21
votes
Accepted
2003 Honda Civic steering problem after collision
Based on the pictures that you provided, there are three things that are clearly damaged right off the bat.
Your lower control arm is broken. This is the mechanism that houses your lower ball joint ...
- 1,958
17
votes
2003 Honda Civic steering problem after collision
I agree with resident_heretic - DO NOT drive the car again until it has been properly repaired. It sounds like you have multiple bent or broken suspension parts, and if the crash was bad enough to ...
- 28.7k
16
votes
How do I roll my 4x4 vehicle back onto its wheels?
First of all, anyone who is off-roading knows the inevitability of a roll over. It happens; you deal with it. If you have an expectation of never rolling over or never scratching the paint, then keep ...
- 153k
13
votes
What to look out for when buying a car that hit a deer?
I'd be asking if the car was put on a chassis rig when it was repaired. If it's even had just one day on a rig, it was clearly enough of an impact that made the assessor/repairer think it might be a ...
- 1,586
12
votes
2003 Honda Civic steering problem after collision
Based on what I could understand of your description. I am surprised that that the vehicle would move let alone be driveable. Despite what your stepfather said I would strongly advise against driving ...
- 3,917
12
votes
2003 Honda Civic steering problem after collision
Everyone else has said it already, but to reiterate:
DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR ON PUBLIC ROADS!
This car is a danger to yourself, and everyone who shares the road with you. Continuing to drive this ...
- 6,037
11
votes
How do I roll my 4x4 vehicle back onto its wheels?
Tool list:
Several large/long tow straps (30ft each or longer recommended)
Portable electric winch and battery, in case your buddy is not there to use his winch mounted on the front bumper.
Some 4"...
- 8,010
9
votes
What to look out for when buying a car that hit a deer?
You said "the dealer tells me that the car was likely rebuilt." The dealer should know for a fact that the car was rebuilt and issued a salvaged title, if not, walk away. On top of that, if the seller ...
- 6,037
7
votes
Accepted
What's the best place to safely store a life hammer?
Since you posted another question about an Aveo/Kalos i guess you are talking about that car.
Some come with the holder, with the possibility to attach it to the door or somewhere close to the knee ...
- 430
6
votes
2003 Honda Civic Pulling to the left after collison
You say the control arm is bent. Replace the arm, get it all checked by a professional, and get the wheels aligned using a proper laser alignment rig.
As we said in your last question,
DO NOT DRIVE ...
- 28.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Do self driving cars talk to each other?
Update, Dec 2016: Just this month, Michigan legalizes self-driving car testing on public roads, and GM is going to start testing. As things continue to move in this direction, the field will no doubt ...
- 4,900
5
votes
Accepted
How do I roll my 4x4 vehicle back onto its wheels?
All good answers but they focus on how to move vehicles and gear availale, without mentioning method.
The recovery must have other things done first. Delegate these tasks to different people:
...
- 2,838
5
votes
How do I roll my 4x4 vehicle back onto its wheels?
The number one rule, as always, is safety - and this means keeping people out of the way. Firstly make sure you have everyone out of, and clear of, the vehicle, especially anyone not directly involved ...
- 28.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Damages checklist after rollover
First of all check the body panels and items you can see under the bonnet, doing this before you go to the hassle of getting alignment checked can save you money as you might find something that makes ...
- 2,781
4
votes
Accepted
Totaled car; should I buy my own parts?
I'm going to keep this away from being an opinion piece as those are off topic for this SE. So lets just look at some things to consider:
Cost
New parts will be more expensive, even from Rock Auto, ...
- 9,326
4
votes
Accepted
My scooter got tipped over by a parking car. How to make sure there is no serious damage?
A scooter is quite rigid for its weight and size, and there shouldn't happen much more than some scratches, broken mirrors etc.
There are just two issues I can think of:
If the scooter fell hard on ...
- 7,047
4
votes
2003 Honda Civic steering problem after collision
I may be crazy, but in the second picture it looks like either:
You only have two lug nuts holding that wheel on
Two of the lug nuts are so loose they are about to come off. It's hard to tell which.
...
- 9,326
4
votes
What to look out for when buying a car that hit a deer?
Uneven bonnet gaps
These are a dead giveaway of a bad repair job - also, check if the gap is too large or small for the car - try and get a photo from a similar angle to one existing to check. Also ...
- 333
4
votes
Can this piece of metal be straighten after an accident...?
All depends on how badly they are bent and if they are structural or not. Some body shops can pull a bent frame back into shape if it's not too badly bent. This frame will be functional but almost ...
4
votes
Can an insurance company deny repairs after an accident because of rust underneath?
There is a concept called "betterment" that comes into play here. The insurance company is not liable to repair anything that was pre-existing before the accident.
In the case of rust, ...
- 12.1k
3
votes
What to look out for when buying a car that hit a deer?
In addition to the other fine answers, you should inspect the crumple zones, which are most easily inspected by looking between the fender bolts under the hood. On most vehicles, you should see the ...
- 1,723
3
votes
What would you estimate needs to be repaired in a bent fender/bumper?
The metal fender needs re-shaping; a good body shop can repair the existing fender piece. The fender will then need to be painted to match the other panels on the car.
The bumper cover (the plastic ...
- 3,643
3
votes
Is this indicative of just needing a wheel alignement or something more serious?
That's definitely more than a wheel alignment. Sorry for the bad news.
- 1,882
2
votes
Possible chassis damage
An autobody shop can make the critical measurements to specific suspension alignment points on the unibody, according to the OEM specification. The vehicle is "benched", usually on the pinch welds ...
- 12.4k
2
votes
What to look out for when buying a car that hit a deer?
Check at least for the following:
Paint color match and alignment of panels. Stand a short distance in front of the vehicle and look for uniformity between the left and right sides. Check for ...
- 21
2
votes
What's the best place to safely store a life hammer?
You could attach a visor panel on your sun shade and place the life hammer there. Something like this MOLLE-compatible visor could work:
The MOLLE attachments give you plenty of versatility, and its ...
- 1,765
2
votes
Can a rear end collision cause damage to the brakes?
It's possible that the Eyesight system might be out of calibration after the accident.
It's under warranty, so I'd take the car to the dealer for a checkup; they're going to know more than a body ...
- 8,672
2
votes
Who is responsible for making sure the correct insurance is on a car with a lien on it?
You are responsible for insuring your vehicle. Period. Full stop. It's in the bank's interest to make sure you insure your vehicle since it's their collateral on the loan they've given you. If that ...
- 671
2
votes
2003 Honda Civic Pulling to the left after collison
As Nick C said: Get it checked by a professional. In this condition the car is not drivable and further driving will:
Put you and others in danger
Damage certain parts (especially the tires) of your ...
- 8,448
2
votes
Hit by a bus - can I use a dent puller to fix this?
The dent is right over the wheel well, just loosen or remove the wheel well plastics (maybe 2 or 3 screws), then use some padded vices or similar to bend/pop/coax out the dents. I think you'll have ...
- 1,722
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible