The Driveway: COBbies talk cars

I got a hitch receiver on my car so I could haul my stuff from Indiana to Texas, but now I realize that if I need to move some big furniture across town, I can totally do that. For less than $30.

One of my car's rear power windows got out of its clip between last night and this morning. It doesn't look like forced entry, and nothing appears to be missing, but what else would do that?

Ice maybe? If you've been rolling the windows down to clear droplets and it froze overnight?

It did rain last night, but I don't think it got nearly cold enough to freeze here. And I never roll down that window.

The last time it happened to me, it actually was ice in the door (and I tried to unjam it right then), but it just got cool enough that long pants are an option here.

Could just have been someone futzing around for giggles, rather than an attempt at forced entry with intent to steal shit. People can be dicks like that.

Got a question of my own: The back window on my Explorer (2003) raises up on two hydraulic arms and the hinges at the top are plastic. The pins that hold the top section of the hinge down to the section that's fastened to the actual glass have both given up the ghost. Which means there's nothing actually holding the top edge of the glass in place. Any idea of what sort of glue to use to fasten them back down? The pressure is in an upward arc from the lower edge of the hinge bracket, so whatever it is is going to have to have good resistance to pulling stress. Also, it's chilly here, so I need something that I can apply in temps between about 40 and 50 F.

Actually replacing the hinges is not in the cards right now; a set of new hinges cost about 60 dollars and the process of changing them requires two people and prying off the trim on the inside of the liftgate, and if you don't have everything aligned just right and/or tighten down the screws that go through the glass too much, you can break the window.

So, glue.

edited 31st Oct '14 7:07:42 PM by Madrugada

Brought my car to fix the window in at 7:30 this morning. He said they'd be talking with me later in the morning about what it needs, and it'll be ready in the afternoon. It seems like I should have heard from them by now, but there's still an hour and a half of morning left.

The last time I had to get a power window re-seated, I was told it'd take an hour, I came back in an hour, and it was in fact completed. But I think that time I had a proper appointment, he got to it as soon as he was finished with the project he was running late on when I arrived, and I could say exactly what happened so he had a better idea of what needed doing.

This time, I was told to bring it in sometime during the first hour of the day, they do diagnoses in the morning, and then repairs in the afternoon.

...and I've gotten the call and it's going to cost $250 more than last time. Because it's not just unseated, parts are broken.

edited 3rd Nov '14 8:58:10 AM by TParadox

T Paradox: It may be worth your time to look up ways to fix it yourself. I've fixed a broken power window on both a Ford Focus and a Saturn SL2. (The Focus needed a whole assembly replaced, which cost about $40, and the Saturn had a little plastic doohickey that cost me all of $10. CarPart.com is a good source for spare parts.)

Granted, I have an experienced mechanic on speed dial (my brother). But if you've got the tools, it's worth a try. For the Saturn, there were some nice You Tube videos showing how to access the broken part.

edited 3rd Nov '14 10:13:51 AM by scionofgrace

I tried, but I couldn't get the door cover off.

Nobody's posted anything anywhere about how to get the cover off? Some of 'em are tricky, but it's got to be doable.

I could pull out one of the anchors at the top, but that was it. I just didn't have any tools for leverage.

Guess the question is now, how much does it cost for the right tools.

It's your choice. What make and model is this? You mentioned a Buick.

As I mentioned in the general COB thread, I'm currently using a 2013 Fiat 500 while my car is being fixed.

What I want to know, after an admittedly brief drive down US-29: Who the fuck thought that this car was useful for anyone who isn't like maybe five feet tall at most?!

I think I'm going to take them up on their offer to call back in a few days and see if there's something better in the rental place's lot to swap out with, because those 20ish minutes I've driven it so far were far too many.

Odd. I have no trouble fitting into my friend's Fiat 500, and I'm about six two. Granted only ever as a passenger.

Maybe raising the seat and reclining slightly might help?

But yeah, it sucks to drive a car that's too small for you. Sympathies.

edited 4th Nov '14 3:10:59 PM by Achaemenid

Ok, maybe I was exaggerating a bit, but so far I've not found a seat position that a) allows me enough legroom, and b) doesn't have me stretching out my arms most or all of the way to hold the steering wheel.

I have all day at work to figure it out, I guess, but I doubt I'll be revising my opinion on it upwards from "the auto version of Soviet 'monkey model' military hardware".

Have you tried moving the steering wheel? I only ask because a lot of people forget you can move the steering wheel.

The Fiat 500 is the opposite of monkey models. A monkey model would be the Fiat Panda, which is a cheap and cheerful small hatchback. The Fiat 500 was made too appeal with people who don't want to be seen in a cheap citycar but who can't afford an A-class.

edited 4th Nov '14 5:05:57 PM by Achaemenid

Yeah, I've played with the steering wheel position, though mostly to move it up so I can see the speedo beneath the steering wheel rim. No fore/aft movement option, which would probably make it something more than "tolerable for short trips".

As for "monkey model", I mean something that's almost a useful car, but is missing a few key features.

Anyway, it's not the end of the world, but I eagerly await Friday, when I can see if Enterprise has something else available.

Didn't have to wait until Friday. I was in the area for other reasons, so on the way back I stopped by the rental place to see if anything else had turned up.

Turns out there was a 2015 Nissan Altima that was turned in earlier and was available, so for a little more a day I have a real car now. [edit] Haven't really had much experience with it yet, but so far the only real issue is that even tilted up to the maximum, I still knock my right knee on the steering column if I'm not careful. On the upside, it's a telescoping column, so leg room while not having my arms extended almost straight out isn't a problem, not to mention having legroom in the first place. [/edit]

If only it came with the manual so I could figure out all the gadgets.

edited 6th Nov '14 7:43:39 AM by Nohbody

Good vehicles Nissans. My grandparents had one, from the mid-eighties or so. Served them for about thirty-odd year.

After having just done a shift at work (pizza delivery) in it I'm quite happy with the change. Particularly enjoyable is the whole "Smart Key" thing, so not only do I not need to futz around with an ignition key as long as I have the fob, I can just press a button on the door handle to unlock it. Rather convenient when you have a pizza bag in your hands.

Anyway, the ball started rolling on my Civic getting fixed up, so I'm hoping it'll be done by the 14th, when the rental is either concluded or renewed for even longer. The Altima is nice (even if it's too quiet... I keep stepping on the accelerator more than I need to thinking that it's not going much of anywhere, and before I know it I'm like 15 mph over the speed limit in a residential zone ), but it's not my car.

edited 6th Nov '14 6:50:08 PM by Nohbody

Is it manual or automatic?

Automatic, which is just as well as my trying to drive a stick would be most charitably described as "grind it till you find it".

(Insert obligatory "lazy American" jab here)

Just curious - I don't look down on automatics, even if I don't like them myself (which is probably a result of having learned to drive a manual).

I kind of want to learn to drive stick. Electrics will probably be in my reach before that happens, though.

I can drive stick but not well. I'm far too American for that.

Got my car inspected in preparation for registering it in this state (I have about a week left). Quick and painless. I sat in the cold surfing on my phone for ten minutes while he drove it around the block, and then I got my form for $30.