New girl here, need help

[yllsen]

I apologize but I am new.
I have read the FAQ forums, but many of them confuse me.

I just got a 97 eagle talon tsi awd turbo. Everything is more or less stock. It's got quite a few things to fix on it like the struts are going, and the timing belt... and the engine has about 200 000kms.... and the turbo doesn't make a pshhh sound, it's more of a strange roar.

I'm a girl.
I've only started learning about cars since deciding to get this one. (So only about a week and a half.) I absolutely love my car however, and I want to learn more and make my baby into a beautiful machine... money allowing of course
I eventually want to learn how to fix my own car, but it will take time as I'm new to all this. If it's too difficult I'll probably take it to the shop, but I want to personally experience fixing the car cause it's like bonding time. It makes it more my own. I don't know what I can do by myself and what I'll need help with.

My question is, does it mater what kind of struts and timing belt I put on?
What should I do about the engine since it has 200 000 kms? Should I be looking into getting a newer used one? Can I install a non turbo one in and add a turbo kit?
Any idea what might be wrong with teh turbo?

 

[ITSME4G63]

Ok, so it's true! I knew that if I told people I'm a girl, I'd get some answers at least! hehe. However, it IS true. I am a girl. And if you're wondering what I look like, ask Laserdad91! I sent him my picture.

I bet you his PM is full by now

 

[dave99gst]

Ok And if you're wondering what I look like, ask Laserdad91! I sent him my picture.

so what did he do so special to get a photo ? -- im always accsepting applications for dsmgirl of the month .. ut -o is that a calender idea i feel comming ?

 

[Defiant]

Oh, hell. Someone's admitted they're a girl. There goes the dam.

 

[yllsen]

so what did he do so special to get a photo ? -- im always accsepting applications for dsmgirl of the month .. ut -o is that a calender idea i feel comming ?

I didn't think a photo's really a big deal.
I don't think I'm ugly So what do I have to be worried about?
I have some pictures, and all you have to do is MSN me, and I can send them.

 

[Quasimondo]

Oh, hell. Someone's admitted they're a girl. There goes the dam.

you didn't see the vultures circling from the first post?

 

[saw wave analog]

hehehe i should have been telling people i was a girl when i started, would have made things much easier.. so many invitations to talk about the car one on one instead of being told to search

i just got my car a couple months ago, and ive spent a poopload of time researching them, and i feel i am pretty knowledgeable about them now. it really helps things connect when you get under the car and start seeing what people are talking about. shocks/struts, intake, boost controller and gauge, brakes, fuel pump rewire... all are basic mods that are well documented, fairly easy to do even if you know nothing about car repair, will make you faster and after doing them you will have a much better feel for how your car works. i would recommend having the timing belt done very soon by someone with experience as it is something that you dont want to mess up on doing yourself, and it almost certainly needs to be done. if that thing breaks it is going to take a lot of your cylinder head with it and it will get a lot more expensive that it would have been. i wish there was a dsm girl in my town

 

[yllsen]

hehehe i should have been telling people i was a girl when i started, would have made things much easier.. so many invitations to talk about the car one on one instead of being told to search

i just got my car a couple months ago, and ive spent a poopload of time researching them, and i feel i am pretty knowledgeable about them now. it really helps things connect when you get under the car and start seeing what people are talking about. shocks/struts, intake, boost controller and gauge, brakes, fuel pump rewire... all are basic mods that are well documented, fairly easy to do even if you know nothing about car repair, will make you faster and after doing them you will have a much better feel for how your car works. i would recommend having the timing belt done very soon by someone with experience as it is something that you dont want to mess up on doing yourself, and it almost certainly needs to be done. if that thing breaks it is going to take a lot of your cylinder head with it and it will get a lot more expensive that it would have been. i wish there was a dsm girl in my town

Everyone says to get the timing belt done ASAP. I just don't know if it really needs to be done. The girl said I should, but my friend said it looked pretty new. I figure I'll have to take it to a dealer and see what they say.
I only became a DSM girl like a week and a half ago! The car is super hot!

 

[H8URV8]

Don't ever take it to a dealership!!!! you will get ripped off. I'm a female as well and your best bet is to find all of the dsm guys around the area. hopefully you'll get lucky and at least one of them will know how to actually work on a dsm!

 

[Denji]

for my first timing belt i had it changed at a dealership. it was pricey, but if anything goes wrong, they will take care of it..however, if someone else does the belt, then it messes up a week later, guess what? your out of luck. id spend the extra money for the reassurance that if something happens you at least have someone to blame it on.

 

[tom1995tsi]

Maybe i should say im a girl and everyone would rush to my aid with problems

 

[H8URV8]

i may be a girl, but i know my shit!!!!

 

[awd4g63]

Not sure if it's already been mentioned (didn't read all the replies), but I'd recommend picking up a Chilton's (recommended) or Hayne's manual from your local auto-parts store or bookstore.

Check out www.vfaq.com for some great information on do-it-yourself stuff. Also, you can check out the Tech Articles here on DSMtuners; they're pretty well written up and should help you on your way into the DSM world

Just remember DSMs have been turning ordinary, church going, peaceful people into foul-mouthed, tool throwing mechanics since 1989. There's a reason for this.

 

[yllsen]

i may be a girl, but i know my shit!!!!

Whee! another girl. I was wondering if by the odds, could I really be the only one around!? That would be freaky.

So do you fix your own car?
.. Man I'm tired

 

[Street Surgeon]

I eventually want to learn how to fix my own car, but it will take time as I'm new to all this.

Well, you bought the right car if you want to learn how to work on cars .

The timing belt you should always use is stock, oem mitsubishi...

Heh, well the difference between most belts is negligible, I personally sprung for a Power Enterprise kevlar belt and it hasn't given me any trouble yet

Any idea what might be wrong with teh turbo?

With those miles it's dying or dead. You can upgrade or get another used T25 for cheap.

LANDO!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY WHEELS?!?!? Those better not be Racing Hart 18x8 CP10's in BRONZE DAMNIT!

Oh, and the leghumping in this post is ridiculous... Have a nice day

 

[Denji]

amen on the leghumping....i'm not getting involved! Though it would be cool to hvae a girl that was into dsms..i tried to convince my girlfriend to sell her civic and buy a dsm..that was a no-go.

 

[greathuskie]

I personally sprung for a Power Enterprise kevlar belt and it hasn't given me any trouble yet

hell id hope not for what you paid for it!

 

[Street Surgeon]

My jobber was $118.00 so it wasn't that bad. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind

 

[H8URV8]

Whee! another girl. I was wondering if by the odds, could I really be the only one around!? That would be freaky.

So do you fix your own car?
.. Man I'm tired

i sure do!! just don't get into looks first, make it fast!!! there are too many girls into the looks and not the power!!

 

[LaserDad91]

Ok, so it's true! I knew that if I told people I'm a girl, I'd get some answers at least! hehe. However, it IS true. I am a girl. And if you're wondering what I look like, ask Laserdad91! I sent him my picture.

 

[LandoAWD]

LANDO!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY WHEELS?!?!? Those better not be Racing Hart 18x8 CP10's in BRONZE DAMNIT!

RS Limited Ikari 17s. You're safe.

Fix your sig ASAP, though.

 

[LaserDad91]

Don't ever take it to a dealership!!!! you will get ripped off. I'm a female as well and your best bet is to find all of the dsm guys around the area. hopefully you'll get lucky and at least one of them will know how to actually work on a dsm!

ROTHFL That was good!!

 

[dsm4life]

sorry but like said before , just cause shes a girl you cant say use the search button. Girl or not rule apply.

 

[LandoAWD]

sorry but like said before , just cause shes a girl you cant say use the search button. Girl or not rule apply.

Her questions were answered, and she was simply pointed in the direction of the feature for future use. Post on topic, please.

 

[dsm4life]

im just saying man she ask about turbos in non-turbos etc how many times have these questions been answered before ? and normally someone would have thrown up a seach button. No harm here just pointing this out. no more from me [unsubscribed from thread]

 

[EclipseSH21]

My advice is to just cruise the forums for a while reading some of the theads on here. You can learn so much stuff by just reading some of the discussions here, DSMtuners is an excellent board, as the moderators keep most of the garbage off of here, so don't worry about getting misleading info. In addition to crusing the forums you have a wealth of information parked in your driveway. The best way to learn anything is to actually do things and get your hands dirty. Change the oil. Check all the fluids. Look around the engine bay and read your owners maunal. Eventually in reading whats here and working with your car you'll learn whats all under the hood of your DSM, and eventually how to fix it when it breaks. However, just stick to basic maintenance for now, just this much will prolong the life you your DSM.

Don't worry if you don't know anything bout cars right now. We all had to start somewhere, and this is as good of a place as any. Good luck with the TSi, you've made an excellent decision in buying a car, I would've taken a rusty TSi over a clean RS anyday...oh well.