DIY Auto shares

[subaro]

Well everyone i would imagine drives an automobile, company or their own. Going to the repair shop for checkup or repairs are costly and necessary and i am sure there are many do it your selfers out there. going to the mechanic is always a 100 dollar at least even for small jobs. That's four decent meals i would like to have.
I understand, they have to live too, but if i can cut my expenses, why not.


Dialectric grease for bulbs, sparkplug boots, and electrical connections. permatex dialectric grease, about 6 dollars.

Does anyone use product on their battery terminal.

share your tips on products and parts and know how and also your experience with brands that work well and produce good results.

[subaro]

Re: DIY Auto shares

How to find a short in your car. I watched a few of this guy videos and likes his troubleshooting methods and tips.

[fixthecopier]

Re: DIY Auto shares

If you live in a place where you have to fight rust, small sheet metal screws and a piece of rubber can be used to patch holes in a gas tank or floor board.

i also keep wire coat hangers in the back of my truck. Have locked my keys in a couple of times.

[subaro]

Re: DIY Auto shares

Chris Fix is the man for quick tips and tricks. really like this guy videos.

see this one on how to jump start a car the proper way.

[Iowatech]

Re: DIY Auto shares

I keep a tire plug kit and a twelve volt air compressor handy if I get a flat. The techs at tire places really don't like that "Fix a Flat" stuff from what I've seen.
I had an '89 Ford Probe back in the day, and that thing went through mufflers quite often (one complaint about an otherwise awesome car). Luckily, the muffler was only bolted on to the exhaust pipe, and I got pretty good at cutting those bolts off with my Dremel tool and its cut off wheel.
I used to use ignition sealer spray to do the same thing the dielectric grease does, it also worked well for fixing arcing corona terminals. But I haven't seen an arcing corona terminal in years, so the grease looks way more useful.

[fixthecopier]

Re: DIY Auto shares

The 2 basic items everyone needs. ..Duct tape and WD-40

[subaro]

Re: DIY Auto shares

One of the reasons i have started this thread is so guys will not be "caught with their pants down " so to speak. When you think you trust your trusted mechanic, is is not always the case, unless you are the type of person that just pays the bill and go wow. Just a couple months back, i found my car was sounding strange and went to the mechanic and he said nothing was wrong. well i drive this car everyday and knows something was definitely wrong. I went to a muffler place and they wanted to charge me 900 to replace parts, which seems kinda wacky to me. A neighbour was passing by and i just asked him where he gets his muffler repairs done. He said take to bring it to his workplace [did not even know he was a mechanic ] and they would have a look. turned out a crack just behind the catalytic converter and they charged me 55 dollars. So my thoughts here is if we can share ideas and situations, it may get people getting to know their ride better and help themselves in anyway they could to save the bucks. I bought a INNOVA scan tool 3100 on sale three years ago for 99 dollars and that more than paid for itself already. scan tool for cars are cheap now, and everyone should have one for check lights ect, so the mechanics cannot pee on your footl. with scan tool though, get a decent one, not those with leds,but with a display.
A thought just occured to me here and thought, i may just look for a auto forum and do my auto stuff there. Leave this forum for the imaging folks.

[ZOOTECH]

Re: DIY Auto shares

The 2 basic items everyone needs. ..Duct tape and WD-40

YEP, and a paper clip or two.!

[subaro]

Re: DIY Auto shares

YEP, and a paper clip or two.!

too young for this one. what's the synopsis

I am editing this reply now as yes it now came to me. paper clips, should be first on the list. it's application is universal.

[KenB]

Re: DIY Auto shares

If your car or truck has an outside "gas door" to get the the fuel tank, and you live where ice and snow are "popular", here is a trick that may help a bit.

I have found that these doors, especially the ones that latch with a cable,, tend to freeze and won't open easily. That can be a real problem when refueling. I have also had an inch thick laver of ice over it. Ick.

Rather than taking a chance on damaging the door or quarter panel by prying, keep an empty soda bottle or the like (ideally capped for neatness) so that you can hopefully get to the restroom at the gas station to fill it with water so you can pour it over the door to melt the ice.

The water should not be hot, just warm. Anything above freezing will do the job.

That will get the door open so you can refuel.

Always a good idea to carry a jug of washer fluid, which would also work, but the water is free.

I had this happen a few years ago, and had no container (or washer juice), so I was forced to by a cup of coffee at the gas station. Not an expensive lesson, but still a waste.

I have tried silicon spray and WD40 as preventive measures, but I have yet to find anything reliable.

[subaro]

Re: DIY Auto shares

The 2 basic items everyone needs. ..Duct tape and WD-40

Agree. If you do not have duct tape and wd-40, then you are not a true north american or you are rich.[ pay for everything to be done for you ]

A fella riding his bicycle in the middle of winter ran into my door or maybe the other way around and i doored him, not intentionally. not expecting a guy to ride a bike with big snow fall, but they clean the roads quickly here and people try to get around by any means. Anyway, my door was a frameless type, where the glass would just go up on no frame. The impact caused the glass not to go up fully and trouble going down. The mechanic said only way was door replacement at about 700.
I took the door cover and saw there was a piece of ceramic like material that was broken that had been attached to the glass with a bolt. I had to use my wits and to get some thing to put that back together and then adjusting and aligning it was rather tricky. In the end though it worked and saved that 700. In that fix i discovered a product that is very strong for bonding and can withstand the cold and heat. Its permatex weather strip adhesive. It prevailed where others failed.
This product is super strong and holds tough.

• Permatex Super Weatherstrip Adhesive
• Permanently bonds all types of weather stripping and can also be used for general purpose bonding including gaskets
• Allows quick bonding yet maintains enough versatility in tack to allow large areas to be spread and bonded at one time
• Black formula blends with weather stripping for less clean-up
• Withstands extremes temperature
• Resistant to gasoline, kerosene, anti-freeze and most solvents
• Applications: Cut gaskets, carpeting, mouldings, foam, vinyl, fabric-backed vinyl upholstery, headliners

[subaro]

Re: DIY Auto shares

Which tire dressing gives you the best result ?. tried many with so so results. I recently bought simoniz tire foam and is impressed with the looks and last about a week.

[ZOOTECH]

Re: DIY Auto shares

Which tire dressing gives you the best result ?. tried many with so so results. I recently bought simoniz tire foam and is impressed with the looks and last about a week.

The dressings from any company will give good results for a short time, but I found that the tire will, prematurely crack and degrade early.

[Iowatech]

Re: DIY Auto shares

I knew a guy who worked at a detailing shop, and he said that baby oil was the best thing for vinyl. That might work for tires, too. It probably wouldn't last that long, though.

[ZOOTECH]

Re: DIY Auto shares

A

I knew a guy who worked at a detailing shop, and he said that baby oil was the best thing for vinyl. That might work for tires, too. It probably wouldn't last that long, though.

And the tires felt as smooth as a baby's butt.