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RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/23/2017 10:16:13 PM   
Lokasenna


Posts: 9297
Joined: 3/3/2012
From: Iowan in MD/DC
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: bomccarthy


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy


quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

A few days ago, my auto-minded son told me about Mercedes going through a massive redesign of one of its vehicles in the mid 1980s. The changes included lights (green, yellow, red) that indicated the oil level (state of the art stuff, at the time). After changing the oil, a mechanic then had to flip a switch to reset the light to "green." The engineers put that switch somewhere behind the engine. In order to get access to it, the auto repair guy had to loosen the engine mount and move the engine, thus making a simple oil change incredibly expensive.

Germany engineering is fabulous (I hear, though I've never owned a state-of-the-art German vehicle, airplane or tank), but sometimes the littlest things....

Sometimes I think the designs must be a way of making sure the dealerships can charge huge amounts for labour and thus keep their loyalty to Mercedes (or whatever manufacturer). I remember having a tail light go out (can't remember which car model though), and the only non-destructive way to change it required removal of body panels to expose the back of the tail light module, which then had to be totally removed before you could get to the bulb! And of course every auto maker has their own proprietary bulbs! It's a plot, I say!


It definitely is... on the luxury lines. Buy a Ford or a Chevy and it's not that way.

Cadillac, BMW, and Mercedes have always been that way.


Not always - years ago a tail lamp bulb burned out on my 2001 BMW 330i. The dash display showed the location of the bad bulb and the owners handbook showed how to reach the bulb from inside the trunk/boot (an access panel that unscrewed with a coin). The operation took ten minutes and a $2 bulb from the local Pep Boys.

This was a major contrast with replacing a front daytime running lamp on my 1998 Camaro - the bulb wasn't expensive but it took an hour to figure out a way to get a socket wrench to the back of the light from underneath the front air dam, with the help of a handheld mirror and a flashlight.


Well that's a nice handbook .

These days, I use the internet. My cars are 1997 and 2001. There isn't a nice handbook for them, but Google usually has something.

(in reply to bomccarthy)
Post #: 31
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/24/2017 5:23:36 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline


quote:

ORIGINAL: bomccarthy

Not always - years ago a tail lamp bulb burned out on my 2001 BMW 330i. The dash display showed the location of the bad bulb and the owners handbook showed how to reach the bulb from inside the trunk/boot (an access panel that unscrewed with a coin). The operation took ten minutes and a $2 bulb from the local Pep Boys.

This was a major contrast with replacing a front daytime running lamp on my 1998 Camaro - the bulb wasn't expensive but it took an hour to figure out a way to get a socket wrench to the back of the light from underneath the front air dam, with the help of a handheld mirror and a flashlight.


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
Well that's a nice handbook .

These days, I use the internet. My cars are 1997 and 2001. There isn't a nice handbook for them, but Google usually has something.


My old car was a 1992 Buick I bought new and I bought the shop manual for it. Came in handy a number of times.

My SO had a 96 Subaru Outback that is still a daily driver for her ex (she gave it to him when she got a 2013 Subaru). It was a very reliable car, but she upgraded the headlights and there was something with the new headlight kit that it ate headlights. I had to replace at least one a year. One side wasn't too bad, but the other side required taking apart a bunch of stuff in the engine compartment. I always groaned when she said the light on that side was out and put off replacing it as long as I could.

The irony is she's the gear head of the family. Her father owned a couple of car dealerships and she grew up fixing cars with her father and working in his dealership as a teen and I never cared much about them. But somehow I'm the one who ends up having to do car maintenance things.

She still tells the story sometimes of our second "date". She was in Portland at the time and I was in Seattle. She came up to see me and we went to the store to pick up supplies for dinner. On the way back I noticed the alternator light was on with my car. She asked how old the battery was and I had to think about it. It was the original battery and the car was 6 1/2 years old at that point. So after we ate we went down to the auto parts store and got a new battery. I couldn't get my hand down into the gap to reach the retaining nut, but she could. She reached down there, felt the nut and told me what size socket she needed. She was right. She got the retaining nut off and we were able to swap the battery.

And it turned out it wasn't the battery, it was the alternator. The original battery outlived the original alternator.

I had that car 24 years and it still had the original starter as well as a number of other things when I sold it. Except for a bit of carpet wear, the interior looked brand new. My mechanic wanted to buy it because it was in such good condition, but unfortunately he died about a year before I replaced the car. I did find an enthusiast who wanted to replace a totaled car so I think it's in good hands.

I've sometimes said I have good carma. Whenever a car has decided to have something happen, it's always been in a convenient place and I've never had anything catastrophic happen. Knock on wood.

Bill

_____________________________

WitP AE - Test team lead, programmer

(in reply to Lokasenna)
Post #: 32
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/24/2017 11:47:43 PM   
bomccarthy


Posts: 414
Joined: 9/6/2013
From: L.A.
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: wdolson


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
Well that's a nice handbook .

These days, I use the internet. My cars are 1997 and 2001. There isn't a nice handbook for them, but Google usually has something.


My old car was a 1992 Buick I bought new and I bought the shop manual for it. Came in handy a number of times.

My SO had a 96 Subaru Outback that is still a daily driver for her ex (she gave it to him when she got a 2013 Subaru). It was a very reliable car, but she upgraded the headlights and there was something with the new headlight kit that it ate headlights. I had to replace at least one a year. One side wasn't too bad, but the other side required taking apart a bunch of stuff in the engine compartment. I always groaned when she said the light on that side was out and put off replacing it as long as I could.

The irony is she's the gear head of the family. Her father owned a couple of car dealerships and she grew up fixing cars with her father and working in his dealership as a teen and I never cared much about them. But somehow I'm the one who ends up having to do car maintenance things.

She still tells the story sometimes of our second "date". She was in Portland at the time and I was in Seattle. She came up to see me and we went to the store to pick up supplies for dinner. On the way back I noticed the alternator light was on with my car. She asked how old the battery was and I had to think about it. It was the original battery and the car was 6 1/2 years old at that point. So after we ate we went down to the auto parts store and got a new battery. I couldn't get my hand down into the gap to reach the retaining nut, but she could. She reached down there, felt the nut and told me what size socket she needed. She was right. She got the retaining nut off and we were able to swap the battery.

And it turned out it wasn't the battery, it was the alternator. The original battery outlived the original alternator.

I had that car 24 years and it still had the original starter as well as a number of other things when I sold it. Except for a bit of carpet wear, the interior looked brand new. My mechanic wanted to buy it because it was in such good condition, but unfortunately he died about a year before I replaced the car. I did find an enthusiast who wanted to replace a totaled car so I think it's in good hands.

I've sometimes said I have good carma. Whenever a car has decided to have something happen, it's always been in a convenient place and I've never had anything catastrophic happen. Knock on wood.

Bill


I stopped doing "major" work on my cars back in the mid-90s. The OBD-II systems in cars after 1997 (I think) essentially required software diagnoses for engines and the newer systems even use software checks for brake jobs, etc. A battery replacement in my 2009 328i requires that the new battery be initialized with the car's computer, or else the alternator might overcharge the new battery (there have been a few cases of battery explosions). With run-flat tires, I don't even have a spare, so no more side-of-the-road tire changes. I believe my 2005 Z-4 was the last BMW with an engine oil dipstick - BMW is afraid of overly cautious owners overfilling the sump and then coming in to the dealer with a damaged engine during the free scheduled maintenance period.

On the plus side, cars nowadays are much more reliable (for the most part) than what we drove in the 70s and 80s. Plus, they're faster and they handle better ....

(in reply to wdolson)
Post #: 33
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/25/2017 8:39:25 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: bomccarthy

I stopped doing "major" work on my cars back in the mid-90s. The OBD-II systems in cars after 1997 (I think) essentially required software diagnoses for engines and the newer systems even use software checks for brake jobs, etc. A battery replacement in my 2009 328i requires that the new battery be initialized with the car's computer, or else the alternator might overcharge the new battery (there have been a few cases of battery explosions). With run-flat tires, I don't even have a spare, so no more side-of-the-road tire changes. I believe my 2005 Z-4 was the last BMW with an engine oil dipstick - BMW is afraid of overly cautious owners overfilling the sump and then coming in to the dealer with a damaged engine during the free scheduled maintenance period.

On the plus side, cars nowadays are much more reliable (for the most part) than what we drove in the 70s and 80s. Plus, they're faster and they handle better ....


My new car doesn't have a dip stick either. It also doesn't have an engine to put oil into.

The new car doesn't have run flats, but doesn't have a spare either. I did get one of those emergency tire repair kits and stashed it in the car. I've thought about getting a temporary spare to take on trips, but I haven't pursued it. From what I've read a lot of new cars don't have spares these days. My SO thought that was nuts, but she bought from one of the few car makers that still put spares in all their cars: Subaru.

I don't really like working on cars and my rule of thumb was to never do anything to the car that had the potential to take it out of service for more than a day. I did fix the bumper on my old car after a fender bender accident (more like broken plastic). The outer bumper just had a crack in it that I fixed by epoxying a flattened soda can on the bottom side. The inner bumper was more severely damaged and had to be replaced. We both spent an afternoon cursing like sailors because to remove the bolts, the socket wrench could only turn a very tiny bit. We had two sockets so both of us could attack a bolt, but it took a very long time. I seem to recall having to reseat the wrench on the bolt after every micro turn. It wasn't difficult, just painful after a while.

Most of the other things I've done are replacing a speaker, replacing the trunk release solenoid, replacing a door switch, and other things like that. The shop manual was great for telling me ahead of time where the fasteners were and how to get them off.

Even for things like oil changes I took it somewhere. My ex-brother-in-law showed me how to change the oil and I did it once on the car I had at the time, but after that I was too lazy to get all mucky changing oil. I always kept a few quarts of oil around in case a car needed oil between oil changes and my Buick usually needed about half a quart between changes, my SO's Subarus are worse at burning/leaking oil. She usually needs 1 - 1 1/2 quarts between oil changes. Both her Subarus are like that and it's a fairly steady loss. It's never gotten worse.

Bill

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(in reply to bomccarthy)
Post #: 34
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/25/2017 4:38:05 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		Car manufacturers have every reason to NOT put a spare tire in new cars. Those that do not acquire one and get a flat out in the sticks will be obliged to pay a huge price for a repair service to visit them, or drive on the rim and destroy it - which will require buying a new, overpriced rim from the manufacturer.

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to wdolson)
Post #: 35
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/27/2017 11:58:17 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Car manufacturers have every reason to NOT put a spare tire in new cars. Those that do not acquire one and get a flat out in the sticks will be obliged to pay a huge price for a repair service to visit them, or drive on the rim and destroy it - which will require buying a new, overpriced rim from the manufacturer.


Now that so many cars have alloy wheels instead of steel wheels with hub caps, you are pretty much locked into buying a rim from the manufacturer if you want one that matches. Also don't get me started on the fad with low profile tires. True they can improve performance a little bit in some situations, but for overall ride comfort and rim protection, I'd much rather have more rubber and less rim. With my new car 19" rims were the smallest available. I would have taken 17" if they were offered, but it appears the brake discs are big enough that about an 18" would be the smallest rim you could put on there.

Woops, I guess I did get started...

Bill


_____________________________

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(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 36
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/27/2017 5:47:20 PM   
Lord_Calidor


Posts: 402
Joined: 3/25/2005
From: Rijeka, CRO
Status: offline 		I came here looking for Japanese plane research. Now I know how to change the oil on an old Mercedes, light bulbs on BMW and Subaru, and a rear tire on a Pontiac.
The wonders of life!

_____________________________

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage.

(in reply to wdolson)
Post #: 37
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/27/2017 11:43:27 PM   
bomccarthy


Posts: 414
Joined: 9/6/2013
From: L.A.
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: wdolson


quote:

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Car manufacturers have every reason to NOT put a spare tire in new cars. Those that do not acquire one and get a flat out in the sticks will be obliged to pay a huge price for a repair service to visit them, or drive on the rim and destroy it - which will require buying a new, overpriced rim from the manufacturer.


Now that so many cars have alloy wheels instead of steel wheels with hub caps, you are pretty much locked into buying a rim from the manufacturer if you want one that matches. Also don't get me started on the fad with low profile tires. True they can improve performance a little bit in some situations, but for overall ride comfort and rim protection, I'd much rather have more rubber and less rim. With my new car 19" rims were the smallest available. I would have taken 17" if they were offered, but it appears the brake discs are big enough that about an 18" would be the smallest rim you could put on there.

Woops, I guess I did get started...

Bill



Low profile tires actually improve cornering a lot. They're probably the main reason why a modern street car can run rings around a 1960s-era production-based race car on a road course. The problem is that manufacturers have gone a little extreme on some models - I don't think that anyone really needs a tire with an aspect ratio of 40 or less on the street (50 would likely satisfy most of us who enjoy spirited canyon driving).

(in reply to wdolson)
Post #: 38
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 12:58:00 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Lord_Calidor

I came here looking for Japanese plane research. Now I know how to change the oil on an old Mercedes, light bulbs on BMW and Subaru, and a rear tire on a Pontiac.
The wonders of life!


Topic drift happens. It's much worse on another forum I've belonged to since the 1990s.

Bill

_____________________________

WitP AE - Test team lead, programmer

(in reply to Lord_Calidor)
Post #: 39
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 1:07:53 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: bomccarthy

Low profile tires actually improve cornering a lot. They're probably the main reason why a modern street car can run rings around a 1960s-era production-based race car on a road course. The problem is that manufacturers have gone a little extreme on some models - I don't think that anyone really needs a tire with an aspect ratio of 40 or less on the street (50 would likely satisfy most of us who enjoy spirited canyon driving).


My new car has 45 aspect ratio tires and my old car came with P235/70R15s.

I would prefer at least a 50. I rarely worried about curb rash or potholes with my old car. If the wheels contacted the curb, it would always be rubber meeting the curb unless it was unusually high.

Cars today handle a lot better than cars of old in large part because of traction control systems and such. A modern car and a 1960s car with the same tires and about the same weight, the modern car would probably be able to hold the curves much better because of the modern suspension and electronics. The tires contribute to better handling, people who got the 21 inch wheels for my model of car say that it corners better than with the 19s, but they also only get 15,000 miles out of a set of tires.

Anyway, probably should get back on topic, or split this off into an OT thread.

Anymore discussion on Japanese A/C research?

Bill

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WitP AE - Test team lead, programmer

(in reply to bomccarthy)
Post #: 40
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 2:05:34 AM   
InfiniteMonkey

 

Posts: 355
Joined: 9/16/2016
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: wdolson


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lord_Calidor

I came here looking for Japanese plane research. Now I know how to change the oil on an old Mercedes, light bulbs on BMW and Subaru, and a rear tire on a Pontiac.
The wonders of life!


Topic drift happens. It's much worse on another forum I've belonged to since the 1990s.

Bill

Whaddaya mean... Oh look a cat.....




Attachment (1)

< Message edited by InfiniteMonkey -- 2/28/2017 3:38:22 AM >

(in reply to wdolson)
Post #: 41
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 2:26:30 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: InfiniteMonkey
Whaddaya mean... Oh look a cat.....


Two!






Attachment (1)

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Post #: 42
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 5:13:30 AM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline 		The cat on the right appears to have been caught channeling a demon!

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No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to wdolson)
Post #: 43
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 5:49:56 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline
That's Squirrel, the other one is Moose. Squirrel lives up to her name, though she's sleeping while leaning up against me on the couch at the moment.

Bill

_____________________________

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(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 44
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 2:19:13 PM   
Hotei

 

Posts: 110
Joined: 1/30/2017
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Lord_Calidor

I came here looking for Japanese plane research. Now I know how to change the oil on an old Mercedes, light bulbs on BMW and Subaru, and a rear tire on a Pontiac.
The wonders of life!



Clearly an allied operation to derail the research.

(in reply to Lord_Calidor)
Post #: 45
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 2:52:27 PM   
Jorge_Stanbury


Posts: 4320
Joined: 2/29/2012
From: Toronto and Lima
Status: offline 		No spare/ flat tires on new cars???
it is like designing a Zero without self-sealing tanks, and we all know how that ended

that is outrageous! if I am paying a ton of $$$ for a new car, I expect to have at least a flat tire to take me out of trouble

(in reply to Hotei)
Post #: 46
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 3:00:56 PM   
BBfanboy


Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

No spare/ flat tires on new cars???
it is like designing a Zero without self-sealing tanks, and we all know how that ended

that is outrageous! if I am paying a ton of $$$ for a new car, I expect to have at least a flat tire to take me out of trouble

To be sure, a flat tire is one that has been damaged and will not hold air. I think you mean a spare tire (full sized or "doughnut" - the latter limited to max 80 km per hour use).

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to Jorge_Stanbury)
Post #: 47
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 3:19:56 PM   
Jorge_Stanbury


Posts: 4320
Joined: 2/29/2012
From: Toronto and Lima
Status: offline 		a typo, thanks

Yes, I meant temporary use tires... those hard rubber tires you can use for short distances, at lower speed
or run-flat tires if they want to save weight

< Message edited by Jorge_Stanbury -- 2/28/2017 3:24:57 PM >

(in reply to BBfanboy)
Post #: 48
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 8:54:40 PM   
rustysi


Posts: 7472
Joined: 2/21/2012
From: LI, NY
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: wdolson


quote:

ORIGINAL: Lord_Calidor

I came here looking for Japanese plane research. Now I know how to change the oil on an old Mercedes, light bulbs on BMW and Subaru, and a rear tire on a Pontiac.
The wonders of life!


Topic drift happens. It's much worse on another forum I've belonged to since the 1990s.

Bill


Besides the links that were provided in the first few posts pretty much say it all.

_____________________________

It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once. Hume

In every party there is one member who by his all-too-devout pronouncement of the party principles provokes the others to apostasy. Nietzsche

Cave ab homine unius libri. Ltn Prvb

(in reply to wdolson)
Post #: 49
RE: Japanese A/C Research Accleration thread - 2/28/2017 9:16:58 PM   
bomccarthy


Posts: 414
Joined: 9/6/2013
From: L.A.
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: wdolson


quote:

ORIGINAL: bomccarthy

Low profile tires actually improve cornering a lot. They're probably the main reason why a modern street car can run rings around a 1960s-era production-based race car on a road course. The problem is that manufacturers have gone a little extreme on some models - I don't think that anyone really needs a tire with an aspect ratio of 40 or less on the street (50 would likely satisfy most of us who enjoy spirited canyon driving).


My new car has 45 aspect ratio tires and my old car came with P235/70R15s.

I would prefer at least a 50. I rarely worried about curb rash or potholes with my old car. If the wheels contacted the curb, it would always be rubber meeting the curb unless it was unusually high.

Cars today handle a lot better than cars of old in large part because of traction control systems and such. A modern car and a 1960s car with the same tires and about the same weight, the modern car would probably be able to hold the curves much better because of the modern suspension and electronics. The tires contribute to better handling, people who got the 21 inch wheels for my model of car say that it corners better than with the 19s, but they also only get 15,000 miles out of a set of tires.

Anyway, probably should get back on topic, or split this off into an OT thread.

Anymore discussion on Japanese A/C research?

Bill

quote:

War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition


Good idea about a new thread: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4245737&mpage=1&key=�

(in reply to wdolson)
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