Automotive Repair Wiki for DIYer

RSS Feed Homepage

Canada says No to Electric Cars.
2008-05-06 18:07:00
Reading The Economist this week, I read an article that makes me wonder what the heck our bureaucrats in Canada are thinking. With the cost of fuel going up by the second, Transport Canada doesn't want to give two electric automakers a break. Namely, ZENN Motor Company and Dynasty Electric Car which look very much like Smart Cars which are gasoline powered. The article goes on saying that most of these cars are exported to the USA. Which is a damn shame, as the best way to promote electric cars is to simply allow them to be on the roads, and perhaps tax those heavy and large gas guzzling SUVs for the damage to our roads and environment. ...split...It is true that the cars are made from lightweight metals and plastics. But not all electric cars so basic, take the Tesla for example, here we have a supercar that is electric and goes 0 to 60mph in 3.9 seconds! These cars are the future of our zero emission dream, lets not try kill them off, as we did with the GM EV1.But the manufact...

Stolen my Cataytic Converter
2008-04-25 21:46:00
My friend had his Catalytic Converter stolen today. He called the cops and the police told him that he was one of 4 people who had their converter stolen today. all within a 5 mile radius of where he was working.What is a Catalytic Converter?Why are Catalytic Converters stolen? ...split... Thieves are a creative, resourceful bunch, and without honor.So, with the prices of certain metals soaring in commodities markets, they have begun targeting catalytic converters that are featured in a many trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUV).Thieves are using a gas torch to help dislodge the devices. Authorities say the converters contain valuable metals — platinum, palladium and rhodium — that now can net a recycler thousands of dollars on the open market.Thieves are focusing on Toyota 4Runners, Tundras and Tacomas because the catalytic converters are easy to remove, according to police. But most Trucks and SUVs are being targeted throughout the USA and Canada. New vehicles are u...
More About: Stolen

W123 Instrument Panel Lighting
2007-11-29 13:42:00
I have a 1982 Mercedes 300D turbo and I can't seem to get the instrument panel lights to work.All the idiot lights work, as do the turn signal indicators, but no lights illuminating the instrument panel, window switches or climate controls. I have replaced the rheostat, no change. I replaced the bulbs in the panel, no change. I removed the new rheostat and directly connected the two connector posts (pins) which are normally covered by the rheostat, no change. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I need to get these lights working...It is really dark in there at night!
More About: Lighting , Panel , Instrument

Your car's mind, the OBD2 system
2007-11-07 07:13:00
The wife?s 2000 Volkswagen was displaying a Check Engine light the other day and would not extinguish itself after one or two start-stop cycles. So, we took it to two local mechanics and the first wanted $95 to plug into the ODBII port and the second wanted $90.I knew that this was a matter of plugging their computer into the car and reading a code from their diagnostic software. Now, I understand everyone has to make a buck and get paid for their time. But, I think it is a bit ridiculous to charge someone $100 for about 5 minutes of your time and use of your equipment. So, after I told the second shop to plug in and figure out the problem, I hopped on the computer at home to see what OBDII scanners and diagnostic equipment would cost to buy.I use Actron CP9180 AutoScanner Plus OBD II Reader and Scanner which is a great piece of hardware. You can use it to save money by reading error codes without a trip to the mechanic when your "check engine" light is on, capture performance d...
More About: System , Mind , Stem

New cars are getting too expensive to fix
2007-11-03 14:47:00
This summer, while visiting an old friends scrap yard, a brand new BMW 3-series car rolled in - literally. A teenager was "driving dad's car," says shop owner, with little apparent structural damage. The teen walked away, and normally the damage wouldn't have been hard to repair. But the BMW had so many air bags "it looked like a balloon parade". The new car, worth more than $30,000, was totaled.Costly air bags, expensive electronics, and lightweight body materials are driving up the cost of fixing new cars. Not only do many more parts have to be replaced rather than repaired, but fewer and fewer body shops can afford the special equipment and training required to do the work. "We're moving closer and closer to the disposable car."Repairing a new car a decade ago, for example, cost an average of $2,578 per claim, while in 2007, the cost had ballooned to $3,681, a 43 percent increase that has outpaced inflation.Normally it takes a lot of damage to total a brand-new vehicle. Insura...
More About: Cars , New cars

Canadians Buy a Car in the USA
2007-10-31 05:40:00
With the recent rise in value of the Canadian Dollar, it is currently cheaper to buy many vehicles in the USA and then import the car. In many cases, vehicles are much cheaper in the U.S., but that's if the dealer will actually sell one to you.Many dealers are telling Canadians that they can't or won't sell to them. This is apparently because of concerns over their dealer franchise agreement with the car manufacturers, like GM, Toyota and Honda, among others.I contacted 4 Toyota dealers in New York and 1 in Vermont and they said Toyota USA does not allow sales to Canadian residents.Just recently, a Newfoundland couple filed a discrimination complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission and announced plans to sue five car companies, after they say more than 80 New England car dealerships refused their business. That story posted on the National PostThe federal competition bureau says there's nothing illegal about the practice.But basically, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Jee...
More About: Adia

Welcome all to FixExpert the DIY for Car Repairs
2007-10-16 20:03:00
Welcome,The goal with this site is to be the encyclopedia for automotive and truck repair website. This goal is no easy feed for one person or even a small team of people, so it is being introduced as a wiki. This means anyone (including yourself) can comment or edit or write up a new section on the topic of automotive repair. All you must do a register yourself an account with us.DIYer goes 2.0I consider this to be a Web 2.0 for DIYer websites! Alot of data exists on car/truck repairs on the internet. Most of the really good data on this topic has been put together from DIYer like yourselves! The problem with those sites, is that data is usual stored in a forum and one must search through too many posts to get to what you need. This wiki will try to present the data in an organized fashion.I need your helpI'm Joe! Consider me your head mechanic, at this website. This by far does not mean I am an automotive expert. I''ve been working with cars for a long time, since the mid 90s. ...
More About: Pert