Worn rear shock absorber bushes is a very common problem on a Mini Cooper R50, Mini Convertible R52, Mini Cooper S R53 (2004 – 2006), and MINI Cooper R56 (2006 – 2013). The car sent to our workshop is having some irritating sound from the rear wheel. Our mechanic jack the car up and find out both the rear shock absorber bushes has worn out seriously. As you can see from the image here, there is almost nothing left!
To remove the rear shock absorber on a Mini Cooper, you will only need to remove 3 bolts, two on top of the shock absorber and one at the bottom. This is the bolt that hold the shock absorber.
Now the entire shock absorber is out. Check out the bushes, it has nothing left on it!
This is how a new bush look like
The new bushes cost about RM120 ($40) for both sides. It is relatively cheap compared to many cars in the market today.
Here’s the product code for the bush.
Bring the car for front and rear alignment. Many tire shops often say that it is not necessary to do the rear alignment for a Mini Cooper. Some shops even don’t know there is a need to do it. It is a MUST to do the rear alignment especially when a new shocks absorber is replaced.
Now the car run smooth without any irritating sound! See also: Mini Cooper Maintenance Cost at 100,000KM (62,000 miles)
Category: Car Maintenance
Car maintenance is something you must not overlook in order to keep your car in good running condition.
-
Replacing Rear Shock Absorber Bushes on a Mini Cooper R50
-
Honda City Hatchback Makes World Debut at Thailand International Motor Expo 2020
It’s finally here in Thailand! The 2021 New Honda City Hatchback has made its world debut at Thailand International Motor Expo 2020. Everything almost looks the same with the sedan version until you see the rear of the car. The hatchback body style features a longer roofline to meet the roof spoiler, which is placed above the tailgate with a rear window that looks similar to the Honda Jazz or Honda Fit. For the market in Thailand, the City Hatchback is selling in three variants, S+, SV, and RS. S+ is the most basic variant that is priced at 599,000 baht, SV is the mid-spec variant that is selling 675,000 baht, and the top-ranging RS is priced at 749,000 baht. These three variants features the same 1.0 litre (998 cc) three-cylinder VTEC Turbo engine which produces 122 horsepower and 173 Nm of torque. It’s more than enough for a light-weight B-Segment car. Other than City Hactchback, we also see City e:HEV Sedan and Civic RS Turbo version. Here’s the full video of Thailand International Motor Expo 2020.
As you can see from the video, the most eye-catching car at the Toyota area is no doubt the Toyota GR Yaris and the Toyota GR Supra. Toyota GR Yaris is not the ordinary Yaris where we often see on the street, this three-door pocket rocket features a G16E-GTS 1.6 liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 261 PS and 360 Nm of torque. It takes only 5.5 seconds to rocket from 0 to 100 km/h and all the way to the top speed of 230 km/h. It’s definitely something exciting to see in today’s automobile world.
As for Mazda, we see Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda CX-30 100th Anniversary Edition. These three cars come in special white and they are fitted with Mazda’s 100th Anniversary badges on both the body and seats. On the other hand, Porche launches the New Porsche Panamera as well as Porsche Taycan Turbo. Details can be found in the video too. As for Audi, the most attractive car is the green Audi RS 4 Avant Quattro. This is a family car yet with sport cars heart. The rest of the highlights at this Motor Expo are all-new Ford Ranger, Lexus IS 300h, MG EP, MG HS PHEV, 2021 Nissan Skyline GTR R35, Nissan Kicks e-POWER, All New BMW 4 Series Coupe (G22), Mercedes-AMG GT R, Tesla Model X and others. Of course, there are also a lot of beautiful car model at the motor show as usual, because this is Thailand, the land of smile! -
Honda Civic Air Conditioning Problems, Symptoms and Solutions
I am writing this article to share the experience I had with my 2006 Honda Civic air conditioning problems. I sorted the root problem based on every symptoms the car gives and hunt for the best solutions. Honda Civic owners who face different kind of air conditioning problems should go through this article. I strongly believe that this article could save you hundreds of unwanted repair cost from untruthful dealers or mechanic.
Last week, I was driving my Honda Civic from Northern Thailand to Southern Thailand, out of sudden, the car AC stops working. It blows only hot air. I parked the car and had a glass of coffee. The AC works again when I start the car. However, it blows hot air again after 1-2 minutes of cold air. This is definitely a weird symptoms to me. As a person who knows nothing about car, the only thing I can do is drive it to the nearest AC workshop. The mechanic, Chang, opened the car hood and did some checking with the gauges on his hand. He told me the air-cond gas is still full but the AC compressor is gone. The approximate price is $1,200 include labour charge. This sounds ridiculous to me because I remember I had just replace the compressor clutch and refill the gas a year ago. I decided to leave with it and go to another shop.
Here comes another mechanic, Shyne, Shyne was a good man and he told me the AC compressor clutch works for 1-2 minutes then stop working. The compressor clutch is the metal plate attached to the compressor as shown in the image below. When you switch on the AC, it should be running/spinning.
In my case, it spins for a few minutes then stop working. It works again after a few minutes then stop working, again and again. After a 5-minute checking, Shyne told me the AC compressor, condenser and other parts are working fine. He told me that it was the AC compressor relay that giving the problem. The AC compressor relay is located at top right under the car hood. Please refer to the image below.
Once you opened it, you will see a few relay and fuses (see also Honda Civic Fuse Diagram). The AC compressor relay is the one circle in red in the image below. The original relay from Honda is MITSUBA brand, made in VIETNAM. In order to test if it is the relay that cause the problem, you can always switch other relay (similar readings) to the one circle in red. Once switched, you will know if it is the problem. Bingo! It is!
In Thailand, there are options to go for Omron or Denso relay. Personally I am more to Denso therefore I bought a brand new DENSO relay at only 100 baht ($3 dollars). It is made in Thailand and that could be the reason why it is cheap.
A special tool is needed to remove the AC compressor relay. However, you can use a flat screwdriver to remove it. Make sure you remove it gently.
This is how my under hood fuse box look like with the new DENSO AC compressor relay (the one in blue). Now my Honda Civic air conditioning is working again and all I spent is just $3 instead of $1,200. Always check your relay, fuses and wiring related parts if your AC is not working. Do not simply believe untruthful mechanic because Honda Civic air conditioning compressor is something could last for at least 6-12 years (or 150,000-180,000 km).
See also: Honda Civic Engine Vibrates in Parking Reverse Transmission, 2007 Honda Civic Fuse Diagram and Honda Civic: It still smells new after runs for one hundred thousand km in five years.
This article is written and submitted by Somchai Songsakul, from Thailand. Please use the Write For Us page if you would like to submit an article to MalaysiaMiniLover.com.
-
Best Muscle Car Tires
Own a ‘60s or ‘70s muscle car and wondering what are the best muscle car tires? Try the top 10 best muscle car tires list here. The tires in the list here are voted by muscle car and hot rod owners from around the world. Whether you are looking for the best performance tire or hot rod tires, this top 10 list will definitely guide you to find the best muscle car tires that suit your needs.
Popular Car Tire Sizes for Muscle Car
Since the first muscle car built, 15 inches is the common muscle car tire sizes for all classic muscle cars made between the ‘60s and early ‘80s. They are considered a performance wheel size now and not many tire makers manufacture them. Even the latest 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 comes with 19-inch sport wheels as standard. However, you can still get a few branded tires that fit a classic muscle car. For those who are wondering what is the best car tire sizes for muscle cars, here are the top 8 most popular muscle car tire sizes.
- P235/60R15
- P245/60R15
- P215/70R15
- P295/50R15
- P255/60R15
- P225/70R15
- P275/60R15
Top 10 Muscle Car Tires Brand
These are the top 10 muscle car tires brand available in the market today. They manufacture a few new high performance tires for ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s muscle cars. Some of the high performance tires are also cater for the new muscle cars.
BFGoodrich
The BFGoodrich Radial T/A tire is the one you should be considered. It is a common sight on old school muscle cars due to its lateral grip, high-speed capability and traction. The BFGoodrich Radial T/A comes in different sizes include P225/70R15 and P245/60R15. For other BFGoodrich muscle car tires, you may try BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2.
Goodyear
Goodyear Gatorback P225/60VR15 is recently a hit for muscle car owners. This tire fits any 15×7 wheels on a muscle car. The speed rating is 150 mph (VR) and it is definitely look cool on a Ford Mustang GT or a Chevrolet Corvette. Price wise, the Gatorback is not cheap. For other Goodyear muscle car tires, you may try Goodyear GT Radial (Customgard Flexten) 255/60R15, Goodyear Polysteel Radial 225/70R15 or the GT70/15 Goodyear Steelgard Raised White Letters. As for hotrod, you may try Goodyear Eagle RSA The Eagle F1 GS-D3.
American Classic
American Classic Redline 215/60R15 is a great option for any muscle cars in the Top 100 Muscle Cars list.
Mickey Thompson
The Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/T Radial is a well-known performance tire designed for all types of American muscle cars. The T speed is rated at 118 mph. Raised white letter and stylized blackwall give your muscle car a wide low profile look with superb handling. Comes in various sizes from the smallest 235/60R15 to the widest 275/60R15.
Firestone Muscle Car Tires
Try the Firestone Wide Oval Indy 500 if you are looking for wide muscle car tires. This tire is inspired by racing and it features impressive handling in both wet and dry conditions.
Other than the top 5 brands mentioned above, you may also try Kumho (the Kumho SPT 265/30ZR22 is great for pimped out cars), Michelin, Nitto, Hoosier, Dunlop and U.S. Royal. They are the very few top tire brands that manufacture new muscle car tires today. So, what is your favorite muscle car tire brand? Which one is good for you? See also:
-
Honda Accord Maintenance Schedule
The Honda Accord Maintenance Schedule tells every Accord owner when they should send their car to Honda Service Center and what are the parts need to be replaced. The Maintenance Schedule is part of the Honda Accord Owners Manual. In fact, it is very important in order for every Honda Accord owner to keep the car performs at its best. Just in case you have lost your Honda Accord Maintenance Schedule or Owners Manual, you can download it here for free. The Maintenance Schedule available here is suitable for 2015 Honda Accord, 2014 Honda Accord, 2013 Honda Accord, 2012 Honda Accord, 2011 Honda Accord, 2010 Honda Accord as well as earlier model year such as 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, and 2000.
When it comes to car maintenance, it is always about changing engine oil, replacing oil filter, air filter, element filter, washer drain, auto transmission fluid, spark plug, strainer fuel, tires, brake pads, and other parts that related to daily driving. Engine oil replacement is the most important things need to be done according to the schedule. The new Honda Accord model comes with an electronic “Maintenance Minder” where the system in the dash tells the driver when the engine oil needs to be replaced. It is always recommended to change the engine oil before the given mileage is achieved.
Honda Accord Maintenance Schedule
This is a standard maintenance schedule for all the Honda Accord models from 2014. The new Honda Accord comes with Maintenance Minder. Maintenance Minder is a system that reminds the owners when to replace the engine oil, oil filter, as well as brake pad. However, it doesn’t remind the owner if there is a need to replace spark plug, spark plug wires, brake fluid, service the cooling system, and some other wear and tear items. Therefore, this basic car maintenance schedule will still be useful for any 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, or newer Accord models such as the Honda Accord Hybrid or the Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid.
Every 5,000 Miles
- Change the engine oil and oil filter.
- Roate/adjust the wheels and air pressure for tires.
- Font and rear brakes inspections.
- Check the automatic transmission fluid (for automatic car), clutch fluid (for manual transmission car), brake fluid, cooling fluid in radiator, and power steering fluid to make sure it is at the adequate level.
- Inspect the exhaust system and see if there is any weird smoke coming out from the exhaust.
- Check if the wiper needs to be replaced.
- Inspect car battery, battery cables, and test the condition.
- Some other items to be checked include brake lines, hoses, fuel hoses, and cooling system hoses.
Nowadays, most of the Honda Accord owners rely on the Maintenance Minder system for car maintenance schedule. The on-board computer that monitors the vehicle from time to time tells the owner what to do with the car. When the computer determines the car has reached 15% remaining oil life, it means you have to plan to take your vehicle to the local Honda Dealer for service. On the other hand, it means it is a must to service the car now if it shows 5%. The service is overdue if the Maintenance Minder system shows 0%.
Generally, there is nothing much to be replaced if you do not use your car heavily. However, you still have to follow the following mileage marks to check on the mentioned items. Honda mechanics will tell you if any of these items need to be replaced or changed. Most of the Honda dealers provide free checking service so you should do it when the mileage shows up on your odometer.
25,000 Miles
- Body lubrication includes door hinges, power door locks, hood, and trunk.
- Check steering rack grease and steering linkage.
- Inspect valve clearance.
- Inspect drive belts. Replace it if there is a need.
- Check brake pads and brake disc for wear, cracks, and damage.
- Replace Genuine Honda Air Filter.
45,000 Miles
- Replace Cabin Filter.
- Check catalytic converter, heat shield, muffler, and exhaust pipe for leaks, tightness, and damage.
- Standard vehicle maintenance inspection.
- Lubricate Chasis.
- Inspect parking brake adjustment.
- Inspect ABS modulator.
65,000 Miles
- Clean the power antenna mast if there is a need.
- Roate/adjust the wheels and air pressure for tires. See also: Simple ways to take care of your tire.
- Inspect tires for wear. Replace it if there is a need.
- Replace the automatic transmission fluid or CVT fluid. Drain it and fill it with Honda Genuine transmission fluid.
- Replace the manual transmission fluid and inspect clutch operation.
- Check steering rack grease and steering linkage.
- Inspect valve clearance.
85,000 Miles
- Inspect the fluid level and top off all fluid levels if there is a need.
- Rotate tires and torque wheel nuts.
- Change the brake fluid if it is dirty or if the color is changed.
- Replace spark plugs for better performance.
- Inspect the idle speed.
100,000 Miles
- Clean the power antenna mast if there is a need.
- Replace Cabin Filter or Pollen Filter.
- Inspect valve clearance.
- Inspect drive belts. Replace it if there is a need.
- Inspect all the lamps include interior lamps and exterior lamps such as headlamps, indicators, and brake lamp for proper operations.
- Check brake pads and brake disc for wear, cracks, and damage.
- Replace Genuine Honda Air Filter.
- Replace timing belt.
- Inspect tires for wear. Replace it if there is a need.
- Vehicle Maintenance Inspection.
- Check ball joint boots for deterioration, bolts for tightness, and driveshaft boots.
Car maintenance related articles: What kind of oil does my car need, How do I change the oil in my car, How much oil does my car hold, and How to jump start a car.
The above Honda Accord Maintenance Schedule is a general recommendation for most of the Honda Accord models. In order not to waste any money for car maintenance, it is highly recommended to consult your mechanic from Honda mechanic before replacing any items. Sometimes, a car part work longer than it is expected but sometimes it becomes faulty earlier than it should be. Therefore, it is suggested to check your car with the nearest Honda Dealer from time to time to avoid any unwanted accident. According to some car experts in Asia, a Honda Accord is able to run up to 500,000 km (approximately 300,000 miles) and still in good running condition if it is well maintain. Well, that is a Honda Accord!