Piston Slap: Take My (Suspension) Abuse And Like It?

Sam writes:

Hello,

I have a 2006 Mazda 3 S with 120,000 miles on it. I live in Oakland Ca, where the pot holes shoot back. I blew out a front strut a last year and had both front struts replaced. After replacement, one of the struts squeaks like a rusty spring at slow speeds and is annoying. What is actually driving me crazy is a week ago the other front strut started making loud thunking under acceleration at slow speeds.

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Piston Slap: The E-Z Out for My BMW, Minivan

TTAC regular psarhjinian writes:

I just bought a E46 3-Series that needs some care (hey, it was cheap!) and snapped off both bolts holding the alternator to (I think) the oil filter housing. I’ve gotten the alernator off, but the last inch-or-so of the threaded section of one bolt is broken off. Thank you, BMW for using steel bolts in an aluminum block.

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  • Wjtinfwb No confusion on my end, Ghost. The Government has zero role in job creation outside of the legitimate opportunities' created by Government going about it's responsibilities, namely keeping the American people and territory safe from foreign intrusion. Of course, they're failing epically at that but that's a different topic. The American free enterprise system is what enables job creation. Government's role is to stay out of the way of that system, but they seem incapable of doing so. Oil & Gas exploration is just one example. If a National Job Policy is what you're looking for, there are other countries that will be happy to accept your application for residency.
  • Michael Smith I drive 100-300 miles a day in new BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, and GM SUVs. Some are already equipped with automatic braking.It's the first thing I turn off when I start the car.I've had experiences where (as the author notes) the system gave false alarms and stabbed the brake pedal, threatening my ability to control the car.Further, every driver encounters situations where, for example, legal following distance must be momentarily compromised in order to avoid a difficult situation. When the system intervenes, it disrupts the driver's plan of action. This can lead to a collision as the driver has to suddenly react not to his surroundings, but to the system.Not only is automatic braking an insult to skilled drivers, it's dangerous to everyone.
  • Dave M. My hipster daughter is greatly into it. We watched the race together this weekend. It was interesting but I'm not devoted to it like she is. She'll be at the Austin race in October.
  • Bd2 I'll watch F1 when Kia and/or Hyundai pony (pun intended) up the cash to field a class leading team. Hyundai is leading many series with the Elantra N with it's incredible 350HP Smartstream-R engine.
  • Steve Biro There are 24 races on this year’s F1 schedule. And I guarantee you no more than two will be reasonably exciting, Meanwhile, F1’s reception for Andretti reveals the dark underbelly of the sport. I have followed F1 since the 1960s and, frankly, I am running out of interest. I’ll catch a race if it’s convenient but won’t bother DVRing them.