What a day to have car problems

[Intrepidation]

So it's been raining since what seems like forever...I think Friday night. It's really grinding my gears.

In the past week I've gone to start the Prizm and twice it wouldn't start. First time was corrosion all over teh negative connector and terminal (non on the new positive one). Cleaned it up and life was good until the 2nd time. Cleaned it some more and put some grease on it. Seemed fine until i went to run an errand this morning and it did the same thing.

So, while there's a break in the rain, I go and have another look at this terminal connector. Turns out it too has cracked and is ready to break. Lovely. So since I need the car for today, I take the GM and get a new connector. In the wind, mist, and periods of I fix this thing, then dry my tools off so they don't all rust.

Should be fine now. I wouldn't have minded normally, but on a day like today, it's not fun to be working on the car.

[Camino LS6]

Try working by flashlight, in the snow, on an old Scout that needed a set of points!

You know how small those mounting screws are?

Yeah, I get it.

[Intrepidation]

Well there was that time during the winter where the ignition gave out. That sucked hard.

[siegen]

My friend replaced a head gasket on an old Pontiac Grand Am in a Toys R Us parking lot in the snow. And the car worked when he was done!

[Intrepidation]

My friend replaced a head gasket on an old Pontiac Grand Am in a Toys R Us parking lot in the snow. And the car worked when he was done!

You (or rather your friend) win this thread so far.

[Camino LS6]

I once replaced a head gasket on an Austin-Healey between races in Shenley Park in Pittsburgh - but it wasn't snowing.

We did have to go mooching a gasket from other racers though.

[SAmadei]

My friend replaced a head gasket on an old Pontiac Grand Am in a Toys R Us parking lot in the snow. And the car worked when he was done!

Replaced the head gaskets and freeze plugs on a friends V6 '79 Firebird... in the freeze and snow. It was about 8 degrees out. Had to get the car out of the adjacent parking lot before the holiday ended.

Actually, I also ended up changing the in-tank fuel pump in the van during a freeze, as well. At least it wasn't snowing.

You know, I'm been pretty productive during the 40 days of rain... When cleaning up the yard... 5 acres of breyers, wild rose, honey suckle and wild raspberries covering rusting scrap metal and rotten wood, I'm going to be soaked with sweat, so the rain is a welcome change. Every day is a day closer to my giant garage.

[A Horse With No Name]

You might try No-LoX, a grey grease for electrical connections. Works prettygod...

BTW, when is the MOPAR back in action?

Chris

[daves87rs]

I must be lucky..(granted, I don't get cold easy).

Had to change a tire in the old 87 in a severe storm.....

And changing a battery in the old wagon in a 40+MPH wind/snow storm....

[Lamar]

I changed a knock sensor in a '99 Maxima. Blind. It's a $700something repair at a shop.

But then again, the weather was good that day.

I'm just trying to fit in.

[Intrepidation]

I changed a knock sensor in a '99 Maxima. Blind. It's a $700something repair at a shop.

But then again, the weather was good that day.

I'm just trying to fit in.

[SAmadei]

I must be lucky..(granted, I don't get cold easy).

Had to change a tire in the old 87 in a severe storm.....

I don't cold easy, either... but when you are laid out on asphalt or concrete, even with a layer or two of cardboard, it just wicks the heat right out of you. After about 30 minutes, you are running back indoors to store up some heat.

Almost obvious tip for car repair in the rain/monsoon... limp along to the next overpass. I can't count the times friends would call for help, standing in a downpour, 50 feet from a overpass... which they could have coasted to.

[Sixty8panther]

Dodgefan:

After 11 months & about 13K miles of very minimal

maintenenace & ZERO breakdowns with my 1984

Mercedes Benz 500SEC I drove through a nasty

puddle (more like a small lake) on Friday morning

on my way to UPS. The car stalled out and would

not start, at least it happened like 150 yards from

the UPS Hub. I got out of work and it started up fine

but acted up again during really heavy rain & then

the next morning in the foggy, humid air.

Long story short, I spent a little cash for new ignition

wires because while reving the motor in my driveway

wiht the hood open I could see the arcs jumping all

over the damn place. A mini-lightning storm was

jumping around all over the distributor & even

grounding out against the radiator support. The wires

did the trick & the Benzo is running great.

For the record to the naked eye my ignition wires did

not look at all dry-rotted or old.

Lesson Learned. An ounce of prevention.... :wink:

[CaddyXLR-V]

I don't have any stories about fixing my car in the cold, but... I did change a piston on my Grand Prix in August. It was only about 110 degrees outside.

[Sixty8panther]

I don't have any stories about fixing my car in the cold, but... I did change a piston on my Grand Prix in August. It was only about 110 degrees outside.

Well I wasn't even going to go there.

In the extreeme heat... (90*s, humid as the Louissiana Bayou)

swapped out transmission on 1968 Camaro

swapped out rear end in 1968 Camaro

gutted interior of 1968 Camaro & installed an aluminum seat

out of a Porshce SCCA racecar complete w/5-point harness

In the extreeme COLD. (outside, working in the SNOW!)

Replaced starter in '95 Suburban

Replaced 15 feet of brake line in '95 Burb

Swapped out a fuel pump & did tune up on '64 Olds Super-88 Holiday

Brake Job on '91 S-10 4x4 Blazer 4.3 V6/5-speed

Replaced fuel pump (dropped down tank & such) on '92 Buick Roadm0nster

Swapped out H20 pump & belts on '86 Cadillac

[CaddyXLR-V]

I know how the weather in MA is, I used to live there for the first 14 years of my life. Just be happy you're not in Texas with 105 degree and 70% humidity weather. Now that's miserable weather.

[Intrepidation]

Well I figured my little story would not be the best one, but you know what? You guys can keep them.

[Robert Hall]

I don't think I've ever done any car repairs in nasty weather, or outside. In the past, I've changed flat tires, but in a garage or a parking lot on nice day. In 15 years of having AAA, I think I've only had to call for assistance 3 times, had to be towed once.

[Dsuupr]

Rain? Heck living in the great Northwest, one would expect rain when fixing the car, going for a walk, planning a day at the beach, during 4th of July . . .

I did have a brake line snap in the snow one time, but I never did try and fix it. We just drove home VERY carefully.

[SAmadei]

I don't think I've ever done any car repairs in nasty weather, or outside. In the past, I've changed flat tires, but in a garage or a parking lot on nice day. In 15 years of having AAA, I think I've only had to call for assistance 3 times, had to be towed once.

Triple AAA only goes so far. Literally. 100 miles, three times a year, IIRC.

In the last 7 or 8 years, the only work others have done on my cars was to install tires and balance them. And since this is NJ, to install gasoline.

I have taken my cars to mechanics only for a handful of things... and EVERYTIME I regret it. I'd rather work on the car in the freezing muck than get stuck paying several hundred dollars to have someone put the totally wrong rear end in my speed wagon. Without a POSI and with the highway gears, the car was never the same, and I suspect the rear is the wrong application, as the rear tires no longer fit right.

I've even started doing my own front end alignments... because Bubba is unable to get the steering wheel straight with $5000 worth of lasers and computers, but I can with a few homemade tools, string and a tape measure. Plus, for giggles, Bubba decided that several of the relays on my firewall were too close to the suspension and moved them for me. WTF?!?

I recently bought a tire mounter and I'm looking for a cheap way to balance tires... because, yep, you guessed it, the tire shop guys can't do their jobs right, either. It took a half dozen returns before the last tires sealed and then the weights keep falling off. Tire Rack FTW!

[Robert Hall]

Beyond replacing bulbs, checking the fluids, adding washer fluid, and the rare flat tire change, I take my cars to a good local shop or the dealer for everything. I don't have the time, tools, talent, or space to play mechanic.

I also can replace my own wiper blades..

Edited June 24, 2009 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Sixty8panther]

Nothing sux more than paying $80 an hour for

someone else to do a half-assed job. I'd much

rather use some zip ties, bolts, lock-washers

and nuts from the hardware store for a temp.

fix or just improvise a quick fix than pay way

too much of my hard earned $ to a mechanic

to wham-bam-thankyoo-mam my car.

Besides, it's very satisfying fixing ones own

car... well it is to me anyway.

Granted if/when I win the lottery I WILL have

aprofessional work on my '35 Cadillac V-16

Dual Cowl Phaeton ("Tiger Hunt" Phantom)

and if me & the wife buy a 5th gen. Camaro,

gently used CTS-V or a Pontiac G8-GT than

I might have the dealer do a select few

things I'm not fond of.

In the last 7 or 8 years, the only work others have done on my cars was to install tires and balance them...

I have taken my cars to mechanics only for a handful of things... and EVERYTIME I regret it. I'd rather work on the car in the freezing muck than get stuck paying several hundred dollars to have someone (insert fu*$up scenario here)

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I would love to do more on my cars but dont have the time or mechanical ability to do it. I did find out how the A/C works in all of them.

Impala good as one would expect in a new car which is to say it works very well.

1981 Bonneville. This one has always had a great setup. As long as it has R-134 in it it will pull vent temps from 36-38 degrees even in the middle 90's we had today. I HATE heat so it is important this part of all my cars works.

1985 Caprice. This one works good but it isnt above average. If you sit at a stop light or in a parking lot it doesnt like to cool well. If you leave it in a parking lot in hot weather and need to cool it off it is going to take a awhile. Did the same excercise as the Bonneville and the vent temps were about 42-44 degrees. Just a difference in systems I guess.