- 3,008
- You're crazy if you think
- I can afford either of these.
I've driven a manual thru a 2 hour traffic jam, wasn't too bad. Had it been one with a heavy clutch I'd have been getting annoyed, but still; the pros far outweigh the cons in my mind.
Ask GTP About Your Car Problems/General Questions
- Thread starter nd 4 holden spd
- 1,479 comments
- 84,089 views
- 7,666
Well the GTI is being weird again.
When driving away from a cold start on a cold morning, I noticed that the car was lurching a bit while trying to hold a slow speed. No big deal.
Just now, however, the car was lurching pretty badly at idle with the CEL flashing. I thought it was weird. I put it in drive and the lurching went away. Then it came back in neutral and park. That eventually went away, but the lurching while at a steady speed was worse than normal. And like always, it was running fine once warmed up.
Anybody have any ideas as to what this is? And should I be worried?
When driving away from a cold start on a cold morning, I noticed that the car was lurching a bit while trying to hold a slow speed. No big deal.
Just now, however, the car was lurching pretty badly at idle with the CEL flashing. I thought it was weird. I put it in drive and the lurching went away. Then it came back in neutral and park. That eventually went away, but the lurching while at a steady speed was worse than normal. And like always, it was running fine once warmed up.
Anybody have any ideas as to what this is? And should I be worried?
- 9,473
- QLD, Down Under
- GTP_Paulie
- Paulie LDP
- 23,800
- Philippines
Not really. Could be a whole number of things... most electronic... maybe O2, maybe a stuck-up EGR... maybe the car is running lean and pulling timing on you... and Yes, you should get it looked at ASAP.
I believe my view is colored by the fact that my arthritis acts up in cold weather and I've got a sports clutch with a pressure plate that could hold up the Titanic.
A manual car is a fun toy... but with how good automatics are nowadays, there's less and less reason to get a clutch-car, anymore. A slushbox with responsive paddles serves perfectly well for 99.9% of anything you want to do, short of drag-racing... and for the other 0.1%, a dual-clutch or SMG system serves perfectly.
Rotary Junkie
Premium
- 9,810
- Canton, MI
- RJs_RX-7
I drove the new Legacy first with a 5-speed then with the CVT.
The CVT is actually miles better for normal driving; no hassle and requires less throttle to get anywhere. Perhaps slightly slower in a straight line at WOT but it matters nought as it's a heavy car with a fairly weak flat four as is anyhow. Add in that the manual was one of the worst I've driven and it gets thrown out the window.
That said, I don't care how nifty of an autobox you have, if the manual gearbox is actually good then I'll be getting it in a manual.
The CVT is actually miles better for normal driving; no hassle and requires less throttle to get anywhere. Perhaps slightly slower in a straight line at WOT but it matters nought as it's a heavy car with a fairly weak flat four as is anyhow. Add in that the manual was one of the worst I've driven and it gets thrown out the window.
That said, I don't care how nifty of an autobox you have, if the manual gearbox is actually good then I'll be getting it in a manual.
- 1,410
- Albuquerque, NM
- Frizbe
- Darth Frizbe
Pull the plugs out?
If you get a misfire on a certain cylinder you can swap that coil with another coil and check to see if the misfire moves to the new cylinder. If the engine is setup the same way as a 1.8T (which it should but I don't know for sure) the #1 cylinder is on the passenger side.
- 7,666
Pull the plugs out?
If you get a misfire on a certain cylinder you can swap that coil with another coil and check to see if the misfire moves to the new cylinder. If the engine is setup the same way as a 1.8T (which it should but I don't know for sure) the #1 cylinder is on the passenger side.
Well, yeah. But it would be nice to know how good the chances are of seeing any visual damage before I go about ripping my engine cover off. And it has the integrated intake so it could be pretty bad if I do something to it.
The problem didn't come back last time I started it though. So playing with misfires and things would be hard.
Also, our Volvo is now making a whining noise that matches pitch to engine speed. That's probably a belt or something which shouldn't be hard to investigate. We got the timing belt changed recently so that's probably the cause.
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Eric.
Premium
- 8,515
- GTP_Eric
- Ebiggs
I just hardwired my radar detector using an add-a-circuit like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BGELQ/?tag=gtplanet-20
And I put two ten amp fuses in it. I think I've realized I didn't use it the way its intended but it works anyhow...I have the valentine one's hardwire kit's positive wire tapping into that red wire coming out of the add-a-circuit, and then its ground going to a bolt holding the fuse box in. It works, but I'm not 100% certain that the two fuses aren't going to add up and be good for 20A instead of 10A.
But then I was thinking through it, and because they are in series, it would have to be no different than a single 10A. Because a fuse melts when its overloaded and would break the circuit, so it would still blow one or the other (depending how exact each is) as soon as one was overloaded at the 10A rating. So I think I'm good, right?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BGELQ/?tag=gtplanet-20
And I put two ten amp fuses in it. I think I've realized I didn't use it the way its intended but it works anyhow...I have the valentine one's hardwire kit's positive wire tapping into that red wire coming out of the add-a-circuit, and then its ground going to a bolt holding the fuse box in. It works, but I'm not 100% certain that the two fuses aren't going to add up and be good for 20A instead of 10A.
But then I was thinking through it, and because they are in series, it would have to be no different than a single 10A. Because a fuse melts when its overloaded and would break the circuit, so it would still blow one or the other (depending how exact each is) as soon as one was overloaded at the 10A rating. So I think I'm good, right?
Rotary Junkie
Premium
- 9,810
- Canton, MI
- RJs_RX-7
You are.
- 7,666
Water pump or something actually. Mom's passengers today noticed that there was smoke billowing out of the hood and mom eventually saw that the temp gauge was pinned to 'hot'. There was also coolant leaking. So it's in the shop now getting fixed. Hopefully it isn't a head gasket or something, but it probably isn't. That also explains the coolant smell we had in the cabin.
Also, the Autozone guys said the GTI didn't save a code so I'll just run some injector cleaner to make sure that wasn't the culprit earlier. Probably just the gas.
- 7,666
We'll see. I'm not sure if she called a tow truck or tried to limp it the 5 or so miles back to the shop. I'm hoping it's the former, but I'm kinda worried... 
It sounds like the car is pretty much giving up to the beating it gets from us. 108k and my family has led to a bad bevel gear that went unchecked and caused a $2,500 fix for the CV joints and other AWD components. We've also had to do something with the suspension, the water pump, the timing belt and probably something else. And that's just since October.
I do feel bad for the car... I very rarely drive it but every time I get in and notice something making a weird noise that nobody else seems to bother with. Maybe an American V8 would be a good replacement car.
It sounds like the car is pretty much giving up to the beating it gets from us. 108k and my family has led to a bad bevel gear that went unchecked and caused a $2,500 fix for the CV joints and other AWD components. We've also had to do something with the suspension, the water pump, the timing belt and probably something else. And that's just since October.
I do feel bad for the car... I very rarely drive it but every time I get in and notice something making a weird noise that nobody else seems to bother with. Maybe an American V8 would be a good replacement car.
- 23,800
- Philippines
Maybe an old American V8 would be a good car for your family. One with a carburetor and solid axles front and rear... ...CV joints, water pump... that's normal stuff to go wrong on a compact at that age... the only issue is whether someone else in your family is paying enough attention to these things to get them fixed before something major happens. Good maintenance and diligence helps to keep a car going further. 
...CV joints, water pump... that's normal stuff to go wrong on a compact at that age... the only issue is whether someone else in your family is paying enough attention to these things to get them fixed before something major happens. Good maintenance and diligence helps to keep a car going further.
- 7,666
The GTI is alright... I check up on it enough that my parents don't have time to kill it. I have threatened many times to drive it off to school though.
But I guess if they want to pay for it, they can keep destroying their own cars. I question whether I should keep recommending a nice car to them to replace the Volvo though. I'd be really sad to see them kill a nice LGT or 3-series.
But I guess if they want to pay for it, they can keep destroying their own cars. I question whether I should keep recommending a nice car to them to replace the Volvo though. I'd be really sad to see them kill a nice LGT or 3-series.
- 4,822
- Concord, CA
- kylehnat
Okay, so yesterday I took the Z to the local Nissan dealership to have a tire leak looked at. I didn't bother to inspect the tire beforehand, but I told them I didn't think I had run over anything. Well, as luck would have it, they pulled a 3/16" screw, about 3 inches long, out of the right-rear tire. The service rep said they would plug it, and it would be a-okay. I'm not familiar with tire repair, so I asked if I should replace the tire sometime in the near future, just to be safe. He said, "nope, we'll plug it, and you'll be good to go". I'm not sure if they also patched the inside of the tire, but I would assume that a manufacturer's dealership would not send me home on an unsafe tire, especially since I asked if the tire should be replaced.
So, GTP, who has experience with plugged tires? Do they really last? If there is ANY chance that it could fail catastrophically, I'd much rather spend $300 for a new tire now than risk a failure and accident later. I'm not willing to wager a $35,000 car on a chunk of rubber and glue if it's not 100% reliable. Any input is appreciated!
So, GTP, who has experience with plugged tires? Do they really last? If there is ANY chance that it could fail catastrophically, I'd much rather spend $300 for a new tire now than risk a failure and accident later. I'm not willing to wager a $35,000 car on a chunk of rubber and glue if it's not 100% reliable. Any input is appreciated!
Rotary Junkie
Premium
- 9,810
- Canton, MI
- RJs_RX-7
That's the complete reverse from what I've heard from 99% of tire shops. When they plug a tire, they recommend replacement in the near future whereas patches seem to be good to go.
- 4,822
- Concord, CA
- kylehnat
That's what I'm not sure of. Looking around online, it seems that reputable shops (I'd hope a dealership's shop qualifies), will both plug and patch as a standard repair, as opposed to using only a plug. I might call them next week to clarify that.
- 8,480
- P_Balance
If they patched it, you're good, if they plugged it, then maybe not. Find out, but if it's a patch, you should be fine.
- 178
I have done some tire repair with plugs at the dealership before and to be honest I would not trust it. I rather take it to any shop that will be willing to patch that up.
To make this story short
Many of the mechanics at the shop warned me when I first started as a lube tech to not recommend a tire plug if the treads of the tires are low. Everyone will patch up their own cars and their families/friends car.
To make this story short
Many of the mechanics at the shop warned me when I first started as a lube tech to not recommend a tire plug if the treads of the tires are low. Everyone will patch up their own cars and their families/friends car.
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- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
Okay, so it's about...oh, 10 degrees F where I live, and the nova's been sitting for a little while. I go out today to pick up my brother from school and....
I can't even hear the starter click.
Battery's good, plenty of power, all the lights come on, buzzer, etc. however, when turning to "start..." nothing. Why is that? Is something frozen? how do I thaw out my car?
I can't even hear the starter click.
Battery's good, plenty of power, all the lights come on, buzzer, etc. however, when turning to "start..." nothing. Why is that? Is something frozen? how do I thaw out my car?
- 3,401
- Pennsylvania
- Darkdeeds427
Being the other guy that owned a Nova on here, I can honnestly say I'm stumped. Have you tried jumping off another car yet? Give the starter a quick rap with a hammer...? Since a starter requires 80% battery power and it's so cold, I'd first reccomend the jump. It may be "good", but as soon as you hit the key *dead*.
- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
Could have a point. Don't have anything convenient to jump with at the moment, though, and with a subzero windchill, I don't want to be out there too long. I'll try when Dad gets home with his truck.
EDIT:
um...this. Is embarrassing.
Had the dumb thing in "reverse." well, good to know the ignition lockout works.
EDIT:
um...this. Is embarrassing.
Had the dumb thing in "reverse." well, good to know the ignition lockout works.
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- 3,008
- You're crazy if you think
- I can afford either of these.
So I replaced my stereo, but blew a fuse. Sounds simple, right? Well it was, but there's where my question starts. My owners manual says my radio is on this one fuse with the tachometer and dash lights, but it's now on the fuse for the dome/courtesy lights... All I did was connect the same power wires by color from the old aftermarket stereo, so what would cause the radio to be on a different circuit than factory??
- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
I think the words "Old Aftermarket Stereo" are key, here. a previous owner spliced your old lines into the wrong circuit.
