i know where you live.
hehehe

took the Cobalt to work this morning. All was fine until i tried to go up my street, which still had a good amount of snow on it... it just sat there and spun.

the tires are great for 140+mph, but suck ass for snow travel.

hah its my friends house on the other side of the island

I have to pick up a Porsche 911 in NYC tomorrow... joy.

Back from NYC... I can honestly that towing a 25' car trailer through downtown during rush hour is a little harsh on the old nerves.

It was cool to finally see the city, though.

Posted by bandi Back from NYC... I can honestly that towing a 25' car trailer through downtown during rush hour is a little harsh on the old nerves. It was cool to finally see the city, though.

i've lived in New York State my entire life. I've only been through the city twice and it was an experience i could do without.

glad you're back in one piece.

This is our winter beater around here....oh yeah Im in Texas so we maybe have one day a year of "black ice"....

click to view

Posted by Samurai the Cavalier failed tonite... about 10 miles from home, the engine quit and would not refire. I had to walk about 3 miles to a friends house (What happened to all the payphones in the universe??? Not everyone has or wants a cellphone!) and called my brother. He came down, looked at it and said it was either the crank sensor or the ignition module. So we towed the car back to a friendly garage my brother used to work at and I left the car. So what's the problem? Well the car picked a fine time to die... this weekend we are expecting snow up the ying yang and I have to drive my Cobalt. Yay.

I told you so Sam...
Most of the phone companies are now doing away with payphones because....they make more money on cell service.
Even though you hate when I call you on mine because it always drops at the wrong time...you may have to break down and get one.

Shael

well... little bit of an update on the medical status of the Cavalier... It needs a computer. The computer is in the front bumper of a Cavalier where it is susceptible to death, corrosion and destruction... in mid 1998, a membrane (more or less a thick plasic bag) was placed around the computer. This car, as my luck would have it, is an early 1998 model. Hooray for lucky me.
So far, crank sensor $11.68, computer $109.00
labor... not a clue yet.

Samurai

Posted by Samurai well... little bit of an update on the medical status of the Cavalier... It needs a computer. The computer is in the front bumper of a Cavalier where it is susceptible to death, corrosion and destruction... in mid 1998, a membrane (more or less a thick plasic bag) was placed around the computer. This car, as my luck would have it, is an early 1998 model. Hooray for lucky me. So far, crank sensor $11.68, computer $109.00 labor... not a clue yet. Samurai

Dude you sound like you know enough to do the work yourself! Body Control Module I presume? I have never replaced a PCM/BCM on a cav. (eco tech?) but I am pretty sure that they are 'plug and play'. Did a new PCM on a Subaru yesterday no prob! And GM stuff is the easiest to work on. Is the CKP that hard to get to? Like I said I have never really worked on cavs. before, besides general stuff.

Posted by Bustedknuckle Dude you sound like you know enough to do the work yourself! Body Control Module I presume? I have never replaced a PCM/BCM on a cav. (eco tech?) but I am pretty sure that they are 'plug and play'. Did a new PCM on a Subaru yesterday no prob! And GM stuff is the easiest to work on. Is the CKP that hard to get to? Like I said I have never really worked on cavs. before, besides general stuff.

i will not twist wrenches anymore. I've been down that road, have my certifications and all, but i just won't do it. The 98 Cavalier only has a PCM (powertrain control module). The BCM (body control module) wasn't introduced until the 2002 year (i believe). The crank sensor is a douche on the automatic transmission equipped cars. The easiest way to get it off is pull the intake manifold and go from there. A friend of mine has a 95 Cavalier coupe and his computer was so rotted it broke in half as soon as we pulled the mounting bolts off of it!

What, are you ASE cert?

Posted by Bustedknuckle What, are you ASE cert?

i held an ASE certification (i don't know if they expire- I earned mine in 1995). I focused in tech school on GM cars and trucks. I futzed around with Fords as well.

Posted by Samurai i held an ASE certification (i don't know if they expire- I earned mine in 1995). I focused in tech school on GM cars and trucks. I futzed around with Fords as well.

yeah you gotta get re-cert. I dont have them all, I have the electrical, brakes/suspension and the engine construction. Need the transmission/driveline and engine performance and diagnostics. EP&D is no prob that is what I am best at, but transmissions.......ouch clutch rear end etc. easy, but autos....they screw me.

I've got my interprovincial class A license, as well as ASE certification... and you know what? I'm so freaking sick of fixing cars it's scary.

What I'd really like to do is restoration work... I love making up panels and welding, etc, and apparently am pretty good at it. The end result is really pleasing, too.

Posted by bandi I've got my interprovincial class A license, as well as ASE certification... and you know what? I'm so freaking sick of fixing cars it's scary. What I'd really like to do is restoration work... I love making up panels and welding, etc, and apparently am pretty good at it. The end result is really pleasing, too.

my brother has been a mechanic since 1996 and he was telling me today, no less, that he's tired of it. Sick to death of working on cars! He's looking for another job after christmas.

I just started in this profession. I went to tech school and finished #1 in my class. I was working for my family business for like 12 years installing loading dock equipment and I hated it! My life has always been about cars, my grandpa had a collection of cars and he basically raised me so it kinda just happened. I have always been wrenching since I could hold a 10mm in my hand.

Sometimes its a bitch but I enjoy it much more (except the snap-on guy's weekly visits.......I owe that guy my soul already).

Posted by Bustedknuckle I just started in this profession. I went to tech school and finished #1 in my class. I was working for my family business for like 12 years installing loading dock equipment and I hated it! My life has always been about cars, my grandpa had a collection of cars and he basically raised me so it kinda just happened. I have always been wrenching since I could hold a 10mm in my hand. Sometimes its a bitch but I enjoy it much more (except the snap-on guy's weekly visits.......I owe that guy my soul already).

When I finished tech school, I had a brand new Snap-On toolbox given to me for completing (it was a Job Corps thing). I had an 81 Buick Regal at the time and the alternator had quit on it. So, I left the car for 45 minutes. Came back and the truck had been popped and my tools were gone. I always knew who stole them, but could never prove it.
Anyways, after about 1996, my heart just wasn't in it anymore. And my brother, he is going through the same thing after almost 12 years.

That sucks, people love to gank tools. As for the set I was given from my school......NAPA. Some of the stuff is allright, but I have never even used any of the ratchets and its been over a year. 75% of my stuff is MAC or Snap On, I just like it better I guess.

Sorry your heart anit with it no more Samurai, but I believe that you should do something you like as a profession.

I have all craftsman tools...

All the tools i own are made by a company called "CHINA" anyone ever heard of it..................