Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by photon

Wouldn't restart after driving around for a while and leaving it running while I got some stuff, so could be the battery is dead.

Plus now my window is acting weird.. it's one of those that the window goes down a bit when you open the door and back up when you close it.. except it doesn't go up any more (doesn't even sound like it tries), it just goes down a bit. Open and close the door a few time and the window is half open :/

I can roll it up fine with the switch while in the car. Hopefully something that will reset itself when the car can start with the window fully closed and not some sensor or expensive electronics part.

Low battery maybe? Charge it up with a trickle charger and also check to see what level it was at before?

[photon]

Battery tested with a proper load tester and it failed, so it was the battery. I'm SHOCKED that the random oil change place AMA sends you wouldn't be able to test a battery properly.

Maybe that way they never have to fill any warranty claims and people just replace the battery themselves out of frustration.

Also thankfully my window position reset itself after properly starting the car with the window fully up.

Also found out my block heater cable was broken, so that's a contributing factor as well.

Oh well, it'll all be fixed right in time for it to warm up.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by photon

Battery tested with a proper load tester and it failed, so it was the battery. I'm SHOCKED that the random oil change place AMA sends you wouldn't be able to test a battery properly.

Maybe that way they never have to fill any warranty claims and people just replace the battery themselves out of frustration.

Also thankfully my window position reset itself after properly starting the car with the window fully up.

Also found out my block heater cable was broken, so that's a contributing factor as well.

Oh well, it'll all be fixed right in time for it to warm up.

Maybe AMA is contracting out more with the crazy weather? I know there were big delays last time.

I’ve had them come out, test, and replace a battery. Super friendly, informative, and helpful about it. Wasn’t a random oil change place either.

(not meaning to discredit your experience just saying i’ve had some really good ones so don’t write them off entirely after your bad one)

[photon]

Yeah sounds like the mobile battery replacement is what they prefer and I'm sure those guys are great, unfortunately they don't come out to Chestermere when I tried to book that.

AMA said that I had to take it into a Lube City location, she said that's who does all their battery replacement work in Calgary (I tried calling a few other places that showed up on their list of preferred vendors but the garages didn't do any battery work, just Lube City from what I could find).

And it could have just been that particular Lube City too, maybe they didn't have the knowledge or equipment to properly test it. But I've had a few poor experiences with those oil change places in the past, so am always skeptical of them.

Fair point though, yeah don't write off AMA in general when I've needed them they've been good.

[WhiteTiger]

Speaking of batteries...what should a guy be looking for these days?

Over this cold snap, my wife's suv's battery finally gave up, taking the suv (Ford Escape) out of commission for 4 days (works now that it's warmed up) and the Mustang was grumpy but started reliably.

Both batteries are 5 years old or older, and I was going to look at replacing them this summer, but...I don't want to deal with them if/when we get another cold snap (we both MUST be able to get to work).

So when I started looking into replacements...well, the landscape sure seems to have changed. Any recc's for what I should be looking at? My wife's suv has that start/stop thing, so it looks like an AGM might be a better option these days? My Mustang does not, but it looks like things are trending AGM there anyhow? What are your guys thoughts on batteries for reliable city use/starting?

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Speaking of batteries...what should a guy be looking for these days?

Over this cold snap, my wife's suv's battery finally gave up, taking the suv (Ford Escape) out of commission for 4 days (works now that it's warmed up) and the Mustang was grumpy but started reliably.

Both batteries are 5 years old or older, and I was going to look at replacing them this summer, but...I don't want to deal with them if/when we get another cold snap (we both MUST be able to get to work).

So when I started looking into replacements...well, the landscape sure seems to have changed. Any recc's for what I should be looking at? My wife's suv has that start/stop thing, so it looks like an AGM might be a better option these days? My Mustang does not, but it looks like things are trending AGM there anyhow? What are your guys thoughts on batteries for reliable city use/starting?

You may be able to 'recharge' the AGM battery back to satisfactory condition (mine even says something like 'reacharge after 5 years'). 24+ hours on a trickle charger and then get it tested.

[zamler]

ACDelco AGM is an excellent battery. Yes you are supposed to go AGM with a hybrid or start/stop type vehicle.

For your Mustang I would not go AGM it's not necessary.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

You may be able to 'recharge' the AGM battery back to satisfactory condition (mine even says something like 'reacharge after 5 years'). 24+ hours on a trickle charger and then get it tested.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Both vehicles currently have the conventional lead/acid flooded batteries. In looking around this morning, I was introduced to AGM, which looks to be the 'hot new thing', and I'm wondering which way to come down on it.

[81MC]

Honestly, stick with whatever type of battery your OEM specifies. If it was designed for AGM, it would come with one. If it did, replace it with another if needed, but if not stay SLA.

There’s three battery manufacturers, Clarios (former Johnson Controls) and East Penn mainly. Consider CA/CCA and Reserve Capacity when comparing dollar for dollar, warranty and whatever supplier you prefer to use.

[bagofpucks]

I tried two AGM batteries in my 2006 GM truck that I use with a snow plow and I didn’t have much luck. After two years I just couldn’t get them to keep a full charge, so I went back to a normal battery and we’ll see how that goes.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by photon

Wouldn't restart after driving around for a while and leaving it running while I got some stuff, so could be the battery is dead.

Plus now my window is acting weird.. it's one of those that the window goes down a bit when you open the door and back up when you close it.. except it doesn't go up any more (doesn't even sound like it tries), it just goes down a bit. Open and close the door a few time and the window is half open :/

I can roll it up fine with the switch while in the car. Hopefully something that will reset itself when the car can start with the window fully closed and not some sensor or expensive electronics part.

I know you got this working already, but I wanted to add a bit about this.

Vehicles since the mid-2000s started adding far more sophistication and complexity with things like Body Control Modules (BCM); everything that was previously just a dumb switch (like your windows, seats controls, locks, lights, etc.) started reporting its telemetry through a centralized BCM, from position/status to voltage and so on. It has made troubleshooting problems with these functions much easier as you can read the data stream directly from the BCM if you have a capable diagnostic tool. I myself run a ThinkDiag and a JLR Mongoose Pro cable with SDD software.

The drawback is that everything functioning correctly is much more dependent on the battery having enough voltage, otherwise the vehicle will (usually) prioritize the ignition circuit over keeping all these other systems energized, and having a weak battery will absolutely cause all sorts of weirdness for windows, seat position controls, etc. The window position issue is a really common one where a weak battery condition is concerned. Sometimes you'll have to perform a complete relearn for the window switch, which is usually pressing and holding the window switch in a certain position for X seconds, then pressing the other direction. Seats have the same issue sometimes, you have to move the seat all the way to the forward extreme (don't do this while sitting in them!), then all the way back before you can get the full range of movement out of them.

TL,DR: Replace your battery every 5 years, possibly earlier, or you'll get weird sh-t happening with the electric functions in your vehicle.

Some vehicles are really easy to swap the battery, others require a two-way diagnostic computer to 'code' the vehicle to the battery as the vehicle will adapt the alternator charging logic to how new/old the battery is.

[vtec260]

Same with my wife's SUV. After 6 years, AGM battery didn't want to hold decent charge after charging overnight during the cold snap. Her SUV comes with start/stop feature and since OEM came as AGM, another AGM went in. It started fine with warmer weather, but I'd hate to boost it again when it's -30C like I did last week.
Went with Costco Energizer AGM as their warranty is hard to beat. H6 battery cost $258 with 100 months warranty: first 5 years 100% refund, 5-6.5 years 50% refund, 6.5-8 years 25% refund. Surprisingly, battery was made in Germany.

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Speaking of batteries...what should a guy be looking for these days?

Over this cold snap, my wife's suv's battery finally gave up, taking the suv (Ford Escape) out of commission for 4 days (works now that it's warmed up) and the Mustang was grumpy but started reliably.

Both batteries are 5 years old or older, and I was going to look at replacing them this summer, but...I don't want to deal with them if/when we get another cold snap (we both MUST be able to get to work).

So when I started looking into replacements...well, the landscape sure seems to have changed. Any recc's for what I should be looking at? My wife's suv has that start/stop thing, so it looks like an AGM might be a better option these days? My Mustang does not, but it looks like things are trending AGM there anyhow? What are your guys thoughts on batteries for reliable city use/starting?

[pylon]

On the topic of batteries, I was getting so sick of turfing 3 and 4 year old batteries that were dying from low usage. So I invested in two of these Noco 4 battery bank chargers a couple years ago:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08FYS6CL8?...BoCVYYQAvD_BwE

One sits in my furnace room with my 2 boat and 2 RV batteries, the other I mounted to my garage wall and I have both my wife's and my summer car, and our motorcycles on them for the winter.

Just hook em up, and leave em for the winter, they only add charge when needed.

If you are a fairweather driver that only drives occasionally or puts your car away for months at a time, definitely worth the investment as they sell them in 1,2 and 4 battery configurations. It also has a restoration mode and I have brought back a few batteries I thought were completely done.

Newish cars have way more parasitic drain than the older stuff which causes them to die faster, and batteries are getting crazy expensive. It's a good investment to make.

[InglewoodFan]

Did some fixes on my old Jeep TJ over the break. It's not much to look at, but it is amazingly easy to fix things on. Heater blower stopped working - replaced the resistor and sadly no luck. But the old one was super crusty so happy to replace it anyway. Next was a new HVAC controller - 7 screws, three plug connections and a vacuum head connection and everything is back to toasty.

I grew up only being able to afford crap cars, so I got decent at following a Haynes manual. Nice to still have a car I can tinker on.

Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk

[sa226]

Anybody know the recommendation or guidelines on tolerances in tire tread depth?

Just before the winter found a nail in one of our all seasons. Un repairable. At the time the solution was to swap to winters a tad early. Now I'm wondering if I need to buy 2 new tires or if I can get away with just 1. They only have 2 summers on them, not sure the mileage because it's just a family vehicle, not a commuter or anything.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sa226

Anybody know the recommendation or guidelines on tolerances in tire tread depth?

Just before the winter found a nail in one of our all seasons. Un repairable. At the time the solution was to swap to winters a tad early. Now I'm wondering if I need to buy 2 new tires or if I can get away with just 1. They only have 2 summers on them, not sure the mileage because it's just a family vehicle, not a commuter or anything.

This can be tricky depending on the car, tire and amount of tread left. Is the vehicle AWD as if that's the case you may have to replace the pair or all four depending on manufacturer recommendations. If your existing tires are around 25-30% worn you may be okay on a 2WD car but you should check to see what the manufacturer of the car may recommend. If it's say FWD you would at the very least want to ensure you pair the new tire with the tire left with the most tread left.

[powderjunkie]

I think it's possible to get a new tire shaved down to be similar to the existing worn tires...

[TorqueDog]

sa226, what type of vehicle is it? RWD, AWD, FWD?

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This can be tricky depending on the car, tire and amount of tread left. Is the vehicle AWD as if that's the case you may have to replace the pair or all four depending on manufacturer recommendations. If your existing tires are around 25-30% worn you may be okay on a 2WD car but you should check to see what the manufacturer of the car may recommend. If it's say FWD you would at the very least want to ensure you pair the new tire with the tire left with the most tread left.

Different manufacturers state different tolerances too, I suspect down to the type of differentials and transfer cases in use.

Some examples for AWD:

Audi: Rolling radius of all four tires must remain the same, within 4/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.
Nissan (GT-R): When replacing less than four tires, each tire continuing in service must have at least 6/32 inch (5 mm) of remaining tread depth.
Porsche (Cayenne): Within 30% of the other tire on the same axle's remaining treadwear.
Subaru: Within 1/4-inch of tire circumference or about 2/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.

Lots of variance in who recommends doing what. When I was replacing a tire on my '08 RRS (everything still about 8/32" of tread), most of the research I did came back and said that Land Rovers don't really give a crap because their full-time 4WD systems are more flexible and sophisticated enough to deal with the variances, unlike a mechanical Torsen diff. So I threw a new 11/32" tire on the back axle with my other 8/32". Especially with all the slip happening in winter, it doesn't really matter.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

Did some fixes on my old Jeep TJ over the break. It's not much to look at, but it is amazingly easy to fix things on. Heater blower stopped working - replaced the resistor and sadly no luck. But the old one was super crusty so happy to replace it anyway. Next was a new HVAC controller - 7 screws, three plug connections and a vacuum head connection and everything is back to toasty.

I grew up only being able to afford crap cars, so I got decent at following a Haynes manual. Nice to still have a car I can tinker on.

Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk

Up until JK they were still total Mr. Potatohead cars. They were awesome for DIY work. I remember doing the blower motor in my JK in about 5 minutes.

JL, not so much. The days of stripping your Jeep down to a tub and engine in your garage with about 8 tools are sadly are no longer with us.

[sa226]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

sa226, what type of vehicle is it? RWD, AWD, FWD?



Different manufacturers state different tolerances too, I suspect down to the type of differentials and transfer cases in use.



Some examples for AWD:



Audi: Rolling radius of all four tires must remain the same, within 4/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.

Nissan (GT-R): When replacing less than four tires, each tire continuing in service must have at least 6/32 inch (5 mm) of remaining tread depth.

Porsche (Cayenne): Within 30% of the other tire on the same axle's remaining treadwear.

Subaru: Within 1/4-inch of tire circumference or about 2/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.



Lots of variance in who recommends doing what. When I was replacing a tire on my '08 RRS (everything still about 8/32" of tread), most of the research I did came back and said that Land Rovers don't really give a crap because their full-time 4WD systems are more flexible and sophisticated enough to deal with the variances, unlike a mechanical Torsen diff. So I threw a new 11/32" tire on the back axle with my other 8/32". Especially with all the slip happening in winter, it doesn't really matter.

It's an AWD Highlander. Maybe I'll try and dig into Toyota's recommendations.