Posted: 4/21/2012 11:56:12 AM EDT
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Let me preface this to say what will soon become obvious: I don't know much about cars other than a few maintenance tasks like oil change, brake pad change, tire change, etc. I own a 2006 Hyundai Elantra. It is my first car, and I picked it up used about a couple of years ago while finishing up college. When I bought the car, I realized the CD player wasn't working for some reason (it will take a CD then decide to eject it). I didn't care because I don't own many CDs anyway. When I bought the car, I also noticed that the tachometer is not measuring correctly (it will measure like 1k higher than it should be). Again, didn't bother me since I can feel when it is time to shift gears. Add to that: the gas gauge is funky when it is around a quarter tank to zero. Maybe around six months of owning the car, I noticed that the time clock on the center dash above the radio would not start up immediately when I turned the car on. After driving for a while, it decides when it wants to. A little after that, the radio started doing the same. Half of the time when I start the car, the radio won't work. Eventually, it will but will come in and out at whim. Usually, this is triggered by something like hitting a bump in the road or even using my turn signal. Sometimes even braking will cause it to go out. I think that colder seasons also tend to make the radio/clock take longer to awake. The rear speakers in my car went out about a half year ago. At first, if I toggled the fade on the radio I could get it to resurrect. Now it is just dead. This could be unrelated, but I'm just listing everything that might be related. ETA: If I plug something into the lighter receptacle, sometimes that will cause the radio to go off as well. If it were just one of these things, I would think it is an isolated issue. Collectively, they tell my un-automotive brain that it probably is something electrical. Any ideas on how I can further diagnose or treat this on my own? I haven't bothered the shop with stuff like this because it really doesn't bother me but I figure it might be good to ask around here. Thanks ahead of time. PS: Anyone know where I can buy a replacement cap to the clutch fluid reservoir? My Google-Fu is picking up nothing. I lost it when I was replacing the fluid (indicating a leak, I know). |
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Quoted: Sounds like you might have a Katrina car. My buddy bought an F-150 a few years back and had the same problems you describe. Floods play hell with the electrical system. The previous owner, from history, was from Texas. I bought it from a used car dealership here in Florida for a good price. Came with some hail damage on the roof (only noticeable if you look close) but other than that I couldn't see any other weather damage. Did your buddy ever get his electrical stuff fixed?
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