Car problems

[Inbred Chocobo]

So yeah, this week has been the worst week I have ever had for cars, and now that I have lured you into this thread, you have no choice but to read my rantings and angers.

First, I have terrible credit, and my parents have even worse credit, so going to a nice place and buying a car is out, so don't even suggest it. So I get to deal with not so great cars. I got a new job that will hopefully change this, but I have an hour and a half drive one way to work, so its a bit much, and I put a car through its paces.

I drive.. er drove a 2001 Ford Focus. I drove this baby for years. Two weeks before I get this job, slings a rod and cracks the engine. There were a few minor issues as well, but the mechanics I talked to said the last time they had to put an engine in this thing, it took a long time, because what happens for 2001 and 2002 Focus's is that they all break their engines, so they are in demand. So fixing it would take money, but more importantly time that I do not have.

So gotta buy a car. No place but crap-cars-r-us is going to sell me anything, but then my family's mechanic/friend says hey, I got a car for sale, you wants? Its a 2000 Monte Carlo. He just replaced the engine in it, along with the radiator, the axel, pretty much just about everything in it. Its good to go. Get in it, drive around town, yep no problems.

Then first day of work. Half-way through the drive the car starts jerking a bit. Longer I drive, harder it gets, and as I try to pull into work, its about to beat me to death with the steering wheel. On the way back about the same thing but not as severe, I am babying this thing all the way back home so it doesn't brake. Well, the problem ends up its the transmission, the one thing the guy didn't replace, so this is going to the shop and its probably out for a week.

Alright, well I got a family, they will let me borrow this 2000 Rodeo that is in good shape, only thing wrong is the tires are a little worn, and are getting close to replacing. so keep an eye on them. Alright, no big deal right? Drive it to work and back fine sure, but then later that night it stops cranking up when I start it. After a little bit of communicating with a lot of different people, its believe its something stopping the fuel from reaching the engine, but what exactly is hard to tell.

Yeah, so long story short, in 2 weeks I've gone through 3 cars. I am now borrowing a mini-van that has no air (how fucking fun to drive for an hour and a half) but its the only thing available. So people, anyone have worse car issues than me?

[Nikose Tyris]

I survive by public transit, or in worst-case scenarios, by Cab. $120 upkeep a month, which, thanks to my horrible credit, saves me quite a bit of money.

Only downside is I have to walk to get to places between bus stops, so lately I've been doing these horrid 20 minute walks for the final leg of my travel so that's pretty awful I guess. But 20 minute walks aren't so bad, and really I can get all over Toronto inside an hour which is about the time frame Niko Bellic has, I think I'm doing pretty good still.


Okay yeah Public Transit > Driving.

[phil_]

I can't say I've had quite so dramatic trouble as you, IC, but I can offer my sympathy on the hour with no AC bit. I find that opening the driver's window and cracking the rear passenger window gets a nice cross-breeze going at about 50 Mph.

As for public transport, Niknik, IC and I live in the magical land of Eagle Land, where the bus is more of a place to buy heroin than it is a way to commute sixty miles.

[shiney]

Check the oxygen sensor before you have the transmission replaced for the Monte Carlo. Same thing happened to my mom's car, she had the tranny replaced at cost of >$2000, then it happened again within weeks of that, replaced the oxygen sensor and it ran fine.

Look at that before you spend thousands.

[Sithdarth]

The first weekend in August I went on a road trip to Michigan (I live in about the middle of New York state) and not having a passport had to go the long way around. About halfway between Cleveland and Toledo my car suddenly can't go over 50 mph and is revving very high. Turns out the transmission fluid cooling lines have broken near the radiator and are leaking about a quart of fluid every minute or so. This is a big problem since the transmission itself holds about a quart or so at maximum. Luckily not all of the fluid can get out since the hole itself is slightly above the bottom of the transmission. So I'm on the Ohio Turnpike about 6 hours from home at about 7am and no tow truck place that is open can come out and get me. Luckily I was just past a rest station so I walk back grab some transmission fluid and nurse the car 8 miles to the next exit. Long story short the cooling lines aren't going to be in until Monday (it's Friday and I need to be in Michigan today). The friend I was with rents us a car and we continue on leaving my car there. We come back through the town I left my car in Saturday afternoon (returning the rented car) and his Mom comes all the way from New York to pick us up. I get home at about 2 am Sunday night. I've got about a days worth of rest before Monday comes and me and my dad head back to Ohio (another 6 hour drive) to pick up my now fixed car. We make it there grab my car and immediately start the drive back (another 6 hours). Everything is fine right up until we are about 7 miles from home when my Dad's truck stalls (we drove out together in that and then I drove my car back) on a hill and won't start. We end up having that towed home. The whole ordeal pretty much drains me for the rest of the week. The trip was totally worth it though.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

I survive by public transit, or in worst-case scenarios, by Cab. $120 upkeep a month, which, thanks to my horrible credit, saves me quite a bit of money.

Only downside is I have to walk to get to places between bus stops, so lately I've been doing these horrid 20 minute walks for the final leg of my travel so that's pretty awful I guess. But 20 minute walks aren't so bad, and really I can get all over Toronto inside an hour which is about the time frame Niko Bellic has, I think I'm doing pretty good still.


Okay yeah Public Transit > Driving.

did you just compare yourself to a GTA character :aaa:

Anyway yeah. I have a fear of driving and prefer to take public transportation or walking to driving. Living in a small town allows me acess to walk everywhere, bust makes me reliable on others for lifts into the city.

[Nikose Tyris]

As for public transport, Niknik, IC and I live in the magical land of Eagle Land, where the bus is more of a place to buy heroin than it is a way to commute sixty miles.

I confess that Toronto and Montreal have a MUCH nicer public commuter system then other places- it's just so much more cost effective then owning a car around here, that it slips my mind why people drive at all. (Reasons being Convienience, Not wanting to get shot/propositioned/arrested, schedule)

[krogothwolf]

did you just compare yourself to a GTA character :aaa:

Anyway yeah. I have a fear of driving and prefer to take public transportation or walking to driving. Living in a small town allows me acess to walk everywhere, bust makes me reliable on others for lifts into the city.

That's funny, I have a fear of you driving too.I also bus everywhere and everywhen. With a Baby! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Except she's quiet on the bus so she has disappointed me in her lack of annoying other travelers.

[Rejected Again]

IC- Does the car constantly jerk or only when it shifts, and is the fuel mileage worse than normal for a similar car? If its a constant jerk and you have crap mileage for gas it may be the O2 sensor, like the constant jerk around here suggested.

Note: Newer vehicles made in mid-1990s and later, recommend replacing the oxygen sensors every 100,000 miles.]

Edit: You should be getting around 21mpg with that car.

Edit 2: Fuck you Krogo.

[Wigmund]

The AC's gone out in my car. My car now only blows warm air through the vents.

It's August in Arkansas. 95+ degrees before humidity is factored in (which usually shoots the Heat Index to 110-115 if you're lucky).

I'm getting the damned thing worked on tomorrow. It's either a fan belt (which had been squeaking for awhile but has stopped recently) or the system just needs to be recharged. And I need to change my oil, I'm past a month overdue for a change.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I was in an accident last month. I'd say I have worse car troubles than any of you. Car is a right off and I had to buy a new one, so that's £700 down the drain.

The new one is also not as good as my last one. It needs a new exhaust, part of the engine has a crack in it, the handbrake is Fucked (technical term), the thrust bearing is grinding into dust, the bodywork is ruined, there is an entire section of the paintwork missing on the back, part of the front bumper is broken as it has clearly been in a crash at some point (probably explains the crack in the engine too), the passenger seat no longer folds forward to allow people into the back and the air filter has been replaced by its former boy-racer owner and makes a goddawful whirring sound every time you put your foot down as it sucks in more air than is entirely neccesary.

The sound system and the brakes are about the only thing that have been made better at any time in its life, but I needed wheels and it was the only thing I could afford. So now I have to strip whatever parts I can out of my old one to keep the new one alive.

And this is before I even know what's hapening about the insurance problems over the accident which I don't even wanna get into.

[Krylo]

I confess that Toronto and Montreal have a MUCH nicer public commuter system then other places- it's just so much more cost effective then owning a car around here, that it slips my mind why people drive at all. (Reasons being Convienience, Not wanting to get shot/propositioned/arrested, schedule)

Or living in a rural area, where the closest cab company is about a half hour away and so even getting them to come get you starts running in the 'ridiculous amounts of dollars' range, and there aren't any buses.

[Nikose Tyris]

Or living in a rural area, where the closest cab company is about a half hour away and so even getting them to come get you starts running in the 'ridiculous amounts of dollars' range, and there aren't any buses.

Yes, this.

Although the benefits of living in a rural area are lost on me, at this point.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

Yes, this.

Although the benefits of living in a rural area are lost on me, at this point.

There are benefits in living in a rural area? Aside from the fresh air?

[Terex4]

There are benefits in living in a rural area? Aside from the fresh air?
Fresh? Air? What's that?
It's August in Arkansas. 95+ degrees before humidity is factored in (which usually shoots the Heat Index to 110-115 if you're lucky).
ACs out in my van too. Fortunately I'm a smoker so I'm accustomed to just having the window down anyway. Most of the roads I use are 35-45 mph zones so the wind works well enough to keep me cool.

My Sonata on the other hand is currently in need of a new timing belt, a drive belt, and a boot. That thing has gone to hell and back and finally started to crap out at 130k miles so I can't complain.

[Wigmund]

Found out what's wrong with my car's AC today, need to replace the Expansion Valve and Drier. The repair shop is gonna find some parts and prices and they'll contact me later.

I was just hoping that all I'd need was a freon recharge...damn.

[Azisien]

My Toyota Echo used to have a faulty oxygen sensor (it took over $1000 to figure that out, too!).

It made every car ride sort of like an adventure. See, the sensor would, at random, decide that it wasn't detecting any oxygen, and therefore that the car must no longer be combusting, and therefore, the car doesn't need to be on.

So whether I was backing out of the driveway or going 120km/h down the highway, it would occasionally just stutter and shut off. Sweet fun in heavy traffic or while turning left at an intersection.

Sold the car, now I bike everywhere. Everywhere! I bike about 30km a day now. August transportation bill: $0!

[TDK]

I actually have a pretty decent car, that has had the fewest problems out of any of the used cars my family has owned, but I have to leave it here when I go away to school. :(

And no, there aren't any advantages to living in a rural area, aside from the relative lack of crime.

[Sithdarth]

And no, there aren't any advantages to living in a rural area, aside from the relative lack of crime.

The view! I mean common the landscape is usually great but even if that isn't your thing everyone loves the sky. You haven't seen the sky until you've seen the sky from 10 miles away from the nearest town. Even that sight is put to shame by the desert night sky or so I hear. That is probably one of the things I miss the most. Nothing like walking outside looking up and seeing the galactic disk. The quiet and lack of neighbors is nice as well. When your nearest neighbor is almost 500 yards away and the one after that over half a mile you can essentially do anything you want and no one calls the cops.

[Inbred Chocobo]

IC- Does the car constantly jerk or only when it shifts, and is the fuel mileage worse than normal for a similar car? If its a constant jerk and you have crap mileage for gas it may be the O2 sensor, like the constant jerk around here suggested.

Note: Newer vehicles made in mid-1990s and later, recommend replacing the oxygen sensors every 100,000 miles.]

Edit: You should be getting around 21mpg with that car.

Edit 2: Fuck you Krogo.

Its on shifts, either when it goes higher or lower does the problem become apparant.

Had it checked out, informed them to double-check the oxygen sensor as well (nice tip). Sensor is good, and for those who are into cars, the torque converter in the transmission is sticking from my understanding. (for those that drive manual, think of basically changing gears without pressing in the clutch, or not hard enough.)

You might be able to fix the issue and not replace the transmission, but that tearing up would cause problems to show up elsewhere. Either way, I decided to give the guy the car back (even got my money back woot!). So after that, got ahold of a 2000 Cavalier. We shall see how well this sucker holds up.

[shiney]

Man way for everyone to gloss over my own post about the oxygen sensor. :c

My current car ('04 Focus) is running fine so I don't really have anything further to add to the conversation. :|

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Just joining in the bus love fest. Buses are awesome especially when you can turn an hour drive by car into a 20 minute walk, 20 minute bus ride for cheaper than the car would be. I don't even have a drivers licence because I saw no point. And I can move countries without needing to sell car/buy new car/ learn new rules/get new licence. In short, buses are awesome.
Though from what I hear American public transport is far shittier.

[Wigmund]

Though from what I hear American public transport is far shittier.

Understatement.