Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
while we are on the subject of gasoline substitutes, remember back when gasoline had lead and zinc in it? and they deemed it bad for the earth and removed it… and then everybody started burning exhaust valves, even though they said unleaded was better then leaded and would not hurt an engine….. now when we rebuild late-model engines its customary to install hardened valve seats to protect against the “damage” of unleaded gasoline. with any major change in fuel source, I’m sure something else needs to be altered to keep up with the change. yes its probably ok to drive an old car on unleaded gas with no alterations, but after time extra wear/build up became an issue. Who is to say that after making the big convert to e85, and older car from the 90’s wont need something replaced, or worse, we can’t use cast iron anymore cause it chemically dissolves iron deposits, so now everything must be aluminum…. that is a sarcastic exxageration…..but it gets the point acrossed.
I didn’t nessicarily mean cheap for you. differant gas companys use different solutions or refinery processes, to try to set thier fuel apart from others. some companys go a cheap route to try to make more money then another whom’s intentions are a bit more leaned towards enviroment and consumer care. lets be real for a sec, and say they are all about money, but a few are more aware of the hazards of burning fuels. might I also add, that a gas station with older tanks in the ground (where the fuel comes from for the pumps if you didn’t know) that may be rusty or contaminated also can alter the cleanslyness of your fuel source. same goes for the trucks that haul the fuel into the station for tank filling. imperfections in the fuel solution can be introduced at that point to. I can honestly say, that using the same fuel from 2 different stations makes a small differance. Super 29 Shell 10 mins away, 87 octane nets me about 17.5 mpg where a local truck stop 1 mile away recently converted to a shell company, and just changed fuel supplier, same fuel, but old tanks/pumps and possibly still has contaminates in the tanks from the older fuel, nets about 16.2 mpg in my vehicle. under the same driving conditions and only a few temperature degrees different from fill ups. I know A LOT of things can contribute to a small distortion in fuel mileage, and in more drastic situations, gremlins and random seemingly ignition/timing bugs, but I still suspect a fuel filter change more often then suggested based on known past variables is not going to hurt anything. you need to find a happy medium, and thats my motto in life. too much or too little of any one thing can be a hazard. but thats not to say you don’t understand the minimum / maximum effects/details of the situation at hand. by that I mean, with tolerances, where, what, who, you get your fuel from, as a consumer should not really effect you in a whole. but know that, “dirty” or contaminates in your fuel is common and can alter the performance/drivablity of your vehicle in different conditions. to the extent that different air pressures or altitudes, temperatures, humidity levels, all can have an effect on how effeciantly your fuel is burned in your vehicle, If you have ever had a carberated vehicle that gets poor fuel economy during the winter or starts hard or is labeled as a “cold-blooded b*@(h” is most likely do to the carburater needing to be re-jetted or rather re-calirbrated for the varieables in the surronding enviroment. or you can just deal with it till the weather gets warmer. not horribly important unless you are meticulous about your vehicle and its performance. computers and fuel-injection systems do these calibrations automatically witch is nice. but when sensors go bad, or electrical gremlins start arising…it is not so nice! sorry for the book, and I hope this clears up my “cheap or dirty” gas comment.
I didn’t nessicarily mean cheap for you. differant gas companys use different solutions or refinery processes, to try to set thier fuel apart from others. some companys go a cheap route to try to make more money then another whom’s intentions are a bit more leaned towards enviroment and consumer care. lets be real for a sec, and say they are all about money, but a few are more aware of the hazards of burning fuels. might I also add, that a gas station with older tanks in the ground (where the fuel comes from for the pumps if you didn’t know) that may be rusty or contaminated also can alter the cleanslyness of your fuel source. same goes for the trucks that haul the fuel into the station for tank filling. imperfections in the fuel solution can be introduced at that point to. I can honestly say, that using the same fuel from 2 different stations makes a small differance. Super 29 Shell 10 mins away, 87 octane nets me about 17.5 mpg where a local truck stop 1 mile away recently converted to a shell company, and just changed fuel supplier, same fuel, but old tanks/pumps and possibly still has contaminates in the tanks from the older fuel, nets about 16.2 mpg in my vehicle. under the same driving conditions and only a few temperature degrees different from fill ups. I know A LOT of things can contribute to a small distortion in fuel mileage, and in more drastic situations, gremlins and random seemingly ignition/timing bugs, but I still suspect a fuel filter change more often then suggested based on known past variables is not going to hurt anything. you need to find a happy medium, and thats my motto in life. too much or too little of any one thing can be a hazard. but thats not to say you don’t understand the minimum / maximum effects/details of the situation at hand. by that I mean, with tolerances, where, what, who, you get your fuel from, as a consumer should not really effect you in a whole. but know that, “dirty” or contaminates in your fuel is common and can alter the performance/drivablity of your vehicle in different conditions. to the extent that different air pressures or altitudes, temperatures, humidity levels, all can have an effect on how effeciantly your fuel is burned in your vehicle, If you have ever had a carberated vehicle that gets poor fuel economy during the winter or starts hard or is labeled as a “cold-blooded b*@(h” is most likely do to the carburater needing to be re-jetted or rather re-calirbrated for the varieables in the surronding enviroment. or you can just deal with it till the weather gets warmer. not horribly important unless you are meticulous about your vehicle and its performance. computers and fuel-injection systems do these calibrations automatically witch is nice. but when sensors go bad, or electrical gremlins start arising…it is not so nice! sorry for the book, and I hope this clears up my “cheap or dirty” gas comment.
use your judgement on the mileage intended for service via your manual. under absolute valuables they are spot on. but if you only go to X gas station because their fuel is cheapest, it may be “dirty” fuel, having more deposits in it. needless to say. if it says change every 60k miles, and you suspect a possibility of it being damaged (letting particles through to your engine) or faulty, why wait 20k miles to change it, fuel filters should not be that expensive, and I would rather spend 10 dollars and some change on something that makes my car run better then on a shift knob to make my car look better, but serves no real purpose. (id rather drill a hole in a stolen 8-ball then some of the expensive billet aluminum ones they have now.) when it comes to car care. all go, no show > no go, all show. hands down every time. trailer queens and guys with decked out mustangs with crappy 3.8L v6 can kiss my rear : )
use your judgement on the mileage intended for service via your manual. under absolute valuables they are spot on. but if you only go to X gas station because their fuel is cheapest, it may be “dirty” fuel, having more deposits in it. needless to say. if it says change every 60k miles, and you suspect a possibility of it being damaged (letting particles through to your engine) or faulty, why wait 20k miles to change it, fuel filters should not be that expensive, and I would rather spend 10 dollars and some change on something that makes my car run better then on a shift knob to make my car look better, but serves no real purpose. (id rather drill a hole in a stolen 8-ball then some of the expensive billet aluminum ones they have now.) when it comes to car care. all go, no show > no go, all show. hands down every time. trailer queens and guys with decked out mustangs with crappy 3.8L v6 can kiss my rear : )
ECM, PCM, ya they have so many different abbreviations for deviations for the same thing. I’m glad a small note of it pointed you in a semi-correct direction for research. I failed to think about the possibility of resetting it. wow, 60+ miles with no issues must feel like a god-send from what you were experianceing. Please do keep us posted!
ECM, PCM, ya they have so many different abbreviations for deviations for the same thing. I’m glad a small note of it pointed you in a semi-correct direction for research. I failed to think about the possibility of resetting it. wow, 60+ miles with no issues must feel like a god-send from what you were experianceing. Please do keep us posted!
thanks for that last picture, nothings in the way, no telling why they unhooked the battery to change that. maybe it was a 2-man brake job and your dinger was so loud and they were not smart enough to bypass the door jam switch for it? who knows with random mechanic shops. not to take away from the honest ones out there trying to make a living, but if you want the job done right. you need to do it yourself. with the internet and repair books/manuals out there and the auto parts stores having most of the tools you need to rent out for little or a holding fee only…theres no “professional” anymore. you will find that your going to do the same thing that they do. make an educated guess based on the information presented to them via the driver or the computer, and throw parts at it until its fixed. exept you pay them for their time and less choice in which parts get changed and with what type of replacement (in your case…expensive OE part instead of a general part that does the same thing for less) most importantly when buying your own parts…shop around. some places carry the same parts, but for less, and offer free shipping from store to store to make it more convienant for you. P.S. I just changed both front calipers, brake hoses and rotors on my astro van and continued to have braking issues, replaced the mastercylinder and now the right rear drum is locking up….so I know your frustrations. when working on cars…brake systems are my least favorite.
thanks for that last picture, nothings in the way, no telling why they unhooked the battery to change that. maybe it was a 2-man brake job and your dinger was so loud and they were not smart enough to bypass the door jam switch for it? who knows with random mechanic shops. not to take away from the honest ones out there trying to make a living, but if you want the job done right. you need to do it yourself. with the internet and repair books/manuals out there and the auto parts stores having most of the tools you need to rent out for little or a holding fee only…theres no “professional” anymore. you will find that your going to do the same thing that they do. make an educated guess based on the information presented to them via the driver or the computer, and throw parts at it until its fixed. exept you pay them for their time and less choice in which parts get changed and with what type of replacement (in your case…expensive OE part instead of a general part that does the same thing for less) most importantly when buying your own parts…shop around. some places carry the same parts, but for less, and offer free shipping from store to store to make it more convienant for you. P.S. I just changed both front calipers, brake hoses and rotors on my astro van and continued to have braking issues, replaced the mastercylinder and now the right rear drum is locking up….so I know your frustrations. when working on cars…brake systems are my least favorite.
my two cents. the whole blowing through the radiator is a viable test..just to give that guy credit. if all holes are “sealed” other then the inlet and outlet, it is technically a sealed system, when you blow into the inlet, the air coming out of the outlet is not that same air leaving your mouth, but the volume of air inside the radiator simply moving over and pushing out to make room for the new air. I have done a fair share of these crude “air” tests and have even pressure tested a repaired aluiminum radiator with an aircompressor, my hands and garden hose. its not rocket science, but it is science. either way the problem is solved and I’m glad for that. but I am slightly saddened that nobody thought to have them check the hoses and clamps and belt first. as you can visually inspect these things with 0 dollars and 0 tools and 0 time at a garage. most lower radiator hoses have springs in them or have a type of braiding in them, but I have seen a lower radiator hose collapse at higher rpm and cause cooling problems only at higher rpms or workloads. and loose or damaged hose ends can leak air into the system sometimes through the vacume caused by the flow of coolant, and not leak coolant under pressure. again the volume thing, would force coolant into the catch can and possibly out an overflow and out of the system (would not do it at low rpm or idle) leaving the system low on fluid with a “where is it going” syndrom and and overheat problem. obviously not the case here. but I thought it would be worth a mention.
my two cents. the whole blowing through the radiator is a viable test..just to give that guy credit. if all holes are “sealed” other then the inlet and outlet, it is technically a sealed system, when you blow into the inlet, the air coming out of the outlet is not that same air leaving your mouth, but the volume of air inside the radiator simply moving over and pushing out to make room for the new air. I have done a fair share of these crude “air” tests and have even pressure tested a repaired aluiminum radiator with an aircompressor, my hands and garden hose. its not rocket science, but it is science. either way the problem is solved and I’m glad for that. but I am slightly saddened that nobody thought to have them check the hoses and clamps and belt first. as you can visually inspect these things with 0 dollars and 0 tools and 0 time at a garage. most lower radiator hoses have springs in them or have a type of braiding in them, but I have seen a lower radiator hose collapse at higher rpm and cause cooling problems only at higher rpms or workloads. and loose or damaged hose ends can leak air into the system sometimes through the vacume caused by the flow of coolant, and not leak coolant under pressure. again the volume thing, would force coolant into the catch can and possibly out an overflow and out of the system (would not do it at low rpm or idle) leaving the system low on fluid with a “where is it going” syndrom and and overheat problem. obviously not the case here. but I thought it would be worth a mention.
So lets recap, the vibration over 50mph you feel is probably the result of a bent rim or missing wheel weights. (curb rash takes wheel weights off in a quick hurry, I myself prefer to have my tires balanced “insert fancy word here” so that all wheel-weights are on the inside of the rim, cleaner looking rim, and wont scratch off or deteriate the clear coating on the aluminum.
The rapid tire wear though, is most likely caused by a mis-allignment. a sudden jar on the suspension system can shift adjustable joints as some alignments are held in place by an egg shaped washer or just a simple nut and bolt. they are made to be able to adjust to compensate worn parts and sudden jars can simply “alter” there setting. worst case senario is there is a bent part, but being that the car does not stray, and alignment will most likely solve the problem. but mentioning it to the mechanic…if even vaugely as said.. is a good idea, just in case something is bent to the point of where it is a safty concern. either way, get it taken care of as a harsh vibration from the rim can cause further damage to your hubs, CV joint failure, or leaky or broken seals in the transmission. From what I gather, your not horribly mechanically inclined (I mean no offense) and turning the key and driving is very irrisponsible considering your criusing at a deadly speed with a four thousand pound bullet and being unsafe with yourself and others is not cool. even something as simple as a shimmy or vibration should be taken care of asap. repairs from not taking care of this can be deveastatingly expensive and or cost somebody a life.
So lets recap, the vibration over 50mph you feel is probably the result of a bent rim or missing wheel weights. (curb rash takes wheel weights off in a quick hurry, I myself prefer to have my tires balanced “insert fancy word here” so that all wheel-weights are on the inside of the rim, cleaner looking rim, and wont scratch off or deteriate the clear coating on the aluminum.
The rapid tire wear though, is most likely caused by a mis-allignment. a sudden jar on the suspension system can shift adjustable joints as some alignments are held in place by an egg shaped washer or just a simple nut and bolt. they are made to be able to adjust to compensate worn parts and sudden jars can simply “alter” there setting. worst case senario is there is a bent part, but being that the car does not stray, and alignment will most likely solve the problem. but mentioning it to the mechanic…if even vaugely as said.. is a good idea, just in case something is bent to the point of where it is a safty concern. either way, get it taken care of as a harsh vibration from the rim can cause further damage to your hubs, CV joint failure, or leaky or broken seals in the transmission. From what I gather, your not horribly mechanically inclined (I mean no offense) and turning the key and driving is very irrisponsible considering your criusing at a deadly speed with a four thousand pound bullet and being unsafe with yourself and others is not cool. even something as simple as a shimmy or vibration should be taken care of asap. repairs from not taking care of this can be deveastatingly expensive and or cost somebody a life.
this really sounds like a possiblity of a few things. a bad wire and or connection or ground somewhere either causing the coil to lose power, or some other system that controls the coil, its a 97 so its new enough to have some funky electrical systems onboard to control fuel emmissions / economy. this could also send false readings to the computer causing the irregular downshifting and what not. or it could be a vacume leak issue on a system as some electrical systems are still coupled with vacume switches or systems in genral. does your jeep have a form of traction control by chance? not that its directly related, but I would be more worried that its now affecting other parts of the vehicle (transmission) that it was not previously. its also plausible that the ECM (computer) itself is beginning to fail, but those are usually expensive, and its something I would not try to cheat out on $$$$ by replaceing it with one out of a salvaged vehicle. the fact that you feel that its more of a problem when the engine is “cold” really to me points more to a sensor sending false readings, but again, that could be a system further down the line with a bad wire/connection/ground doing that as well… ahh the joys of gremlins.
this really sounds like a possiblity of a few things. a bad wire and or connection or ground somewhere either causing the coil to lose power, or some other system that controls the coil, its a 97 so its new enough to have some funky electrical systems onboard to control fuel emmissions / economy. this could also send false readings to the computer causing the irregular downshifting and what not. or it could be a vacume leak issue on a system as some electrical systems are still coupled with vacume switches or systems in genral. does your jeep have a form of traction control by chance? not that its directly related, but I would be more worried that its now affecting other parts of the vehicle (transmission) that it was not previously. its also plausible that the ECM (computer) itself is beginning to fail, but those are usually expensive, and its something I would not try to cheat out on $$$$ by replaceing it with one out of a salvaged vehicle. the fact that you feel that its more of a problem when the engine is “cold” really to me points more to a sensor sending false readings, but again, that could be a system further down the line with a bad wire/connection/ground doing that as well… ahh the joys of gremlins.