HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: irwin@horton.Colorado.EDU (IRWIN JULIE R)
Subject: help for the ignorant
Summary: heed help diagnosing problem
Keywords: help, mazda, broken?
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 00:20:46 GMT

Hi-- I am new to this newsgroup and to the idea of having any 
idea how cars work, so please be patient.


Here's my problem:

I have an 84 GLC that has been a dream to own-- no problems except
the usual battery/muffler/tires.  About a month or so ago a woman 
pulled out in front of me, causing an accident that supposedly only
hurt the outside of my car.  Her insurance company paid, and things
seemed OK.  Oh-- I also had to replace the muffler, which
was waiting to fall off--- it had a "life time warranty", so I got it
replaced for free.


But now there are starting to be subtle problems:




1.  The car has always started with one turn of the key.  Now it is
much more reluctant- takes about 3-4 turns and jumps up and down a lot.

2.  It rattles, especially in low gears (most especially 1st gear). It 
seems as if it might stall, but it usually doesn't.  Once it gets going,
then it's fine.  I don't notice anything in high gear/on the highway,
just starting off and in traffic.


What's wrong?  There was transmission fluid all over the place after
the accident, but they told me that it was something minor.  I know it
isn't REALLY major, because the car runs OK.  (Tell me this is
true?!).  But what is it?  And was it caused by the accident?
I want to trade this car in soon, so I don't want to put lots of money 
into it...


Thanks!
Julie
IRWIN@yertle.colorado.edu


Julie
Xref: sparky rec.autos.tech:5714 rec.autos:11162
From: avk@hafnium.cchem.berkeley.edu (Tony Konashenok)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech,rec.autos
Subject: Reconditioning the EGR valve - is it possible?
Date: 11 Apr 92 03:44:44 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: hafnium.cchem.berkeley.edu

Is there an easy way to recondition an EGR valve on a 351M Ford
engine? Trouble: leaky vacuum chamber. No theoretical guesses,
please - I tried it. I'm simply reluctant to pay $70 for this
damned widget...

   Tony

-- 
Tony Konashenok   avk@hafnium.cchem.berkeley.edu   (510)527-7524 (home)
University of California, Berkeley                 (510)642-5831 (office)

Strauss research group, Latimer Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, U.S.A.
From: aqn@tivoli.UUCP (Andy Nguyen)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: temperature gage and fuel gage problem
Date: 10 Apr 92 13:18:28 GMT
Reply-To: aqn@tivoli.UUCP (Andy Nguyen)
Organization: Tivoli Systems Inc., Austin, TX

bi927@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Yi Jin) writes:
+This morning. My 83 Honda Accord had some problem with the fuel gage and 
+temperature gage. After 5 minutes driving, both the temperature gage and
+fuel gage went full, I.E, the gages indicated that temperature was overheated
+and fuel was full, although the fuel tank was near empty. However, safter 
+several turn-off turn-on tries, the gage seems normal now. What that 
+problem could be? Is that only the gage problem, or there are something 
+wrong with the system.?
+
+The coolant was full and the thermostat was changed last year. What else
+should I check.

  Check the ground on the battery.  Seriously.  The temp gauges (coolant
  and oil) in my 83 VW Rabbit used to read quite high, until one day a new
  ground connection was made between the engine block & the right side
  strut housing (just run a stout wire).  Then they are back to "normal."

  The gauges get their grounding from the chassis and more importantly,
  the engine, just like everything else on the car.  If that ground connection
  is bad, it could fool the gauges into thinking a higher reading is being
  obtained.

  (In an older car, especially cars in places with bad roads, the engine-to-
  chassis connection is more likely to be flaky, due to all the pounding
  the car takes.)
-- 
Andy Nguyen / Team Paranoid
(212) 267-7722				...!uunet!tivoli!aqn  OR  aqn@tivoli.com
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: hacker@cco.caltech.edu (Jonathan Bruce Hacker)
Subject: Re: G.M. (late model) pickups (ROAR)
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 22:29:33 GMT

sasjzb@unx.sas.com (Joseph C. Brandt) writes:

My supra does the same thing.  There is a viscous coupled
clutch between the pulley and the fan.  A bimetallics strip
senses ambient temperature and engages the clutch
when the ambient temperature gets high enough.

However, when the clutch is cold, (ie right after
a cold start) it seems that  there is still significant coupling 
probably because (I speculate) the silicone goop in the clutch is 
partially gelled.  I assume that after the running for 
a few seconds the fluid heats up, gets less viscous, and 
the clutch starts working properly.

Anyone ever taken one of these things apart?
-- 
Jon Hacker
Caltech, Pasadena CA
hacker@tumbler-ridge.caltech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: floyd@eng.umd.edu (Mike Hughes)
Subject: Re: Oil change - pressure prime
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 92 16:40:04 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

In article <768@qa1.WichitaKS.NCR.COM> jhart@qa1.WichitaKS.NCR.COM (Jim Hart) writes:
>I cannot recall any net traffic on this subject - if there was, please
>forgive....
>A lot of engine wear seems to occur during the initial engine start-up
>following an oil change.  It takes several seconds for the pressure to
>build and during that time you can usually hear a slight knock or other
>no-oil-related sounds.  Question - short of pulling the distributor and
>priming/pressurizing using a reversible drill with the appropriate shaft
>tool in the chuck, is there any product/device that will perform this
>function?  If such device is available, would its cost be reasonable
>enough to offset the amount of wear that would occur over the normal
>engine life?  
>This no-lube-noise-wear has always grated on my nerves (as well as on
>bearings :-) ).  Anyone know of a solution, keeping the above restriction
>in mind?
>
>Jim Hart

	One way to shorten the 'no pressure' time is to fill the oil filter 
with oil before instalation.  Normally, the oil pump has to get all of the air
out of the filter before the oil goes anywhere.

	I don't know of any way to spin the pump without the labor you mention,
but if you kill the spark or fuel to the engine and crank it for a while (20-
40 seconds), you will significantly reduce the force exurted on the rod & main
bearings.  You should be able to get oil pressure on the guage/light before
you have to hook up the ignition, depending on battery charge and cranking 
speed. -Mike

:Suicidal Tendencies=====> He's a carrier of death a stork in reverse,        :
: =8^) Mike Hughes  =8^( : he blesses you with sickness cause love is a curse.:
:Mail---floyd@eng.umd.edu: The arsenic in your Koolaid, the bomb in your mail,:
:Voice--(301) 340-0922   : he disappears in motion but leaves a bloody trail. :
From: iceman@vipunen.hut.fi (Joni Siltaniemi)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: HILFE!!!
Date: 14 Apr 92 17:36:47 GMT
Reply-To: iceman@vipunen.hut.fi (Joni Siltaniemi)
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology

In article <1992Apr13.054108.16297@menudo.uh.edu> kevin@taronga.taronga.com (Kevin Brown) writes:
>In article <1992Apr12.173602.29695@nntp.hut.fi> iceman@vipunen.hut.fi (Joni Siltaniemi) writes:
>>Achtung BMW-drivers in Germany!!!
>>
>>I have an old BMW 315. I am coming to Germany in summer and I'm going
>>to have the "engine" replaced there.
>
>The "engine"?  You mean what's under the hood now isn't a real engine?

	Well. Nothing beats the cubic inches, except a BMW

>Well, if you want a *real* engine, why not try putting in a Ford 302?  :-)

	Well, if I ever drive a Ford, I'll eat your shorts... nah,
	my father has one, I must say it is a LOT faster.

>		Kevin Brown (kevin@taronga.taronga.com)

		I couldn't either...


-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*		             Joni Siltaniemi                                  *
*		iceman@vipunen.hut.fi, s37914l@kaira.hut.fi		      *
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: schaffer@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Doug Schaffer)
Subject: Re: Rolling a Civic..
Organization: U. of Calgary Computer Science
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 08:27:35 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.153148.23534@news.cs.brandeis.edu> andyh@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Andrew J. Huang) writes:
>In article <7jnjaj=.pauly@netcom.com> pauly@netcom.com (Paul Yoshimune) writes:
>>Yes, it can be done, but you'd have to hit it just right.  In general, a car
>>like a Civic will plow the front end if subjected to a very hard turn all of
>>a sudden.  Were you to toss the car one way, then immediately go the other,
>>it would be more likely to pitch the car.  Other cars, like Rabbits, are more
>>prone to rolling the car.  In fact, you often see Rabbits, GTIs, and 2002s
>>lifting the inner rear wheel when cornering excessively hard...

>Actually Rabbits and 2002s are lifting the rear wheel just to reduce
>tire wear.  Except for the male rabbits, which dribble brake fluid
>instead.
>
>I don't think that lifting the wheel is an indication that the car is
>more likely to roll.  It's certainly an indication of rear roll
>stiffness, but with so much of the mass in the front, lifting a rear
>wheel isn't much of an issue.  The best driven rabbits at Bryar NH try
>to get the wheel lifted throughout the entirety of turn 1.  With a
>2002, you lose power so it isn't such a good move.

A guy I autocrossed against in a VW Golf used to lift his rear tires over
the pilons rather than go around them!! He didn't do this always, but often
enough that he got to be known for it.  I don't know if it really straightened
out his line or not, since he still kept both fronts on the ground.

Doug Schaffer, University of Calgary, schaffer@cpsc.ucalgary.ca
From: hacker@cco.caltech.edu (Jonathan Bruce Hacker)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: 500cid Eldo power prob
Date: 14 Apr 92 03:27:21 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

jmansfie@zeus.calpoly.edu (Jason Mansfield) writes:

>Im first giong to replace the muffler (it's shot anyway) which I figure could
>be causing the rough idle and maybe the power prob due to restrictions (even
>though the exhaust coming out of the tail pipe are quite strong.  I checked
>the vacuum test again - it's now 14 psi.   I think that's way bad.  Could that
>be caused by an exhaust restriction?  Oh, the EGR is fine BTW.  So is the
>vacuum advance.  And there are no vacuum leaks that I can find.  People have
>suggested a worn cam, but that was the case, there would probably be other
>worn engine parts resulting in an oil thirsty engine (which it isn't THAT
>bad).  So any further suggestions?  

I tried to find the start of this thread, but its gone... so please
bear with me if this has already been covered.

Have you checked the compression or done a cylinder leakdown
test?  Nothing kills performance like a burned exhaust valve
or sticking intake valve.  Often you can tell if the 
compression is bad in a cylinder by listening to the 
starter.  A bad cylinder will put less load on the starter
and you will here it momentarily speed up during the compression
stroke for the bad cylinder.

In my experience, rusted out exhausts usually have less 
restriction (if any :-) than a new one. 

-- 
Jon Hacker
Caltech, Pasadena CA
hacker@tumbler-ridge.caltech.edu
From: sch@gargoyle.unx.sas.com (Steve Holzworth)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: temperature gage and fuel gage problem
Date: 7 Apr 92 22:07:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: unx.1992Apr7.220724.7023
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
Originator: sch@gargoyle.unx.sas.com
X-Bytes: 792

In article <1992Apr7.130034.2709@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>, bi927@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Yi Jin) writes:
>
>This morning. My 83 Honda Accord had some problem with the fuel gage and 
>temperature gage. After 5 minutes driving, both the temperature gage and
>fuel gage went full, I.E, the gages indicated that temperature was overheated
>and fuel was full, although the fuel tank was near empty. However, safter 

stuff deleted

>Thanks for help.

Sounds like loose wire(s). The fuel guage on my Jeep will peg if you unplug
it from the sending unit. See if any multiwire connector blocks have
come loose, or loosened up. A wiring diagram would aid this immensely.
The fact that both guages freaked at the same time is what leads me
to believe a connector is loose.

Steve Holzworth
sch@unx.sas.com
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech,rec.autos.driving
From: rlatham@fwhnm1d.fwrdc.rtsg.mot.com (Max Headroom)
Subject: Re: Rolling a car, general questions
Reply-To: rlatham@fwhnm02.fwrdc.rtsg.mot.com (Russ Latham)
Organization: File Cabinet
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 19:59:28 GMT


I have a few questions about rolling a car.  Is it possible
to tell at what point a car will start sliding when going 
around a corner, before it happens?
And what is the possibility of rolling a car in a corner?
What do I need to watch for in order NOT TO ?
Any advice as to how to tell the limit of a curve, like
how much over the posted speed is generally safe?

I'm driving a '92 Honda Prelude 'S' Model (base model), 
and every time I go around a corner (on the highway,
i.e. highway interchanges, when there are no other
cars around) I've been increasing the speed, and
should probably learn what to watch out for.  ;-)

Any advice (except 'not to' :-) ) would be appreciated!
I would hate to find out the hard way that my car will
roll in that type of situation.

On a somewhat related topic.........

When looking for a new car, I went on a test drive of
a '93 Toyota MR2 (supposed to have a much better 
performance suspension than the '92 model).  The salesman
took it on a curve going out to an entry ramp onto the 
highway, and going into the curve he had the car
going around 70 MPH, and coming out of it, as we 
were getting on the highway, he was going about 80 MPH.
I thought the guy was crazy, and was just waiting for the
car to slide off the curve and into the ditch.  I think
the curve had a speed limit posted of 35 MPH (which
really doesn't mean anything anyway).
A similar experience happened when I was in high school,
in a friends Trans Am (late 70's bodystyle).  But the 
car finally did slide, and we ended up spinning around
and hitting the guard rail on the bridge over the highway
we had just exited.   Never rode with that guy again....


Russ Latham (rlatham@mailbox.fwrdc.rtsg.mot.com)
             (latham@motcid.rtsg.mot.com)

Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: mgarber@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Max D Garber)
Subject: +++HEATING UP PONTIAC--HELP!!+++
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 18:05:21 GMT

I have a 1983 Pontiac 2000 SE (two-door hatchback) with a 2.0/4cyl. engine that
heats up from time to time.

     I have had it in the shop several times and have been told that the 
thermostat doesn't release at a low enough temperature and when it does, the 
engine is already too hot for that to cool it.  Is there a way to get a 
different model thermostat or what???  I don't know that much about the 
specifics on the cooling system, but would appreciate and mechanical help that 
you can supply!!

     It seems to heat up in the summer at least once a day-usually after having
cooled for an extended period of time.  It heats up WAY into the red and then 
drops to normal temp.  If I drive it a while-it won't do it again until after 
it sits a while.  If you need to know more, please either re-post of reply via.
email to  maxee-d+@osu.edu  and let me know what you think.

Again, thank you very much-

THE HYPEMAN

MAXEE D
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: welchb@woods.ulowell.edu
Subject: Need help in finding an oil leak.
Organization: University of Lowell
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 15:42:17 GMT

Last weekend I changed the oil (and oil filter) in 2 similar cars, 
a 1985 Toyota Corolla and a 1987 Chevy Nova.  I noticed that, on both cars,
to bring the oil completely up to the full mark on the dipstick required 4.0
quarts, as opposed to the 3.5 quarts specified in the manual.  (Could this be
because each of the 8 little jugs I used were not completely filled by the
manufacturer?) 

I drove one of the cars 200 miles the next day, and then noticed oil on the
driveway.  The oil is leaking inside the engine compartment, up fairly
high, near the steering shaft.  It is not coming from the area of the
oil filter, the pressure sending unit, the dipstick, or the drain plug.
It does not seem to be coming from the camshaft cover gasket or the
PVC valve.  

I thought that maybe I had overfilled the engine, and that enough had blown
away, but after cleaning the engine up, and driving some more, the dipstick
reads at about 2/3 full, and there is still leakage.  It can not be detected
by running the engine in neutral, but enough is leaking out at driving
conditions to make a mess.

It is hard to reach and see this portion of the engine; looking at a 
Chilton's manual I see front and real oil seals, but I cannot determine
positively that this is the culprit.

So, before I get carried away, does anyone have any easy ideas?  Could
the trouble be related to changing the oil, or overfilling?
-- 
Brendan Welch, UMass/Lowell, W1LPG,  welchb@woods.ulowell.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
From: jws@cica4.mlb.semi.harris.com (James W. Swonger)
Subject: Re: air compressors - single/two stage???
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 12:40:21 GMT
Organization: Harris Semiconductor, Melbourne FL

 For painting you only need very low pressure (but very clean) air. Two-
stage compressors give a higher pressure output capability; I don't see
any single stages that run above about 100PSI, while lots of 2-stage
units will give 150PSI. Of course if you plan to run sandblasters, air
sanders, grinders etc. you -really- need good flow @ 100psi. My only live
compressor right now can't hold more than 40PSI against the air demand
from my sandblaster, and it's a real drag; I may have to take time off from
the car to rebuild one of the bigger, dead ones...

 If you go to buy a compressor, my advice is to spend the extra bucks to get
more flow and higher pressure. Compressors are one of those things you'll
always outgrow, as you find out all the things you can do with them. The
incremental price for more capability is small.

 OTOH if you're certain that you will only be painting, not running air tools,
then an oilless small compressor might be a better idea; you can get compact
110V units (so you can run a regular extension cord from a regular, not the
dryer, outlet) fairly inexpensively and you have less oil in the air to be
removed by the trap and filter (on which you should not skimp).
--
##########################################################################
#Irresponsible rantings of the author alone. Any resemblance to persons  #
#living or dead then yer bummin. May cause drowsiness. Alcohol may inten-#
#sify this effect. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Billy!#
From: finnegan@corsair.navo.navy.mil (Kenneth Finnegan)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: Strange Audi electrical problem
Date: 16 Apr 92 13:28:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.1992Apr16.132857.9640
Reply-To: finnegan@navo.navy.mil
Organization: Grumman Data Systems
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-29527]: corsair.navo.navy.mil

In article <1992Apr15.165156.466@research.nj.nec.com>, dan@research.nj.nec.com (Dan Ruderman) writes:
|> 
|> 	I have an 81 4000 which has been showing some typical Audi
|> 	electrical wierdness.  The current problem is particularly
|> 	disturbing since it's related to the charging system.
|> 
|> 	When I first start the car I can tell that the battery is
|> 	discharging even though the engine is idling.  This is 
|> 	indicated by the hokey voltmeter in the dash.  It is not until
|> 	I rev the engine over about 2800 rpm that the voltage needle
|> 	suddenly pops up to its normal position and stays there for
|> 	the rest of the drive, no matter how low the engine speed
|> 	goes.  I don't hear a relay click in when this happens, so
|> 	I don't know what is making the "decision" to up the voltage.
|>      <parts replaced deleted>
|> 	Anyway, on a freezing cold night the last thing you want to do
|> 	when you just start up is to rev to 3000 rpm so your battery
|> 	doesn't drain.
|> 
|> 	Any advice would be much appreciated.

Dan,  from everything I've ever seen with VW's and Audi's, this is
somewhat normal.  When I crank my GLI, if the revs don't go above
2,000 or so right away, the battery (alt) and OXS lights stay on.
All I have to do is (1) blip the throttle or (2) drive away, and
the lights go out.  Driving away will certainly run your revs up 
enough to cause the lights/gauges to click in.  I don't know why
this happens, but I've owned many VW's, and it was like this on
all of them  (Water cooled). Maybe John Hamill can provide some answers.

|> 	dan@research.nj.nec.com

Kenneth
finnegan@navo.navy.mil
From: stanford@retina.waisman.wisc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Redline vs. Amsoil in SHO transaxle
Date: 6 Apr 92 16:08:30 GMT
Organization: Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison


        I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to find a local source for
Redline MTL to put in the transaxle of my SHO.  In the past, I have noticed
that Amsoil is mentioned sporadically as another replacement lubricant
in the SHO.  This I can find locally.
        Should anyone have experience with Amsoil in the SHO, or information
concerning this application, I would very much appreciate it if you would
pass it along.  E.g., the relative merits of Redline vs. Amsoil, whether
a specific type of Amsoil needs to be used, etc.  Please E-mail to the
following address if you feel that the information is not of sufficient
interest to post to the net.  Thanks in advance.

                                        Larry Stanford
                                        STAINFORD@WAISMAN.WISC.EDU
From: harling@pictel.com (Dan Harling)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: Fuel octane versus power
Date: 8 Apr 92 17:02:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: pictel.1992Apr8.170232.21534
Organization: PictureTel Corporation

In article <5317@nosc.NOSC.MIL> koziarz@halibut.nosc.mil (Walter A. Koziarz) writes:
>higher octane fuel contains *less* energy per unit volume than does lower
>octane fuel.  less energy per unit volume implies that ALL ELSE EQUAL less
>power will be produced by the engine running on high octane than running on low
>octane.  this assumes that the engine management computer system doesn't
>compensate for fuel octane, by the way...

You probably should have also mentioned the advantage of using
higher-octane gasoline: resistance to detonation.  This allows you to
advance the ignition timing, which can result in better performance.
The amount of energy in the fuel is less, but (vaguely speaking) it can
be extracted more effectively.
____________________________________________________________________________
Daniel A. Harling                        (harling@pictel.com)
PictureTel Corp.             Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
Peabody, MA  01960                 PictureTel, but they ought to be!