Ask GTP About Your Car Problems/General Questions

[Paulie]

Has anyone ever smelt the smell a new car, as in less than 5km on the odometer, makes when driven? (Probably need to work in a dealership to do so). Well after putting the hammer down in my Ute tonight, it made that sort of smell. Could be burning oil, my head gaskets have started to leak a small bit at the back and need replacing. What do you think?

 

[Joey D]

When I'm driving down the road it feels like my car is driving on balloons. The car is twitchy and almost feels wobbly. When I turn in real sharp it almost feels like the tires turn and then the car follows it if that that makes any sense. I guess what I'm trying to say is that that car's body is separated from the tires.

I've gotten an alignment, I've had the tires rotated, I've had two shops and the dealership check the front and rear suspension. I can't imagine it's the tires themselves but they are the correct size for the rims but I don't know. I don't really want to buy tires again, but if I must I will. Any thoughts?

And this problem now has a solution. After talking with a couple guys on North American Motoring, it seems that the problem is something called tram-lining. It's apparently really bad with the R56 Coopers that have larger wheels and tires. I got a fair number of responses about it and it seems like we all experience the same symptoms. A member even contacted the Tire Rack MINI expert to have him explain it better.

It's annoying but at least I know nothing is seriously wrong with the car. No one was able to offer suggestions on how to fix it though, other then go with smaller, skinnier tires...which I don't want to do.

Would stiffening the chassis ans suspension help with this? Now that the car is out of warranty I'm way more apt to do things to it.

 

[TheCracker]

Lower profile tyres can make a car tramline more. I presume that your new wheels are larger than before and therefore have lower profile tyres to keep the overall diameter the same as before? Stiffer side walls will also make the issue more noticeable. I'd say there's not much you can do about it other than new tyres.

 

[Joey D]

Lower profile tyres can make a car tramline more. I presume that your new wheels are larger than before and therefore have lower profile tyres to keep the overall diameter the same as before? Stiffer side walls will also make the issue more noticeable. I'd say there's not much you can do about it other than new tyres.

Yup I went from a 15x5.5" rim to a 16x7" rim, along with going from a 185/60/15 tire to a 205/50/16 tire.

I am going to get new tires in the spring because these Goodyears I have on right now aren't really up to the quality I expect and I'm starting to feel a bit unsafe with them.

I was fairly sure that I had to live with the problem but you never know, sometime there is a fix that someone came across or at least a trick for reducing it.

 

[Giancarlo]

Has anyone ever smelt the smell a new car, as in less than 5km on the odometer, makes when driven? (Probably need to work in a dealership to do so). Well after putting the hammer down in my Ute tonight, it made that sort of smell. Could be burning oil, my head gaskets have started to leak a small bit at the back and need replacing. What do you think?

Do you mean a sweet smell? Like maple syrup almost?

 

[///M-Spec]

Has anyone ever smelt the smell a new car, as in less than 5km on the odometer, makes when driven? (Probably need to work in a dealership to do so). Well after putting the hammer down in my Ute tonight, it made that sort of smell. Could be burning oil, my head gaskets have started to leak a small bit at the back and need replacing. What do you think?

The only "new car smell" I'm aware of is Cosmoline, which is a yellowish brown viscus fluid used as a rust inhibitor by many manufacturers. It is sprayed onto the undercarriage before transporting and takes a few miles to burn off as the heat from the drivetrain cause it to evaporate.

I'm not sure what you're smelling but the smell of burning Cosmoline is distinctly different from that of oil or coolant.

I was fairly sure that I had to live with the problem but you never know, sometime there is a fix that someone came across or at least a trick for reducing it.

These are run flats, right?


M

 

[Keef]

And this problem now has a solution. After talking with a couple guys on North American Motoring, it seems that the problem is something called tram-lining. It's apparently really bad with the R56 Coopers that have larger wheels and tires. I got a fair number of responses about it and it seems like we all experience the same symptoms. A member even contacted the Tire Rack MINI expert to have him explain it better.

It's annoying but at least I know nothing is seriously wrong with the car. No one was able to offer suggestions on how to fix it though, other then go with smaller, skinnier tires...which I don't want to do.

Would stiffening the chassis ans suspension help with this? Now that the car is out of warranty I'm way more apt to do things to it.

Lol, tram lining. Not to poke fun at you, I'm just saying that it really is a super annoying problem. My wider tires do it, and it's exacerbated by the fact that they're stiff and unforgiving. That combined with my car being lowered and the caster and steering axis being messed up, sometimes I really gotta fight the thing on rutted roads. My cousin's old Cobalt SS did it horrible, and that was stock. Big, heavy, wide wheels and super low profile tires, the thing pretty much took you where it wanted to go.

I am going to get new tires in the spring because these Goodyears I have on right now aren't really up to the quality I expect and I'm starting to feel a bit unsafe with them.

Quality? Unsafe? Explain. What about the tires is letting you down?

 

[Duke]

I've never liked any Goodyears I've ever had on my cars.

 

[Joey D]

These are run flats, right?

They are not, I replaced the Continentals with Googyear Eagle GT's, which look like this:

Quality? Unsafe? Explain. What about the tires is letting you down?

Apparently they have a problem with tread separation and they are being wore through at an alarming rate despite me not being overly aggressive on them. Not to mention they lose air just by looking at them. I fill them up twice a week sometime depending on the weather and I've been told that's normal. At first I thought it was just a bad tire or a bent rim, but come to find out it's just the tires themselves.

I'm good on buy Goodyears again, and I should have learned my lesson. The Goodyears on the Blazer were horrid.

 

[Keef]

Wow. Well, this is a new tire, and tire defects do happen. I remember just a few years ago Mazda RX8s, Nissan 350Zs, and pretty much any other car that wore Bridgestone RE050 tires had to be recalled because of a widespread tire defect. They wore poorly and became extremely loud in a short period of time.

But yeah, sounds like these tires might be going some some problems. Are there any recalls for them? Even crappy tires aren't supposed to do any of that.

Are you pleased with their performance besides the quality issues?

 

[Perfect Balance]

Has anyone ever smelt the smell a new car, as in less than 5km on the odometer, makes when driven? (Probably need to work in a dealership to do so). Well after putting the hammer down in my Ute tonight, it made that sort of smell. Could be burning oil, my head gaskets have started to leak a small bit at the back and need replacing. What do you think?

Do you mean a sweet smell? Like maple syrup almost?

Since I've driven literally hundreds of new cars, I'm going to say the smell is somewhat like metal burning, sort of the smell you get when welding. I think it just comes from all the crap burning off the block/exhaust/manifolds, ect ect from the heat, since it hasn't gotten that hot ever before.


Unless it's a PT Cruiser, then you get this awful, sort of sweet smell. Makes me nauseous.


I think if you got that after putting the hammer down, it was just the smell of metal being very hot.

 

[Joey D]

Wow. Well, this is a new tire, and tire defects do happen. I remember just a few years ago Mazda RX8s, Nissan 350Zs, and pretty much any other car that wore Bridgestone RE050 tires had to be recalled because of a widespread tire defect. They wore poorly and became extremely loud in a short period of time.

But yeah, sounds like these tires might be going some some problems. Are there any recalls for them? Even crappy tires aren't supposed to do any of that.

Are you pleased with their performance besides the quality issues?

No recalls to my knowledge, I won't be surprised if they were at some point though. My buddy that works at Discount feels bad for having me get them because he said recently a bunch of people have been coming in complaining of tread separation.

No matters though, they are going away in the spring and making way for proper summer tires as I'm getting a set of Blizzaks here in the next few weeks.

As for the performance, they are good for what I do. Remember I don't autocross or really even push my car to hard, so they do just fine on the back country roads of Michigan. The only problem I have with them is they aren't great in the rain...which we get a lot of in the spring and autumn. Their braking ability isn't really top notch either, which is disappointing since that's probably the most important thing I want out of a tire. They are loud for all seasons too, which is odd.

I've asked on NAM about what new summer tire to get, as well in my Cooper thread. I pretty much know nothing about summer tires so I'm going at this clueless. About all I've really found out is the Yokohama S.Drives are awful tires for Coopers. I thought about Pilot Exalto PE2's but at $140 a tire that's a bit expensive.

 

[Philly]

And this problem now has a solution. After talking with a couple guys on North American Motoring, it seems that the problem is something called tram-lining. It's apparently really bad with the R56 Coopers that have larger wheels and tires. I got a fair number of responses about it and it seems like we all experience the same symptoms. A member even contacted the Tire Rack MINI expert to have him explain it better.

It's annoying but at least I know nothing is seriously wrong with the car. No one was able to offer suggestions on how to fix it though, other then go with smaller, skinnier tires...which I don't want to do.

Would stiffening the chassis ans suspension help with this? Now that the car is out of warranty I'm way more apt to do things to it.

Interesting. But you said your car feels like it's driving on balloons? The GTI does it somewhat, but it didn't really make the car feel "loose" or anything. Maybe I'm just used to it... I kinda enjoy it sometimes. There are some really rutted roads near me and it's always fun to see how far the car can drive itself without any steering input.

Apparently it can be helped with some toe and camber adjustments. But I'd talk to a tire or alignment specialist about that.

Also, did you notice it when you first got the tires? It sounds like tramlining comes from the tire size, not necessarily the tire condition. So you probably would have noticed it a while ago when you got the tires.

 

[Duke]

Joey, look at the new Bridgestone RE10, or whatever the replacement for the RE01R is. I love my RE01Rs and they are wearing quite well for a tire that soft.

 

[Keef]

No matters though, they are going away in the spring and making way for proper summer tires as I'm getting a set of Blizzaks here in the next few weeks.

As for the performance, they are good for what I do. Remember I don't autocross or really even push my car to hard, so they do just fine on the back country roads of Michigan. The only problem I have with them is they aren't great in the rain...which we get a lot of in the spring and autumn. Their braking ability isn't really top notch either, which is disappointing since that's probably the most important thing I want out of a tire. They are loud for all seasons too, which is odd.

I've asked on NAM about what new summer tire to get, as well in my Cooper thread. I pretty much know nothing about summer tires so I'm going at this clueless. About all I've really found out is the Yokohama S.Drives are awful tires for Coopers. I thought about Pilot Exalto PE2's but at $140 a tire that's a bit expensive.

If you're getting a set of winter tires then you might as well forget about all-seasons. Get a set of real summer tires. Whatever class you pick they're going to be better at everything than any all season. You don't necessarily need an extreme tire like Duke's RE01Rs, but with your driving style you'd definitely get at least 2 driving seasons out of them, plus you'd be simply astonished at their performance. If you want something that's sure to last a bit longer think General Exclaim UHP, BFGoodrich G-Force Sport, or go all the way with some Dunlop Star Specs. All available in your size, all with good test and real world ratings, and all less than $100 a piece.

Joey, look at the new Bridgestone RE10, or whatever the replacement for the RE01R is. I love my RE01Rs and they are wearing quite well for a tire that soft.

That'd be the RE11.

Tests great. Still expensive. This tire and the Yoko AD08 aren't that good to justify an extra $30 per tire, in my tiny size. There's no way I'd pay $120 and $118 for them, respectively, when I can get Kumho XS for $88. I sacrifice wet performance compared to the other two but it's still better than my Falkens, which are reasonable, and still better than anything else I've driven on at city speeds.

 

[Joey D]

Also, did you notice it when you first got the tires? It sounds like tramlining comes from the tire size, not necessarily the tire condition. So you probably would have noticed it a while ago when you got the tires.

Yup it was present when I got the tires, but I just figured it was the tires breaking in since most new tires act weird...at least from my experience. I don't really want to go messing with the toe and camber to much either, that seems like I'm asking for problems.

I think it just maybe because I'm not used to the feeling at all. I would have gotten used to it but I thought something was wrong with the car so it really stood out. Shame on me for not doing proper plus size wheel/tire research.

Joey, look at the new Bridgestone RE10, or whatever the replacement for the RE01R is. I love my RE01Rs and they are wearing quite well for a tire that soft.

You aren't the first person to recommend RE010's. I can get them but I would have to move up to a 215/45/16 tire which runs $210 per tire. I could also move to a 205/55/16 and get the Potenza RE-11's which I'm guessing is the newer one, the only problem those are $150 per tire.

Ideally I'd like to keep the 205/50/16 tire on the car since it's as close as I can get to the overall OEM tire size. Although my speedo is 5mph to fast per my GPS so I suppose I could mess with tire size until I get something that slows the speedo down.

I have heard good things about Potenza RE760 Sport's which are available in my size but everything keeps pointing me to the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2's. Pretty much everyone I talked to said they are well worth the money especially for the type of driving I do.

If you're getting a set of winter tires then you might as well forget about all-seasons. Get a set of real summer tires. Whatever class you pick they're going to be better at everything than any all season. You don't necessarily need an extreme tire like Duke's RE01Rs, but with your driving style you'd definitely get at least 2 driving seasons out of them, plus you'd be simply astonished at their performance. If you want something that's sure to last a bit longer think General Exclaim UHP, BFGoodrich G-Force Sport, or go all the way with some Dunlop Star Specs. All available in your size, all with good test and real world ratings, and all less than $100 a piece.

Summers would be the plan. I guess my biggest concern is I do long motorway journeys, as seen in my travel threads, and I want something that is somewhat comfortable and quite on the road at 80mph.

 

[Paulie]

Do you mean a sweet smell? Like maple syrup almost?

No.

The only "new car smell" I'm aware of is Cosmoline, which is a yellowish brown viscus fluid used as a rust inhibitor by many manufacturers. It is sprayed onto the undercarriage before transporting and takes a few miles to burn off as the heat from the drivetrain cause it to evaporate.

I'm not sure what you're smelling but the smell of burning Cosmoline is distinctly different from that of oil or coolant.


M

I don't think so, never heard of or smelt this smell unless I did without realising.

Since I've driven literally hundreds of new cars, I'm going to say the smell is somewhat like metal burning, sort of the smell you get when welding. I think it just comes from all the crap burning off the block/exhaust/manifolds, ect ect from the heat, since it hasn't gotten that hot ever before.


Unless it's a PT Cruiser, then you get this awful, sort of sweet smell. Makes me nauseous.


I think if you got that after putting the hammer down, it was just the smell of metal being very hot.

That sounds like (smells like?) it.👍 I wouldn't have thought my Ute with 206,000km on the clock would make that smell unless something was wrong?

 

[niky]

We're not talking about the rotting egg sort of smell of the catalytics burning, are we?

RE: Tires... If AD08s are as much better than AD07s that people are saying they are, then they are awesome. But they're awesomely expensive. Still waiting for them to become locally available... though I still have plenty of tread left on my 7s. Love these tires... really strong sidewalls, resist damage well, don't lose air very quickly, even with two or three nails stuck in them... and they last quite a few laps before losing grip... in fact, they love being thrashed, and get quicker as they get hotter.

Kinda extreme for daily use, though. Noisy as hell. And it doesn't let you forget how stiff those sidewalls are... ever. Love them to death. Have wasted money on three sets already.

 

[Paulie]

We're not talking about the rotting egg sort of smell of the catalytics burning, are we?

Nah, I would describe it as a metallic sort of smell.

 

[TheCracker]

Have you checked your engine bay for oil or coolant leaks? It sounds odd to be getting a new smell from your car/ute if you've not done anything new to it recently. A new smell can only logically mean something somewhere has changed.

 

[Paulie]

Maybe it's not new, maybe I only just noticed it? Ah who knows, obviously it's deeper than identifying and comparing a smell.

 

[Giancarlo]

I found a deal for $40 on new Mugen pedals, should i take it without hesitation? I'm tired of my stockies but am worried there's a better deal out there.

 

[homeforsummer]

What do they look like? I presume Mugen pedals aren't nasty and tacky, but there are probably even cheaper, unbranded items out there that do the job equally well.

 

[Giancarlo]

Like dis:

I'm just strongly considering it because apparently they're about $190 retail. And this dealer that has it for $40 is reputable enough.

 

[homeforsummer]

Those look pretty good actually. You have an RSX don't you? I'd say go for it if you're interested, $40 deals might not come around that often. If they'll suit the car then why not?

 

[Giancarlo]

Yes, RSX.

I'll have to buy a footrest for another $40 though, which is an absolute rip-off. And it doesn't seem like many manufacturers sell this separately.

At least it matches, though, right?

 

[High-Test]

well, you're still saving 110 over retail with the footrest included. Go for it. 👍

 

[Perfect Balance]

Go for it. Even somewhat "cheap" Sparco pedals are like 70 bucks. Those are Mugen. With little grippy sections.

 

[Prosthetic]

Get them and watch the horsepower go skyrocketing 👍

 

[Giancarlo]

Get them and watch the horsepower go skyrocketing 👍

Don't be ridiculous, they don't come with any Mugen stickers.