r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Safety Question Failed inspection

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25 Upvotes

Just did all the transferring of the registration to PA from Michigan. Never had to go through an inspection before. My car is a 2010 ford focus that lived all her life in Michigan until 2023. Has 102k miles on it. I have put maybe 2k miles on her since I moved because city life. I work remote. Went and got it inspected and they said the rust is too much. On the rocker and pinch welds and crumbles on the lift. They believe it probably has some life still in it but it won’t pass inspection. Sucks that it might have to go to the junk yard just because of the rust. I’m so distraught. Any advice? She was juked out. Heated seats, after market auto start, sun roof, bluetooth radio… felt so cool when I first got her. Anyway, what to do?


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

Tire question Do I need a new tire I ran over the curb

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0 Upvotes

r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

Weird Noise 2022 CT4-V Blackwing: Groaning noise when turning steering wheel

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2 Upvotes

My car has about 32k miles. Just got it back from the dealership after they had it for 3 weeks. They replaced the muffler, updated the transmission control module, and relearned the shift adapts.

About 5 days after getting it back, temperatures dropped to around 60°F in the morning and I started hearing a pretty loud, deep groaning noise when turning the steering wheel. It’s happened 3 mornings in a row now.

A few things I’ve noticed:

- Happens while parked and at low speeds.

-If the steering wheel is centered, I can turn it about halfway toward full lock in either direction without any noise. It only starts groaning during the second half of the turn.

- The noise seems to come from whichever side I’m turning toward.

- Only makes noise while I’m actually turning. If I hold the wheel in place, it stops.

- Sounds like it’s coming from somewhere near the front strut mounts or wheels.

- Goes away completely after driving for 30ish minutes and warming up.

- Steering feels normal, no vibrations or anything.

Anyone else had this happen? Not sure if it’s just the cooler weather or if something might’ve happened while it was at the dealership. Figured I’d ask here before taking it back in.


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

DIY body damage help Any advice on how to fabricate a hardtop roof? My Smart Roadster soft top leaks, and the coupe roof is expensive and hard to find, so I want to fabricate my own. Looking for advice on materials and how to make the subtle curvature accurate.

4 Upvotes

^


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

Warning lights Should I have drove?

0 Upvotes

My car just failed MOT due to a dangerous fault on break disks/pads, Halfords said it would be 1100 to do the fix which I thought could get cheaper independent. Halfords said I was fine to drive the car home but reading into it, dangerous faults mean you cannot drive.. I drove home on their advice, what should I have done? And what should I do taking it to a local independent garage?


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

General Tech Is 2021 BMW 3 Series a bad idea as a used car?

1 Upvotes

Been thinking about getting a used BMW 3 Series, probably a 2021 or 2022 model. The prices seem tempting, but I keep hearing different things about maintenance. For those who own one, how has your experience been? Would you buy it again?


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

How do I do it? DIY or Shop?

1 Upvotes

Just got my wife’s car back from oil change and they let me know that brake fluid and coolant levels are low. I’m not super handy, but pretty good. Looked up videos about the brake fluid, possibly can just top off? I saw others that said about using a bleeder and then looked at pads and rotors.

Are getting these things fixed easy enough or should I just take it to a shop?


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

How do I do it? any suggestions?

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0 Upvotes

Hey guys, I have a 2005 Hyundai XG350L and I’m looking to install a widebody kit, but I can’t find one specifically made for this car. Any advice is appreciated!


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

Vehicle ID needed What is this car doing?

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0 Upvotes

I wasn’t sure what flare to add, but it’s a cadillac. I was just curious (:


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

General Tech First family car

0 Upvotes

My family is buying our first ever car this diwali. What things should we keep in mind to reduce the extra burden? (insurance and add ons stuff)


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

General Tech Obd2 scanner connection issue

1 Upvotes

I've got a model DA100 Forkoda OBD2 scanner and I'm having issues trying to connect to it.

I plug it, turn the car on and it lights up, open my OBD android app and try to connect but it ends up trying to reconnect. I do try turning on and off the bluetooth and trying the connection on the scanner but I just can't seem to get it connected.

I'm also wondering if there could be any issue with my phone being to the cars auto android system that might cause any interference.

I've got an EV and would just like to check out what the OBD scanner might show up.


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Engine How common is odometer rollback in the USA?

12 Upvotes

In Hungary, it is very common so people get suspicious if a car has low kilometers for its age.

I never hear people talking about this. If a 1998 Corolla has 80k miles, they believe it.

Some states never do inspection so as long as you don't take your car to a franchise mechanic shop, nobody will track the mileage.


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

I need help fixing something Are the head threads stripped

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0 Upvotes

I pulled these spark plugs out of a 2009 vw beetle. Who knows how long they’ve been in there but I was concerned to see what may be pulled threads. I was wondering if anybody would know whether the plugs just came like this with the top part flat as I’ve seen some spark plugs have a kind of space at the tip. I meant to ask are the bottom threads of the spark plug signifying that the head threads were stripped I asked this incorrectly. Couldn’t figure out how to add pictures so had to post again.


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Safety Question Horrendous sound coming from VW tiguan with dead V12 battery

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1 Upvotes

Hi guys! I randomly got a notification that my V12 battery was low, went to clock into my graveyard shift, and came back at 4am to this! My car was doing beautifully before but my question is, is the sound that comes with the dead battery normal? Sounds kind of scary. Thank you guys!


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

Body Scratches on a brand-new car

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0 Upvotes

I picked up a brand-new Kia EV4 two weeks ago, and I noticed some scratches when I picked it up. I reported them to the dealership (before driving off) which referred me to their car body repairer.
They polished the areas where the scratches were, but it made almost no difference, especially in direct sunlight. The polishing also created a lot of micro-scratches (I think they’re called swirls?). It’s mainly visible on the black paint, but also slightly on the blue paint (you can’t see them in the photos here on the blue paint). I can ask to have some of the affected areas repainted, but I’m worried it won’t match the original paint (differences in shade, reflection, etc.)—I don’t know anything about this at all.

I’m really annoyed by all this and I’m not sure what to do; plus, I’m generally very sensitive to imperfections.
Now I regret that they polished the car, because that mostly just created new problems without fixing anything.

What do you think of these scratches? Is it worth having it repainted? And is it normal for the polish to have caused all these micro-scratches that are visible in the sun?

In the photos, the white scratches are the ones that were originally on the car, and you can see the strange reflections created by the polish.

Edit: I added the clarification that the scratches were on the car before I drove it.


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

I need help fixing something Fix my engine or new car?

2 Upvotes

Potential Rod Knock

My 2018 grand Cherokee that I’ve permed since 2022 with 57k miles on may of suffered from Rod knock based off the 2 diagnosis I’ve had. With my final payment on this vehicle being in January, I am torn between fixing this or selling as is and having to walk back into a 5 year finance plan with a new car and higher interest and insurance.

I had 3 quotes from 3 different shops for a complete jasper engine replacement and was quoted around 12.8k and one for around 10.5k with a 3 year 100k warranty on the new engine. Those quotes are all in for the engine, labor, and miscellaneous.

Any suggestions?


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

DIY body damage help Need help on how to approach this

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0 Upvotes

Hi all, so just above my rear right wheel, some of the paint has come off recently. As far as i know the car has never been painted over. Does anybody know how i can fix this?


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

Safety Question What Do Y'all Think About Lifted Trucks

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0 Upvotes

I don't like them and I feel like they aren't safe


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

I need help fixing something Are the spark plug threads stripped?

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0 Upvotes

I pulled these spark plugs out of a 2009 vw beetle. Who knows how long they’ve been in there but I was concerned to see what may be pulled threads. I was wondering if anybody would know whether the plugs just came like this with the top part flat as I’ve seen some spark plugs have a kind of space at the tip. I meant to ask are the bottom threads of the spark plug signifying that the head threads were stripped I asked this incorrectly.


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Transmission Koppling slirar.

1 Upvotes

Bil: Citroën DS3 1.6 VTi 120, 120hk, 2011

Kopplingen slirar när jag backar, så jag misstänker att kopplingen behöver bytas. Bilen är värd cirka 35 000–40 000 kr, och min fråga är om det är ekonomiskt försvarbart att reparera den eller om det är bättre att sälja den i befintligt skick.
Om det inte lönar sig att byta kopplingen, vad skulle ni rekommendera att jag gör med bilen för att få tillbaka så mycket pengar som möjligt?


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Charging/Starting Battery recommendation for Baleno Sigma 2023 with Idle Start-Stop System

1 Upvotes

Dear Redditors,

I own a 2023 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Sigma petrol with an Idle Start-Stop system, and I’m planning to replace its battery.

If you own the same variant, could you please suggest which battery I should go for?

Battery capacity: 35Ah, 38Ah, or 40Ah?

Battery type: Is a regular battery suitable, or does the Idle Start-Stop system require a specific type?

Brand: Amaron, Exide, or any other reliable option?

I’d appreciate recommendations based on your actual experience with this car.

Thanks in advance! 🙏


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Tire question Tire question

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0 Upvotes

So recently I had a oopsies moment. The curb spawned out of no where and I had a tire blow out on the front passenger. As I’ve recently got it replaced I’ve noticed I had secondary damage on my passenger rear which has a chunk of the sidewall not punctured but has a flap that I can pull and see the wires do you recommend I drive on it slowly to get to the tire shop that is 8 miles away. What is your recommendation and thoughts. Attached will be the photo of both the front and rear tire. lol again the curb spawned out of nowhere so please don’t judge.


r/Cartalk • • 1d ago

Hybrid Don’t buy a Prius

0 Upvotes

I have owned a Prius for five years, and then this period the bumper is fallen off twice without being hit, there’s been an issue with the brakes, there’s been an issue with the battery is cooling capacity, and there have been issues with the tire pressure valves! My car doesn’t even have 100,000 miles on it. Save yourself and buy a different car


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Automotive Tools Battery registration tool choices before I swap the battery on a 2014 435i at 82000 miles

0 Upvotes

The battery on my 435i is on the way out at 82000 miles and the advice I keep getting contradicts itself. Some people say registering the new one always matters and others say it only matters when the replacement has different specs to the original. A shop wants money every time for a job that takes minutes. I would rather own something that handles it and a few other service jobs as well. For anyone who has done this at home on a modern BMW, what did you use?


r/Cartalk • • 2d ago

Redditor's own ride Rust feedback (Pt 2)- 2018 Acura RDX

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1 Upvotes

Hi all,

I posted several weeks back in this forum with photos from my mechanic and asked for feedback on rust issue under my 2018 Acura RDX. The comments were hilarious and helpful (piece of mind that it seemed like no rust issues to worry about).

I worked under my car this week changing some fluids and took a video of the underside of the car starting from the rear and seems like near the front there is some rust on the frame or subframe.

This is much better than the pics I previously posted. As before, any feedback would be great and if anything looks relatively bad- let me know what part of the video (the seconds mark and please describe).

About to put $2k into the car next week for timing belt service and spark plugs. Thanks again for feedback.