Getting into cars
Raneados
police apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
police apologistyou shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
I'm looking to get into cars
how to maintain them, how to open a hood and say something other than "hey... metal!", how to generally not get fucked when buying a car
this was inspired by my brother taking his car down to a mechanic and his... transmission fluid(?) was brown. Apparently it's supposed to be reddish.
Who knew?
Not me.
And thus why I want to learn about cars. Anyone know a good site to get me started and keep me up-to-date?
how to maintain them, how to open a hood and say something other than "hey... metal!", how to generally not get fucked when buying a car
this was inspired by my brother taking his car down to a mechanic and his... transmission fluid(?) was brown. Apparently it's supposed to be reddish.
Who knew?
Not me.
And thus why I want to learn about cars. Anyone know a good site to get me started and keep me up-to-date?
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For example, I visit www.zcar.com (All generations of Z from 240 to 350) and www.zilvia.net (240sx / Silvia / Z). Info a plenty.
See how many books I've read so far in 2010
Of getting into cars.
ZING!
(sry if this post is one giant joke i just couldn't help myself)
"Oh what a day, what a LOVELY DAY!"
See how many books I've read so far in 2010
http://www.meineke.com/stuff_about_cars/how_work.asp
2) altmann, that's the sort of thing that gets you jailed here, watch out
Re buying: Research what you want to buy, and common problem areas associated with it. Older cars you especially want to be wary for rust, especially on frame rails, floor boards, etc.
Then of course you have many different kinds of engines. 4 cyl, 6 cyl, 8 cyl, Rotary (Wankel). Among the different cylinder types, you have different configurations:
- The V. Pretty standard nowadays. Theres different variations depending on he angle of the V. Its pistons, that oppose each other in a V shape, with the chamber being at the bottom of the V where both meet.
- Inline, also referred to as straight (i.e. A 280z has a 2.8l straight 6). This is a row of vertical pistons. Tends to have higher torque than Vs of the same displacement (2.5l, 1.8l, etc)
- Boxer, also referred to as flat (i.e. A WRX has a 2.5l flat 4). This is horizontally opposed pistons. Porches and Subarus like this config.
Hit wikipedias for more info on the terms, and follow subsequent links.
See how many books I've read so far in 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_engine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_engine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_engine
See how many books I've read so far in 2010
1. Find a forum/community for the car you own now.
2. Read said forums/listen to the community. Don't be afraid of asking dumb questions but for the love of all things good and holy use the search function first.
3. Try stuff out. Start with an oil change or installing an aftermarket air-filter. You know, the easy stuff. The more time you have under the hood doing simple things you know how to do the quicker you'll learn new stuff and say "oooohhhh, I never knew that was the slushbox!" Even installing most bolt-on parts (intakes, exhaust, and so forth) is easy after awhile.
4. Enroll in tech classes.
It takes a long time to actually get anywhere with cars, especially these days with all the complex electrics that are being thrown around.
p.s. You can get an old junker Civic or so for playing around rather cheep, if you want to move faster and potentially screw some stuff up... the old d-series Honda motors are brick outhouses.
Make sure you open the door first. I cannot stress how important this is.
I'll tell you, car guys and gals are pretty cool. Find a local weekly auto show and go out. You'll hear people talking and you'll pick up a lot just by listening. People love to talk about their cars, so don't be afraid to ask them questions about their cars.
Also, when a mechanic is working on your car, ask to watch. At a local garage, they might let you stand around and watch them work, in which case you'll see a lot of things that you can either 1) do yourself, or 2) better understand by seeing than by reading.
Careful, Raneados said that you can get jailed for that :P
Anyway, I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but howstuffworks.com is, like, one-quarter articles on cars, and it's all explained extremely well, with wonderful visual aids. In recent years, Wikipedia has become kind of the go-to site for general knowledge and explanations like this, but IMO, howstuffworks is still a much better resource if you want to understand any of the dozens of systems that your average car has lurking under its hood (and inside its chassis, and anywhere else).
every time my families cars have needed fixing it's been totally dull, they hook it up to a computer and let it fix itself msot of the time!
The best way to learn about cars is to get friends who know about cars (but don't just think they know about cars) and work on cars yourself. Cars are a hobby where the bullshit can be pretty deep.
t Corwin - Everybody knows the real zcar site is http://www.hybridz.org ;-)
I leave the window on my pickup rolled down.
I jump in through the windows.
60% of the time, it impresses the ladies, every time
For instance, transmission fluid usually gets brown, but it doesn't mean it's "bad" yet or that it should be replaced. Same with oil -- just because it's "darker than fresh" doesn't mean "change the oil," or else you end up in a cycle of replacing things on a car without understanding *why* you're doing them. Like how it's better to change the oil more frequently if you drive the car *less* frequently or in the city.
For most basic information on one's own car, read the manual. Most people don't.
But as said above, a lot of things with newer cars are in the "here's how they work, but I have no idea how to fix it" category. I've replaced a carburetor on a small japanese car (sucks). I wouldn't touch a fuel injector.
CT I'll ban you
got my ban button all set up last weekend
I am hovering over it
Car forums tend to have a low signal to noise ratio, but the better forums will regularly call people on BS. Mustang and Civic forums tend to be the worst, but that's probably just related to popularity.
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
But thats moot now since my 280 died. Now I just need to sell my parts and forget them until I can find a nice 240z
See how many books I've read so far in 2010
See how many books I've read so far in 2010
That's why I included the 'once you know what stuff is' bit. The wiki and howstuffworks links will be great for an overview, while the manuals will delve into specifics.
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
Obligatory advice: Find a buddy at the same stage as you and learn this shit together. Also, start getting your hands dirty with your own fluid changes and stuff. Hooray for practical knowledge!
Sry, it just seems a little too power-happy. And admit it, it was funny lawl.
"Oh what a day, what a LOVELY DAY!"
I totally agree, being in the same position as Raneados I have found that the Haynes book immensely helpful and educational.
It's not necessarily required, per se, unless you don't want to look like a colossal douche.
Ditto here, I know shit-all about cars but with a Haynes manual have managed an oil change, fixing my electric window (after much swearing), fitting an exhaust and a few other bits and bobs. They are insanely helpful and also have a guide to how difficult a job is (it's measured in spanners, something complicated would be 5 spanners whereas something easy would be 1 spanner)
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
The best way to learn about things is to "do" them, and learning about cars is no different.
Before you get started, you're going to want a good work area and adequate tools. The side of the road or the walmart parking lot is not good enough - nor is a fisherprice toolbelt. A garage is ideal, along with at least a basic socket/wrench/screwdriver/plier set (extras are pretty much required, such as shallow and deep sockets, extenders, universal joints).
A Haynes manual is certainly a cost effective and great asset to have. Infact, starting a job that you've never done before without a manual is simply foolish, even for the most experienced mechanics (at least have them available for reference).
Since taking appart your car engine might not be practical with your current level of knowledge, I recommend trying to get a broken motorcycle engine from a scrapyard (not a dirtbike/trailbike engine, as those are usually 2-stroke and cars are 4-stroke - altho they'll still teach you good things). You get bonus points if you can fix the problem and put it back together, but assume you'll be destroying it and the cost is for your education. Taking appart the motorcycle engine should teach you some basics about the mechanics of an engine, such as how the crankshaft is rotated by the piston, how the fuel mixture enters the cylinder and gets compressed by the piston, how the sparkplug ignites the fuel, and how the exhaust gasses are pushed out of the cylinder. While taking it appart, keep in mind that the engine operates upwards of 6000-7000 rpm... thats over 100 rotations of the crankshaft (and piston moving up and down in 1 cycle) per SECOND. This is good to know because 1) Its cool to think about, and 2) You'll understand the importance of lubrication, cooling, and precision.
Researching the basics of how internal combustion engines work is a good idea. Infact, do this first so you know roughly what you're looking at when you take an engine appart.
If you have any questions, please email me at loismustdie20042005 at hotmail. I love to help people, and I can probably answer any questions you have.
The beauty of these engines is that there are only 3 internal moving parts, so you pretty much can see the entire cycle of the engine as you rotate it.
I'm sorry for being a dick
I was thinking the same thing.
Well i just thought it would be an easy introduction to ICE theory in general. After all it is one of the simplest engine designs available. You don't have to worry about crankshafts, timing belts, and valve trains. Just carburetor, spark plugs and exhaust.
I'd prefer to learn without spending money, though. Well maybe I can get credit for it as an elective
and I have 0 friends who know cars and currently have a job, so getting anything like that's probably out of the question
generally if your transmission fluid is brown...well it really shouldn't be, though it will smell burnt if something really bad is happening. and when a fuel injector goes bad your engine will shake the shit out of itself form having a dead cylinder, a multimeter and can tell you which injector has gone bad. though if it is a '96 or newer car/truck, things get real easy with OBDII, 1) check engine light comes on, 2) go to autozone and use their loan-a-tool OBDII scanner, 3) follow very simple directions on scanner, 4) read code from car, 5) look up what codes mean in either haynes manual or online. I lived with a master technician who worked for BMW for 4 years, taught me most cars are still pretty easy to fix.
For generic car knowledge, google is probably your best friend. It also helps to have friends/family into cars (as already stated).
For specifics regarding particular problems with particular cars I recomend http://www.autozone.com which has a "Repair Info" section that is basically an online version of the Chilton's manuals. You could also go to your local auto parts store and pick up a physical Chilton's Guide (but who reads from books anymore anyways).