Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[Firm]

I suspect your Escalade is newer than mine?
Our 06 had Magnetic ride control; all four shocks were totally dead when I got it, so I replaced them with Monroe passive system. Super easy job as you said, didn't even need to lift the front end off the ground. I retained the rear air-leveling system, because it works well and is useful to have, but bypassed the electronic ride control. The kit I got came with resistors to wire into the plugs for the old shocks that fool the computer into thinking the magnetic ride is working properly. So no error codes. Oh, and no ride height change either. Can't remember exactly what it cost me as this was years ago now, but it was definitely <$500.
 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

So I did a few things this weekend.  On Friday, I vacuumed the car to prep it for my wife to shampoo the seats/carpet with the new portable shampoo machine we bought a couple of weeks ago.  She didn't actually get to it this weekend, so I'll probably have give it a quick vacuum again to get rid of the dirt I've since tracked into the car with its use as a DD.

On Saturday, I took the truck and grabbed the trailer, bringing it to the driveway.  Ya, I know, the truck is currently on lay-up insurance, so it can't be driven.  It's a good thing my trailer is stored in the backyard.  Anyway, the trailer needs a good clean (exterior, I cleaned the inside before putting it away), and the backyard needs a good clean-up, so it's good have the trailer out of the backyard,  I can now think about starting to prep that sand pad for the pool set-up. 

I am so glad I have a house in the city where I can drive the truck into the backyard.  It makes it so convenient for storing my trailer, and also for bringing material into the yard when doing backyard projects. 




Lastly, I took the winter tires off the truck and replaced them with the all-seasons.  The bad news is that my impact driver isn't strong enough to break the truck's lugnuts loose (they're huge lugnuts).  It was however, strong enough to shear the hex -> 3/8" socket adapter that i bought for the purpose.  I'm hoping it will at least work to do the tire changeover on the car, as its lugnuts are quite a bit smaller, and not torqued nearly as high as the truck's.  At least for the forseeable future, I'm still doing the truck by hand   I sure am getting tired of it though.  In another couple of years, I may consider taking the truck to a shop and have them do the wheel/tire switchover for me. 

[tortoise]

I use a breaker bar to loosen them and then back out the nuts/bolts with my cordless impact driver.  Having to sockets helps.

I think it's a better solution than having a corded impact driver that's used twice per year.

[revalations]

I suspect your Escalade is newer than mine?
Our 06 had Magnetic ride control; all four shocks were totally dead when I got it, so I replaced them with Monroe passive system. Super easy job as you said, didn't even need to lift the front end off the ground. I retained the rear air-leveling system, because it works well and is useful to have, but bypassed the electronic ride control. The kit I got came with resistors to wire into the plugs for the old shocks that fool the computer into thinking the magnetic ride is working properly. So no error codes. Oh, and no ride height change either. Can't remember exactly what it cost me as this was years ago now, but it was definitely <$500.

Mine is a 2010. I went back and fourth with the passive strut idea, just read too many negatives on forums from people who had done it, plus I’d have to change out the rears as well like you did, my rear leveling works fine so I wanted to leave them be. I think the big difference between the 06 is mine is a coil/strut assembly VS torsion bar/shocks on the older model.


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[Firm]

Yeah, that's why I figured you had the newer setup with the strut assembly.

[KD]

Gave myself a good scare with the Lexus yesterday.  I went kayaking with a buddy on Sunday and as I was backing the trailer down to the water in my truck my buddy noticed that the trailer lights weren't working properly.  I had a look and realized i forgot to unwind the cable from the tongue and it pinched the wiring harness causing some of the wires to break. First time using the trailer this year and i always wrap the harness around the tongue to keep the cable from dangling while it's stored for the winter.  Forgot to unwind it when i hooked it up to the truck and it didn't have enough slack while turning.  Stupid me! 

Anyway, yesterday I picked up some barrel connectors to spice the wires back together but the lights were still not working correctly when i hooked it up to my truck to test.  I have to use an adapter for my truck because it uses a standard 7-pin round connector and the trailer has an 4-pin inline connector.  Tried it on my work truck just to make sure it wasn't the Nissan connector, as it was the first time I hooked up a trailer to it, but it didn't work on the work truck either.  Thought it might be a bad adapter so i tried hooking it to the Lexus as it has a native 4-pin inline connector and doesn't require an adapter.  As the Lexus was still in the garage I didn't start it and simply turned on the accessory power to test the trailer lights.  As soon as I connected the trailer the car started binging and bonging with the dash warning lights going all wonky, and the car wouldn't start afterward.  I immediately got a little worried that i might have fried the ECM.   

The Lexus has not been driven in a few weeks so i tested the battery and it was a little low so I put it on the charger.  Took all night to get it back up to full charge and the car started right up with no issues this morning.  PHEW!   The battery must have been depleted just enough that the load of the trailer lights put it over the edge. The battery is original to the car, so around 8 years old now, and i was planning on getting a new one soon anyway.   Today I went to Costco and picked up a Energizer AGM replacement battery. 

Now I have to figure out what's wrong with the trailer lights. 

[ktm525]

those Energizer AGMs are great value. How was the line at Costco?

[KD]

those Energizer AGMs are great value. How was the line at Costco?

I went first thing this morning and it wasn't bad at all with only two people in front of me outside.  Big line up inside for the cash but it flowed quiclkly.  First time I've been in a large store in weeks.  The battery was $229 including the $10 enviro charge. 

[ktm525]

If I go early to Costco it is a sea of swarming white hair as far as the eye can see.   

[random006]

Tires have been swapped!  I’m now ready for when the warmer weather actually arrives.


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[me_2]

Summer shoes, done by my local mechanic.

(free) Oil change, recall & rear suspension check will have to wait at dealer until 3rd week of May... 

[Ex-airbalancer]

Gave myself a good scare with the Lexus yesterday.  I went kayaking with a buddy on Sunday and as I was backing the trailer down to the water in my truck my buddy noticed that the trailer lights weren't working properly.  I had a look and realized i forgot to unwind the cable from the tongue and it pinched the wiring harness causing some of the wires to break. First time using the trailer this year and i always wrap the harness around the tongue to keep the cable from dangling while it's stored for the winter.  Forgot to unwind it when i hooked it up to the truck and it didn't have enough slack while turning.  Stupid me! 

Anyway, yesterday I picked up some barrel connectors to spice the wires back together but the lights were still not working correctly when i hooked it up to my truck to test.  I have to use an adapter for my truck because it uses a standard 7-pin round connector and the trailer has an 4-pin inline connector.  Tried it on my work truck just to make sure it wasn't the Nissan connector, as it was the first time I hooked up a trailer to it, but it didn't work on the work truck either.  Thought it might be a bad adapter so i tried hooking it to the Lexus as it has a native 4-pin inline connector and doesn't require an adapter.  As the Lexus was still in the garage I didn't start it and simply turned on the accessory power to test the trailer lights.  As soon as I connected the trailer the car started binging and bonging with the dash warning lights going all wonky, and the car wouldn't start afterward.  I immediately got a little worried that i might have fried the ECM.   

The Lexus has not been driven in a few weeks so i tested the battery and it was a little low so I put it on the charger.  Took all night to get it back up to full charge and the car started right up with no issues this morning.  PHEW!   The battery must have been depleted just enough that the load of the trailer lights put it over the edge. The battery is original to the car, so around 8 years old now, and i was planning on getting a new one soon anyway.   Today I went to Costco and picked up a Energizer AGM replacement battery. 

Now I have to figure out what's wrong with the trailer lights.

I had to put the charger on the Lexus also, but I rather change a battery when it is minus 30 out 

[EV Dan]

Replaced an air filter. $18+tax for a Hyundai OEM one with a local pick up is a pretty good deal. I'm glad some dealers figured out how much money they were losing to US retailers. Next is the cabin filter but that one I have "in stock" 

[Golly]

Today, did the seasonal tire change over on the Enclave.  With the wheels off, I always thoroughly hose out each wheel well, and check brake lining and hoses.  Weather and time permitting, I wash and dress the off season tires and rims; front and back before storing them.  If the wheels/tires going on aren’t clean, they get washed and dressed before going on.

Some fun facts:
Country of origin
-OE wheels:  China
-OE tires, Continentals:  USA (I found a couple of Spanish phrases on the tires: “hecho en”, “sin camara”)
-winter wheels:  China
-winter tires, Bridgestones:  Japan
Weights of rim/tire assy
-OE; 255/55R20:  70 lb
-winter; 255/55R20:  70 lb
  At this weight, not sure how many more years I can do this; I’m well past my prime

Yesterday, I did the seasonal tire change over on the Malibu.
Country of origin
OE wheels:
OE tires, Continentals:  Slovakia
Winter wheels:  Canada
Winter tires, Michelin X-Ice 3, Xi3:  Thailand

Weights of rim/tire assy
-OE; 245/40R19:  56 lb
-winter; 225/55R17:  48 lb

[Arthur Dent]

The Acura started leaking oil. After much investigation I think the culprit was the oil pressure sender. Replaced that today which not as easy as it sounds as was about the most inaccessible spot on the engine. Hopefully it stops marking its territory.

[Golly]

I hand washed the Enclave for the first time. In 4 short months it had accumulated a lot of road tar.  Not surprising because in the winter time, potholes are fixed temporarily with a runny spray on patch material.  It's only later when the weather warms up that the potholes are properly patched.

[2JDM]

Conditioned all rubber seals with Gummi Pflege. It keeps the rubber seals and trim like new and helps minimize squeaks and rattles.

[rrocket]

Conditioned all rubber seals with Gummi Pflege. It keeps the rubber seals and trim like new and helps minimize squeaks and rattles.

I found an unpleasant side effect of Gummi on my SC.

After a really hard rain (really soaking)...some of the treated seals make a squeaking sound!

Am going to re treat with Shin Etsu this year.

[Firm]

I used to use the Gummi Pfledge on the SLK, never had any issues, but the car probably never saw hard rain either....Now I just use whatever rubber conditioner is handy.

[juanlien]

Installed my Summer tires