Page 1 of 3 [ 41 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

Maddino87
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jan 2009
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 419
Location: Chapel Hill, NC

04 Oct 2009, 12:11 pm

I've been observing my parents drive for years that driving just came naturally to me. I drive an old-but-well-kept '97 Ford Explorer SUV 200 miles each weekend on the highway connecting my hometown to Charlotte and I know the road and backroads like the back of my hand. Why bother with this trip? I don't like staying in one place for too long, so driving is my escape.
My only weakness is parallel parking in a limited space.



Murasame
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 9 Aug 2009
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 66
Location: Birmingham, UK

04 Oct 2009, 12:36 pm

I'm usually a good driver, but I do have the occasional loss of concentration. I've been driving for about 4 years and so far I've never been at fault for an accident, picked up a speeding or parking fine or even been pulled over.

My navigation skills are awful though.



hakemon
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 242
Location: Oviedo, Florida

04 Oct 2009, 12:37 pm

I can't parallel park my "boat", far too hard. I usually look for 2 open spots and just pull right through..


_________________
Certified Computer Technician
A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)


gramirez
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Nov 2008
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,827
Location: Barrington, Illinois

04 Oct 2009, 2:11 pm

I don't drive yet (i'm 15), and quite frankly I am scared to start driving. What with all the maniac-drivers out there, it's hard to ever feel comfortable. Legally I can get my drivers permit, if enrolled in driver's ed, but I'm not to crazy about that either.


_________________
Reality is a nice place but I wouldn't want to live there


Wikan
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 9 Dec 2008
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 77
Location: Pécs

04 Oct 2009, 2:15 pm

I'm quite aggressive behind the wheel. Especially since all/most of those idiots on the road are NT's :P



hakemon
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 242
Location: Oviedo, Florida

04 Oct 2009, 2:27 pm

Judging by my video, how good/bad of a driver am I? I'd rather have other opinions.


_________________
Certified Computer Technician
A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)


berk222
Butterfly
Butterfly

User avatar

Joined: 28 Aug 2009
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Posts: 10

04 Oct 2009, 2:31 pm

I'm good driver too.Actually driving is one of my top interest .I like driving.specially night or long journey and I have british licence and turkish too.left trafic or right doesnt matter :o



samtoo
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 May 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,762
Location: England

04 Oct 2009, 3:28 pm

I'm learning.


_________________
Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.


hakemon
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 242
Location: Oviedo, Florida

04 Oct 2009, 3:44 pm

I do love night driving.. I do need to get my headlights fixed, both are getting dim, especially when defrosters are on..


_________________
Certified Computer Technician
A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)


WardenWolf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Apr 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 532
Location: Woodbridge, VA

04 Oct 2009, 4:24 pm

Hakemon, that's either an alternator problem or a battery problem. You should get that checked out fast before you wind up stranded. I had my battery take a dump on me on the highway. My lights started fading in and out and my engine died, and I had to be towed.

I normally consider myself a good driver. I do have "off" days, though; everyone does, and when that happens I either avoid driving or apply extra care and discipline. I can be defensive or aggressive as needed. I can drive conservatively or like a bat out of hell.


_________________
Heart of the guardian, way of the warden, path of the exile.


hakemon
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 242
Location: Oviedo, Florida

04 Oct 2009, 4:26 pm

WardenWolf wrote:
Hakemon, that's either an alternator problem or a battery problem. You should get that checked out fast before you wind up stranded. I had my battery take a dump on me on the highway. My lights started fading in and out and my engine died, and I had to be towed.

I normally consider myself a good driver. I do have "off" days, though; everyone does, and when that happens I either avoid driving or apply extra care and discipline. I can be defensive or aggressive as needed. I can drive conservatively or like a bat out of hell.

Alternator is new 140amp, belts are good, battery is only 5 years old, and never been deep cycled. I can't see how they are already failing.


_________________
Certified Computer Technician
A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)


bonuspoints
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 598
Location: Washington state - *Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?*

04 Oct 2009, 5:07 pm

I think I am a good driver, others would disagree, but I have never received a ticket (been pulled over 3-4 times for speeding) and have only been in one accident (other guys fault, pulled out of an alley right in front of me. Didn't have time to stop).

People point out that my driving is irratic and I drive all over my lane, but I am usually more aware of other cars than the people I know. I can read car "body language" better than most people I know, I can tell what a driver intends to do.

I have never feared driving, in fact I usually find it comforting. A few months ago I went on a road trip with my sister and ending up driving the entire 4400 miles myself (she took over after the first 4 hours, lasted only 30 minutes before she was too tired to go on. She suggested we pull over for a rest but that would totally ruin my plan and I couldn't deal with that).

PS I really enjoyed driving in Wyoming/S. Dakota/Montana because their speed limit is 75 which allowed me to get close to 100 without drawing too much attention to myself. I enjoyed that!v :twisted:


_________________
Those who cannot tell what they desire or expect, still sigh and struggle with indefinite thoughts and vast wishes. - Emerson

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live. - Oscar Wilde


Keith
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,321
Location: East Sussex, UK

04 Oct 2009, 6:10 pm

To assess your driving, I would have to feel it. I see there could be improvements. Crossing your arms over with a steering wheel that has an air bag (I can't tell if yours does or not) can be bad. If you cross your arms over the steering wheel and the air bag deploys, it could do extreme damage.

With the school buses. From what I saw, you passed on the right, which is a bad thing to do. Overtaking on the left should be preferable, especially with larger vehicles such as a bus of any sort.

Your attempt to save gas has been negated out as you have parked driving straight in. It takes more to reverse out on a cold engine than it does on a warm engine.

As to the problems you have described and with backfiring; I am sure you have a timing issue. I don't know the type of engine you have or the type of timing it uses. Electrical, mechanical, etc. It could be that your rotor arm is a fraction out. OR your timing on the pulleys could be slightly out. This would usually cause premature detonation - hence backfire



CTBill
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Oct 2008
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 514
Location: Connecticut, USA

04 Oct 2009, 6:28 pm

hakemon wrote:
Judging by my video, how good/bad of a driver am I? I'd rather have other opinions.

Terrible. You were courteous, obeyed speed limits, stopped at red lights, and then waitied until they turned green again before proceeding.

You didn't play the stereo at 140dB, although it appears that you wanted to at one point in the video, so bonus points for that.

You didn't flip anyone the bird, and didn't blow the horn once, not even at those school buses ("road wasps") blocking both lanes. And didn't I see you using directional signals? Why on earth would you want to telegraph your intent to other drivers? Let 'em guess.

No, sir, you'd never cut it in New England. :P

(Although it does look like you have plenty of experience with rotary intersections already. :))

As for the "backfires", it's kind of hard to hear them in the video (and backfires are *loud*)--is it possible they're just "misfires" instead? Anyway, this is undoubtedly why your "check engine" light is on--there are one or more fault codes saved by the engine computer related to this problem, and these should allow a decent mechanic to troubleshoot and repair the problem with relative ease. If I remember correctly, once misfires have been detected, the light must remain on until the codes are cleared explicitly (in U.S. vehicles, anyway).

Cars: You can't live with them; you can't drive without them. :D

Good luck!



hakemon
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 242
Location: Oviedo, Florida

04 Oct 2009, 6:52 pm

Actually my backfiring is a failing injector on cylinder 7.. I have a scantool for the computer in the car. Knock sensor is fine but the electrical harness is getting interference from a spark plug wire as the wires shielding has frailed over the years.

My car doesn't have an adjustable timing, it's all computer controlled. Distributor on mine is at the front of the engine at the bottom, and uses a metal pitted disc like a CD, and a laser to detect crank position. Highly accurate, yet very easy to destroy the cap and rotor due to placement. However this cap and rotor is brand new..

PS: I'm FROM Massachusetts. ;) I never drove there, learned in Florida, but I do have the offensive driving required for New England use. In Florida, it's all defensive..


_________________
Certified Computer Technician
A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)


CTBill
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Oct 2008
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Posts: 514
Location: Connecticut, USA

04 Oct 2009, 7:43 pm

RE: engine problem

Thanks for the feedback! It sounds like you have a good handle on your situation, just need to find the time and $$$ to fix it.

I have an F-O-R-D (I don't speak Its name) with 4.6L V8 which has blown 4 out of the 8 original ignition coils now, #5 through #8, so I'm no stranger to misfires. (It has coil-on-plug design, so no distributor or secondary wiring.)

The worst was when two, #6 and #8, went simultaneously on I-80 in Pennsylvania during a road trip under high acceleration while passing a semi. I managed to go about another 50 miles, but finally had to pull over and limp in the breakdown lane to the nearest exit in a somewhat civilized place (Hazleton), and call AAA for tow from there. The computer was a mess from all the false signals (including engine overheat) that it was getting from the two failed coils arcing over into primary wiring sense lines, and just kept giving up and going into shutdown (stall).

Being an engineer who has dealt extensively with cabling and noise issues, I was not impressed by Ford's engineering at that point.

hakemon wrote:
PS: I'm FROM Massachusetts. ;) I never drove there, learned in Florida, but I do have the offensive driving required for New England use.

Good thing--we don't haz so many old people (read, "defensive drivers") up here. :D



Last edited by CTBill on 04 Oct 2009, 8:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.