Anybody need to talk to a car mechanic?

Search This thread

crobert33

Member
Jul 14, 2014
16
1
Ok, so I know this sounds goofy. I have spend the last fifteen years fixing cars and trucks for a living. Now I boss around people who fix cars and trucks for a living. Great right? I also like to play with my phone and nook tablet, and I have found xda very helpful. So I decided to try to give something back. Do you have a question? Most of my expertise is in Toyota products, but I can smell snake oil a mile away. Think you are being ripped off? Run it by me.

[signature] thanks xda, I appreciate ask the help [\signature]
 

leyvatron

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2007
3,024
399
Los Angeles
Cool. I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma, when should I change the serpentine belt. The dealer recommended it 8 months ago but its only a recommendation. I have 120k miles.
 

crobert33

Member
Jul 14, 2014
16
1
If it's original, it's probably done. You can look under the hood and see it has cracks in it. If you decide to do it yourself or have some friend do it, make sure you route it correctly. That belt is easy to but on wrong, and it won't last. Another indicator is being noise. If you have a chirp noise under the hood that goes away when you splash water on it, you need a belt.

[signature] thanks xda, I appreciate all the help [\signature]
 

leyvatron

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2007
3,024
399
Los Angeles
If it's original, it's probably done. You can look under the hood and see it has cracks in it. If you decide to do it yourself or have some friend do it, make sure you route it correctly. That belt is easy to but on wrong, and it won't last. Another indicator is being noise. If you have a chirp noise under the hood that goes away when you splash water on it, you need a belt.

[signature] thanks xda, I appreciate all the help [\signature]
Gotcha. Thanks.

How easy is it to bleed the brakes and change the differential oil?
 

crobert33

Member
Jul 14, 2014
16
1
Piece of cake. Bleeding the brakes is a two person procedure. About the hardest part is jacking the darn car up and puking the wheels off. Ok, that's not hard unless your knees are bad. Changing the diff oil is pretty simple too. If it's your rear diff, (only diff if it's two wheel drive) you just pull the fill plug, pull the drain plug, reinstall the drain, and refill. I suggest getting on YouTube to get a good visual.

[signature] thanks xda, I appreciate all the help [\signature]
 

leyvatron

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2007
3,024
399
Los Angeles
Piece of cake. Bleeding the brakes is a two person procedure. About the hardest part is jacking the darn car up and puking the wheels off. Ok, that's not hard unless your knees are bad. Changing the diff oil is pretty simple too. If it's your rear diff, (only diff if it's two wheel drive) you just pull the fill plug, pull the drain plug, reinstall the drain, and refill. I suggest getting on YouTube to get a good visual.

[signature] thanks xda, I appreciate all the help [\signature]
Thank you sir.

I figured the differential was easy.
Now, I need to find some YouTube videos and someone to help with the brakes. I have some more questions, I just can't think of them at the moment.

What's an inexpensive differential fluid that I should use? I want to order it online.
 

ironman38102

Senior Member
Sep 9, 2012
3,413
298
24
Manama
OnePlus 7T
Lol are you good in Nissan Cars? My dad has a Nissan Sunny(known as Sentra in the U.S) 2005 model. It keeps making a high pitched noise and keeps shaking and the car stops in the middle of the road when my dad turns on the AC for some reason. Any ideas why it happens because my dad thinks that his mechanic ripped him off?

Also my dad's car has 218K miles.
 
Last edited: