Anyone have any experience working on the 3400 series GM motors? I think it's a relay issue, but I'm not 100% sure. Whenever I'm driving without my A/C in hot weather, the engine temp rises pretty significantly. When my A/C worked, the engine fans would run a lot higher to compensate and the motor would stay cool. Since my A/C is fucked, the fans only run on low, which makes the motor run pretty hot. Could it just be that the relays for the car when the A/C isn't running for the high fan setting are shot? Would a place like AutoZone or Advance Auto Parts be able to test those relays for me? I know which ones they are via the electrical diagram for the motor's relay area, I just need to know if it's something as simple as that...
This isn't my car (or even the same model) but that green strip under the door is a rocker panel correct? (I don't know shit about body names on cars) Assuming it's a car still being made (namingly a 2010 Jetta) - how much do you think I'd be looking at to replace at least the exterior of a rocker panel? My brother took my car out and scraped mine in pretty badly on a curb at a drivethrough. Just wondering if this is a "bug him to go get it fixed for me" issue or a "there's no way he can afford that now I have to call my goddamn insurance company" issue
I don't know shit about your specific car, but if it's a standalone piece (as in separate from the other body panels), and can be replaced, then it usually is pretty straight forward. If it's a seemless rocker panel, and looks to be attached to the front and rear fenders, then it's tougher. In both cases, the hard part will probably be the paint job, specifically blending it in with the parts around it. That's where the time and artistry comes into play. The fading/age of the current paint has to be applied to the new piece so it doesn't look out of place, and that can be a bit tricky sometimes. I'd take it to a local body shop and ask them for an estimate. I'm betting it'll be more expensive than you think it will be.
My wife and I bought a new car with leather interior, and I'm in charge of taking care of it. Trouble is, all the trucks I've owned have cloth interior at best. What do you guys use to clean and maintain your leather seats? I don't want anything that's going to make the seats greasy or shiny. I just want them clean and protected.
Don't use any kind of ArmorAll leather "protectant", because it seals the pores in the leather and leeches out the moisture/oils. Grab some quality leather cleaner and conditioner that will clean and then replenish the leather's oils. Just about everyone I know in the Porsche world swears by Zymol, and I have nothing but good things to say about it from my experience using it for about 6 years. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.zymol.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.zymol.com/</a>
Leatherique is by FAR the best stuff I've ever used, but it is really for high end leather (like Porsche) that has a natural coating (i.e. not GM cheap leather). It seems backwards because you actually use the conditioner first, which leaches all the dirt out of the leather, and clean it second. It worked miracles on the leather in my M5 that Zymol didn't come close to doing. Leaves a nice matte finish, too.
My 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP (Competition Group package) started acting up tonight. The A/C stopped working, and the temperature gauge would creep towards the red in stop-and-go traffic, but would return to normal or below normal once I got over 40 mph. I'm assuming it's the t-stat as the computer system on the car would probably alert me to damn near any other thing. I need opinions from those who are more knowledgeable than I am before I start fucking with it. Ideas?
Unsure about the A/C not working, but I do know from experience that if the car is low on coolant, it will not even turn the compressor on to prevent mechanical damage. The reason the car runs at a lower temp when the A/C is on is that the engine fans kick on to the high setting when the car's electrical system knows the A/C is running. As far as the temp creeping up, I've got a Grand Am GT that does the same thing. What I've found is that, while it does go up higher than when the A/C is running, it appears to be perfectly normal, and the high fan speed setting will kick in at something like 225 or 230 degrees.
You also might want to check the cleanliness of your radiators. I had a truck that was having serious overheating problems, and it was something as simple as dirt clogging up the rads. No airflow = no cooling.
I'm actually talking about the exterior of the rad. It's made up of little, fragile fins that allow the air to flow through the radiator, extracting the heat from the coolant. Look at it, and see if you can see any blockages. You should be able to see right through it. If you're going to clean it, be gentle, as the fins can bend over and get fucked up pretty easily, as you can see in that pic. The AC also usually has it's own, smaller radiator.
Make sure your fan is turning on. Usually if it gets hot at idle or low speed but cools down at speed, the fan isn't turning on or not turning onto "high" (some newer cars have fans that will have different speeds)
This is a 2010 Honda Accord. I don't spare expenses with my cleaning stuff, but I also don't mind saving money. Is there something that would work as well on a car like this or should I just break off and spring for the expensive stuff?
What did the temp gauge say when it was sitting there? If you just started it, he fans won't come on normally. If the temp gauge was above the halfway mark, that's a problem. Check fan relay, switch and sensors. Most of that stuff is fairly easy. Get a Hayne's manual for your car if you don't have one.
Anyone know of a website that teaches auto body painting? I can do body work just fine but I'd like to learn how to paint. A site that shows spray gun information, how to properly mix paint, prepping surfaces, etc.
Anyone familiar with Mitsubishi sunroof allignment? Specifically on an 06 Endeavor. It opens and works properly but when closed the front is up a bit and the back down a bit from flush. I've read on a couple of Mitsu forums about timing or allignment but thought I'd ask for suggestions here before I take it in to be worked on. Any thoughts would be appreciated.