Car repairs

Ninth Path · Post by **Ninth Path** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:39 am

Greetings --
I have vague images in my head of a page on the main BM website listing some things that are good to have checked out on ones car before departure to BRC. I can no longer find this information that may or may not exist. (I searched...)

If it doesn't exist, what can y'all suggest I have checked out my new (new to me) '98 F150 (188K miles)? I'm taking it in for A/C repairs today, so I figured I'd have the mechanic give it an overall checkup while he's at it. It'll be towing at nearly full capacity to and from BRC and I'd like to avoid baking on the highway while I wait for a tow.

Cheers and thanks!

Intubater69 · Post by **Intubater69** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:13 am

I did brakes on my 02 F150, also checked serpentine belt, hoses, flushed radiator, changed trans fluid also t-case and rear diff. Oil, lube and filter. Check the spare. Loaded cd cases

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:23 pm

I strongly recommend synthetic fluid in the trans and rear end.
Synthetic oil is a good idea too, especially for towing.
If your transmission cooler is inadequate, upgrading is a good idea.
Additional fans are a very good approach.
Adding fans in front really helps when running ac.
Some mechanical fans can be upgraded with a more effective one with more bite.

Evans non-water coolant is good if your vehicle can use it or you want to adapt.
Better water pumps are available for most bigger trucks and cars.

Air dams and other aero aids that don't block the radiator will improve cooling tremendously.
Don't forget flow behind the radiator too.

If your truck isn't smooth on the bottom, put a bellypan on it for mileage too.

Jmeier · Post by **Jmeier** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:31 pm

Probably wasn't the best decision, but the Vette and it's 300,000 miles made the trip just fine...... And the return trip in record time. :lol:

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:58 pm

Change the transmission filter when you change the fluid. Also might change the fuel and air filters.

I carry an extra serpentine belt (put on a new one last year and kept the old one as a back-up). I think I may toss in back-up upper and lower radiator hoses this year too... just in case.

Take along a good socket/wrench set.

But then again, you have to figure we're heading across the Midwest, Wyoming, the Salt Flats, and the all of Nevada. Plenty of long, lonely stretches on that route.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:07 pm

Jmeier wrote:Probably wasn't the best decision, but the Vette and it's 300,000 miles made the trip just fine...... And the return trip in record time.

That's the first time I've heard of a Chevette going more than 50,000 miles!
Impressive.

Jmeier · Post by **Jmeier** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:18 pm

[quote="gyre"]That's the first time I've heard of a Chevette going more than 50,000 miles!
Impressive.[/quote]

I rolled the odometer up.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:33 pm

Aside from keeping your ride up to date on routine maintenance per the owners manual..

All fluids

Check all the rubber, expecially if the vehicle is 10+ years old.

If you havent changed or cleaned yer plugs in a while you might want to take a peek at them too.

zabsinth · Post by **zabsinth** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:38 pm

Make sure your boiler is properly scaled, and your firebox is not overly corroded.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:18 am

gyre wrote:
If your truck isn't smooth on the bottom, put a bellypan on it for mileage too.

Are you serious? It's a week 'til we leave and he needs practical advice...

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:33 am

And on that note, it's kinda' late now, but I won't go to the desert without a fairly new radiator and transmission. I've just done both on my RV. Those are the two big breakdown items for people lugging lots of stuff up all the hills to BMan.
How you drive can be as important as anything else.
Go easy on your transmission! On the steep hills, DON'T just leave it in "Drive" and floor it. That's the most heat and strain your truck will ever see, and it's when you're gonna break something. Keep shifting down, to First if you have to, and take your foot off the floor and walk it up the hills.
If you have an automatic, get a big transmission cooler! They don't cost much, aren't difficult to install, and if you're not the mechanic type any good shop or transmission place should be able to slap one in pretty quick.

You DON'T want to end up on the side of the road!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:28 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:
gyre wrote:
If your truck isn't smooth on the bottom, put a bellypan on it for mileage too.
Are you serious? It's a week 'til we leave and he needs practical advice...

On a truck it can be easy and if you have far enough to go it can pay off big.
He can always save it for next year.
It can reduce the load on the engine a lot.
I have a van that needs one.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:28 am

For those who may need repairs on the road, Louise has these pages:
In Reno --
http://civilizedexplorer.pbwiki.com/AutoRepair

Outside Reno --
http://civilizedexplorer.pbwiki.com/Tra ... pairexReno

The pages have links to maps to the addresses, but you can print the pages out so you have names, phone numbers, and addresses in the car when you, uh, break down completely and can't get to a hot spot to surf. You'll just need a phone.

Ninth Path · Post by **Ninth Path** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:05 pm

Thanks gang! I appreciate all the help.

DoriumLux · Post by **DoriumLux** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:15 pm

Be careful of leaks. Letting your car leak out on the playa for a week is not playa friendly at all!

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:18 pm

Make sure your boiler is properly scaled, and your firebox is not overly corroded.

Woohooo! A real steam punk. I know we have a few of em out there, but nice to see another popping up.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:29 pm

My '98 Saturn wagon got an oil and filter change just before departing (heavily loaded) from Wisconsin and survived just fine. (In fact, the air filter looked nearly pristine when I checked it on the way back, although there were some plastic chunks in it. I think something might have been living in it for the week.)

On the other hand, a flooded street in Madison, WI may have killed the wagon for good (unless I either spend about $1,800 MORE in repairs, or figure out how to fix it myself.)

To everyone who is making it to the Burn this year, I am envying you!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:50 pm

How bad is it?
It should be okay if you get to it soon enough.

Step one: Remove water.

chongman99 · Post by **chongman99** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 2:51 pm

I am wondering if I should try to cover my undercarriage to keep dust out of the engine area.

I am pretty sure I am being paranoid. The dust isn't going to get in the engine or tranny area (at least not much). What gets in will likely be3 through air flow areas. If an I am going to be paranoid, I guess I could get some garbage bags/plastic sheeting and tape up under my car for the week.

As discussed my not-paranoid plan is just to change the air filter on the paved road out and cover up the air intake area (duct tape on window/hood area) and maybe a taped garbage bag on the grill and a banana on the exhaust pipe.

I'm gonna bring some cardboard for the undercarriage anyway, to keep drips from happening.

Any thoughts?

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 3:30 pm

gyre wrote:How bad is it?
It should be okay if you get to it soon enough.

Step one: Remove water.

That is what the first few hundred dollars went to, back in July right after it got flooded (towed to a shop the next day). The shop drained the water from the engine, changed the fluids and filters, and got it running. (At that time they said that they couldn't guarantee anything, since water got into the engine.) It started having trouble with the engine racing when idling. Then one day (almost exactly a week after the flash flood), it would start but stop as soon as I let go of the key, unless my foot was mashing the accelerator. I then let it sit a couple weeks until I had the money to have it looked at again. The tow truck operator actually got it to stay running by pressing the accelerator until it blew a whole bunch of carbon out of the tailpipe, but I had it towed to the shop anyway.

The shop told me to get absolutely everything fixed would be about $1,800. The major problem seems to be the controller for the air flow valve and an oxygen sensor, if I am reading their diagnosis right. Looking the parts up online I found that there seems to be a one wire, three wire, and four wire (maybe more?) versions of the air valve controller, and both a front and a rear oxygen sensor...! At present, the Saturn is sitting in the parking lot of my apartment building, and I am not driving it since it wants to go 50+MPH unless I have my foot on the brake. The cable from the accelerator to the engine doesn't seem to be the problem, since my landlord examined it while I operated the pedal.

(To add insult to injury, my old Schwinn-- which I took to Burning Man-- died on the operating table at a local bike shop, and my main bike [a GT Timberline] got two flats and the rear shifter broke during my first week of riding it to work. I still haven't gotten the funds together to fix the rear shifter, luckily the ride is pretty much flat!)

Playa dust isn't so bad, compared to water!

( chongman99, I'd just go with changing the air filter once you leave, then get the fluids changed when you get back home. Oh, and you might want to check the tire pressures once you get off the desert. From what I have heard, some years that's been a problem.)

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 3:40 pm

chongman99 wrote:I am wondering if I should try to cover my undercarriage to keep dust out of the engine area.

Don't bother, you'd have to seal the entire car, there are too many ports of entry for dust. They DO make "car bags", that you drive into and zip closed. I just wouldn't take a car that was that sensitive out there in the first place.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 3:45 pm

Oh, and BAS: Get rid of the car! Flooding a car screws up SO much stuff, mostly hidden. You'll have electrical hassles with it forever. If you get it running right, sell it immediately!

flatfish · Post by **flatfish** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 3:52 pm

All that's great but do you have a flare kit and a throwable device on board???

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 3:57 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote:Oh, and BAS: Get rid of the car! Flooding a car screws up SO much stuff, mostly hidden. You'll have electrical hassles with it forever. If you get it running right, sell it immediately!

Yeah, that's why they get "branded" by the Div. of Motor Vehicles.... I'd like to hold off on replacing it until after January. (I got Lasik [to avoid bifocals], and am having money held out of my paycheck for a medical reimbursement account until then.) Maybe I could afford another vehicle then.

Mostly, though, I just want a car so I can get to the store and back, and, maybe, for visiting my friends in Sun Prairie, my parents up in the Baraboo area, and my brother down in Platteville.

(I think maybe my next vehicle will be a diesel, so I can go the waste veggie oil route.)

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:09 pm

I don't remember what part of the world you live in, but in most fairly well populated places places you can scape up some old jalopy for cheap or free. Hell, I've given away several good running cars just because they were in my way. Check Craigslist.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:42 pm

Bas, I know people who have had good luck cleaning up wet cars.
It all depends on how good it is to start with.
Most of what a shop would do, anyone can do.
Most of it will be cleaning electrical connections, starting with all grounds.
Clean and lubricate with the appropriate material.
I use silicone dielectric grease myself.
I have some GE rtv grease, can't remember how similar it is.
I can send you enough of that if you cover shipping charges.
You could look at getting a parts car and swapping damaged parts, if any.
Or getting an identical car and using the first one for parts.

First get all water out.
Check all weepholes.
Drill new ones if needed.
Spray anti-rust stuff like promolene into vulnerable spots.
If you can store the car in a dry place like Reno or an air conditioned garage for a while to dry it out, this can help.
You may have to open up things to dry them out.
It may entail labor, but is mostly simple stuff, if you're willing to do it.
I once pulled my whole interior out to dry it out.
No damage.

Burning man dust
On closing up a car, it is a good place to have all the factory engine covers in place, but no big deal.
Blow or vacuum all dust possible before washing.
I would like to use a bag out there, but more in case of really extreme weather.
Haven't seen the bad stuff out there yet myself.

hollywallydoodle · Post by **hollywallydoodle** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:56 am

anyone have advice for car tires? i'm renting a dodge charger. i read on another thread that you should let some air out of your bike tires so they don't pop...do i need to do the same for car tires?

i'm driving from san francisco.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:04 pm

Car tires are generally running at 35-45 pounds and should be stronger.
Bike tires can be over 100 pounds.

It probably isn't a big issue if they aren't over pressure when you start out.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:36 pm

hollywallydoodle wrote:anyone have advice for car tires? i'm renting a dodge charger. i read on another thread that you should let some air out of your bike tires so they don't pop...do i need to do the same for car tires?

i'm driving from san francisco.

Louise and I live in the Bay Area and have driven over to Reno and beyond more often than I can recall. Millions of others have, too. No one's car tires popped because of thin air in Tahoe.

We've taken our bikes to BM 12 times, and it will be 13 this year, and we've never deflated our tires. Never had a blow out from thin air. People's advice varies, and so do our experiences. I would, however, strongly caution against deflating your car tires and driving from the Bay Area to Reno on underinflated tires. This may cause significant flexing in the sidewalls, excessive heat, and tire failure. I've driven to the top of Pike's Peak with the same are in my tires as I had at sea level with no adverse events. I've driven over the Alps to Greece without lowering the tire pressure, and so do millions of others.

I'm not sure if your car still has the owner's manual with it, but check that for information and cautions on tire pressure. Then make your decision based on your judgment.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 1:04 pm

I could see this being an issue with bike tires at max to start with.
It might be an issue with really bad tires already over inflated.

More of a comfort issue with cars.
It seems like I had to add air to my tires coming down from Denver, but they were set to Denver specifically.

Definitely don't let a car tire go under the minimum.
I would suggest 35 at the least.

Car repairs

Car repairs

Thanks

Cover undercarriage?

Re: Cover undercarriage?