What Did You Do To Your Car Today?

[Johnnymac]

It's always nice when you have a tool that makes a job a lot easier.  Sounds like you are quite impressed with the new scanner, I'm sure with you affinity for older iron it'll be handy often.

[RRocket]

DTS continues to be a PITA...Started throwing codes for the Secondary Air Injection System, which really is just a complex way of blowing clean air into the catalytic converter for 30 seconds on a cold start to activate the catalyst. So no impact to the way the car runs, but I don't like looking at CELs, so I messed around with it today.
I was prepared to locate, disconnect, and test each component of the system, but the Launch X431 Pro scanner I got a few months back was super handy for this type of work. Using the scanner, I was able to command each component of the system on/off individually with the engine off (ignition on); turn the air pump on/off, solenoid open/close, relay open/close, etc. Doing so allowed me to isolate the issue to the check valve and without even getting my hands dirty. Ordered a new one ($180) and should have it mid-week.

Awesome!! Technology to the rescue!

[Firm]

As a follow up on that DTS Secondary Air System code - the new valve solved the problem, been driving it a couple weeks now without anymore codes. Relatively cheap and easy fix.

Gave it a good wash, wax and oil change today. Yes, it's been a PITA recently, but to put things in perspective, I paid $3500 CAD for the car in July 2018 with 120K kms on it. It's been my primary daily driver since, and while some years it didn't see a ton of miles, especially through COIVD WFH and the car reviews I used to do, but since moving it's been doing my 80km/day commute probably 4-days a week for close to 3 years now. 193K kms on it as of today. I really haven't put much $ into it, maybe $2K (excluding oil/fluids) in parts, most of them being 1-set of tires, 1-set of brakes, and then the more recent repairs I've done.  Looks perfect inside and out, drives great, zero warning lights, every features works like new. 

[Revelations]

That is such a sharp looking Caddy! All things considered, its been pretty solid for you too.

[Gurgie]

A little bit of snow in the background?

Sounds like that car has been a great find for you!

[Tortoise]

$3500 is crazy cheap! At some point it becomes more about the time than the money, but it doesn't sound like you're there yet.

[Firm]

A little bit of snow in the background?

Sounds like that car has been a great find for you!

Yeah, we got this 'snowcrete' kinda stuff....like 4" of ice pellets that became 4" of straight ice. Fell like 2 weeks ago and there's still some hanging around despite temps in the +10-15C range. Kids were off school for a week and a half because they couldn't get the roads cleared...

[RRocket]

As a follow up on that DTS Secondary Air System code - the new valve solved the problem, been driving it a couple weeks now without anymore codes. Relatively cheap and easy fix.

Gave it a good wash, wax and oil change today. Yes, it's been a PITA recently, but to put things in perspective, I paid $3500 CAD for the car in July 2018 with 120K kms on it. It's been my primary daily driver since, and while some years it didn't see a ton of miles, especially through COIVD WFH and the car reviews I used to do, but since moving it's been doing my 80km/day commute probably 4-days a week for close to 3 years now. 193K kms on it as of today. I really haven't put much $ into it, maybe $2K (excluding oil/fluids) in parts, most of them being 1-set of tires, 1-set of brakes, and then the more recent repairs I've done.  Looks perfect inside and out, drives great, zero warning lights, every features works like new. 

As always, good work!

I saw a lovely burgundy color DTS yesterday!

[RRocket]

Finally got my trailer hitch on my BZ. It's one of those completely invisible dealios. Receiver is stainless steel. Price was gross. I'm at about $1200 all in.

https://youtu.be/EoKF_EKdzws?si=3m7mzy9S44RlOEav

On a side note, I asked the hitch installer what the absolute nightmare car is for a hitch install. Dude didn't even think for 1 second: Jaguar F-Pace. Says you had to tear the car apart. 1.5 DAYS labor. 😳

[Firm]

Lol, I believe that on the F-Pace. I did a hitch install for a friend once on a small Mercedes SUV....GLA, GLB, something like that, it also absolutely sucked.

[Fobroader]

Holy crap, I've only installed hitches on vehicles where the hard part was trying to get the solid steel, Class 4 or 5 hitch into place as it weighs more than a subcompact car. Thats ridiculous that putting in a hitch is that difficult.

[Seafoam]

Took off the snows.

[GreatBigAbyss]

Lucky!  We still have a few feet of snow left on the ground here, with more in the forecast.  I can't see myself changing tires for another month yet.

The Prius won't need tire changeover, because of the all-weather tires. I'm starting to like that concept now. They were 'acceptable' during the past month and a half of winter weather. Good enough that I'm likely to leave them on and forego installing dedicated winters on the Prius.   That concept, however, is only possible because we have the 2nd vehicle with AWD and good winter tires for the really bad snowdays. 

[Blizzard]

Tire change for the Bolt is scheduled for Tuesday. I was hoping to replace the OEM Michelin Energy Savers this season but unfortunately when looking at the tires this weekend, they still have a lot of tread. Way more than I thought.

The bZ4x is scheduled for April 15 in order to have a car to go to my girlfriend's house in the Laurentians. As of yesterday there's still 4 feet of snow there. It's been a pretty cold March here so I think there's been maybe 4 days above zero there this entire month. I'd have no problem driving there on all-seasons as long as it's not snowing torrentially, but gotta respect "safety" when driving to someone else's house

[Firm]

Been a busy week. Last Saturday morning, VERY early I picked up a rental Kia Carnival HEV and we made the ~900 miles drive back to Mississauga to take care of a few things and spend a couple days with family. Drove non-stop, except for a couple gas/restroom breaks and made it in about 14.5 hours. Essentially it's Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, Toledo, Detroit, Windsor, Mississauga. Did our thing there and drove back Tuesday, came back through Buffalo, which adds about an hour to the trip, but the Peace Bridge is Buffalo is much quieter than Detroit and very friendly staff. That Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Columbus, Cinncinnati, Louisville, Nashville, home. Kids were amazing, really glad they travel well because whining kids could really make a drive like that a nightmare. Kia Carnival did well too...tons of space, seats are decent, did just over 30mpg, something like 7.8L/100kms with cruise set at 80mph almost the whole way.

Back home I took the Escalade to Discount tire for my complimentary annual tire rotation...in/out in 30 minutes. Couldn't be happier with service from Discount Tire.

Then onto the fun stuff...The Green 96 Bird had developed a pretty loud 'ticking' sound on the passenger side of the engine. Sounded just like valvetrain tick, which wouldn't surprise me at all given that the car's been run pretty hard in it's past lives. Started poking around and notice a little spark in the corner of my eye....Yep, spark plug wire was took close to whatever aftermarket longtube headers are on it and burnt through, the spark from the wire to the header was echoing inside the header tube and sounded just like valve tick. So, I installed a new set of wires on it today...If anyone's work on an LT1 you know that's not nearly as simple as it sounds, but it's done, the ticking sound is gone, and the car feels really healthy now....Those wires must have been leaking voltage for awhile.

Gave it a much needed wash and wax too. Followed by a good ride into town with the family on the backroads. Polo green is just so pretty when it's clean and the light hits it properly.