What is wrong with this $800 2002 Civic with 250,000 miles? Is it a melted crank position sensor?

[Xist]

I went to bed at a reasonable time the night before, woke up at 0530, and told everyone that had messaged me on a couple different dating apps in the last month and everyone who had messaged me on WhatsApp in the last 3 months that it was Xistday.

Talking to ladies is a zero-sum game, but I try.

Some old friends reached out on Facebook, one sister had some stuff delivered, including mango products, which Mom confiscated, and my other sister sent me $100.

Some mango syrup I ordered arrived on-schedule.

It was nice on cheesecake, but then my brother drank straight from the bottle.

Today I received a "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" t-shirt, mango leather, dried mangoes, and another bottle of mango syrup, which I hid, so my brother wouldn't drink it straight from the bottle.

It was great on pancakes on waffles!

As I mentioned, I drained the rest of the oil from my Camry into a disposable pie pan, and used the Oil Udder to remove the filter, but oil still spilled all over, so I looked up a WatchJRGo video, where he mentioned the solo cup technique.

I took my brother to several stores. I just wanted a medium soda, but the convenience stores we passed only had paper or styrofoam cups in that size.

I didn't want to buy an XXL soda just for an oil filter.

The Oil Udder didn't fit and the soda cup is even bigger!

I also tried to clean the top of my 2002 Civic engine block, but blue Scotch-Bright pads and shop towels (with brake cleaner) just shredded, now I need to vacuum!

Mom had told me she scheduled a doctor's appointment on Xistday.

I thought she wanted me to drive.

No! She wanted me to sit in on my brother's Zoom session with the fourth-best speech therapist we know!

I started working with him while we waited, but the invitation never came. We did a full session, Mom finally came home, and yelled at me for not letting her know that the fourth-best speech therapist we know didn't do her job.

Mom reached out to the owner who said that due to daylight savings time, which we don't observe in Arizona, the fourth-best speech therapist we know cannot continue working with my brother.

She only saw him twice!

The last one didn't last much longer.

It has been a while since he had speech therapy more than 50% of the time, but the one before that regularly canceled and often didn't do make-ups.

Ah curses.

I have two in-person clients scheduled for Friday morning, but Show Low made up a snow day, although that mom didn't tell me. Another mother did, so I reached out to this parent, she confirmed with one word, I asked if there was another time we could meet, and she said "Maybe Saturday."

Anyway, I never cancel, I always ask to reschedule, and only if I am sick, was in an accident, need to take Mom to the hospital, or something else I cannot avoid.

I still see my teleclients when I am out of town!

Anyway, Xistday.

Mom bought a Belgian waffle maker and made me a waffle before leaving. She had asked what I wanted for dinner and I requested shrimp tacos.

I saw her looking up recipes a couple of times, but then she gave me chips and a 7-layer dip.

The tacos were good, but not ready until 2100.

Overall Xistday went well, with a life-and-death caveat.

I saw both clients in Holbrook today, drove, and stopped to take this picture when Mom asked me to turn around and buy whipped cream:


I was just driving along when I saw a huge cow head and neck sticking through a barbed-wire fence!

The name-brand whipped cream was $7.50!

I finally got my eyes checked and ordered new lenses, which cost almost $400!

They were ready on Monday, but I didn't finish seeing clients until Walmart Vision & Glasses had closed.

It was a busy week, but I took my brother to Home Depot yesterday, which is just past Walmart, and we got home at 1800, so I could have gotten them yesterday.

I went straight there from Holbrook and to help me remember I set a course on my phone.

I thought it was funny Google said "Take a right in 46 miles," not "Straight for 45 miles."

I bought a box of protein pancake mix and another that was supposed to be birthday-cake-flavored.

I made the whole batch, ate pancakes and waffles, and crashed for hours.

I had a million things to do, not tossing and turning!

Then Mom complained she spent an hour trying to order a pizza.

The problem was that when you added a pizza to your cart it seemed to start over.

She just didn't notice 1 pizza in her cart.

The problem was that with all of the extras her pizza would have cost $25 from Little Caesar's!

I have three add-ons which are supposed to find coupons, but none of them were any good, so I spent altogether too long finding $3 off coupon manually, took my brother to the store and to get the pizza.

I went to change Mom's oil, but I needed to clean stuff from changing my oil the other day.
I had it dripping in the drain pan, but only so much dripped out.
Then I noticed that Mom had an empty water bottle among a bunch of other... random prized possessions...
Why did Mom have an empty water bottle in her garage?!
I went to grab it and realized there was still some water in it.
Why did Mom have a partially-empty water bottle in her garage?!
I tried to grab the random partially empty water bottle and other random... prized possessions... fell on the edge of my drain pan and made a big dirty mess.
I thought that I was out of shop towels, but I found some that were relatively clean, picked up the oil that I could, put them in the 50 cal ammo can with the other oil-soaked shop rags, put a bunch of soap on the oil spill, and scrubbed it the best I could.
At some point I need to clear out the garage and pressure-wash the floor, but I have plenty more projects, and I am afraid that I will just make more messes.
I just need to always put down tarps--and tape the edges so I don't trip on it and drop automotive fluids.

I never reached out to that mom, but she didn't reach out either, and I was probably too sleepy to work, then I was busy with... all of this.

So, I got my cylinder head back 10 days ago, but I have been talking to my friend dying of cancer, trying to figure out things for her, taking care of my family, and changed the oil in my Camry and changed the oil in Mom's, but since the jack and stands are tied up I tried to extract it, which worked better than everyone said it would, but still not good enough.

I built some 3" ramps from a 2x8. That should give me just enough space to slide my drip pan under Mom's car and pull the drain plug.

I glued one together last night, but have 2 quick clamps and 2 c-clamps.

I wish that the two pieces were closer together. I put in 3" screws that didn't seem to draw them any closer.

The first Phillips bits I found were in the Harbor Freight kit I bought when I drove my first Camry to Scottsdale after the first wreck.

It turns out that there are over a dozen of the same Phillips bits--and I needed to replace one after driving 2 screws!

I drove another 2 and the second bit is damaged.

I didn't have time to glue and clamp the second ramp before driving to Holbrook and I didn't take care of it before napping or before taking my brother to get dinner.

Not until after dark, so I drove Mom's car around the block, put the one ramp in front of the passenger tire, near the oil pan, went to get the drain pan, and Mom's... prized possession... knocked it onto the concrete, so I needed to clean instead of taking care of Mom's car.

I also have less used oil to run through the 2002 Civic.

I am going out tonight to see if my plastic razor does any good on the engine block and I guess that I am doing some light vacuuming before Church tomorrow.

[freebeard]

Happy Xist day, Xist.

[redpoint5]

Happy birthday, Doug!

In reference to talking to ladies being a zero-sum-game, I stuck with it, and have added 2 new humans so far. Keep at it, become the person that deserves the person you want, and set the standards appropriately.

[Xist]

Someone in a singles' group on Facebook asked about making small talk and I responded that women get angry when I ask how they are doing, if they have any fun plans for the weekend, how their weekend went, etc., and one of the few women that I have met in-person since coming home from Germany 11 years ago indicated that I am boring.

They want exciting conversation!

I think she just wanted a free expensive dinner. I met her around 2015, asked her to dinner, and she suggested a restaurant near her.

The bill was $80 before the tip.

Eighty dollars was a lot for a guy in college!

She told me to call her and I did, a couple of times, but I never heard back.

Then in September of 2021 she posted

Hello everyone! I am desperate! I have a medical procedure on Wednesday 12/8 and my ride just cancelled on me. I've asked so many people and nobody can/will help. I live in central Phoenix and need to be at Banner Gilbert at 10:30, then picked up around 2:00. It has to be the same person who drives me both ways. Is anyone available?

Nobody volunteered, so I asked if she still needed a ride.

I would need to take a day off work--or two--and drive 7 hours on top of at least half an hour each way with her, but I was willing, basically for a stranger.

Fortunately, she found a ride.

Apparently after she told me that I am boring she added "You have dozens of women telling you [see more]

I didn't see more.

I rarely read more than the top 3 comments and often one or two are the same.

Additional comments are also usually the same.

I have a bunch of unread messages on WhatsApp. I haven't tried catching up on those in a bit. I just scrolled through older conversations in English trying to find an example and this was my entire conversation with one lady:
"Hey, it's me Maureen, from [app]"
"Hello Maureen, thank you very much for reaching out! �� How are you doing?"
"Am gud. Where are you from?"
"I have lived in Arizona for most of my life."
"Okay. Gud. I am from Nigeria, but working in India."
"How do you like India?"
"Not that much, there is too much racism."
"Sorry! How was your week?"
"Fine."
[later]
Me: "How is everything going?"
"Gud. It has been a while."
"What is new?"

It has been 6 weeks. I don't think she is responding.

Should I reach out again to the Nigerian in India?

I recently matched with a woman in Phoenix.
"How are you doing?"
"Hello."

What is the correct response when the other person doesn't answer your question?

This was a dang foreigner in another nation:
"How is your weekend going?"
"Hi."

This dang foreigner in another nation wrote first:
"Hi."
"How are you doing?"
"Am fine and you?"
"I am all right, thanks. How was your weekend?"
"Fine."
"Did you do anything fun?"
"What kind of fun?"
Not knowing how to follow up, the next day I asked "How is your week going?"
"It is going well. Where are you?"
It is in my profile. "I live in Arizona."
"Okay. I am in Nigeria."
"Do you have any fun weekend plans?"
"Yeah."
Not knowing how to follow up, I responded "Cool."
The next day she asked "How are you?"
"I am all right, thanks. How are you?"
"Cool."
That always seems odd. I replied "How was your week?"
She never replied.

I never claimed anything about my conversational skills, but I almost always try to follow up, although if she ignores three messages in a row I stop trying.

If a woman tells me that she doesn't have weekend plans (and invariably she lives far away) I ask what she would do if she could and rarely receive a significant response.

I am not finding any of the endless one-sided conversations where their first question is often "Why so many questions?"

"How are you doing?"
"Good."
"How is your day going?"
"Good."
"Do you have anything interesting going on this week?"
"No."
"How do you like [app]?"
"Fine."
"What do you like most about yourself?"
Hold on. I recently asked a lady this. She replied "The fact tht am beautiful."

This was the rest of that conversation:
"Hello Felicia. This is Xist from [app]. How are you doing?"
"Okay thanks and u Xist."
Arguably she asked a question, she just didn't use a question mark or write out "You," she just wrote "and u."
I replied "I am all right, thanks. How was your day?"
"It was ok thanks."
"How do you like [app]?"
"Not too much, I haven't found anyone interesting."
"Sorry about that."
"Thanks."
"What do you do for fun?"
"I watch movies."
"What do you like most about yourself?"

There isn't anything exciting about my conversational skills, but I rarely find anyone who just asks "What about you?"

So, the woman who had me take her to an expensive restaurant, told me to call, and ignored me until I asked if she still needed a ride to the hospital several years later said dozens of women told me they wanted deeper conversation, but I didn't want to listen.

How can I get deep conversation if I cannot find women who will answer basic questions?

By the way, when I searched WhatsApp for that conversation it suggested the 28-year-old in Tucson.

Thirty now?

This was most of her profile picture:

So, he engages in deep conversation?

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

As I mentioned, I drained the rest of the oil from my Camry into a disposable pie pan, and used the Oil Udder to remove the filter, but oil still spilled all over, so I looked up a WatchJRGo video, where he mentioned the solo cup technique.

If I'm understanding you correctly - when you remove the oil filter oil spills all over as you spin it off. That happens. The easiest way I've found to prevent that is to poke a hole in the bottom of the filter with a screwdriver or awl and let the oil drain out before spinning the filter off.

As other's have mentioned - put down cardboard under the car when draining and then under your containers when pouring from your drain pan to container.

I have zero experience with online dating apps but from listening to friends they are basically worthless. You may try meeting people the old fashion way - in person. Surely Show Low has some sort of activities or clubs you could join that might have some singles.


And Happy Birthday

[Xist]

I used to put down my metal drip pan, but included when I sold it, although I still had spills that missed it, or the rare occasions where it overflowed.

I like having a chance to pour the spilled fluid back in the catch pan.

I would rather recycle cardboard than use it to catch oil.

JSH, do you burn oil-soaked cardboard?

Unfortunately, these spills have resulted in perfectly good boxes getting oil on them, but I would normally cut out the stained portion and recycle the rest.

Maybe I had heard of poking a hole in a filter, but I am pretty sure that I have heard of drilling.

Poking sounds vastly better!

1. Buy a cheap funnel.
2. Drill a hole in the funnel near the spout almost big enough for the center punch.
3. Heat up the body of the center punch and push it through the hole.
4. Epoxy around the center punch.
5. Attach plastic tubing to the funnel.
6. Punch the lowest point of the filter and hold the funnel while the oil drains into your catch pan.

The solo cup is simpler!

I have only heard of singles' activities up here, which are almost exclusively people in their sixties and seventies, although that was where I first met the nurse who identified as an intellectual, although I considered her to be dull.

I ran into her again when I worked at the charter school. She stared down fresh meat (that she didn't remember) and I said "Hi?"

The rest was history!

At least the chapter where I asked "Where is the nicest place to eat around here?"
"Denny's"
Doubt!
"Meet you at 0830?"
"Sure."
She walked up at 09, opened the door, ignored me when I said her name, messaged me "Where are you?" and then looked at me, said "Hey," and got a table.

That may have been the last thing she said to me as I wondered why a girl was following us.

"Hi, I am her daughter."

So, I bought breakfast for both of them, and talked to the daughter the whole time.

I recently told a friend that meeting singles in-person is inherently better because most singles on-line are unwilling to put in such effort as leaving the house.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

I used to put down my metal drip pan, but included when I sold it, although I still had spills that missed it, or the rare occasions where it overflowed.

I like having a chance to pour the spilled fluid back in the catch pan.

I would rather recycle cardboard than use it to catch oil.

JSH, do you burn oil-soaked cardboard?

Unfortunately, these spills have resulted in perfectly good boxes getting oil on them, but I would normally cut out the stained portion and recycle the rest.

Maybe I had heard of poking a hole in a filter, but I am pretty sure that I have heard of drilling.

Poking sounds vastly better!

1. Buy a cheap funnel.
2. Drill a hole in the funnel near the spout almost big enough for the center punch.
3. Heat up the body of the center punch and push it through the hole.
4. Epoxy around the center punch.
5. Attach plastic tubing to the funnel.
6. Punch the lowest point of the filter and hold the funnel while the oil drains into your catch pan.

The solo cup is simpler!

You are way overthinking catching fluid in a pan.

I use a pan like this that I've had for many years: https://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-FloTo...69036687&psc=1


It is large enough that I don't have to put anything under the car when draining oil because the oil just drains into the pan. Same with the oil filter. Put pan under filter, poke hole in filter (actual 2 - one at bottom first and then one at top so it drains faster). Leave it to drain for 10 minutes. Spin off the filter and put it on that filter holder in the pan.

When I drain the oil from the pan to a container. (Usually an empty 1 gallon jug windshield washer fluid jug) I put the jug on a piece of cardboard (generally an amazon box) because I'll likely drip a bit. Then I set the pan at a 45 degree angle and let it drain down to the corner with the spout and repeat again after about 30 minutes. The final step is to wipe out the inside of the oil pan with paper shop towels and throw those away along with the cardboard. I'd rather catch some oil drips on free cardboard than drip oil on my garage floor and then use paper towels and simple green that I had to buy to clean up the mess.

I would burn the cardboard if I actually used my fireplace but I do not. It is for decoration or emergency heat.

Originally Posted by Xist

I have only heard of singles' activities up here, which are almost exclusively people in their sixties and seventies, although that was where I first met the nurse who identified as an intellectual, although I considered her to be dull...

Not a singles club - just a club, league, or activity. Like the Show Low Big Foot hiking club or the Show Low co-ed softball league that is starting
https://www.showlowaz.gov/calendar.a...ate=&enddate=&

Originally Posted by Xist

I recently told a friend that meeting singles in-person is inherently better because most singles on-line are unwilling to put in such effort as leaving the house.

True - so are you willing to get out of the house and meet some real people?

Also - for your $400 lenses. Next time maybe give Zenni Optical a try:
https://www.zennioptical.com/?gclid=...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

I just bought new prescription safety glasses (frames and lenses) for $100. Regular glasses are even less.

[freebeard]

https://www.runtothepinescarshow.com
39th Annual Run to the Pines Car Show | Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
The Cavalcade of Cars Road Tour Starting Point: LDS Church, 1401 West Deuce Of Clubs, (US Highway 60 at SR 260) Show Low, AZ 85901. All years of classic and special interest vehicles may participate in the Cavalcade of Cars Road Tour. No pre-registration is necessary.
Gallery of Cars
The Run to the Pines Car Show is in its 35th year of displaying more than 550 pre-1973 cars. Browse our Gallery of Cars from previous years for a taste of what you may expect when visiting Run to the Pines Car Show. All entries are pre-1974 models and offer a wide variety of hot rods and muscle cars sure to please everyone who visits.

https://showlowchamber.com › event › 37th-annual-run-to-the-pines-car-show
37th Annual Run to the Pines Car Show - Show Low Chamber of Commerce
24 Sept 202109/24/2021. The Run to the Pines Car Show is a 37-Year Tradition held in Arizona's beautiful White Mountain region. This collection of 575 pre-1973 cars is the largest of its kind and a not-to-be-missed event. Hosted by Ted and Randi Corbin, Jim and Darla Faulk, and the Run to the Pines volunteers, the 37th Annual 2021 Run to the Pines Car ..

Be there or be square.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by JSH

You are way overthinking catching fluid in a pan.

Not only do I have one like that, but I have the funnels and wrench Amazon suggests.

Lowe's sells one for $9 and AutoZone and O'Reilly's sell one for $12.

I need to buy more automotive tools from Lowe's?

I also have one kind of like this:

It is just like a sideways jug, with one side inverted, and a plug there.

Unlike this one, the cap is at the lowest point when you are transferring.

It has poor reviews. People say that the top is too small and\or shallow and it splashes or overflows, but I didn't have that problem, although I used a Fumoto QuickValve.

Have any of you heard of this hack mechanic who shares hacks on TikTok? https://www.tiktok.com/@scottykilmer...759978?lang=en He just says to ensure the old gasket came with the filter or you will need to pry it from the block.

Here he said that dealers will offer free oil changes for 4 years, but try to sell you hundreds of dollars of services you don't need: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottykilmer...536174?lang=en

Anyway, on YouTube he said to use a breaker bar on the drain plug.

Have you ever used a breaker bar on the drain plug?!

Aren't the torque specs 35-40 foot-pounds?

35 pounds at one foot would be about 25 pounds at 17", the length of the cheapest breaker bar in my area.

Of course, maybe the last guy torqued it too much, perhaps with an impact wrench--if they didn't strip it!

A real mechanic has strong feelings about that!


He says AutoZone now recycles oil filters!

I was always told there was nothing to do but throw it away. I hate throwing away anything with much used motor oil, which is why I put oil-soaked rags in an ammo can.

Now that I more or less have a vacuum pump I am going to create a vacuum chamber and see how much oil I can pull out of rags and filters.

Oil Pan, do you burn those, too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGvjU4CFsnQ

when I worked at the bus yard they had a machine that sucked the oil out of filters and then smashed them.

Here he compares a cheap and expensive filter, weighing and cutting them open, showing the expensive one has much more filter material:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnS53T3gcPg

He spilled oil all over when he removed the filter, but that is why you use gloves and a drip pan, but he showed a filter wrench. It would be nice if they had something that also at least deflected oil.

The first time I changed oil I put an AOL CD between the wrench and the socket.

He held the filters when he used his power saw to cut them open and he said you don't need jack stands because it would just land on the wheels.

It would bounce off your head!

My Son Never Changed His Engine Oil, Then This Happened The son went 10,000 miles and then his dad changed his oil with no ill effects.

He mentioned a Chrysler owner who burned out their engine after driving 20,000 miles without an oil change, mentioned going to the junkyard and showed a Chevrolet dealership, and mentioned a Honda owner who drove 80,000 miles without an oil change and just started burning oil, but the engine still ran.

If you have a car 2020+ and need 0w16 oil you need GF6B oil with a shield on the label, not a round logo.

We will need to worry about that between 2035 and 2040?

Mr. Stop Leak said to not use engine flushes because they will clean out the carbon and possibly damage seals, creating leaks. https://youtu.be/gqg2OVG9G9Y

A customer tried to change the oil himself in a Rav4 like my ex had. Not the last one, my third-to-last one. The customer didn't have the right tool, tried to use a chisel, and worried that the chisel caused damage, so Shouty used the right tool, and a dremel with brass wire wheels to smooth out everything.

AutoZone ad with no new information, although he does say to use a jack stand.

Ten-minute documentary that says that GM did a study showing that filtering down to 5 microns reduces engine wear.

He just reposted the first one!

This is an ad for Garage Boss funnels and drain pans. They look clever enough, but they don't sell them anymore.


This has a weighted base, so the funnel stays put.

In theory I could pour all of my oil in at once and work on another project!

This is the only similar product, $27 at Walmart. I ordered one.

The pan is kind of like this, but instead of a bedpan-shaped depression with a bedpan-shaped funnel that stores in it, both are perfectly round, but the interesting part is that they come with extensions, so like with a professional drain dolly, but designed to be used with vehicles on jack stands, not a lift.

I might not need to adjust the pan as the pressure weakens, but I don't think it is worth buying a third oil pan.

Besides, they charge more than $30!

He said that the owner bought this used, the previous owner was a slob, and carbon in the GDI engine built up so badly the spark plugs were black and it burned oil badly, so Shouty needed to walnut-blast it.

Forty-four-second short saying "Everything you need to know: Buy a more expensive filter if you change your oil less frequently."

A lady bought an Accord with 100,000 miles, but the original owner probably didn't change the oil enough. She sold it to her son with 200,000 miles and he paid a country mechanic $1,500 to replace the engine with one with 90,000 miles from a junkyard.

Where can I find a country mechanic who would do that?!

James Bae commented that it was his car and he loved meeting Shouty.

He mentioned the guy who drove a Toyota 80,000 miles without changing the oil and it was leaking and burning, but still driving.

Oh my goodness! Finally!

Shouty says to buy this, not a Fumoto QuickValve!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlmXepiEMC8

He said that if something hits the petcock, which is on the top of the valve, which is on the back of the oil pan, then it could bust open.

If you are racing off-road in reverse?

[Xist]

Okay okay okay. I am going to respond to the rest of your message--hopefully more concisely!

I just wanted to share some hacks and tips I encountered.

One of them might be useful!


I don't think that I saw this one, although I think that I saw a better one.

Someone said to pour like this and you won't have a problem:

One of Shouty's commenters said that there is a diagram on the back of the jug showing how to pour, but I couldn't find one.

I think that I saw this one, but when I saw the previous one I wondered how fast you could pour.

Not very!

I hope these GIFs don't disappear from Imgur. They were posted in GIFVs, but I need to use GIFs here, and it says "This JPEG image has the incorrect file extension."

I need an animated JPEG?

Changing the extension just gives me a still image.

This may actually be useful! You may not have this problem, but the forums like to time out while I am writing one message. I opened Ecomodder in another window, told it to refresh every minute, and I stayed logged in the entire time I wrote #78!