Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[Firm]

Man, I think your cars are trying to tell you something about visiting the MIL  Least that Cayenne one is an easy fix, that Subaru stuff looks like a bad time.

[blur911]

Man, I think your cars are trying to tell you something about visiting the MIL  Least that Cayenne one is an easy fix, that Subaru stuff looks like a bad time.

We brought four dogs along when we went there for christmas dinner, I think she put a curse on us for furring up her house.

[bridgecity]

Changed the 7 pin connector on the Tundra today. The brake power pin had broken off and the remaining pins had seen better days. Truck has been parked outside for the most part this winter. I had the garage heated up and the dripping water from snow/ice melt while working under there was a pain in the ass, but the new connector is working.

[rrocket]

^^Good work!!

[rrocket]

Well once again the stupidity of German "engineering" rears its ugly head.  As with our previous TT, it seems that making simple parts that other manufacturers had mastered decades ago eludes the Germans.  As before, it has to do with the rear tallights.  We went through 2-3 assemblies on our TT and now the harnesses of BOTH rears lights need replacing on the A5.

German incompetence for stuff like this continues to astound me.

FCP Euro had the best price, despite being in the US.

[BWII]

FCP Euro?  Is that like FGC?  Facking Crack Pipe?  Because that's what you need when you continue to buy shi#ty German cars?

I must've missed the A5 buy...that's one o' them 2 door cars no?  Eh?  At least get the V8?  So you can spend more on your FCP? 

Why do you guys continue to buy shi#ty German cars?  Aside from Porsche...(they are in a diff boat aren't they?) is there such a thing as a non-FGC??

[Dante]

Well once again the stupidity of German "engineering" rears its ugly head.  As with our previous TT, it seems that making simple parts that other manufacturers had mastered decades ago eludes the Germans.  As before, it has to do with the rear tallights.  We went through 2-3 assemblies on our TT and now the harnesses of BOTH rears lights need replacing on the A5.

German incompetence for stuff like this continues to astound me.

FCP Euro had the best price, despite being in the US.

What goes wrong with tail light assembly or harness on these Audis?
Is it a thing specific to a certain era? IIRC both the TT and the A5 are late 2000's models, no?

[rrocket]

IIRC both the TT and the A5 are late 2000's models, no?

Yep.

They just go...sorta melt. Burn out/flatten bottom of bulbs. And ultimately disintegrate or make holes where the bulb mount is.

The "fix" on the TT was to ultimately add a ground strap from the light assembly to the chassis. No, I'm not joking..but wish I was.

The A5 seems better by everything I read...but they will wear out.

[blur911]

IIRC both the TT and the A5 are late 2000's models, no?

Yep.

They just go...sorta melt. Burn out/flatten bottom of bulbs. And ultimately disintegrate or make holes where the bulb mount is.

The "fix" on the TT was to ultimately add a ground strap from the light assembly to the chassis. No, I'm not joking..but wish I was.

The A5 seems better by everything I read...but they will wear out.

I remember doing the same stuff on my '83 Audi Coupe

[Dante]

I knew about issues with burnt out tail light bulbs on early 2000's VWs but thought they fixed them by late 2000's. It looks like they didn't....

[rrocket]

I knew about issues with burnt out tail light bulbs on early 2000's VWs but thought they fixed them by late 2000's. It looks like they didn't....

Just boggles the mind that something this simple is still a struggle for German "engineering"....

[TheHire]

Why do you guys continue to buy shi#ty German cars?  Aside from Porsche...(they are in a diff boat aren't they?) is there such a thing as a non-FGC??

Porsches are no better really - great, pretty-much-perfect cars to drive, but Jesus Christ some of the issues we see coming in every day are just unacceptable.

[rrocket]

Why do you guys continue to buy shi#ty German cars?  Aside from Porsche...(they are in a diff boat aren't they?) is there such a thing as a non-FGC??

Porsches are no better really - great, pretty-much-perfect cars to drive, but Jesus Christ some of the issues we see coming in every day are just unacceptable.

Yea, I just shake my head sometimes.

[Firm]

My SLKs had the same taillamp socket melting nonsense. After going through a couple new sockets, I was able to built up some solder in the right places where it contacted the housing, that solved the issue.

[rrocket]

My SLKs had the same taillamp socket melting nonsense. After going through a couple new sockets, I was able to built up some solder in the right places where it contacted the housing, that solved the issue.

It's mind boggling.

You work on a lot of old iron.  Particularly some GMs when a time that "quality" was an after thought.

And I bet all of those GM tail lamps work just fine.

[Firm]

My SLKs had the same taillamp socket melting nonsense. After going through a couple new sockets, I was able to built up some solder in the right places where it contacted the housing, that solved the issue.

It's mind boggling.

You work on a lot of old iron.  Particularly some GMs when a time that "quality" was an after thought.

And I bet all of those GM tail lamps work just fine.

I've never had any such issues with a GM lamp.....In fact, it's extremely rare that I've even replaced bulbs in a GM. Consistent voltage makes for long-life.

Two exceptions; the DRLs on any 02-06 GM truck....They used a unique bulb that doesn't last, there's an alternative part number that's much better. GM HID systems - they suck, ballasts don't like moisture at all. 

[blur911]

I just had the headlight out in the Cayenne, put it back in the and the flasher didn't work.  Whapped it with my hand 3 times and it came on.  The connector just needs a jiggle.

Actually the Cayenne headlight removal procedure is pretty slick.

[Firm]

Temperatures well into the positives the last two days so I got some car stuff done...

MGB had like maybe 30% of the exterior lighting working....And the P.O had been messing with it, running power from other sources and just generally making a mess. I stripped all his make-shift stuff out, re-wired everything correctly, and diagnosed the root cause. He'd added some aftermarket fog lights into the front grille, but wired them into the factory parking light circuit - which at 20A wasn't built to run two big high-intensity fogs, plus the rest of the system. So it was popping fuses, and his 'fix' was to attempt to power some of the other lamps off of other circuits (and MGB only has 4 primary circuits, and 2 secondary). Disconnecting the fogs (which I intended to junk anyway) solved the issue, then it was just a matter of figuring out how everything was suppose to be wired. Fortunately, I have the 77+ MGB wiring diagram burned into my memory, so only took maybe an hour to sort everything.

I also stripped and re-paint 3 of the 5 (including the spare) MGB wheels.....So now I am 'that guy' with a car on stands in the driveway.

Also washed the Escalade, checked the rocker drains, and shot some extra oil into the rockers - keep the rust away 

[blur911]

Guess I should add that, I replaced the coolant reservoir on the Cayenne today, not too bad a job, considering the first instruction is remove headlight.

You need the headlight out to reach a bolt that holds a torque arm that holds the engine.  It has to come out to get the reservoir out.  In a feat of supreme German engineering, the bolt heads are 16mm, a size that doesn't exist in wrench  or socket sets, you have to use a 5/8" socket on a long extension.

Anyhow, Mahle reservoir, $162 plus tax.  Maybe an hour to change it at a leisurely pace.   Seems ok now.

[EV Dan]

Why do you guys continue to buy shi#ty German cars?  Aside from Porsche...(they are in a diff boat aren't they?) is there such a thing as a non-FGC??

I have no long term experience with them, let alone any having done any repairs, but I'm beginning to understand what all the fuss is about. Rainman Ray's youtube channel just published two vids, one of them on the air ride shock replacement and I gotta say it is impressive to watch how complex and well put together those bits and pieces are. Forgot to mention the car in question is a 2006 cls 500. It would be scary to own but with deep enough pockets I can see why ppl do.