Category: Automotive

  • Front End Alignment Complete

    As the title says, the front end alignment is complete. It wasn’t that far out of whack but it’s good to know that it’s now in spec. Pippa has gone home, I’ve never seen an animal so happy to see their human. It’s a good thing that makes me smile. The cats, again, have free…

  • Xterra Suspension Finished

    After yesterday’s debacle, I took it easy and finally got the bolt out of the passenger side and got it replaced. I was going to hold off on the driver side until I got the new impact gun but they had deep well metric 1/2 inch impact sockets and an adjustable breaker bar both on…

  • Car Repair & Injuries

    We did our (almost) 10 mile bike ride this morning, I forgot to set my watch for biking but it worked out. Got home and I finished cleaning out the garage and moved the Xterra in and got to work getting the front shocks out and ran into an issue. The lower bolt wouldn’t budge.…

  • Rear Shocks Replaced

    I realized the other weekend when we went biking and drove through an unpaved parking lot that the Xterra was riding like a brick. I tried to order springs but that didn’t work out because you can’t find them for a RWD only 4WD. So I still have to send those back but I did…

  • 150k Xterra Service Items

    Found on Reddit, should be a good starting point. First and foremost: Radiator replacement and trans/coolant flush to prevent smod. I’m sure we all know what SMOD is but in case you don’t, 05-10 X’s have Calsonic radiators with a chance of having faulty trans-coolers. When the trans cooler leaks coolant gets into the trans…

  • Xterra Inspected

    The lesson learned today is that the TPMS needs to be replaced after 16 years and it costs about $260 to do so. I also learned that they aren’t needed for inspection so I’ll circle back around to that when I have a job. I did get the Xterra inspected at Jiffy Lube, it was…

  • Xterra Issues

    For the first time in recent memory, I have a vehicle that’s out of inspection. This doesn’t make me happy. It started out with the horn not working. Now honestly, I don’t really need a horn because I only use it out of anger but it appears that it’s required to pass inspection. Grrr, ok,…

  • Horn Working Again

    The issue reported yesterday with the clockspring replacement has made some progress, it was the connection that I thought so I pulled it apart and made sure that those connectors were properly seated. So the horn is now working but the airbag light is blinking and the VDC/Slip lights are on. I think the latter…

  • Clockspring Replacement

    So the Xterra is due for inspection and I don’t have a horn. Everything seems fine from a fuse point of view and in reading an article on what it could be it said to hold the horn and turn the wheel and if it beeps then you have a clockspring on the way out.…