Gearhead Thread

[Sgt PSN]

Yeah, she made out well as far as compensation for the trip.  24 hours on the road and then she spent like 4 days with her folks.  But she really liked the way that thing rode and she said it was really comfy to drive over the long haul.  It's a few years newer than yours so maybe Chevy worked out some of the quirks that you're talking about. 

[Tomahawk]

Cardboard bicycle

[SD]

This last week the 'Service Stabilitrack' dummy light comes on. I read some Chevy forums that said it could be a dirty ERG valve. I'm going to pull it out this weekend to see if it's stuck, if it is I'm going to buy a new one and replace it. If that's not the issue I'm going to have a diagnostic done.

I still haven't pulled the EGR valve but I'm thinking of stopping by the Advanced Auto down the street from me to have them do a reading. Part only cost $75 and labor shouldn't be any longer than an hour. I have to remove the engine cover, two bolts, and the EGR pipe, then replace it.

For anyone that works on their own cars, is it your standard practice to disconnect the battery any time you're working under the hood?

[Sgt PSN]

If you aren't working on anything electric, you should be fine. Guess it wouldn't hurt though and it's not like disconnecting the terminals is a major time suck.

[Diomedes]

No, I don't disconnect the battery as a matter of course.  It's probably a good habit if you can con yourself into it.

[Tomahawk]

It's definitely good habit, but I usually only do it when the starter needs replaced; otherwise I disconnect the coil to dizzy spark plug wire.

Stage I complete...pun

[Diomedes]

A friend and I spent the entire day yesterday replacing the front struts on my wife's '09 Mazda 5.   Holy crap, what a pain in the ass.  There is a bolt on the front side of the passenger side control arm which must be removed in order to drop the control arm ball joint so you can then drop the steering knuckle off the strut.  Not fun, but so be it.    Until you realize, the engineers have farged you: The goddamn bolt is trapped by the engine (or more specifically, by the AC pump (I think)).  It doesn't look like it's trapped.  That is, there appears to be sufficient clearance to back the bolt out, but it's actually about 3/4" too little.  Some researching online yielded this advice:  shift the engine forward.

SHIFT THE fargING ENGINE?  TO REPLACE STRUTS??

farg you, Mazda.  Sonsofbitches.

We succeeded in the end, and avoided spending several hundred dollars on tech labor at a garage, but holy shtein that was a lousy design.  I'd love to find the little farger who engineered that car and piss in his corn flakes.

[SD]

I miss the simplicity of working on older cars. It used to be foreign cars were a pain the ass to work on...now they're all a pain the ass. Did you check YouTube? There's probably an instruction video. That's my go to spot when I'm stuck.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Yep the care have progressively become worse to work on since the mid-90s. Like SD said it seemed only foreign rides presented challenges but its a bitch on anything for sure.

I noticed it when Ford changed from the 302 5.0 in the Mustangs to the 4.6's in 1996.

Changing my spark plugs on my old '99 expedition was a motherfarger. Spark plugs!!

[Diomedes]

Yes, we did check YouTube.  After we were stuck and farged, of course.   

The cars are designed to be manufactured, not maintained.  Cars are now made to be used and discarded.  If your struts fail, the solution is not to replace them, but to buy a new car.  Afterall, the new car has new struts!

[Sgt PSN]

Just bought my first bike today.  2004 Yamaha V-Star 650, 4600 miles.   

[General_Failure]

Hell, does it have a radio too?

[Diomedes]

good job checking here first

a.) ugly
b.) underpowered for all that crap attached to it
c.) ugly
d.) let's see a pic of your gear...let me guess, a sleeveless T with "the bitch fell off" on the back, and a turtle shell lid as an ovation to appearances which keeps the cops off your ass
e.) ugly
f.) can the thing stop from 60mph in less than a hundred yards?
h.) ugly

[hbionic]

Hell, does it have a radio too?

Yes, it's inside the VCR.

[Sgt PSN]

good job checking here first

Yeah, like I'm going to consult the likes of you idiots on what type of bike I should get. 

Also...

a.) Farg you
b.) You don't think 650cc is enough to handle saddlebags and a windshield?
c.) Farg you
d.) Jeans and a t-shirt.
e.) Farg you
f.) Don't know.  If it can, I'm probably not skilled enough yet to pull it off though. 
h.) Farg you.