Is visible exhaust smoke anything to worry about?
I am thinking of buying a 2000 Toyota Corolla with 121,000 miles. I went to see it this morning and when I started it up I noticed visible smoke coming out the exhaust. Not very thick but visible. The smoke did not hover around and accumulate, it just flowed out about 2 feet and then dissipated. After it had been running for a minute it was no longer visible. But then I revved the engine a few times and got out and looked at it, and it was visible again. About 20 minutes later they moved some cars out of the way so I could test-drive it. Then they started the Corolla and pulled it out. At this point I no longer saw any smoke at all. The salesman said it's normal for a car to smoke a little when it's first started after sitting overnight. They are going to do a safety inspection and smog test today and will let me know the results. My question is, if the car passes a smog test, would that mean the smoke I saw is nothing to worry about? Any help would be much appreciated.
Can a cop pull u over for having a loud stock exhaust on your stock eclipse gs-t?
So I have an all stock 97 mitsubishi eclipse gs turbo with those bog stock exhausts. A cop pulled me over on a quiet road and told me i had 2 get the exhaust changed. I think he was just playing with me cuz he didnt give me a ticket. I have no mods on it at all. The bodyshop told me if i DO change my exhaust not much will change about the noise cuz thats how the car was designed. Should i be worried cuz other cops havent stopped me in the past 8 months. im 17 so HELP PLZ!
What is the biggest scam an auto mechanic ever tried on you?
I was getting oil change for my 96 Ranger at a mechanics I knew about but thought to give a try. While waiting I get called over to be shown my serpentine belt had cracks on the v-groves. Just little ware cracking, not pieces of missing or deep enough to see the reinforcement. Where upon I said that I can change it myself when it need to be done. The mechanic then try to explain to me how hard they it to change because I have to make sure it snakes around all the pullies in the correct order. He does this while I’m looking a diagram pasted under the hood showing exactly how to replace the belt. He then goes on about need a special tool. Noting the diagram says that I only need a 3/8″ socket driver to pull the tensioner bearing back. Told him I had the tool and knew were to get one if I did not. Then spent several minutes trying to convince me that I was wrong and could not do it myself.I did not tell him I saw the instruction under the hood or that I change the belt myself only about 30K miles earlier. Plus I always keep the old one stored in the vehicle in case the newer one brakes unexpectedly.Anyway never went back or recommended that mechanic to anyone.EDIT TO ADD:I should give you a story of what a good trusted mechanic did for me.My 86 Ranger was have trouble in that it started to just stop running after driving and hour or two. Then after being stopped for a hour or so, it would run just fine again. After having the problem occur several times I take it into my favorite trust mechanic. He sees me pull and comes out and ask me what the problem was. I tell him and he ask me to pop the hood. Telling me these older Ford Rangers have a common problem. He pull a screw driver out back pocket and removes cover to the computer modules. Telling me the ignition modules start to over heat before failing. He use screw driver to remove ignition module and inspect browning on the side of it. Says, yep, its the ignition module and I will be back in a minute with a replacement. Comes back with one and pops it in. I ask how much I owe. He says go in and tell my wife $75 for the new module and $5 for labor.Needles to say I had him do a lot of work on my vehicles over the years. His son has now taken over the business and does good and honest work as well. I would recommend then to anyone living south of Seattle by the airport.
How can you tell when an auto mechanic is lying to you about the work your vehicle needs?
If you don’t know much about cars and you’re relying on the shop to diagnose and service your car, you can’t tell. Also, you probably shouldn’t walk in there assuming the shop exists solely to rip you off, either.If you’re ‘car dumb’, then they know more about cars than you, and you are at the mercy of their knowledge and honesty. This is why you search for reputable mechanics with a fairly decent customer flow, because they’re probably better than the rest.Don’t argue with their diagnosis, because IMO, that makes you an ignorant asshole, and I’ve witnessed enough cheapskates argue and accuse mechanics over a $2.50 lug nuts. Some people immediately get defensive when they realize that their vehicle is going to cost them money. Blind.Ignorant.Rage.If you have any question about a shop’s diagnostic or estimate, you are welcome to get a second opinion at another shop. You should, anyway, for more expensive repairs. If the shop tries to tell you that your car is unsafe, assume they’re right unless proven otherwise. Drive it carefully and be prompt about repairs.Bottom line, most busy shops aren’t going to drum up unnecessary work, at the expense of their reputation. They will, however:Charge you a lot of money. It’s a business, not a charity. Yes, you can save ASSLOADS of money by doing it yourself, but you can’t do it yourself. I don’t hear many people complain about the price of plumbers/electricians, but when it comes to a car, their mechanic is considered a slimeball.Misdiagnose a problem. It happens. Even when I work on my own car, spend my own money, and waste my own time, I don’t always get to the root of the problem, or I find new problems. Cars are money pits. It wastes my money, it will waste your money, but don’t assume that the shop is deceitful or incompetent. You should’ve gotten a second opinion.Over-maintain. Trust me, mechanics don’t want crappy, unsafe cars to leave their shop, and most drivers don’t have their car looked at often enough. What this means is, mechanics are trained to look for EARLY problems. Mechanics are trained to notify you when your brake pads are below 50%. While I maintain and inspect my own car, I can catch my brake pads at 10%, giving more more longevity and saving me money. You can’t. When a mechanic sees pads at less than 50%, he’s going to flag it because there’s a good chance you probably won’t be back until, one day, you notice your car can no longer stop itself.
Can I pass emissions test if the check engine light is turned off?
CHEAPER PARTS its not an easy situation where you are right now. parts are expensive and cant be readily returned. is the cheaper part you found brand new or used? from a reputable shop with a return policy or from a pick&pull seller? If its the former (new and from a good shop) I would try it. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT the check engine light doesnt switch off simply because you replaced the filter. Everytime it goes on, it has to be reset. I am not familiar with an ML but I do know on mid 1990 models they have a diagnostic port nearest to the battery. If yours has one, flip it open and you will see 16 holes and a tiny little switch. put your key in the ignition at ON position (but do not start the car). press the little button for 3 seconds. a tiny light will blink. wait for it to stop. then press the button again for 10seconds. the light will light on and switch off. at this point start the car and the check engine light should be off hope this helps
Time Management: I am sad because I cannot hold myself to a set schedule. What can I do?
Answer has been copied from another answer by me, link:Bhaskar Deka's answer to What do you do daily to get outside your comfort zone?I am 22 years old and many people say that I am a frugal person. Actually almost everyone including myself struggle to provide an answer to your question. But I follow a strategy that seems to show some results, mostly moderate and sometimes drastic. You may get advice from people telling you to maintain a diary or a chart on the wall, etc...but frankly, human beings procrastinate and all the initial zeal loses out gradually to indifference and self pity. So what I do is to maintain a different kind of record.What do I do? Being a tight-fisted person economically, I wanted to know my daily, weekly and monthly trend of savings and expenditure. So I maintained a day-to-day MS Excel sheet record. Gradually I noticed that I could extend it to different fields that I want to see myself working on. Here is a snap of what it looks like:(What is shown is the date, day, daily expenditure, weekly expenditure, reason of the expenditure, my ATM balance, cell phone balance, and the everyday TO_DO list which includes swimming,jogging, twitter/quora, Entrepreneurial work, Daily news,Academics, investment knowledge...and more to be added!)The Green boxes mean 'DONE' where as empty boxes mean 'MISS'. This record helps me judge and corrector myself when time is still there. This can be quite effective for bridging the gap between me and the man I wish to see in the mirror. Once you make out a habit out of it, it is fun to see yourself improve.EDIT:Also here is my analysis of my daily spending for the last 30 weeks...:The analysis should breathe new life into management of your daily ordeals. If you follow it for a couple of weeks, you will want to continue further...to discover yourself. It may solve your issues. Possibilities are infinite.Please feel free to comment if you think you can help me optimize this 'project' of mine.
Was I just ripped off? Catalytic converter or O2 sensor?
The "check engine" light on my 1996 Saturn SL2 came on about a week ago. I decided to take it to Auto Zone for a free test. It pulled code P0140. The guy told me that it could be my catalytic converter, but if my car was running fine and if I didn't notice any rattling, it was likely my O2 sensor. So, I take it to the shop, and they tell me it's my catalytic converter. I asked if they were sure it wasn't the O2 sensor, and he said, "It's definitely the catalytic converter. You need a new one." I found it strange that he didn't offer any explanation, but since I'm incredibly stupid and know nothing about cars, I let them go ahead and put a new one on. It was not cheap. The very next day, while I'm driving home from work, my "check engine" light comes on again. I take it to Auto Zone, and this time, it's pulling code P0133. Doing a little research, it sounds like the O2 sensor! So, here's my question: Was it my O2 sensor all along? My car was running fine. No rattling. No "rotten egg" smell. Normal fuel economy. Did they just say it was my catalytic converter because they knew they could get more money out of me? I realize that it was a dumb move letting them fix a car that was running fine, but it doesn't really seem like they actually fixed whatever was causing my "check engine" light to come on. Help?
What would you say to a rude customer if you wouldn't get fired for it?
Probably the number one reason people call me is to cancel their subscription after it auto-renewed.“But I didn’t want to pay for it! I just wanted the free trial!”“I didn’t authorize that!”I’d love to be able to say: “Sorry, it’s in the Terms & Conditions, your subscription freakin’ auto-renews at the standard subscription price, whether it’s monthly, semi-annual, or annual. Maybe you should have read the T&C before blithely agreeing to them.”Another thing that gripes me is people who call in after their subscriptions have run for several months or several years, bitching because they just now looked at their credit card statements and found the charges. They always want a refund for not only the current charge (which I can generally do), but for all the previous charges dating back to that free trial they forgot to cancel.I wish I could say: “Really? You’re going to chew me out because you’re a lazy shithole who can’t be bothered to check your bank/CC statements every freakin’ month? Are you a grown-up or a little kid playing at it?”