Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

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.

It was hit and miss but gives you solid starting points easier than googling. Did save me on a pending issue where I bought the part and was too lazy to change it. 2 months later it failed and car wouldn’t start. Luckily I had the sensor already and was back running in 30 mins.

[bigrangy]

Originally Posted by speede5

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.

I agree with this, all seasons definitely used to be solid in the winter but now I avoid using them if possible. Maybe winter tires used to be bad and now have gotten better while all-seasons stayed the same and I just never knew how good it could be.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

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.

Bluedriver is about the same price as a ThinkDiag nowadays, and the Bluedriver is also a really top quality item. It can read pretty much every system For example I've used it to manually toggle individual evap solonoids to find the one that was dead, vs with a cheap reader all it would say is "generic emissions problem"

but agreed, if all you need is a basic CEL reader, best ones I've found are definitely a $10 chinese bluetooth reader + the Torque Pro app

[81MC]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

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

Than $60 is still less than a meal out pretty much anywhere. Like, is it even a question, honestly? Jan, Feb, March, April, much of May?

Also. It’s not just about the amount of snow on the ground. Alberta gets cold. All-Seasons aren’t able to work worth a #### in -20.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Bluedriver is about the same price as a ThinkDiag nowadays, and the Bluedriver is also a really top quality item. It can read pretty much every system For example I've used it to manually toggle individual evap solonoids to find the one that was dead, vs with a cheap reader all it would say is "generic emissions problem"

but agreed, if all you need is a basic CEL reader, best ones I've found are definitely a $10 chinese bluetooth reader + the Torque Pro app

That does sound pretty decent actually. Is the BlueDriver able to do module calibrations / resets and is it two-way? I swear by my ThinkDiag, it does everything on the Aston I’ve needed it to, and I only pull out my JLR SDD laptop for config file editing on the RRS. It has been a huge addition to my toolkit.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

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.

It's a shame that out of all the pointless tech they cram into them these days, cars still just give you a vague dash icon to indicate something may or may not be wrong. I know that they are just trying to funnel you back to the dealer, but cars today should easily have the ability to display a much more specific/detailed diagnostic of the issue. Having to buy a dongle to read it is kind of ridiculous.

[Barnes]

On my old Jeep (and presumably other Chrysler vehicles) if you held down the trip odometer reset button and started the engine then released, the trouble codes would display in the odometer screen.

Was pretty handy.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Barnes

On my old Jeep (and presumably other Chrysler vehicles) if you held down the trip odometer reset button and started the engine then released, the trouble codes would display in the odometer screen.

Was pretty handy.

I heard they had to do that because the OBD2 ports were wearing out because of always being scanned due to the non-stop problems.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Barnes

On my old Jeep (and presumably other Chrysler vehicles) if you held down the trip odometer reset button and started the engine then released, the trouble codes would display in the odometer screen.

Was pretty handy.

The C5 Corvette does that too. I thought I was being a good son by gifting my dad a code reader and he's like "My car has it built in". Well, fine. Back to gift cards for you, then.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by 81MC

Than $60 is still less than a meal out pretty much anywhere. Like, is it even a question, honestly? Jan, Feb, March, April, much of May?

Also. It’s not just about the amount of snow on the ground. Alberta gets cold. All-Seasons aren’t able to work worth a #### in -20.

My appointment is booked. I don’t believe in all-seasons even for a short winter.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I heard they had to do that because the OBD2 ports were wearing out because of always being scanned due to the non-stop problems.

In reality Chrysler ECUs were capable of outputting trouble codes long before OBD was standardized, and OBD2 ports even existed.

(And for Barnes's info, holding down the odometer reset and turning the ignition on would only do a gauge module check and output gauge-related errors. To get all the codes you needed to turn the key from 'off' to 'on' three times in five seconds, and the codes would show in the odometer LCD, or in earlier cars the check engine light would blink.)

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Bluedriver is about the same price as a ThinkDiag nowadays, and the Bluedriver is also a really top quality item. It can read pretty much every system For example I've used it to manually toggle individual evap solonoids to find the one that was dead, vs with a cheap reader all it would say is "generic emissions problem"

but agreed, if all you need is a basic CEL reader, best ones I've found are definitely a $10 chinese bluetooth reader + the Torque Pro app

I use one and the free version of Torque.

Works to read and clear codes.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

My appointment is booked. I don’t believe in all-seasons even for a short winter.

lol, then why'd you ask?

[speede5]

Originally Posted by 81MC

Than $60 is still less than a meal out pretty much anywhere. Like, is it even a question, honestly? Jan, Feb, March, April, much of May?

Dude... May? that's just depressing.

[TorqueDog]

Yeah, for real, May? I usually bring my car out around the beginning of April if the snow is gone.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I heard they had to do that because the OBD2 ports were wearing out because of always being scanned due to the non-stop problems.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Spoiler!

My dashboard from 2014. Had a bad wheel speed sensor. Everytime I turned right, the Jeep thought I was going into a spin. Loved that KJ.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Yeah, for real, May? I usually bring my car out around the beginning of April if the snow is gone.

Wat? Isn't it every other year everything goes to chaos because of a May long weekend dump? I never swap completely before May long weekend. I keep at least one vehicle ready for up to an inch of snow/sleet.

I mean, if you use all weathers as your summers, you're probably fine for that dump of snow. But for bad all seasons or summer slicks... you know there's always that chance it'll happen and when it does, you admit you rolled the dice wrong and you don't brute force it, right?


Slightly annoying... trying to look up a solution for a light bulb replacement. The vehicle I have has a turning light (not the signal), but everything I try and search up gets blended the turn signal. GD it, I'm trying to figure out how to swap a bulb that apparently shines in the direction you're turning or some #### like that. I don't want to basically have to figure out the code just to figure out the part, or go into the owners manual to figure out the same thing, but I might fricken have to. I wish that I knew the best way to look this repair up without getting the wrong item.

Also, why the heck are there like 20 lights on each side of the car and confusing labeling for the like 3 bulbs, 3 signal things and door lights? Holy #### I come from vehicles that have like 10 bulbs total. This one might have almost 40-50 total on the outside of the car.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Wat? Isn't it every other year everything goes to chaos because of a May long weekend dump? I never swap completely before May long weekend. I keep at least one vehicle ready for up to an inch of snow/sleet.

I mean, if you use all weathers as your summers, you're probably fine for that dump of snow. But for bad all seasons or summer slicks... you know there's always that chance it'll happen and when it does, you admit you rolled the dice wrong and you don't brute force it, right?

I have Continental ExtremeContact DWS06+ UHP all-seasons on the Aston, and I picked those specifically because it can still sometimes get cold that early in the year even if it doesn't snow. If it does snow, I won't drive it. Aston stays in the garage, and I drive the Range Rover. The joy and flexibility of two cars.

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Slightly annoying... trying to look up a solution for a light bulb replacement. The vehicle I have has a turning light (not the signal), but everything I try and search up gets blended the turn signal. GD it, I'm trying to figure out how to swap a bulb that apparently shines in the direction you're turning or some #### like that. I don't want to basically have to figure out the code just to figure out the part, or go into the owners manual to figure out the same thing, but I might fricken have to. I wish that I knew the best way to look this repair up without getting the wrong item.

Your owner's manual will tell you what bulb to use for the cornering light and save you a ton of guesswork. There are so many bloody bulb types out there, there is no shame in looking in the manual.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Captaincanada80

To be fair, in that sponsored forum slot, I used to recall it was a real estate forum for Travis(?). It also seems that your sponsored forum just started in December? I think most other posters are like I and we just kinda assumed and blurred it out each time we click through towards the off topic forum.

I definitely would have poked around your website a bit more had I noticed it sooner in December.

Beyond used and new cars, do you offer any other services? Like sourcing tires/wheels or car accessories, repairs, how to maximize trade ins, behind the scenes information on how to feel comfortable buying/trading in a car, financing and stuff like that (ie: What must be included and what we sometimes are gifting to the dealership for free without knowing it etc.)?

Not that you have to, but IMO, it might be of great benefit to your sponsored forum if you include those forum details and a blurb about being a CP sponsored forum in your posting signature rather than some riff against an Oilers fan. Not that I'm against riffing Oiler fans, I'm just saying it doesn't help to give your forum exposure.

I and others I'm quite sure are not against hopping on your sponsored forum and website, but honestly speaking, we just didn't know and posting history wise, you're not the first name to mind as the guy with the car dealership connections. You're like... third and the second one I have on the tip of my mind no longer works at a car dealership. I don't mind making you first or second though. I just gotta adjust now that I know your forum exists.

[DoubleF]

Today was a fun day to have AWD and nice winters. God damn I missed running this weather weather and snow dumps like this with arrogance.

Smile on my face for sure.