Things I don't need to know about cars

Edmonton Sun ^ | 2004-11-29 | Patrycja Romanowska

[Petronski]

...then the odometer and dome lights, speedometer don't work....

I suspect a poorly-placed wire in the dome light circuit has chafed through its insulation, providing a short to ground. There's no easy way to find it. I'd check all the domelight bulbs for a broken bulb, but you probably won't find one. You'd want to find the appropriate wires in the wire harness and follow them along, from fusebox to light module to door switch to light (YMMV), looking for bare copper. That's going to mean pulling trim and upholstery, maybe even pulling the door trim panel. Ugh.

To tell the truth, I'd trade it with that fault and let the garage deal with the hassle of finding the short.

[Petronski]

That bug is sweet. Nice color, too.

[brianl703]

That reminds me that I once smelled gasoline as I turned onto the highway to go home from work. The smell kept getting stronger and stronger, until I saw a wet pavement and then saw a car leaking large amounts of gasoline in front of me. I got on the left side of that car and I could clearly see a serious leak from somewhere in front of the right rear wheel. I finally got the driver's attention and told him that his car was leaking gasoline.

I'd bet that the leak was from a loose fuel filter connection, since it was a Ford product and a lot of those have the fuel filter in that location. He'd probably recently had it replaced and whomever did it reused the old fuel line clips (which is a no-no).

What blew my mind was that this guy had been driving on this highway for at least 5 miles and not a single person besides me informed him of this potentially explosive situation.

What if he'd been sitting at a light and someone tossed a cigarette out the window?

[2Jedismom]

Yeah, it's pretty much out of our expertise, that's for sure...it's an Aerostar and it's very hard to work on.

I imagine we'll get it fixed and then try to sell it.

[brianl703]

Might want to check the domelight socket itself for damage causing the power wire or terminal to short to ground.

Also, bulbs have been known to short out without glass breakage. I had that happen to a nightlight bulb in my house, it tripped the breaker.

[Docbarleypop]

yeah, luckily its been a mild autumn since i dont have the cash to switch the air in my tires, actually my sister got tricked with the blinker fluid gag, then when her O2 sensor went out she argued with the mechanic that he was lying to her since there was no reason a car would need to breath.

[Petronski]

See 65.

[Varmint Al]

MY FIRST CAR.... I got to drive this 39 Plymouth Sedan when I was about 12 years old. No, I didn't get to drive in on the road, but there are a lot of places to drive on 5 acres. I did get a drivers license when I was 16. This was my pride and joy. Later in high school, I got to drive it to school. I completely rebuilt the engine a couple of times. I bet the reader doesn't know where his first car is located. It is still sitting there on the 5 acres. I still had it when I started to college and went to Berkeley for my Freshman year. It would do 40 mph without any problem, but any faster than that would cause engine trouble. On the Christmas break, I was driving back to Bakersfield from Berkeley and about Madera, on HW-99, I followed a guy for a long ways that was doing about 39 mph. I got impatient and revved it up to about 45 mph and passed him. It felt so good going that fast that I just left it there. About 5 miles of that and I burned out a connecting rod. I had to call Pop and he came up to Madera with his welding truck and towed me all the way home in the middle of the night. Pop wasn't happy about that. I spent the whole vacation time rebuilding the engine. That was not what I had planned for.

Do you know where your first car is? Bet not. Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

[fuquadukie]

My first car in high school in early 70s... 1964 Valiant 225 Slant-6 with push-button drive. Great car. Durable. Formerly owned by a physician with CUTE daughter 2 years younger. Wanted to sit in car during lunch many days. (Of course, I let her! think I'm a total dolt?)

[Docbarleypop]

brittish leyland?? which one?? i have a 73 austin 1001, learned everything i know about cars with that thing!

[carlr]

Oil is pretty easy,changing the coolant is tricky.

Just kidding.

[not_apathetic_anymore]

What's your point? LOL

[2Jedismom]

During the split second before the fuse blows, the lights work...the open door chime too. They wouldn't work, would they? If there was a problem there?

We found the problem fuse last week and replaced it...I drove it for two days before it shorted out again. Now it just shorts out right away.

[ChefKeith]

Reminds Me of when I had the Jag/Rolls shop and I would get customer calls that the XJ6 or 12 stopped running on them, send a tow truck get the car to the shop, try to start it and see the gas gauge was on empty, reach up and push the changeover switch to the other tank and start it.

Then charge for the tow and 1 hour labour plus gas to fill the empty tank back up.

[2Jedismom]

Mine's probably scrap now...a little blue Chevy Chevette. My mom let me borrow her big car so I could drive to work (it was the 4th of July and she wanted me in a big car in case a drunk hit me or something!) While I was at work, my mom drove my little Chevy to the store, ignored a yield sign and totaled it.

I had just paid the last payment on it.

[dhs12345]

OIL CHANGE

Oil Changing Instructions for Women:

1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3,000 since the last oil change.
2) Drink a cup of coffee.
3) Fifteen minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Money spent: $20.00 for oil change

$1.00 for coffee

Total = $21.00

Oil Change instructions for Men:

1) Go to Auto Parts Place and write a check for $50.00 for oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree.
2) Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking it back to O'Reilly's to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
3) Open a beer and drink it.
4) Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7) Place drain pan under engine.
8) Look for 9/16 box-end wrench.
9) Give up and use crescent wrench.
10) Unscrew drain plug.
11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil. Spill hot oil on self in process.
12) Clean up mess.
13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.
14) Look for oil filter wrench.
15) Give up; poke oil filter with screwdriver and twist off.
16) Beer.
17) Buddy shows up; finish case of beer with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
18) Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.
20) Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
21) Walk to 7-Eleven; buy beer.
22) Install new oil filter, making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.
23) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24) Remember drain plug from step 11.
25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26) Discover that the used oil is buried in a hole in the backyard, along with drain plug.
27) Drink beer.
28) Uncover hole and sift for drain plug.
29) Discover that the first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor.
30) Drink beer.
31) Slip with wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame.
32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31.
33) Begin cussing fit.
34) Throw wrench.
35) Beer.
36) Clean up hands and forehead and bandage as required to stop blood flow.
37) Beer.
38) Beer.
39) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.
40) Beer.
41) Lower car from jack stands.
42) Accidentally crush one of the jack stands.
43) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
44) Beer.
45) Test-drive car.
46) Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.
47) Car gets impounded.
48) Make bail: Get car from impound yard.

Money spent:
$50.00 parts
$25.00 beer
$75.00 replacement set of jack stands $1,000.00 bail

$200.00 impound and towing fee

Total = $1,350.00

[nobdysfool]

And don't forget to have the muffler bearings checked!

[dhs12345]

There was a rebuilding a VW engine for dummies book, too.

I had a Ghia. Lots of fun.

[2Jedismom]

LOL! Ok, I will...with the two jedis, especially the youngest, that is a very real possibility!