Car problems? Ask a guy who's been working on cars since the age of 12 anything!

[Sunillin]

whats the difference between a turbo charger and a super charger

in terms of how it actually works, and then in terms of performance

k well Turbo and Superchargers are similar in the sense that they are "forced induction systems" compress air which allows more of that air into each cylinder which also means more fuel... so ultimately you are now getting more power out of each stroke.

The main difference between Turbos and superchargers is the way they get their power.

For example a super charger is Belt driven... typically is mounted ontop of the engine, and has a big ass belt that is powered off the crank.

a Turbo gets its power from exhaust stream of the engine.... the exhaust runs through a turbine which powers a compressor to once again FORCE air...

Their are a bunch of more differences aswell, if you're interested.

From what I've been taught, and experience the Turbo is the more Efficient way to go since it is using "useless" energy (the leftovers of the engine).. where as the Supercharger needs to get power from the engine itself to even work.

[Stopdroproll]

Why does my CD player skip on certain tracks on each CD?

Best and cheap ways to clean headlights?

[mustang5spd]

i have a car that i don't drive very often... kind of a weekend/sunny day driver. i heard that it is bad to use fuel with e-85 in cars that don't go through alot of gas, or have the same gas sitting in the tank for a number of weeks (same reasoning behind not putting it in boats) because the fuel can break down. any truth? thoughts on ethanol?

I left e 85 in my corvette h/c LS1 over the last two winters with no stable and no problems. E85 Uses a lot more fuel to make the same amount of power on regular gasoline. So you dont really save much money, it is great for turbo cars or cars with high compression. Other than that I wouldnt recommend it, plus its subsidized by the government

[TheObjectivist]

god if a miscer could actually help me lol...


I have a 2002 F150 with the 4.2l and a 5spd @ 100k

It seems that it has developed its first problem. SOMETIMES upon startup the truck will sputter for 1 to 5 seconds and then die.

-Applying throttle has 0 effect. It doesnt rev the engine or kill it.
-It does this only after its sat a while (maybe an hour+)
-There are NO codes in its memory
- If I keep starting and letting it die it will all of a sudden spring to life and run like a clock
-after it works itself out, it idles perfectly
-There are no security icons on the dash and neither of my car keys has an effect



Any ideas on what this could be? Especially since throttle input has no effect? I keep thinking it is ignition related

[Mata Leao]

car overheats very fast, the oil cap emits white smoke when i drive for a while and the water in the antifreeze seems to be boiling alot and spills out some too.... then i fill it up again and it emptys out faaast.

im afraid the motor might go what to do?

[Sunillin]

mitsubishi evo x, are turbo cars ( more specificly the evo) tuned to run 91 or higher or 93? is there benifets to getting a 93 octane tune?

I dont quite understand your question, but I personally wouldn't do a 93 octane tune... simply because there is only one place in my city that even sells it, and its a good 40 minutes away haha. If your city has it, and you have the money, do it... it Will increase performance... dont know if its worth it for a street car though..

I have a 94 Camaro with an LT1 and T56, when I start to engage the clutch I can hear rattles, also if the car is idling in neutral it rattles, and when I shut the car off with the clutch out too. It does not rattle when the clutch is pushed in. Whats wrong with it?

Typically when pushing the clutch in, a vehicles Idle will increase. Check to make sure your idle isnt low (should be about 800 i think), and the sparkplugs and intake are clean.

Anything wrong with 5th gen preludes?

I've always liked the SH's. Easily tuneable, the H22a4 (i think thats what it has) is a very sturdy engine... pushes about 205 i believe. Only downfall to these cars, is they are considerably heavy for the amount of horsepower they push out... but nothing a twin turbo setup cant fix!

My parents got a brand new Toyota (a 2008 or something) and half the time the car won't start unless we mess with the wheel by turning it a certain angle... what on earth causes a brand new car not to start? like Ill turn the key and get nothing besides the battery/radio/etc. All i hear is a click sound. We don't even know how to fix it, but by messing with the gears/wheel it eventually starts up like a new car should.

hmm that's tough. Cars are designed not to start in reverse, or drive. WHen you are saying wiggling the shifter makes it start, I'd get a mechanic to look at the neutral safety switch.

whats the fastest modified street legal car in the world? and how much is it worth?

no clue sirr

[DylanSD]

My brakes work perfectly fine. The stopping power is the same as when I bought the car. However; when I apply them gently (parking lots...ect) they make a loud scratching/hissing noise. Am I going to have to get new rotors/brakes?

[Sunillin]

Why does my CD player skip on certain tracks on each CD?

Best and cheap ways to clean headlights?

If its the same track number on each CD, sounds like your CD player is broke my friend! If it is on one cd, maybe your cd is scratched? lol

Best and cheapest (also fastest) way is Brake fluid believe it or not. Just be careful not to get any on your paint... that **** will eat it away.

If you have a little more time on your hands I would wet sand it with a very very high grit sand paper.

god if a miscer could actually help me lol...


I have a 2002 F150 with the 4.2l and a 5spd @ 100k

It seems that it has developed its first problem. SOMETIMES upon startup the truck will sputter for 1 to 5 seconds and then die.

-Applying throttle has 0 effect. It doesnt rev the engine or kill it.
-It does this only after its sat a while (maybe an hour+)
-There are NO codes in its memory
- If I keep starting and letting it die it will all of a sudden spring to life and run like a clock
-after it works itself out, it idles perfectly
-There are no security icons on the dash and neither of my car keys has an effect



Any ideas on what this could be? Especially since throttle input has no effect? I keep thinking it is ignition related

holy god damn... Im gonna have to think about that one for a while... gimme a bit.

car overheats very fast, the oil cap emits white smoke when i drive for a while and the water in the antifreeze seems to be boiling alot and spills out some too.... then i fill it up again and it emptys out faaast.

im afraid the motor might go what to do?

**** bro... check your engine oil... does it look normal or like a chocolate milkshake? If your engine oil is like a chocolate milkshake you have blown your head gasket...Pray its not your head gasket lol.

[Sunillin]

My brakes work perfectly fine. The stopping power is the same as when I bought the car. However; when I apply them gently (parking lots...ect) they make a loud scratching/hissing noise. Am I going to have to get new rotors/brakes?

definately sounds like it... your brakes May be fine, but the rotors are definately scored. Unfortunately because you will be changing the rotors, you HAVE to change the brakes... or the grooves in the brakes will make your rotors the same as your last ones.

THOUGH if you are saying there is a grinding noise, it leads me to think your brakes are gone.

Not many shops do this, nor even mention it, but Next time you get an oil change, pay an extra 15 bucks and get them to take your brakes off and re grease the caliper pins... it will help pro long the life of your brake pads.

[Fanatik]

what are your thoughts on M3?

also, best car in $25k range?

[Sunillin]

what are your thoughts on M3?

also, best car in $25k range?

****ing love em! Depends on the year of course, but I had the opportunity to drive my cousins 02 for a few days. Amazing Handling, great throttle response, and fast as fuk!

best car in the 25k range... hmm soo much to choose from, but I personally LOVE the g35. reliable, sexy, and FAST!

if backseats arent important, than go with the 350.

(obviously used)

NOW if you wanna go vintage, and get everyone in sight wet, the Acura NSX

[DylanSD]

definately sounds like it... your brakes May be fine, but the rotors are definately scored. Unfortunately because you will be changing the rotors, you HAVE to change the brakes... or the grooves in the brakes will make your rotors the same as your last ones.

THOUGH if you are saying there is a grinding noise, it leads me to think your brakes are gone.

Not many shops do this, nor even mention it, but Next time you get an oil change, pay an extra 15 bucks and get them to take your brakes off and re grease the caliper pins... it will help pro long the life of your brake pads.

How much should the labor be for changing the brakes and rotors on a compact car?

[TheObjectivist]

holy god damn... Im gonna have to think about that one for a while... gimme a bit.

i would definitely appreciate any help you can offer. Even if you could just direct me in the general direction of what I could look for or a possible theory.

I dont have the fundamentals when it comes to diagnosing car problems and if there arent any trouble codes I'm clueless.

[Stopdroproll]

car overheats very fast, the oil cap emits white smoke when i drive for a while and the water in the antifreeze seems to be boiling alot and spills out some too.... then i fill it up again and it emptys out faaast.

im afraid the motor might go what to do?

I had to replace cooling system when that happened to me.

[Fanatik]

****ing love em! Depends on the year of course, but I had the opportunity to drive my cousins 02 for a few days. Amazing Handling, great throttle response, and fast as fuk!

best car in the 25k range... hmm soo much to choose from, but I personally LOVE the g35. reliable, sexy, and FAST!

if backseats arent important, than go with the 350.

(obviously used)

NOW if you wanna go vintage, and get everyone in sight wet, the Acura NSX

thx brosef.

Is m3 maintenance/repair relatively expensive compared to american cars or perhaps g35/350?

[Sunillin]

How much should the labor be for changing the brakes and rotors on a compact car?

depends on the hourly rate of the shop. Personally You should just do them yourself... SO EASY! (of course if you have the tools)

The shop will charge you a little less than a hour to do both sides, a little more for the rear.


Shop around, some places offer free oil changes with brake jobs and such.

[Wegzyzz]

sup!

alright so im hearing some clicking sounds on the front wheels of my '94 Accord. From the inspection evaluation I got back which listed things to get fixed, it told me the CV boots were cracking/cracked and I'm starting to hear some clicking. What exactly does the clicking mean? Got this thang for free btw.

I've stopped driving it for now/using another car. But... how much would this cost to repair? ball park ?

My friend has a '95 Accord and he's nearly at 300k miles and mine is at 123k miles. How can I make it last this long? Oil, obviously as well as other fluids, but what else can I do?

[Sunillin]

i would definitely appreciate any help you can offer. Even if you could just direct me in the general direction of what I could look for or a possible theory.

I dont have the fundamentals when it comes to diagnosing car problems and if there arent any trouble codes I'm clueless.

Is there any more info you can give me? like something that might have caused it? does it happen while driving? or just during start up?

thx brosef.

Is m3 maintenance/repair relatively expensive compared to american cars or perhaps g35/350?

Hellls yes man... thats one of the problems with the bmw's and merc's is they have a sensor on almost everything. It is such a fine tuned machine... that Everything has to be a premium product haha....
fortunately, if you treat the car right, and do the regular things, you will rarely have to do repairs.

[Quackducky]

My passenger side window has a hard time rolling down. It doesnt go smoothly, its like when your trying to slide in your socks on the floor but theyre not slippery enough.

[Sunillin]

sup!

alright so im hearing some clicking sounds on the front wheels of my '94 Accord. From the inspection evaluation I got back which listed things to get fixed, it told me the CV boots were cracking/cracked and I'm starting to hear some clicking. What exactly does the clicking mean? Got this thang for free btw.

I've stopped driving it for now/using another car. But... how much would this cost to repair? ball park ?

My friend has a '95 Accord and he's nearly at 300k miles and mine is at 123k miles. How can I make it last this long? Oil, obviously as well as other fluids, but what else can I do?

Yoooo!

K so the clicking, does it happen when you take turns? If so that is your CV joint... not necessarily the Boots... the boots are just a rubber cap over the joint... and would not make clicking noises. THOUGH if the boots are cracked, they will let dirt and water inside and it will kill the grease inside and the cv joint will get fukked.

If it is the CV joint that is the problem, the reason it is clicking is because the joints are getting worn out and there is play.(like arthritis on humans)

your looking at abou 90-120 i'd say.

Interms of making your car last longer, Just stay on top of maintenence and Drive the car nicely!

Oilchanges every 3000 miles, transmission drain every 15000, keep the radiator topped up with coolant. Give the car time to warm up in the morning, and try not to let the fuel drop below quarter tank..... most importantly DRIVE IT WELL!

[Sunillin]

My passenger side window has a hard time rolling down. It doesnt go smoothly, its like when your trying to slide in your socks on the floor but theyre not slippery enough.

First try to get some white grease (comes in a small spray can) and spray it down the side... if that doesnt work, you're window regulator (its like a motor) is worn out and needs to be replaced. Depending on your city, you can find a pretty cheap one at most junkers

[Mata Leao]

I had to replace cooling system when that happened to me.

how much was it?

If its the same track number on each CD, sounds like your CD player is broke my friend! If it is on one cd, maybe your cd is scratched? lol

Best and cheapest (also fastest) way is Brake fluid believe it or not. Just be careful not to get any on your paint... that **** will eat it away.

If you have a little more time on your hands I would wet sand it with a very very high grit sand paper.



holy god damn... Im gonna have to think about that one for a while... gimme a bit.



**** bro... check your engine oil... does it look normal or like a chocolate milkshake? If your engine oil is like a chocolate milkshake you have blown your head gasket...Pray its not your head gasket lol.

just checked looks normal... but dont know why its getting so hot, at first used to get hot when i stopped at lights and after i started driving it went back to normal, but now it starts getting hot within minutes of driving

[Sunillin]

how much was it?



just checked looks normal... but dont know why its getting so hot, at first used to get hot when i stopped at lights and after i started driving it went back to normal, but now it starts getting hot within minutes of driving

K well firstly make sure you have antifreeze in your radiator (not the seperate tank, but the radiator itself). It should be right at the front of your vehicle... you will know you have a enough when you cant put anymore in. ALSO make sure you mix your coolant with water... a 60% coolant, 40% water is good. If you put it in, but it empties, than its leaking.

It can be a bunch of things, thermostat, radiator, coolant levels, water pump.

Try what I told you... if that does not work. Take it to a shop ASAP and DO NOT DRIVE IT! you will overheat your car and blow a headgasket (which is a HUGE job)

[gthind]

go.

truck keeps overheating.... im talking 125 degrees celsius and beyond.... pretty sure it isnt engine coolant since the spare tank for it is half full...... ideas?

[Quackducky]

First try to get some white grease (comes in a small spray can) and spray it down the side... if that doesnt work, you're window regulator (its like a motor) is worn out and needs to be replaced. Depending on your city, you can find a pretty cheap one at most junkers

Alright thanks bro, does it have to be white grease or can i use anything else?

[Wegzyzz]

Yoooo!

K so the clicking, does it happen when you take turns? If so that is your CV joint... not necessarily the Boots... the boots are just a rubber cap over the joint... and would not make clicking noises. THOUGH if the boots are cracked, they will let dirt and water inside and it will kill the grease inside and the cv joint will get fukked.

If it is the CV joint that is the problem, the reason it is clicking is because the joints are getting worn out and there is play.(like arthritis on humans)

your looking at abou 90-120 i'd say.

Interms of making your car last longer, Just stay on top of maintenence and Drive the car nicely!

Oilchanges every 3000 miles, transmission drain every 15000, keep the radiator topped up with coolant. Give the car time to warm up in the morning, and try not to let the fuel drop below quarter tank..... most importantly DRIVE IT WELL!

Nope, the clicking is consistent when I'm driving. I can only hear it when I roll the window down though. $90-120..not bad, but is that just for boots + grease ?

And will do haha at first I was thinking of driving the fuk out of the car but I've wisened up because I see the potential for how long it could last. If it was a domestic car I'd prob drive the fuk outta it.

[U R Bunk]

I have toyota celica 2000 and I just replaced the shock and springs with aftermarket one, tokico. I replaced it myself, first I got clunking noise coming from the left front so I replaced the endlinks with the new ones. Now the right front making the clunking noise. I checked the endlinks and both of them are tight. all the screws for suspension are tight as well, what possibly the problem?

The drive is fine but the clunking noise starts to annoy me. Thanks brah

Note: the clunking noise comes when i hit a bump, hole or uneven road

I have a similar problem with my 2000 Corolla. I just had the struts and mounts replaced (not the springs) and I've had the same creaking noise since long before I changed them. Also had my rear end links replaced. I know my front end links are shot, but the noise seems to be coming from all directions. Don't know what's going on with my suspension that could be making this noise.

[Sunillin]

truck keeps overheating.... im talking 125 degrees celsius and beyond.... pretty sure it isnt engine coolant since the spare tank for it is half full...... ideas?

dont look at the spare tank, look at the rad itself. If coolant is present, next time it happens, feel the TOP rad hose (careful it is hot) and squeeze it... if you can feel fluid in there, than good.. if not might be your thermostat.

ALSO check to see if your rad fan turns on (make sure a/c is off so you dont get confused with the condenser fan) If the fan does not turn on, than it is either a wiring issue with the fan, or the fan itself

[Mata Leao]

K well firstly make sure you have antifreeze in your radiator (not the seperate tank, but the radiator itself). It should be right at the front of your vehicle... you will know you have a enough when you cant put anymore in. ALSO make sure you mix your coolant with water... a 60% coolant, 40% water is good. If you put it in, but it empties, than its leaking.

It can be a bunch of things, thermostat, radiator, coolant levels, water pump.

Try what I told you... if that does not work. Take it to a shop ASAP and DO NOT DRIVE IT! you will overheat your car and blow a headgasket (which is a HUGE job)

yeah it seems to be leaking i put it in and then it empties out really fast, theres been lately a weird smell like burned rubber... but yeah i guess ill take it in or maybe my buddy will take a look at it before hand... car repair ppl charge alot of cash for things lol

[Tyrbolift]

car overheats very fast, the oil cap emits white smoke when i drive for a while and the water in the antifreeze seems to be boiling alot and spills out some too.... then i fill it up again and it emptys out faaast.

im afraid the motor might go what to do?

I**** bro... check your engine oil... does it look normal or like a chocolate milkshake? If your engine oil is like a chocolate milkshake you have blown your head gasket...Pray its not your head gasket lol.

K well firstly make sure you have antifreeze in your radiator (not the seperate tank, but the radiator itself). It should be right at the front of your vehicle... you will know you have a enough when you cant put anymore in. ALSO make sure you mix your coolant with water... a 60% coolant, 40% water is good. If you put it in, but it empties, than its leaking.

It can be a bunch of things, thermostat, radiator, coolant levels, water pump.

Try what I told you... if that does not work. Take it to a shop ASAP and DO NOT DRIVE IT! you will overheat your car and blow a headgasket (which is a HUGE job)

I think it is the head gasket, which was brought on by chronic overheating due to a sticking thermostat. It's not that hard to do. The hardest part is removing all the accessories and stuff and remembering where everything goes. When you take off the head, you need to have the bottom resurfaced at a machine shop, to make it ultra flat.

I did it once on my '80 Datsun pickup.