Bykfixer

Heck yeah! Happy endings are cool.

Looking forward to seeing you around.

Dust can contain a lot of microscopic objects that can cause scratches just by driving but it sounds like there's something about the coating on your car is easily damaged.

X2 on the cat thing. Maybe a ceramic coating will help. Pricey but really tough. My buddy washes his car with spray foam and a low pressure power washer. He swears by it.

Candles

I don't like it when another of my dogs had legs gave out. RIP Comet he was black half lab, half great dane who made it 16 years. I mentioned Onyx back in 2022 he was half hound dog half black lab who made it 12 years.

Agreed. On that note I don't like how the gubment rates required MPG rules are so strict that the foot print of automobiles have to keep increasing to meet the minimum MPG rules, thereby actually causing more pollution. It's why compact cars look super size anymore. https://me.engin.umich.edu/news-events/news/cafe-standards-could-mean-bigger-cars-not-smaller-ones/ that and the incentive for profit it causes

I like Santa Claus and sunglasses.

Check tranny fluid while the motor idles. Check oil before starting motor.

It's probably not the battery. Likely the power steering switch going bad. It reads the speed you are driving and adjusts the amount of effort required to steer. Going slower requires more pressure in the system to provide easier steering. Going faster requires less pressure.

Go by an auto parts store and ask them to check the code. Buy a soda or an air freshener as a thank you.

Can a locksmith make you a copy?

At the part store they run a load test on the battery that mimics a big draw. If it holds up to a certain voltage it means the battery itself is not weakened yet. As the battery ages it will weaken as in not be able to supply a given amount of cold cranking amps. When its cold the oil thickens some thereby making the engine have to work harder to rotate. Hence the term "cold" cranking amps. I'd say you should investigate why the check engine lamp is lighting up. It could be a sign of what is taking place to cause your car to struggle to crank over. The part store can often "read the code" and determine why the CEL is lighting. My gut tells me your voltage regulator in the alternator is hit and miss. A long time ago that was a little box on the fire wall or fender. These days they are inside of the alternator. It determines how much electricity goes to the engine to keep it running and to the battery to charge it. It only has to be off by a little to keep the engine running but not have extra to charge the battery. Another issue could be a parasitic drain. An out of the ordinary draw on the battery when the car isn't running. In my 04 GS 300 for example the CD changer kept trying to change discs and the seat memory kept activating. Now I could not hear the disc changer nor was the seat memory moving the seat, but they were drawing on the system leading to a weak or dead battery if I didn't drive the car every day. Yet another issue may be short trips don't allow the battery to charge enough. Example; start the car, drive to a store 10 minutes away, finish there, start car and drive 10 minutes to another store. Never giving the engine a good 30-45 minutes to charge the battery back up to the voltage used to start the car can also lead to the hard to crank or dead battery issue. Hope you find it soon and it's a cheap and easy fix.

https://findapartnow.com/ hope this helps

The plastic coverings helps with the overall thermal containment in the engine bay (ie helps protect the hood paint). Plus it adds a neat n tidy appearance to the engine bay. Yet it really cause any adverse affects if removed. Removing them on an older engine actually helps spot any leaks developing on the top of the engine as well. Sometimes that can result in catching it before they start leaving puddles on your driveway.

Sounds like a servo or something (ABS module) moving back and forth. Maybe boosting pressure to the brake line(s) that loses pressure when the car sits long periods. https://www.repairsmith.com/blog/abs-module/

What? No more Darth Vader grill up front? Good. Nice looking car.

strong storms, don't like 'em The 04 GS 300 had a cover held down with 100mph tarp clips. They broke. At least the car got a good bath.

Nice

Not a fan of vertigo either. Drunk without the alcohol. But.... no hangover so there is that. And whoever invented covid 19.... I don't like that person.

Bone spurs. Can't say I like those.

Naps

Is it a scraping sound? Rattling sound? Rattling would probably be a loose heat shield or similar somewhere along the exhaust pipe. Scraping sound should change pitch as the speed quickens. You say it does not. So it could be an exhaust hanger allowing the pipe to rub back and forth. My 'guess' is it's exhaust pipe related.

FYI brake fluid is also clear but that would be around the wheels and it sounds like you have a coolant leak. Good idea using red coolant. Old coolant tends to lose color over time. It doesn't become clear, just a lot less bold colored. So if it ponds on say, concrete it may appear clear.

Power steering fluid is clear. Coolant is red, yellow, green or blue. Automatic transmission fluid is between red and brown depending on condition. Red is great. Brown, not so great but no need to panic. Stop going to Mieneke. They told me when I bought a tail pipe there that if I didn't get new shocks from them that day my transmission would fail soon. Try putting cardboard under the car to see if the fluid has any color. Maybe tape white paper to the cardboard as a bonus.