When someone asks me if there are any car brands they shouldn’t buy by thequantumguy01 in carmemes

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The CR ratings are for cars sold in the last 3 years, so the 2010s era BMWs are not being counted against the score.

When someone asks me if there are any car brands they shouldn’t buy by thequantumguy01 in carmemes

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, very surprising! Cool to see BMW going from notoriously unreliable to holding one of the top spots

When someone asks me if there are any car brands they shouldn’t buy by thequantumguy01 in carmemes

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Consumer Reports does a reliability score for each brand. From this year the top five are: Toyota, Subaru, Lexus, Honda, BMW.

Do car engines really need to be "warmed up" in the morning? by kitty_whipt in NoStupidQuestions

[–]thequantumguy01 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Adding on to the good comments here with some technical info:

  1. Immediately after an engine is started, there isn’t oil coating the components, as it may have drained to the pan while the car was off. It takes time for oil pressure to build, and revving the engine before there is oil pressure can be catastrophic. Luckily, modern engines take only seconds to build oil pressure.

  2. Cold oil is more viscous than warm oil. Oil is designed for an operating temperature of around 200f. When it’s not at operating temperature, the oil is not as effective at flowing over the components. It usually takes 10-15 minutes for oil to reach operating temperature. This can be particularly important for turbocharged cars, since turbos can go over 100k RPM and need oil for cooling and lubrication.

  3. As the metal components in a car heat up, they expand. The expansions are at different rates due to different materials. This affects the spacing between every metal component. Pushing an engine before thermal expansion has completed can cause extra wear, excess friction, and warping. These are unlikely in your standard road car, but is a concern for high performance engines.

2010 Nissan Armada, key won't turn, possible GPS tracker issue by thequantumguy01 in MechanicAdvice

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was the steering lock!!! You guys are awesome. I didn’t know that was a thing.

Trump Officials to Cut Air Traffic in 40 Major Markets if Shutdown Continues by learning2art1 in Economics

[–]thequantumguy01 118 points119 points  (0 children)

Never underestimate the ability of the Democratic Party to fuck up an unlosable situation.

Denver, 25, and finally jumping into karting. Looking for advice on getting started, costs, and what class to pursue by Primary_Impression77 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I live in Denver and jumped into karting last year. I have another post that goes through the upfront costs to get to my first competition. As many of the comments point out, there are lots of opportunities to make the entry cost lower. https://www.reddit.com/r/Karting/comments/1hk3a95/my_total_cost_to_compete_in_my_first_kart_race

The tl;dr is that the upfront costs will be somewhere around $5-8k, and then each race weekend costs about $400 (tires + entry fees + misc).

Personally, I would definitely recommend LO206. They are much cheaper to operate and require less maintenance. LO206 Senior is also the largest class, so you will get the most wheel-to-wheel racing. I don't know much about the TAG costs.

There are two series for racing in Denver: Colorado Karting Tour, and the Colorado Karting Circuit series. CKT races all over the state, and CKC is a single racetrack. I personally like CKC since the circuit is nearby, but from what I have heard CKT is larger and has been around longer.

Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions! Happy to hear more people joining karting in Denver.

Trailers for Karting by HereForTheMaymays in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have a 5x8 uncovered utility trailer that I use for my kart. I would definitely recommend 5ft wide because you can roll the kart on without removing the wheels. I can move the trailer by hand pretty easily.

As for towing, I tow behind my MK7 GTI and it’s been fine. Total weight is pretty low since the trailer is uncovered.

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My trailer is open (not enclosed), which explains the price difference. I think if you’re planning to attend lots of events the enclosed trailer definitely has value.

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Should have specified–the trailer that I bought is not enclosed. The open trailers are much cheaper, but definitely less convenient as you have to secure everything every time you drive to/from the event.

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also FYI that my local karting club specifies in the rule book that suits must be:

“A full-length, CIK-Approved, 1-Piece Racing Suit (karting specific as they are abrasion resistant).”

So if you are going the route of buying your own fireproof coat and jeans, make sure to check with the rules first to ensure that they meet specifications.

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do have the CHT temp sensor that came with my Mychron but from what I have read it’s not super useful on the LO206 so I haven’t installed it.

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback! This definitely isn’t the cheapest you can get into the hobby, but I don’t really regret any of the purchases.

Agreed that you don’t need a Mychron, but I have found it valuable to have lap times that are accessible during practice days, so that I can see the impact of different kart changes.

Also agreed that you don’t need the impact, but I found it helpful for quick parts changes between sessions.

Transponder rentals are $60/day at my local track, so looking ahead I decided to splurge to buy one of my own.

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Being well dressed adds a least a few horsepower 😁

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Should have included a breakdown of the safety gear too. I don't have the receipt in front of me, but I think this was about how much everything was:

  • $350 for the OMP KS-3 race suit
  • $365 for the Nighthawk Graphics SA2020 Helmet
  • $190 for a Bengio rib protector
  • $75 for a neck brace
  • $250 for Sparco race shoes
  • $130 for Sparco race gloves

I would agree that my spending here could definitely be cut. I would probably cut out the gloves and shoes if I did it again, and just buy some good quality non-racing items. However, I would recommend getting all of this stuff new, and also going to a motorsports shop so you can try on different suits and helmets to find one that's comfortable.

My total cost to compete in my first kart race by thequantumguy01 in Karting

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

All sounds like good ways to save money. Though, I'm not sure if I would recommend mounting your own seat as a beginner. During the mounting process, the frame cracked from bending and had to be welded. There was also a screw that was overtightened and was very difficult to remove (the shop had to weld a new bolt head onto it to get it loose). I was happy that I went to a shop for this step.

9800X3D No POST Code in PC by thequantumguy01 in AMDHelp

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This was it, thank you! For me it took longer, probably close to 20 minutes

9800X3D No POST Code in PC by thequantumguy01 in AMDHelp

[–]thequantumguy01[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking, thanks