ITT times when you thought your car was kill, but everything went better than expected

>ITT times when you thought your car was kill, but everything went better than expected.


>Have 98 LS400
>Think tires must be low again, because its 20 degrees out, and car isn't handling quite right, feels bouncy.
>Tell myself I will air up later.
>Be coming home, 600ft away from driveway.
>CEL comes on, check VSC comes on.
>Figure VSC is kill, car is kill.
>Turns out rear tire was at 12 PSi, and has been leaking at bead.
>inflate tire, do multiple key cycles.
>No more CEL or Check VSC.


everything went better than expected.

Well, it happens to me on regular basis

>W220 S320 CDI
>autobahn
>doing around 200km/h
>it stalls and the dash looks like a christmas tree
>no power steering and it barely brakes now
>fuckfuckfuckfuck
>pull over it
>doesn't start
>after a while it starts
>roll slowly home afraid it can die any second
>one fuel injector was kill, paid for the repair 80 bucks

>at a drive-through
>engine temp starts rising
>leave drive-through
>engine temp goes back to normal
oh, shit, head-gasket
>get home
>let car idle, temp starts rising
>fan won't start
oh, shit, fan is bad (or something related)
>plug scanner, engine temp is normal
oh, shit, one of the temp sensors (car has two, one for the ECU, one for the dash) is bad
>order sensor
for the next few days (until the sensor comes), the car acts more and more weird
>random lights turn on, tachometer goes crazy, radio is kill
read some more on the net, check the positive battery terminal - the cocksucker was just two thin bands of metal (from the factory plus 20 years old at that time)
>change the terminal, car runs like new

that was ~4 years ago, still no problems
>24 year old car

>98 4x4 tacoma
>under truck working on something, notice t-case is filthydisgustang
>start tracing the grime from the bottom of the t-case up to the source
>found it. its this big hole. where the fill plug goes. oh fuck why is the fill plug on my t-case fucking gone?
>1 week before I pulled a crew cab tundra out of a snowy ditch with my dinky 4cyl reg cab, had all 4 tires spinning on the pavement and bent the tow hook
>dump the t-case oil, maybe 1/2 a quart at most comes out, its dirty, and a fucking pebble comes out the drain hole
>fill up t-case, drive around in 4lo for a bit, dump the fluid, rinse and repeat
>several years and tens of thousands of miles later, still no signs of any damage

ayyy yota tuff

> Be cruising down the highway in 5th doing like 65mph at like 3k RPM
> Click clack BAM!
> Knock, knock, crack!
> Truck shuts off i pull over
> Crank no start
> Fuck RIP head
> Just ended up being the timing chain
Wew.

this is a story about my first time buying a car on craigslist

>buy 97 vw golf gl for $1600 from a friendly craigslist meth addict
>DMV says car has a lien on it for some reason which was paid off but never released???
>I have to call them and come back
>dipshit at insurance office charges me the wrong amount for my policy, can't be fixed over the phone
>bill of sale is wrong because seller was a meth addict, have to go to 3 DMVs before they will help me
but here is where things start to improve
>i have to pay $300 late registration fee because seller was a meth addict
>also the transmission makes grinding noises randomly while driving
>it slams hard from P to 1 every time
>rough idle
>feels unsafe to drive at high speeds, is a wobbly mess
ok i lied but now it gets better
>car fails smog (california) because the seller was a meth addict
>lose $100 along with my hopes and dreams
>car sits for over a year
>neighborhood mechanic says can make it pass smog for $600 but he's pretty busy
>go to dmv to get moving permits, have to pay registration again, $300
>pay mechanic $600
>months later he says he can't get it to pass, car is throwing codes, the transmission is messed up and generally speaking the car is a shit
>car is now sitting in front of my house and will remain there for eternity

fucking craigslist

nothing went better than expected

does anyone know what I can even do with this car? I would rather drive it into the ocean than pay the DMV another $300

>Buying a VW plast 1970s.

Just sell it as is.

>Have 1990 Volvo 244 DL.
>240,000+ miles at the time.
>Go to store.
>Dash lights all come on.
>Figure alternator is kill.
>Drive home, lights getting dimmer by the minute.
>Read that Bosch alternator has a externally replaceable voltage regulator which is a wear item due to spring loaded brushes.
>Have extra alternator with voltage regulator in it.
>Swap it after hours of dealing with shitty stripped screws.
>Car stops being kill.


mfw people pay for alternator replacements, and yet the spring loaded brush based voltage regulator is easily replaceable, and is only $50.
mfw these old Bosch alternators will go 300,000+ miles.

>shillinois winter a few years ago
>FB RX-7 can't start even with starter spray, jumps, and usual throttle/carb dance
>replace spark plugs
>pour cup of automatic trans fluid in the carb
>starts eventually
>gigantic cloud of black-blue smoke for a few minutes
>smoke eventually disperses towards neighbor's houses and RX-7 werks

>this fall
>in northern fl
>own 2008 Nissan Xterra
>189k miles
>had to get full back brake job because Xterra is from NY where I lived before and rust
>after brake job, brake peddle went soft and went about halfway down and a bunch of lights came on the dash
>had it checked out, ABS sensor was kill
>new one was $5k, car is worrh $4k
>almost got rid of it, but found used one from same model Xterra for $250
>yes.txt
>then rear diff was found leaking
>didn't know how long it was leaking, oil almost gone
>almost ripped rear axle off
>had to get after market one because junkyard would only sell entire rear axle
>days of work and now no lights
>Xterra runs strong to this day

>Drive it into the ocean, film results w/time stamp
It'll be a good time

>be me
>drive '99 honda crv; """awd"""
>live in rural area
>first snow of the season comes
>go full dagumi for 5 hours
>finally go home and park it for the night
>come out the next day to start it

>no start
>no sounds at all
>battery is fine
>call mechanic to tell him to expect my car in his lot sometime soon
>tells me to wait before i waste money on a tow truck
>comes to my house and fiddles with the ground
>car is absolutely fine, starts immediately

17 year old me was so relieved, and so embarrassed. i miss that fucking car

>$5k ABS sensor
No freaking way.

oh man i just found a ton of pictures from when i was 17 and a maniac.

>be me

>in 02 hoonday santa fee, cheap commuter, whatever

> 113,000 mi

>get front struts a few months back after skidding into curb because nj drivers are morons

>mechanic who changes struts says frame is boned but alignment shop may be able to fix it

>shit.jpg

>alignment shop aligns it

>car goes straight - still going strong

>mfw car wont die.jpg

nice
what kind of car

Did you ever find out where the plug went?

>low tire
>Check engine and Check VSC light

i call bullshit

Source: i own a 2004 Lexus LS

post 'em

Where in North Florida? I'm in Jax

...

...

no clue. i used to do lots of off roading in that truck so it's probably in the middle of a trail in bumfuck nowhere southern nevada. not sure how long it was gone for either since I dont get under my truck often, could have been months

...

...

i almost forgot about this day. broke a CV axle while out hooning in the snow

>89 Nissan D21, 5 speed, 4 cyl with a custom flatbed
>Drove to the jobsite, no trouble at all
>Get back in the truck to get some supplies
>click
>click
>no start


>Spend about a half hour tracing back the electrical system until I remember it's a fucking 5-speed truck and just push start it.
>Get home after pricing a new starter and notice a little rubber button broken off on the floor
>Rubber button actuated the clutch switch, fell off due to age
>Fixed with a plastic rivet I already had

Owned that truck for three years. Apart from the new flatbed, battery, and a muffler, I put $0 into keeping it running. Bought it for $700, sold it for $900. I miss it ;_;

>be me
>Volvo S60R
>Pushing it to the limit on the On-Ramp
>Hear a pop and entire car stalls out
>Able to get car going but does not want to rev or go anywhere
>Pull over thinking I deleted the Turbo
>Intake pipe came off do to loose clamp
>Reattach pipe and clamp and drive off happy
>mechanic said there was no problems.

I'm just glad I always carry my screwdriver on me at all times.

Pic related its the Screw driver

>have car with 1mz-fe
>250k+ on the clock
>drive the thing hard everywhere
>has coolant leak and uses oil
>go on vacation and leave it with a buddy
>get back and pick car up and drive to town
>sitting in drive-thru when I notice temp gauge in the red
>leave drive-thru and drive a mile to nearest gas station
>temp drops back to normal while driving
>pop hood and check radiator
>not a drop of coolant
>top it off and check oil
>dipstick is dry as a bone
>add a few quarts until I can get home
>still runs fine, no ticks, knocks, pings or any other noises. Still gets 20 mpg

TOYOTA STRONK

>driving car to city with friends
>being dickheads
>rev car one good time
>8K
>POW
>think nothing of it
>get there, car sounds like it's missing
>baby it home
>can only hear it in exhaust
>sounds terrible at think I fucked a valve
>leave car to sit for 5 months because I'm broke and a RB26 head rebuild isn't in my budget
>save up and have more than should be enough
>hesitantly limp it to shop
>I explain that I think I fucked an exhaust valve
>he goes out to the car
>starts it
>lifts the hood
>'no'
>sprays brake cleaner at the throttle bodies
>car revs up
>'throttle gasket no good'
mfw
>take all money I had saved up for repair and throw it at upgrades

>my old impretzel
>on coilovers
>hit something on the road one day
>freak the fuck out because every lump on the road made my back left coilover shake
>take it to mechanic
>some old pleb said the spring in the coilover collapsed
>might need to put old suspension back in, stock height, etc
>become depresso, go home and get old struts to bring back to shop
>once I get back, different mechanic said they found a stick stuck in the spring
>pulled it out, everything back to normal
>didn't even charge me
>feelsgoodman

Pic related, the impretzel

>tfw not in touch with the machine spirit
still somehow avoid crashing
feel like I've been cheating death

>driving my nissan pintara wagon, aka pinny, aka pov-spec skyline
>cost me $500
>driving with some buds through dodgiest suburb in town
>attempt to drop a skid, it's in third not first
>loud clunk, engine dies
>won't start
>"oh fuck im gonna get stabbed'
>after what feels like hours of cranking it starts, won't idle, barely runs
>"quick get in faggots"
>limp the stupid thing home
>survived, thank god
>afm popped off, no worries

best (FWD) car in the world
for me (every one else hates it)
Infiniti G20

I have another story about the same car (and my stupidity)

>drive on highway
>car loses power and struggles to maintain speed
>no CEL because OBDI
>get home, screwdriver test, one injector bad
>go to junkyard, get another one but somehow decide to change the o-rings on the rest
people who know a thing or two about cars can start counting the mistakes ...
>replace the o-rings
>without any kind of lubricant, I try to push the injectors in place using the caps (no twist and push)
>caps break
>start the engine anyway
>hydro-lock it with gas (none of the injectors were seated properly)
>start doing everything again
>connect the two gas hoses wrong (old car, no returnless system)
>car won't start
>replace fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, fuel pump
>lose hope
>check the hoses again
>car runs fine
that was one year before the battery terminal "story"

fuck you, your car gave me an electric shock

Wut

Nice marked up nissan

skee yee hilliard but i'm from watertown ny