Car repairs

[His Divine Shadow]

Since I only buy 2nd hand cars and cheap ones at that, dealing with car issues is something one has to learn, or you will become poor fast. A new car might seem attractive but then you're locked into a specific dealer and expensive routine maintenance to keep the warranty, and never mind too modern a car and there's just less and less you can do on them yourself. The car industry is definitely hostile towards right to repair. Get a much more modern car than mine and you can't even weld them anymore since the car skin has become structural and is made from alloyed metals.

Our Mazda is thus from 2005 and has rust issues, Mazdas of this era sadly do. It was worse than I thought, at first I only meant to remove the last portion near the wheel arch:


Replaced it with new metal

Please note the car rests on a log, not the jack. My SO left with my good floor jack so I had to use that one.

I found this was not enough, the whole bottom sill plate was rotten. I cut everything away and spend several days removing rust, using acid and angle grinders and sandblasting. then I fabbed new metal parts, I used a lot thicker metal too, so this won't rust through again for the cars lifetime.


Weld thru primer on the inside, then epoxy primer on the bottom after welding. Then epoxy filler, then regular polyester filler. Lots of sanding and sanding, then high build primer, then basecoat and clear coat. I've replaced the entire length of the car between the front and rear wheels on the bottom, I also had to rebuild the bottom of the front arch with new sheet metal and weld that in too.


Then I sprayed penetrating rust proofer on the inside and underside and after that dried I covered the underside in sticky mass that protects the undercarriage. Now it needs a good wash and probabl some color sanding to freshen it up.

However the other side of the car is in as bad a shape and I don't have the time to fix that anymore.

[LadyTevar]

I really wish I could do that with the Prius.

Maybe I'll get lucky and just need a new muffler... I don't think it's ever been replaced since I bought her.

[Broomstick]

Man, it would be nice if I could do that, but aside from a lack of certain skills (which could be acquired) I don't have the tools and more importantly a place to work. There is no way I could do that on the parking lot of the building where I live.

Both my car and my truck are starting to rust out (car is 20, truck is 23) and there's not a damn thing I can do about it, unfortunately. It's quite frustrating as I like to take care of my things.

[His Divine Shadow]

This car wouldn't have had any major rust issues if the first owners had treated the undercarriage and insides when it was new, then every other or even every 5th year. I dunno how common that is in the US, but preventative undercarriage treatments like that really goes a long way. In the past they sprayed the underside of the car with old oil, nowadays they have stuff like Tectyl.

And in Finland with the long winters and salted roads it's more a requirement than an option.

I've spent many years bootstrapping myself equipment wise, most equipment is 2nd hand stuff, but industrial quality, such as my welders. Some I made myself like a sheet metal brake several years ago, it's been handy.

[LadyTevar]

The most that gets done in most parts of the US is rinsing the salt off with water.

[InsaneTD]

Looks like you did a good job with that repair. And rust issues make me glad I live in Australia where it almost never snows and even when it does in my state, we still don't salt the roads (Happens once a year and from my understanding is more like sleet then snow, and is normally gone by midday). Only cars that really see a lot of rust are cars from the coast and most coastal homes are owned by people who drive high end "luxury" cars. Not something I"ll choose to own anytime soon.

[His Divine Shadow]

In the past they used more fine gravel and sand instead of salt. They seem to prefer salt nowadays, I don't really like salt, it turns the road into slush and flings shit from the road at you if you're behind someone. A nice frozen road with some gravel on it is better than slush.

Another thing you don't have to bother with in a hot climate is having two sets of tires for your cars. It's even mandatory to put in winter tires between december and march. You could get away with all-year tires but when driving here in winter I wouldn't really want to do it without proper studded winter tires.

[LadyTevar]

FML.

The Check Engine light is back. Time to see if it's the muffler.

[His Divine Shadow]

Like I said elsewhere you can try and disconnect your car battery temporarily, and also you could get your own OBDII reader and check the codes with your phone. I checked and the one I bought is less than 10 euros. With a free app you can read the codes and reset them too.

[LadyTevar]

Like I said elsewhere you can try and disconnect your car battery temporarily, and also you could get your own OBDII reader and check the codes with your phone. I checked and the one I bought is less than 10 euros. With a free app you can read the codes and reset them too.

1. Wouldn't know how, it's in a 'safebox' that needs a dealership to crack open.
2. It's ten Euro there. Wanna bet it's $25-50 here, depending on the make and model.
3. This seems to be something wrong with my EXHAUST SYSTEM. Something I have no idea how to fix on my own. PLUS, there's a Class Action Suit that recently was settled: Toyota Prius Defective Inverter Suit
I need to find out if that's the reason.

[His Divine Shadow]

What a nightmare setup that sounds like.

I'm currently rethinking my shed, that I am still working on, in the painting stage now. It has a gravel floor but I think I'll pour a concrete floor next spring, I'm planning to do some pouring elsewhere as well. So I can turn the shed into a dedicated place to work on cars.

Pros: Very high ceiling

Cons: Small, inside floor dimensions are 4700 x 4700 mm. That means I can barely park a regular sized car inside and close the door.

I'm currently really thinking hard on how to go EV... Ideally I'd like an 80s Toyota Hilix pickup, 4x4 ideally and convert it to EV. I think it's practically doable wih some scrounging. Getting battery backs cheaply enough is probably the hardest part, EV motors for conversions seems to be getting common OTOH.

The real problem might be getting the inspections to approve it, things are very strict. I know the laws killed my idea for doing a biogas conversion instead, because only certified people are allowed to work on it, so if I had a biogas car I wouldn't even be allowed to do my own service if it touched the gas system. No thanks. I think EV is the way to go then.

I'm thinking in 1-2 years time of fidning a suitable candidate and tear it down and do a complete restore from the frame up, toyota hilux frames are rust prone but in Finland we're also big on treating cars regularly so you can find them on the road still. A BTTF lookalike EV-Hilux would be cool....

[Broomstick]

Like I said elsewhere you can try and disconnect your car battery temporarily, and also you could get your own OBDII reader and check the codes with your phone. I checked and the one I bought is less than 10 euros. With a free app you can read the codes and reset them too.

Given the Prius is a hybrid, with a different/more extensive electrical system than strictly petrol-powered cars, there may be issues around disconnecting a battery in that vehicle than in more, shall we say, traditional vehicles?

That, and a lot of makers are making it harder and harder for people to do their own repairs.

[His Divine Shadow]

If it that's true, then modern cars suck in more ways than I thought.

[Broomstick]

Well, I don't know for sure. I do know that my brother-in-law who happily does his own vehicle repair, some of it quite extensive, won't touch my sister's EV. Partly it's because the systems are so different and he just hasn't had the time to research/learn them.

I rely on mechanics for help with mine. Yes, that's more expensive than doing it myself, but as I've mentioned I have no place to do such work. Sure, checking fluid, maybe an oil-change... but anything more extensive I have to pay someone else. Oh, wait - I have been able to change the tail lights on my vehicles while standing in the parking lot where I live. So there are a few things I can do, have the space to do, and feel comfortable doing. Last time I had the car in the shop the mechanic offered new windshield wipers but I declined, I can do those myself, too.

For me establishing a relationship with a good mechanic/garage is important.

I will also note that even if you don't do the work yourself doing some research is still important. Those fix-it YouTube videos can give you a better understanding of what's what under the hood, what's going on with your vehicle, and can give you some armor against being taken advantage of. I have found that if you show up being able to name parts and systems correctly and show some knowledge you are less likely to be cheated. It's not 100% foolproof, but it helps.

Because I don't actually do much driving I'm only getting the oil changed every six months (and at that, it's due to time and not distance traveled - if I went by the old "every three thousand miles" rule it would be about once every 12-18 months). Yes, I have the mechanic do this because the garage I go to at the same time they also check over the vehicle while they have it on the lift. By catching things early they have probably saved me thousands of dollars and possible Tragic Accidents. They're also very good about showing me the bits that are worn/broken/need replacing.

This summer my car (2002 Toyota Echo) needed a brake job, which they did, but also needs rear coil springs which they're having trouble sourcing (damn supply line issues). They told me that if I could get the needed parts they'd be happy to install them for me. So I'm working on that. So the car has been a bit more of a problem than I anticipated.

Meanwhile, the truck (1999 Ford Ranger) cost me less than anticipated this year. I had noted a hose hanging down off the back end. My research indicated it was the vent hose for the rear differential which, apparently, likes to go AWOL on Ford Rangers of a certain age. Now, if you have to have a bit drop off your pickup arguably that is one of the better ones to go, as it is not as essential to safe operation as a lot of other things. Especially if you're not in the habit of driving through deep water and such (which I am not). So, at oil change I ask the mechanic if it was what I thought it was and yes, it was. They secured it at no charge for me. They did mention that the tires, being around 7 years old, were starting to deteriorate from age even if the tread is still good and I need to think about replacing them. Which will be around $500 at current prices. But they didn't try to hard-sell me on a new set immediately, or insist I have it down at their place by them. These guys appreciate that I pay reliably, but also understand that I'm on a budget like everyone else. They're good at distinguishing between immediate safety issues and things that need to be done soon but not immediately. I'm hoping I can take advantage of a tire sale sometime in the next few months.

A friend of mine who has a LOT more money and space than I do suggested I rush out and buy some now to have them replaced at the next oil change. I have no place to PUT four tires. Other than on the truck. Not to mention that I still need to pay off the credit card the prior repairs were on before racking up new charges. (The credit card is a convenience - I put the repairs on that, then pay it off in full at the end of the month. Which means that I have been doing vehicle maintenance in stages to avoid interest charges). Bravo for him, that he has money, but I'm on a tighter budget than he is. Ironically, I've been having fewer problems with my vehicles than he has with his. Then again, he does a lot more driving than I do, and some towing of large trailers with his truck so that's probably a factor.

He also suggested I change out my own batteries. Um... I could do that for the car battery, probably, but I do not have the upper body strength to get the old truck battery out or to safely lift and get the new one in. It's not just the absolute weight, it's also how you have to maneuver it out of and into the necessary space for it. It is not worth a risk of injury to me. I pay the mechanic to do this for me so no one gets hurt and nothing gets broke. Also, they take care of disposal of the old battery for me, just as they take care of disposing of used motor oil for me. Last time I did my own oil change it was a pain in the ass finding a responsible way to get rid of it.

So, a bit rambling, but if you can't or won't do your own repairs then it is still important to educate yourself about your vehicle. Know how to check the things you can check. There is a LOT of information on line these days. Pay attention to the fluids - amount that should be there, the amount that is there, color, etc. Read the damn manual so you know how often to replace various bits, especially on older vehicles. Always cheaper to replace BEFORE something breaks whenever you can.

At present, I'm putting an average of $1000 USD every year into each vehicle which sounds like a lot but it's cheaper than buying another vehicle and a LOT cheaper than the costs of an accident. I view it as the cost of keeping an older vehicle safe and reliable. Sometimes I get lucky and have a less expensive year (might have one for the truck this year, even with buying new tires). Sometimes not - a couple years ago I had to replace an entire exhaust system including the catalytic converter which was not cheap, but it was necessary. As long as it's cheaper to repair than replace, and it's possible to do the repairs, I'll keep fixing them up and driving them.

I expect these will be my last petrol vehicles. By the time I replace them I expect EV's to be the standard.

[His Divine Shadow]

I do have a mechanic I trust, for when there's stuff I can't do at home (yet), or don't have time for. My parents have been going to since the 80s and me since I started driving. I have a good enough relationship with that shop that I can drive my car there, we get in and drive to my work and the guy drives away. Later the car is in my workplace parking lot with a bill in the passenger seat.

I dont have to pay to get rid of batteries and the like. Just take them to the local recycling station.

But I really think even an EV or hybrid must be able to have it's battery easily unplugged, I just can't see it being a rugged enough system to work for road use otherwise. I mean I could see a Tesla being that shittily designed, but Toyota?

I drive enough that I usually get two years between tire changes. I have a system where I buy two instead of 4 at a time. The newer pair goes on back. In addition I have two set of tires, one set of studded tires and one set of summer tires. So 8 tires per car, that's driving a car in Finland for you.

[Broomstick]

I dont have to pay to get rid of batteries and the like. Just take them to the local recycling station.

Again, the problem for me is not locating a place to recycle them - the problem is transporting them. In fact, there are multiple places in my area that will pay you money (or a store gift card) for your used battery. But I still have to get it to that location. I can get the car battery into and out of a vehicle, but not the truck battery. Not unless I have help loading it (when I get to the recycling place I can usually get some help unloading), which can be a problem at times. It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of muscle.

[LadyTevar]

Sorry I didn't update.

The part needed was the EGR Valve.

It's part of new vehicles to combat exhaust pollution. It literally redirects engine exhaust back into the intake manifold to recycle and hopefully burn out more impurities before the exhaust is released. Like any valve in a dirty environment, it gets clogged and stops working properly, and needs to be replaced after a decade or so.

Thus, I needed not just any Mechanic, but one certified to work on Toyota Hybrids.

[Enigma]

crap. wrong thread.

[Broomstick]

Hmmm... were you looking for the venting thread? And condolences on your health problem.

[Enigma]

Hmmm... were you looking for the venting thread? And condolences on your health problem.

I meant for the Venting and missed it by a mile.

[His Divine Shadow]

Maybe it's the EGR valve?

edit: went to the venting thread and looked, and oof, that's not funny. Not a time for joking.