The Automotive Thread

[Road Guy]

Most people are just so inept / not mechanically inclined anymore / since you cant change your oil or air filter with an APP then id say 80% of the US pays someone to do these.

 

When I was picking up my jeep last fall from its tranny fiasco, I overhead a guy selling windshield wipers install for like only $66 bucks “installed” or something and I just thought, good grief people!

I still change the oil on 4 vehicles (with help from kids who drive them) and I think I barely even  break even that oil is so expensive I am not really saving money, as compared to paying someone to do it, I am just saving the inconvenience of going to one of these jiffy lubes or dropping it off someplace and dealing with being hassled for a cabin filter or some other BS..

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Went in to the shop several years ago with Mrs Dex to have her Jeep serviced and a tech tried to do the same routine with her (not realizing I was also there). Guy went so far as to bring in a dirty filter to show us, except it wasn't even the right filter for our car (she had upgraded to a K&N cone filter). We countered by asking if he even changed the oil since he obviously didn't go under the hood...

 

[Master slacker]

... tranny fiasco...

That's Colorado...

:bag:

 

[Road Guy]

Sometimes you have to take your Tranny out...

 

[Ranger1316]

The only reason we still go is because oil changes are free.  I can't even do it myself for that...

They wanted $89.95 for the air & cabin filters.  I bought new ones for $40 and even sprung for the nicer cabin filter.  Changing the air filter on a Sienna takes, literally, 30 seconds.  It honesty took me longer to get the hood open than it did to change the filter.  The cabin filter took me about 5 minutes...and that includes the time it took to look it up on YouTube to remember how to do it.

I just did this on my Impala and the wife's Encore. Went with ACDelco for both on the Encore but ended up with an ACDelco air filter and Fram cabin air filter on the Impala.

The Fram cabin air filter was a few dollars cheaper and I was curious if the baking soda/Febreze actually did anything. Nothing to write home about but the car does smell better lol.

 

[jeb6294]

Took a little longer than the air/cabin filters, but the brakes have been replaced on the Sienna.

Wasn't too terrible aside from the weather.  I hadn't planned to do it Sat. because it was supposed to rain all day, but then when the rain never came, that meant we had to go to my son's baseball game.  Apparently the rain we were supposed to get showed up on Sun. instead.  I was just finishing up the rear when it started.  Gave me an excuse to take a break for a couple hours before doing the fronts.

In between, took the time to get 3 racks of ribs on the smoker for dinner.  Came out great with just a hint of brake cleaner for some extra kick.

 

[Road Guy]

I actually enjoy changing the brakes on my vehicles, the only hard part on the jeep is manhandling the 33" tires -when I  did my wife's highlander last month, I had it down to just about an hour, one day if I ever end up in a "forever home" would definitely pay for a garage lift!

 

[jeb6294]

Yeah, much easier than when I had to do the front brakes on the F350.  The Sienna has central jack points in addition to the usual pinch welds so I was able to do the backs at once and then the fronts at once.

 

[snickerd3]

yeah for new cars...two potential recalls already.  THey don't even now which cars got the faulty pieces.  need to schedule a 30 minute appt so they can inspect the timing belt and engine.  THere was a batch of bad teeth on the timing belts that was damaging the engine.  The other one is a airbag issue like most manufacturers have having issues with.

 

[Road Guy]

trying to find a cheap way to fix my kids "fathers day present" it looks like I can get the bumper and the part between the bumper and the grill on amazon! (using his money) - I am thinking about just getting a black bumper and then the other damaged part that is green comes primed and I was just going to plasti-dip spray paint that black to match?

This is still my preferred family ski wagon so I don't want it too look too Jankey - but I don't want to put more than $300 bucks of his money into it either..

 

[Master slacker]

Buff it out.

 

[MA_PE]

Keep it.  I think it makes it look tough.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Keep it.  I think it makes it look tough.

Serves as a warning that you don't care if you have to go through them...

 

[Road Guy]

It just sort of clashes with my neighbors Tesla?

And I want the kid to spend some money and elbow grease on the repair most of all..

 

[blybrook PE]

It just sort of clashes with my neighbors Tesla?

And I want the kid to spend some money and elbow grease on the repair most of all..

You mean speedbump. If he hits it, avoid the battery pack of at all possible.

As for the repairs, make him look for the parts at a pick n pull (junk yard) and only order online (amazon) as a last resort.

http://www.usedautopartsdealers.com/ can help locate parts at local yards (but the hunt in person can be half the fun).

Not only will he learn how to fix the part locally, he'll get some sweat equity into the project.

There used to be a good yard between Denver and Fort Collins on the frontage road. I don't recall if it was there when i was on Colorado last or not. They are disappearing these days.

 

[Master slacker]

It just sort of clashes with my neighbors Tesla?

Make it match...

 

[jeb6294]

Got son's B-day present yesterday.  Turned 12 on Saturday, but he was at his mom's this weekend so he'll get it when he's here on Wednesday.  Although, after playing around on it for a while yesterday, I'm starting to think he may just need an iTunes gift card or something.

This isn't his, but it's the same thing except the color (Army green with a star on the "tank") and the one I got has some use on it.  Only issue when I got it was a broken brake lever so I couldn't play on it too much, but a new one should be here today courtesy of Amazon.

 

[MA_PE]

cool.  Does he have any clue?  What a great b-day gift.

 

[envirotex]

trying to find a cheap way to fix my kids "fathers day present" it looks like I can get the bumper and the part between the bumper and the grill on amazon! (using his money) - I am thinking about just getting a black bumper and then the other damaged part that is green comes primed and I was just going to plasti-dip spray paint that black to match?

This is still my preferred family ski wagon so I don't want it too look too Jankey - but I don't want to put more than $300 bucks of his money into it either..

I think that's probably > $300...

 

[Road Guy]

Bly- Ive dug through a few Denver junkyard when I was trying to find a wiring harness for the old jeep last summer and found they are not any cheaper than just buying - but they are good if you are trying to find something that isn't sold "online" or something not made anymore - 

So far the bumper and the piece above it was $142 on Amazon "Prime" - Curious to see if I need to find any bolts or other items once we get into it..