Show Your Car and Car Discussion Thread

[speed_demon]

Woo time to party!! Get that lexus back on the road as soon as you can. Bet you could do car shows with it if you wanted, it's pretty clean.

[J7SC_Orion]

3 hours ago, Andrew said:

Mine doesn't have one either, even after leaving it sitting for 10 years.

 

...try a new car with its information overload . Never mind the 8 configs of the driver display, here (spoiler) are 6 out of 12 center screen options (before sub menus). No wonder we '''need''' autonomous driving aids  because folks are too busy flipping through menus looking for an index for warning lights instead of looking at the road ahead. On the plus side, the software is based on BSD...

 

Spoiler

 

[Sir Beregond]

What is with a lot of newer model cars literally puting even climate control in a touchscreen menu.

 

Terrible trend

[J7SC_Orion]

15 hours ago, Sir Beregond said:

What is with a lot of newer model cars literally puting even climate control in a touchscreen menu.

 

Terrible trend

 

...fortunately, my new PHEV has redundant analog switches and knobs for heat/climate and also sound system - but to reset trip odometer, I have to dive into the computer sub-menus   ...great power and fuel consumption, though - and I like that the electric motor is integrated into the transmission; the 'feel' is the same as with my previous non-hybrid beemers.  

[speed_demon]

9 hours ago, J7SC_Orion said:

 

...fortunately, my new PHEV has redundant analog switches and knobs for heat/climate and also sound system - but to reset trip odometer, I have to dive into the computer sub-menus   ...great power and fuel consumption, though - and I like that the electric motor is integrated into the transmission; the 'feel' is the same as with my previous non-hybrid beemers.  

Don't know if I've mentioned this before but one of my projects was a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid that I modded out pretty good. Returned me ~55mpg lifetime average with many trips closer to 70mpg. Found out it got better fuel economy the harder I drove it, and so I used to tear around town like I stole the thing. Was a blast to drive too. In the Honda hybrids they use a pancake electric motor bolted to the flywheel so if the car is moving the gas engine is running, the electric motor is just used as a torque adder.

 

Bought the car for $3200, modded it out & drove the crap out of it for a couple years, then sold it later for $3500. Only had to fuel up once every couple weeks and I was running food deliveries daily for my job at the time.

 

 

 

Years later I ended up having a ~2018 or so Toyota Prius as a company car and absolutely hated it. Drove nothing at all like my little lightweight tossable civic. I get why anybody that has driven a prius hates hybrids, it's just that not all of them are terrible like that. Just most of them. Heh.

 

 

Edit: I pulled the HV pack and refurbished it myself. Replaced the one bad stick with a junk yard pullout stick. Made up a DIY grid charger so my car was technically a plug-in hybrid.

 

 

 

Edited June 8 by speed_demon

[SoloCamo]

Soo... @speed_demon

 

Remember how I just told you on.. that other overclocking site (that shall not be named)) how this has been the most reliable car I've owned?   Yea... driving home from the pet store today (girlfriend wanted a new fish..) the car went into limp mode. 

 

No CEL, engine revs fine in park / neutral... no sputtering... just no accelerating past 2500rpm or so, even if WOT.   Found the metal battery tie down loose and potentially hitting the negative terminal (bounced around a bit) so I'm really hoping nothing got zapped...

 

Also over the past few days I've had an intermittent low voltage light pop on... 

 

Sigh.   All the forums I've read lead to potentially dirty MAF sensors, VVEL issues, oil gasket issue (2012 and newer models should be fixed for that known issue)... etc.  At 150k miles this is the only time in about 4 years aside from a failed alternator that this car has given me any trouble so I suppose I can't complain.

Edited June 8 by SoloCamo

[speed_demon]

2 minutes ago, SoloCamo said:

Soo... @speed_demon

 

Remember how I just told you on.. that other overclocking site...) how this has been the most reliable car I've owned?   Yea... driving home from the pet store (girlfriend wanted a new fish..) the car went into limp mode. 

 

No CEL, engine revs fine in park / neutral... no sputtering... just no accelerating past 2500rpm or so, even if WOT.   Found the metal battery tie down loose and potentially hitting the negative terminal (bounced around a bit) so I'm really hoping notning got zapped...

 

Also over the past few days I've had an intermittent low voltage light pop on... 

 

Sigh. 

Some days it just feels like it's not your day. On the lexus I came outside this morning to find a flat tire.

 

Hopefully you can pinpoint the issue without too much headache. Sounds a bit like it might be an alternator on the way out.

[speed_demon]

Forgive my double post but I'm excited I don't get new tools too often these days.

 

Got a new floor jack for $99 on sale at HF.

 

 

 

And with the old ones

 

[SoloCamo]

5 hours ago, speed_demon said:

Some days it just feels like it's not your day. On the lexus I came outside this morning to find a flat tire.

 

Hopefully you can pinpoint the issue without too much headache. Sounds a bit like it might be an alternator on the way out.

 

My luck certainly turned around thankfully (sorry for your flat though, I seem to always get one within 5,000 miles of new tires being installed).  The electrical issues I'm having probably are the alternator (low voltage issues have been an annoyance for me) but the actual issue causing limp mode turned out to be the brake light switch or so I thought.... kind of.

 

So before leaving the parking lot of the pet store I thought my brake lights were on, but my eyes have been extremely light sensitive lately and my GF thought they were off so I didn't think much of it...  after scrounging the net for answers on the sudden limp mode somebody mentioned the brake light switch registering brakes as on will force an acceleration limp mode as a safety precaution but it will not throw a CEL.

 

Went to the local dealer and bought a new OEM switch for $68 after tax (autozone wanted $57 for an aftermarket) went to install it and then realized the little rubber grommet that depresses the brake switch just deteriorated over time in the Florida heat.   That part is not typically carried so I modified a push clip that you would typically find on a fender liner in it's place and used some gorilla tape to ensure it doesn't fall out.  Issue fixed and confirmed with a WOT pull from a standstill.

 

TLDR - Long story short I can't believe a piece of rubber caused a limp mode.  Infiniti reliability redeemed (please don't spite me car gods).

 

1 hour ago, speed_demon said:

Forgive my double post but I'm excited I don't get new tools too often these days.

 

Got a new floor jack for $99 on sale at HF.

 

 

 

And with the old ones

 

 

I have an older version of the same low profile floor jack and I absolutely love it.  You got a great deal considering 2024 pricing... I got the lowest price for one of those and it was $75 but I'm talking what feels like ages ago now (probably 6-7 years ago now?) so nice score on that one at $99.

Edited June 8 by SoloCamo

[The Pook]

1 minute ago, SoloCamo said:

a piece of rubber caused a limp mode.

 

[SoloCamo]

19 minutes ago, The Pook said:

 

 

 

Me after reading it again but deciding to post anyways..

 

Edited June 8 by SoloCamo

[J7SC_Orion]

3 hours ago, speed_demon said:

Forgive my double post but I'm excited I don't get new tools too often these days.

 

Got a new floor jack for $99 on sale at HF.

 

 

 

And with the old ones

 

  

You are all set...now you can get that Rolls Royce Spectre ! 3 tons is (just) enough to lift a Rolls Royce Spectre completely off the ground... but put a few more napkins and a box of champagne in the trunk and the weight goes over 3000 kg 

 

[Fluxmaven]

3 hours ago, SoloCamo said:

the little rubber grommet that depresses the brake switch just deteriorated over time in the Florida heat.   That part is not typically carried so I modified a push clip that you would typically find on a fender liner in it's place and used some gorilla tape to ensure it doesn't fall out. 

 

I had that same thing happen with the clutch safety switch on the miata. I temporarily stole one of the push clips that hold the carpet behind the seats down so I could drive it to work. I later came back and just removed the switch entirely. Couple of spade connectors and 2" of wire later and I no longer need to press the clutch to start the car  

 

 

[Andrew]

[The Pook]

he sold it to me