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The Automotive Discussion Thread

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A

Ash_69

Member
So I took my 350z in to get an MOT done (which it passed with flying colours) and also asked them to check a rattle or knocking noise that occurs when I go over rough roads. After 3 hours of labour, they discovered the issue was with severely worn toe arms (I think that's what they said). Whilst I have a relatively good understanding of cars from a driving perspective, I know little about servicing and the innards.

For those in the know, would having worn toe rods cause such a sound and what would be the cost for having these replaced on both sides at the front of the car? Apparently, they are required to adjust the tracking of the car once done and the bill is fairly substantial. I want to make sure I'm not being bent over.
 
W

whatsinaname

Member
Ash_69 said:
So I took my 350z in to get an MOT done (which it passed with flying colours) and also asked them to check a rattle or knocking noise that occurs when I go over rough roads. After 3 hours of labour, they discovered the issue was with severely worn toe arms (I think that's what they said). Whilst I have a relatively good understanding of cars from a driving perspective, I know little about servicing and the innards.

For those in the know, would having worn toe rods cause such a sound and what would be the cost for having these replaced on both sides at the front of the car? Apparently, they are required to adjust the tracking of the car once done and the bill is fairly substantial. I want to make sure I'm not being bent over.
Click to expand...

Is your 350z stock? Does it even have a toe arm?
 
A

Ash_69

Member
Stock as far as I'm aware. Don't even know what a toe arm is. Do they not come as standard?

I have a 2007 GT pack (UK).
 
D

David Incorporated Esq.

Member
Ash_69 said:
Stock as far as I'm aware. Don't even know what a toe arm is. Do they not come as standard?

I have a 2007 GT pack (UK).
Click to expand...

They're probably talking about your steering tie rods, which can go bad and rattle. For most cars they are cheap to buy and very easy to replace. But yeah it will need another alignment when it's done.

How much did they say it would cost?
 
W

whatsinaname

Member
Ash_69 said:
Stock as far as I'm aware. Don't even know what a toe arm is. Do they not come as standard?

I have a 2007 GT pack (UK).
Click to expand...

Is this in the front or the rear?

It looks like the stock 350z rear set up has an eccentric bolt at the end of a spring bucket to control toe. No toe arms in the rear.

Like Dave said, they might mean the front tie rods.

And yes, tracking adjustment will be required.
 
N

No Love

Banned
Ash_69 said:
So I took my 350z in to get an MOT done (which it passed with flying colours) and also asked them to check a rattle or knocking noise that occurs when I go over rough roads. After 3 hours of labour, they discovered the issue was with severely worn toe arms (I think that's what they said). Whilst I have a relatively good understanding of cars from a driving perspective, I know little about servicing and the innards.

For those in the know, would having worn toe rods cause such a sound and what would be the cost for having these replaced on both sides at the front of the car? Apparently, they are required to adjust the tracking of the car once done and the bill is fairly substantial. I want to make sure I'm not being bent over.
Click to expand...

Yes, youre being bent over. Tie rod ends (thats what they are) are dirt cheap (about 20-30 $ each) and easy to replace (would take you about an hour.) Just do it yourself then go get an alignment. It is a wear part and meant to be replaced easily.
 
Z

Zoolader

Member
Reminds me why I need another little japanese car as a daily. I'll never forgive myself for selling off my Infiniti G20 for a measly $900. The outer tie rods I'm looking to replace on my Audi are about $100 each for factory replacement, but I think I'll just go with Meyle brand for half that price.
 
A

Ash_69

Member
NoLoveForFailWheelDrive said:
Yes, youre being bent over. Tie rod ends (thats what they are) are dirt cheap (about 20-30 $ each) and easy to replace (would take you about an hour.) Just do it yourself then go get an alignment. It is a wear part and meant to be replaced easily.
Click to expand...

It's definitely the front of the car and I'm almost embarrassed at how much they are charging if it is a tie rod issue (over £1000 - £500 of this being labour). It's the high performance centre at Nissan that are doing the work who you would hope are the most reputable garage around...

I shall be ringing tomorrow to confirm what exactly is being done so I can work out whether I should be calling trading standards!
 
N

No Love

Banned
Ash_69 said:
It's definitely the front of the car and I'm almost embarrassed at how much they are charging if it is a tie rod issue (over £1000 - £500 of this being labour). It's the high performance centre at Nissan that are doing the work who you would hope are the most reputable garage around...

I shall be ringing tomorrow to confirm what exactly is being done so I can work out whether I should be calling trading standards!
Click to expand...

Thats disgusting. Thats about 5x more than it should cost.
 
Rhomega Beta

Rhomega Beta

Member
So I saw this at work today:

1381705_682483001764213_539971570_n.jpg


Anyone know what model it is?
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Car and Driver magazine just trolled Porsche 911 fans. They did a huge "50 Years Of 911" blowout this month with a comparison test between the 991 Carrera S and the C7 Corvette.

The Corvette won.

The angry letters to the editor will be epic.

ascii42 said:
Isn't the Challenger refresh coming next year?
Click to expand...
Don't quote me on it, but I believe this is the case.
 
N

No Love

Banned
twinturbo2 said:
Car and Driver magazine just trolled Porsche 911 fans. They did a huge "50 Years Of 911" blowout this month with a comparison test between the 991 Carrera S and the C7 Corvette.

The Corvette won.

The angry letters to the editor will be epic.


Don't quote me on it, but I believe this is the case.
Click to expand...

Well the C7 is a better performer, that's for sure. And the Z07 and ZR1 versione will be frightening, GTR beware. Cant wait to see what GM had planned.
 
P

Pterion

Member
I'd still get the 911 instead of the Corvette for the overall looks. The back end of new Corvette is pretty terrible. It's like they didn't try.

I recently found out that the MP4-12C is ''only'' 250k. Kind of odd, since it is faster than the Ferrari 458 yet significantly cheaper, depending on the market. Maintenance is a killer though. I read close to 40k for an all around brakes change...
 
A

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Ash_69 said:
So I took my 350z in to get an MOT done (which it passed with flying colours) and also asked them to check a rattle or knocking noise that occurs when I go over rough roads. After 3 hours of labour, they discovered the issue was with severely worn toe arms (I think that's what they said). Whilst I have a relatively good understanding of cars from a driving perspective, I know little about servicing and the innards.

For those in the know, would having worn toe rods cause such a sound and what would be the cost for having these replaced on both sides at the front of the car? Apparently, they are required to adjust the tracking of the car once done and the bill is fairly substantial. I want to make sure I'm not being bent over.
Click to expand...

I feel like I know exactly what you're talking about because I had the same issue with my car. Does the sound come from the rear? Is it pretty loud and noticeable? It makes like a slapping clunk noise? Almost sounds like it's coming from INSIDE the car?

Before you do ANYTHING, do this: have them torque down the bolt that runs through the fork of the strut. There was a huge batch of Zs (my 350Z was one of them) where the bolt used wasn't zinc coated (you can tell because it was stainless steel, and not slightly yellow in color) so eventually the tread would rust or chip and strip which left the bolt a little loose creating some play in the strut, as a result.

If you get underneath the car, you'll even notice where the bolt was rubbing around leaving circular imprints. There was a huge thread about it on My350Z.com - I contributed heavily to solving the issue that no dealers could figure out.

Here's an audio clip of how mine sounded: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM2PyYkWcz8

http://my350z.com/forum/maintenance-and-repair/409947-rattling-clunking-in-rear-7.html
 
N

N-Bomb

Member
reilo said:
Because it came out in 1999? The F430 is better looking.
Click to expand...

Yes, I base my tastes on a number.

The 430 has squinty-eyes, stupid tail lights, and an odd-looking front air dam. The profile is not as curvy, and it has a big gay retardo-diffuser in the rear.



twinturbo2 said:
Dodge teams up with Ron Burgundy for a series of Dodge Durango ads. Hilarity ensues.

http://m.leftlanenews.com/dodge-ron-burgundy-team-up-for-durango-ad-campaign.html
Click to expand...

These are kind of amusing, but also kind of... feeling off. :\
 
A

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
N-Bomb said:
Yes, I base my tastes on a number.

The 430 has squinty-eyes, stupid tail lights, and an odd-looking front air dam. The profile is not as curvy, and it has a big gay retardo-diffuser in the rear.
Click to expand...

Dude, what the fuck is wrong with your homophobia?
 
W

whatsinaname

Member
DRLs are not a mandated feature on new US cars right? I sometimes wish they were. Especially on days like today when people don't turn on their headlights in really heavy rain/ poor visibility conditions.
 
B

bcl0328

Member
whatsinaname said:
DRLs are not a mandated feature on new US cars right? I sometimes wish they were. Especially on days like today when people don't turn on their headlights in really heavy rain/ poor visibility conditions.
Click to expand...

i thought they were? i turn mine off. look like shit. but i leave auto headlights on.
 
N

N-Bomb

Member
AlphaSnake said:
Don't be a coy asshole.
Click to expand...

Then don't play at being offended, please.


whatsinaname said:
DRLs are not a mandated feature on new US cars right? I sometimes wish they were. Especially on days like today when people don't turn on their headlights in really heavy rain/ poor visibility conditions.
Click to expand...

I know they've been law in Canada since the late 80s, US - not sure. the MS6 my friend imported from the US didn't have DRLs and needed to be retrofitted to be legal here.
 
Y

YuriLowell

Member
Ordered Comp Stage 2 Clutch and AEM wideband gauge. Time to find someone who can put this clutch in because fuuuuuuuck doing it myself.
 
W

whatsinaname

Member
YuriLowell said:
Its normally manufacturer specific, but the higher up the stage number the more torque a clutch will hold, and the harder it becomes to drive it on the street.
Click to expand...

Oh, so it is based on the manufacturer of the aftermarket parts. Stage 2 from one brand might be different from stage 2 of another brand. I had assumed that all stage 2s on a particular car model have the same specs.
 
C

chickdigger802

Banned
So how big of a deal is the sun to car's paint?

Dad's been like, new car, you gotta leave it in parking garages and what not or the sun is gonna ruin the paint and interior or something...

I'm sure these new cars been outside in dealer lots for a while...
 
Y

YuriLowell

Member
chickdigger802 said:
So how big of a deal is the sun to car's paint?

Dad's been like, new car, you gotta leave it in parking garages and what not or the sun is gonna ruin the paint and interior or something...

I'm sure these new cars been outside in dealer lots for a while...
Click to expand...

The sun destroys paint over time.
Japanese paint is the worst.

Also make sure you do a good wax at least once a year to help protect the paint from the sun.

I am not the auto detailing master so someone else might have a more detailed answer.
 
A

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
chickdigger802 said:
So how big of a deal is the sun to car's paint?

Dad's been like, new car, you gotta leave it in parking garages and what not or the sun is gonna ruin the paint and interior or something...

I'm sure these new cars been outside in dealer lots for a while...
Click to expand...

Where do you live?

He has a point if you want to be extreme about it. Sun damages clearcoat that hasn't been maintained and kept up well. If you're clearcoat becomes too thin the sun will literally burn through it and expose the actual paint beneath and start fading the paint away.

Your clearcoat is ruined from a lack of washing, lack of waxing, poor overall cleanliness of the car, on top of using shitty auto/machine washes that leave swirlmarks and damage your clearcoat as a result.

Regarding interior damage, you have a BR-Z...I believe partially leather seats are standard on the car right? Excessive sun exposure dries out leather, and the leather will then crack. Leather conditioners will rejuvenate the oils your leather needs to prevent from cracking. But again, key word is excessive. I'm talking having your car sitting outside for 8 hours a day under the burning sun all the time.
 
J

jongkookie

Member
chickdigger802 said:
So how big of a deal is the sun to car's paint?

Dad's been like, new car, you gotta leave it in parking garages and what not or the sun is gonna ruin the paint and interior or something...

I'm sure these new cars been outside in dealer lots for a while...
Click to expand...

Not as much as it was in the past. My Miata is 7 years old now and parking it next to my bro's 2013 MS3 with the same paint, there's practically no difference in the paint. Looks like it just came out of the factory floor.

But just wash it every month and wax once or twice a year. I clay mine once a year then wax mine every 4 months and in between I use a quick detailer after a monthly wash.

Go with a Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash shampoo then stick with Mothers, Meguiar's or Turtle Wax Ice for wax and detailing. There's other better brands out there but they're usually expensive and you can't find them in your local PepAutoReilly brick and mortar stores. Get decent towels, mitts and brushes as well. Not only do they clean better, they make it easier to handwash as well.

My leather seats have gone bust though. Ignoring the fact that Mazda uses shitty leather for their cars, mine's gotten really stiff and leather conditioning doesn't seem to help so I've given up on it. I might just buy a pleather seat cover if I don't swap the seats in the future.
 
C

chickdigger802

Banned
brz is synthetic leather here and there and the seats are mostly alcantara.


So how often should one reaaaally wash their car? I'm fine with it not looking pristine at all times, but i don't want stuff to be permanently damaged from lack of care.
 
S

SummitAve

Banned
chickdigger802 said:
brz is synthetic leather here and there and the seats are mostly alcantara.


So how often should one reaaaally wash their car? I'm fine with it not looking pristine at all times, but i don't want stuff to be permanently damaged from lack of care.
Click to expand...

I shoot for once a week, especially in the winter.
 
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