Thorp and Sailor's Grave Board

Fixing your car.

MikeResist - 6-19-2009 at 11:45 AM

Guess a good way to start my first thread on this board is in the hate section.

My car needs a charcoal canister which I guess has to do with the exhaust. I also need my serpentine belt fixed and an inspection sticker.

This puts me out 600+

:sniff:

barc0debaby - 6-19-2009 at 03:56 PM

Does the belt just need to be replaced? You can probably get the belt and canister for under 50. I don't know how difficult replacing the canister is but I can ask around at work. What kind of car do you have?


MikeResist - 6-19-2009 at 04:25 PM

2005 Scion XA

The canister is just under $300 according to my friends garage.

I hate my car, so it pains me putting money into it.

BDx13 - 6-19-2009 at 04:39 PM

that's the worst, when you hate the ride and it costs you.

barc0debaby - 6-19-2009 at 08:49 PM

Yeah I was way off on the canister. I don't deal much with shit like that. I guess the canister problem is common on xa's

MikeResist - 6-20-2009 at 12:31 PM

I swear sometimes I feel like me entire car is made out of plastic. I'm surprised the thing even drives. You know, I just get that feeling it's very cheaply made. My fault for buying the thing I guess. I have a year left on it then goodbye car payments, that will be a sweet sweet day.

JawnDiablo - 6-20-2009 at 08:27 PM

what the hell is a charcoal canister anyway?
ive been playing with cars since i was 15 and this doesnt ring a bell...

MikeResist - 6-20-2009 at 10:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by juandiablo
what the hell is a charcoal canister anyway?
ive been playing with cars since i was 15 and this doesnt ring a bell...


I had no idea what it was either. So I was talking to my buddy who works at the garage it's being fixed at. He sent me this over AIM.

CHARCOAL CANISTER

Related Terms
• Emission Control System
term3

Definition: A storage device in the evaporative emissions control system. It is a small cylindrical or rectangular container that contains activated charcoal particles. The charcoal traps gasoline vapors from the fuel tank (and carburetor on older vehicles). Later, the vapors are purged and drawn into the engine when the vehicle is being driven.

JawnDiablo - 6-22-2009 at 12:50 PM

like an EGR valve (emissions gas return)?
or a PCV valve (positive crankcase ventilation) which dumps the gasses back into the intake to be recirculated....
I looked it up and saw a few photos.
My car is a 2000 civic but havent ever heard about one for my model.
jinx....it'll now need to be replaced next week....

MikeResist - 6-22-2009 at 08:43 PM

I pick my car up tomorrow. Goodbye money. Sucky thing about this part and my car, ALWAYS hard to find the parts. The garage won't even have the part until tomorrow.

JawnDiablo - 11-5-2010 at 12:07 PM

all the lights in my cars interior suddenly stopped working.
except the turn signals and idiot lights.
its a hack to drive at night now.

newbreedbrian - 11-5-2010 at 01:57 PM

Sounds like a blown fuse Juan, should be pretty easy to fix.

JawnDiablo - 11-5-2010 at 03:21 PM

I replaced the alleged fuse but it didn't quite do the trick.
It comes on and off as it pleases.
Might be a loose wire that I am not about to go and pop open the dash to mess with.
With 10.5 nearly trouble free years and 150k miles on it I have come to accept these strange problems....

newbreedbrian - 11-5-2010 at 11:10 PM

Cool, hard to say without looking just threw it out there as the most likely solution based on what you said. Bad relay, loose connections, water etc are certainly other possible problems. Good to hear it's been a workhorse otherwise.

JawnDiablo - 11-15-2010 at 09:52 PM

thinking it is a shaky dimmer dial. today i punched it and it stayed on all day.
the Fonz prevails

lifeisabitch - 11-16-2010 at 01:09 AM

i am putting my '83 volvo station wagon to rest...

the number of things wrong with car is greater than the number of things right with it...
no lights, clutch is about dead, windows leak, the odometer is stuck at 275K
no heat, no a/c, the rear hatch is broken so I can't leave anything in the car...

I hate to give up, but for the money to try to get i back into drivable shape, I can buy something better....

the only things that have quit since i have owned it the last year are the lights and the clutch

lifeisabitch - 12-7-2010 at 01:19 AM

$80.00 and 4 hours and the car is running well
guess I'll keep it

BDx13 - 12-7-2010 at 08:16 AM

i get the impression maybe not everything on your list got fixed for $80!

lifeisabitch - 12-7-2010 at 12:29 PM

not everything but it's drivable and nothing to stress over

Johnny_Whistle - 12-7-2010 at 02:13 PM

Anyone know a mechanic in Southeastern Mass who's willing to fix an O2 sensor on a 2002 Saturn L200 for...you know, free? I've had a reject sticker on my car for about a year and a half now.

JawnDiablo - 12-8-2010 at 09:18 PM

it's actually a pretty easy job, it's the resetting of the cars computer that makes it a pain the average joe can't do

JawnDiablo - 12-17-2010 at 05:11 PM

yesterday some broad who was driving her SUV too fast in the snow spun out and becasue of it I drove into a concrete barrier trying to avoid her.
Barely any body damage to speak of aside from a dent in the fender and some scrapes.
The real bitch is that it destroyed my rack & pinion.
It's gonna be $1003.00 to repair it with the labor and allignment.
stinks. but luckily I managed to hoard a bunch of money in the last 6 months.
The body repair I can do myself in the spring. I will be replacing the driver side fender and the bumper cover.
I have access to parts and it shouldn't be too hard.
I did the front end on this car seen below for my bud Ed back in April.
Turned out pretty well as you can see. He paid me in beer and 5 guys cheeseburgers. I refused his money, which he tried forcing in my pocket, because I 've been friends with the dude since I was a kid.

before:


after: