gdp's Comments

Hooniverse : Craigslist Crapshoot

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:57:40 +0000

That's about the only thing that DID work reliably on that rolling turd. :D The hatch it was attached to quit opening during the last year of its life, though. The latch got so jammed up that I couldn't even push it in anymore. (And it couldn't be tapped with a hammer since it would buckle the metal.) Personally I think part of the problem with that car was the "Americanization" of it, changing the bits and pieces away from the original design.

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- What's the Dumbest Specialty Tool Required Maintenance Issue You've Ever Encountere

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:51:11 +0000

Mine was a bit sticky as well, but I may have just stood on the breaker bar (CR-V--I had plenty of room). My jack was already holding the engine up, so there was no other way. I am due for another timing belt in the CR-V, and the Civic is going to need one also (recent purchase with unknown repair history). I can't recall what I used on the tensioner, although I'm not sure if the 4 cylinder has a different requirement than the V6.

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- What's the Dumbest Specialty Tool Required Maintenance Issue You've Ever Encountere

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:45:57 +0000

I am thinking they do not want to give the public too much information. Not to boost repair bills, but the information in the wrong hands could be a real problem. The old adage about "knowing just enough to make myself dangerous." Sort of like setting a bricklayer loose in a hospital with surgical tools, and free license to "fix" any patient they see fit. I swear I didn't that lobotomy...and why is my leg still broken??

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- Do You Know What all the Buttons in Your Car do?

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 04:50:29 +0000

OK, I just thought of one "mystery knob". My grandfather had two in his 1971 Olds Ninety Eight. The dashboard had a clock, and there was also a clock embedded in the back of the front seat, so the rear passengers could see the time. Neither one kept the right time, ever. You could turn the adjustment knob to supposedly set the correct time, whereupon the clock would enter its own little time warp and run at whatever speed it wanted. Supposedly (and if I remember what the manual said), the clock was supposed to compensate for its inaccuracy based on which way you adjusted it. In other words, if you set the time forward, the clock would run slightly faster. Both clocks in that car never were at anything close to the correct time.

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- Do You Know What all the Buttons in Your Car do?

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 04:46:00 +0000

I discovered it in the summer of 2013. It was so hot out, it felt more like I was adjusting the oven temperature. Alas, setting it lower did not help the temperature. The brownies baked faster though.

Hooniverse : Last Call- Pleased to Meat You Bumper Sticker Edition

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 04:40:49 +0000

Maybe some of them think that oral sex means, "Talk dirty to me."

Hooniverse : Craigslist Crapshoot

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:37:57 +0000

One thing (of very few) I enjoyed about that car was either turning heads (what the heck is that thing??) or being asked what kind of car it was. One buddy of mine says for years that he XRATI was a weird name for a car. Only recently did he learn it was XR4Ti. Sure, I'll take it...if someone pays me $5000 to take it. Yes, it was that bad...which was a shame. It did a lot of things right, but was as reliable as a politician's campaign year promise. BTW, that bi-plane spoiler actually worked. I could drive in a complete downpour for an hour and never get a drop of water on that glass.

Hooniverse : Craigslist Crapshoot

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:34:16 +0000

That looks more abandoned than parked.

Hooniverse : Craigslist Crapshoot

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:32:44 +0000

Do what any sane person would do: drop in a 454. That'll fix it.

Hooniverse : Last Call- Pleased to Meat You Bumper Sticker Edition

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:27:36 +0000

I see this on a Jeep every so often: ¡ɹǝʌo ǝɯ dıןɟ 'sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- What's the Dumbest Specialty Tool Required Maintenance Issue You've Ever Encountere

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:25:44 +0000

I only paid about $29, including shipping, for mine. The crankshaft removal tool, right? I've seen one that was homemade that looked quite clever. But since the price was right, I had no reservations with keeping it (and NOT loaning it out ;) ). On my '88 Accord, however, they did not yet use the hex opening on the crank pulley. In fact, the dealers I called had no clue as to what I was supposed to use to get the crank pulley off. (Sure they did--they just wanted me to come in and pay to have it done.) After fumbling around with it a bit, i found a small hole at one spot on the side of the crank pulley, against the engine. It then occurred to me that what I needed was a spanner wrench. I worked for a local industrial distributor, and we carried Martin sprockets. Martin also sold a spanner wrench, and I got it at a discount. Worked perfectly! It held the pulley right where I needed it. My craptastic Merkur had no such thing, at least that I could find. After fighting the crank pulley for a couple of days, I stuck a brick against the frame, put the breaker bar on the bolt, laid the handle on the brick, and tweaked the starter--that bolt zipped right out with no effort whatsoever. Not ONE mention of this in the service manual either--"remove crankshaft bolt" was the extent of it.

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- What's the Dumbest Specialty Tool Required Maintenance Issue You've Ever Encountere

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:13:46 +0000

>> When your check engine light comes on in the Vibe/Matrix (and a few other Toyotas, but I can't quote the exact ones so I will speak to my knowledge) it turns off VSC and traction control because of the error and that all of these systems talk to each other. << Our Acura did that also. At first I'm thinking, oh great, something else went bad. But once I fixed the problem, the TCS started working again. I realize they're likely tied together, but the TCS was integrated more with the ABS system if I recall.

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- What's the Dumbest Specialty Tool Required Maintenance Issue You've Ever Encountere

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:11:36 +0000

Some appear to be better than others--the BAFX I believe was one of the better ones out there, although many do look the same. Maybe it's the luck of the draw? I had one die on me when my battery died--that "fluttering" in the power when I turned the key apparently fried something in it. Got it replaced though, and it's ready for use. The Honda codes are a bit more involved--a Honda-specific scanner will tell more information about other car systems (transmission, SRS, etc.). But is it worth another $100++ for it? Not for me. The ELM327 works well enough, in the rare event I get a code. Works equally well on the phone and tablet for me. Easy to buy a spare and toss one in the car. I've done the paperclip trick in the past. But with my attention span lately, I'm counting light flashes...1...0...3...oh look, a squirrel! Then I have to start over.

Hooniverse : Last Call- Rad Taxi Edition

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 02:20:56 +0000

My dots fell off! Had them so nicely balanced on top, too...

Hooniverse : Last Call- Rad Taxi Edition

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 01:36:10 +0000

That's...interesting. An Uber-sidecar perhaps?

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- Do You Know What all the Buttons in Your Car do?

Tue, 17 Feb 2015 20:19:02 +0000

I pretty much knew all of the Acura TL's buttons inside, but came across a "feature" by accident. I had forgotten how to reset the maintenance indicator. I knew it involved the odometer buttons. I sat there holding one in, and heard a beep. Nothing. Did it again, another beep, then pressed the other button a few times...then I noticed the outside temperature was changing in a sequence. I then had the "aha!" moment when I realized I could correct the outside temperature reading.

Hooniverse : Hooniverse Asks- How Important to you is Exhaust Note?

Tue, 7 Jan 2014 19:38:53 +0000

I'm old now. "Dead" and "quiet" are the only words I want to describe my exhaust. :D My '97 has a pinhole leak in the pipe near the muffler and it is driving me absolutely batty right now. Our TL has a nice, low, stealthy "hum" to the exhaust that I like. In contrast--back in high school, I probably would have put glasspacks on the crappy '73 Catalina I had. Just because I could. And I must admit that the time I ran over a road hazard and busted the pipe off of the front of the catalyst in my CR-V, driving loudly without any exhaust system did have that bit of fun to it. (Not to mention being a cop magnet!)