Crashing-Not good for mileage! - Gas Savers

diamondlarry · 12-10-2005, 09:31 PM

Today I crashed my Saturn. :-( I was driving down a county road that was snow covered and got sucked off the road and into a pole. The reason this isn't good for mileage is because you get 0 mpg while running the engine to keep warm while waiting to get pulled out. :-( Luckily, a nice farmer lived at the house where it happened and pulled me out for free.

The car is still driveable and the doors all close and the hood still opens and closes right. But the main thing is that me, my wife, and my daughter were all fine.:-)
Now all I have to do is find a left headlight assembly, a passenger airbag, and a hood. Thanks to a suggestion by Compaq888, I think I may have found a place within 20 miles of my house that is supposed to have everything I need.

Matt Timion · 12-10-2005, 09:35 PM

Ouch. if you need me to look at my local junkyard for any of the needed items I will look for you. Plenty of domestic cars there. I can get it to you for cost.

diamondlarry · 12-10-2005, 09:43 PM

Compaq888 told me about www.car-parts.com. I found an airbag for $175, a hood for $100, and a headlight for $85. Right now my priority will be the headlight since I drive to work in the dark for about 10 months out of the year. My biggest problem will be figuring out how to replace them. All my experience is in drivetrains.

Compaq888 · 12-10-2005, 10:07 PM

If you can work on the engine the headlight will be easy. The hardest part is aligning the headlight. You just don't want it working, you want it to work and point in the right trajectory.

Matt Timion · 12-10-2005, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamondlarry

Compaq888 told me about www.car-parts.com. I found an airbag for $175, a hood for $100, and a headlight for $85. Right now my priority will be the headlight since I drive to work in the dark for about 10 months out of the year. My biggest problem will be figuring out how to replace them. All my experience is in drivetrains.

replacing the headlight should be easy. if worse comes to worse, get a manual at autozone.

The hood is a good price unless you can find one at a junkyard. They charge $40 for hoods here. Airbags are usually $30 or so at the junkyard, so I'd be a little weary of the $175.

What other years parts fit your car?

diamondlarry · 12-10-2005, 10:12 PM

Quote:

What other years parts fit your car?

I'm not totally sure but I think from 1996-2002 are the same bodies. I should check on that.

SVOboy · 12-10-2005, 10:13 PM

I'm glad everyone's okay and that the poor thing isn't totalled. I don't think you need to count this tank towards your mileage though.

diamondlarry · 12-10-2005, 10:22 PM

Quote:

I'm glad everyone's okay and that the poor thing isn't totalled. I don't think you need to count this tank towards your mileage though.

I think if it's not more than 10% off of the norm I'll still count it. It seems that the bad effects of the mineral spirits may have worn off. According to my Scanguage I've been getting incredibly good mileage for this time of year for the past couple of days. If the trend keeps up I may have stumbled on a "formula" that counteracts the "winter crapoline". :-)

rh77 · 12-11-2005, 11:43 AM

Larry-

Sorry to hear about your accident -- I've been down that road myself and know what a pain it is -- glad to hear everyone's OK.

-RH77

(I haven't been on here a while - on VAC this week)

Capcom · 12-11-2005, 12:14 PM

I'm glad that everyone is okay too..

i posted a new topic to forum about fuel consumption at idle:
http://www.gassavers.org/forum_topic/detailed_fuel_consumption_data.html

DaX · 12-11-2005, 12:58 PM

Glad you guys are safe.

kickflipjr · 12-11-2005, 12:59 PM

It's good to hear you are ok. YOu can always check ebay. The airbag/ headlight would have low shipping.

kickflipjr · 12-11-2005, 01:06 PM

I see lights for around $75 on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HEADLIGHT-saturn-SL2-SL-2-96-99-head-light-lamp-98-RH_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33710QQitemZ80205172 58QQrdZ1

diamondlarry · 12-12-2005, 04:50 PM

I found a headlight on Ebay tonight for $35+ $14 shipping. Now I only have to wait 5 more hours to see if I win.

diamondlarry · 12-29-2005, 10:47 PM

I went to install my headlight a few days ago and I ran into a problem. My bumper was pushed back so far that the headlight won't fit into place. I tried wrapping a chain around the bumper and wrapping the chain around a tree and tried to pull the bumper out. It didn't work. :-( I went to a local bodyshop and they said it would cost around $700 to fix it right. He did say that I could take a Sawsall and cut out a section of the offending intruder and I should be ok. I was told that the amount I would cut out would not severely reduce the protection of the bumper. I borrowed a Sawsall tonight and will try to do some cutting tomorrow.

Compaq888 · 12-29-2005, 11:34 PM

Be careful when doing something like that.

kickflipjr · 12-30-2005, 07:50 AM

you got to love those plastic panels

DaX · 01-03-2006, 06:58 AM

I nearly missed totalling my car yesterday on my lunch break!

I got Sirius as a gift and was changing the station when I looked up and saw that I was approaching a red light as if it were green. I began braking, and the wet pavement caused my brakes to lock up. I skidded through the intersection at about 15 mph and missed a new Jetta's rear end by about 1 foot. Scared the hell out of me. The Sirius is sitting in the glove box for a while.