gerry wrote on 2024-05-21, 08:39:

not driving so much, but does anyone else watch those "will it start?" and rescue type videos?

You bet! Probably more than computer related video's
I like fixing up old PC's and making them live again. Fixing up old cars isn't that far off the same subject matter.
Helps that getting an old car going is different to an old truck which is still different to an old digger.
Then you have different makes/models within the different categories.

Computers as a whole are very similar in repairs, so after you have seen the first dozen it does get a bit more of the same.

chinny22 wrote on 2024-05-22, 07:32:

You bet! Probably more than computer related video's I like fixing up old PC's and making them live again. Fixing up old cars is […]
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You bet! Probably more than computer related video's
I like fixing up old PC's and making them live again. Fixing up old cars isn't that far off the same subject matter.
Helps that getting an old car going is different to an old truck which is still different to an old digger.
Then you have different makes/models within the different categories.

Computers as a whole are very similar in repairs, so after you have seen the first dozen it does get a bit more of the same.

there is that link and as you say old PCs tend to be more similar to eachother than cars (and easier to fix - well more accurately easier to either fix or give up on - unless using necroware levels of fixing)

the fact that ancient, locked up and often damaged engines can often be revived is impressive, and interesting to follow

i wonder what happens to them afterwards though, sometimes the rest of the vehicle is so far gone that i doubt its restored and not sure the engine is really viable beyond the temporary measures used to fire them up. some videos show a restoration that is either complete or at least would form a basis for total restoration or become a spare engine or working parts for other projects

sometimes when its a truck or something like a digger i hope it goes to work again

one thing such videos demonstrate, like with PC electronics and many other products, is that a great many things can be made to last and keep working a lot longer than we tend to let them and it seems wasteful not to keep stuff going for longer

I am currently driving a 2017 Dodge Journey GT AWD. Has the 3.6L V6 and the horrible 6spd automatic that doesn't shift into overdrive until you hit 90 km/h. It has been a decent vehicle for the 3+ years I've owned it, but have a slight transmission leak, a slight oil leak, the driver door lock power actuator is dead so have to use the key, the driver side seat belt doesn't retract fully. But it is comfortable.

You might find a door lock actuator that works or can be made to fit in the surplus section at Princess Auto. They were getting a lot of random dodge parts like that for a while.

Enjoying summer weather again

This is what I drive, a Ford Focus Mk2 CC (Coupe Cabriolet) certainly don't see many of these about.
Made by Ford with final assembly done in Italy's Pininfarina plant in Turin. It bears the Pininfarina emblem on the rear wings.

2.0L Ford Duratec HE (rebranded Mazda L engine as used in the MX5)

Hardtop roof mechanism. Great fun to drive, not the fastest by any means but popping the roof in summer is awesome. Cost me £2500 used. I wasn't even looking for one, but other car died and I needed one quick or i'm not getting to work.

My main car is a 2002 Toyota Previa, with the XC70 as backup or for when conditions are bad. Previa has lots of room, surprisingly manoeuvrable, and I like the lack of sills, the dash-mounted gearstick and the fact that on this model there's no central console. Rear sliding doors. Two sunroofs. A shape that reminds me of the Bizzarrini Manta haha.

Almoststew1990 wrote on 2024-05-22, 16:50:

Enjoying summer weather again

back before bmw followed the suv herd. i guess they had to, but it seems to dilute the brand a bit to me, they make small cars for some markets too. the 'traditional' ones still retain the bmw look though

your example looks really good for what i'm guessing is a 20 year old car

2022 VW Polo

Replaced a 2001 model I drove before when engine started glitching to the point that it just shutdown on a motorway and shot my anxiety through the roof, could be restarted at least. I had it at the service before for the symptoms, but they didn't find anything and it dying on the motorway was the last straw before I decided I had enough.

UCyborg wrote on 2024-06-02, 19:53:

2022 VW Polo

Replaced a 2001 model I drove before when engine started glitching to the point that it just shutdown on a motorway and shot my anxiety through the roof, could be restarted at least. I had it at the service before for the symptoms, but they didn't find anything and it dying on the motorway was the last straw before I decided I had enough.

I once had a Suzuki motorcycle do this repeatedly - quit on the highway only for me to come back later and it would start right up. The failing component was one of the crank trigger ignitors which would only fail when the engine was hot. That bike was a 1984 model, and it had several electronic component failures like that while I owned it. The 2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200 I had was much better in that regard as I put many miles on it and none of the electronic ignition components failed.

Yah, crank sensors, knock sensors, coil packs are primary suspects for cutting out while hot, notable mentions for injector drivers when applicable.

I gotta get back to the self inflicted knuckle wounds scene, got an alternator coming for the Versa Note, gotta see what that does for it. I wanted to be retired from doing my own wrenching but I'm up to a count of three "Nissan Master Tech" screwups and so also now two things in the past I'm really suspicious of too, so guess I'll have to be my own mechanic again.

kixs wrote on 2023-07-14, 22:57:

kixs wrote on 2015-10-27, 09:59:

My family car... Opel Astra H 2005 caravan CDTI 1.7 74kw - nice for moving large amounts of computers, CRT monitors and boxes of […]
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My family car... Opel Astra H 2005 caravan CDTI 1.7 74kw - nice for moving large amounts of computers, CRT monitors and boxes of components 😁 Otherwise I like it as it's very reliable and with my light foot very economic too.

I used to log fuel consumption and there is also a small picture here:
http://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/472678.html

Now-a-days I have even lower fuel consumption - around 4.2 to 4.5L/100km (that's around 55MPG US).

Let me see... almost 8 years later and it's still my wagon 😉

In a few months it will be 18 years old... So cheap running and reliable I just don't care about buying a newer car 🤣

It was bound to happen... a few weeks ago I got a newer ride. 2018 Opel Astra K Sports Tourer 1.6CDTI. I hope it will be as low maintenance like the previous one 😁

I am pining for diesel wagons again and just found out that lucky bastards in Europe and Aus got this thing..
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outta … d-magna-magnum/

Can't remember what the unapproved vehicle timeout is here in Ontario, might be 12 or 17 years, forgot. I should try and get a contact through the grapevine to UK expats in Spain or south of France to see what is around... orrrr, build one/get one built, out of a Magnum annnnd I dunno, rusted out sprinter van.

Only about the 11th time that I found out that some version of Chrysler co had a vehicle I would love to buy, but they don't offer it in Canada.

..... side note... I am sick and tired of a video popping up going "Why come nobody buying Hornets" ... well, it's a CUV you clowns, other CUVs sell at 25k to 40k, this POS, a CUV with noughties specs, starts at 40k more or less. Jeebus, get a clue. (Canadian $$)

Edit: Oh this is bad, I'm developing a fascination with the Equinox/Terrain diesels now...

kixs wrote on 2024-06-03, 12:04:

kixs wrote on 2023-07-14, 22:57:

kixs wrote on 2015-10-27, 09:59:

My family car... Opel Astra H 2005 caravan CDTI 1.7 74kw - nice for moving large amounts of computers, CRT monitors and boxes of […]
Show full quote

My family car... Opel Astra H 2005 caravan CDTI 1.7 74kw - nice for moving large amounts of computers, CRT monitors and boxes of components 😁 Otherwise I like it as it's very reliable and with my light foot very economic too.

I used to log fuel consumption and there is also a small picture here:
http://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/472678.html

Now-a-days I have even lower fuel consumption - around 4.2 to 4.5L/100km (that's around 55MPG US).

Let me see... almost 8 years later and it's still my wagon 😉

In a few months it will be 18 years old... So cheap running and reliable I just don't care about buying a newer car 🤣

It was bound to happen... a few weeks ago I got a newer ride. 2018 Opel Astra K Sports Tourer 1.6CDTI. I hope it will be as low maintenance like the previous one 😁

nice new(er) car, that small-ish engine probably has plenty of power - they do these days. so did it finally have some big problems or was it just time to change (and did someone buy the old one? )

kixs wrote on 2024-06-03, 12:04:

It was bound to happen... a few weeks ago I got a newer ride. 2018 Opel Astra K Sports Tourer 1.6CDTI. I hope it will be as low […]
Show full quote

It was bound to happen... a few weeks ago I got a newer ride. 2018 Opel Astra K Sports Tourer 1.6CDTI. I hope it will be as low maintenance like the previous one 😁

It is sounding like there is a lot of stuff to keep on top of with that engine..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Medium_Diesel_engine

I am reading up on it due to North American applications... (Terrain/Equinox/Cruze) the Astra applications sound like a pain in the ass to get to, as I would assume is the Cruze.... I might have to take a deep dive into the SUV installation though to see if there's a shadetree mechanic judo-fu trick possible for the chain, i.e. the kind of way you can do some gas engine water pumps in under 2 hours when it's a 10 hour book time.

more about it here too https://www.motortrend.com/news/tech-deep-div … h7-turbodiesel/

Now I was reading elsewhere, think a diesel Terrain review, that a limiting factor on it in that platform is overheating at high load, not sure if it's only that application, or whether it is common to all. Shouldn't happen in "normal" use, but who the heck wants to be normal 🤣

Yeah, the angle I am approaching this from is that I'm trying to figure out how to get a 30MPG (US gallon) plus "tow pig" that can move 3000lb minimum. The chassis/platform does it in the case of the Terrinox but the engine doesn't. ... So naturally a gearhead's thoughts turn to methanol injection or something... it's kinda the diametric opposite to nitrous if that's what you're thinking, makes less heat rather than more.

edit: not even sure I'd have to DO anything about the heat issue, may be that it's only a cover their ass thing because someone bound to try going over the Rockies with overloaded "3500lb" trailer on a day when it's 120F or so... i.e. sustained climb, high load, high altitude, high heat fustercluck.... pretty much anything built before 2010 would fail at it's max tow rating in those conditions.

gerry wrote on 2024-06-04, 12:18:

kixs wrote on 2024-06-03, 12:04:

kixs wrote on 2023-07-14, 22:57:

Let me see... almost 8 years later and it's still my wagon 😉

In a few months it will be 18 years old... So cheap running and reliable I just don't care about buying a newer car 🤣

It was bound to happen... a few weeks ago I got a newer ride. 2018 Opel Astra K Sports Tourer 1.6CDTI. I hope it will be as low maintenance like the previous one 😁

nice new(er) car, that small-ish engine probably has plenty of power - they do these days. so did it finally have some big problems or was it just time to change (and did someone buy the old one? )

It has 136PS. So nothing special but enough for 1400kg car. My previous Astra had just 101PS and was fine most of the time.

As it was 19 years old there were little things that I wouldn't bother to fix and it was just enough for me to look for replacement. Someone had bought it. He will have to fix a few things but it should run fine for more years to come.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-06-04, 13:23:

It is sounding like there is a lot of stuff to keep on top of with that engine.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Medium_Diesel_ […]
Show full quote

kixs wrote on 2024-06-03, 12:04:

It was bound to happen... a few weeks ago I got a newer ride. 2018 Opel Astra K Sports Tourer 1.6CDTI. I hope it will be as low […]
Show full quote

It was bound to happen... a few weeks ago I got a newer ride. 2018 Opel Astra K Sports Tourer 1.6CDTI. I hope it will be as low maintenance like the previous one 😁

It is sounding like there is a lot of stuff to keep on top of with that engine..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Medium_Diesel_engine

I am reading up on it due to North American applications... (Terrain/Equinox/Cruze) the Astra applications sound like a pain in the ass to get to, as I would assume is the Cruze.... I might have to take a deep dive into the SUV installation though to see if there's a shadetree mechanic judo-fu trick possible for the chain, i.e. the kind of way you can do some gas engine water pumps in under 2 hours when it's a 10 hour book time.

more about it here too https://www.motortrend.com/news/tech-deep-div … h7-turbodiesel/

Now I was reading elsewhere, think a diesel Terrain review, that a limiting factor on it in that platform is overheating at high load, not sure if it's only that application, or whether it is common to all. Shouldn't happen in "normal" use, but who the heck wants to be normal 🤣

Yeah, the angle I am approaching this from is that I'm trying to figure out how to get a 30MPG (US gallon) plus "tow pig" that can move 3000lb minimum. The chassis/platform does it in the case of the Terrinox but the engine doesn't. ... So naturally a gearhead's thoughts turn to methanol injection or something... it's kinda the diametric opposite to nitrous if that's what you're thinking, makes less heat rather than more.

edit: not even sure I'd have to DO anything about the heat issue, may be that it's only a cover their ass thing because someone bound to try going over the Rockies with overloaded "3500lb" trailer on a day when it's 120F or so... i.e. sustained climb, high load, high altitude, high heat fustercluck.... pretty much anything built before 2010 would fail at it's max tow rating in those conditions.

It's interesting I haven't done much research of the car. It was the only one I took the time to see and test drive. And just bought it 🤣 It's relatively low mileage at 77000km. I'm doing around 10kkm per year. So the chain issue might take a few years to develop as I don't notice anything strange in engine noise.

It might not develop within your ownership then if you follow the new oil recommendations mentioned on the wikipedia page. If you'd got one at 177,000 it might have been imminent.

Citroen C15

Heh, I worked in a distribution yard when those were still available new, had to drive a few. Somehow they feel less sophisticated than a 2CV 🤣 Mind you I suppose half that was the van rattling and pounding, like any van does. Berlingos were a lot quieter though, think they cheated by having chunks of foamy stuff glued everywhere. Anyway, gotta be one of the cheapest things to do some modest hauling. ... ... ... By the 90s in the UK though if you fancied yourself a hustler in the mould of "Trotter's independant trading co" and wanted the cheapest running tiny van, the Reliants had died off quite a bit and you could grab an ex British Telecom Maestro diesel and get down to Felixstow for your smuggled gear at 50mpg.

theelf wrote on 2024-06-04, 23:02:

Citroen C15

31872b3a-5258-47fc-b9a4-a26eecd3f5a9.jpg

That must make the hauls from the local recycler so much easier 😁