Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I didn't notice it the first time, but it's an amazing description. The amount of people who drive those things and have absolutely nothing to do with sports or physical activity is really damn high.

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

TD, endear yourself to that new term. Endorse it, promote it. It's exactly what they are.

I shall refer to them as SUUVs, so as not to mistake it with an actual SUV. /snob

Originally Posted by Sliver

So I did solve this. I bought a Holley Sniper OBDII shift light. It's pretty slick and looks really clean installed. Obviously very easy to remove, too. I don't like junking up my car with a bunch of aftermarket BS.

I, for one, cannot wait to see an automatic beige Mercedes CLS with a friggin' red shift light on the dash.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Sliver

So I did solve this. I bought a Holley Sniper OBDII shift light. It's pretty slick and looks really clean installed. Obviously very easy to remove, too. I don't like junking up my car with a bunch of aftermarket BS.

This thing looks like a microphone... I'd probably mistake it as someone's Vlog vehicle + assume the red light is for letting the driver know if the mic was live.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

I, for one, cannot wait to see an automatic beige Mercedes CLS with a friggin' red shift light on the dash.

Haha, just trying to make those paddles fun, but it is hard without the double clutch that only came on the AMG version.

Whatever car I get next I think will be automatic again because I love the stop-and-go traffic hands-/feet-free driving in my wife's Telluride. I don't think I'll get a manual again because of that. But I still need to fiddle with something. I think the best would be a head-up display with a gear indicator, but for now I'm just going to muck around with this shift light to see if that adds a little fun.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

This thing looks like a microphone... I'd probably mistake it as someone's Vlog vehicle + assume the red light is for letting the driver know if the mic was live.

When he's not driving, Sliver's singing for his cover band.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

When he's not driving, Sliver's singing for his cover band.

Does his band do screamo or death metal? So the little light comes on and Sliver goes, "Let's ####ing goooo!!!"


I could see that.

[Captaincanada80]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I literally just noticed there's a sponsored sub forum for a car dealership on CP.

[81MC]

So by any normal persons measure, my trucks a piece of junk (I mean, it runs strong and mechanically is okay and is actually a rad truck but whatever) and is often parked next to 50-120k pickup trucks.

It’s beyond insane to me that someone would spent that kind of money on a truck to run factory all-seasons in the winter. Like a decent set of winters is less than one months payment on these rigs. Love having a Denali miss it’s corner by 20’ because it’s owners a ####ing clown with some really stupid idea idea of value.

[PepsiFree]

The only cars I’ve avoided winters on are AWD beaters worth less than a set of winters.

[bagofpucks]

Originally Posted by 81MC

So by any normal persons measure, my trucks a piece of junk (I mean, it runs strong and mechanically is okay and is actually a rad truck but whatever) and is often parked next to 50-120k pickup trucks.

It’s beyond insane to me that someone would spent that kind of money on a truck to run factory all-seasons in the winter. Like a decent set of winters is less than one months payment on these rigs. Love having a Denali miss it’s corner by 20’ because it’s owners a ####ing clown with some really stupid idea idea of value.

It has to be a truck guy thing or something, right? Most of my truck guy friends think it’s super weird I have winter tires. We live on an acreage and the whole purpose of us having a truck is to ensure we can get out of our driveway if we need to in lots of snow or ice. It is a very minor incremental cost and performance in winter is so much better.

And of course, it’s the yahoos running factory all-seasons that pass me going 120 on the highway in slippery conditions and then end up in the ditch at the one curve that is always extra icy….haha.

[81MC]

I think it’s a lot of ignorance passed down through the years. The same guys who’ll throw it in 4x4 for the slippery highway are the same guys who would never consider that it might be them who hits someone else’s property, or destroys a family.

They really are the worst. The most dangerous passenger vehicle on the road, almost designed to ensure the competition is crushed before spilling the drivers coffee flavoured sugar and cream, demonstratinf the least concern for other road users with the added bonus of overconfidence inducing !!!!!!!!4X4!!!!!TRAILBOSSHAWKDINSOURBADASS.

Blexk. Put proper ####ing tires on. That’s all.

[TorqueDog]

I have Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ on my Range Rover right now, and they'll stay until next winter when I'll splurge on a set of winter wheels and Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV tires.

But the Bridgestones have been really, really good in bad conditions, pretty impressed.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by 81MC

I think it’s a lot of ignorance passed down through the years. The same guys who’ll throw it in 4x4 for the slippery highway are the same guys who would never consider that it might be them who hits someone else’s property, or destroys a family.

It's funny, we never had winter tires when I got licensed unless you consider studded grippers. We all managed just fine. I feel like something has changed in all-seasons where they need to be reclassified. I've had a couple different 'all-season' tires on different cars the last few years and they are completely useless in winter.

I do have Firestone Transforce AS on my truck and it gets around just fine, but I am cautious on ice. 4x4 and traction control definately help, two things we never had on a truck in the 80's.

[mrkajz44]

So my check engine light came on this morning when I started my car. It's a pretty old car with a decent amount of miles (2008 Yaris, 185,000km). Is this something I should be worried about and need to get it checked out? I remember way back in my teen years our older family car had the check engine light on permanently and never seemed to run into any issues. I'm thinking I probably should book an appointment for someone to look at it, but don't want to go overboard.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

So my check engine light came on this morning when I started my car. It's a pretty old car with a decent amount of miles (2008 Yaris, 185,000km). Is this something I should be worried about and need to get it checked out? I remember way back in my teen years our older family car had the check engine light on permanently and never seemed to run into any issues. I'm thinking I probably should book an appointment for someone to look at it, but don't want to go overboard.

A few easy things to check, it could be emissions related. Make sure the gas cap is on tight. Give your air filter a good cleaning(and make sure the intake isn't clogged with debris, or a dead mouse or something). Could be an O2 sensor. If it is emmisions related your fuel mileage will start to suffer. Probably best to get it checked, or borrow a code reader, it should tell you the problem, then you can decide if it is worth fixing.

[Sliver]

And if you just want to buy your own code reader, I have this one and really like it.

https://www.amazon.ca/BlueDriver-Blu...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Super easy to use and you may pay it off with your first use.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

So my check engine light came on this morning when I started my car. It's a pretty old car with a decent amount of miles (2008 Yaris, 185,000km). Is this something I should be worried about and need to get it checked out? I remember way back in my teen years our older family car had the check engine light on permanently and never seemed to run into any issues. I'm thinking I probably should book an appointment for someone to look at it, but don't want to go overboard.

I think you might be able to go to an auto parts store and they can use a scanner to read the code for you? That'll at least give you a starting point and you can google if its a common issue/what resolution is.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Sliver

And if you just want to buy your own code reader, I have this one and really like it.

https://www.amazon.ca/BlueDriver-Blu...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Super easy to use and you may pay it off with your first use.

I hope that "Top Reported Fix" knowledge base is pretty good, because that is super pricey for an otherwise basic OBD-II scan tool. I paid less for my ThinkDiag and I can do a ton of stuff on it that normally requires dealer or pro-level diagnostic tooling.

A ThinkOBD 100 or a Launch CR319 can scan codes for under $40.

[MoneyGuy]

I’ve been out of the country for a few months. With winter at least half over I have to decide if I’ll put my winter tires on the car. They’re on winter rims and I’m leaning toward putting them on. It’s $30x2 for the switches. I live in central Alberta so we get less snow than Calgary does but it stays longer. Snow clearing here is decent. We don’t do a lot if driving and no big trips are planned.

Would you install the winter tires or run with all-season radials?

[Hemi-Cuda]

If they're already on rims, why not invest in a floor jack and a torque wrench? Takes around 30 minutes to swap the tires yourself, and the equipment pays for itself after a few swaps

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

If they're already on rims, why not invest in a floor jack and a torque wrench? Takes around 30 minutes to swap the tires yourself, and the equipment pays for itself after a few swaps

I’ve done my own switches. I’m old and don’t want to do that anymore. It’d partly due to space.