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You can post your questions to this thread for tonights show. It’s another AMA so feel free to ask things other than automotive questions. I’ll answer as many questions as I can during the show. Once the show concludes I’ll post the video to this thread a lock it down until the next show in 2 weeks where a new thread will be created.
The earlier you post, the more likely you’ll get your question answered.
See you tonight!
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Hi Eric. Just a random. When you went to school did you go specififly for Asian vehicles or just general how cars work etc? Then chose Asian after you got out ?
Hello Eric!
Thank you for everything that you have done with Eric the Car guy. I’ve been watching for about 5 years now and I’ve learned so much.
My question is about a 5th generation Honda Civic (1993) DX 1.5L automatic. In November of 2015 I had the ECU go out on me while I was driving home. I took it to the local Honda Dealership and they told me that it was the ECU. The car worked like normal after that. During spring this year I had the gear shift release stop working on me. I couldn’t take the car out of park without putting a key in the manual override. During the summer I replaced all the struts and with the car being 23 years old all the suspension had cracked bushings and what not. For the next three months I spent working on the suspension and replaced almost everything. While the car was down I replaced the safety natural switch thinking that was the only thing that was wrong without actually troubleshooting. Went to take the car for an alignment and still had the same problem. Stuck in park. Since then, I’ve had some free time to actually find the problem and I’m stuck. I download the service manual for the car and I went to the electrical portion. I saw that there was a shift lock solenoid, multiple fuses, a key interlock system, interlock control unit and the shift lever position switch (aka safety neutral switch). I thought the interlock control unit was bad. I went to the local junk yard and got the interlock control unit and another shift lock solenoid. Came home and put them both in and still have the same problem. I found the page on how to test the interlock control unit page 23-151. I followed all the test conditions. I wrote those down on the circuit diagram picture. I’m having a problem with the white/red wire. The possible causes are 1.) faulty ECU 2) open in the white/red wire to the ECU 3) faulty brake light switch 4) faulty throttle angle sensor (TPS). I went to the ECU on the passenger floor board and looked up a diagram of the computers wire harness. I found out that the white/red wire goes directly into in on connector D pin 18. I checked continuity between the ECU unplugged connector D to white/red wire on unplugged Interlock control unit and they are connected. There is no open in the wire. I have brake lights so the brake light switch on the brake pedal works. I checked the throttle positioning sensory on the throttle body. I put my meter negative to ground (battery ground) and put my positive on the red/green wire. The manual says I should see .5v when fully closed and 4.5v fully open. Between closed to open manually opening and closing the throttle should be a smooth voltage and it was. That rules out the TPS being a subject. The only thing that leaves is a faulty ECU. I got the ECU replaced November 24, 2015 and it cost me $511. Should I take the car back to Honda and tell them and show them what I found? Did I brake any warranty coverage by finding the problem myself? What are your thoughts on this? I thought about going to the junk yard and getting one to test it out. They would cost $35 but I’m not sure if all computer are the same between the 5th gen Honda Civics. Could I have looked over something and it be something else? I’m not sure what to do now. I still have my receipt and it says that all parts are new unless otherwise noted with a 12 month or 12,000 mile warranty. I only put 5,000 miles on this car in that time frame. Would I have to pay for labor and all that over again? I know you did a video on warranty work but I forget what you said. I’ll have to go back and rewatch it.
Eric again, thank you for everything that you have done with Eric the Car Guy. You’ve created something awesome. Please keep up all your hard work and dedication to what you love doing. STAY DIRTY!!
P.S. I’m from Columbus Ohio. I’ll have to come down to one of the meet ups and introduce myself.Greetings Eric.
I recently purchased a 95 Chevy K1500 with a 350 small block. The truck has 353,000 miles on it and has been well maintained. It doesn’t burn oil or have any leaks, and starts up & runs fine every time.
My question is this. What sort of useful life do you think I can get out of that block, after a complete tear down and rebuild?
Thank you, and stay dirty!
Hi Eric,
I recently picked up a 96 Geo Prizm with a 5 speed and 171,000 miles at auction for super cheap. The car is in decent shape overall and seems to run like a top. The windshield has a ton of micro scratches in it, it looks almost like someone used sand paper on it. The scratches aren’t deep as I cannot catch my fingernail in them. Do you have any experience or advice on something I could use to remove them, or am I better off just having it replaced?Thank you for all your videos and content and stay dirty!
Hi Eric,
I have a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix, I met you at this years met up and was telling you that I was building the car, the car had been sitting for a year and a half before this summer. I got it running again in late summer and everything seems fine. Two things that I have noticed since the time I got it back and running is one; when you turn the key to accessory position to let the fuel pump prime, you can hear something that’s like something is trying to turn on or clicking noise that comes from behind the dash towards the firewall. I don’t really know how to explain it. It goes away after a few seconds but after the fuel pump and chime for the key stops. the same noise happens when you turn the car off and sometimes I can hear it in the engine bay as well as in the dash. The car has an electrical problem with the wiper blades, where it sometimes turns on without doing anything and sometimes it doesn’t work at all, but other days its acts fine. I think the noise might have something to do with the wiper blades as it sounds like it is coming from that direction. Any suggestions or worries I should be aware of? Second When you drive the car and let off the gas pedal there is a small hesitation from the time you let off the throttle and when the car actually slows down. The gas petal seems to stick a little, you can fell the gas petal stay in the spot for a half a second then release. I don’t think its to a point of being dangerous, but just a little nerve racking. Do you think it is because it sat for a while that maybe there is some extra friction from the pedal assembly that just needs some grease or something? Quick note the car was stored in my garage with a car cover, and washed every couple weeks before winter hit, Weather really didn’t get to the car. Sorry this is so long
Thanks,
SeanHi Eric,
What are your car cleaning habits, both interior and exterior? Personally, I tend to keep the interior as show room as possible, since that’s where I spend most of my time, but I’m not OCD about it either. I just wash the outside once every 3-4 weeks as needed.
On a side note I clay barred my car last week (Audi A3) to remove outdoor house paint specks where it was covered in tiny paint dots from nose to tail by the time a terrible painting contractor was finished. It worked better than I could ever have hoped for (Top tip for your viewers). Plus a generous helping of Carnauba wax and the car looks mint now, despite being 14 years old.
What do you want to be your legacy? And i am not referring ty the Subaru 😛
What will people hopefully remember you from?
Hey Eric, long time fan. I’m really looking forward to the farimont getting done. My question is i have a 1989 Camaro with a 305 tbi. I’m thinking about doing a “ls swap” but I’m not sure what transmission to use cause obviously I can’t use the factory transmission it won’t excatly hold up. You think I could use the same drivetrain with the ls or If it’s even worth it. Any suggestions would help thanks and stay dirty!
I’ve got a 2002 Renault Mégane with an 1.6 16v (twin cam, no VVT) engine, and it’s developed a mystery ticking/clicking noise.
It sounds kind of like a valve tick, but (to my ear) the speed of the ticking seems independent of RPM.
I can only hear it under more or less steady state cruising load, it goes away at Idle/unloaded, decel or hard(er) acceleration.Its difficult or impossible to reproduce the noise at a standstil, do you have any tips for finding/diagnosing the noise?
Thanks for the machine shop episodes, very interesting. A question I have is if the block is staying in the car and only the head is going to the shop, what is the proper way to clean and prepare the head gasket surface on the block, especially for an aluminum block which are more delicate?
Got my 2000 GS-R pretty much sorted out, all new brakes (caliper,rotors and pads) new timing belt kit, new battery and all fluids changed. Got her all detailed. Today I just did a quick test drive around the block and blew a brake line (right in the middle of the car) My question is how hard is it to take off that plastic cage without breaking it lying on my back in my driveway? Or should I just pay for it to be removed? I looked at it and tried, but being a NY car its a bit crusty and I don’t want to break it…stupid design for rusty areas of the country. Stay dirty, thanks for your vids.
Jim
Jamestown, NYHi Eric,
My wife is having issues with her 2011 Subaru Outback. At random times the check engine, traction control, cruise control and brake lights all illuminate at the same time (the brake light flashes while the rest stay solid) when the car is turned on. When this happens the cruise control will not work nor does the traction control. Whenever this happens it stays the same for several days but then eventually they all go off on their own and everything returns to normal.
I have checked the codes but according to my scanner none were generated. The car had a brake job several months ago so I know the brakes are good. Also I’ve read online that sometimes the gas cap can cause things like this if it isn’t fully tightened but I’ve check this as well as the condition of the cap which is good
Any ideas?? Thanks so much for your help!!
-Jeff
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