What are reasons your steering wheel won't lock?
I assume that you are referring to your steering wheel not locking in position after you stop the vehicle and take out the key?There are several possible reasons for this.1. The cog that fits into the detent on the steering column is broken and needs to be replaced.2. The detent on the steering column is worn or broken3. You have not turned the wheel far enough for the cog to find a detent. Pull the wheel first to the left, and then to the right to find the spot.4. The actuator from the solenoid to the cog is broken.To repair this will require the cover on the steering column to be removed, and probably need to have the steering wheel removed as well. Take it to a qualified shop or dealer for this. Incorrect actions could result in damage to the parts, or even the deployment of the air bag on the steering wheel. The exact disassembly required will differ for each manufacturer and possible model of vehicle. If you have a Chilton's manual for your vehicle, you can look up the repair to see what is involve.
Why do so many people think cars built in 60's & 70's are so much better than cars built today?
When people say that those cars were better, they are coming at this from a very specific viewpoint. Other answers have highlighted that they were, in fact, terrible compared to cars today.But all you have to do is look under the hood to understand the appeal.This is a 1960 Buick. With a little bit of time even I can identify several key components and I know what they do. It’s easy to understand.You can see everything and with a little knowledge you can do simple repairs and maintenance. An ordinary person can change the oil, air filter, replace the battery and check the radiator. (You can do this on new cars too, it’s just not worth it anymore.) You can save money by replacing the spark plugs yourself which also wasn’t hard and with a few more tools and some know how you can even adjust the timing to give the engine that perfect purr.There were a lot of guys who were DIY mechanics who fixed their own cars. (My father being one of them.) They could and did some fairly significant repairs in their garages. A standard set of automotive tools was enough to get by on most problems.It was possible to get to really know your car.This is a 2016 Buick. You might be pretty technical, but you’re not even going to open the hood if it breaks. Just call a towing service and take to the shop. There, they will plug it into a computer and get a diagnosis. It is computer controlled and way beyond the ordinary person’s capability to work on it.This is not a car you will ever know. It’s an alien machine that goes into the Magic shop where they Fix It. It is no more fathomable than your iPhone. The ability to understand your vehicle intimately is long gone.Which is why some people think that those older cars are better.
What are some of the things that can happen if I keep driving my car with a broken tie rod?
Tie rods have an adjustment that keeps your tires in alignment. They also provide the link between your steering wheel and the front tires. You turn the wheel, the tire rod pushes the tires left and right.Worn tie rods can cause shaky front wheels, misaligned front tires, imprecise steering, excessively worn tires. A broken tie rod would allow one tire to flop to the side causing instant loss of steering and a crash if you are going fast enough.A least, you will be wearing out your tires much faster than you should. You will be replacing those tires sooner than later.At most, a worn tie rod could cause an accident because your steering isn’t accurate.If you are still driving your car, you don’t have a broken tie rod. You may have severely worn tie rods if your front tires are wearing unevenly (can be caused by a poor alignment as well), aligning the front end doesn’t fix your tire wear problem, or your steering wheel wobbles while you drive.They aren’t that expensive to replace and much less expensive than adding a new set of tires to that cost or an accident.