01tl4tl

for you.. with 25k on the latest trans.. definetly do a 3 qt now and maybe a 3x3 12 qt

3 should suffuce and do it again in 10-15k/1 year keep changing 3 qts

Start early and stay on it for longest life

newperson

iTrader: (2)

This thread piqued my interest, as it was kind of the situation I was in, but never figured out the problem. New trans, less power. However, based on the info provided by the OP, can't really say there's a correlation now considering how the measurements were made. Even if the measurements made post-transmission were made correctly, the pre-transmission measurements cannot be trusted.

I probably sound like a lame now, but for those of you who don't have significant problems, start taking some measurements & documenting them...so if & when you do have problems down the line, you have something to reference.

LABachlr

Actually, Acura gave me a 3 yr 36k mile warranty on the "new" tranny. If it had gone out 4 days sooner, I would not have had to pay anything for the repair, but I would have gotten NO warranty. Because it went out only 4 days after the warranty ended, they only charged me $315 instead of $4k (they claimed it was a $4k repair, at least in LA; not sure if the prices vary from city to city).

01tl4tl

thats the normal thing,,, and you actually scored big time
The replacement unit has its own 12 month 10k miles- regardless of car mileage

If you are past limits the trans warranty limits and have to pay ANY part towards the trans, -last year the deal was: you were then able to buy a 3/36 for $300
However they worked it out- 315 with that warranty is better than gold!!
Yes its a 4K$ job at any acura dealer- some even more

LABachlr

Well, it might have been the pressure in the tires that was causing the poor gas mileage. My front tires need replacing soon, and both seem to be losing air at times. So, I'll let you know after I replace the tires regarding the mileage. And just so you know, there were no errors in any of my calculations.

But now I have a new situation that is semi-related, as it certainly will affect the gas mileage.

Two days ago, I had a tire shop replace the valve stem on one of the tires (rear driver's side). The valve stem didn't work. Air would only come out when pumping it, but not go in. He replaced it fine and it worked great, but now the steering wheel shimmies. Check out the video that shows you what I'm talking about: http://www.scotianova.com/video/TLShimmy.mov.

That video was taken while only going 15 - 20mph.

I called other tire places, and they said that the wheel may need balancing, as the mechanic may not have put the tire back on the same place.

So, I took it back to the place, and he said that all he did was replace the valve stem. I told him I knew that, as I watched him the whole time, but that the tire may need balancing. He said that he put the tire back in the same place. I asked him if he were sure about that, as now my car's steering wheel shimmies and it pulls to the left.

I then talked to the manager, and she agreed to balance the tire again. So, the guy took the tire and put it on the balancing machine and tested it. It read 0.0 and 0.0. So it was perfectly balanced. It didn't need balancing.

While we were looking at the tire on the balancing machine and he spun it, he said the rim was a little bent and had me look at it. I asked him how it got bent. He then retracted and said that he was wrong...it didn't look bent. I looked at it while it was spinning and could barely tell if the rim was bent or not. If it was bent, it was VERY slight. Is that all it takes? A very slight bent rim and it will make the steering wheel shimmy, or does it take more than that and this is just a coincidence? If it is bent, could he have accidentally bent it while replacing the valve stem?

I asked him to check the air in the front tires. One was 30 and the other was 24! So, he put them both back up to 36, which is what I usually have them at. He then checked the rear passenger, and that was at 40. He brought that down to 36.

I then test drove it after that and the pulling pretty much subsided, but the shimmying is still there.

I know it could be my front tires, as they do need replacing (they are not bald, just pretty worn), but it just seems too much of a coincidence for that to be the case.

Ideas? Suggestions?

LABachlr

LOL. That's excellent news. Thanks!

01tl4tl

the shimmy is probably from your severly worn tire with the off pressure
They are balanced as close as they can be for right now
If the rim was bent, the spinning balancer machine would have picked that up and needed a weight to compensate

It is possible to damage a rim while using the tire mounting machine on the rim- things happen but its usually on an expensive aftermarket rim- not the stock ones
And thats an edge where it meets the tire

They tire is marked as to the location of the valve stem to tire, when its put it back on they line the marks up and the balance should not be affected by a valve stem

If its been a year since last balance, chances are potholes and bad roads have made it ready for a fresh balance anyway- but with worn tires- dont bother

Also wheel lug torque is CRITICAL - 80 foot pounds
improper and especially gross overtightening with an air tool, can cause severe damage to the center of the rim (the hub) and not sit flat on the axle end plate- instant shimmy

Keep the tires at the correct pressure, get new tires, and tell the tire store about the shake so they carefully inspect the rim for any damage

LABachlr

Thanks so much for the info. I just think it's too coincidental for it not to have been caused by the people that replaced the valve stem. I will certainly follow your advice and let you know how it goes. Thanks.

01tl4tl

well you have been driving with nearly flat tires for some time now,,and when inflated its a different wear pattern than flat so it hops and skips down the road with the edges probably worn,, away so the car wants to wander

Acura should have checked them for you when the trans was installed

There is a brand new law making shops check tire pressure when a car is in for any type of service
That should help america save a lot of gas and oil!

LABachlr

Well, they are not really flat, nor are they bald. But they do need replacing. It just seems weird that it got that much worse right after he replaced the valve stem.

Acura did suggest that I get new tires, but I declined since they quoted me something like $250 per tire.

Cool. Great law.

TLer trash

Something similar happened to me when I had a repair done on the road. What I did to fix it was to loosen the lug nuts on the affected wheel and carefully retighten them. I think it's important to tighten them in a couple steps rather than completely tightening one nut then another. Another possibility is that the tire bead isn't completely seated. A typical stem install will only break the outer bead and fish a new stem in. It's hard to properly lube the tire and wheel this way. If the tire sticks even 1/8" shy of seating, you'll get a wobble. At the speed this is occurring, I really doubt it's a balance issue.

fsttyms1

It should be a LAW that car owners need to do it at every fill up. People complain about and pamper their cars so much yet this is overlooked by 99% of the driving population and the cause for many accidents, poor mileage and things wearing out.

TLer trash

Where did you hear about this law? Is it a state thing, or part of the federal tread act?

rob-2

www.tirerack.com is where I get my rubber. About 30% cheaper then any local shops, actually most order from tirerack.com

BTW I cannot believe your poor MPG is due to your tires. Everyone wants to blame the shop... when the problem greats them every morning in the mirror.

3.2TLc

Try rotating the tires. Sometimes "directional" engineered tires can go goofy if run underinflated. Alloy wheels sometimes will seep air around the bead sealing area if the aluminum is oxidizing. Running low air pressure with "low profile" tires can cause sidewall damage, which could explain the poor handling characteristics you're experiencing.

LABachlr

Well, I went to a tire shop today and all the guy had to do was tell me to turn my steering wheel all the way to the left to look at the inside of the tire. It's bald and beginning to separate. It looks fine from the outside, but since the car is lowered, you can't see the inside of the tire unless you turn the wheel. Can't believe the tire shop that replaced the valve stem didn't check that first when I brought it back. I will be replacing the tires tomorrow. He needed a day to get the same tires that I have on there now (Yokohama).

LABachlr

Btw, why did the front tires wear just on the inside? Is the alignment off?

Also, the hydraulic poles that hold up the hood are not working. Do the ones that AutoZone carries work well?

And does anyone know how to get the coins that are stuck behind the "this is not an ash tray" coin tray? I can't close it all the way.

01tl4tl

inside edge wear is often from `toe-out` condition in the alignment,
or could be from underinflated running
Have a `4 wheel thrust alignment` done after the new tires are installed

Ignore the door sticker on pressure- run 36-38 most tires, low profile performance tires try 80% of max cold and see how that feels- should be about 40-42psi

Its a new/coming law about shops have to check tire pressure- a fed thing with Obama'a energy plan- he wasnt kidding with that tire guage!!

Everyone here should be able to check and adjust the tire pressure by themself, or do we need to make a DIY??

01tl4tl

do a search for coin tray for help on removing them
I have used zone hood struts on other cars with no problem
Ask the counter person for the right ones
Have a friend hold the hood steady while you change one at a time

totaledTL

Why is this- just for increased gas mileage, or ?

LABachlr

OK. Thanks. Just had the tires replaced with new ones. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! No more shimmying, performs SO much better, and I'm sure I'll get much better gas mileage now as well.

With regard to the abnormal wear on the inside of the tire, the guy explained to me that it's from the car being lowered. He said that the car should have been aligned after it was lowered. However, sometimes when you lower a car, you cannot realign it enough for the tires to wear normally. Do you agree?

And if I gave the impression that I could not check and adjust the tire pressure on the tires myself, that was incorrect. I surely can do that. Absolute no brainer.

I will do a search for the coin issue. And thanks for the tip on the hood struts.

01tl4tl

Whenever you lower a car it needs an alignment

I meant the general public on checking tire pressure- everyone here knows how!!

Its FALSE about the alignment- you had a Toe problem which can be adjusted to perfect spec after a drop
the CAMBER- an imaginary vertical line thru the tire- goes negative when you drop.
Zero degrees is stock and 1.5 neg is max most of us can run without tire wear,
If more than 1.5 d neg, a camber kit gets instsalled and the camber can be set back to zero or where you want it- slightly neg

01tl4tl

tire pressure-
the car makers went for soft-comfort at the minimum pressure the tire could use.

Everthing is a compromise- brake pad compounds -tire size and pressure...
they make cars for mom to drive and dad or the kids to enjoy some too- nothing is going to be performance setup when stock

Remember what happened when Ford put too little air in the exploders tires, (according to tire maker design specs) and they blew out while driving? killings numerous people!!! Just trying to get the thing to sit flat and not roll over with the slightest twitch,,and look what the results were!

Its been found that using real numbers of the car weight is better.
MAX weight-cold pressure is just that- the weight listed on the tire
Now look at the cars weight and see the tires are carrying about 80 percent of their max load
Try using 80% of max pressure-see how that rides and handles
My general exclaim 235-40-17 are rated 50 max cold- I run 40-42 per tech help at general and its great

Try it at 80% for 2 weeks and see if the mileage improves over 32 psi

Note- tires are supposed to be inflated near/at max cold when they really are at that carrying limit- like on trips
Also when trips with long time at speeds over 70 are possible- max or near is best for dealing with the extra heat of high speed use

TLer trash

The only thing you should watch out for is tire wear. I get a little center tread wear when I go above 37frt, 33rr. This will vary with tire size,brand, design, and driving style.

01tl4tl

thats the sign of too much air pressure- whats the hot pressure read?
What percentage of max cold were you running?
As said by TLer
Depends on the construction and design of your particlular tires, and other factors,
as to the optimum pressure-
which changes with load in the car that day, ambient temp, road temp, driving time...