No reverse lamps

[bowtie_dude]

Ok, the reverse lights on my Crapalier don't work. And since they are BOTH out, chances are its not a light bulb issue, so that leads to electrical. I don't think the fuse is blown as the fuse I pulled that was marked for reverse lamps was also powering something else that DID work. It was suggested by Valvoline mechanic that it may be something in the shifter lever, as I drive a manual. Anyone have any idea? I'm not TOO worried about it, as I live in the city and the streets and parking lots are lit fairly well, but I'd like to get this fixed because I don't like to have anything on my car NOT working.

[chris]

pull the bulbs out and test the sockets with a volt meter. if there's no voltage when you shift to reverse (you can do this without the engine running, i should point out), it's probably the reverse light switch. remove the center console and shifter boot, and locate the switch. check continuity with it in and out of reverse. wiggle it to see if you can get it to work. then fix or replace it.

[Sixty8panther]

Many times bulbs will burn out very close to eachother timewise. One day I had every bulb on the Caddy and the next both blinkers went...

[chris]

i once had a lady come into shop class back in high school with a brake light switch and a ford explorer (well, mercury mountaineer). i was like, how are you so sure? she said, both brake lights are out, as is the third brake light! i said, let me test them. she said, no, install the switch. so i did, and they didn't work. turns out all the bulbs had burnt out, starting with the top light, and then the left and right ones in short order from one another. SCORE ONE FOR CHRIS

[Flybrian]

Sooo...is everyone's car going to break in some fashion this week?

[Cory Wolfe]

Um... mine hasn't broke this week.. yet. :P Anyways, there's nothing wrong without having reverse lights. Or green ones for that matter... :D Which reminds me, I need to replace those just for the hell of it. :lol:

[sciguy_0504]

My car isn't broken but it looks like crap, literally. There are tons of birds at the train station and most of last week I parked under trees/tall bushes so you know what happened. I cleaned it this weekend and this morning I was running late so I didn't care where I parked. You should see it.

[ocnblu]

I had a flat tire today on the way home for lunch, bleh. And the "jack" they give you sucks. I need to get a floor jack to keep in my garage. I ran over the weirdest looking screw.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... I'm in the process of taking my front end apart (for no reason really, I just want to find out what bulb it takes as it looks like I got the wrong kind.) Does that count? :P Also... w00t! In the meantime I got a cool-blue license plate light. :D Yay!

[Cory Wolfe]

Sooo...is everyone's car going to break in some fashion this week?

Um... mine hasn't broke this week.. yet.

Yet was such a key word... wasn't it?

I had an interesting experience with my GA today. Not a good one and I think it's a sign that I should sell it before something happens to it and drops its value severly.

So... I was just leaving Brookville heading east on 322. I was following a van down a hill. At the bottom, there is a road on the right side that heads to Knox Dale, which is 2 miles from my house. Directly after there is a big, steep hill. I'm going to my grandparents that is a mile after you hit the top. Anyways, this van slows down to turn right. That ruins my momentum to go up the hill. So I have to keep it in third until I reach about 70 mph to even use 4th. I don't to shift into 4th, though. Well, as my rpms are in the process of rising (Quad4s hate to rev), this Durango comes up to me and tailgates me. Soon enough I reach the speed limit (55mph) and he still tailgates me. I don't like that very well, mind you. I decide to "show him" by leaving him in the dust, so to say. Well, I do just that by bringing it up about 75... in third. I am just below the rev-limiter. I start to smell something. It smells like I cooked my motor. Atleast that's what it smelled like.... It still ran fine and all gauges showed no problems. On my way home, however, it felt weaker. That and it didn't sound right. IDK, in both instances there wasn't much of difference between how it usually ran, but a difference none-the-less.

So... I guess yet was just the right word for what I said earlier.

[Cory Wolfe]

2.3L Quad4.... and seriously, I can't say which it was. I usually don't smell stuff like that... All I know is that it didn't smell pretty and definitely smelled like I cooked it. Kind of like exhaust mixed with coolant if I had to guess, but it definitely wasn't gas.

[Cory Wolfe]

Makes sense as it never was perfect in the first place... It was leaking at one time but seems to have fixed itself. I probably made it start leaking again or possibly worse. It wasn't smoking like when it was, though... So IDK. But that definitely crossed my mind when it happened. Just forgot to type about it.

[jmore1276]

I had a flat tire today on the way home for lunch, bleh.  And the "jack" they give you sucks.  I need to get a floor jack to keep in my garage.  I ran over the weirdest looking screw.

[post="39984"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Don't tell me, the screw was a furniture leg fastener. I got 2 flats from those in my lifetime of driving...real wide screw head right?
Blame the garbage man......... :angry:

[Sixty8panther]

i once had a lady come into shop class back in high school with a brake light switch and a ford explorer (well, mercury mountaineer).  i was like, how are you so sure?...

turns out all the bulbs had burnt out, starting with the top light, and then the left and right ones in short order from one another.

[post="39863"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Ford lincoln/Mercurys are notrorious for crappy brake light switches... I had to snap mine back into position on my '87 Cougar like four times in the time I owned the car. (two years) Each time it was thanks to friendly motorists who spent the time/energy to let me know I was brake-light -less.

Still I do miss that car. The digital dahs on it was awsome! Ubber-80s in a wicked cool way.



Now as far as reverse lights I traded the "super-white" blue bulbs out of that crapbox Mazda I bought with the regular bulbs in my Datsun and waht a differance. These guys light up SOOO much brighter.

[ocnblu]

Well jmore, judging from what was left of it, it almost looked like a hex head, but it had what appeared to be a white ceramic-looking washer or bushing. Strange stuff, almost evil... :unsure:

[Sixty8panther]

I got a flat once from what I would swear to be something along the lines of flack form a WWII air raid. Like a B17 had flown over Rt.495, got slammed wiht a direct hit and a huge rivet holding on a vital component got blown off/ripped at a very severe angle (like a piece fo shrapnel out of a comic book) and then landed on the highway for me to pickup wiht my Oldsmobile's Michellin tire. Somehow this pice of metal ended up sharp on all three of it's "triangular" corners. I stil have it at my Parent's house in a drawer somewhere.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well, well, well... You know how I said "I think it's a sign that I should sell it before something happens to it and drops its value severly."? Well I'm already too late. On my way to school this morning, I noticed all sorts of problems. First was that it absolutely could not go up hills. This one that I can usually go up it in 4th... Only 2nd wouldn't bog down. Also, oil pressure was in the red zone... or atleast damn near it. Temp wasn't in the red zone, but it was alot higher than normal at about 220. Then when I shut it off and got out of it... I heard something spraying. I didn't have time to look at it then as I had to get to class and it was f**king freezing and raining. After school I couldn't visually see any signs of something spraying earlier. Also, oil was at the correct level, but it was alot dirtier than when I checked it a few days earlier. I tried checking coolant level... but damn, it's hard to tell. I think it looked extremely low, though. Maybe that might have been what was spraying... IDK. Anyways, on my way home, it ran like crap. Completely powerless, tinny sounding, and gauges showing close to dangerous readings. I had to baby it home... So, I wonder how much it's worth now... :rolleyes: :(

[Sixty8panther]

Wow, that sucks. :( Sorry to hear that. Have you done a tune-up to that car since you've had it? Battery okay?

[Cory Wolfe]

Nope... haven't really done much to it performace wise. Just never really had the money, time, nor dedication to. But I'm glad to report that the battery is A-O-K... :P

[chris]

Nope... haven't really done much to it performace wise. Just never really had the money, time, nor dedication to. But I'm glad to report that the battery is A-O-K... :P

[post="40891"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

a tune-up is actually a regular maintenance procedure. have you replaced the plugs, the fuel/air filters, and the like since you got the car?

[Cory Wolfe]

Oh... sorry, I'm retarded. :blink: :P Anyways, as far as I know stuff like that hasn't been touched yet. The oil was changed back when I bought it with a new oil pan and such other stuff as well. It was about to be changed with a new filter to accompany it, probably (been about 3000 miles)... I was also thinking about replacing the plugs sometime this winter. The air filter is relatively new still (K&N). I couldn't really tell you much about anything else... But I've only had it for about 10 months and have put only 3000 miles on it.

[Sixty8panther]

Not to give you false hope but installing new platinum plugs, new wires and checking the electrical connections to your battery and grounds could solve your problems... Spark Plugs: $14 ($2 each plus tax) Wires from Autozone: $30.00 (at most) Spark plug socket & wrench: $20.00 (if your dad will not let you borrow his) That right there MIGHT solve your problems. Since you car does not have a distributor but runs off of Coil Packs there's no "cap & rotor" to replace. Edited November 9, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... that doesn't make sense as the cause to me. I just can't find it to be logical with what I experienced. Maybe it's the way I typed it out... but I have a feeling this is somehow related to coolant, oil, and my bad headgasket. It's a gut feeling... IDK... Anyways, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. I mean, something is definitely not right but it is still runable and my dad didn't really find anything too worry-some. He's confused by it but told me to just keep an eye on it. I think I'm just worried about doing any more damage... Because I do want to sell it (haven't told him yet...). But the coolant was infact low...

[Sixty8panther]

I was going to PM you back but got this:


This member has chosen not to be contactable by the board Messenger

This personal message has not been sent



Here's your PM: :)

I just wanted to say that I really like your sig/av combo. :D

Thanks Bud, Ever since you stepped it up a notch with the Grand Am set against the Fall colors I've been trying to out do you. :AH-HA_wink:

I had to download that font off some website since the Gothic one I had was crap. Well, take it easy Bro... best of luck with the Grand Am!

- Silvester (sixty8) Edited November 9, 2005 by Sixty8panther

[Cory Wolfe]

I was going to PM you back but got this:


This member has chosen not to be contactable by the board Messenger

This personal message has not been sent

Oh... really? Huh... must've done that one time when I was really pissed at you... :P Sorry 'bout that..

[Sixty8panther]

You mean like 5 miutes ago... :rolleyes: :lol: It's alright, not like the PM was private or anything.

[Cory Wolfe]

Huh? :P Nah... I just never unblocked you, I guess. Maybe I should finally do that... *goes to control panel* *unblock's Sixty8* *deletes evidence of sex scandel* There... done. :D

[Cory Wolfe]

Maybe I wasn't exaggerating... I took it for a drive tonight just to get more of an idea of how its running. My, my, my... it's running terribly. With the coolant up to the level it should be... it still wants to overheat while the oil pressure plummets. Especially at idle. And it really does feel weak. To put it in perspective... it feels like what a 4cyl powered Impala would. It has no power and hills bog it down as if I'm hauling a trailer. Also, it really does sound terrible. Along with the ticking... it know has a louder knocking noise. To me it sounds like cylinder knock or whatever it's called. I can really notice it when I push in the clutch and rev it. It starts around 2000 rpms and stops very abruptly when I let off the gas. Guys... I don't know what to do. :unsure: :(