Ask GTP About Your Car Problems/General Questions

[Thatman]

Right, well We recently got a Chrysler New Yorker '89 for my dad and its a good car, with only 105k on it BUT it has a very VERY obvious shake starting at 38mph and gets worse until 51mph or so then it "magically" lifts and its as if nothing had happened. I don't know what it could be, my first thoughts were a lug nut or something, possibly a gear. ALSO its only happening on acceleration not slowing down. Any ideas?

 

[Heldenzeit]

From what I learned in school today, that woud be due to dynamic imbalancing of the tyres, which means that the guy whom last balanced the tyres put two wheel weights accross from each other. By doing that, instead of just adding the one wheel weight to counteract the balance on one part of the tyre, you added more weight to the one side.

....But I would have to look at the car first to diagnose that specifically.

...And check my notes again.

...But its likely to be either a tyre balancing or wheel alignment problem, not likely a trans problem.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Yes but that wouldn't cause the issue to only happen on acceleration

 

[Heldenzeit]

Yes but that wouldn't cause the issue to only happen on acceleration

I need to rethink my theory....this thread is great for my education.

 

[Duke]

'89 New Yorker - early 41TE automatic transmission, I believe. From 38 to 51 it's probably in third gear. Try shifting to 3 instead of D, which will hold it in third gear instead of letting it shift up to 4th. See if the shake persists above 51 then.

 

[Thatman]

I suppose, I think Ill also check the shaft boot, I heard I should try that from someone today. Although it only has P R N [D] D L so hopefully D will achieve that. Otherwise i think L would probably go no further then 2nd?

 

[mustangGT90210]

So my question here concerns wheels.

I've heard that "lightweight" wheels are the much better option, and whatever you do don't get a heavier wheel than the stock one, so I must ask, what do you guys consider "lightweight"? Everything I see in the sizes I'd be looking at all ring in between 19-21 pounds.

Unsprung weight, I'm a bit confused as to what this is. Can anyone please tell me? Is it just the overall weight of the car?

Offset, once again, no clue what it is. My idea is that it is how far inside the fender the wheel is. Say you have a 2 inch offset(which I realize is WAY too big), would that mean that you could take a ruler from the edge of the wheel, to the outside of the fender and it would measure 2 inches?

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Offset is how far from the center of the wheel the mounting pad is. Zero offset will have the mounting pad directly in the center, and then negative offset (I believe) is how far towards the face of the rim it is from center.


Unsprung weight is the weight of the wheels, tires, suspension arms, etc. Basically all the moving bits that the springs and shocks have to control the movement of.

Lighter wheels will reduce inertia, and thereby improve acceleration and braking. They also reduce unsprung weight which helps handling quite a bit as the springs and shocks can better do their job.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

I thought unsprung weight was all moving parts the engine needed to move in order to make the car move eg. Wheels, driveshaft.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Nooononono.

 

[Duke]

I thought unsprung weight was all moving parts the engine needed to move in order to make the car move eg. Wheels, driveshaft.

Nope. Unspring weight is exactly what it says it is: the weight of anything that is supported directly by the tires, without the suspension (springs) in between. So in other words, it's the weight of the wheels and tires themselves, the hubs/knuckles/brake assembly, and (on a live axle car) most of the weight of the rear axle. About half the weight of each driveshaft counts as well.

 

[mustangGT90210]

Thanks guys!

What would you guys consider to be "lightweight" rims? For like 17"-18" inchers?

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Around 16-17lbs.

 

[Philly]

I have a bit of a detailing problem. I used a bit of rubbing compound on the GTI. Any way I can get the scratches it left behind out? I've tried about 6 coats of wax and a scratch remover crayon thingy. The crayon worked OK, but they're all still visible in the sun. Any techniques or products out there to fix this?

 

[mustangGT90210]

Around 16-17lbs.

Dang. I haven't seen anything under 20 pounds

 

[Joey D]

I have a bit of a detailing problem. I used a bit of rubbing compound on the GTI. Any way I can get the scratches it left behind out? I've tried about 6 coats of wax and a scratch remover crayon thingy. The crayon worked OK, but they're all still visible in the sun. Any techniques or products out there to fix this?

I've used Nu Finish Scratch Doctor for a while now and found it's done a really good job, especially when I had the Blazer (which was black).

 

[Duke]

I have a bit of a detailing problem. I used a bit of rubbing compound on the GTI.

Red or white compound? You're supposed to use red first, then white, then a glaze.

 

[Jim Prower]

Hesitation....

Lately my car's been hard to start, particularly in wet weather, when the engine stumbles on takeoff and at low rpms. Now, considering the age and fuel delivery system of the car, I'm thinking I might have a couple issues...

1. Vacuum leak: aside from all the vacuum lines, what needs to be looked at or replaced? should I check the PCV?
2. Ignition coil: How do I check this, and make sure It's getting enough spark?
3. Cat. converter air tube: Instead of pulling air back into the cat, it's pushing exhaust into the air cleaner housing. Is it time for a new cat or something?

 

[Philly]

I've used Nu Finish Scratch Doctor for a while now and found it's done a really good job, especially when I had the Blazer (which was black).

I'll have to try something like that.

Red or white compound? You're supposed to use red first, then white, then a glaze.

It was the red stuff. Is there a process involved? I'm sure I can find some white at home, when I get back. Hopefully that'll help.

 

[buickgnx88]

Has anyone here seen a Euro-spec Jeep YJ Wrangler in person, and have any pictures or could possibly get some?

 

[Rotary Junkie]

3. Cat. converter air tube: Instead of pulling air back into the cat, it's pushing exhaust into the air cleaner housing. Is it time for a new cat or something?

Yeah, you've got an issue there. Cat's probably clogged.

Basically, you have enough resistance to flow that the exhaust gases are looking for an easier way out...

 

[///M-Spec]

I have a bit of a detailing problem. I used a bit of rubbing compound on the GTI. Any way I can get the scratches it left behind out? I've tried about 6 coats of wax and a scratch remover crayon thingy. The crayon worked OK, but they're all still visible in the sun. Any techniques or products out there to fix this?

Philly, what product did you use on your car and how was it applied?

Generally, you start with a compound, then a polish, then a wax/sealant. Polishing is an important step because it will smooth out the paint surface and return it's luster. Claying is optional and should be done before compounding.


M

 

[Philly]

I used the red rubbing compound, applied similar to a wax. Unfortunately, I didn't know until now that that was supposed to be followed by a polish so I skipped straight to a wax. A couple hours, many tears and six coats of wax later, I had to give up because I wasn't getting anywhere.

Kids, this is why you should either read instructions or figure out what you're doing first....

 

[///M-Spec]

Here's what I recommend.

Go out and buy two things. First a good polish or glaze. There's a lot of them on the market, but they are all pretty similar until you get to the more expensive ones. I use a product called Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish, which I get very good results with on a variety of paints. Mothers and Meguiar's also make some pretty good mid-range products; can't go wrong with either of those. I've heard rave reviews for Klasse, Pinnacle, Zymol, Zaino and similar high end products but with the exception of Zymol (way over rated, IMO) have no experience with them.

Second, to address the scratches, I would try Meguiar's Scratch X. You can get it at Target or Walmart and it works as advertised. I just hit my wife's car with this product a few months ago and saw some really good results. It pretty much took out any scratch that didn't penetrate into the paint itself (if your fingernail 'catches' on it, it's usually too deep to buff out without pro-work). I haven't tried the product Joey recommended, but I can def. vouch for the Scratch X.

Hit your GTI with the polish/glaze first. It is milder than a compound and will put a nice luster and mirror-like shine on the paint. Take your time with this step, because it is crucial to get it right. When you are done, the paint should look deep, clean and highly reflective. It should NOT look hazy or rough. Then take out the remaining scratches with the Scratch X or the stuff Joey mentioned..

After that, seal it with the wax/sealant. This will protect the paint and 'seal' it against contamination. It's a lot of elbow grease, but you'll think it's all worth it in the end.

A couple things not forget; wash the car beforehand, to remove loose dirt. Use freshly washed towels when taking the polish and scratch remover off the car --all you need is one small particle of dirt to be trapped in a towel and you'll end up putting more scratches in than you take out. 100% cotton or microfiber towels ONLY.


M

 

[Philly]

That sounds like a good project. I certainly won't mind putting all that work into it, because I find it rather embarrassing to have a "nice" car with some screwed up spots in the paint. And all these products are applied like a wax, except do different things I'm guessing?

 

[///M-Spec]

Yes, they are applied like a wax, using either a towel, an applicator or even by hand. Let dry and then buff off with another towel.

And yes they do different things but, as you may have noticed, they have different confusing names. But everything falls into two basic catagories: an abrasive, which abraids the clearcoat/paint to remove old wax, contaminants, scatches, etc. And a protectant.

A compound is the most aggressive of these, with a strong 'cut' whose job it is to tear down the top layer. Followed by a polish. Then a glaze, in descending order or aggressiveness. Sometimes you will hear the term "pre-wax cleaner", which is somewhere between a polish and glaze. These products' job is to restore the shine, color and depth.

The second broad catagory is wax or sealant, whose job is to protect the paint and give it the nice glossly look.

The confusing thing about this is that a lot of companies make combo products. You can buy "polish wax" or "cleaner wax" and various other combinations. Klasse even makes an "all in one" product that I've heard good things about but have never tried. There is also no industry standard on how these products get named, so you may find a glaze that is more aggressive than a polish. Nobody seems to agree exactly where a compound becomes a something else and so forth.

I'm actually about to have a cup of coffee and go polish, then 'wax' (seal) up by own car.


M

 

[Philly]

Is there much of a difference between polishes and glaze? I know the polishing compound is a mild abrasive, but can I get by without either the polish or glaze?

 

[Famine]

I have a bit of a detailing problem. I used a bit of rubbing compound on the GTI. Any way I can get the scratches it left behind out?

Wet & dry sandpaper.

And no, that's not a joke - but please make sure you know what you're doing.

 

[J-PaP]

I have a question that I will be amazed if anyone can solve as Mitsubishi, a unichip specialist, myself and a mechanic could not solve.

This was on a 3.5L 2002 Mitsubishi Magna. The issue arose on its own and got worse as time passed. Car had a unichip, cams, exhaust, CAI and an aftermarket fuel pump.

The problem: Car would turn off while crusing on a freeway (100km/h) and would not turn back on unless you turned the key to completely off, waited about 10 seconds where a relay would click, then the car would start again. The car would also at times turn off while accelerating from lights (but turn back on).

Unichip was removed and the car would run fine, so unichip was replaced and the problem came back after a few hours of driving. ECU was tested and showed to be fine. A third unichip was fitted and tested, same problem arose. The second unichip was fitted onto a car afterwards and had no issues what so ever.

This problem arose fairly suddenly in a 1 month period, no changes were made to the car in the mean time, the car had been running a unichip for at least 2 years beforehand with the same tune.

The car is gone now but would be interested to know if anyone has heard of a similar thing before or even know of what the solution was?

 

[///M-Spec]

Is there much of a difference between polishes and glaze? I know the polishing compound is a mild abrasive, but can I get by without either the polish or glaze?

Generally speaking a glaze should be milder than a polish. But like I said earlier, Company ABC's glaze could be more aggressive than Company XYZ's polish, Company EFG could make a combo polish and wax with almost no abrasive qualities ---there is no industry standard by which to scientifically rate and classify them.

Here's a good link that explains the differences: http://www.properautocare.com/whatdif.html

What I think you need, if I understand the problem correctly, is a fine abrasive. A step below compound. Something like a Mother's Pre-Wax Cleaner (which I would call a "polish") or Meguiar's Fine Cut Cleaner #2.

I use, and swear by, Blackfire Gloss Enchancing Polish. I just did the M Roady this morning and couldn't be happier with the results. NOTE: I used a Porter Cable DA polisher, which is 50% of the reason why it looks as good as it does. Blackfire and Glasurit (BMW paint) can split the rest of the credit. (Well, I guess I had something to do with it as well )




M