Author Topic: What did you do to your car today? (Read 3015706 times)

rrocket · « **Reply #11260 on:** June 18, 2019, 09:34:52 pm »

Quote from: johngenx on June 18, 2019, 09:22:09 pm

Quote from: rrocket on June 18, 2019, 09:07:15 pm
Quote from: bridgecity on June 18, 2019, 09:04:18 pm
^May not be that bad. Did them on our Pilot when we had it. One of them required a knuckle on the socket. Rest were straight forward.

Had to remove engine mounts and rotate engine just so for my Stealth TT. Sucked. A lot.

Damn, that's awful.

Can remove entire intake and the bazillion hoses too.

rrocket · « **Reply #11261 on:** June 18, 2019, 09:37:52 pm »

Quote from: wongpong on June 18, 2019, 09:36:28 pm

Quote from: johngenx on June 18, 2019, 07:34:10 pm
Got the Highlander back from the tech. New timing belt, pulleys, tensioner, front main seal, accessory drive belts, transfer case oil, rear diff oil and <gasp> spark plugs. (The plugs are such a giant PITA to do...)

I hate service work like this. Nothing feels different. Fresh brakes have a new firm pedal. New tires feel different. But, a new timing belt makes no difference to how it feels.

How much did all that cost you.

I think he said $1300 in another thread.

johngenx · « **Reply #11262 on:** June 18, 2019, 09:50:03 pm »

Yup, with taxes and all in, it was $1290. Very fair pricing from my indie tech. Dealer wants $1800 for timing belt service plus about $450 for plugs - $2200-2300 for the same work, and that didn't include the fluid changes for the diff and transfer case, nor the accessory drive belts or oil pressure sender.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #11263 on:** June 18, 2019, 11:28:08 pm »

Its been a few months ... so I bought a new to me car. It is orange. My fifth orange vehicle believe it or not. Won't get it home for a while.

Scaerio · « **Reply #11264 on:** June 18, 2019, 11:36:14 pm »

I wonder if there’s a 12-step for that.

Arthur Dent · « **Reply #11265 on:** June 18, 2019, 11:43:36 pm »

Quote from: Scaerio on June 18, 2019, 11:36:14 pm

I wonder if there’s a 12-step for that.

If so I am not interested in it.

BWII · « **Reply #11266 on:** June 19, 2019, 12:27:51 am »

(finally) Got the windshield in the truck replaced. No more glaring sun in the crack at eye level. It was on the passenger side, I rarely sit there.

Dante · « **Reply #11267 on:** June 20, 2019, 09:32:17 am »

Did a brake fluid flush on the GTI. VW calls for replacement after 3 years and every 2 years after which is what I would do anyways going forward. DSG service is next up at 60K (will do around 50K) and all around brake job.

While flipping through VW maintenance schedule I noticed air filter (engine) should be replaced after 6 years (regardless KM). I find this really odd....

I replace the air filters (engine and cabin) every year or year and a half the most and they look relatively dirty by then. I would not wait 6 years to replace the engine filter in any case.

Another relatively strange thing is that VW requires to replace the spark plugs based on time (every 4 years) rather than KM. In the online maintenance schedule (vw.ca) they go by KM instead and it's 90K. I find it kind of odd as well (Mitsu asked for 168K or 186K for instance and I know other manufactures have much longer intervals).

On another hand, there is nothing about coolant replacement interval - time or KM. All they say check and replace if needed. I was thinking to buy some test strips to be able to check the condition myself instead or simply change it every 4 years like I usually do with Mitsu.

What everyone else is doing for coolant flush replacement interval?

johngenx · « **Reply #11268 on:** June 20, 2019, 09:43:29 am »

I used to change the coolant every other spring, but long life coolant made that wasteful. Now I'm doing it every 4-5 years or so, and I'm probably still doing it too often. The coolant in the Highlander got changed at 150K along with the major timing belt service at that mileage. I've monitored it since then.

I went quite a bit over mileage on the second timing belt service, 200K and seven years between the two. The coolant that was changed this week with the timing belt was the coolant that was installed 200K ago. The tech said it was due, but not bad at all. Seems long life coolants are the real deal.

Dante · « **Reply #11269 on:** June 20, 2019, 11:20:25 am »

While pocking around online, I came across a video which indicates that now Toyota calls for something like 7 years or 150K miles for coolant replacement. I think this is might be the case for other manufacturers too as I think they also have long lasting formulas as well - I know Mitsu does and most likely VW too. It seems like no need to worry about coolant change in the near future for the GTI.

tortoise · « **Reply #11270 on:** June 20, 2019, 11:37:46 am »

On the TDI forums they say to change it when the timing belt gets done at 180k km.

PJungnitsch · « **Reply #11271 on:** June 20, 2019, 12:16:12 pm »

Quote from: carcrazy on June 20, 2019, 09:32:17 am

Another relatively strange thing is that VW requires to replace the spark plugs based on time (every 4 years) rather than KM. In the online maintenance schedule (vw.ca) they go by KM instead and it's 90K. I find it kind of odd as well (Mitsu asked for 168K or 186K for instance and I know other manufactures have much longer intervals).

The only thing I can think of is if they have had trouble with seizing. Not normally a problem nowadays with anything but a Triton, but who knows what zee German engineers are thinking

johngenx · « **Reply #11272 on:** June 20, 2019, 01:58:38 pm »

Quote from: tortoise on June 20, 2019, 11:37:46 am

On the TDI forums they say to change it when the timing belt gets done at 180k km.

I typically change water pumps along with timing belts so a coolant swap makes sense then too.

Dante · « **Reply #11273 on:** June 20, 2019, 03:06:54 pm »

That's what I did for the Outlander few years back but the GTI has chain so can't use that as guideline.
I think I would go based on time for the GTI - perhaps every 4-5 years to be on the safe side which means max 2 times for my projected ownership span.

johngenx · « **Reply #11274 on:** June 20, 2019, 03:50:18 pm »

Yeah, I swapped out the water pump in the Corolla at about 130K - the orbital one had a plastic impeller and Toyota upgraded a replacement unit with metal.

I changed the coolant then. I think modern coolants are good for 150K without issues.

I think with the Corolla I’ll do it every 150K or so. Timing chain on that engine.

tooscoops · « **Reply #11275 on:** June 20, 2019, 06:37:30 pm »

scheduled the pacer to go see a body shop... they'll take an honest look and let me know if these last few days are my last with it or what...

that will be a sad day...

tortoise · « **Reply #11276 on:** June 21, 2019, 08:55:48 am »

I must have missed something. What happened to it?

Seafoam · « **Reply #11277 on:** June 21, 2019, 09:08:25 am »

I thought it just needed some restoration.

Firm · « **Reply #11278 on:** June 21, 2019, 01:58:28 pm »

Changed the oil in the DTS between meetings today in the service bays at our Vaughan office

Good perk of working here I guess. Third oil change for this car in my ownership, once when I got it, another when I swapped the oil pressure sensor, and then again now (6000km since the last change). Put a total of 10,000km on it since putting it on the road September 2018.

NorthStar engines tend to get leaky, so I've been running Castrol GTX high mileage synthetic blend, which has some 'seal conditioner' additives...they seem to be working as the slight seepage I had around the pan gasket last time I changed the oil appears dry now. MotoMaster oil filter off the shelf....don't feel the need for anything fancier with this car.

Bubba · « **Reply #11279 on:** June 21, 2019, 02:20:54 pm »

Quote from: Firm on June 21, 2019, 01:58:28 pm

MotoMaster oil filter off the shelf....don't feel the need for anything fancier with this car.

Are you implying there are better filter choices?