February 27th, 2008

[Hoblit]

I have THE sh@ttiest luck with cars. I knew the brakes were acting funny on my '89 Lincoln but at one of The Funeral Dazies gigs I actually lost control of the car while backing up and ran right over a handicap sign. I figured it was time to go ahead and take it to the shop.

Get this, somebody poured the wrong fluid into the Brake Fluid line. It wasn't me because hell, I have only put oil in the damn thing and probably not even as much as I should.

I have a feeling my cousin's ex-fiance' did it. He had told me he kept putting power steering fluid into the car but it didn't seem to help the power steering at all. (This is the same guy who put the wrong alternator into the car so when I drove it for the first time it died within the first two miles. The alternator that had been put in required two more connections to recycle power.) So, a shot from hip guess is that this former driver might have been putting the power steering fluid into the wrong place. I don't know this... but the mechanic told me that the wrong fluid was definitely mixed in with the brake fluid and was eating away at the line...allowing other fluids and air into the system. The only way to fix it would be to flush the system and replace all the gaskets and a few other parts. Obviously the car isn't worth all of that.

(I smashed the front end a little on Thanksgiving and at another time I had the muffler removed because it was dragging)

QOTD: Ever have a car just go belly up on you because of incompetence?

[EmbersOfAutumn]

QotD: Thank goodness, no... but I can say that i've had someone (purposely) mess with my car as a practical joke before.

When I was in high school, this jerkass of a kid took the blades off of my windshield wipers the day that a hurricaine was gonna pass through. On the way home, it was raining so hard that visibility was literally less than 5 feet, and I had no windshield wipers. I tried to compromise with a half-roll of paper towels I bought and shoved up under the blade holders, but no avail. I'm very surprised I made it home alive--just knowing the roads well I guess.

[HeuristicsInc]

removed the wipers? jeez, if you knew who it was that might be prosecute-worthy.
as for the question, no, nothing like that.
-bill

[WeaselSlayer]

I'm filing the paperwork today to take a leave of absence from college. Woo. Hopefully some more music/not going crazy will come after this.

And I'm an incredible driver, my car loves me.

[Spud]

R.I.P.



I finally had the Octovan hauled away. Several issues led to this decision.

1. My dog ate my upholstery. I started re-doing it, and he ate it again. I gave up.

2. The back door latch broke off in my hand. $600 to fix.

3. The back door latch broke off again. Forget it.

4. The sliding door inside latch broke off in my hand. Who needs it?

5. The plastic radiator split. $600 to fix? Forget it.

6. The emergency brake handle broke off in my contractor's hand.

Given that it apparently costs $600 bucks to fix anything, and I figure the brake handle must be good for another $600, and probably the inside handle, too. That's $2400, and more than I paid for it. Bye Bye.

[jimtyrrell]

Roll Call: Working. I never did get down to Portsmouth to drop off my RPM CD. I see that I can go on Saturday morning, so maybe that'll work. I'll probably just end up mailing it.

Tonight I'm playing at Shooter's in Belmont. And tomorrow I'm starting a six-month Thursday run at The Olive Branch Tavern in Tilton. Yay!

QotD: This month I'm gonna pay off my car. Which means it's gonna blow up or something, right?

[Billy's Little Trip]

QOTD: Never because of incompetents, but I have pushed a few cars beyond their limits. I once put a 75 shot of nitrous (shot equates to horsepower, so 75 hp) on my 89 IROC Camaro, which was great and no problem. It was so awesome, I bumped it to 150 shot. It was the fastest car I had ever driven, for about 15 minutes. I broke my crank, a few pistons, a couple rods and damaged my heads. Other than that, it was fine.

Hobz, it's not too bad putting power steering fluid in the brake reservoir if you catch it pretty quick. But it sounds like this may have taken place more than a few days ago. It will need to be flushed because, PS fluid will cause all the rubber to expand. It won't hurt metal or plastic, only the rubber because brake system rubber is specifically designed for brake fluid because it contains glycol esters, and ethers.
Now if it were the other way around, brake fluid will totally trash your PS pump seals and lines.

Little fact: PS fluid and transmission fluid are the same thing

Little tip: Brake fluid is great for freeing up a corroded nut/bolt.

Tip 2: Transmission fluid can be added to your motor oil several hundred miles before your next oil change to cleans your oil passages. This is only needed on old grungy engines. (100k + miles)

[Hoblit]

Hobz, it's not too bad putting power steering fluid in the brake reservoir if you catch it pretty quick. But it sounds like this may have taken place more than a few days ago. It will need to be flushed because, PS fluid will cause all the rubber to expand. It won't hurt metal or plastic, only the rubber because brake system rubber is specifically designed for brake fluid because it contains glycol esters, and ethers.
Now if it were the other way around, brake fluid will totally trash your PS pump seals and lines.

Thats exactly what the mechanic described. He said that whatever fluid it was , was eating away at all of the rubber. Also note that my power steering on that car is extremely noisy. Which is partly why I mention it in my original post...because the former driver had been trying to fix THAT.

You basically have reinforced my theory that the former driver mixed the two reservoirs up. Sealing the car's fate (er..or...'unsealing' if you're into puns) before I even obtained it. I would have had it for one full year on March 9th.

ONE good thing though: I obtained the vehicle from my Uncle (but it's former driver was actually my cousin's ex-fiance) and they were trying to sell it for $400 a year ago. I save him an ass kicking by them giving it to me instead. If somebody else had PAID for it and broke down less than two miles away...(the wrong alternator dealeo) and THEN this. (well, for $400 what would you expect.) I basically spent about $200-$250 getting a new alternator, fixing AC valve issue, and a few other things (like door handles and etc...) fixed before I called it 'mine'.

[Billy's Little Trip]

R.I.P.



I finally had the Octovan hauled away. Several issues led to this decision.

1. My dog ate my upholstery. I started re-doing it, and he ate it again. I gave up.

2. The back door latch broke off in my hand. $600 to fix.

3. The back door latch broke off again. Forget it.

4. The sliding door inside latch broke off in my hand. Who needs it?

5. The plastic radiator split. $600 to fix? Forget it.

6. The emergency brake handle broke off in my contractor's hand.

Given that it apparently costs $600 bucks to fix anything, and I figure the brake handle must be good for another $600, and probably the inside handle, too. That's $2400, and more than I paid for it. Bye Bye.

Pontiac, keeping the American economy strong, one part at a time.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Hobz, it's not too bad putting power steering fluid in the brake reservoir if you catch it pretty quick. But it sounds like this may have taken place more than a few days ago. It will need to be flushed because, PS fluid will cause all the rubber to expand. It won't hurt metal or plastic, only the rubber because brake system rubber is specifically designed for brake fluid because it contains glycol esters, and ethers.
Now if it were the other way around, brake fluid will totally trash your PS pump seals and lines.

Thats exactly what the mechanic described. He said that whatever fluid it was , was eating away at all of the rubber. Also note that my power steering on that car is extremely noisy. Which is partly why I mention it in my original post...because the former driver had been trying to fix THAT.

You basically have reinforced my theory that the former driver mixed the two reservoirs up. Sealing the car's fate (er..or...'unsealing' if you're into puns) before I even obtained it. I would have had it for one full year on March 9th.

ONE good thing though: I obtained the vehicle from my Uncle (but it's former driver was actually my cousin's ex-fiance) and they were trying to sell it for $400 a year ago. I save him an ass kicking by them giving it to me instead. If somebody else had PAID for it and broke down less than two miles away...(the wrong alternator dealeo) and THEN this. (well, for $400 what would you expect.) I basically spent about $200-$250 getting a new alternator, fixing AC valve issue, and a few other things (like door handles and etc...) fixed before I called it 'mine'.

Because of the value of the car, you can just flush and bleed the line. Your brakes will work fine, but the rubber in the calipers/cylinders will leak. As long as you have a DOT 3 fluid, you will have the proper compressive and boil point fluid needed. Just keep your reservoir topped off.
Plus, you always have your good ole E brake.

[Spud]

Plus, you always have your good ole E brake.

Well, unless it's a Pontiac

[sausage boy]

QOTD: No. Though my previous car dissolved one of the pistons somehow. The mechanic couldn't explain it, as everything looked fine.

I kind of miss my three piston car, now.

[Märk]

Years ago (in fact, this was my first car) I had an '81 Grand Prix. *Hot* car. *Total* chick magnet. I'm only being partially ironic there, it actually did help me meet girls.
It was winter time, and me and some friends were trying to get to someone's house, because they were having a party. Their driveway was long and icy, and I slid the car off the pavement a bit, and got stuck. We tried everything to get it out, it was just spinning the tires on ice. I dumped a bunch of gravel under the wheels, no go. We found some nearby people to help push, no go. Right around the time when I was facing the possibility of having to call for a tow, my friend says "Aww, let me try" So he gets in and GUNS the engine. For like 45 seconds. There was smoke coming off the tires, but it still wouldn't do anything but slip uselessly on the ice. Then there was that sound. If you've heard it, you know what it is, and never forget it. It was the sound of a piston rod snapping, and then the sound of a piston being shot at high velocity through the cylinder head. The wrecker gave me 50 bucks for the car.

[Caravan Ray]

I used to have an old Renault when I was a student. It was very, very close to dead when I sold it for $80 to some bloke.

A week later, the police contacted me to tell me they found my car abandoned in the street (I had forgotten to cancel my rego papers). Seems the bloke got my car, drove about 6 blocks - and then it completely died on him. He must have been too embarrassed to come and ask for his money back, so he just walked away and left it.

I remember warning the bloke - "...yes it does go...a bit...as long as you stay on the flat, don't attempt hills in it, even slight inclines....just stay on the flat....". He had obviously attempted going up a hill.

[Märk]

Renaults don't go up hills even fresh off the factory line, dude

My dad had a Renault years ago. It was the most gutless piece of shit I've ever seen. The only bonus to owning one is you never *ever* get a speeding ticket.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Plus, you always have your good ole E brake.

Well, unless it's a Pontiac

Damn, I should have said that!

[fluffy]

When I was in high school I had awful luck with radiator hoses splitting. It's not like I was doing anything to cause this to happen... it just kept happening. Whenever I drove any of my family's cars, the radiator hose would split.

When I was in grad school I was moving across town (which was admittedly only 6 miles or so) and I hit a very deep pothole. My car bottomed out and it split the radiator itself. Rather than call a tow truck I just drove a mile, waited for the engine to cool off, drove another mile, and so on. Fortunately my new place was just up the hill from a mechanic so when the mechanic was open I just put it in neutral and coasted down the hill.

drc: My parents are in town and staying at my place. I think they are a little old to be couch-surfing (they are older than Spud!), but they seem fine with it. (And yes I did offer to sleep on the couch so they could use my bed instead, but they turned it down. Not that my bed is any larger than the couch when unfolded anyway.)

[Hoblit]

drc: My parents are in town and staying at my place. I think they are a little old to be couch-surfing (they are older than Spud!), but they seem fine with it. (And yes I did offer to sleep on the couch so they could use my bed instead, but they turned it down. Not that my bed is any larger than the couch when unfolded anyway.)

When both of my folks come down they always insist on getting a room. However, whenever my mom comes down she surfs between my couch and my Aunt's couch. AND YEAH, its a little strange but she prefers my couch. I think its because I think she feels more comfortable with drinking (more) around me.