Winnipeg Help

[Crazy_Canuck]

'Peggers, if any of you need a hand with your cars, let me know. I'm always down with helping out on a car. I have a lot of mechanical knowledge, and have a diploma in electronics.... I've installed a lot of audio systems.

I have a lot of wire, connectors, solder, and tools that I can help out with.

Cheers!

[chicken_dog]

Cool how much do you charge by the hour??

[Crazy_Canuck]

Originally posted by chicken_dog@Mar 4 2004, 12:16 PM
Cool how much do you charge by the hour??
As they say on Monster Garage.... FREEEEEEEEBIE!!!!!!

I just love working on cars.

[Maverick]

Sweet ... Crazy!

I just bought s system off of a buddy and was going to try anf figure out how to install... Maybe you could help or provide guidence. Here's what I got:

Kenwood KDC-X769 HU
Orion 800W 4 channel amp

I've installed HU's before (in easier setup's.... not GM's) and never installed a 4-channel amp before. Any tricks to installing one of these, good placement ideas, how do you wiring these in?

Thanks for any help.

[havik]

I'm going to take you up on the offer. I wanted to install my audio myself but wasn't sure how too (and didn't want to mess it up :D). I got an alpine deck, a RF amp, 2 12" subs, and 4x6 door panel speakers to set up. Plus I got some cathodes I should install at the same time as well.

Think we can set something up?

[Crazy_Canuck]

Mav & Havik, you guys have a nice warm heated garage to work in?

If so, I could probably help you both out anytime soon. Otherwise, it's best to wait for the weather to warm up. Nothing sucks more than working on this stuff in the freezing cold, most of the parts / wiring requires no gloves. :P

I haven't really done many enclosures, but I have done a lot of woodwork / reno's, thus I have all the tools. I can probably get my hands on some software to aid in design of the sub enclosures.

When were you thinking of getting this stuff installed?

[Maverick]

I'm not too worried about getting it in right away, I still have my factory system up with a RF Amp and RF HE 12" sub... sounds okay.

We'll have to try and get something together once the weather warms up, I don't have a heated garage...

[Maverick]

BTW.... I have access to AutoCAD and the experience to do up some drawings for sub boxes, if you're interested. Let me know, and if I have some time I can whip something up... :thumbsup:

[AleroSS]

Hey Jeff, nicely done dude, glad to see more peggers (especially the newbies on here) offering their services to help each other out, well done. I would gladly help you guys out as well, and I am in the midst of trying to find a heated workspace during the cold months, but come summer I have a double garage that we can use for pre sunday nite cruising and such. Like Jeff said, if anyone needs any help with any installs, or anything, gimme a shout, I'd be glad to help out, and/or learn a few tricks in the process.

[Crazy_Canuck]

Hm, I *might* be able to get my father-in-law's workspace. He rents space at a garage in Transcona. He might be willing to let us use it on occasion, it just depends on what he has in there at the time. He's a firefighter by trade, but also moonlights as a mechanic and truck driver. I'm guessing it would be warm enough in mid April otherwise.

Mav, that'd be great if you could lend your knowledge of autocad / sub enclosures to the rest of the 'Peggers.

Landon, thanks buddy. I think it would be cool to build the Alero community here the 'Peg. Helping out each other is a good start to building a solid community.

I'm always up for sharing knowledge and learning new stuff.

[havik]

Well, I'm in no big rush to install the system (I've had it for a few months now :D) but it'd be great to install it though.

A Winnipeg Alero Community sounds good to me, I remember Landon and I talking about that quite a few months ago. I wonder if Winnipeg is the best represented city on aleromod?? :blink:

[AleroSS]

Glad we are really pulling together here guys. I think if we arent the best rep'ed city on aleromod, come summer, we will be :thumbsup:

What sorta stuff does your father in law have at his shop? Does he have a hoist or anything? How many bays? Would he let us go in there on weekends or evenings? Would he be able to hook us up with some deals if we needed him to do any mechanical work?

[99blackalero]

maybe for canada

[boarder211]

Hey! What about me? :lol:

Yeah... if anyone needs another set of hands, or someone who's pretty damn good at figuring things out, I'll always be there to help. :)

Me thinks that Landon's going to want to use the garage to install the exhaust that he stole from me. ;)

As for the 'peg Alero commuinty... we really need to get some cute girls who drive Aleros to hang with us....

[JMac'sAlero]

Sweet Crazy I gotta remember to talk to ya once I get my head wrapped around what I want how ya at wiring for lights?
thinking bout addin another set of running lights but instead of the usual bulbs was gonna look around and see if I can get red ones cuz I wanna be doing red under body lights as well

[Crazy_Canuck]

Originally posted by AleroSS@Mar 5 2004, 12:20 AM
What sorta stuff does your father in law have at his shop? Does he have a hoist or anything? How many bays? Would he let us go in there on weekends or evenings? Would he be able to hook us up with some deals if we needed him to do any mechanical work?

boarder, if you need a hand, you know I'm down with it.

JMac, I can figure out any wiring. That's what I specialize in.... electronics / electrical. I have a diploma in electronics.

He's got everything. It's only one bay, all air powered tools, a vehicle lift, tranny jacks, engine hoist, just about everything one could want. I think there's even a welder in there, I'm not very good at welding though.

I'm sure he'd be willing to give a hand from time to time, and could definitely get us some deals on parts. I could even get some deals on parts or machining through my fathers old machine shop (even though he's retired). I grew up as a kid around the shop and know all the guys there.

[chicken_dog]

Oh i need help with my autometer gauges the lights stopped working for some reason or another im sure it is just a fuse though.

[Crazy_Canuck]

Originally posted by chicken_dog@Mar 5 2004, 03:36 AM
Oh i need help with my autometer gauges the lights stopped working for some reason or another im sure it is just a fuse though.
Let me know when / where and I'm there CD.

Just make sure it's a heated garage if you plan on doing it while it's cold out. :P

[chicken_dog]

Thanks alot i don't have a heated garage so it will have to wait till the summer but i really appreciate the help.

[Crazy_Canuck]

No problem. Just let me know if you need help when it gets warm out.

[havik]

Exhaust Landon stole from you? What about me? B)

[Maverick]

Do you guys know if anyone from Winnipeg has the dreaded maifold leak??? After all of the discussion in the trouble shooting section I checked and I'm sure I have it.... :( . Hopefully if I complain enough to the right dealer they'll at least pay for half.

[AleroSS]

I believe that Boarder211/Scott had the dreadful leak, but I believe his was a '99 so I dont think it had dealership warranty, but he'd be your best bet to talk to...

[Crazy_Canuck]

Mine's a 2003. I'm sure they fixed that problem by now, so I'm not overly concerned. Please correct me if I'm wrong so I can get it checked while it's still on warranty. :P

[boarder211]

Yeah... I had the leak. It was on my 99 at about 76000 km. I first noticed it when my low coolant light starting coming on intermittently, then when changing the oil there was coolant on the oil filter.

I did buy the car used, but bought an extended warranty on the car, so it only cost me $160 to have it all done. Parts would have been $200 I think... an with labour and shop costs it came out to something like $970 to the warranty company... So I'm glad I paid for the warranty. :lol:

I had to have it done at McNaught, because the warranty company said I needed to take it there... go figure.

Yeah... if you have any other questions about it Maverick, PM me. I'll do my best.

[Crazy_Canuck]

I just talked with Steve in the service department at Vickar Chev-Olds about the manifold / coolant leak. The problem is less predominent in the newer models but still possible.

He says the reason the leak happens is that the manifold is aluminum while the block is cast. In our climate, the extreme temperature variants cause the metal to expand and contract. The manifold heats up and expands faster than the block causing the leak.

GM has since replaced the gasket with a neoprene style one that handles the expansion and contractions better. He said it afflicts about 10% of the Alero's, some worse than others.

I questioned him further on whether GM would cover it should my car be afflicted with it after my warranty expires. He said that GM has extended the warranty on this problem in the cases that they were involved in, only after authorization from higher up.

Just an FYI. So, if you ask for it and whine, chances aren't bad to get it covered through GM warranty.

[Maverick]

I think his answer is partially BS, IMO... becuase too many people from all over the States have the problem too... even guys down in Florida. I'm going to start talking to the dealer out in Portage La Prairie (where I live now) to see what they say.... hopefully if I make my case they'll help out a bit.

[Crazy_Canuck]

Just tell them that you've talked to other Alero owners and dealerships, that you know it's a common problem with this car, and that GM has covered it under warranty in most cases. Never hurts to try dude!!! Go get 'em!

Let us know how things turn out and good luck! :thumbsup:

[JMac'sAlero]

Yeah I had the manifold start leakin on me as well the dealership wanted 745 before taxes to fix it :pissed: but just glad that my gf's bro is a mechanic and that it ended up costing me only 540 and change to get it done