Hi all!
Because cars are so expensive and I couldn't find anything within my budget, I decided to just buy a beater car for $800 to also practice on. So today I set out on a mission to buy tools to do an oil change; I ended up getting a Kobalt 257 piece for $99 (hopefully this'll be good for many basic repairs) and an oil filter wrench (7.99).
When I was changing the oil, for some reason it almost filled up my 7 qt drain pan. Does this mean the previous owner added more than 4.4qt that is per the owner's manual? I also saw that there was old oil residue underneath, so maybe it's leaking oil? I ended up putting in around 4.4qt and made sure there were no leaks by running the car for a few minutes after changing oil, so I think I did my first oil change successfully?
As far as driving the car, I hear a roaring sound and I was told it's the wheel bearing. Can I drive this to my mechanic that's about 12 miles away? I did manage to buy the car and drive 40 minutes to my apartment luckily with no issues.
I smell sweet syrup in the air cabin and I have yet to find the leaks because the engine bay is very dirty. Is this where I use the antifreeze dye with UV light?
With the engine being dirty, there's even old residue on the alternator and am not sure how to clean it without fear of destroying it. Any thoughts?
2008 Honda Accord LX 170k
Too much oil is not good, that can blow engine seals. Hopefully it's not due to coolant getting into the oil, but if there were that much contamination I'd think it would be obvious.
There's no way to predict if that bad bearing (if that's what it is) will last another 12 miles. It's a crap shoot.
If you're smelling antifreeze inside the car you probably have a leaking heater core.
I would not bother cleaning the engine.
Also, don't get sucked into putting thousands of dollars into an $800 car. Although I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it's sounding like that thing may turn out to be more of a junker than a beater.
Gotcha, I'll be careful about putting so much money into it. The oil wasn't milky when I checked the dip stick so hopefully that's a good sign coolant isn't in the engine I think. Assuming it's just the wheel bearing and heater core, would it be worth it?
I don't know for sure on that model but with most cars you have to remove the entire dashboard to replace the heater core. ($$$$ in labor if not doing the work yourself.) Wheel bearing should not be a hugely expensive repair.
Yikes. I watched a YouTube video and that sounds like a nightmare. Well, I am in no rush anymore to buy a working car since I can commute to work by bus. I might try to figure out that on my own. As far as smelling syrup, the car had an accident frontal damage less than $1000 according to Carfax; is it possible it's just a leaking radiator?
I guess it's possible coolant fumes might waft into the car but usually it's the heater core. Put some dye in the cooling system and see if it's leaking anywhere else, fix any leaks found and see if the smell remains.
If the heater core is leaking, is it possible to bypass it? I'm not worried about the cold because I'm in California. I wonder if that's a solution for a beater car.
Yes, you should be able to disconnect the heater hoses at the firewall and join them with a short section of pipe and some hose clamps.
I decided to just buy a beater car for $800 to also practice on.
You've already had quite a few "practice" cars. Buy less beaters, and save your money for something that actually works.
I smell sweet syrup in the air cabin... the engine bay is very dirty.
seems to be a recurring pattern
Is this where I use the antifreeze dye ...
One question topic per post please. No laundry lists. Read the rules.
not sure how to clean it
just leave it. There's no point detailing the engine on a $800 car.
