Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[ChaosphereIX]

Looks like I can squeeze by 1 more season on my UHP Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3's. They roughly have 35-40k on them so far. They've been great - smooth, quiet, and excellent in the wet, although I wish they would last a bit longer.

I'm debating if I should go for a dedicated summer tire next spring. Do they make that big of a difference in handling? I really appreciate the current balance I have now with the all season A/S3's.

I went back and forth on this.  But a few test articles showed the AS3 nearly as quick (like almost exactly) as Michelins summer tire.  But in the wet, the AS3 has drastically better stick.  The AS3 was also quicker in the dry than the competitors SUMMER tires.  Not sure if that's still true with newer offerings from competitors. 

I drive in all weather..rain or shine...so I went with the AS3.  I also wore mine out quicker than you did!!

Was thinking Continental Extreme Contact Sport summer tires next time... The equivalent Michelin Pilot Super Sports are way too expensive.

Or I'll just buy another set of the AS3+.

Sent from my FRD-L04 using Tapatalk

I liked those on the Saab - immense grip. Don't last long though...which is why a high perf AS is just fine for me. Alfa has Yoko S-Drives, they work fantastic once warmed a tad.

[blur911]

So I hooked the trailer up to the van yesterday to test the brake controller.

The good news is that the brake controller works, and the trailer brakes work. 

The bad news is that I am not getting 12V power from the van to the trailer.  Last year I had a similar problem, but then it went away.  At the beginning of the year, I didn't have 12V power.  It wasn't mission critical, so I ignored it, but then in July I noticed that it had fixed itself, and it was good for the rest of the year. 

So how, you ask, did I ascertain if the brake controller and brakes work if I don't have 12V going from the van to the trailer?  well, I plugged the trailer into shore power, and that was enough to power the brakes and make sure that the controller/brakes work. 

This year, having 12V from the van to the trailer IS critical, or the brakes won't function. So now I need to go at both the trailer AND the van with a voltage tester to figure out where the problem lies.  Truth be told, I hope the problem is with the trailer and not the van, as the trailer will be much simpler to figure out what is what (and the wiring is more accessible).

Sometimes on trailers you have power, but no ground.  Hook it up the ground goes through the hitch and things work, kinda, disconnect the metal bits and problem comes back.

[Firm]

So I hooked the trailer up to the van yesterday to test the brake controller.

The good news is that the brake controller works, and the trailer brakes work. 

The bad news is that I am not getting 12V power from the van to the trailer.  Last year I had a similar problem, but then it went away.  At the beginning of the year, I didn't have 12V power.  It wasn't mission critical, so I ignored it, but then in July I noticed that it had fixed itself, and it was good for the rest of the year. 

So how, you ask, did I ascertain if the brake controller and brakes work if I don't have 12V going from the van to the trailer?  well, I plugged the trailer into shore power, and that was enough to power the brakes and make sure that the controller/brakes work. 

This year, having 12V from the van to the trailer IS critical, or the brakes won't function. So now I need to go at both the trailer AND the van with a voltage tester to figure out where the problem lies.  Truth be told, I hope the problem is with the trailer and not the van, as the trailer will be much simpler to figure out what is what (and the wiring is more accessible).

Sometimes on trailers you have power, but no ground.  Hook it up the ground goes through the hitch and things work, kinda, disconnect the metal bits and problem comes back.

Good point. I also find that those round style connectors get sketchy, sometimes you've just gotta clean and/or bend out the tabs a bit to get better contact. 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

So I hooked the trailer up to the van yesterday to test the brake controller.

The good news is that the brake controller works, and the trailer brakes work. 

The bad news is that I am not getting 12V power from the van to the trailer.  Last year I had a similar problem, but then it went away.  At the beginning of the year, I didn't have 12V power.  It wasn't mission critical, so I ignored it, but then in July I noticed that it had fixed itself, and it was good for the rest of the year. 

So how, you ask, did I ascertain if the brake controller and brakes work if I don't have 12V going from the van to the trailer?  well, I plugged the trailer into shore power, and that was enough to power the brakes and make sure that the controller/brakes work. 

This year, having 12V from the van to the trailer IS critical, or the brakes won't function. So now I need to go at both the trailer AND the van with a voltage tester to figure out where the problem lies.  Truth be told, I hope the problem is with the trailer and not the van, as the trailer will be much simpler to figure out what is what (and the wiring is more accessible).

Sometimes on trailers you have power, but no ground.  Hook it up the ground goes through the hitch and things work, kinda, disconnect the metal bits and problem comes back.

Good point. I also find that those round style connectors get sketchy, sometimes you've just gotta clean and/or bend out the tabs a bit to get better contact.

Yeah, I've been playing around with the connector.  No Dice!  I also inspected the wiring at the front of the trailer, and it looks a little bit like a crows nest.  I think my mission this coming month will be to go at it with a voltage tester, a sauntering iron and some shrink wrap and clean it all up.

[quadzilla]

Summer tires are finally on the car. This might be one of the latest dates I've changed them over.

[Weels]

Summer tires are finally on the car. This might be one of the latest dates I've changed them over.

Yup, CX-5 got done yesterday. 
University of Waterloo has a weather station,  I get a monthly summary emailed to me -- got April's today.  To surprise of no one, we had coldest April since records began in 1915.

Today though... 28 degrees. 
Had one person comment to me that it's too hot.  I managed not to punch them.   

[johngenx]

Rear suspension parts for the HL arrived, and tomorrow I begin tearing it apart.  I'm a slow worker, preferring to pick away at things unless I don't have alternate transportation.  I did the front brakes a few weeks ago quickly as the Miata was still sleeping.  With the Miata out now, the HL's suspension work will go "as I feel like it."

[Arthur Dent]

Not mine but helped a friend haul this Ford Windstar back for his father in law. It obviously has some light accident damage and the father in law has a Winstar that motor just died. His had an impressive 435K kms on it. The plan is to combine the two to get one good one.

[ktm525]

Replaced a headlight washer on my the LR4 and poured a can of BG44K in the tank.

[rrocket]

of BG44K in the tank.

That stuff is the best!

[Seafoam]

of BG44K in the tank.

That stuff is the best!

It works as described? Or is it snake oil.

[KD]

Had new set of Pirelli P7 Plus installed today at costco.  Always great service there but i was pissed that they replaced the hd black garbage bags that i brought the old ones in with clear plastic ones for storing the winters.     It was my wife that took it in and she never thought anything was wrong with that.  I keep the tires in my shed and like the black bags for the uv protection.  I'll get her to ask for black ones when she goes back to get the lugs torqued.

Tires for which car?

Sorry, GS350.

These tires are extremely quiet!

How do you like the ride?

Tires are excellent Ron!  I took the car out for a good run tonight and was really impressed with how quite they are and how well they tracked.  Expansion joints on the overpasses were hardly noticeable.  Some reviews I read gave them a mediocre rating for wet conditions.  It was raining quite heavily earlier so I figured it was a good opportunity to test that for myself and found they handled the wet conditions really well.

They are a much better suited to the car than the OEM Michelin MXM4.  They wer about $200 cheaper for a set as well. 

[johngenx]

Spent most of the day monkeying around with the Highlander.  Chatted with my indie about sourcing knuckles and some small bits, and he was 99% sure I was misdiagnosing the knuckle bushings.  He suggested I replace the parts originally planned and then see if the knuckles do need to come out.  It would mean tearing it apart again if the knuckle bushings are toast, but based on his explanation of how they should work in terms of movement and clearance, I was now leaning towards thinking I was indeed wrong about them failing.

So, I put on my work clothes and got down to business.  Sure enough, once the new bits and bushings were installed, everything feels brand new!  The most worn parts by far were the sway bar bushings, they were just plain dead.  Otherwise, I really could have left a lot of it alone and it would have been fine for a while yet.  Really high quality suspension parts from the factory, wow.

So, rear suspension rebuild project is done!

I didn't get to the oil change for the Miata, but I'm glad to have the Highlander back to full service mode.

[rrocket]

Tires are excellent Ron! 

Yes..they really are impressive how quiet and smooth riding they are. The gold standard for luxury tire IMO.

They could have a tad more wet grip on my rwd car...but I no way are they objectionable or unsafe.

I even used them in light snow and we impressed.

This is an excellent tire.

[rrocket]

of BG44K in the tank.

That stuff is the best!

It works as described? Or is it snake oil.

Yep...really good stuff. All of their products I've used are IMO.

Even put their new tranny fluid in IQs car after she complained about the Amsoil stuff in her car.

[rrocket]

Spent most of the day monkeying around with the Highlander.  Chatted with my indie about sourcing knuckles and some small bits, and he was 99% sure I was misdiagnosing the knuckle bushings.  He suggested I replace the parts originally planned and then see if the knuckles do need to come out.  It would mean tearing it apart again if the knuckle bushings are toast, but based on his explanation of how they should work in terms of movement and clearance, I was now leaning towards thinking I was indeed wrong about them failing.

So, I put on my work clothes and got down to business.  Sure enough, once the new bits and bushings were installed, everything feels brand new!  The most worn parts by far were the sway bar bushings, they were just plain dead.  Otherwise, I really could have left a lot of it alone and it would have been fine for a while yet.  Really high quality suspension parts from the factory, wow.

So, rear suspension rebuild project is done!

I didn't get to the oil change for the Miata, but I'm glad to have the Highlander back to full service mode.

Good stuff!

[ChaosphereIX]

bought LED licence plate bulbs for the Alfa. Warning light still wont go out. Back to old style I guess.

[ktm525]

bought LED licence plate bulbs for the Alfa. Warning light still wont go out. Back to old style I guess.

What did you hope to solve? Led duesn’t draw enough current and car indicates a bulb still burnt out?

[Arthur Dent]

Got into the garage last night long enough to replace the lower rad hose and pull the heater hoses. I still need to drop the gas tank to take a look - been avoiding that job for a while

[ArticSteve]

I still need to drop the gas tank to take a look - been avoiding that job for a while

Can be such a hornets nest on old vehicles.  Been there.