Ask GTP About Your Car Problems/General Questions

It works fine as far as I know, the car's only got 40k miles on the clock. However the coolant has never been changed (though its been topped off at least once); should I look to get that done before the trip?

What I'm most concerned about is damaging the frame. The caravan is 2800lbs as it is and most likely the dog + 1 adult and small child will be riding in it, so it'll pretty much be at the 3000lbs limit. Would it perhaps be safer to try and loan a lighter caravan or am I stressing over nothing?

Coolant flush is a must. Remember to watch the temp gauge like a hawk when you set off. I wouldn't worry about damaging the frame. Lighten what you can, drive it gingerly and you should be good 👍
 
It works fine as far as I know, the car's only got 40k miles on the clock. However the coolant has never been changed (though its been topped off at least once); should I look to get that done before the trip?

What I'm most concerned about is damaging the frame. The caravan is 2800lbs as it is and most likely the dog + 1 adult and small child will be riding in it, so it'll pretty much be at the 3000lbs limit. Would it perhaps be safer to try and loan a lighter caravan or am I stressing over nothing?

What car ? Manual trams or automatic ? What class hitch do you have ? Hopefully the hitch can carry a 300 lb tongue weight.
 
What car ? Manual trams or automatic ? What class hitch do you have ? Hopefully the hitch can carry a 300 lb tongue weight.

Its a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. 3.5L V6, 5 speed auto, AWD. We haven't bought the hitch yet though, I know absolutely nothing about those things so I've got some research to do.:dunce:
 
Its a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. 3.5L V6, 5 speed auto, AWD. We haven't bought the hitch yet though, I know absolutely nothing about those things so I've got some research to do.:dunce:

I'd look for a class III Curt, Hidden Hitch or Reese hitch, power wise the Santa Fe should be more than up to the task, I'd be more comfortable if the vehicle was equipped with a transmission cooler though, some vehicles come from the factory with a cooler others don't. Might be a good idea to install one if you plan on more long trips. Keep an eye on the trans fluid for signs of burning.

http://www.curtmfg.com/HitchLookup/find?mount=Rear Mount&year=2011&make=Hyundai&model=Santa Fe&style=SUV#tab=frontmounthitch

I ordered my Curt hitch from E-trailer.com, they ship to Canada.
 
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Guys, could you help me out here please?

Recently my Krusty-branded "cold air intake" filter borked completely and I had to find a replacement. I bought a cheapo 2nd hand Ractive conic air filter from someone for around $10 and found out that the hose I was using with the previous intake was a bit too big to fit inside the new filter. The filters are almost the same measure, except that the rubber...uhh...end of the old one was enlarged out of measure. The hose is made out of what appears to be a thick cloth and some metal wiring inside. Here's a pic of how the set-up used to be

10255364_10152070584241342_9023891342721795289_n.jpg



I didn't wanted to keep driving around without an air filter so as a desperate measure I just clamped the new-ish filter to the boot of the intake manifold. So, here's my question:

(TL, DR begins here)


What's the most effective way to set up a conic air filter in the engine bay you see above? Should I leave the filter just hooked to the boot of the air intake? Are such hoses expandable or should I try to get a similar hose that would work with the "new" filter? PVC? Aluminium? There isn't a lot of budget at the moment so ghetto fixes are just fine, not looking for MAHSIF POWAH here because I know CAI intakes are a myth for the most part 👍.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
 
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The further away the filter is, the better. As it's open it's more prone to heat soak and the closer to the exhaust and engine it is, the more power you basically lose. On an NA engine the filter itself is more about the soundtrack than the power and you don't want to lose power compared to a stock paper filter in the stock air box. Routing the filter down behind the fender is *supposed* to be a nice location (more cold ram air, less heat soak).

Hoses are somewhat expandable.. You may be able to fit the old hose snugger with a tighter hose clamp.. Or space the new filter with an old hose or equivalent wrapped between the filter and the hose. Or go yarding for a different hose or use some imagination.. I run a section of a spare Golf Mk3 air box hose together with a cut CV joint boot on my turbo Charade from filter to turbo, no issue. And no one would question it without knowing as it works and looks factory. I love a simple ghetto fix lol.
Just remember, the tighter the better.. Force it only if you have to.

Oh, and sexual references are a given.. Just so I'm in the clear lol.
 
Does anyone know the fabric used on the red bride vios low max bucket seats. My grand mother looked everywhere and couldn't find it. I'm pretty sure I can find it if I know what's it's called.
 
The further away the filter is, the better. As it's open it's more prone to heat soak and the closer to the exhaust and engine it is, the more power you basically lose. On an NA engine the filter itself is more about the soundtrack than the power and you don't want to lose power compared to a stock paper filter in the stock air box. Routing the filter down behind the fender is *supposed* to be a nice location (more cold ram air, less heat soak).

Hoses are somewhat expandable.. You may be able to fit the old hose snugger with a tighter hose clamp.. Or space the new filter with an old hose or equivalent wrapped between the filter and the hose. Or go yarding for a different hose or use some imagination.. I run a section of a spare Golf Mk3 air box hose together with a cut CV joint boot on my turbo Charade from filter to turbo, no issue. And no one would question it without knowing as it works and looks factory. I love a simple ghetto fix lol.
Just remember, the tighter the better.. Force it only if you have to.

Oh, and sexual references are a given.. Just so I'm in the clear lol.

Thanks. I provisionally hooked it up to the boot and asked the same question on a FB group of Mazda GD chassis enthusiasts. Ironically, some australian who's cuckoo for Mazda GDs is building an MX6 race car and he posted a picture of his engine bay:

1472083_10152859456577678_5849594796216347239_n.jpg


I asked him if there was any reasoning behind that placement he answered "Because intake piping is heavy! Will hopefully have full hektik intake noises that will add to the race car feel". Soooooo basically, #BecauseRaceCar :lol:. I think I'll try it as it is for now and will try your suggestions when I'm able to scavenge a suitable hose. Thanks for the help though! :D
 
Might as well hook up your intake directly to your exhaust manifold with that setup :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Well, when I got the car with it's crappy original "cold air intake", the hose went all the way down like this:

DSC08713.jpg


But because...uhm..."experimentation", the hose got significantly shorter up to the point of being just a stub. Should I try and get something to make it like it was at the beggining?
 
That setup looks like it would work very well, just try to avoid navigating rivers. Would be interesting to see dyno graphs of the CAI in different locations.
 
That setup looks like it would work very well, just try to avoid navigating rivers. Would be interesting to see dyno graphs of the CAI in different locations.

It would be indeed! I'd also love to see a dyno graphic to actually know and understand the torque curve of the engine, although web consensus and butt dyno tell me the F8DOHC is only something worthy in the mid-top range. It's a shame though, dyno pulls are...err...not something I can afford right now :lol:. I'll try getting some more hose like that and post back the results, thanks for the heads-up 👍.
 
The gains of running an open air filter in place of a stock paper/foam filter is so minimal on an NA engine, that heat soak can actually make the car lose power over stock. A good recipe for engine sound though ;)
 
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Well, when I got the car with it's crappy original "cold air intake", the hose went all the way down like this:

DSC08713.jpg


But because...uhm..."experimentation", the hose got significantly shorter up to the point of being just a stub. Should I try and get something to make it like it was at the beggining?

Flexible hoses suck for power production. What I did with my car was relocate whatever was behind the left headlight (in my case, a coolant bottle, in your case a battery... a bit harder), and have custom bent stainless installed to put the filter behind the light. Then I had a heat shield fabricated on the cheap (thin sheet metal covered in silvered insulation) to isolate it from the rest of the engine bay. 5-10 hp (5 untuned, 10 with a dyno tune) gain over a regular short ram... similar to a true CAI, but without the water ingestion issues.
 
A bit of a noob question I guess, but here it goes:

How much would it approximately cost to swap a Manual gearbox into an automatic car, if I were to pay a mechanic to do it rather then doing it myself?
 
Probably not too cheap labour wise, also depending on the car not every mechanic may get down with that. I don't know about shop rates in Canada so can't tell much. Either way you can just ring up a local shop of your choice and ask them. They would give you a somewhat ballpark figure.
 
A bit of a noob question I guess, but here it goes:

How much would it approximately cost to swap a Manual gearbox into an automatic car, if I were to pay a mechanic to do it rather then doing it myself?

Old car from the 60's probably not a whole lot, new cars from the 2000's and up it could be a nightmare, with electronically controlled auto transmissions you may need to replace wiring harnesses and possibly a computer module or 2. possibly new axles if front wheel drive or drive shaft for RWD, even a new instument cluster if you want it done right. but as they say if you got enough money you can do anything.

In the latter case with a newer car you'd be better off trading for the same vehicle equipped with a manual from the factory.
 
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Mikey is right on the money. Anything about 1985 and older, a backyard mechanic can have it done in an afternoon. Anything new and you might as well sell your car and buy a different one.
 
I have a few issues which I know will be resolved if I ask a mechanic but wanted to get a small idea

-Right have had this problem on the duck since forever, when I use full lock(sometimes when going over a large speed bump) the front right makes a weird clunk noise. I told the Nissan mechanic about it before and he said yeah I'll fix it and well they didn't.

-Right Mirror does not operate automatically anymore and the wind closes it a bit if I'm driving fast, yes it is broken but would it be a simple fix or an expensive one.

-Finally this one is relatively new, but after long drives when I drive on uneven roads small bumps etc a squeaking almost bird like sound coming from the right hand side(middle I think).

Appreciate the help and thanks in advance :cheers:
 
I'm helping a friend buy a car. This week-end, we'll be looking at a 2003 Subaru Impreza 2.5TS, with automatic gearbox. 50k miles on the clock.

I know a lot of people on here either own, or have a lot of knowledge about these cars, so what are the things we should be on the look-out for?
 
Late reply, but from what I understand, 2.5 Subaru engines have a weakness with their head gaskets, and most people advise to check that either before buying or at least attend to it as soon after purchasing if there is a problem.
 
Well I have failed as a man and let my car run out of water and the engine overheated badly 2 days ago (didn't notice the temp the car stopped working thankfully in a safe part, anyway managed to get water from a passer by, filled it up and drove home.

Car still wasn't happy (water had orange substance when I checked again(rust perhaps) but anyway I left it at night and the following day my dad told me to check it out, I took it for a short drive but the after a bit the fan was really loud (check engine light was on from the start), we did not know what to do but we thought an oil change could be it, so I went and changed the oil (car on the way ran normally but the check engine light was still on) on the way back the fan was loud again but nothing else. Anyway the car still drove normally but the check engine light is still on.

I'll go to service it tomorrow or Saturday since no one opens during Eid but does anyone know what might be wrong? (Note yes we put water not coolant).

I'm thinking since the car runs it won't be anything too major but help appreciated.
 
Well I have failed as a man and let my car run out of water and the engine overheated badly 2 days ago (didn't notice the temp the car stopped working thankfully in a safe part, anyway managed to get water from a passer by, filled it up and drove home.

Car still wasn't happy (water had orange substance when I checked again(rust perhaps) but anyway I left it at night and the following day my dad told me to check it out, I took it for a short drive but the after a bit the fan was really loud (check engine light was on from the start), we did not know what to do but we thought an oil change could be it, so I went and changed the oil (car on the way ran normally but the check engine light was still on) on the way back the fan was loud again but nothing else. Anyway the car still drove normally but the check engine light is still on.

I'll go to service it tomorrow or Saturday since no one opens during Eid but does anyone know what might be wrong? (Note yes we put water not coolant).

I'm thinking since the car runs it won't be anything too major but help appreciated.
If it overheated really badly then you could have a distorted or even cracked cylinder head. If it runs fine and fluids aren't mixing or disappearing you might be lucky. If the cooling system was next to empty and you just filled it up, it might still have air in it thus not cooling properly and having the fan work overtime. Either way have it checked at a shop. And use coolant rather than tap water in the cooling system, especially if it's not a 30 year old beater.
 
If it overheated really badly then you could have a distorted or even cracked cylinder head. If it runs fine and fluids aren't mixing or disappearing you might be lucky. If the cooling system was next to empty and you just filled it up, it might still have air in it thus not cooling properly and having the fan work overtime. Either way have it checked at a shop. And use coolant rather than tap water in the cooling system, especially if it's not a 30 year old beater.

That is good new, thanks alot for you help, will have it checked ASAP :cheers:
 
This is urgent I need help seriously. I tried changing one of my fuel injectors took it off and everything. Put vasoline on the rings and put it on. Unfortunately when I put it in I didn't hear a pop and I swear I kept trying. It looked snugged in there and it was pretty tough to get back out so I thought it was good. Well as I try to start a FIRE is coming off that part of the engine. I immediatly throw water at it and it goes away. I then do a "start car then off" it's ok, now I try it again and now it won't crank it start. Anybody have any ideas ??,,

What it looks like after the small fire

image.jpg


image.jpg
 
Sounds like you didn't have a tight seal.

If you kept trying and trying....you may have a serious issue. You could have stripped the threads in the injector port. This is bad for a few reasons. BUT, that's if you have screw in and bolt down injectors or just bolt down...I'm not sure. Regardless:

1. It'll never tighten completely, and stay loose.
2. When the spark fires, you'll get a fire and being on the fuel system, can possibly go back up the line and blow the tank up. This could cause total destruction of your car.
3. The metal filings that came off the stripped threads could now be in the engine.

If that's what happened, the threads are going to need to be tapped and I would not do that without pulling the head off as the risk of getting those filings in that cylinder is high.

I'd keep trying to tighten it...
 
Sounds like you didn't have a tight seal.

If you kept trying and trying....you may have a serious issue. You could have stripped the threads in the injector port. This is bad for a few reasons. BUT, that's if you have screw in and bolt down injectors or just bolt down...I'm not sure. Regardless:

1. It'll never tighten completely, and stay loose.
2. When the spark fires, you'll get a fire and being on the fuel system, can possibly go back up the line and blow the tank up. This could cause total destruction of your car.
3. The metal filings that came off the stripped threads could now be in the engine.

If that's what happened, the threads are going to need to be tapped and I would not do that without pulling the head off as the risk of getting those filings in that cylinder is high.

I'd keep trying to tighten it...

Well I just tightened as much as I could, but the car will not crank at all, just keeps clicking.
 
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