500 dollar digital torque wrenches. You will be hard up for cash for the first couple years due to the fact you need to buy your own tools, but being a bike tech you will most likely require far less tools than I, so that could be a saving grace

The key with a tech job like this is to keep yourself interested in technology and dream a bit. I am lucky enough that i work for a company that invest a fair amount of money in my training and they send me a few times a year to factory led training across canada. The company I am working for is also a noted car brand for requiring a good tech to repair and has weight in its ability to get me another job, I may have a job interview window at a Ferrari dealership in the next few months. There was a period of time I felt that maybe this job wasnt for me because i was doing the same mundane bullshit services and everyday repairs so they became more of a habit than work but one day it clicked to me that in order for myself to be happy I have to challenge myself with my ability and I told my bosses that I wanted more challenged repairs and it really has turned my career around. I have dreams of moving on to perhaps Ferrari or trying to get into a racing series as a tech for one of the teams eventually, it fuels my desire to prove that I can do anything and everything on a car which in turn keeps me happy.

If you can find a good place to work and they respect you as a person and a tech, it can be a really rewarding job if your heart is really in it. All in all, the career is what you make of it.
May 17 2011 1:36AM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
if a light ever flashes on a dash it is stored in the ecm for "x" amount of criteria met. AKA, the car has to meet a set of about 90 self tests, "x" amount of times before the fault is erased. Its still a good investment to buy a reader so you can start to piece together some of your problems with your car prior to bringing it into the dealership so you dont get taken for a ride.
May 17 2011 1:38AM
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.jersey
Posts: 1925 - Karma: 9
yeah true. Well, i read some of the tricks that the guys on the xterra forum did so i will be trying these tomorrow and see how it works out. It still runs absolutely fine so im not to worried.
May 17 2011 1:41AM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
nah, its more of a myth that you should slow with a transmission. What costs more to replace? A set of brake pads and rotors or a transmission/clutch/ or flywheel? I have only driven 5/6 speed cars my entire life and never have downshifted for slowing. Its not a good idea unless youre trying to drive a little spirited. Every single time a clutch is depressed, it is worn... every time a gear is changed.. syncros/gears/shifting fork are going to be worn. Its a common misconception that slowing a car with downshifting is acceptable but let me tell that your drivetrain will last much longer if you just go into neutral and brake to a stop. Make sure you get a proper viscous gear oil and one with all the proper additives that are needed for your car. Ive heard of success with thiner oils for some car makes like hyundai and nissan but have read a few stories of thinner gear oils destroying honda transmissions. Read up before you choose an oil.
May 17 2011 1:52AM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
Is there any problem with not going back through the gears when coming to a stop? If you shift into neutral to stop from 4th, then when you start again go into 1st, will this mess up the transmission in any way?
May 17 2011 10:46AM
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jonny828
Posts: 1096 - Karma: 58
i have a 93 toyota with the 3.0 v6 automatic and i just swamped the fuck out of it. i took the sparkplugs out and hand cranked the motor over to pump water out of the cylinders. there was water in my intake hosing, and i think my starter is dead. it was in the water overnight because we got lost on the walk back. all of my electrical works, my headleads which arent sealed still work even and they have a few inches of water in the casing. if i replace the starter do you think it will work? proof below..

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May 17 2011 11:41AM
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.jersey
Posts: 1925 - Karma: 9
No it doesnt matter. I skip fourth gear in my xterra and go third to fifth. It doesnt make sense to me to put it in fourth gear when im already at the speed and rpm for when i put it in fifth.
May 17 2011 11:43AM
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jonny828
Posts: 1096 - Karma: 58
i think you missed the point, but your right it doesnt matter. hes not asking if its bad to skip gears while accelerating, hes asking if its bad to come out of fourth at a stop and skip third, second and start in first

i think...its kind of a dumb question either way
May 17 2011 11:46AM
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failtown
Posts: 107 - Karma: 13
No, it won't mess it up at all if you do what's said.  Things that will mess up your tranny would be skipping from 4th to 1st when you're downshifting, because you're going into 1st at WAY too high of an engine speed, and it'll lock up and buck you forward pretty good. When you shift out of 4th and into neutral and come to a stop, you've allowed your transmission to slow down so that starting in 1st is perfectly fine.  To add to that, when you're shifting up to speed, as said, it's fine to skip a gear, as long as you have a high enough rpm where going that one gear higher wont bog down the engine.
May 17 2011 11:53AM
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failtown
Posts: 107 - Karma: 13
No, it won't mess it up at all if you do what's said.  Things that will mess up your tranny would be skipping from 4th to 1st when you're downshifting, because you're going into 1st at WAY too high of an engine speed, and it'll lock up and buck you forward pretty good. When you shift out of 4th and into neutral and come to a stop, you've allowed your transmission to slow down so that starting in 1st is perfectly fine.  To add to that, when you're shifting up to speed, as said, it's fine to skip a gear, as long as you have a high enough rpm where going that one gear higher wont bog down the engine.
May 17 2011 11:53AM
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what_if_bro
Posts: 160 - Karma: 10
I drive a 1990 toyota pickup. It has seen some wear and definitely some better days, but still rolls like a champ. I've started to notice though, when it's cold, and I start moving, a squeak/squealing noise comes from under the hood, speeding up as I drive faster. After 5 minutes, it usually goes away. Is this something I can fix on my own? I hate going to the shop and paying out the ass for them to swap a belt or something.
May 17 2011 12:14PM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
I was asking more about the synchronization as opposed to engine speed drive train differential.
May 17 2011 12:16PM
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failtown
Posts: 107 - Karma: 13
Oh, sorry I read your question wrong.  No, it won't mess up the synchronization
May 17 2011 12:39PM
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inactive
Posts: 4772 - Karma: 97
get out of there, you are a car, not a submarine

you dont even have a periscope
May 17 2011 3:26PM
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TechnoPotamus
Posts: 11626 - Karma: 3,522
I have a 2006 Toyota Corolla, stick shift, 102,000 miles on it.

When I start the car it starts fine, but I hear a slight sort of whistling/whooshing sound coming from under the hood. Somebody suggested maybe it was the belts, but i haven't taken it in to be checked out yet.

Not much detail or info, but any idea if that's a common thing?
May 17 2011 3:35PM
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failtown
Posts: 107 - Karma: 13
Yeah, around 100k miles it is.  I'd start by lubing or replacing the belts.  Most likely that'll fix it, but if it doesnt, then it might be the tensioner.  Very unlikely but it could possibly be a bearing in something in your front end.  But like I said, I'd start at the belts. 

Does it only whistle when first starting your car? or does the noise persist until you turn off the car? Try opening the hood after you start it and see if you can pinpoint where the sound is coming from.  It's usually pretty easy to tell if it's the belt.
May 17 2011 3:59PM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
does it whistle like those old clunkers do on a cold winter day? like a screwy whistle? its your belts.
May 17 2011 6:53PM
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kingcomet32
Posts: 638 - Karma: 13
Gunna ask for a non-ns friend because im very curious

im pretty sure he drives a '99 Chrysler concorde

when he makes a turn going slowly (mostly turning right) his car makes like a clunk sound, its weird in that it only makes it once and only when hes going slowly (~10mph) around a turn, it may be that those turns are sharper but when hes going around a bend at normal speeds(~30mph+) it doesnt do anything

got any ideas what it could be?
May 17 2011 8:11PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
hard to say. If you have access to the truck mist some small amounts of oil into the spark plug holes to help avoid rust. The rust on the inside of the engine will fuck your engine up. Was there resistence while hand cranking the engine? The starter maybe fucked, you could go find a junker starter for 30 bucks and swap that in and give it a go, worth a shot. You will run into a good amount of electrical issues a few years down the road that will possibly cripple the car so dont dump too much money into it. If you hyrdolocked the engine, you might have bent the fuck out of the crank or connecting rods, so you wont know the extent of the damage till it runs... if it can. Might as well try to get it running if you can find a cheap starter.
May 17 2011 8:48PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
sounds like a belt, start the engine in the cold next time you have some time and take a large screwdriver and start using the screw driver like a stheoscope to rest it against various pulleys on the motor while its making the noise. The suspect pulley will vibrate and you can hear/feel it through your screwdriver. Replace belt/pulley and youre golden. Easy fix on most cars.
May 17 2011 8:51PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
sounds like a belt, start the engine in the cold next time you have some time and take a large screwdriver and start using the screw driver like a stheoscope to rest it against various pulleys on the motor while its making the noise. The suspect pulley will vibrate and you can hear/feel it through your screwdriver. Replace belt/pulley and youre golden. Easy fix on most cars.


same deal as i told the dude above. Start your engine with the hood open, run around to the front and generalize the area of the noise and start eliminating stuff using your eyes and ears. If you see any vibration with your eyes on pulleys, that is a good indication of where to start looking. Some cars have a secondary air pump that on start ups will force extra air into the cat/ intake mainfolds to increase Cat temp ( cat needs to be 400 degrees to function in any way) so the faster the car can get into that magic zone, the less money the car maker has to pay to the government. Sometimes people hear the 2ndary air pump on start ups.
May 17 2011 8:54PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
could be a bunch of stuff. If its a clicking noise at slow speeds it could be a worn cv joint, these normally clunk or click at low speed turns. Its also a chance it could be a control arm bushing that pops in and out at low speed because of extreme load on sharp low speed turns. Both fairly common issues on higher mileage cars.
May 17 2011 8:56PM
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snwbrdmilf
Posts: 22441 - Karma: 2,805
Okay....so I wouldn't normally ask NS, but another opinion is always appreciated. I have an '04 Outback, 98k mi. on it. Since its approaching 100k and I haven't had it looked over since last summer I figured it was time for a routine visit. I also needed my tires balanced and an alignment. Regardless, they did all the basic stuff, checking fluids adding where necessary and just making sure everything is all a-ok.

So I leave the shop and everything is fine, and I need gas. My friend says, "put Shell in, its great gas." I don't normally pay attn to what kind of gas I use, just my normal Hess/Citgo, so I didn't have preference. Hours later, I'm getting this engine problem - happens when I'm at a low speed, stopped or slowing down then accelerating, I get a lag - or pull. Like my engine is almost stalling/coughing? Hard to explain. And its not one single cough, its a couple. And its when I push lightly on the gas (auto, not stick)...if I pushed harder it gets past it to normal acceleration. And of course on my drive home today, the check engine light comes on. I'm having it hooked up to a computer to show whats wrong, but any clues on what might be wrong would be sweet. Would it have to do with gas (water) or something completely unrelated? Its just crazy that I just had it at the shop, now I'm having an engine issue. I've put 100+ miles on it since the shop (I travel to work)...so I have no clue what to think. Halp.
May 17 2011 9:20PM
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kingcomet32
Posts: 638 - Karma: 13
probably shoulda mentioned it was a higher mileage car guess you sniped that though, what should he do about it? just ride around till it breaks down or could either of those be a cheap fix
May 17 2011 9:26PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
shell gas is garbage. They pump Inert chemicals into their gas which they claim which will clean the valves of an engine but in many studies it has been shown to actually cause a knock sensor on sensitive engines to act up and flash the CEL light in the dash and cause the exact issue you are describing. You could have been unlucky and pulled some fuel from the bottom of the storage unit in the gas station aswell which would have extra moisture in it aswell and water in a gas tank is a bad idea as the fuel pump in the tank is actually such a high tolerance pump that there is literally .001 of inch between the pumping device and outlet the fuel is pumped through... when water is mixed in with the fuel... it instantly heats up under that much friction and does not lubricate the pump the same as pure fuel would do. Many different factors can lead to a CEL in your dash, but if you suspect its a fueling issue, stay away from shell gas. I suggest you bring it back to the shop for a quick scan and just politely mention the fact you just had it in for service and they should quickly just scan your car for no charge and when you have a dtc code from the scan you can move forward from that point aswell. Worse case scenario if its fuel is that it gets drained from your tank which is relatively easy thing to do but take about an hour of time, and the gas is not reuseable. If youre afraid to bring it to the dealership, i think down in the states you can take it to a part source or a store of a similar nature and they will pull the DTC code from the car for free. I hope this is atleast a little insight for yourself.
May 17 2011 9:34PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
its hard to properly determine what it is without having a mechanic savy guy there to guide you. What i would do is take a look at the car and behind the wheels you will see these plastic boots that look like accordians, those are called cv boots.
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you can look and see if you can see if one of these boots is split and leaking some green/dark grease... at that point youre going to replace the joint.

If you want to check the control arms/ front of of a car you need to jack the car up so the front end is fully lifted from the ground. You need to lightly shake the wheel and see if you can feel some "play" which is best described as movement before mechanical movement of the front end/steering. At this point if you can feel play in the front end on either side you need a 2nd person to start grabbing all the points of the suspension that connect to car /subframe one at a time to see if when they apply pressure to those parts if the play is eliminated. Very hard to describe the feel you get from a worn front end on a car. It takes lots of practice to pin point causes.


Its a safety issue if there is front end play because it means there excessive stress on another component of the suspension which can lead to breakage while driving. Basic safety/ insurance inspection do not allow any suspension play at all so tell your friend to keep this info in mind.
May 17 2011 9:41PM
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snwbrdmilf
Posts: 22441 - Karma: 2,805
Thanks it sure gives some insight. What if I only pumped about 1/4 tank of the gas, and have already gone through it and filled my tank with gas that I normally use? I'm still having the issue, and I've used about 1/4 of my normal gas.
May 17 2011 9:41PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
there could be an underlying issue, once water is in a gastank its very hard for it to escape due to the fact fuel and water have different weights so one will always rest on top of each other at rest. I would get a dtc scan and then see what kind of codes get pulled, Keep driving the car aslong as the CEL is not flashing. If the CEL flashes that means you are potenially doing damage to your emissions system which is very very expensive to fix. If the CEL is lit in your dash and is just "on" all the time without flashing, its basically saying that you have a sensor that is malfunctioning or there is a smaller issue. If you take it to a partsource to get scanned, just post the codes that you pulled in this thread and we can figure out whats going on hopefully. The codes are all universal so I can help you out.
May 17 2011 9:45PM
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snwbrdmilf
Posts: 22441 - Karma: 2,805
Ugh, now I'm worried. It flashed all of 4 blinks today after I had slowed and accelerated. Then went back to staying on, hasn't blinked since. It'll get scanned soon, and I will post the results. I've got my dad to help, but he isn't a mechanic so I appreciate the help.
May 17 2011 9:48PM
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tronned
Posts: 1098 - Karma: 790
good luck. Keep me posted on how it goes. The flashing CEL means the car is misfiring which dumps unburnt fuel or extremely hot gas into your cat convertor which melts the metal inside of the cat. Try to avoid driving it until you can get some idea of whats going on. Misfires can be cause by hundreds of things but shell gas has been known to cause misfiring issues on cars with sensitive knock sensors.
May 17 2011 9:54PM
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BenWhit
Posts: 4654 - Karma: 3,256
i had the same issue with my mustang bogging down or lagging at lower rpms especially when its hot out, change your spark plugs. it worked for me.
May 17 2011 10:28PM
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TechnoPotamus
Posts: 11626 - Karma: 3,522
yeah it only does it when the car is starting, or at least that's all i notice. i only really hear it if i'm idling or when it first starts.


thanks for the help man, and thanks tronned also, i'll hafta go get the belts double checked
May 17 2011 10:55PM
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jonny828
Posts: 1096 - Karma: 58
its back at home now after 1700 dollars in towing and tickets..there was no resistence aside from what it should be when i hand cranked it, and i sprayed a healthy amount of wd in each cylinder and hand cranked them at least 2 full cycles. i have a starter, now just have to replace it and i replaced the spark plugs (shit out of an old 94 toyota i took from a friend) only problem now is replacing the starter. if youve worked on toyotas, you would know that those bastards leave a good quarter inch around the block to work on anything and everything under the hood..
May 18 2011 1:09AM
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Whifazoo
Posts: 737 - Karma: 132

kind of a long shot but i was getting my summer tires on and the machine scratched the shit out of my rims, it also dinged the rim lips as well as taking a big chunk out of one  rim. they said they wwould quote me on the repair costs and then give me that money towards rims of my choice if i didnt want them re finished. just wondering if you know what wheel repair / re finihing runs on 3 rims. (15 inch) i just dont want to get jewed. im going to get a quote from another shop tomrrow too so i can compare and get a fair price.  +K for any help at all and sorry i dont have pics of the damage. most of the scratches are really shallow and there is just the one bad one with the minor lip bend

May 18 2011 1:37AM
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snowbombz
Posts: 2456 - Karma: 96
are you a hit man?
May 18 2011 3:24AM
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MNS
Posts: 5386 - Karma: 3,241
Pretty dumb questions but here goes. 1) My clicker to unlock/lock my 2006 ford focus only works at very short distances. I replaced the battery in my clicker and my spare clicker but no luck. Is there a sensor in the car that I need to change the batteries for as well?
May 18 2011 3:35AM
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MNS
Posts: 5386 - Karma: 3,241
2) Other question is just for general NSers. Anyone replace there radio/cd player with an iPad? If so, how'd it work?
May 18 2011 3:37AM
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kingcomet32
Posts: 638 - Karma: 13
thanks a ton for the help mang

May 18 2011 9:05AM
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.jersey
Posts: 1925 - Karma: 9
I mean, if your trying to use it to play music then you can just plug it in to the auxiliary on the radio. But if your trying to mount the ipad into the dash, then i dont know. It would look pretty sick though.
May 18 2011 11:03AM
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