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a little over a week ago i had some maintenance work done (110k) on my car which included an oil change, replacing both front link stabilizers with Lemforder, an alignment, and also installing a pair of o2 foulers (small extensions). i tried an angled extender but the space was too tight to install.
since all the work was done and driving the car daily, i have experienced a strange thing where i feel a little dizzy and almost nauseous while driving short/long distances. after i reach my destination, it takes a few minutes to an hour for me to feel better and then i'm fine as long as i don't drive again. i'm not sure what's going on since i can't seem to feel any distinct vibrations or shaking while driving other than me having this feeling something isn't smooth. i have attached a picture of the alignment results they gave me. i asked them to adjust the toe so that my tire wear isn't so much towards the inner part of the tires. i have 19 inch wheels with no spacers and stock suspension. i knew i may sacrifice some handling but i don't track the car and mostly use it for driving around town and wanted to extend the life of my tires if possible.
after experiencing dizziness every day since getting my car back, i will be taking the car in on monday to have them keep it for a few days and see if they notice anything.
some of my random thoughts
1. could it be the o2 extenders that were installed? they were installed on the secondary set of o2 sensors. i'm not running cats and currently my tune has the secondary sensors turned off to avoid me having to see the cel light all the time. i was hoping the extenders would help me get the o2 readiness status monitors to pass when i turn the sensors back on. but for now those sensors are turned off so i didn't think they could cause any issues.
2. could it be the alignment? i'm not sure which is why i posted the alignment chart
3. could it be the link stabilizers? are these so different from oem that i can feel a difference? or could they have been installed incorrectly? or are they just bad/defective?
4. the shop also cleaned my k&n air filters and re-oiled them. am i feeling some slight difference in power delivery like if the filters were over oiled.
5. the shop discovered that one of my wheel lug bolts were missing on my passenger rear wheel. the wheel lock apparently broke off. so i brought a bolt to replace it. i just won't have a lock on that wheel. not sure if anything could have happened here but just putting down everything i can think of.
6. my car was so dirty that someone complimented my car due to the awesome shade of gray and asked what color it was. i told him it was white. so i decided to have my car washed as well. am i experiencing a new lightness to my car since all the dirt and grime was removed from my car?
i have experienced a strange thing where i feel a little dizzy and almost nauseous while driving short/long distances. after i reach my destination, it takes a few minutes to an hour for me to feel better and then i'm fine as long as i don't drive again.
Do these symptoms occur while driving other cars, or just your own?
Without knowing more of your history and presentation, new onset "dizziness" (this can be a very nebulous term and requires a more rigorous definition in a clinical setting to do you 100% justice) does not typically occur in this setting, unless fumes are venting into cabin from some leak. would advise checking for said leak - exhaust, fuel, etc.
hopefully you haven't noticed any other symptoms, but after checking for any fume leaks into cabin, etc would still err on the side of caution and get checked out by a medical professional to ensure this isn't a harbinger of something more serious.
if no answers from a general practitioner, recommend neurologist/vestibular specialist
thank you for all the responses. hopefully the shop can figure out what is wrong with the car. if it's not the car, i will need to get myself checked out. just in case i'll drive to the shop tomorrow morning with my windows down. they will check for any leaks and all over.
i just went to the garage to gather a few things to take with me tomorrow and i noticed that the wheel lock bolt on the driver side rear wheel is now missing. it was there when i picked up the car last time. this is crazy. i'm going to have to replace the rest since i can't trust them now.
Driver another car for a few days instead, then you'll know if it's the car or you. See a doctor anyway regardless, Nothing to lose in being overly cautious.
Has your passenger experienced alike symptoms? You need girly to ride with you..for certain, you will know if its your vehicle or your personal health. Get your blood sugar checked..just a thought..good luck.
so here is an update. checked for any leaks, check exhaust leaks, checked fluid levels. no leaks were found. the tech said he drove around for about an hour with a passenger and they didn't notice or feel anything. i removed the o2 extender so i'm back to the way it was before. since then i changed the cabin air filter with a new one. my symptoms are the same. and so far it only happens when driving the c63. i drove my wife's car for a couple of days and had no symptoms. and then i would drive the c63 again and feel dizzy. my wife who ride's shotgun with me nearly everywhere hasn't felt any symptoms like me but i still believe there is something with the car. there's got to be something that i'm noticing/feeling while driving.
some other thoughts and notes i had
my front tires are new. my rear tires will need to be replaced soon. the outer half is fine but the inner part is close to the wear bars. so my next thing to do is replace the rear tires. another thought i had after seeing the rear tire wear was that maybe i was noticing something with the new alignment matched up with the rear tire wear. i really don't know. at one point i thought it was the alignment + tire wear + all the rain that has been falling for the last 2 weeks. but i get dizzy even while driving when it's dry like today.
You feel dizzy because all the blood has gone elsewhere while you drive. The car is that good! All joking aside, thats very strange. It doesnt sound like carbon monoxide now that other people have been in the car with no symptoms. Not sure what it could be.
You feel dizzy because all the blood has gone elsewhere while you drive. The car is that good! All joking aside, thats very strange. It doesnt sound like carbon monoxide now that other people have been in the car with no symptoms. Not sure what it could be.
i could have believed that if it hadn't been for all the rain that has kept the beast at bay. last weekend i had my father in the car as well for about an hour also and he didn't feel dizzy.
This is an interesting situation, as you seem to have likely controlled for a few variables (different vehicles, occupants, etc). Again, without knowing more of your (medical) history and presentation, it would not be prudent to try and diagnose over an internet thread. That said, I don't believe your symptoms can be directly attributed to changes in vehicle components (tires, suspension, alignment) unless the vehicle is running in circles, or, back to the original question of possible fume leak.
How did shop test for exhaust leaks?
The C63 has a relatively large V8 compared to most other vehicles, and as such, would exhaust higher volume of gases in a given amount of time.
As others have astutely noted, Carbon Monoxide is the major concern here. May be prudent to test for this by getting a CO detector that can measure in < 10PPM (more sensitive than typical run of the mill detectors) : https://tinyurl.com/y7yscrq6
Place detector near you in the driver's side of the cabin, all windows rolled up, and test levels on multiple drives. (May want to have a driver other than you for these runs)
This will lay this question to rest once and for all.
Different people = different physiologies, and hence, may have different responses to the same level of CO. Add a possible underlying condition/co-morbidity, and this can increase one's sensitivity to CO.
^^^That’s very true. With all the OBOGS and ECS issues we have been having in the F-18, people react very differently to the same conditions. Even in the same cockpit, sometimes one person has gotten hypoxic while the other is fine. A CO detector is probably the best way to rule that out.
since then i changed the cabin air filter with a new one.
This was a good move. Mold and other irritants possibly trapped in filter could potentially elicit similar symptoms. But yours persist despite this.
If CO measurements come back OK, perhaps search deeper in the AC/ventilation, or under certain carpeting (if previous water damage) for possible sources?
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