Widebodycoupe

2012 c250 coupe m271 170k miles
I have a misfire on 2 cylinders.
I installed new oem plugs and coils but misfire remained.
I swapped the working cylinders coils and plugs into the non working cylinders, the misfire did not follow.

Things that happened after car was running amazing with no issues were ...

Had new key made and old key was programmed out to be obsolete.
I read on here somewhere that if the car starts then the new key is ruled out as a cause for a misfire.

Had oil in the cylinders from a bad valve cover gasket.
Oil has since been extracted, new coil installed but misfire remains.

Had windshield broken/open during extreme rainstorm. Water entered the cabin via dash area and flooded the floor about 2 inches deep while battery was connected. Discovered car with water inside and battery extremely dead.
water is dry now, new battery installed.
everything works fine including lights flashers alarm radio ect. Only problem is the misfire.

Checked plug into ecu for signs of short but it looks perfect.
Going to confirm injectors are functioning (forgot to look at that)




it's a great car! i miss it! Help please!

TimC300

Im not familiar with that engine but the code seems to say a problem with #2 ignition coil. Since you changed the coils and even swapped them around have you tested the harness going it the coil? Can test the wires for continuity with a multimeter.

Widebodycoupe

Ok I'll try that this weekend. Thank you

Edit- i just remembered, at the time, i did check for voltage at the plug, and i got 12 volts on both wires which i was expecting to see one that was switching on and off. I read online however that a basic volt meter is too slow to pick it up and it would take a high grade scanner that has the oscilloscope to see it. As much as I would love one of those, I can't afford it at the moment, however if I absolutely have too i will buy what I need to fix this car...

Is 2, 12 volt wires a dead giveaway that my ecu is compromised?
I noticed blue heat marks on the #4 spark plug which would indicate that the coils are over working the plug.

Chevota

100% misfire, one in a thou?
Does it run ok, or fubar?
What do the plugs look like now?
What did you gap them to?

How did the oil get in the cyls, exactly, and how much? Did you crank it with that oil in there?

Timeline of running fine vs oil, water, misfire etc.

Widebodycoupe

YEAAAAS!! CHEVOTA IN THE HOUUSEEE!!!

100% misfire all the time.

*****DOES IT RUN?

Sometimes it won't run at all.. based off of the sound I'm gonna say that's when it's on 1 cylinder because as it's dieing it goes "put. put.. put... put.... dead"

After a few trys of repeatedly, starting and it deing while holding the throttle, suddenly (for whatever reason) it will stay running but barely and it sounds like a Harley Davidson. When it does this I can take my foot off the gas and although it struggles, and it shakes the car, it will idle.

******SPARK PLUG CONDITIONS

I did not check the gap of the plugs because i bought them from the dealership (after supplying my vin #), although i did visually compare the set to eachother and they seemed identical.

2 plugs look clean like brand new.

2 look like they experienced an abnormal about of heat produced by the electrode.
One plug (#4cylinder) more than the other (#3)
the strap that hovers the electrode was blue and purple at the tip.

****OIL IN CYLINDERS

The oil in the cylinders (after doing research i learned) was caused by a failed valve cover gasket. The rubber ring that surrounds the spark plug hole allowed oil into the space that the spark plug sits.
I assume when I took out the spark plug was when the oil entered the cylinder however I was not paying attention close enough and did not witness this, but rationally this makes sense. *(Because how else could a cylinder fill up with dark brown oil?)*

Maybe about a quarter of an ounce in cylinder 1 and 2. Instead of extracting with a syringe type of apparatus I used a towel and a stick so the quantity of oil in the cylinder is an estimate based off of a visual, through the spark plug hole with the naked eye.

The motor was turned over multiple times and even ran with the oil unknowingly in the cylinders.
if hydro lock is in question I think its important to note that the misfire existed before the plug was removed. If requested I can do a compression test**


****TIMELINE

todays date is march 19 2024

accident was March 23 2023 so it's a year later..

​​​​the water in the cabin was discovered about 3 weeks after the accident, but battery remained connected and the floor of cabin was 2 inches deep in the back seat footwell . (Car was elevated in the front leaning back (like a wheelie) on blocks of wood)

The misfire was originally discovered about 2 months* ago, the day the new key was made (first start with new key had a minor misfire but ran better than today)

The oil was discovered 2 weeks* ago after i finally purchased and installed new coils and plugs. After new coils and plugs failed i just happened to see a shine through the spark plug hole and that's how I discovered the oil in the cylinders.

Since then I cleaned out oil I reinstalled parts mis fire was on 1 and 2 I swapped 1 and 2 with 3 and 4 still 1 and 2 misfired.

Chevota

I have next to zero faith in DTC's, so I'd consider ignoring it and using an actual brain to try and figure it out. So if you pretend there are no codes, it looks a lot like fuel to me. Can you check pressure?
Is it port inj or direct inj?

As for your water issue, I'd put as much distance between me and the car as possible. I totally get the wanting to, and the challenge etc, but F'ing electronics will be the death of me, and many a car.
I do like the car a lot. 2 door, must have imo. My first, and last 4 door, was my very first car ever when I was 16. HATE 4 doors. I think it'll look awesome when done Considering it's a project car, are you going to strip some weight off it? I like to remove everything that isn't necessary. At least when I had time to do projects like that, which you clearly do. Maybe even gut it and cage it? I did it once, lotta work but nice when done.

People restore old Mustangs and what not because they don't have a computer. At least for me, in California, it's emissions issues that get you. Not that I've had one that would fail a tail pipe test, they fail because of CEL. The stupid computer is dumb as a box of rocks and if/when it thinks it sees a problem that isn't there, you're F'd.
My current car has P2610, which has nothing to do with emissions, but there it is and I'm two months expired now with little hope of fixing it. I mention it because you said you have it as well. It could very well be the death of my car, but like you I don't want to give up. Doesn't mean I'll win, because I haven't on any of my previous computer cars, but I'll try.
Point being if you have to smog it, you might be F'd. Florida is quite different than Nazifornia, so maybe you're good?

Fuel, check it Not only pressure, but that it is in fact getting in the cyl. One easy test to bypass fuel is carb cleaner, just spray it in the throttle body and it'll run. Not run perfect, but probably well enough to see if it runs better on carb spray than the injectors.
For spark you can simply pull the plug, or use an old one, and see if it jumps and the spark is strong. I usually just stick a screwdriver or something in the boot, then near ground to see it jump. Just be wary on electronic cars that you don't let that spark go somewhere it shouldn't. Ideally you want it grounded to the head. If it accidentally finds it's way down a wire it could smoke something important.
A live action test is to rig a wire between the coil and plug so there's a little gap. Like coat hangar wire, welding rod etc in place of the plug wire so you can see the spark jump to the plug to verify it is, or not, getting it. Like .010" gap or less so it can still jump the plug gap too. Again, be wary because it may jump from the wire to anything easier to jump to, so don't let that be something important. Speaking of gap, a trick for weak spark is reduce the plug gap. Take it to maybe .015", if all else fails that is, to see if makes a difference. Basically it helps if the coil works, but is too weak. A breakdown in the windings inside can do it. Or if the ecu isn't giving it enough juice, or trons are bleeding out elsewhere, like a bad plug wire.

You can actually see the combustion through the plug itself, if it's dark enough. So you could get it sputtering and see what cyls are actually missing, add some carb spray and see if they light up. It's fun to do anyway, but a good troubleshooting tool as well. If you can't see them because of the boot, then use the aforementioned wire.
If you have fuel pressure, and the carb spray helps, then I'd pull that injector and see if it squirts. Or if you can't check psi, give it a try. You can pull one from a good cyl if you need a reference point.
You can also pull the plug and simply smell what comes out. Not a great test, but when compared to a good firing cyl you'll smell the difference. Optionally you can put your finger over the plug hole to help it suck in air/fuel, if port inj. It'll suck it in either way, but it's kinda fun to do :p

There are obviously a bunch of wires in the dash, so I'd pull the Inst cluster and look back there. And pull the carpet too. There are no doubt a bunch of wire connectors under there, including the CAN. I'd assume you have a bunch of CAN codes as well? They start with a U, like U0155. I guess I'd pull all the seats and carpet until you get all the bugs out of it. Probably needs to be air dried anyway? There's some stuff I bought ages ago called "Super CD" that gets rid of that mildew smell. Later I saw it at a dive shop with the name "Sink the Stink" It's an awesome deodorizer anyway, but especially good with mildew smell. Fyi.

I always clean out the plug holes before I pull the plug. I use water and/or carb cleaner and blow it out with compressed air. I have an air gun with a long tip for such things, or for my current car, I use a mirror and a tube to look in there and blast it. There's often a lot of crap in there, sand, even little rocks. I always wonder about all the people that have a shop change the plugs because you really think the mech bothers to clean, or even look?, They just let all the crap fall in, it's not their car. I know you'll be checking from now on :o just sayin how I do it in case it's of any use.

Last, but not least, you are required to tell me how you got it wedged under that truck! You really had to make an effort there, so I gotta know...

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Missed any discussion about an accident, etc. But, it water in the car can be linked to the accident, you have an insurance claim. Or, if the water is due to something else, you may have an insurance claim. Not sure what insurance company you have, but you should at least check.

A few years ago, I had a 2008 Infiniti G35x that I bought new that developed a leak somewhere. We had a really bad rain for a couple of days and I noticed water stains on the inside A-pillar on the driver's side. Ignored it until the car started acting funny -- wouldn't start or would die, check engine light, etc. Replaced O2 sensors, fuel pressure regulators, and MAFs, and still had weird things happen. It got to the point where the car would not shut off unless I disconnected the battery. Then I noticed the rear carpet was wet. Pulling it up, there was water puddled in the floorboard. Was going to try to get rid of the car using one of those "we buy any car" places -- they don't. Finally, my daughter said, "Dad, check your insurance." I did and they totaled the car as flood damaged. They paid me $12,000 when Blue Book said it was worth about $5,000 and the we-buy-anything place was going to give me $300.

This sounds like a similar problem. Check your insurance company. Mine was USAA. If you have the gecko company or any with "state" in their name, you may be screwed.

Widebodycoupe

It's funny, because as I was writing my last response to you. I said it ran better when I first started it after making the new key. I thought to myself, that sounds like a fuel pressure issue! lol.

It's direct injection. I have a lot of experience with port fuel injection because of my boosted mustang. However, I have zero experience with direct injection. Well, I guess now is the day to finally learn!! I do know that the injectors are very difficult to remove, require a special tool, and the pressure in that system is very high. Also, there is a low pressure feed fuel pump and a high-pressure injection pump. Anyways I'll do research on that now.

**Going to shave weight?

So I have a boosted mustang that has a fully built motor and purposed built into a track monster. It has straight cut gears and an open downpipe (valved to open at 5psi of boost) it makes 22ibs. That car, although it has a,c, and power steering is already a lost cause as far as noise/luxury is concerned. Might strip it, mild cage it.

I bought a 700 dollar 2001 elantra and put like 2k in it. I got it because I have a daughter and needed fuel efficient sedan. ..however, it has a spicy tune, and surprisingly, it's so peppy because it's so light, already. To enhance that, I plan to patch/remove the sunroof and change the seats, which will drop 100 pounds easy. That's the start of removing what I don't need. With weight reduction, every pound counts! But it is a family car so I won't go too crazy.

The mercedes, however, even though it's lowered, is still extremely quiet inside and very luxurious with all the creature comforts, so I plan to keep it that way. Just paint it and be done. ..finally

***emissions test

we do not have smog checks in florida. That's why I built the Mustang because here there is little to no limit to what you can do to a car and still drive it on the streets. Unless a cop wants to be a dk, which never really happens to me because im always very polite.

**accident details

I was merging onto the highway, getting ready to switch lanes left, from the right lane to the middle lane. There was a car in the middle lane that I was planning to get in front of. There was a tractor trailer in front of me that was going slower than the car I was overtaking. The gap was closing, and although I knew it was gonna be tight, I was already moving much faster than the car in the middle lane, so I committed to the maneuver. In an attempt to not be a Complete a hole I waited to get over at the last minute as to not be rude or scare the person in the middle lane by throwing the back of my car onto them. So I got close to the truck because his cab is so far from the back of his trailer that he won't notice me until the pass is complete, and I'm on my way. Unfortunately I got too close to the truck and the bar that hangs down behind the truck to keep people from going under and decapitating themselves caught the corner of my hood and wedge down my car until the tire was against the frame rail. This caused me to hook and spin a 90-degree turn, so my nose poked itself rather gently, actually under the truck right in front of that bar. The bar hooked behind my right front tire and locked me in. The truck then proceeded to drag me for almost a half mile before he realized I was stuck under him. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. The car filled up with smoke as my tires were grinded away, then my forged amg rims were grinded until they had half a foot long flat spots. I was alone in the car, but at the time, my wife was pregnant. Needless to say, after that and then my daughter was born. I've made a lot of lifestyle changes, and I don't drive like that anymore. I got a ticket for improper lane change. My CDL is a mess.

***Steps to fix it**

I do not have any CAN codes suprisingly!
I actually have no codes besides the misfire codes! I looked at the scanner and was like " yea no sht sherlock!" 🤣 tell me something I don't know ya dummie.
I love the carb cleaner idea! I want to be mad at myself for not trying that earlier, but I didn't consider fuel an issue until writing my response to you.
so I think that's the easiest step to take on the journey to rule out fuel.
I would have to spray after the turbo into the intake manifold. I feel it would take too long to hook up the boost pipe again quickly and try it after. However if i start it without the boost pipe connected ill throw a bunch more codes. I really need xentry so i can delete codes but money is tight for me right now. Anyway ill do it at the manifold because these computers are better than most and will self correct once it senses boost again.
I forgot about at night time too you can definitely see an arc, I'll remember that as well!
Ill definitely be checking/cleaning the holes before putting in plugs for now on for sure! Lol
the car is about dry at this point although I haven't actually felt back there.
I think this is a great point and I'm stupid for not doing this first! I will definitely take the seats and carpet out if it's wet because I know there are ground wires and such that if wet could be messing with the computer somehow so I'll tackle that first then move back to the engine after confirmed bone dry.

Ok! I got few things to try and im excited to get back to it!! Im out of town this weekend for work so ill get to it as soon as I get the chance next weekend! Thank you for your help so far!!

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

I observed something similar to your accident. The passenger in the white car is still dealing with her injuries.

Widebodycoupe

Thanks for taking the time to contribute! Ive been seeing you around here in the forums and I know you have a lot of good knowledge to offer! This thread is getting revved up!! Woohoo let's goooo!!

So I do not have full coverage on this car. I have bare minimum insurance PIP and BDL. I just could never afford it. But I can afford all the other crap I buy and do?! I know.. my priorities have never really been in the best alignment lol! I'm like the guy with a mclaren that lives in the apartment.
Well I used to be..
Now that I met my wife and have my daughter everything I thought was important, now seems so insignificant.
For that reason i would ditch the stang and the benz but they are so close to being wrapped up, I'm worried I will never forgive myself! I probably have 40k in the mustang and 100 hours building the widebody on the mercedes.

Chevota made me realise I did not fully rectify the water on the floorboard and that might be the root of this issue so i will tackle that first and then report back here right after.

Finally bringing her home

2 days before accident. Just got these new wheels! Black ones had 1 wheel with a crack that could not be repaired


How embarrassing

He didnt even care. Never called me to pay for this lol

Need to build new fender

The most loneliest day of my liiiife.

Original wheels, proper fitment. No rub**


Trying out wing designs

Drive to the store with foam lol

Mold with pour holes


Diffuser


Skeleton

Inspiration
The kit was designed (in my head) to be a mix of DTM, AMG GT, and my own twist based off of race cars and widebody cars that I've seen/admired in the past.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

You are unbelievably lucky to be alive!

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

The interesting thing about insurance is that people think they can't afford proper coverage, but don't really do an analysis of the costs. So many times I see people with $1000 deductible not fixing their cars because of the $1000. To me, paying the lower premium and not using it is a greater waste than not paying for the better coverage and not having it when needed.

Doing some comparisons, Collision on my 2015 SL400 with $250 deductible costs only $18/month more than if I had $1000 deductible. That's $4.50 per week more. If I can't afford $4.50/week for better coverage, I shouldn't have the car.

Widebodycoupe

For me I was paying 100 a month for bare minimum. To get full coverage was like 300 a month. With all the modifications done to my car, the lawyers would have a field day denying my claim when the time came. Then after you make a claim they hike up the rates.
Me and insurance companies have a bad relationship. My aunt has a 21' sl500. In a terrible rainstorm (like a monsoon) she got into a fender bender. Wasn't her fault, it was a clear cut case. Anyway the officer instructed her to pull into a parking lot to get out of the road because the road was flooding. The parking lot was somewhat flooded and as she waited the flooding went up. Soon her car was floating down the aisles. It was an extremely traumatic experience for an elderly woman. What did the insurance company do after she had paid for every special kind of coverage they offer? Deny her claim. Taking them to court would have costed her more than the car was worth in lawyer fees ect. An 80 something thousand dollar car. After so much hassle and heart ache multiple shops trying to fix it, calling me for advice on what to do and how to fix it.. she ended up having to sell it for 40k.

I've owned this car for 8 years... that's 96 months
​96 x 300 is 28,800 dollars
the kelly blue book value is like 8 thousand dollars for this car right now.
it just dosent make sense to have full coverage on my car, especially when there's a high chance of them denying my claim..

On a SL.. i get it. But Im not a baller. So i got the cheapest mercedes available. Plus I literally restore cars for fun, so if I crash it, I fix it. I don't trust mechanics. They are shady and expensive. So are insurance companies. I don't support either.

Heres from her phone

Here she is from a news article.

Widebodycoupe

I try to not get emotional when I drive. I just let them in, or go around ect. The honking, light flashing, brake checking, it's all so pointless and it never leads to anything good. I can see the similarities of this and of my experience. However my gap was probably 4 times bigger. That dosent make it ok. In fact what makes it worse is that we were traveling like 60mph when it happened. Anyway I'm extremely grateful that I was the only one affected by it. The person I was passing just kept driving by probably saying something in the realm of "that's what you get!". And the truck driver was getting payed by the hour so he didn't have any loss either.

I believe that everything happens for a reason and I'm a better man and a more responsible father now after this accident.

Chevota

Interesting, and shtty luck to get wedged in there. If you had a bigger eng you would've made it, so for safety reasons you need an M157 I hate big rigs. Almost every day I, and everyone else, gets stuck doing 55 because one wants to pass another. The one is going 55 and the other wants to go 55.1. So everyone has to wait for this a-hole to take a mile or two to pass. Another is all the idiots in cars that are scared to pass a big truck, so rather than get behind it, they just sit there at the rear corner of it blocking the lane for everyone. Over the past few years I had two big trucks try to push me off the road, which I assume was not on purpose? Actually in the same spot, now that I think about it. Like car drivers, many truck drivers are too stupid to drive. A necessary evil we have to deal with them at all, but it would be nice if some weren't a-holes. In your case, well, it wasn't the trucks fault :o And now you mention it, I see the tire marks behind it. Wish I cudda been right behind you see it.

If no CAN codes I think you got off easy. Mine would trigger the P2610 if I disconnect the battery, but it won't trigger a CEL until about three power on/off cycles. So it seems it was just a one time thing. As far as codes it seems surprisingly good. You don't need Xentry to clear the codes, but if you want it, go for it. I have a cheapie $70 Autel that clears them, even the tough ones. Now I also have a Launch unit ($150) that JettaRed suggested, which seems to work as well for clearing. I got that to turn off Eco mode and make the turn signal only blink once, and it worked on both. Worth the $150 right there because those two bug the crap outta me.
I haven't tried it, but I think, maybe, you can use Xentry for like $30? I''ve never tried it, but the software can be found for free and I think a cheapie tactrix dongle will work? I've never tried since I have a C4, but I recall a video with a guy using one? Maybe he was using Monaco or Vediamo. Maybe someone who knows can chime in?

The direct inj is pretty much the same deal, just more problems of course. A DI inj can clog easier, and I'm kinda surprised they work for long at all. Not sure why it would clog now, but things tend to go wrong at the worst times to make it confusing, so worth a check.
You don't really need to disconnect the intake, you can spray it in the brake vacuum port, it's just not ideal. If that works then you know, if not, then try the throttle. I don't believe it'll throw a code if your pipe is disconnected because it would need to see that, and how could it if you don't drive it. Even if it did, it's just a cry baby code you can clear.
My throttle is tough to access but my brake vac port is just after the throttle and in a pretty good spot for distribution of carb cleaner. When doing it you have the option of letting the usual fuel flow, or turning it off and only running on carb spray. No fuel is the way to go imo, but also more work, so I'd just leave the fuel system working and see what happens. I have some .062" plastic tubing I use to snake into tight spots, because it fits right in the spray nozzle of the carb cleaner. So you could use it, via the vac port and direct carb spray right to the problem cyl. That would be awesome if you can pull it off, but obviously tricky to get it in there. Or I spoze make a hole in the intake over cyl 1, which I might do but doubt many would.
I guess the easiest first attempt fuel check would be to pull the plug from cyl 1 and a cyl that always fires, then crank, or even start it, and eyeball the fuel being sprayed out. Maybe even hold a white rag or paper towel over both to catch fuel, if you can't see it very well?

Red; enjoyed the video That happens a lot where I live. Not the crashing, but the game part. Usually I can see what started it, but sometimes I'll never know. And of course sometimes I'm a participant. Not without reason, you have to fully earn it, but I'm not a spineless pacifist. With the limited info I assume the white car didn't like the suv moving into their lane? It's confusing because aggressive drivers don't leave a space like that, so it makes me think there is more history between the two than the vid shows? Where I drive the white car was at fault long beforehand because only an inconsiderate A-hole leaves that much room in front. If you do, you deserve whatever happens to you, and the first thing is someone is going to take that space.

As for insurance; for me in Nazifornia, if you use your insurance they will raise your rates over the next 5 years so $1000 in damages is not worth it, you pay that sht yourself and keep your mouth shut. So why have less than 1k deduct? Plus the 1k deduct is so much cheaper that it basically pays the deduct in a few years. I forget the #'s but I think 3 years is all it takes. So if you make a claim every two years it might seem like a deal, but on your first claim they raise the rates and now you're negative. Then on your 2nd claim you're canx. So people that do stupid things like claim a broken windshield or whatever petty thing, regret it big time. At least in CA. We also have a serious issue with a topic that is not PC to discuss, so we pay higher rates and keep our mouths shut as if the problem doesn't exist.
I made one claim, for a hit n run that "totaled" the car. Not really totaled, they just decided it was cheaper to lowball me. It seems if you can't find out who did it, it's your fault. That's like saying a murder is a suicide if they never catch the perp. So they undervalued the sht out of the car, payed me out, and rates went up a lot! It would've been cheaper to keep my mouth shut and pay to have it fixed, except that car had the same issue my current car has, which is a bogus code that prevents smog, so it was already kinda worthless.
Imo they should offer a $5 and $10k deductible. Considering the price break of 200 vs 500 vs 1000 is pretty big, 10k would likely be super cheap?
My grandpa's had a couple issues and his insurance was stupid expensive. Not sure what all he did, but I know he crashed at least two cars. I think the only reason he got insurance at all because of his connections, but it was ~1990, maybe earlier, and to give you perspective, my grandmas insurance was a normal $186 a year.
Take a guess at his premium. Go ahead..... 10k/yr! So their bill was $10186. I'll never forget seeing that bill, which granny happened to leave on a table or I'd never know. I suppose that would be like 50K in today's $?

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

I don't know any history between the black VW SUV and the white Lexus, but there's more to the video showing both cars stopped in the right lane. They probably just exited the highway, so maybe something went on there. When the white car went over the sidewalk and down the embankment, it hit the concrete footer for the street light and flipped. There was a woman and a young child in the car, as well. Last I heard, she was pretty messed up. The white car also had paper plates, so it was new to the driver. Not sure, but it looked like the SUV was trying to get away from the white car. Anyway, that's why I have dash cams in my cars. While you can't know the minds of the drivers, their actions are hard to deny.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

OK, that makes sense and you did do your analysis. That sucks about your aunt's car. What reason did they give to deny the claim?

Insurance companies are in business NOT to pay out, so the unscrupulous ones play dirty and try to scare people into settling. Doesn't Florida had some kind of consumer affairs department or insurance commission in the Attorney General's office that she could have gone to? I know it's too late now, but that absolutely sux.

Widebodycoupe

Haha! chevota, you crack me up.. You say what I want to say, but I didn't because I dont want to be shunned. But now that the ice is broken... The truth is that my whole life, I've had a heavy foot. Growing up in miami, I learned there are 3 different types of drivers. Well, 4 if you want to make a special category that I fell in. You got your
#1 Safe drivers that are not in a hurry but also not abnormally slow either. They are just getting from point A to point B with no drama. The majority fell into this category. Then you got your..
#2 immigrants that didnt drive in their country/elderly/young girls/ certain races I wont mention lol. Regardless of what they look like!! these are the = just plain bad drivers, or they don't care about/don't even know better to realize they are affecting anyone but themself. These types go extra slow.. They will do unexpected ridiculous things. They have no sense of finess or keeping the flow of traffic. They dont follow traffic rules and make up their own, for example, to be "courteous" like stop in the right of way to let someone in, when the other person was supposed to yield. Things of that sort. Trucks have no choice but to fall into this category because whether they are in a hurry or not, they are just slow and necessitate and overtake.
#3 You got your go getters! Your alert, experienced, defensive drivers. These drivers swerve into the caution lane or find a hole instead of slam on the brakes and rear-end someone. These dont follow too close but also close the gap/eliminate the temptation zone. They follow the speed of traffic instead of the exact speed on the sign. Now, in Miami, these drivers can be the majority as well.. especially in the morning, on the weekday, and on the way to work. Or at night on a Friday or Saturday.
#4 and last but not least, you got your speeders. These guys are usually #3's, but every once in a while, they take it too far. These guys (and girls!) (Usually men though) when #4 mode is activated they are offensive instead of defensive, with no speed limit unless a cop is around, no care about fuel efficiency, just throttle it. These types will cross over three lanes on the highway to pass in the slow lane because the guy in the fast lane is doing 75 in a 70, but they want to do 85. Some of these are shortsighted, actually reckless, and overall bad at what they do and should just stop, and cut it out... but some are really good, commonly extremely wealthy, and just don't feel they need to wait for a slow driver or follow a silly speed limit sign, lol. When I encounter one of these, a game of cat and mouse usually begins, and although to everyone else, we are hated and seen as reckless. To each other, we are a team in unison, being courteous and forgiving sometimes they get the better of me, and I let them pass or vice versa. It's very entertaining 🤣


Anyway, since i was 22, I've been a crane operator (im 33 now). The cranes I learned on weigh ruffly 90 thousand pounds and are what we call dinosaurs compared to the newer bigger cranes I operate nowadays. When i first started my career about 2 months in, I was coming back from a job on Miami Beach. I was doing about 40 mph, and as I hit the peak of the biscayne bridge, on the other side of the crest was dead stop traffic. After down shifting and smoking the brakes I came to stop, I mean not even a foot from the person in front of me. I could have been a battering ram just plowing through everyone in my path.. Women, children, everyone just getting crushed. I had nightmares about doing just that for weeks.

Ever since then, in a crane or in my car. I always look far down the road and anticipate hazards before they happen. I always break early, giving myself as well as anyone behind me plenty of time to slow down or at least be aware that slowing down is advised.

With a car 2 inches above the ground and with rubberband tires, there are no leisurely moments driving. You must have a heightened awareness every second the car is in motion. Things like grade changes, potholes, manholes, random ladders, even a stick that everyone else drives right over, could spell disaster for me, or at least lead to a bad day. So, for over a span of 7 years, I learned to drive this car with laser precision. Acknowledging and correcting any fault in my process until it's dialed, confirmed, tried, and true.

So you can imagine that when I get behind someone that's on the phone, putting on makeup, not going with the flow of traffic, it's infuriating! So i pass them! Put them behind me! You want to eat sht and bllsht fine! do it behind me! Away from me! (Speaking for the old me, mostly )

... But it became an ugly habit. ...It consumed me.. I'll pass one person,and then another, and another! Soon, I was the fastest person on the road! I knew every shortcut every area of holdup on the map. I knew every offramp that merged back onto the highway to pass 1000s of cars when the turnpike was jammed up. I even learned how to mathematically calculate which lane would always move quicker in certain merge situations. I was obsessed! I would always be in the faster moving lane before* the brake lights came on in the lane i was in, and I'd close the gap so the sleepy head monkey see monkey do's couldn't do it too.

On this fretful day, I was speeding somewhat as usual, but I was being way too casual about it because by this point of my life, I've been actively trying to stop driving like i do. But I just couldn't get it out of my system, so I settled for something halfway between speeding and courteous. On this day, I was focused on switching lanes as gently and fluid like as possible. However, I wasn't alert enough, and I misjudged my space because I was sitting back in my seat and bamm!! It was finally all over! Just like that. For years, I've been a lane switcher, and although I have hit my mirror before lol, I never hit my car itself. I was just not really trying, I got comfortable, and I suffered the fate that I'm sure hundreds of thousands of onlookers wished upon me for all of these years before me.

An interesting point came to my mind while explaining different driving characteristics.
I think it's important to know where the moment of lateral Gs vs. road condition in a drivers car or truck loses traction, tips over. For example but not limited to, In a wet open stadium parking lot, the driver of a new to them car/truck should practice evasive maneuvers at a rising rate from lower to higher speeds (under braking and throttle). to establish a benchmark and get a feel for how the car behaves in a grip/loss of traction scenario. Granted, based on numerous potential unforeseen factors, it's not an exact science. But with traction control on and off, certain characteristics will present themself and can be applied to driving on dry pavement later in a moment of desperation. Like whether or when the vehicle over steers, understeers, potential to roll, how much applied force to the petal causes the tires to slide, ect) In my opinion, this should be a mandatory requirement before being allowed on the road, especially the highway.

***OBD2 Scanners**

Wow, I had no idea I could get one for so cheap!. The Innova in the picture was 250$.. but I returned it when I realized I couldn't at least delete codes. I could on the elantra but not the mercedes. I'll definitely do more research on the aforementioned and pull the trigger when the time/money allows.

**fueling** The brake booster vacuum port is frigging genius!! That's perfect! It will definitely tell me what I need to know. At least enough to rule out fuel. I love the idea of looking into the spark plug hole to see if fuel is spraying! That is a labor free solution to ensure I don't pull the injectors for no reason. Awesome! Can't wait to try these tricks!!

... And just to be clear after the accident, but mostly once my daughter developed a personality, I have finally slowed down and I am now a category 1 on that list. ..finally!

Widebodycoupe

Ok, so I called her and asked her about this again, and apparently, I had a few facts skewed.

The insurance company did not deny her claim**
They just didn't total it.
Instead, they put a used motor in it, and even though it worked ok, she wasn't ok that the value of her car was now cut in half. .. It was worth 110,000$ at the time.
so she was fighting with them over that. Then, because of fear of mold, i guess, and maybe other reasons, I'm not sure because she doesn't like talking about it. Eventually, she sold it for 60k.