Useless Conversation

[rattran]

I dislike working on cars but for several years owned an old VW, and did everything up to and including rebuilding the engine. It's really not that hard to do most stuff up to computer age cars, and the tools accumulate themselves over little repairs. Now I have a huge toolbox full of tools I hope to never use again.

[Lantyssa]

I dislike getting oil on myself even more than dust.  That and the lack of bleeding and reduction in swearing means its worth taking to the shop.

[Sky]

I miss my first few cars, back when you could work on them pretty easy and you didn't need a computer or interface or whatever. I did all the work on my Ford Falcon, a decent amount of work on my VWs, all the work on my Sebring (the 1973 Satellite Sebring Plus manly one with a 400+c.i. four barrel, not the girly Slayerik kind), and a little work on my Ranger and Cherokee. The FJ? Who parked the UFO in the engine compartment?

On bleeding and swearing: Last night I was talking to my neighbor's wife and she knows I put a bathroom in my house. She asked if I knew how to install a tub, I told her I knew how to wrestle and swear.

[stray]

I drive the most normal car ever... the modern age equivalent to the "boxcar" - a silver Impala.  Luckily, there have been few problems (getting old now too.. it's a 2000). I'm in the ideal city (ideal as America gets at least) for bikes though. I'm thinking of just doing that.

[Yegolev]

As much as we know about computers, and self-teach, I wonder why more techies aren't good mechanics.

1. Software wants to be free, yo.
2. Fatties cannot reach many places in a car.
3. Must invest in tools. If you drive American, you need both SAE and metric.
4. Cannot ALT-TAB to f13 or porn while working on a car.
5. Cars cannot run Team Fortress 2.
6. Working on a car means roasting or freezing or perhaps going outside in the sunshine.
7. Hard to blog about.
8. If you break something, you must buy another one instead of reinstall.
9. Fatties cannot get up once prone.
10. Working on a car requires physical strength and even effort.

[stray]

Heh.

One day these two worlds will meet.. and it'll be like that sci-fi greasemonkey archetype, who knows how to fix everything.

[Sky]

Heh.

One day these two worlds will meet.. and it'll be like that sci-fi greasemonkey archetype, who knows how to fix everything.

Yo dog, I heard you like...

Oh yeah, meant to mention (or re-mention) the Avalanche roof 'rake'. Snow was getting pretty deep on the roof again and they were calling for warm weather today, maybe rain. So I bit the bullet and got my Avalanche. If you ever have to clean snow off your roof, and you don't have metal flashing along the edge (ruins the slide part), you NEED one of these. Srsly, I just did my whole roof in about a half-hour and woke up this morning happy rather than aching and miserable.

[Selby]

7. Hard to blog about.

I've blogged about my car misadventures for years and still get random strangers thanking me for all the details and pictures I've posted of my stuff (including ones I no longer own).

I do hate getting dirt under my nails since it does look pretty bad at work, but that's what latex gloves are for.  I've saved thousands on doing my last 3 engines by myself rather than paying a shop to bend me over and take my money while doing a piss-poor job at it.  Although my most complicated engine is a vacuum hose monstrosity from 1978, so it's no UFO or space-age electrical marvel that I'm afraid to break.

[Nerf]

I think the space-age comments are mostly unfounded.  Yes, there are electronics in cars now that control things like fuel/air ratios, but the electronics themselves /very/ rarely go bad, and if they do there isn't fuckall you can do except replace it (which is generally incredibly easy, like a 20 minute job)

What goes bad are the sensors, and they aren't any harder to change than any other part on the car.  Crying about "those damned space-aged vehicles" is akin to taking your car to the dealership to replace a headlight bulb because the electricity might keel you.  In the past year, I've wrenched on my 96 Z3, an 05 Acura RSX (included a supercharger install/uninstall and fucking with all those nasty electronics), and an 05 Lotus Elise.  They're all the same, google how to fix the part, make sure you have the tools beforehand, and do it.  The tools required for just about any repair you can think of would cost less than a single hour of labor at a shop, and if you order parts online you'll be getting them for ~50% or less of what the dealership would charge you.

Don't be a pussy, fix it yourself!

[Trippy]

3. Must invest in tools. If you drive American, you need both SAE and metric.

This is actually a good thing if you want to attract nerds but unfortunately that's not enough to counteract...

10. Working on a car requires physical strength and even effort.

[stray]

[Nerf]

3. Must invest in tools. If you drive American, you need both SAE and metric.

This is actually a good thing if you want to attract nerds but unfortunately that's not enough to counteract...

10. Working on a car requires physical strength and even effort.

Leverage.

[bhodi]

I dislike working on cars, however, even I will change oil and break pads. Except on my current car, a miata, which requires an extra elbow to reach the oil filter.

I am annoyed that the last time I took it to the dealership not only did they not notice the expired inspection, but now when I turn my car on the starter doesn't seem as 'peppy' as it used to be. It still starts, but the engine rolls over a few times. I think they missed something or miss-adjusted something, but I can't really call them out on it and don't have the tools or experience to diagnose it myself. Ah well.

[Selby]

Yes, there are electronics in cars now that control things like fuel/air ratios, but the electronics themselves /very/ rarely go bad, and if they do there isn't fuckall you can do except replace it (which is generally incredibly easy, like a 20 minute job)

While I agree with you quite a bit there, my main gripe is the smaller FWD vehicles with transversely mounted engines that GM and Ford love to churn out.  The sensors are not the most expensive and sure, when they go out, you replace it!  If you can get to it.  When the car company does stupid things like requiring you pull out the motor mount bolts to lift the engine up 6" to change spark plugs and make changing an alternator or power steering pump an 8-10 hour job, you will learn to hate doing certain tasks.  Especially if the replacement part has a low lifespan and you end up changing it out every 6-12 months (or worse, it wasn't the problem).  Same with those stupid O2 sensors that late model Dodge Dakotas use (just got done with that on a friend's truck).  It was an ordeal and a half changing the 2 upper banks on each side of the engine.  The wiring is all tied to the engine harness and mounts, which was designed and implemented when the body was not yet on the frame, making it a bear to get to any of the connections off without breaking some plastic harness piece.  Then there is getting a wrench over it to get it out...  Some engineers need to be forced to perform routine maintenance on their own designs (I suffer for this at work on my designs too).

The benefit is, the more you do it the better you get at it for next time ;-)

[Strazos]

Fucking $600. That was fun.

And yeah, I would totally do the work myself if it was even feasible. I did a fair amount of work beyond oil changes on my old car; valve cover gasket, replaced the radiator, installed new sound system + amp/sub, brake jobs, etc.

But we've moved since then, and now I have neither the tools nor the facilities to do that sort of stuff myself. Not even a proper driveway.

The funniest part? The pump died right after I filled up the tank, so they had to drain some of the fuel out - I only have 3/4 a tank now. 

Oh well, at least now that's one major part that shouldn't be failing any time soon.

[rattran]

One of my cats has an ear infection, and an aural hematoma. It looks horrible, is painful, and he's making sad crying sounds. He's been to the vet, and the prognosis is good (except he'll have a cauliflower ear) but it's still making me very sad.

[voodoolily]

One of my cats has an ear infection, and an aural hematoma. It looks horrible, is painful, and he's making sad crying sounds. He's been to the vet, and the prognosis is good (except he'll have a cauliflower ear) but it's still making me very sad.

 

[Signe]

Oh dear.  I know exactly how you feel.  I was horribly sad when my little kitty was unwell.   

[rattran]

Thanks, support from all you imaginary intarweb creatures does make me feel a bit better. Still pretty traumatic though. And even once he's better Random will still have a boxer ear. He's sleeping on the desk right now, so at least the sad sounds have stopped.

[Signe]

Imaginary!?!  I'm not the one who disappears when I turn off my computer!    

[Fraeg]

I am federal  , but most of the projects I work on are funded by California state bonds.   In case you had not heard Republicans and Democrats in California have no fucking clue how to hold hands much less compromise....   Due to the budget the funding on nearly every project i work on has been *frozen*... if this shit carries on into mid-February I might find my ass in New Mexico (the have funding for projects)...

Dems and Repubs... this isn't a fucking game.... you both will have to make compromises.


meh.......




I like Humbolt Fog, and other Goat cheeses with my whine

[Merusk]

Imaginary!?!  I'm not the one who disappears when I turn off my computer!    

Just be glad we disappear. Imagine if all the play people just sat here waiting. Lurking. Staring endlessly at the blank monitor waiting until it turned on again. That'd be rather creepy.

[Lantyssa]

You mean you don't?  It gets so boring waiting for it to come back on.

[FatuousTwat]

Anyone else read this website?

[rattran]

No.

[Signe]

I do now. 

[Sky]

When the car company does stupid things like requiring you pull out the motor mount bolts to lift the engine up 6" to change spark plugs and make changing an alternator or power steering pump an 8-10 hour job, you will learn to hate doing certain tasks. 

The alternator was the beginning of my newer-car dislike. My first car was a 66 Falcon, the first work I did was to change the alternator. My mother insisted I get a quote, I forget what it was but it was ridiculous for a teenager's budget. Hopped on my bike, rode a couple miles down the road to the junkyard and bought an alternator, guy showed me how to pull it. Rode home and put it in after just a couple minutes. Crazy easy. Three bolts and a belt adjustment.

Then in the mid-90s, my ex's Cavalier's alternator went. I figured another easy fix, got the part. Then had to disassemble a bunch of shit like I was playing some kind of puzzle game to even get to the stupid thing, and then more to get it out.

[Yegolev]

It's really that the required effort to work on a car has gotten much higher.  Time was when you could smuggle a small adult in the engine compartment, but these days you have to dismantle large sections of the car to get at basic parts.

As for oil, I'd change it myself if I had somewhere to put the old oil.

[Lantyssa]

That's what your neighbor's yard is for.

[Yegolev]

I don't have any neighbors!

[Signe]

Sheesh.  How remote are you that you can't stroll/drive/jog over to the closest neighbour and throw it in their well?  Or if you are too nice and conscientious for that, put it in a motor oil jug and take it to your closest recycling centre or a car dealership.

Of course, we don't do any of that.  We let our mechanic do it all. 

[Nerf]

After spending another 6 hours yesterday changing my water pump (a 45 minute job or so) I'm almost inclined to go with the "fuck working on your own car" crowd.  Damn thing was corroded into place or somesuch and did not want to come out.  But, as much as that sucked and as much pain I'm in now, having what I did this weekend done at a shop would have cost me well over $2k.  I don't make 2k in 2 months, let alone 2 days, so it was totally worth it.

I don't change my own oil though, although I should probably start as I'm trusting Firestone less and less to do any sort of competent job.  I had them look over the car for my oil leak, they caught the (much, much smaller) oil pan gasket leak, but missed the completely obvious valve cover leak.

[Yegolev]

In your case, I'd get a new car.

[Nerf]

It's a damned nice car and it generally runs very well.  1996 BMW Z3, 120k miles, had the head re-machined at 100k.  It's fun, it's sporty, it's comfortable enough that long-ish drives don't completely murder you, and it gets good gas mileage.  Also, it's paid for.  Sure, I could sell it and pick up something that's in better shape but less fun, not nearly as good looking, and not a convertible, but why?

[Signe]

It's true.  No car payment is a warm and fuzzy feeling.  It's probably the reason we still have this Mustang I hate so much.