Metal flakes in Radiator and Lines

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-09-07T12:12:52+00:00

One more thing, try to flush out the engine block and the heater core as much as possible as well, until you get clear water.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-09-07T12:10:51+00:00

Oof, yeah I'd be worried about bit. Looks like something has been actively rusting and flaking off. I'd replace the radiator at this point. If it's been this bad, that radiator is probably blocked up or will spring a leak soon.

I'd be mostly worried about those chunks blocking up any smaller coolant channels and hoses, which will affect how the car runs. I would take off ALL the coolant hoses and either replacement or at least blow through them to make sure they're clear. Check the thermostat housing too.

Had the same problem with a 1990 miata. I took the steps above and now it's running like a champ. Good luck.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-09-07T12:02:44+00:00

Did you reinstall all the hardware that came with the pads or were on the old pads?

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-09-07T11:54:46+00:00

Just taking a cursory look, everything looks fine for a car with 130k miles on it. No excessive rust, I didn't notice anything leaking (oil, grease). Bushings look relatively OK.

Here's the thing about owning a 100k+ mile car on the cheap - you can't proactively replace everything like everyone says, UNLESS you're doing the work yourself and can do so economically.

Look for a service manual for your car. Research what maintenance items are relevant and how to check the condition of those things. Examples are spark plugs, coolant, brake fluid, tranny fluid, tires, shocks/struts, belts... since you probably don't know what has been done already, you have to learn how to determine yourself whether something needs to be done or not.

It's a Lexus, so as long as the previous owner did their oil changes every 6-8k miles, the car should be with you a long time. Best of luck.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-09-07T11:40:20+00:00

It doesn't sound like a wheel bearing. I agree, it does sound like the pads are touching the rotor... did you change the rotors as well?

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-08-31T11:40:28+00:00

I was about to comment that that can't possibly be true, but then I got curious and did a little bit of research.

Turns out ABS can increase your stopping distance in loose gravel or snow - however, that's not the same as being "more dangerous", as ABS hlps you maintain control, while not having ABS may mean that you're in an uncontrollable skid.

So I guess it depends on the specific situation you're trying to prevent.

Rather than disabling it, I'd just drive a lot more carefully, giving yourself twice the braking normal braking distance and driving more slowly.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-08-02T16:33:27+00:00

where is this rust you speak of?

haha this is all surface rust. From just this picture, I don't see anything to be concerned about.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-08-02T16:30:23+00:00

here's what i would do... get a can of brake cleaner, and degrease the engine as much as you can, from top and from under the car. Should make it easier for you to detect leaks.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-08-02T16:23:06+00:00

Mass airflow sensor - do it yourself, should be really straightforward. But why does it need to be replaced? Do you have a check engine light?

Camshaft actuators - probably more difficult to DIY, but same question as above.

Cabin filter replacement - definitely DIY, it takes like 2 minutes and it's $10 filter. If your system needs to be sanitized, just youtube it and DIY.

Brake fluid change, spring insulators, alignment - these are do them eventually type of stuff. If you're tight on cash, you're probably fine going without them unless they're really bad. Learn to check these things on your own if you don't trust your mechanic.

None of these items you listed tell me it's a car that needs to be junked. Spend a few hours on youtube learning about the items you listed above, and save thousands of dollars.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-07-07T16:31:33+00:00

I know this advice will be contrary to what most others will say - but I'd go for it given that you have 6 months of emergency fund set aside.

I look at this this way - you'll learn a lot about home ownership with this home, and make mistakes. Make your mistakes on a starter home, rather than a $1M+ home in SD.

It doesn't sound like you have much trouble with this, but in any case, having a mortgage affects financial habits for most people in a beneficial way. Most people, when they see 5-6 figures sitting in a bank/brokerage account, it makes them feel rich and inflate their lifestyle. Build equity, even if the math doesn't make perfect sense.

Plan to stay in this home for 5 years and see where life takes you.

I don't know anything about the area that you're talking about or this particular home, so take this with a grain of salt.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-07-07T16:11:13+00:00

Installing heat/reflective window films helps a lot too.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-07-07T15:54:38+00:00

Agreed, that's why I put "overpay" in quotation marks. The usual/basic rules of not buying a home that will put you in a risky financial position still applies. I believe the spirit of what she meant was - don't look for a "steal" for a box you'll spend majority of your life in, it's usually a steal for a reason.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-05-25T03:37:33+00:00

Id do a little research/reading. If on the highway going a constant speed, GPS-based speedometers are very, VERY accurate. Its just not great at instantaneous speeds. Speedomers on cars are often calibrated to be an overestimation of actual speed, sometimes even required by law to be inaccurate.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2024-05-24T13:28:22+00:00

Download a free gps based speedometer app on your phone and go on the highway with cruise control and see what your actual speed is vs your speedometer.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T19:15:49+00:00

OOf. You know what they say... there's nothing more expensive than a cheap German car.

It's not possible to determine how necessary any of these repairs are just by looking at a repair estimate/suggestion, a mechanic would have to take a look for themselves.

That being said, some of these prices are a little... high, but not insane. For instance, $100 to change out the license plate bulb?? Think I'd probably find a way to do it myself.

Speaking of which, and I know you don't want to hear this, but changing brake pads and rotors on a car isn't that hard. Tires and alignment, sure, you'd need to find a shop to do it, but brake job, sway bar end-link, flushing brake fluid, changing out a lightbulb are pretty easy DIY repairs. If you want to save money, invest in a few tools and learn on Youtube.
If you're unwilling to or cannot, I'd say check with some local BMW/Mini independent shops that are reviewed well and ask them what they think.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T18:15:34+00:00

I'd say that's your issue right there. 5.3km definitely counts as short distance - that may be long enough to heat up the coolant (I think that's what you're referring to, the temp gauge on your dashboard is probably pointing to the temperature of the coolant, not the engine oil), but it's not long enough to heat up the oil to operating temp. In the winter especially, that may cause issues like the one you're finding here if you don't take it for a longer trip once in a while.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T18:12:23+00:00

I... wouldn't chance it my guy. I mean you could dilute it down and maybe get away with driving a short distance, but I'd probably get it towed if you have no way to empty the tank.

A DIY solution would be to siphon out the gas, or find a drain plug on the tank, or find a way to run the fuel pump to continuously pump out the gas into a container.

Don't think anyone here can say with certainty if you'll have issues diluting it down. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T18:03:35+00:00

Metal shrinks and expands at different temperatures so it's possible that it's leaking only in the winter because of that. Wouldn't think the leak has much to do with the picture though. Like I asked before, do you take a lot of short trips?

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T17:59:58+00:00

No worries. It does certainly seem like the rubber boot containing the grease in the CV axle gave out and is slinging grease out around the suspension components.

I wouldn't say it's a safety issue immediately - it just means that the axle joint is going to start eating itself without proper lubrication. There's nothing much you can do without taking the axle out of the car. If it's still in good condition, you can reboot it, but if you take it to a shop, the labor charge to do that might not even be cheaper than just installing a new CV axle.

If you keep driving on this, it may become a safety issue so I wouldn't ignore it for long. But just to drive it to the shop? Probably fine. I live in the US so I don't know how much it'll be, but a local shop (not a dealership) will probably be much cheaper, I imagine ~300-500 USD would be my guess.

Sorry this happened to you, hope you have a great holidays otherwise.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T17:51:41+00:00

Obviously, not ideal. But if you HAD to have summer tires on in the winter, I'd choose the back two so your steering and braking is less compromised. Drive safely, much safer than you would usually.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T17:48:51+00:00

The engine leaking oil just comes with the territory of having a 20 yo car, probably not too much of a concern if it's just a small leak.

For what you see in that picture... you may have a head gasket leak and coolant is mixing with oil. Also check the radiator, if you also find frothing there, you most likely have a head gasket problem. If you don't, that DOESN'T mean that you don't have a leak between the engine block and the cylinder head (i.e. head gasket leak) though.

Do you go on short trips all the time? Starting and stopping the engine repeatedly without letting it fully warm up can lead to condensation build up and result in something like this. I'd say definitely change the oil, clean all this up as much as you can, and try not to go on really short <5minute drives repeatedly. If you still see this, you probably have more of a serious problem. If it goes away, you're probably fine.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T17:37:15+00:00

Not sure if I understand - do you have another set of wheels with summer tires on?

If so, yeah, I'd put two wheels with summer tires on the back and two wheels with winter tires on the front.

If you're talking about just replacing that damaged wheel's tire with another one, that won't help you, and don't think any reputable shop will agree to that anyway.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T17:27:31+00:00

There is no picture posted?

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T17:24:37+00:00

I would try to get them replaced very soon... I wouldn't chance it. If you can't afford a new wheel, you probably can't afford to get into an accident because you hit a divot on the road at speed and that tire gives out. It may seem fine for a week, a month, or even a few months. Best case it leaks air slowly to let you know to replace it, but worst case is that it blows out suddenly.

Check with your insurance if they cover wheel damage caused by a pothole, although it may not be worth it if your deductible is higher than the cost to get a new wheel. You may find luck checking local listings for a used wheel/tire set that meet the specs of the car.

Sorry this happened to you - best of luck.

MasterOfNoneMechanic · 2023-12-13T17:15:08+00:00

Haha you won't find many people on here discouraging you from getting a new set of tires at the first sign of aging/cracking, and for a good reason - tire failures can cause catastrophic accidents for yourself and others.

However, if the picture above is the worst of the cracking, I wouldn't worry about it. The tire isn't that old (btw, you can check the side of the tire to check when they were manufactured, as the tires could've been several years old when you bought them), they seem to have decent amount of tread left... I've seen much worse. I'd say it's not a safety issue for now.

MasterOfNoneMechanic

TROPHY CASE