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  1. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    "So you screwed up and mixed diesel fuel with the gasoline? Mix it off with more gasoline and just sell it."

    Can you really imagine any other scenario happening?
     
  2. Ashyukun

    Ashyukun Junior Member

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    Well, just heard back from them- they're claiming that replacing the plugs worked and it is 'running like a dream'. I'm still a bit skeptical- but if it does indeed behave properly than I'll accept that I was wrong about the gas (though still wonder how it all of a sudden decided to fail).

    It's definitely aggravating for me- but also intriguing too since I'm always interested in being able to better diagnose what's wrong with a car so I can fix things more quickly myself...
     
  3. Ashyukun

    Ashyukun Junior Member

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    Oh, I'm still plenty skeptical- I have to wonder if their testing so far has just been with the engine sitting at idle without warming up, since when it first started this morning it initially sounded like it was running fine- but when it warmed up or you tried to give it any gas above cold idle, it started to have problems. I'm planning on getting the wife to pick me up from work and take me over there in about an hour- I'll not be at all surprised if I get a call back from them saying, "Well, we took it out to road test it and it's still having problems...". I'll be hoping that DOESN'T happen and that it's behaving just fine- but I'll not be surprised in the least bit if it doesn't.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if it acts funny on the way home go right back and take the service manager for a ride.
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Can you post a notice somehow? For anyone who purchased gas, such-and-such date, at this station, had any problems, please contact...
     
  6. Yakoma

    Yakoma Active Member

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    >>if it acts funny on the way home go right back and take the service manager for a ride.
    +1

    A long time ago I had a bad spark plug wire on an older car I owned (before I knew anything about cars) and I thought the engine was coming apart.
    If the plug was not seated right in order to be firing properly, it is very plausible that it was the cause.

    I hope they were right and you don't have to deal with fuel issues.

    Regarding how to learn more about cars and troubleshooting, may I recommend listening to NPR CarTalk (they're in reruns only now and you can download podcasts). It's entertaining and, over time, you will learn a good bit about diagnosing car issues. Admittedly, some of the topics can be either mundane or fantastical, but it is enjoyable, somewhat educational and low-impact as far as time/effort is concerned.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. i'm no export, but a loose plug might do it. hopefully that's all it is. how old are the plugs and who installed them?
     
  8. Yakoma

    Yakoma Active Member

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    I'm no export either - but my car is. :LOL:
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm an import!:p
     
  10. Ashyukun

    Ashyukun Junior Member

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    Plugs were about 3 months old, and I installed them. I want to think that I tightened them with a torque wrench, but it's also possible I didn't- but would have tightened them enough that they were tight but not overtightened.

    If I encounter any issues with the car on the way home, I'm definitely turning right around and having some words with whoever is still at the service department (since it seems the service rep who I had been talking to was leaving shortly after he called me the last time).
     
  11. Yakoma

    Yakoma Active Member

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    My mom was an import...I'm a domestic
     
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  12. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    How many miles on vehicle? Orig owner?
    I did not replace my orig 2006 plugs until last summer at about 130k miles.
    The Iridium tipped plus can be got at Amazon for about $8/per plug.
    I am afraid I put em in too tight but maybe I should check.
    Bottom line oil upon oil loss check the plugs I guess.
     
  13. PriusGuy32

    PriusGuy32 Prius Driver Extraordinaire

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    Really?? All these posts, and not one wise crack about having "bad gas"?? :D
     
  14. goldfinger

    goldfinger Active Member

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    Sure you didn't eat one of those station tacos. Those can give you bad gas. Glad you're back to normal.
     
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  15. Ashyukun

    Ashyukun Junior Member

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    I got plenty of bad comments from my wife about 'bad gas'. :p

    Well, after driving it home from the shop and out to dinner with the wife, it seems to be behaving properly and not showing any of the problems it had before- so it looks like it may have been $250 reasonably well spent (let's forget for the moment that it would have cost me less than 1/5th that to do it myself... -_-; ). It's still a head-scratcher why it would all of a sudden manifest after that fill-up, but I suppose it's possible it was just a coincidence.

    Interestingly though- when I was driving home, I drove past the gas station I had filled up at- and the pump I'd filled up at had a bunch of traffic cones in front of it so nobody could use it... don't know whether that meant they had found a problem with it or they were waiting to have it looked at after my call about the problems yesterday...
     
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  16. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. In the future, install only the correct NGK or Denso iridium spark plugs. Check the gap before installation, which should be 1.0 - 1.1 mm.
    2. Buy a decent 3/8" torque wrench so that you can properly tighten the spark plugs, when it is time to do #1 above. The spec is 13 ft.-lb. Your idea of "tight" may not be the same as mine.

    Sadly, based upon your two posts above, a reasonable conclusion would be that you did not do a good job three months ago. Having the correct tools available to you would help.
     
  17. specialtyneed

    specialtyneed Junior Member

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    I hate to do this but having seen a ton of errors for torque on vehicles (purchased and freebies only), motrcycles, airliners in my 31 years of maintenance I will be brief. 1st the military and NASA have proven there are over 84 things than can affect torque as in contribute to getting you out of specs. So never take it lightly. The biggest probems commonly found are:
    1. Failure to understand and adhere to range for temperature spec the torque is written for, cold or warm or hot?
    2. There can be a cumulative difference of up to 60% on this alone if your using wet lubes as in lubed fasteners with cetyl(sp) alcohol (appears dry whitish but is a lube falling under wet), like the nickel high temp anti size you should have used, or some oil getting past the valve cover gasket in the spark plug well, water condensate in well, all cause torque to be reduced.
    3. Dry torque is reached erroneously way too early by failing to properly clean out one option is to blow out with long reach air nozzel below last threads which can leave all kinds of debris, grit, carbon, metal flakes, burrs. I like to power wash engine or one can use canned steam cleaner when warm but not hot then blow out spar plug wells with compressed air to avoid the hazards of blowing them out when removed.
    4 Miss alignment (out of 90 degree angles) slight tilting, not perfectly square or seated on tools and holding torque wrench improperly.

    I will leave out the other 80.

    SM-G900T ?