Cars & Bikes, Driving & Riding

[faftorial]

I think the cat in my car is going bad after 22 years. The first one lasted two years and was covered under warranty.

CARB compliant aftermarket bolt in ones are $800 but Walker makes a EPA compliant bolt in one (good in all but four states) for $250.

[dodint]

Nice. Paid $1100 for mine and it didn't even fix the problem.

[mac5155]

What makes you think it's going bad? CEL?

[NTP66]

It no longer chases after the laser light with enthusiasm.

[faftorial]

What makes you think it's going bad? CEL?

Educated guess. I'll find out soon.

[mac5155]

I'm just saying I'd never replace a Catalytic convertor unless I saw a check engine light or a sharp decrease in performance/fuel mileage

[NTP66]

I'm just saying I'd never replace a Catalytic convertor unless I saw a check engine light or a sharp decrease in performance/fuel mileage

Same.

[faftorial]

I'm just saying I'd never replace a Catalytic convertor unless I saw a check engine light or a sharp decrease in performance/fuel mileage

I'm not replacing it but taking it into the shop for them to diagnose the rattle. If it is the cat, I'll tell them to get that Walker cat.

[dodint]

If you're lucky it's probably just a heat shield with corroded fasteners.

[mac5155]

A rattle could just be a heat shield.

[dodint]

You're damn right it could be.

[faftorial]

Heat was taken off a while ago.

[dodint]

Yeah, mac, ya dummy.

[Kane]

Hit up NTP, he can probably 3d print a new one for ya.

[NTP66]

I can, and like magic it would turn into fireball.

[faftorial]

@mac5155, it is the cat. The rattling is from the parts inside the cat being loose.

I'll have to scan it when I get it back see if any codes are showing.

[mac5155]

Oh I gotcha. If no CEL I doubt you have codes. But can see how that'd get annoying lol

[faftorial]

I saw the ICD surgeon today and he said in PA you can't drive for six months after getting a shock from a defib. We agreed that wasn't practical but he said he was compelled to say it.

@dodint, what do you think?

[dodint]

I have no legal or practical experience to draw on with that so I can't really say.

My ex-BIL had his driving privileges revoked because he was having frequent seizures. The doctor told him something similar, 6 months. Then he went to a different doctor and got a note saying that he could drive. So I'm not sure how hard and fast these rules are. The ex-BIL ended up falling after having another seizure and broke both shoulders, so the problem took care of itself in the end.

[faftorial]

Had the cat replaced today and it now drives much better.

They brought it out and showed me there were cut marks on it so someone tried to steal it.

My guess is it happened at another shop I took it to a few months ago.

[Ad@m]

This is unreal

New challenges for local firefighters when it comes to electric vehicles. In December Pine Level, Alabama firefighters used 36,000 gallons of water to put out an EV fire on the interstate.

But a much easier, more effective way to smother the flames exists. Fire blankets are seen as a good alternative by several fire departments.

The Helena Fire Department is one of the first in the area to purchase two fire blankets. They rolled one out to show us what it looks like and how it works.

It looks similar to a big tarp you would see rolled out over a baseball field in rainy weather. The two to four-man crew starts at the back of the vehicle and moves it over covering the vehicle to smother the fire which can take hours.

The cost is about $1,500 for the single-use blanket. Helena hasn't had to use one yet, but the chief says as the popularity of electric vehicles grows these blankets will become standard on fire trucks.

"They're pretty much becoming a necessity," explained Chief Chris Miller.

We should note EV fires are not common although they do make news headlines because they are so new. Gas-powered vehicle fires are more prevalent. Read some of the research here.

A demo video from manufacturer Bridgehill shows how hot and intense an EV fire can be.

"Once a car is in thermal runaway there's nothing to save it," explained Helena Chief Chris Miller.

It can take as much as six hours waiting for the car to cool covered in a fire blanket. The temperature is monitored with a thermal imaging camera.

Water is just not a good option in EV fires, according to experts.

"It can take up to 40,000 gallons to put them out," explained Chief Miller. He said that brings concerns about straining the local water system and dangerous pollution runoff plus the manpower it takes.

One of the biggest concerns with an EV fire is if it happens in a home garage or inside a parking deck where they can spread. Anything from a defect or collision can cause EV fires.

There have been cases where EV fires have re-ignited once they're on a tow truck. Some tow yards in Birmingham have set up special areas to separate the EVs from other vehicles.

[NTP66]

I learned through workplace training that fire extinguisher type C is the appropriate one for electrical fires.

[CBear3]

This is unreal

New challenges for local firefighters when it comes to electric vehicles. In December Pine Level, Alabama firefighters used 36,000 gallons of water to put out an EV fire on the interstate.

But a much easier, more effective way to smother the flames exists. Fire blankets are seen as a good alternative by several fire departments.

The Helena Fire Department is one of the first in the area to purchase two fire blankets. They rolled one out to show us what it looks like and how it works.

It looks similar to a big tarp you would see rolled out over a baseball field in rainy weather. The two to four-man crew starts at the back of the vehicle and moves it over covering the vehicle to smother the fire which can take hours.

The cost is about $1,500 for the single-use blanket. Helena hasn't had to use one yet, but the chief says as the popularity of electric vehicles grows these blankets will become standard on fire trucks.

"They're pretty much becoming a necessity," explained Chief Chris Miller.

We should note EV fires are not common although they do make news headlines because they are so new. Gas-powered vehicle fires are more prevalent. Read some of the research here.

A demo video from manufacturer Bridgehill shows how hot and intense an EV fire can be.

"Once a car is in thermal runaway there's nothing to save it," explained Helena Chief Chris Miller.

It can take as much as six hours waiting for the car to cool covered in a fire blanket. The temperature is monitored with a thermal imaging camera.

Water is just not a good option in EV fires, according to experts.

"It can take up to 40,000 gallons to put them out," explained Chief Miller. He said that brings concerns about straining the local water system and dangerous pollution runoff plus the manpower it takes.

One of the biggest concerns with an EV fire is if it happens in a home garage or inside a parking deck where they can spread. Anything from a defect or collision can cause EV fires.

There have been cases where EV fires have re-ignited once they're on a tow truck. Some tow yards in Birmingham have set up special areas to separate the EVs from other vehicles.

Dude, a lawn mower EV fire last year at a lawn and garden trade show took an entire pumper truck to put out and then they buried the battery in the ground right there "to be safe" Lithium fires are like airplane crashes. They scare the hell out of you but aren't very common.

[iamjs]

Yikes. "While you're in there..."

Yeah, that seems to be the theme here.

Looks like the transporter is going to cover my windshield, so that will save me about $400.

updates:
Carburetor is fixed and car seems to be running better.

the trucking company basically told me to eff off and said the windshield damage could have happened anywhere. I wrote back to the transport company that contracted the track and gave me their insurance info. Guess we'll see how this goes. I'm not holding my breath at this point, just bracing for another unplanned item to add to the list.

Now for the really bad news: driveshaft has bad u joints and needs a new bushing and bearing. I found one for $120 shipped, but I can be running into the same thing 100 miles or 20000 miles down the road. Based on how I ended up in this situation, how much do I trust an online seller? Do I risk it? Another option is to have it shipped to a shop in CA and have it rebuilt for $500 + shipping. Or I can go the "**** it, it's only money" route and pay $3k to have one shipped from Germany, which I would really prefer not to do.

[dodint]

Thanks for the update, was thinking of your 2002 the other day and was going to ask.

Given those choices I'd probably opt for the rebuild. Though when I sent my M6 DSC pump to Idaho for a rebuild they sent it back saying it was too far gone (rusted inside....how).

Keep us posted.