Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Instrument panel
If your fuel guage still doesn't work after changing the instrument panel, it's probably the fuel level indicator in the tank that stopped working. It will need to be changed over, and does not require removing the tank itself. Don't bother going to a wreckers if the car is over 8 years old as all of the indicators are probably malfunctioning by then. Get a new one from the car's manufacturer or on eBay if you're lucky. Though the cost may be high, the reduction in stress from not knowing how much is in your tank will be worth it.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Starter Motor
It's more economical to buy a new high-quality branded starter motor for you car than several used ones. It will last longer and they often have a two year warranty. Overall, if you are keeping the car it will be cheaper, as well as freeing up your time to do other things.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Panel Beating
To glue rubber components (mudguards, park brake handle rubber flap) in a car, get an automotive silicon sealant. It doesn't look like a conventional glue but when it sets, it bonds much more. Lay it on fairly thick (~3mm) on one surface. You may need to put a stone or other weight on the edges of the bonded rubber or plastic part in order for it to hold. Leave it for several days if you can. Compression is a big part of gluing rubbery components.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Panel Beating
If you change the doors on your car, you may find they are heavier than your old doors. Inner door reinforcement can change from model to model, but usually the door will still fit ok. You may use slightly more fuel however.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Panel Beating
If you have some non-removable panels with fairly minor dents in them, they will not be hard to fix yourself. Many dents can be knocked out with a panel beating kit that uses different dollies and hammers. The work is not very hard to do, but does take quite a lot of hard bashing. Get a very large hammer with a heavy head for the most affect. Panel beating of this kind is really about applying very significant force to a caved in part of the chassis in order to move it closer to what it looked like before. You can't do that without fairly great force.
Be prepared to paint many panels you have straightened as it often cracks the paint on the other side.
If you need to bog up a section of metal, you will probably get an orange peel effect on the paint eventually. Consider finding a cheap panel beater instead as prices vary greatly and an unprofessional job will also more often permanently show sratches from shrubs and bushes and not polish well.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Gearboxes
Change your transmission oil and filter every year to keep the box using quality oil. The oil loses a lot of its quality after about a year.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Suspension Bushes
Pressing in bushes:
For those who have an 8 or 10 tonne press, if you have small bushes that are hard to press in to rods or arms, press the bush into a tight-fitting pipe hollow (uncapped) pipe first. Then press the bush into the arm through the pipe. The pipe gives you the stability you need to be able to push it right into the rod or arm.
Sockets are very useful for pressing in bushes but you need so very large ones (over 30mm) for larger bushes. If you can get half the lip of a bush into an arm, you then only have to apply your press force to the opposite end of the bush to that which is already sunken or pressed into the arm, in order to get the whole bush in.
Always file down burrs on metal arms and rods before installing bushes as they will cut into the bush and reduce its effectiveness, promoting and early end for them also.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Shock absorbers
How are my wheels connected to the ground?
Though it may be fairly well-known that shock absorbers and in some cases bushes (usually control or trailing arms) are the single point of contact between all four of your car's wheels and the ground they ride on, the signficance of this is little appreciated. What it means is, if you have non-functioning shocks or struts, or hardened or split bushes, your connection to the road will be reflected in the poor quality of those suspension components. That is, you will have a jostling, bumpy, uncomfortable ride.
Most gas pressurised struts have a maximum warranty of 3 years or 100,000km. After this, if you notice a significant difference in performance, those shocks probably no longer function correctly. If you removed them from the vehicle, you would be able to push the piston rod down with little force, and it would not return to its original elongated position quickly - gradually creeping its way up. It is time to renew these struts or shocks. Springs and synthetic (polyurethane) bushes on the other hand, have much longer lifespans.
You need a wheel alignment if you change rear bushes or shock absorbers. If you do not want to change them, you will use more fuel, have more discomfort and have more collateral wear on parts that are exposed to more shock as a result of the poor suspension. Over time, and with high fuel prices, suspension components will pay for themselves.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Starter Motor
If your starter motor won't crank, it could also be a dud alternator. If the alternator doesn't show between 13 to 15 volts at the battery, it isn't working fully, which will result in undercharging of your battery, and thereby a reduction in volts to the starter motor when you turn the key.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Fuel system
Fuel system components: Be especially careful when changing fuel system parts. If you already have an electric fuel pump in the tank, do not install a manual fuel pump at the cylinder head (with an arm into the camshaft) as you will waste fuel (losing up to 80km per 60 litre tank). Use the original fuel cannister (without the pump arm) supplied with the vehicle when it came out of the factory.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Engine mounts
For general Automotive Sealants, use Sikaflex-227. It's cheaper and is designed for car use. Sikaflex-220 mentioned above is more expensive and heavy duty, and thus more suited to engine mounts where density and strength is more important. Sikaflex have different sealants for windscreens, automotive panels, and general adhesive/sealant uses. Remember to get a nozzle with the sealant tube (the type used with a gun). Instructions for use are on the internet site mentioned on the tube, not on the tube itself.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Suspension Bushes
Rear Trailing Arm Bushes
The only point of contact your car has with the ground is it's four wheels. And half of those wheels are attached to one steel bar - the rear beam axle, torsion bar or differential. And that rear axle is often held onto the chassis or body of the car by no more than a half a dozen rubbers, or suspension bushes. So it stands to reason that if those rubbers are old, hard, cracked, brittle or in some kind of petrification, 50% of your contact with the road will have the exact same feel as the adjectives I've used to describe those dysfunctional bushes. This is not just speculation, it's a reality I've experienced myself.
The solution is, replace your rear lower trailing arm bushes, panhard rod bushes, and rear suspension units with new components - but don't forget to use polyurethane or other synthetic bushes instead of rubber, for increased durability and performance.
Having done this recently on a 20-year-old car, I can tell you that with decent front suspension components, it revolutionises the car's feel on the road, and definitely saves fuel costs by around 30%. But you will need a 10-tonne hydraulic press to do this job yourself, so a DYI is only recommended for the well equipped and well assisted, because the rear beam axle is too cumbersome and heavy for one person to position on the press, while pushing bushes in and out of it.
Also, ensure you grease not only the outside of the bushes but also it's bevel, inside, crush tube outer wall and the parts of the chassis where the bushes make contact (i.e. the metal brackets or housings welded to the chassis that hold the trailing arms or panhard rod). It may be necessary to regrease all of these parts every three years or so depending on whether you notice a performance degradation or stiffening of the rear suspension.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Tools
A very valuable part of a car tool catalogue is containers. You at least need an oil pan to drain out old oil and a jerry can to store coolant for reuse.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Gearboxes
When you change a gearbox, you have to remove and replace the left and right constant velocity joints (CV joints or driveshafts). You should get a wheel alignment after reassembly. You should also get a wheel alignment after removing lower control arms to replace bushes and balljoints, or replacing tie rod ends. Same goes with replacing front shock absorbers or struts.
Some companies offer front and rear wheel alignment. Unless you have just changed your rear shock absorbers, the rear part is just a way for them to get double the money for the job.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Gearboxes
When you are going up a hill you normally take on a warm engine in drive (D), switch down to Low (L) or 2nd (2) gear when the engine is cold. Cold engine don't run in drive very well.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Fuel system
Pump it up: When you can, walk. If you can't walk, cycle. And if you can't cycle, try public transport. But if you have to use your car, make sure to keep your tyres properly inflated. It is estimated that up to 80% of tyres are underinflated, which can increase fuel consumption, and therefore also emissions, by up to 5% - as well as increasing wear and tear.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Panel Beating
Painting: Do not paint in rainy or overcast conditions, even when you are undercover. The increased moisture in the air is bad for the paint, which dries better in drier weather.
For aluminium surfaces, use an etch primer paint before a primer surfacer paint. It adheres to the metal better.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Oil and other fluids
Oil storage and disposal: Always store old oil in oil containers that used to have new oil in them, so always keep them. That oil is recyclable at public garbage dumps - but you will have to pour it into the used oil drum. This is the only way to legally and safely dispose of used oil.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Oil and other fluids
Changing oil: For a medium-sized car, every four(4) months, or three(3) times a year is recommended. Change the filter every second time, or once every eight(8) months. When you pour the used oil into an old oil container, it will tell you how much oil you took out of the car. That is the correct amount to put back in, then run the engine for 5 minutes, wait 15 minutes and recheck. Top up as needed. Too much oil causes as many engine problems as too little, in fact it is very dangerous for engine functioning on many cars.
Change the air filter once a year and fuel filter once every 18 months. Power steering fluid and gearbox fluid should be drained and renewed every 12-18 months maximum. Oil is an organic compound that loses its viscosity and other properties in around that timeframe. You will extend the life of your transmission and improve steering performance if you do this.
Always remember that a certain amount of oil loss is normal in all cars, but it should be very minimal, about 100ml every 2-3 weeks at the most. Anything more than that indicates oil leaks either internally within the cylinder head (valve stem seals and/or valve guides) or externally. Rubber oil seals do not last as long as polyurethane and other synthetics. Rubber is not anywhere near as good an oil resistor over time. Always use an oil and compression resistant liquid gasket sealant when installing a new head gasket. It will save oil leaks.
Note: Of course, head gaskets should never be coated fully in sealant - they are one of the few gaskets that aren't. Use the sealant on the timing cover area, especially the section where it joins to the engine block, and any other thin sections. The main block to head area must have no sealant whatsoever - the seal is achieved through compression in that central area (about 90% of the total joining area). It's the narrow, thin sections at each end, and some of the curved sections around the ignition chambers, that need the sealant to make up for their weaknesses in containing oil.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Oil and other fluids
Gerabox oil: Critical as you can lose an entire gearbox if you drive around for a fairly short time with a heavy leak. Check it weekly. Sometimes you have to cycle through the automatic gears while idling and on a hot engine, slip it into neutral and check then. When cold, the level will be lower on the dipstick (look for the "Cold" lettering on it) but should still show something on the dipstick.
To drain, remove the pan. Refill and renew the filter every 12-18 months. Push a plastic tube into a small narrow funnel to create an easy filling device. If there is evidence of gearbox oil present on the box, you may have too loose nuts on the pan or worn circular oil seals where the driveshafts go in. It is unlikely you will need a change of the main housing to body gasket but it can deteriorate also.
Note: Many gearboxes have driveshafts that have a "C" Clip or circlip-like clip on the end of the shaft that goes into the gearbox. This clip keeps the driveshaft or CV Joint from popping too far out of the gearbox while driving. It can be hard to install a CV Joint because of this clip (use a large hammer on the other end of the shaft, protected by a small piece of wood. If you do not use the C Clip, or it becomes distorted or breaks, you will fairly rapidly lose most of your gearbox oil as the driveshaft comes so far out of the box that oil is not prevented from leaking from it in that area. Make sure you get exactly the right clip (you may have to go to a wrecker or gearbox specialist) and immediately install it to the driveshaft to solve this problem.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Rear Window Demister/Defogger
If the tab breaks off the copper grid, buy a full repair kit (Rear Window Defogger Repair Kit) that has both a tab adhesive and gridline repair items (Permatex and Loctite manufacture them). The tab's adhesive is replaceable with the supplied conductive/adhesive mixture, and there is a seperate grid line repair fluid. Allow plenty of time to set and do not fit the tab with the wire attached or without sanding and preparing it with the activator pad supplied. If no grid comes off with the tab, you won't need to sand the tab.
A critical part of this work is that you can see no light around the tab connecting surfaces to the grid, after it has been glued. If you see light all around each tab to grid surface, there will be no conductivity to the grid as a whole, and the entire demister will not work at all. Ensure you place the tab over a different area of grid than that which you removed it from, so that it has full contact.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Waxing
How to clean, cut and polish and wax your car.
Note: Do all of this outside direct sunlight, in a garage or other covered area.
1) Use car wash on an already rinsed down car, with two buckets, clean water and a rinse bucket. The rinse bucket is for the used sponge, the clean water with carwash fluid for redipping after you have rinsed the just used sponge. Don't use one bucket.
2) Wait for the car to dry and use Cut and Polish on the whole car. For older cars, use a lighter grade Cut and Polish, or you will wear down the paint too much. Use the supplied circular sponges to work in the chemical. Then buff it off when it dries to a white haze. Do not allow it to dry (i.e. sit there for longer than 2 minutes).
3) Wait for the car to dry and then use Liquid Polish on the car, spreading it with a clean rag. Do not allow to dry. Almost instantly, buff off the white haze with a buffing cloth. The longer you wait the harder it is to buff out, but you cannot buff wax that has not dried at all to a white haze. Be weary of cheap electric buffing machines as they may not be good enough for a job as involved as hard buffing of set wax.
5) A week later, cover the waxed areas near any black trim with newspaper and masking tape. Use Black Trim Wax on black trim, and buff when it gets hazy also (it takes much longer than with carwax). Remove the masked off paper only after the black wax has dried (2-3 hours at least).
6) For mudflaps, if they are already peeling away, remove and clean them. When installing them again, use a Silastic Automotive Sealant (Dow Corning) and clamps to hold them in overnight (as well as the original bolts).
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Window tinting
Research tints before you buy. The cheaper ones available in Malaysia etc (though they may claim to be made in the USA) often get bubbles under the surface within months of installation, rendering them useless. You can blow hundreds this way. Try to get it done by a car tinter that does dealer's cars en masse and/or obviously expensive cars. Avoid tinters that are based in areas distant from the city.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Window tinting
Not only could a tint be of a low quality, but the installation could be so bad that the tinting gets bubbles under it and is useless within months.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Write-offs (repair or destroy?)
If you are hit by a car which does more damage than the car is worth, panel beaters will tell you its a write-off. They will say you should junk the car and use it for parts, or put the good parts in another car.
If you haven't done much work on your car in the last 4 to 5 years, they are probably right. But if you have invested over the price of repair in parts, don't listen to them.
For example, if you have put in $6,000 in parts and maintenance within the last 3 years, and the repair is $3,000, it makes no sense to destroy the car and take it for parts. The time you would spend putting in parts in a bought car of the same model and colour would not be worth it. Also, if you have done a lot of rust repair on your car, that is very time consuming (usually most of the day for one job).
When you factor in the time involved in getting parts out of your write-off and then into a bought car of the same make and model, it is double the work you put in originally. So if your car has a high degree of new (<3 years) parts, get it repaired instead of using it for parts in a replacement car. The time you save will outweight the few thousand it cost.
The exception to this would be if you found a car of the exact same type (make model body colour) that had work done on it that your write off didn't. For example, say you spent $2,500 on the same car and it had a rebuilt engine, new front struts, electronic fuel injection, rebuilt gearbox/CV joints or a few of those things, then it would be worth buying the car as long as it didn't have much rust. Rust is too time consuming to redo. That way, when you transfer all the other parts (i.e. radiator, rear shocks, console) you can deduct the work that has already been done by the mere act of buying the second car.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Write-offs (repair or destroy?)
Insurance claims: If an insurance company wants to take your write-off, bear in mind that they will
1) Refund your car registration to them
2) Refund your insurance to them
3) Sell the car at auction or charge you a lot to buy it back (bad if it had quite a few good parts)
4) Charge you a hefty excess ($500+)
5) Have already charged you full comprehensive insurance (hundreds per year)
6) Give you a low value for the car, not reflecting any work or additions done to it if you did
That's how they make their money. Consider not even reporting it as you may be better off depending on the insured value.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Panel Beating
Rear panel damage: If someone does substantial damage to your rear-end, such that unremovable panels (quarter, beaver, boot floor, chassis rail panels) are irrepairable, here's what to do. Find a wrecker who will give you a "rear cut" of the same model car as yours, and preferably the same colour. They will use oxyacetylene to sever the whole back of a car (from across the back seat) which you can deliver with a trailer to a panel beater so they have the (expensive or discontinued) panels they need to fix your car.
Be sure your panel beater is for this option however and check their charges for removing individual panels from the rear cut. It will need to have spot welds removed as well as some mechanical work (removal from the rear axle etc).
When transporting the rear half of the car, it will have its rear axle, rear muffler and shocks/disc rotors/calipers still connected to it. You can use a trailer but the width will mean the rear cut sits on top of the trailers sides. Use a set of four ratchet straps to secure it for the deilvery.
Try to remove (and later refit) as much of the trim, lights, bumper/tow bars and other fittings as you can as part of your repair with the panel beater. It can save over a thousand dollars off your quote alone if you do this yourself with their prior agreement.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Write-offs (repair or destroy?)
Rear panel damage: If someone does substantial damage to your rear-end, such that unremovable panels (quarter, beaver, boot floor, chassis rail panels) are irrepairable, here's what to do. Find a wrecker who will give you a "rear cut" of the same model car as yours, and preferably the same colour. They will use oxyacetylene to sever the whole back of a car (from across the back seat) which you can deliver with a trailer to a panel beater so they have the (expensive or discontinued) panels they need to fix your car.
Be sure your panel beater is for this option however and check their charges for removing individual panels from the rear cut. It will need to have spot welds removed as well as some mechanical work (removal from the rear axle etc).
When transporting the rear half of the car, it will have its rear axle, rear muffler and shocks/disc rotors/calipers still connected to it. You can use a trailer but the width will mean the rear cut sits on top of the trailers sides. Use a set of four ratchet straps to secure it for the deilvery.
Try to remove (and later refit) as much of the trim, lights, bumper/tow bars and other fittings as you can as part of your repair with the panel beater. It can save over a thousand dollars off your quote alone if you do this yourself with their prior agreement.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Panel Beating
Older cars and smashes: Cars older than 15 years almost always have rust in structural panels underneath the painted panels you see on the outside of the car. These inner panels have never had the same level of protection given the outer panels. However, the level of rust will almost never be significant enough to cause rips or broken sections on its own. Combine this age of car with even a moderate smash however, and you may be surprised to see parts of these inner panels with large rips in them when the damaged outer panels are removed. The combination of rust and impact rips gaps in inner (and outer) panels that would have lasted untreated for decades without that kind of brute force.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics > Headlights/Taillights
If the headlights don't work, check the fuses and fusible links in the fuse box in the engine compartment. If these look fine, the problem is either wiring or the switch itself. To replace the switch, remove the steering column cover, pull out the electric connector plug, and unscrew the switch.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Automotive > Mechanics
How to avoid getting ripped off by a car mechanic:
- Do your own car services.
- Or, if you can't do all repairs, at least do easy tasks like renewing spark plugs, engine air filter, and fuses.
- Or, if you can't do easy tasks, take a clear detailed photo of the installed items, before asking the mechanic to change them. Then you have proof if the item has been replaced or not.
kellyjones00 (593)
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