QTDDTOT - Questions That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread

Got a question for Britfags/motorbikefags

I have a Category B dirivng license. With that comes a Categroy AM (moped) license, which is only activated after you have done a CBT.

If I do a CBT, I will have a full AM license. Does this mean that I could drive up to 50cc with license plates forever, or would I have to do my CBT every 2 years.

Asked my local CBT place and they gave me 2 different answers.

pls?
so if i buy a roller in NY, as long as i have the title in hand, i can just let the chassis sit and not have to worry about registering/transferring until it's a running car?

How reliable or unreliable are Audi and Lexus? Looking to get a nice used car but I don't want to be in a repair shop or spending thousands on it a year. Was looking st BMWs but hearing polarizing things about them are turning me away.

Lexus is like the old school Mercedes. Most of the time reliable af, but when something does eventually break...uhh, prepare your anus.

Audi is sorta ok but it's crammed with technology these days and there is a lot of shit that can and will break down. Also, avoid the diesel engines as modern day diesels are particularly shit, on every manufacturer ( thank you gubment emission regulations ).

If you want comfort but you can live with a boring af car, go for the Lexus. If you want something sporty but not so reliable, go for Audi.

Mercedes has been going strong the past few years. Have a look at them. They really nailed it with the C Class.

I bought a one-owner 1990 E34, the car is in immaculate condition but the original radio does not work.
When I turn it on the display shows 4 lines ( [- - - -] ) and there are loud cracks from the speakers whenever I move the volume button.
I swapped in a new head unit but I want to fix the old radio so I can keep the OEM look.
Tips how to repair the unit? Pic related

2011 Sentras. How good are they? What are the common issues? Don't care about performance, just reliability.

Lowering springs:
>cheaper
>require shock absorber upgrade or else the higher spring rate will blow your stock shocks in a few k miles
>require spring compressor to install
>longer install time
>not height adjustable

coilovers:
>more expensive
>one piece construction means easy install, just bolts on
>Usually height adjustable

that said, I have lowering springs and adjustable shocks (tokico white) on my car and I love it. It's lowered just enough to get rid of the monster truck ride height. It handles great and the shocks are fun to tune. One day I'd like coilovers though, I want it lower

pic is stock vs lowered on springs

Seems like if you need a bunch of extra shit for the springs anyway you may as well just get the coilovers and have an easier installation and more customizability.

Might buy a W204 c63 next year. Is there any known major problems with the model other than it being the douche c63?

I'd have to agree with you. The previous owner had the shocks and springs installed at a shop actually, the bill was quite a bit. Coilovers can be done with a breaker bar, a ratchet and some sockets. And maybe a pry bar.

I have a large amount of wasps in my kitchen and i can't call the exterminator because it's in the middle of the night, what do i need to do to before i gas the bastards with my car?

They make bug bombs.

Should I buy a Giulia non Quadrifoglio?

>memes need not apply

I'm in Europe

So I got a mustang recently. I notice that sometimes when I go around corners it feels almost like I'm drifting, like the wheels are skidding or losing traction or something. I'm not even going particularly fast or anything. The tires are new so I know they're not bald. Is there something I can do about that?

>feels like the tires are losing traction
They're probably not believe me if you were taking a corner fast enough for them to lose traction your car would be spinning/leaving skid marks
What your probably feeling is the lateral g-forces acting on your car making it feel like the body is swaying thus simulating the feeling of the back end swinging out

Sidewall flex probably

if you plan to have it as your daily driver, absolutely don't.

>Was looking st BMWs but hearing polarizing things about them are turning me away.
Most of that is bullshit honestly. You have some guy who buys a 130k mile bmw that was completely trashed and never maintained and then they bitch to no end how unreliable all bmw's are. It's fucking comical how stupid people are with this brand. Tell me exactly what type of car you're looking for and where you live and I'll find you some good examples that will last a long time if properly maintained.

Why, are you scared of the reliability? I'm sure the new ones are okay tho.

I literally hear screeching and like a bump bump bump sort of feeling. Sometimes happens if I gas it too hard from a standstill too (without the lateral movement ofc).

See

test drove two 2015 ford focus hatchbacks today, one smelled like piss and the other smelled like a dirty gerbil cage

do they just smell like animals or was it pure coincidence?

Just sniff your average Furd driver and you'll have your answer.

>getting a feel for car I bought
I pulled my hand break at an intersection to lock up my rear wheels and slide a bit, and didn't counter-steer. The car went more sideways than I thought it would, and at the end of the turn and slide, I was traveling straight, and I didn't have to turn the wheel to correct the direction of travel.

Does that mean I might've pulled the hand break too hard and or for too long? Does it mean I might've pulled the hand break too late? Does it mean that I might have turned in too hard?

>1996 gmc sonoma
>manual transmission, 2.2 I4
>passed CA smog but mechanic says "vacuum leak"
>runs OK but makes a kind of guttural/death-rattle noise under acceleration

wut do? just start looking for bad hoses and replacing them?

Looks like my tires shitty valve stem core got the best of me. I think it's been like this the whole week. Is the tire fubard?

I have a leaky power steering rack end seal in my 2005 9-2X Aero/WRX Wagon, its still a slow leak. I'm too cheap/lazy to change a rack in my daily driver (already did it on my E36 and didn't enjoy it) and check my fluids regularly anyways.

What's the best power steering stop leak? Any experience using them?

Can I run Valvoline Maxlife Power Steering Fluid or does it have to be Dexron ATF?

>properly maintained

With BMWs you either get

>a autist that replaced everything that was close to wearing out preventively, he'll charge you out the nose for the car
>a normie that didn't give two fucks about the car and just ran it into the ground doing only oil changes, aka 90% of BMW owners

The real problem with BMWs is how bad the plastic/rubber is on these cars. I've owned plenty of older cars and the rubber/plastic/glue on 1990s BMWs is horrible in terms of long-term quality. Its somehow worse than my Turbo Subaru that has a steaming hot engine bay to cook everything. Its also why the interiors just fall apart after 5-10 years (like delaminating door cards and headliners on E34/E36s)

And BMW engineering makes some bad decisions, stuff you'll NEVER run into with any Japanese car:

>Lets save a few pennies by not adding enough metal on the suspension points for the floor (rear trailing arm/shock towers/subframe for E36 and Z3, rear subframe for E46, shock towers on Minis, etc).

>Plastic cooling components EVERYWHERE

>Batteries need the dealer to reprogram the ECU and tell it the CCA of the aftermarket battery on E92s and newer for its "smart charging" system

>Water pump issues from 1984 (E28/30) to 2017 (F30s)

Are these reputable online vendors?

performancechiptuning.com/
carid.com/

Which one of these should I get, and why?

amazon.com/Innovative-Performance-Programmer-Mitsubishi-Eclipse/dp/B00WFHUS4O

performancechiptuning.com/Stage 1 Performance Chip OBDII Module/19/

carid.com/jet/v-force-plus-performance-module-mpn-67023.html?singleid=13545543&url=1301608

My cars lights dim/brighten quickly sometimes when I slow down with the brakes. They will also dim and brighten pretty noticeably when at a standstill if I rev up and down, is this normal or is my alternator on its way out?

are 2007 volvo c30 2.0d good cars? How fun are they?

fuck carid. i ordered a set of front and rear calipers sept 1, only got the rears and never got the fronts. the fronts were supposed to come in the same box as the rears but someone at their warehouse fucked up and i still havent got them

How can i test this? Got it free and im selling it. The buyer wants to make sure all 4 channels work, and ive never messed with amps before. Want to make sure its good before we meet

What does Veeky Forums think of a 2010 Volkswagen Rabbit? I'm getting it for free since my sister is moving countries but how will I be perceived as a 6'4 white guy driving this car?

vapelord

wtf size tire to i use for 14x9 wheels?

Whats the easiest way to check it i what i meant. I dont have access to a speaker, power supply, cables and wire, etc. I just want a quick check, like sticking a multimeter into the ports or something

How can I stop being poor?

Work long, work hard, work smart.

Had a 2011 GTI, I'm 6'4 with long legs, it's comfy AF for tall people who cares what others think

i wouldn't be too concerned about how tall you are, just the fact that this car is vape tier.

Odds are its the voltage regulator, they tend to go out first. On some alternators the regulator is inseparable from the alternator though.

You're asking the wrong board, /g/ might help but I doubt it they're even more useless than we are, find a car audio board.

I live in central NY, so I don't have a lot of options around me private or dealership. I'm really just looking for something with a premium feel that won't rape my wallet in 6 months for under 20k, the cheaper the better though.
Like I found a nice bimmer and audi at this fairly reputable dealership around an hour and a half away. If you're still here I'd love to get some input

bmw.keeler.com/used/BMW/2011-BMW-5 Series-latham-ny-c43fc8920a0d0cc742fbd3bf9f7ba72b.htm

bmw.keeler.com/used/Audi/2014-Audi-A4-latham-ny-0785d7980a0e0ae7682674b879f28076.htm

Yeah I'm here, well it's good you're working with a decent budget so you don't need to settle for something super high mileage.

The 2011 bmw 535i is a great choice because this is when they transitiononed away from the problematic N54 engine to the new solid N55 engine. The N55 is much more reliable and nearly all of the problems of the previous gen turbo I6 have been resolved. If you care about driving feel, handling and fun I would totally go for the 535i.

That being said, it's naturally going to sip a little more gas than the 2.0 audi, but the difference isn't going to be that noticeable.

Get the 535i and get extended warranty just to be safe. It's not essential because like I said these newer turbo I6's are reliable. That is my advice man.

TL;DR sinking brake pedal, everything short of the ABS seems to be in order. Could long-time non-functional ABS system suddenly cause a brake pedal that just sinks to the floor as if there was a failed master cylinder?

Longer version: Don't have much info, and I didn't get to see the problem besides pressing the pedal at idle a few times and checking that the brake fluid was at proper level, which it was even after days of driving

It's a diesel pickup, 2009 model, and has about 150k miles. Brake pedal sinks to the bottom after say 2-3 seconds of constant pressure, and returns quickly and normally, as if the master cylinder was FUBAR. Lifelong family mechanic, however, says he checked everything, and found nothing wrong, he recommended we go with official chebby dealer to check ABS

ABS system itself is a one-channel, has been non-functional for at least 3 years, if not because of a disconnected/broken speed sensor, because of an unplugged connection somewhere inside the clusterfuck that is the dashboard. Had intermittent on/off issues, it being oversensitive/had issues in the speed sensor already, so it was disconnected and then given no fucks about

I'm thinking, a stuck valve or something of the sort in the ABS system? Haven't heard of it going off while this happens, but I can think of little else to blame, if in fact everything that's supposed to build the fluid's pressure is doing so like the mechanic said

just moved to a new city, how do i make friends?

I know nothing about cars... I read something some time ago and still trying to wrap my head around it. It had to do with the reliability of the transmission and the engine depending on the weight of the car.

So for example, if you (somehow) matched a motorcycle engine to a car with the cars stock transmission, would the engine be more prone to failing than if it operated in its original vehicle, the motorbike? If so, why? I think the answer is "because it doesn't have enough torque", but what does this mean exactly? Do you need certain torque figures for certain weights?

Does that also mean a motorcycle engine (or any engine, for that matter) is more prone to failing the more people are mounted on a vehicle?

Are there any mods I can have put in that make it easier to Heel-Toe?

My gas pedal is not only small but rests deeper in and further away from the bake, making it tricky to perform even with big feet.

On the streets I can just take my foot off the brake to blip but I expect to find that unacceptable when I start tracking

An engine (and transmission when applies), be it that it propels a car, truck, bike, boat, or airplane, needs some "breathing room" because when it operates near it's limit, you're asking a lot from all those metal, plastic and rubber parts, so the more "overbuilt" an engine is, the more it'll last, but overbuilt means weight and cost, and possibly complexity (which means more cost)

You can see this clearly in boat engines: they're VERY heavy for the power they make. They can weigh as much as a car, and make about as much power as your Chebby V8. They are, however, designed to be at a high percentage (say 3/4) of their maximum output/power for days at a time. Doing that in a car or bike would likely kill it, but they can't afford to have engines as heavy as that, and don't really need them anyway, since you rarely go full throttle for more than a few seconds at a time

Transmissions are a sort of delicate balance, too. Clutches especially, since they're wear items like brakes. Carrying more weight means they wear out even quicker, so a truck that carries sand all day long will eat it's clutch (and brakes, and will need more rigorous service) compared to an identical one that carries styrofoam or mattresses. Likewise, the same engine/transmission will likely last more when put in a car than in a heavier, less aerodynamic SUV

Of course, there are engines and transmissions that can take a beating without complaining, and others that operate "on the edge" out of the factory already. Depends on many factors like quality of materials, how much time was spent engineering the thing, if it's cooled properly, if the manufacturer actually wants it to last or if it wants it to break down as soon as the warranty expires, etc

Hope it's clear enough?

Stay far far away from audi. A friend of a friend is a audi mechenic who heavily recommends to stay away. One horror story: customer brought in a car because some warning light was on. Turns out it was some microchip that went bad that was inexplicably located under the drivers seat. In order to replace it the seat needed to be removed and all the carpet/ lining etc. But in order to resolve the issue this same work had to be done to all 4 seats, because the electronics wont work unless all 4 chips match. It was like 10k for some stupid bullshit.

thinking about buying an s13 silvia. It looks to be in decent condition and hasnt been beat up. What am i getting myself into?

I want to call bullshit on that story, but I can believe it. Can I have some more info, for extra keks?

Any details as to the car model and the microchip itself? Or what was the job that had to be done? I mean, what exactly happened that required something like that to be replaced anyway?

I bet it was a seatbelt pretensioner or some such thing

A life of loneliness and pedophilia

Nah I believe him dude, I had something similar happen with a seat occupancy sensor in my bmw, required opening up the seat, replacing it and reupholstering. However bmw was really good about this and replaced it for free out of warranty. The sensor wasn't linked to the other ones though pretty sure that's just audi-tism

I believe the story too, it's juts kinda...why. I want to know why. Why the fuck did they do that

On the BMW, that's a lot better not having to replace seat, although re-upholstering does seem a bit unnecessary, even if it's a sensor that I imagine rarely goes bad

Why not just make a sensor that can be replaced with a simple
>Pull out x tab or whatever
>Undo color-coded, only-goes-one-way BMW electrical plug that thankfully comes printed with part number, date and place of manufacture, and name, date of birth and most personal info of supervising agent present during that specific batch
>Plug new sensor, position properly in pre-formed recess or whatever secures it
>Snap x tab or whatever on again

I know I expect too easy serviceability, but it's the maintenance-fag in me that just wants things to f'kin work as they should without any setbacks

I'm thinking it has to do with manufacturing procedure. I guess having the sensors implanted into the bottom of the seat makes the production process cheaper.

I get what you mean about wanting things placed in easy to reach spots so you can fix it. Thankfully fixing anything under the hood is like that, it's surprisingly easy to maintain myself. These Germans are really rational when it comes to the engine but sort of batshit crazy when it comes to electronics and sensors.

please respond

>These Germans are really rational when it comes to the engine but sort of batshit crazy when it comes to electronics and sensors.

Wouldn't really say that with water pump impellers made of plastic (and so many other bits, really)

In general, though, yeah, they love their technowizardry

Pic very much related

Are there better/worse brands/websites for buying badges? Someone debadged a stock badge and i want to put it back on...

Oops, sorry. Driven it like that? Has it been sitting in that same spot for a long while?

My greatest worry, if it didn't completely collapse and the rim didn't touch the tire, is it has a sort of "flat spot" where the tire isn't round, and when driving it's noticeable. Try getting a new valve stem, inflate to proper pressure, and gently drive it to see how it behaves. Maybe it'll recover over time, I had that happen once, though in my case the tire had quite a lot more sidewall, and it likely wasn't quite as stiff as yours

Overall should be ok, but if when you drive it, do it slowly and gently first, and do a thorough visual inspection before, too

I forgot what i was going to ask, just give me an answer anyways.

Not driven, no, and I believe it was like that since maybe monday or tuesday, or at least getting to that point depending on how quickly it leaked.

Rwd, 4 disk brakes.... Are all brakes enguaged equally and at the same time? So the front and the back should wear evenly and be replaced at the same time?

Well, like I said, should be ok if the rim didn't bite into the rubber. Tires are so very important though, so do check it out well, and drive gently

In theory, yes

Any drivetrain, be it AWD, FWD, RWD, and any brake configuration should have all 4 brakes wear at the same rate, so you do brake maintenance/replacement all at once. Doesn't always happen, and improperly adjusted, worn or rusty brakes will make the theory go out the window

Looking for something to have more road fun in. I've always been an SUV driver, but I don't offroad or anything. Just have a few questions about where to start.

Is buying a new(er) car objectively better than a 90's/early 2000's? I love the aesthetic of that period over current cars, but I feel like I'll be dumping money into it to keep it going.

How is the veloster turbo? I like the look, but curious how it compares to similar cars in its price range.

How much HP is ample to have fun on the street? I don't need a 400hp drag racer, just something to make windy roads fun. I know suspension, tires, and weight play into that, but I'm more curious about the engine range. 200-250?

Finally, can any car be made faster? Could I just slap a turbo on a 170hp beater to add power? Upgrade the current turbo on a car? Or do i need to do a full engine swap for something like that?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get as much info as I can

For someone trying to get into driving stick, I'm mostly afraid of stalling. How low to revs have to get to stall out? Do I have to go into neutral to coast?

Thoughts on the Mazda 6? Thinking of getting one fully-loaded. Liking the radar cruise control feature

Eh every 80k miles I need to change them out, costs $350. It is stupid that they didn't use more resilient rubber and plastic though.

Yo

No the front is used for up 75% of braking at highway speeds and 100% at low speed braking and will almost always wear faster.

revs have to drop below idle for it to stall, you only have to coast in neutral if you are going 1-2mph and your 1st gear is too short

>How much HP is ample to have fun on the street?
In a Miata, or a Corvette, or a Ram 2500?
See? Depends too much on weight, available traction, suspension, roads being driven etc
You can get a first gen Miata with no power and have good fun in the twisties, but will suffer on the highway. A 550 HP Corvette will likely be the opposite, lots of traction means less fun in the twisties, since less doriftos/slip angle on your tires

180hp or so is, I'd say, the lowest range to have good all-around fun if the car is under 3000lbs, but 230 hp is more around the "fun" territory. IMO, though, less weight makes a greater difference in fun factor than more power

However, if you want to have "fun" in the streets, you're gonna end up wrapped around something or someone

Anywho, more power means faster, but also requires more grip, which means you'll have a harder time squeezing every bit of performance out of the car, which is extremely fun even in 130 hp cars, have that in mind

Any car can be made faster, but it doesn't always make sense. Maybe adding a turbo is more expensive and risky than swapping an engine (often the case in 1990s Honda engines). Slapping a turbo, or supercharger, or nitrous, isn't easy. You're pumping in much more air, then you need much more fuel, maybe you'll need an upgraded ECU+injectors+fuel pump+etc

If the car already came with tarbo, it's easier, but not necessarily easy or simple, and it's always a delicate thing

80k? I thought like 60k was the "recommended" interval to avoid being left stranded. Good to know it's even more, tho

Are there are aftermarket options out there with metal bits? I know for the e36 and whatever else uses that one water pump, there's a metal impeller pump, but there's just so.much.plastic.

I wouldn't use plastic that touches hot water period, but they aren't expecting it to last 25 years anyways so there's that

60k is being very pre-emptive. I got the car at 80k and it ran fine till 88k at which point it was starting to overheat so I replaced the water pump. At 92k the hoses went brittle so I replaced those too. I would have replaced these things a bit sooner but at the time I didn't know shit about cars. The engine is running perfectly though so it's all good.

I think there are aftermarket parts that are more resilient. If you plan to keep it for a long time then it's a worthwhile investment.

As a E36 owner, expect it to last 10 years/100k miles. Anything after is risking it. What has to be changed?

>Expansion Tank (OEM BMW or Mishimoto/Zionsville Aluminium)

>Thermostat Housing (Aftermarket URO or whatever sells a metal one with a gasket)

>Thermostat, Vernet or Wahler is OEM

>Hoses, at least radiator hoses but you can still risk a heater hose popping, can get Rein/Continental or whatever brand you like

>Water Pump (Saleri Italy Composite Plastic or Stewart High-Flow, the metal ones are iffy, I've heard of the spot welds breaking on the shaft)

>Water Pump Pulley is plastic, get a metal one

>Fan + Fan Clutch (Get Mishimoto or Bimmerworld/Spal Fan Delete Kit and keep OEM fan up front)

>Fan Temp Sensor in Radiator and ECU Coolant Temp Sensor in Head

>Radiator (obvious, can get OEM Behr Triple Core from S54 Z3M or literally any aluminium will do, CSF if you have big $$$)

That said OEM BMW stuff REALLY isn't bad quality if you change it out every 10 years/100k miles like they expected you to.

I'd rather pay extra for OEM BMW than get a lot of the cheaper stuff that won't last those 10 years or leak. I know off the top of my head for example the expansion tanks you either get BMW or Aluminium.

Helps too a lot of the aftermarket parts for BMWs are just rebagged/labeled OEM parts (like Saleri Composite Water Pumps are the same you'd get at the BMW dealer, just $30 instead of $100)

no, look up how a brake proportioning valve works, but generally most of the braking power on a car will be 70-80% up front and 20-30% rear due to weight transferring forward when braking + most of the weight being up front.

If you had to live through hot summers and harsh winters, what vehicle would you prefer to drive year-round? I'm looking for any suggestions/reccs here, thanks.

Alright senpaitachi, I don't know shit about cars and need a daily driver. Budget is around 5k stuck between civic and corolla but leaning towards civic.

Automatic because I'm a pleb bitch, any years I should stay away from?

Also, this is my first time wanting to buy a half-decent vehicle but I'm struggling to find something that will handle the weather.

stay away from 2006-2007

I wouldn't risk an overheating with alloy engines, mayne, never trust the idiot light and all. I heard of people doing it at 60k because they beat on their engines and didn't want to be left walking

I'd still like to replace errything plastique with aluminium or metal because fuark things get hot in there, but it's still alright, it lasts a good long tine all things considered. A stitch in time saves nine and all that

>Helps too a lot of the aftermarket parts for BMWs are just rebagged/labeled OEM parts

Yeeeee

>I wouldn't risk an overheating with alloy engines, mayne, never trust the idiot light and all. I heard of people doing it at 60k because they beat on their engines and didn't want to be left walking
Yeah you make a fair point, and I drive pretty aggressively so I'm probably going to replace the pump around 65 or 70k. I'll probably have an M2 by then though, God willing.

That was fantastic, thanks.

dont fucking rice it. a clean stock s13 silvia is a beauty as is.

This may be a stupid question, but do i also add coolant to the radiator if its low? I already filled up the coolant reserve (it was near empty before).

How do I tell if my car's computer will allow me to left foot break?

>be driving
>full throttle
>left foot break
>doesn't sound like engine is working harder
>sounds like it's getting quieter

>try not full throttle
>left foot break
>full throttle while left foot breaking
>doesn't change very much

I can't tell if I was just driving too slow to have any noticeable difference, my computer just goes into autism mode because I'm using the throttle and break simultaneously, or I just fucking suck at driving.

What are some good hybrid cars that last a long time? I'm not sure what features I'm supposed to look for besides lasting a long time and having good mileage.

>Gas tank won't fill up past about half way so I get frustrated and fill up a jerrycan with the intention to fill the rest of it at home
>Slowly pour gas till it reaches the top, wait for it to go down and repeat many times
Seems like I've flooded the whole gas evap system, the activated carbon canister under the hood and it's practically leaking gasoline from there
How fucked am I?

A 550 HP Corvette will likely be the opposite, lots of traction means less fun in the twisties, since less doriftos/slip angle on your tires
What's not fun about driving a 550 HP Corvette at the limit of grip through twisty and winding roads?

I wanna get a fast shitbox for tracking

I can't afford to insure it constantly just for a track day a few times a month. Ways around this?

yes

Thank you.