[Raion]

Hey guys, small update: got another car, so my income will soon resume to normal.

I have a fair bit to do to the car to prepare it for normal usage but it's in good shape.

After the 17th, I'll be able to fully retell what happened hopefully.

[Gamefan]

Please just take good care of yourself. Your health physically and mentally is what matters most.

[Raion]

There's a pending case against the driver who was found at fault at the scene by police. I will be testifying as a witness and while I don't particularly think that his attorney would be looking into me but I don't want to potentially spoil the trial or cause myself legal issues until he's either found guilty or innocent or whatever.

That's why I'm being tight-lipped about this. As far as the actual insurance stuff goes I'm not going to face an immediate raise until about 6 months down the line so for now I'm staying with my current company and hoping that I can weather the rate increase when it happens.

as far as the car goes I just drove my new Subaru outback for 250 miles in the last 3 days and it hasn't overheated or leaked any major oil 203k it seems to be in fantastic shape mechanically.just for fun I'll probably document all of the things that I end up doing to the car and posting them to Vinwiki.

[weblacky]

I don't know a huge amount about Subarus, but I do about Toyota's. Unless you have documentation to prove it, if your car uses the following items, I'd highly recommend replacement/change as the computer doesn't cover these items and the resulting damage is WAY beyond the part costs if you'd changed them ahead of time (before damage happens).

1. Positive Crankcase (ventilation) Valve (PCV) - a $9 part at the costliest and takes 5 minutes to install in my car (it's on the top left of my engine). This part (in my engine) is critical to the exhaust gas reburn in the engine, but it is also in charge of maintaining correct (but not too high) crankcase pressure. This valve receives the partially burnt engine exhaust vapors and reintroduces them into the engine's air mix (inside the engine) to be used up in future computations. Failure of this simple valve will cause the entire top of the engine to overpressure and then you have a oil leaking valve gasket (I mch bigger job). Change this part, now. Seriously $9 and some labor saves you an new valve gasket job. I change mine every 30,000 miles to be sure. There is no warning if it fails (line unmonitored). it's a tensioned spring, there is no correct test other than "stuck open" or "stuck closed". Tension amount cannot be easily measured, just change the part on a regular basis.


2. Transmission fluid and internal transmission filter. This was a $250 for me at my dealership. When my car passed 150,000 miles I questioned my transmission filter, it's not supposed to last 200,000 miles! If it clogs up too much or starts to break down...you have serious trouble. Along with transmission fluid. My car's original maintenance chart claimed 100,000 miles between fluid changes. I had the fluid changed at 100,000 miles like it said. The difference was startling, that recommendation is an outright lie. I had lost so much actual lubrication is wasn't funny. I wouldn't even wait 50,000, I'd highly recommend changing it every 35,000-40,000 miles. Understand that most transmission (unless flushed...I'm told don't try flushing...too risky) fluid changes just "drain" out the old fluid. But like ~30% of the old fluid is still in there, trapped in all the spaces. It's old, dirty, and doesn't really lubricate. Then when new fluid is added it will MIX with the junk left in your transmission. So a transmission fluid change only changes about 70% of the fluid. So you cannot go anywhere near the original mileage (in fact early changing of a new car would be been better, but my car manual lied, so here I am). I paid to have my transmission filter changed at 150,000 miles, so I'm good for another 150,000 :-)

3. Power steering fluid. Power steering fluid oxidizes and can discolor from overheat over time. Discolored fluid is a bad thing (but will happen). Change it before you run too far on discolored fluid. This will help save your steering rack, old fluid won't help prevent eating (rust) and leaking of your steering rack. New fluid every 6-7 years or so (assuming no loss) just as it's starting to discolor.

4. Spark plugs, modern plugs are gauged for 100,000 miles. However I just had an acquaintance lose an engine when a spark plug that was 2,000 miles from the 100,000 mile maintenance interval broke off inside the engine and scored the cylinder, engine considered ruined. Needs new sleeve and piston head. Don't wait 100,000 miles. And if you have no proof, get them changed ASAP. Use OEM plugs, don't cheap out, just use the correct manufacturer plugs for your engine, genuine parts!

5. Have your serpentine belt checked (if you haven't already) and get a life estimate. Change it before that estimate! They are a little pricey now, but don't over-time your main belts. It's not worth the damage.

6. Main Battery, get your battery tested and know where you are in its lifespan. Battery analyzers are cheap now. Know if you have 1 year or 3 years left, before you break down. I highly recommend a battery analyzer to track your own battery.

7. Lastly, the alternator. While they are too sealed to gauge carbon brush life, you can test them for AC ripple and diode failure. Do that! Any AC over 50 mV is unacceptable. Engine will still run but you'll have problem down the line. Check that sooner and later if the alternator is that old.


8. Optional, If you don't have the DC scope equipment to due this. Have a mechanic check do a "currently-only" compression/starter test and a "current-only" injector test (ramps). This will give you a head's up on low cylinder compression, a starter that's starting to go, and any inject sticking or movement troubles in your engine all with just a current clamp and a scopemeter. Takes about 20-30 minutes to setup and teardown for each test, no part of the engine needs to be removed to do them. Just clamping around wires and starting the car (in all tests, just different wires). This is good to know because you have a baseline. Plus you'll start to see issues before the computer does. So in case you need an injector rebuild (mine needed one badly at 170,000 miles), rebuilt original injectors did wonders, was running lean before without knowing it (neither did the engine computer). I just checked on a recommendation online, no actual troubles. Wow, difference was felt when rebuild injectors went back into the car. I'd been leaning out the mixture for like 5 years!


Otherwise, have fun...but you know, within reason.

[Raion]

So thanks a lot weblacky. I am pretty literate on Subarus in general so i can fill in the gaps:

1. PCV is good, the Subaru has very little blowby for its age of 203k miles. You can check a PCV sort of by putting a gloved hand over a warm engine's dipstick and feeling how much blowby the engine has. That's not a problem here, and the fact is that on a boxer it's VERY hard to reach it (on the back of the motor and screws into the block)

I'll probably be adding a catchcan eventually, but that's not an expense I'm working on rn.

2. Transmission oil is bright red, and the filter has been recently changed by the looks of it, very little dirt on it. This one has an inline filter!

3. PS fluid isn't burnt. I know that smell well.

4. Plugs are fine, and kind of a pain to change in the winter time so I'm not gonna worry about it right now. boxer again, involves taking a wheel off.

5. Drive belts were checked for cracking and I can DIY if they need it. But they don't rn.

6. Battery is good. Cranks strong, wiped it down (dirt makes a battery less efficient) and the CCA tester shows it's within spec - I'll be replacing it sooner or later though because it's an offbrand.

7. Alternator is very new-looking.

8. Injectors will be checked this spring I think. I replaced the fuel filter, air filter and ran seafoam through the engine and that all works well.

Blackstone labs will be used to analyze the oil.

Big things on subarus are the timing belts (I pulled the timing cover and it had white marker near the belt indicating it was replaced last year) and headgaskets, and the head gaskets on this one are pretty clean thus far. I power washed the engine.

Either way, I'll get through the winter and then come spring I'll put a ton of money into overhauling the interior and engine (including a new rad, hoses, vacuum lines, etc.)

[Raion]

So now that this is over with, let me explain the car accident from the start, explain my side etc.

I'm not looking to get criticism over it. I'm not looking for people to judge or insult me. But I hope my experience can provide some help should someone ever deal with what I had to deal with.

So on October 29th, and I think it was around 9:15PM I was in the city of Newport News, traveling down one of the main roads called "Warwick Boulevard"

Traffic was backed up, and I was in the right lane going ~25MPH. I watch as a BMW SUV is trying to get over, she gets over, and then the guy in behind her in a VW sedan  doesn't even slam on his brakes. I have no time to stop, despite going UNDER the speed limit, primarily due to being trapped, and the fact that I wasn't braking at max power because the guy wasn't braking or slowing down. I slam into the back of this VW sedan, sending him 50 feet ahead. Airbags deploy, I immediately black out for about half a minute, coming to with a huge contusion on my face, left arm, and leg. Car is fucked, it stalled but the entire frontend was crunched, as my image below shows:

   

What you don't see: The entire steering linkage is crushed and warped. Both knee and front airbags deployed. Radiator crushed, engine mounts shattered.

   

His car. Front end was completely fucked from smacking into the BMW.

The occupants of the BMW were fine. The BMW hit a U-haul, inside was the lady's husband (they were renting it apparentl). 

Immediately, me and her husband check on everyone. Nobody was badly hurt, but I did have to help the mother, who was hysterical, calm down her 8-year old daughter. The guy who hit them couldn't speak English.

Police arrive. 

Now first thing: Don't ever apologize for the accident, or admit fault. I did this right, and avoided a citation. The guy who hit them had to speak to Spanish-speaking officer (we have a large enough Hispanic population to have these) and apparently (I didn't overhear, though I can understand some Spanish) he admitted fault. 

He got slapped with a "no drivers license" and a "reckless driving". The latter is a misdemeanor that can carry jail time, many points etc. I didn't get any because witnesses corroborated that he didn't use brake lights. 

Here's my first mistake: I assumed the police, having declared him at fault, would be enough to scare his ins co into settling, so I called them up, filed the claim, got a recorded statement. My attorney friend advised me MUCH later that I shouldn't have done that, and should have only gone through my insurance. I agree. 

This cost me my chance at arbitration, I later learned. Which meant I was responsible for my car. Now, his car is totaled, and I haven't been billed for that, so as of right now, I would say they aren't coming after me. But the collision is at my expense, and well, I feel it. My ins will go up, inevitably because of this. 

Second mistake: My chiropractor, who worked on my whiplash/spine, was unable to help with personal injury claims.

Third issue: Virginia's arbitration rules are really stupid for auto accidents and don't go by police reports or faults. They go by insurance claims. So because I was blackballed, I was barred from damages.

This has cost me a fair bit. I won't get into bills, but they're not insignificant. I got an arguably nicer car (ironically, I was trying to sell my car right before this happened!) used from a semi-local dealer. That was $2500 + reg and ins costs. I have some chronic pain and concerns from not being able to exercise for about a month etc, and lost about 6 weeks of my side hustle's work. So things were unfortunate for me here. 

I hope retelling this can explain some things, and also give some context. I put my book, IRIXCE, and my part in other projects on the site on hold to deal with this. It pained me, but I was in pain, literally, and also immense stress.

For those who feel I've been not delivering on anything I promised, I will be returning after the new year to IRIXCE (I may work on it a little bit here and there, got some things to update!) and my own little projects. Axatax did reach out to me about NW2 as well. Again, I don't have commit access to that for a variety of reasons. 

Thank you, everyone who was kind enough to reach out, wish me well, and offer advice in my time of need. I am grateful to that. Let's end this year out on a high note, I say!

Attached: New car as it came to me on the 1st. I will update once we got the Garage subforum going!

   

[commodorejohn]

Yow. Glad to hear you're alright after that.