We're offering our inexpert advice in all things automotive.
We might discuss your question on our podcast. Yes, this means that we've run out of ideas for episodes and are too lazy to do research.
Edit: Thanks for the questions everyone. We didn't have time to answer all of them on the show but I'll try to answer all of them on here. The episode probably won't be out for over a month since we've got a backlog of editing to do.
what's the best way to blow up every single one in the world all at once
Death to America
I don't know about the best way, but the most fun way would be to put nitrous oxide in them
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How do EVs with 1 motor per wheel regulate speed on each wheel? Do they try mimmic a differential or just let the wheels slip?
They can do all of those with the right sensors and computers. This video has a good explanation.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Why is adding power to a car terribly expensive? I want 200whp in my Miata, but that's $8k away ($5k turbo kit, $2k installation, $1k for clutch and cooling system upgrades installed diy). It's so slow
Miatas aren’t slow. I mean they are, but you shouldn’t be trying to drag race them, that’s not the point. They’re a copy of the classic British type sports car, made for driving on britains b-roads and country lanes. This pedigree shows, on narrow twisty roads miatas come alive, they don’t feel at all slow then.
Also driving a slow car fast >> driving a fast car slowly.
Adding power to a naturally aspirated engine will always be expensive. If you want cheap tuning you'll have to start with a turbocharged car. A GTI can gain 70+ hp with just a $500 software flash. For what it's worth though, I've had way more fun on track with a slow Miata than a 300 hp GTI because lightness is more desirable than power.
I used to have a Miata and was planning to put a turbo on it, but that started looking like too much of a hassle so instead I bought a WRX.
That said, there's lots of good information on https://www.miataturbo.net/ if you want to go the cheaper DIY route instead of a kit, and I still have a MegaSquirt ECU that I could sell you for a couple hundred bucks. An if you can install a radiator or a clutch, you can probably install a turbo yourself.
I keep coming back to diy for install, ultimately. Can't diy the whole kit cuz I would need to emissions test it, so I'd need the fuel cards instead of real fuel management. Still looking like $6k if I do all labor myself, and it's just a too rich for my blood. Guess I'll be slow and reliable
Not sure what you mean by fuel cards but if it's pre-OBD2 (1995) you should be able to pass the tailpipe emissions test with a Megasquirt ECU or similar. There's also piggyback systems that work with the stock ECU if the emissions test requires that.
You might be able to find a used Flyin' Miata Voodoo Box but they don't make them anymore. I don't know of any other piggyback systems made specifically for a Miata.
Sometimes you can find a deal on good used turbo stuff but it's a crapshoot.
You could also get a plug-and-play ECU like Megasquirt and swap everything back to stock for the emissions test. Or at least swap in the stock ECU and injectors and wire the wastegate open so it doesn't make boost.
These have all crossed my mind, but then it starts to feel like an endless project. I guess I just wanted to vent about the cost to add horsepower cuz damn it's crazy
Definitely. This is why I ended up selling my Miata and getting a WRX.
how many cylinders are there. if i'm 'firing on all cylinders' how many is that. i need to know so i can make correct analogies
It can be anywhere from one to sixteen, but usually four or six.
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How are the EMP cameras in Cars 2 causing the cars with Allinol to explode?
I'm ashamed to admit that I've never seen any of the Cars movies
Please do yourself a favor and watch Cars 2 first and watch your brain become filled with cottage cheese as you try to comprehend the logistics of the Cars universe.
Let me put it this way:
Cars 1 is a movie set in a car-centric country, about cars, about car culture, about car infrastructure, and about car racing. Making the protagonists be cars makes sense.
Cars 2 is a sequel to Cars 1 and has zero reason to make the protagonists all be cars.
should i sell my 20 year old beater and buy a car that won't break every 2 months
going thru this myself right now - here's some questions to ask yourself to help you decide
- do you hate it? Do you dread getting in it and going places, and would a nicer, newer car fix that?
- does it present immediate safety liability?
- do you fix it yourself? If not, and you want to, would now be a good time for you to learn to? If you do fix it yourself, is it a drag, or do you get any joy out of it?
- are your repairs reactive, or proactive? Has the car being broken ever impacted your plans?
- is it cheap to fix, or is it expensive?
- would there be a significant difference in fuel economy from switching?
- how are insurance rates on your old car versus your new car?
Spend like thirty seconds each thinking about these questions and you might have your answer
That depends. If you're paying a mechanic every 2 months, a car payment might be cheaper. If you can fix it yourself for cheap and you enjoy the car, I'd say keep it.
We went into more depth on used cars in these two episodes: Used Cars Part 1 Used Cars Part 2
i've been fixing it myself, and only recently got a job where i can take public transit. Coolant just turned to chocolate pudding, so I'm gonna replace the head gasket and then decide what I wanna do with it.
If you want to look on the bright side, if you can replace the head gasket yourself that means you're capable of pretty much any other repairs that might come later
How do we get US car makers to bring back "utes" and hatchbacks? I love my '03 baja and will run it until the wheels fall off but it's getting harder and harder to find a small AWD car with decent clearance and cargo space.
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I thought americans loved utes? Really huge ones with no practical utility (as it were)?
In America we have lots of large full-frame pickup trucks, but very few small car-based pickups, which I think is what danoffs is looking for
I'm looking at the hilux workmate, but the second hand car market is fucked here. But we'd call both the little and big ones Ute's (trucks are like... lorries or tractor trailers)
I haven't heard "Ute" used much in America except to refer to the Native American tribe. I'm not sure what the official word for a car-based pickup would be, but colloquially people have used the suffix -amino as in the Chevrolet El Camino. So if someone chopped the roof off of a Volvo station wagon and made it into a pickup it would be a Volvamino.
That's kinda cute I guess. I feel like I hear Americans refer to them as trucks which doesn't feel right to me.
I want a Kei truck, which people wouldn't call a Ute here
I want to learn to drive + get a license because
- useful for running errands
- a job I want requires a car
- could help out friends and family
but
- no available vehicle to learn on
- insurance seems expensive
- cars seem expensive and are always breaking
- i could never decide on a car
- parking seems expensive
- driving seems dangerous
what do you think
A lot of it depends on where you live, but I'd try taking lessons at a driving school. I took driving lessons at this school as a teenager, but there were also a few adults there at the time.
Depending on where you live, you also might be able to find a car-share subscription service like Zipcar where you can rent a car for a few hours at a time, which is usually cheaper than owning a car.
You could also get a scooter or e-bike, which would be much cheaper but also more dangerous.
is there any reason I shouldn't get rid of my current car and get a sweet kei truck instead?
Kei trucks are very unsafe (your knees are the crumple zones) and difficult to find parts for when they break down. Other than that, they're great!
damn. i knew there'd be some catch. Still seriously considering getting on though
Why is the driving test so easy, I think you can kill up to 5 people and still pass. I mean, it’s been ages since I took mine but I doubt it’s changed that much. I’m shocked that anyone manages to fail it somehow.
I used to work at the FAA and having taken and given tests for pilots, I much prefer the model where you’re required to actually know what you’re doing instead of licenses being handed out like candy.
Also should we add air brakes to cars for shits and giggles? I used to drive a bus and those pieces of shit were always a doozy(ie?). And stop trying to pass the bus with insanely dangerous maneuvers; how do we curb driver entitlement?
And another thing, at least when I took the test, to get a CDL you needed to commit the pretrip inspection to memory and recite it word for word, and you fail if you use a checklist. Really epitomizes the DMV - meaningless hurdles that don’t actually improve safety but makes them feel like they’re doing something. For FAA tests you fail if you don’t use a checklist. So the DOT has two diametrically opposed philosophies regarding inspecting vehicles prior to usage.
If driver tests were more rigorous it would make it harder for people to get to work and the line would go down.
I don't really know what the advantage of air brakes over hydraulic brakes would be, except that they make cool noises
When - if ever - will the US have cool yet cheap EV cats like the Renault 5 E-Tech?
Show
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Ninja edit: I just noticed the typo. I'm leaving it.
Off the top of my head, shower thoughts style...
How does the tire air pressure sensor work in some new model cars?
Why the fuck does my windshield wiper blade make that horrible "squeak/fart/rending of the fabric of reality" sound long before the rubber on the blade looks fucked up and is there anything that can slow/eliminate the cause (that isn't coating my windshield in KY jelly)?
What would be some causes for a new fuse be shot out of a vehicle's fuse box when cranking?
I've used Rain-X spray on my windshield before, it's supposed to make the windshield more slippery so that water runs off it more quickly, but I don't know if it makes the squeaking less. If you end up going with KY jelly let me know what your results are. I also wonder if water-based lube in the coolant would make your water pump more efficient
My guess is there was some kind of arc flash
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wait like the fuse was literally physically ejected from the fusebox?
Any reasons my tire pressure light might still be on after filling them and my guage claiming they're at a good 40 psi?
Maybe the battery in the sensor is running low?
Is 40 psi the recommended tire pressure? That seems high, unless it's on a truck or large SUV.
I personally have gone with 38 most of the time (toyota corolla). Maybe the weather is having some effect, but when I filled at a Speedway to 38 and it was still on. I suppose I'll lower to 36 in the morning. Thankya.
