Ekizzle's JDM Rant...

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by Prolifique

As well where is a good place to do a full thurough engine, oil, coolant,break everything flush...? for a skyline that is.


First off, this is in NO way a personal attack on you Prolifique. You are the just most recent in an onslaught of threads with which I have seen this question. So I apologise to you for singling you out.

I see so many threads about Skylines, 180's, Silvia's, Pulsar's, Supra's, MR2's, Sera's, Aristo's, Levin's, Civic's, and God knows what else I am missing here. But the deal is this, and this is what is chaffing me.

They are just cars. I am happy for all of you who own one. Some of you are asshole's and some of you are close friends. The asshole part goes for owners of LHD cars too, so don't think I am berating anyone here. But a motor, is a motor, is a motor. Just because it's JDM DOES NOT mean that it is sooooo special. it's especially prevalent with the Nissan crowd. I feel they are all all lead to believe that because their cars have no North American counterparts that they are impossible to be worked on. That no garage, or mechanic, or quick lube place is qualified to do anything to these cars.

YES, there is the exception, I mean a B16, is a B16...JDM or not. A Honda dealer is more than qualified or knowledgeable in diagnosing a quirk that are only making themselves seen in VTEC engines, cause let's be honest here...there are no difference's between a JDM motor and a USDM motor as far as operation goes. Now, the same holds true for Nissan's, Toyota's, Mitsubishi's, and whatever else you kids are driving that are fresh off the boat.

But why do we need special shops to work on JDM cars??...this I don't get and is soooo starting to get to me it's not even funny anymore.

Your Skyline is NO different than my LHD 1996 Honda Civic Hatchback.


*exhale*...

[buh_buh]

its because jDm OwNz y0

[Toms-SC]

Needs more stickers dawg

[Team_Mclaren]

wish i can say the same about my rotary...:banghead: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Alpine Autowerks]

what kind of a pompous prick calls himself Ekizzle?

;)

[dino_martini]

Drift button broken - need shop to fix.

[Herb]

I Have JDM parts
TRD Front Turn Lights, TRD Eyelids & Toyota Cavalier Tail Lights
But What Do I Know I Drive A Cavalier :devil:

[sputnik]

JDM - because drive throughs are for pussies

[jdmXSI]

Not nesicarily ture! i had an issue with my JDM integra and i brought it to Honda. They had absolutly no IDEA what was wrong with it! The issue still hasen't been resolved and its been almost 5 months! So in the sense that a motor is a motor is true, how ever there should be a Mechanic shop that specifies in JDM cars!

[ringmaster]

I have to agree that JDM cars are nothing "special" and that sometimes the owners of such cars seem to think they have purchased a ferrari rather than a 17 year old junker that was not fit for an 18 year old japanese kid to drive.

BUT:


Originally posted by jdmXSI
Not nesicarily ture! i had an issue with my JDM integra and i brought it to Honda. They had absolutly no IDEA what was wrong with it! The issue still hasen't been resolved and its been almost 5 months! So in the sense that a motor is a motor is true, how ever there should be a Mechanic shop that specifies in JDM cars!

Many mechanics are hicks and simply have no desire to troubleshoot these older cars. They just dont stock many of the parts needed to repair jdm cars and therefore are clueless when it comes to working on them.
My buddy's Fairlady Z spent several months at a local shop for a new door handle. The problem was that the hickster working on the car couldnt understand why the 300zx door handle he ordered wouldnt fit into the jdm door. It boggled his mind and he eventually just welder her on there and said it was the only way it was going to get fixed. :whipped:

[tictactoe2004]

Originally posted by ringmaster
My buddy's Fairlady Z spent several months at a local shop for a new door handle. The problem was that the hickster working on the car couldnt understand why the 300zx door handle he ordered wouldnt fit into the jdm door.

well theres your problem there, jdm fairlady or north american 300zx, neither of them should be worked on by a "hick".

[962 kid]

Originally posted by jdmXSI
Not nesicarily ture! i had an issue with my JDM integra and i brought it to Honda. They had absolutly no IDEA what was wrong with it! The issue still hasen't been resolved and its been almost 5 months! So in the sense that a motor is a motor is true, how ever there should be a Mechanic shop that specifies in JDM cars!


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: you are the kind of person that this thread is talking about. Your knowledge of cars must be equivalent to that of an ashtray on speed if you think that the reason the dealership can't figure out what is wrong with your car (re: haven't gotten around to fixing it yet) just because it's JDM mad tyte!

[Lo)2enz0]

meh, i am just a hater on the drivers. but hey know your shit before you hand over a car to someone who doesn't know what they are doing. by this time most mechanics know what they are looking. for instance ca18 clutch...most people don't even know you can use a ka24 one if you remove 1 pin from the flywheel. shit when i swapped my motor in 2.5 years ago i didn't even know.

but hey i do agree we won't need a shop. if they guys can tell you whats wrong, and you know what to use any shop can do the work.

blah blah blah, i just hate on s13's that are everywhere. actually most s13 drivers in general. fucking fad boys

[finboy]

people take way to much pride in their car's some time. a bandwagon grows, more people are around to hype up eachother's cars, and you get inter-brand hate.

a car is a car, all have their up sides and down sides, build your car for yourself, fuck the rest of the trend junkies :thumbsup:

[hjr]

i think you've missed the point her arizzle, it is way cheaper to get a JDM car, thats why they are special!

[Synne]

Originally posted by hjr
i think you've missed the point her arizzle, it is way cheaper to get a JDM car, thats why they are special!

How is getting a Skyline cheaper?

...cheaper than what? What are you going to compare it to here in N.A. seeing as we never got them?

Car's that never saw the light of day here in N.A. for intensive work, should go to specialized shops that are knowledgeable about them.

...but I mean, changing the oil, brakes, muffler, typical nonsense like that any place should be able to handle just fine.

[l8braker]

Great rant. No need to quote the OP in it, you could have just created your thread and said what was needed to be said. Prolifique is a good guy, you didn't need to single him out.

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by Synne


How is getting a Skyline cheaper?

...cheaper than what? What are you going to compare it to here in N.A. seeing as we never got them?

Car's that never saw the light of day here in N.A. for intensive work, should go to specialized shops that are knowledgeable about them.

...but I mean, changing the oil, brakes, muffler, typical nonsense like that any place should be able to handle just fine.

hmm ok, then you have one unique car there. oh to top it up, why not open up a "specialized" skyline shop so you can get your "intensive" work done there.

An engine is still an engine, a car is still a car, a 15years old car at that. You dont see any "specialized" caravan shops out there now do you?!

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by l8braker
Great rant. No need to quote the OP in it, you could have just created your thread and said what was needed to be said. Prolifique is a good guy, you didn't need to single him out.

hi, do u read? did you even read the first post? no? go back and read it

[l8braker]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren


hi, do u read? did you even read the first post? no? go back and read it

Excuse me?

:banghead::banghead:

[CivicTunr]

he was just using him as an example, since he was the most recent.

[jdmXSI]

Originally posted by 962 kid



:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: you are the kind of person that this thread is talking about. Your knowledge of cars must be equivalent to that of an ashtray on speed if you think that the reason the dealership can't figure out what is wrong with your car (re: haven't gotten around to fixing it yet) just because it's JDM mad tyte!

When you have a light that goes on and you try and count the codes(to see what wrong), nothing comes up you try and isolate the issue and still there is no resolution. What else do you do? You'd probably bring it to where you think they can fix it! hmmmmm.......... maybe a Honda store! Part of what your saying is true, I have found out what was wrong and i haven't gotten around to fix it,your right about that. The issue is that its a catalitic sensor. But the only thing is now They just don't even have them here in North America! Thats option #1, #2 is do an 0BD0-0BD1 conversion and delete the sensor from the programming using Hondata. So My knowlage on cars really isn't the equivalent of an ashtray now is it?



/And there's my rant for the day! lol

[dubious]

Originally posted by jdmXSI


The issue is that its a catalitic sensor. But the only thing is now They just don't even have them here in North America!

So My knowlage on cars really isn't the equivalent of an ashtray now is it?

so what you're looking for is a JDM o2 sensor?

[Schwa]

I think u need to read the ECU codes right to left for imported cars.

[frozenrice]

Originally posted by EK 2.0
The asshole part goes for owners of LHD cars too, ...........


Originally posted by 962 kid
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: you are the kind of person that this thread is talking about. Your knowledge of cars must be equivalent to that of an ashtray on speed if you think that the reason the dealership can't figure out what is wrong with your car (re: haven't gotten around to fixing it yet) just because it's JDM mad tyte!

I think EK 2.0 was talking about you too......

[Zephyr]

Damit man! Don't reveal the secret or we can't charge them more for "special JDM work". :banghead:

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Some people just have the IQ of a dicknipple.

[962 kid]

Originally posted by jdmXSI


When you have a light that goes on and you try and count the codes(to see what wrong), nothing comes up you try and isolate the issue and still there is no resolution. What else do you do? You'd probably bring it to where you think they can fix it! hmmmmm.......... maybe a Honda store! Part of what your saying is true, I have found out what was wrong and i haven't gotten around to fix it,your right about that. The issue is that its a catalitic sensor. But the only thing is now They just don't even have them here in North America! Thats option #1, #2 is do an 0BD0-0BD1 conversion and delete the sensor from the programming using Hondata. So My knowlage on cars really isn't the equivalent of an ashtray now is it?



/And there's my rant for the day! lol

So what you're saying is... you want a JDM "specialty" shop to open up just to tell you that the part you need is not available in NA? Here allow me to help you: call jdmsource, they're most likely your best bet for getting jdm engine-related parts.

All hail the JDM master!!!


Originally posted by frozenrice

I think EK 2.0 was talking about you too......

don't think so :)

[Idratherbsidewayz]

Ignorant people are everywhere. You could open up a JDM shop full of ignorant JDM people and they still would have no idea whats wrong with your car.

A car is a car, an engine is an engine, and a qualified mechanic with years of experience should be able to troubleshoot anything with minimal research...

[Synne]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren


hmm ok, then you have one unique car there. oh to top it up, why not open up a "specialized" skyline shop so you can get your "intensive" work done there.

An engine is still an engine, a car is still a car, a 15years old car at that. You dont see any "specialized" caravan shops out there now do you?!

Let me put it this way...if I had a Ferrari...I'd WANT to bring it to a Ferrari specialized shop...not just any joe on the corner...who knows...maybe joe on the corner is more than capable to handle a Ferrari...but guess what...maybe 75% of the other joes on the corner havent ever worked on a Ferrari and might possibly mess something up...

...so to put my own mind at ease I'd take it to the Ferrari specialty shop...


...same thing for my GT-R...I just feel comfortable taking it to ppl such as Autodream simply becuz I know the guys there and I know they have lot's of experience on the engines.

...to tell the truth though, I've never taken her to autodream...I have my own mechanic that used to work with my father...and he's now located at a small Nissan shop outside of Calgary...but I know he's a damn good mechanic, even though he hasn't see a GT-R before mine.


...but not everyone has something like this...and that's why places like Autodream exist...and it's more comforting to know that they know their stuff on imports and skylines and blah blah...

...so yay good for you an engine is just an engine...but we all have preferences...and to make a whole thread about this...well...A+ again!

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by Synne


Let me put it this way...if I had a Ferrari...I'd WANT to bring it to a Ferrari specialized shop...not just any joe on the corner...who knows...maybe joe on the corner is more than capable to handle a Ferrari...but guess what...maybe 75% of the other joes on the corner havent ever worked on a Ferrari and might possibly mess something up...

...so to put my own mind at ease I'd take it to the Ferrari specialty shop...


...same thing for my GT-R...I just feel comfortable taking it to ppl such as Autodream simply becuz I know the guys there and I know they have lot's of experience on the engines.

...to tell the truth though, I've never taken her to autodream...I have my own mechanic that used to work with my father...and he's now located at a small Nissan shop outside of Calgary...but I know he's a damn good mechanic, even though he hasn't see a GT-R before mine.


...but not everyone has something like this...and that's why places like Autodream exist...and it's more comforting to know that they know their stuff on imports and skylines and blah blah...

...so yay good for you an engine is just an engine...but we all have preferences...and to make a whole thread about this...well...A+ again!

Thanks, cause you have just proved OP's point. Sure We all have mechanics that we trust, shops we feel more comfortable to bring out cars in... blah blah blah, but to compare your 15 year old "car" to a .... hmmm Ferrari? and to have a SPECIAL "JDM" garage to work on it is a little ridiculous isnt it? no?


Originally posted by EK 2.0


They are just cars. I am happy for all of you who own one. --------- But a motor, is a motor, is a motor. Just because it's JDM DOES NOT mean that it is sooooo special. ---------- I feel they are all all lead to believe that because their cars have no North American counterparts that they are impossible to be worked on. That no garage, or mechanic, or quick lube place is qualified to do anything to these cars.


But why do we need special shops to work on JDM cars??...this I don't get and is soooo starting to get to me it's not even funny anymore.



there are wayyyy more Caravans than JDM cars in the city, I think im gonna open up a Caravan specialized shop! ;)

[hussein]

Synne is obviously a GT-R driver. :rofl:

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by hussein
Synne is obviously a 1989 Nissan driver. :rofl:

Fixed.

But hey, it's like a Ferrari, amirite?

[jhmed]

*dons flame suit*

After having worked in a Honda store for years and being the go-to guy with respect to JDM parts and NA equivalents, I have seen a few things in my time.

You're absolutely right, a B16 is a B16 is a B16. An engine is an engine is an engine.

When it comes to trouble-shooting at the dealer-level they have books (or online manuals, depending on the marque) to tell you what to look for and in what order and give you a clue on what you're doing. If it's anything different than what they are normally used to seeing, the average dealership tech doesn't wanna touch it with a 10ft pole. It could fuck up his/her flat-rate hours for the day.

And while JDM cars may not be anything special or radically different per se, even a seasoned Honda technician can be surprised at the 'little differences' like the catalytic converter overheating sensor mentioned above (is that you, Bobby?). I told a couple techs about that little gem in passing a couple years ago and they expressed surprise at the use of such a device...

As far as the OBD-0 trouble codes displayed on the B16-equipped DA or EF chassis ECUs (PR3/PW0 coded ECUs) from Japan, most are the same as the North American PR4/PM5/PM6 ECU codes. There are some additional codes that could be different, example: Code 11 and Code 20. This is where having someone who specializes in that area or at least has some knowledge could be of greater assistance and reduce diagnostic charges. Myself I just broke down and bought the JDM manuals for my car and the EPC so I can look up my own parts... all I have to do is find a technician who speaks Japanese to help me read the books and I'm good to go.

That having been said: A thread about where to take your JDM vehicle get oil changes and where to take it for a tune-up may be a little 'too much', I think a better way to word it is 'Where is the best place to take my vehicle, period.' And if you're having a specific problem, then 'Anyone recommend a decent shop specializing in JDM-whatever... need troubleshooting'

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by finboy
people take way to much pride in their car's some time. a bandwagon grows, more people are around to hype up eachother's cars, and you get inter-brand hate.

a car is a car, all have their up sides and down sides, build your car for yourself, fuck the rest of the trend junkies :thumbsup:

Adam, I am not discounting anything you are saying. Fuck I will admit to being a bandwagoner. I went from my DSM, into a Civic, and now thanks to Ray and Al...I am looking in the near future to go Euro...Yeah, Yeah, Arif can't be Euro...but seriously...you are the only person I can call not a no wait...haha....



Originally posted by Synne

Car's that never saw the light of day here in N.A. for intensive work, should go to specialized shops that are knowledgeable about them.

...but I mean, changing the oil, brakes, muffler, typical nonsense like that any place should be able to handle just fine.

Why??...what is so great about YOUR "JDM" Engine, or Drive System, than my Civic which was built in JAPAN?? (I have a VIN to prove it)



Originally posted by jdmXSI

You'd probably bring it to where you think they can fix it! hmmmmm.......... maybe a Honda store!


How many Honda Dealers did you try?? One??...if so, you can't make a judgment call on how Honda Dealerships were not able fix it. I know from working in the Service/Parts side of a Honda Dealer (at least the one I was at) when we had issues with "JDM" motors or codes...we have numerous sources to go to for help. And eventually for 95% of the JDM Swaps, or Cars that rolled into our bays we developed a system for tackling the JDM Shizzzz...


Originally posted by frozenrice

I think EK 2.0 was talking about you too......


Nope, in fact I was not.



Originally posted by Synne

...so yay good for you an engine is just an engine...but we all have preferences...and to make a whole thread about this...well...A+ again!


You really don't seem like you will be here for that long. Call it gut instinct.

[inline6turbo]

Auto Value stocks 90% of the parts I need.
I have to go through Japan overnight for my flux capacitor, thus why JDM pwns yall.










But seriously. So long as my 12mm can fit, it can be worked on by me. Or any other person. A engine is a engine. All have the same parts. The only thing a specialized person will know is where they all are off hand, but the inner workings are all still the same.

so

:whocares:

If i'm in a hurry Minit Lube is right beside me.
My GTR is not anything different then say a SR20 240.
It's not like the second they see a JDM vehicle they forget how to reinstall a vaccuum line on properly.... so really. Don't be so self righteous in thinking your JDM car is OMGZORZ so special you need a specialized place.

So really, as long as it's day to day maintenance and general fixits, there's nothing diferent then any other car.
If you're going to be putting enough money into it to require very indepth and specialized tuning you should be able to fork out the extra $$$ to ship it to the proper people.

Either way. If you need some special parts that AutoValue doesn't carry, like say a vent or glove box latch, Brasso Nissan can overnight it to you no prob from Japan!

:thumbsup:

i <3 my Nissan

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

:werd: :werd:

It may not be built in NA, but it was still built on this planet, and a fuel pump is still a fuel pump... The idea behind how an engine works, is still the same, the same laws of physics, thermodynamics, etc still apply. If you really need that JDM part (whether it's that mad tyte amber corner, or the jdm flare... or an actually needed part) you can still order it... It's not like they have to wait for the planets to align in order to get it, and it's not like there aren't a few parts cars around (rare as they are). And there are more civics than skylines... so should there be a civic shop? Or like said earlier, more caravans... Don't think your important for paying 15k for a 15 year old car... Not all of us are that important. Besides, if you love your car that much, spend the money on getting it done by the right people... ship that bitch back to japan to get it worked on ya cheap bastard...

Ps... 2am FTL

[inline6turbo]

good thing i didnt pay 15k for my 15 year old vehicle...

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Originally posted by inline6turbo
good thing i didnt pay 15k for my 15 year old vehicle...

How much did you sell your GTS-T for again? wasn't it like 14k? dotdotdot

[hjr]

i urinate JDM cars i see in my drunken early morning wanderings

[inline6turbo]

Originally posted by LilDrunkenSmurf


How much did you sell your GTS-T for again? wasn't it like 14k? dotdotdot

14.5k lol!

more then what i paid for the gtr lol

[Synne]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat


Fixed.

But hey, it's like a Ferrari, amirite?

Let's not be stupid, I may own and drive a GT-R...

...but you give me a chance to own a Ferrari and I'm on it like a dog on a cat.

Funny how you guys are hating on 15year old cars for some odd reason?

Older cars automatically means their shit in this car community or something?

If that's the case then I'd really question your true enthusiasm for vehicles.

Maybe beyond shouldnt be called a car enthusiasts forum...

...it should be a " 1992 < car enthusiasts forum. "

Even from a Mod......impressive.

[finboy]

Originally posted by EK 2.0


Adam, I am not discounting anything you are saying. Fuck I will admit to being a bandwagoner. I went from my DSM, into a Civic, and now thanks to Ray and Al...I am looking in the near future to go Euro...Yeah, Yeah, Arif can't be Euro...but seriously...you are the only person I can call not a no wait...haha....




i'm agreeing with you, a majority of people that jump on the wagon's take up elitist attitudes, and start saying things like...


Because people cant seem to accept that a Honda can only be not even two-tenths of a second slower than a 360 Modena


I've owned a GT-R for the past three years...oh yes that's correct, my 89 GT-R was one of the first to land in this country...back when the bandwagon wasn't so full...but at least GT-R owners have capable machines on their hands...they have the ability to push 800+ HP ...something that most Honda boys don't have.

the more people you have jumping on the honda, nissan, bmw, sti, etc. bandwagon's, the more hype they get, and it creates an environment much like the honda vs. nissan problem in calgary right now.

"my s13 can make 600 hp if i put an sr20 in it, and a few other mods, i saw it in a magazine"
"oh yea, well my k-series will make my ef run 10's, i saw it on hondatech so it has to be true"

its cool to be part of a community, but people are forgetting that there will always be someone faster, who handles better, and looks better, it might be the same brand as you or it might be some brand that you wouldn't want to drive. there are no inferior cars, but there are people who don't want to think outside the box.

[962 kid]

Originally posted by Synne


Let's not be stupid, I may own and drive a GT-R...

...but you give me a chance to own a Ferrari and I'm on it like a dog on a cat.

Funny how you guys are hating on 15year old cars for some odd reason?

Older cars automatically means their shit in this car community or something?

If that's the case then I'd really question your true enthusiasm for vehicles.

Maybe beyond shouldnt be called a car enthusiasts forum...

...it should be a &quot; 1992 &lt; car enthusiasts forum. &quot;

Even from a Mod......impressive.

don't be fooled, he's not hating on your car; all that hate is directed on you for thinking that working on your car is like working on a ferrari. To be honest, even working on a ferrari is nothing special if you're a competent mechanic haha.

Also, BCS != moderator

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by Synne


Funny how you guys are hating on 15year old cars for some odd reason?

Older cars automatically means their shit in this car community or something?

If that's the case then I'd really question your true enthusiasm for vehicles.

Maybe beyond shouldnt be called a car enthusiasts forum...

...it should be a &quot; 1992 &lt; car enthusiasts forum. &quot;


:rofl: I think you may have picked the wrong guy to accuse of not liking old cars.


Either way, that wasn't my point. Only taking an old Nissan to a specialized import shop all the time is foolish. Pretending your old Nissan needs special care that only an import shop can provide is foolish. It's not that it's bad car or anything, but it isn't like its engine runs on black magic only understood by the JDM elite.

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by 962 kid

don't be fooled, he's not hating on your car; all that hate is directed on you for thinking that working on your car is like working on a ferrari. To be honest, even working on a ferrari is nothing special if you're a competent mechanic haha.

Also, BCS != moderator


What do YOU know about working on a Ferrari??...;)

[962 kid]

Originally posted by EK 2.0



What do YOU know about working on a Ferrari??...;)

about as much as you know about real-life macking ;)

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by 962 kid

about as much as you know about real-life macking ;)


Touche...My good friend...Touche...hahaha...

[Idratherbsidewayz]

Originally posted by inline6turbo
Either way. If you need some special parts that AutoValue doesn't carry, like say a vent or glove box latch, Brasso Nissan can overnight it to you no prob from Japan!


Brasso Nissan is amazing. If you need any non North American parts stock parts they get it for you right quick.

Brasso FTW.

[1-Bar]

Originally posted by Synne
Maybe beyond shouldnt be called a car enthusiasts forum...

...it should be a &quot; 1992 < car enthusiasts forum. &quot;

Then they would have to change the name each year :dunno: :nut:

[ZyaL8R]

To be honest I read through all this, and still don't understand the need for this thread. People will bring their cars to wherever they want for mechanical work: stealership, specialty shop, friend with a toolbox...

It's not YOUR car, who are you to say where so-and-so should bring it for service? If it's that big a deal, EK, get prolifique to bring his skyline to your house and you can show him how to flush a transmission instead of "wasting $ at a skyline-only shop".

I do all the work on my car that I can, just because I was screwed over by stealerships one too many times (back when I didn't know shit about how cars worked). So does that make it OK if I laugh at people that pay for service at all?

[arian_ma]

EK is not trying to persuade people to stop being stupid, that's inevitable. He is just saying what a lot of us are thinking:
You car is not fucking special and no one cares how much HP you *think* you can have because you saw your dog's brother's owner do it.

[EK 2.0]

Reading and comprehension really do PWN a lot of members on this forum hey...:dunno:

[jhmed]

And I agree with what EK2.0's saying in principal, but there are subtle differences that when it comes down to it could save you time and money if there were someone who knew a little about those differences right from the start. Diagnostic time is not a flat rate... its a straight-time charge, and when you're shelling out $90+/hr you'd like to know you're having the problem fixed rather than paying for a mechanics training in these little differences.

Where to take your JDM for an oil change or tuneup is just an absurd question cuz EK2.0 is right, an engine is just an engine...

What I have a bigger issue with are the bandwagon-folks who know little to nothing of the cars they own. I have always been a firm supporter of learning the basics before owning a JDM-anything. Back in the day, when I got into JDM stuff (1998) there was little information on the 'net and now the place is full of it. There's no excuse for anyone not to know what kind of distributor cap to use in a ZC engine swap or what kind of plugs their 1G B16A should take. None. There's this website you can go to, maybe you heard of it... Google. It may take some time but with enough determination you can find anything you need to know about anything know-able in the world... even stuff about JDM vehicles. *gasp*

Problem is a lot of the bandwagon'ers don't care about knowing anything about their car as long as they get some attention, some pussy and go fast...

[sh0ko]

*sniff* i wish my car was as nice as half of the peoples on this board! =(

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by jhmed
its a straight-time charge, and when you're shelling out $90+/hr you'd like to know you're having the problem fixed rather than paying for a mechanics training in these little differences.

Where to take your JDM for an oil change or tuneup is just an absurd question cuz EK2.0 is right, an engine is just an engine...

What I have a bigger issue with are the bandwagon-folks who know little to nothing of the cars they own. I have always been a firm supporter of learning the basics before owning a JDM-anything.


And Andy knows his shit cause he was gonna build a RHD CR-X when we worked at Partsource together haha...


And Andy, I agree with your strait time statement. But, having said that whether it's a RHD or LHD car shouldn't make a difference. Diagnostic's is just that diagnostics. I have had issues with my Illinois built DSM that the dealer was not able to figure out. I tried another dealer and 25 mins later they called me back telling me to pick up my car it was fixed. When the first dealer had my car for 3 days of work, which they only charged me half for cause they couldn't fix the issue.

And not only owning a JDM anything...if you own a car, learn the basics.


And I KNOW there are exceptions, I am not denying that. Mechanics familiar with a 7M-GTE, might know nothing of the little quirks of a 1M-GTE Powered Celica that some kid shipped over.

[jhmed]

Originally posted by EK 2.0

And Andy knows his shit cause he was gonna build a RHD CR-X when we worked at Partsource together haha...

LMAO, yah, pretty much! Had everything ready to do it (except the RHD parts) To this day, I kick my own ass for not just finishing that car... oh well.


Originally posted by EK 2.0

And not only owning a JDM anything...if you own a car, learn the basics.

Well said!


Originally posted by EK 2.0

And I KNOW there are exceptions, I am not denying that. Mechanics familiar with a 7M-GTE, might know nothing of the little quirks of a 1M-GTE Powered Celica that some kid shipped over.

Exactly.

Just cuz it's JDM doesn't make it 'special' or hard to work on... just makes it different... nothing more, nothing less. You may have to pay a bit more because of the differences.

As far as how quick and how well it gets worked on... guess its like the old saying: "Somewhere in the world is the WORST doctor..."

[stevo 27]

Originally posted by EK 2.0


You really don't seem like you will be here for that long. Call it gut instinct.



GOLD PURE GOLD HAHAHAHA :bigpimp:

[zieg]

I admit I didn't read the whole thread, but what about things on say a skyline, that you normally need to look up? Like if there's a wiring problem and you need to know where on this RB the temperature sensor is located. Or you need to replace the valve cover gasket and you need the torque sequence... Or you need to know how much you can machine off the brake rotors. Or the CEL is on and you can't read the codes.. etc.

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by ZiG-87
I admit I didn't read the whole thread, but what about things on say a skyline, that you normally need to look up? Like if there's a wiring problem and you need to know where on this RB the temperature sensor is located. Or you need to replace the valve cover gasket and you need the torque sequence... Or you need to know how much you can machine off the brake rotors. Or the CEL is on and you can't read the codes.. etc.


Electrical is Electrical. Which means wiring is wiring. Because it's JDM does that mean the connectors are RHD, and the ground and powers are backwards??...No...:banghead:

A temp sensor is a temp sensor. They are always located in the same places on ALL motors...if you try one location and it is not there...it is NOT hard for a professional tech to find...trust me.:banghead:

Torque sequence??...Please give me a break. All cars torque sequence in the same way...from the middle out in a star shaped pattern...:banghead: And if I am wrong, and there are cars that are different, I will admit that I am wrong. But every car I have worked on; Honda, Nissan, Toyota, DSM, Chev and Ford have been the same.

Brake rotors??...Min thickness is stamped on the rotor...JDM or UKDM, USDM, KDM, PDM, ADM, ATM, OPP, MSG, MSD, MGD, FIA :banghead:

I don't know about Nissan's in regards to CEL's...but I know with JDM Honda's you can still jump the connector count the flashes and I KNOW there is tons of accurate reference with with to make a diagnosis off of:banghead:

What else ya got??


PS - Maybe you should have read the whole thread.

[Redlyne_mr2]

I know you just didnt include the Sera in that original list. If any of these cars deserve their own shop its the mighty Sera. For real though... for those of you who think your jdm cars need some special guru, I think you need to just find a better mechanic. Your current mechanic is either too lazy, stupid or both to work on your car. The 3 types of brands basically followed these perimeters back in the early 90s.
Domestic - direct ignition, high displacement, low hp v6s, loved to use torx bolts.
Import- mainly inline engines, turbo and exhaust manifold on one side, intake on the other, bunch of vacuum lines and all you need were 10, 12, 14, and 17 mm sockets.
European- they loved SOHC, used shitty oil seals, high compression with either low hp or high hp. need some strange tools to complete certain tasks.

[zieg]

Originally posted by EK 2.0

Because it's JDM does that mean the connectors are RHD, and the ground and powers are backwards??

Ok was that really necessary? I thought it was obvious that I was talking about wiring diagrams and locations of components and such. How would you diagnose a .... :dunno: oh, a problem with the cruise control computer or something, when you don't even know which black box it is?

- the temp sensor on my 240 is on the water neck. On my trans am it's on the block between the last 2 spark plugs on the driver side. It looks exactly the same as the fan switch on the opposite side. Go figure.

-torque sequence, ok good point. I guess you could intuit it pretty easily. I just hope no JDM cars have bolts as touchy as the bolts on the canadian 7m-gte head bolts..

-I didn't know thickness was stamped on the brake rotor.

-if you count the flashes fine. Hopefully a 44 will mean the same thing on a skyline as it does on a 300zx. I was thinking more about hooking a code reader up to it. I don't know if it would be able to talk to the JDM cars or not. :dunno:

[eur0]

Am i the only one going crazy from reading all of the my 'blah' is my 'blah'...anyways, too much negative attitude in this thread ... I think if I were to open up a RHD tuner/mechanic shop tomorrow I would be a rich man.

[CivicTunr]

Originally posted by eur0
Am i the only one going crazy from reading all of the my 'blah' is my 'blah'...anyways, too much negative attitude in this thread ... I think if I were to open up a RHD tuner/mechanic shop tomorrow I would be a rich man.

he never said you wouldnt, hes just saying a motor is a motor, and that no matter if it is RHD or LHD, any mechanic who has a brain will be able to work on it.

[eur0]

Originally posted by CivicTunr


he never said you wouldnt, hes just saying a motor is a motor, and that no matter if it is RHD or LHD, any mechanic who has a brain will be able to work on it.

You did it too! daminit, ahhhh! haha I know, I was just playing. A usdm engine is pretty much the same as a jdm..

[stevo 27]

noooo there not the same mine is made of japanese steel
yours is american steel :poosie: :rofl:

[Annoyingrob]

I have had no more or less problems working on my mythical JDM motor then any USDM motor I've worked on. A machine is a machine, it doesn't matter where it comes from, it all works the same.

The ONLY problem I've had was tracking down torque specs for the motor, and that wasn't that hard at all.

[DRKM]

As a tech I would not want to work on a JDM car for one reason: Parts and availablity.

What if you had to rebuild a diff or tranny? Where would you get all the measurments? I am sure it is out there but (not to sound elitist) but people like JDM auto or whatever have experiance doing these things and more than likely have all the specs needed.

As for oil changes, flushes, tune-ups, ect. I completly agree with EK2.0.


But on the same re

[Prolifique]

Alright so the discussions been said and done however this goes to the one who put up my quote and started this whole thread no harm done by the way. I recently got myself a skyline and I needed to change the oil and regular maintenance, I'm in no way showing off or being ignorant to say that mines better than so and so.. I just needed to know where to take my vehicle. I did my reasearch before asking on here and I took it to Nissan. WOW for a damn oil change it costed 250.00 and that's if half those mechanics knew what the car was to begin with. They didn't even know where ot start on my car. that's for dealers. Then comes your usual mechanics. You'd think as you did mention it's the same as a honda, but to be honest it's not. I wasn't trying ot make mine sound special or to be in the spotlight, I know this site has very knowledgable individuals with experience behind them and in any case i'm sure you ask about your ride as well i'm in no way different.

[89s1]

Prolifique:

you are the kind of person that should ship their car back, you LET the stealership make a fool of you, they knew damn well where to start... they started by noticing you had NO IDEA wtf you were asking them to even do, so they took you for a ride.

thats all.

[finboy]

Originally posted by 89s1
Prolifique:

you are the kind of person that should ship their car back, you LET the stealership make a fool of you, they knew damn well where to start... they started by noticing you had NO IDEA wtf you were asking them to even do, so they took you for a ride.

thats all.

QFT

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

An oil change is the same regardless. The only ones I might personally take to a specialist (due to lack of experience in the area) are rotaries. As far as I know, spark still makes gas go boom, and boom causes engine to turn, which requires oil to lubricate and maintain. Not like you pour it in the windshield wiper fluid on a "JDM" car... :drama:

[-Jay21-]

Originally posted by Prolifique
Alright so the discussions been said and done however this goes to the one who put up my quote and started this whole thread no harm done by the way. I recently got myself a skyline and I needed to change the oil and regular maintenance, I'm in no way showing off or being ignorant to say that mines better than so and so.. I just needed to know where to take my vehicle. I did my reasearch before asking on here and I took it to Nissan. WOW for a damn oil change it costed 250.00 and that's if half those mechanics knew what the car was to begin with. They didn't even know where ot start on my car. that's for dealers. Then comes your usual mechanics. You'd think as you did mention it's the same as a honda, but to be honest it's not. I wasn't trying ot make mine sound special or to be in the spotlight, I know this site has very knowledgable individuals with experience behind them and in any case i'm sure you ask about your ride as well i'm in no way different.

Care to expand on how an oil change cost $250?

[BoS_DC2]

maybe it was a complete engine flush?

[SteveyBoy]

This Thread is intense haha... i'm on eks side!!!
if i can't do it audo dream does,
if auto dream is to booked, shady ass ok tire off 17th does.. if they're all fucked the next shop with some sort of personal reputation with me does.
to me it's all about getting what i believe to be quality work done in a reasonable ammount of time and if someone doesn't suit my needs i know there is someone else within 25 min. of my house who will.
pretty simple i figure:dunno:

[inline6turbo]

Originally posted by Prolifique
Alright so the discussions been said and done however this goes to the one who put up my quote and started this whole thread no harm done by the way. I recently got myself a skyline and I needed to change the oil and regular maintenance, I'm in no way showing off or being ignorant to say that mines better than so and so.. I just needed to know where to take my vehicle. I did my reasearch before asking on here and I took it to Nissan. WOW for a damn oil change it costed 250.00 and that's if half those mechanics knew what the car was to begin with. They didn't even know where ot start on my car. that's for dealers. Then comes your usual mechanics. You'd think as you did mention it's the same as a honda, but to be honest it's not. I wasn't trying ot make mine sound special or to be in the spotlight, I know this site has very knowledgable individuals with experience behind them and in any case i'm sure you ask about your ride as well i'm in no way different.

I went to AutoValue, picked up some Mobil 1 and a oil filter (whose part number was supplied by autodream), jacked my car up, took out the drain plug, oh yea, put a bucket under the pan, got up, reached down and took off the oil filter, put new oil filter on, went under car put drain plug back in, filled with oil, ran for 10 seconds, checked level, added as needed and voila! 65$.

omg you got raped.

complete engine flush, ok so add a can of cleaner to the old oil, let run for 10 mins, repeat process above. 10$

stories like this make me sad, 250$...wow

[ZorroAMG]

ARRRGGGHHHHHH, my 17yr old Mercedes has a few problems, does N-E-won kno of a german shop in germany to work on my mad tyte gdm car yo? I can't trust the dealerships here because they mite not kno that euro headlights and signal lights are different!!! Oh Noez!!!

Fuck. Lame. Take it to a honda/nissan/toyota/isuzu dealer and drop it already, you are driving some other country's garbage that they overpriced and under-featured for suckers, you're not driving a unique or exotic car. Jiffy-Lube and Partsource ownz j00.




:rolleyes:

[KRyn]

Originally posted by EK 2.0
Reading and comprehension really do PWN a lot of members on this forum hey...:dunno:


Just because the majority of people on this forum are fresh off the boat doesn´t give you the right to make fun of them.


:rofl: :D

[Antonito]

Originally posted by Prolifique
Alright so the discussions been said and done however this goes to the one who put up my quote and started this whole thread no harm done by the way. I recently got myself a skyline and I needed to change the oil and regular maintenance, I'm in no way showing off or being ignorant to say that mines better than so and so.. I just needed to know where to take my vehicle. I did my reasearch before asking on here and I took it to Nissan. WOW for a damn oil change it costed 250.00 and that's if half those mechanics knew what the car was to begin with. They didn't even know where ot start on my car. that's for dealers. Then comes your usual mechanics. You'd think as you did mention it's the same as a honda, but to be honest it's not. I wasn't trying ot make mine sound special or to be in the spotlight, I know this site has very knowledgable individuals with experience behind them and in any case i'm sure you ask about your ride as well i'm in no way different.

A JDM specific garage won't help you. Instead of feigning ingnorance, they'll tell you that your JDM Boost Lag Inhibiter Crystal is in the way, and charge you $300, and you're stupid enough to believe it if you think a JDM motor is too complicated for a Nissan technician to perform an oil change on.

You're a crooked mechanics wet dream. Extreme ignorance paired with the belief that his car is special

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by hjr
i urinate JDM cars i see in my drunken early morning wanderings

I'm surprised you can fit a car through your urethra, you should likely see a doctor about that. And even he likely won't give a shit whether it's rhd or lhd.

[Eleanor]

I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I felt it was a good idea to bump it seeing numerous RHD/JDM threads popping up.

[TE4MFaint]

Worst bump evar.

:zzz:

[Toms-SC]

Originally posted by TE4MFaint
Worst bump evar.

:zzz:

Silence fan boi!

[TE4MFaint]

Originally posted by Toms-SC


Silence fan boi!

I <3 your BIMMER

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by TE4MFaint
Worst bump evar.

:zzz:

how is this the worst bump ever?

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/198960/driving-imported-car-in-winter/
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/198698/best-place-for-paint-jobs-bodywork/

[410440]

Installing anything audio/starter/security into an NA car is the same shit as a JDM car, yet people come into the shop asking a hundred and one bazillion questions on how many installers have worked on these mad tyte ferraris of the 4 banger world.... a car is a car is a car, an ignition harness is an ignition harness is well blah blah blah.



Im with EK, not all, but the majority of JDM owners are idiot kids with daddys credit cards who wanna ride dirty.

[Teggy]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren


Thanks, cause you have just proved OP's point. Sure We all have mechanics that we trust, shops we feel more comfortable to bring out cars in... blah blah blah, but to compare your 15 year old &quot;car&quot; to a .... hmmm Ferrari? and to have a SPECIAL &quot;JDM&quot; garage to work on it is a little ridiculous isnt it? no?



there are wayyyy more Caravans than JDM cars in the city, I think im gonna open up a Caravan specialized shop! ;)


says the guy who drives an rx7, and probably has been to the rx7 specialty shop????:whocares:

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Don't you take the LHD rx7's to the same shop? Seems more specialized to a model due to the rotary, more than it's "JDM"

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by Teggy



says the guy who drives an rx7, and probably has been to the rx7 specialty shop????:whocares:

way to dig out an old post of my..:rolleyes:

yes i have an rx7, no i havent been to the scammers. Yes our cars require special attention because the engine is completely different not because its "JDMMM". But with other components on the car such as brakes/ suspension etc etc. I would have no problem having just a regular mechanic working on it.

[Teggy]

i think something that would be useful would be a shop that stocked oem parts. sensors, harness, pumps, oil filters, stuff likee that. i don't really see a need for a specialties shop, as there is no different technology, but it would be nice to go somewhere, and know they have the part i'm looking for....

[alloroc]

I know how to fix your heating sensor problem. (If you haven't already)

See if you can find out the correct impedance of the stock heat sensor at operating temperature.

Replace it with a resistor.

Fixed for life.

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by 410440
Installing anything audio/starter/security into an NA car is the same shit as a JDM car, yet people come into the shop asking a hundred and one bazillion questions on how many installers have worked on these mad tyte ferraris of the 4 banger world.... a car is a car is a car, an ignition harness is an ignition harness is well blah blah blah.



Im with EK, not all, but the majority of JDM owners are idiot kids with daddys credit cards who wanna ride dirty.

correction:

Ridin' DUUURRRRTEEEEYYYYY

[Hoey]

The sweetest part is how all these "JDM" shops with all the "experts" are run by kids that just graduated high-school and own a Nissan Skyline/Silvia.

[japancar]

Originally posted by EK 2.0


Your Skyline is NO different than my LHD 1996 Honda Civic Hatchback.


*exhale*...

Really? You know nothing about cars then dude...seriously:drama:

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by japancar


Really? You know nothing about cars then dude...seriously:drama:

in what sense? have you read the thread? be careful of what you are trying to say here...:drama:

[ex1z7]

Originally posted by japancar


Really? You know nothing about cars then dude...seriously:drama:


Of course theres differences such as 1.6~L to 2.6L, 4 cyl to 6, AWD to FWD, transverse to longitudinal ..

But working on the car, is what he meant, is the same.. You still drain the oil through the drain plug, spark plug diagnosing is the same, changing a valve cover gasket is the same shit..

Generic car mechanics doesn't differ because a car came from a different country. of COURSE there are differences with Skylines and Civic's, but he was saying it in terms of general car maintenance etc..

[Daan]

Very CONVINCING ... I do the same with my Vista Cruiser


Originally posted by Synne

Let me put it this way...if I had a Ferrari...I'd WANT to bring it to a Ferrari shop

[infected]

Nothing wrong with someone taking a little pride in their car.

[canadianskyline]

Ok so let's play a game here.

Let's say I just imported a car from Japan.

Let's say it's a skyline gtr with a bee-r rev limiter on it which has malfunctioned.

Now imagine the attessa isnt working.

Let's also say it's running like shit because it's got an atmospheric venting bov on it.

And the car is randomly missing on different cylinders, and is smoking like crazy out the exhaust.

I take this car to Joe blow mechanic shop and he says.....ummm....wtf is attessa.....where do I find books on how to diagnose the attessa? This car is awd? Turbo? WTF are these things? (when i first got my car i had it at nissan dealership 4 years ago and i had to explain to the mechanics how a turbo works, not fucking kidding).

He has no idea why it's missing, he doesnt even know what the bee-r is or how it would have anything to do with why the car isnt running right, but FINALLY figures it out and its running good after a full day of testing shit when all he had to do was pull the bee-r out to start with (using this example cause my bee-r failed at d1 last week).

Now we get to the attessa system. He has no idea how to bleed it, he doesnt have any books telling him step by step how to bleed it, and let's say the attessa pump is broken, he has no idea where to get a new attessa pump (from nissan it's like 1000 dollars and they rarely fail).

Blown turbo's? Easy enough, but where does he get new turbo's, let's say you dont know anything either....in the end you're probably gonna get overcharged like crazy.

The venting bov issue is not something most mechanics know about....

Now i take that same car to Autodream and Nguyen looks at it.

He right away realizes the bee-r is the issue, charges you maybe 50 bucks to pull it out cause of diagnostic time.

He knows exactly how to bleed the attessa cause he has done it 100 times. If the pump is gone he knows exactly where to find a new pump for like 200 bucks off a guy like me who sells used skyline parts. And he can install it faster than any mechanic in Alberta, again cause he has done it many times.

Turbo swaps for him are a breeze, and he has readily available turbos, used and new.

And right away before you even leave he can tell you that the atmospheric bov is causing problems.

There's the difference, both shops will get the job done, but you know autodream did it right, you know they are gonna charge you less, and it is completely hassle free.

Oil changes and shit....oh ya....its ridiculous to NEED a specialty shop to do it, but other stuff, bigger stuff, specialized stuff, ya there is a need for specialty shops and they do a great job....and are worth going to....

That being said, im awesome and just do my own work.....

:rofl:

[Eleanor]

I think the point that EK was trying to make was that the ridiculous threads started up by people regarding JDM shops to do easy maintenance things, not necessarily specialty shops. Like the JDM key thread.

I don't think that he was attacking people wanting to go to an RX7 specialty shop or honda civic or w/e. There will be shops geared toward certain vehicles and those are great for certain problems as the mechanics working there might be more familiar with its car and its little quirks and things more so then someone at midas or CT. But for flushing the fluids? Give me a fucking break.